《Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family》


 Chapter 1-3 - 3: 1: The Big Problem

    Chapter 1-3 - 3: 1: The Big Problem


    Trantor:549690339


    On a summer afternoon, Liu Sisi was leaning against the tree roots by the back wall, staring nkly at the sky above her head, still unable to recover from the current situation.


    A few married women passing by the Di Family¡¯s courtyard looked at her from a distance and whispered to each other.


    ¡°Do you think the Di family¡¯s new bride is not right? Her gaze is so straight, and she looks so foolish. Could it be because a high fever turned her into an idiot?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know, this new wife of Di Yelei isn¡¯t like any ordinary person. I heard that she had something going on with Businessman Zhang from the city¡­ Anyway, she failed to escape marriage and jumped into the river on her wedding night. She ended up like this because of the cold she caught while having a high fever.¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, what¡¯s the use of keeping such a shameless daughter-inw? Better just tie her up and sell her to the brothel to save on medical expenses.¡±


    ¡°Di Yelei is pretty good actually. If it weren¡¯t for his two children, he wouldn¡¯t have married this disaster of a woman back home¡­¡±


    The chirping in her ears made Liu Sisi gently close her eyes.


    She had heard simr gossip over the past few days, but she simply did not pay attention to them!


    Others thought she had caught a cold from escaping marriage and falling into the water, staying sick for several days. However, only she knew that she had changed her core by now, and she was no longer the same person.


    The original her was just an orphan whose parents had died, grew up with her grandpa in their rural hometown. When she got her first month¡¯s sry after graduating from college, she bought a bottle of red wine to celebrate, but after getting drunk, she woke up as this Liu Sisi, who had attempted to escape her wedding and drowned in an ident.


    The gossip from a few married women suddenly woke up her idle thoughts, and she realized that she had forgotten about the big problem waiting for her!


    A hurried footsteps were heard, and soon, a big man appeared before her eyes.


    Di Yelei had juste back from the old house, and with a belly full of idle anger, he felt suffocated and irritable when he thought about his sickly wife lying in bed.


    His biological mother passed away as soon as he was born, and tragedy struck his betrothed wife before their marriage. Yearster, he finally found a new wife. Just when their lives were starting to improve, she had a fall and died, leaving him with two children and a mountain of debt.


    Initially, Aunt Zhang had persuaded him, thinking about his young children, and hearing the matchmaker talking up the bride¡¯s beauty and abilities. He gritted his teeth and agreed to the marriage, but in the end, it turned out like this.


    Although he no longer longed for a harmonious and loving married life, the bride¡¯s suicide attempt on their wedding night made him both angry and annoyed!


    Fortunately, there was no loss of life. That was the silver lining within this misfortune.


    Being a man with a doomed and unfaithful destiny, it might have been fatal if he were to ¡°taint¡± the bride to death on their wedding night. In that case, his already tarnished reputation would continue to plummet, and there would be no possibility of marrying again.


    He and his two children might even be driven out of the vige and forced to live in istion.


    Thinking like this, he could not help but hasten his pace.


    Just as he approached the courtyard, he saw Liu Sisi sitting dumbfounded under the big tree roots, looking up at the sky overhead.


    As daylight sprinkled over her head, creating a dappled halo that cast her pretty face in an extraordinary beauty, such otherworldly beauty was definitely not something an ordinary viger like him could match.


    With this thought, Di Yelei felt an inexplicable irritation as he met her big eyes.


    Their lost and helpless, teary, resentful eyes seemed like a frightened and pitiful deer, instantly striking the softest part deep in his heart. He could not help but sigh heavily.


    ¡°Are you awake? Why don¡¯t you sleep a little longer? It¡¯s hot outside, let¡¯s go inside and talk.¡±


    As his deep, muffled voice rang out, a pair ofrge, bronze-colored hands reached out, reflecting a shiny radiance under the sunlight.


    Liu Sisi blinked, her disheveled mind not able to process the situation.


    She pushed away his support, trying to get up with her weak legs, almosting into intimate contact with the ground again, but was immediately caught by Di Yelei.


    ¡°Be careful! When you¡¯re still weak, just lie down in bed, don¡¯te outside and try to act tough. You¡¯re really driving me crazy!¡±


    Finally, there was a hint of warm anger in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, reminding her of everyone¡¯s gossip and losing her temper.


    Although the incident was caused by the original host, she didn¡¯t inherit the information left by the original host. However, the man in front of her didn¡¯t let her live or die on her own. He had taken care of her, sought medical treatment, and hadn¡¯t sold her directly to the brothel. He had done more than enough for her!


    Just as she was considering what to do, Di Yelei casually pulled her into the main entrance, and with a bang, the door was heavily closed behind them.


    ¡°Let go of me, you¡¯re hurting my hand!¡± Liu Sisi struggled.


    ¨C


    This story is a one-on-one, with a tough man, a soft girl, and a cute baby. It¡¯s a super sweet romance. The author haspleted multiple long novels with more than a million words; the quality of this story is guaranteed.

 Chapter 2 - 2 The power is out.

    2 The power is out.


    Trantor: 549690339


    High-temperature weather, the adapter got burnt, and it¡¯s unclear if the power will be back today. I apologize to everyone here. However, Craft Paper guarantees, as long as the poweres back, I¡¯ll make up for the promised chapter update today. Thank you all for understanding.

 Chapter 3 - 1: The Big Problem

    3 Chapter 1: The Big Problem


    Trantor: 549690339


    On a summer afternoon, Liu Sisi was leaning against the tree roots by the back wall, staring nkly at the sky above her head, still unable to recover from the current situation.


    A few married women passing by the Di Family¡¯s courtyard looked at her from a distance and whispered to each other.


    ¡°Do you think the Di family¡¯s new bride is not right? Her gaze is so straight, and she looks so foolish. Could it be because a high fever turned her into an idiot?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know, this new wife of Di Yelei isn¡¯t like any ordinary person. I heard that she had something going on with Businessman Zhang from the city¡­ Anyway, she failed to escape marriage and jumped into the river on her wedding night. She ended up like this because of the cold she caught while having a high fever.¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, what¡¯s the use of keeping such a shameless daughter-inw? Better just tie her up and sell her to the brothel to save on medical expenses.¡±


    ¡°Di Yelei is pretty good actually. If it weren¡¯t for his two children, he wouldn¡¯t have married this disaster of a woman back home¡­¡±


    The chirping in her ears made Liu Sisi gently close her eyes.


    She had heard simr gossip over the past few days, but she simply did not pay attention to them!


    Others thought she had caught a cold from escaping marriage and falling into the water, staying sick for several days. However, only she knew that she had changed her core by now, and she was no longer the same person.


    The original her was just an orphan whose parents had died, grew up with her grandpa in their rural hometown. When she got her first month¡¯s sry after graduating from college, she bought a bottle of red wine to celebrate, but after getting drunk, she woke up as this Liu Sisi, who had attempted to escape her wedding and drowned in an ident.


    The gossip from a few married women suddenly woke up her idle thoughts, and she realized that she had forgotten about the big problem waiting for her!


    A hurried footsteps were heard, and soon, a big man appeared before her eyes.


    Di Yelei had juste back from the old house, and with a belly full of idle anger, he felt suffocated and irritable when he thought about his sickly wife lying in bed.


    His biological mother passed away as soon as he was born, and tragedy struck his betrothed wife before their marriage. Yearster, he finally found a new wife. Just when their lives were starting to improve, she had a fall and died, leaving him with two children and a mountain of debt.


    Initially, Aunt Zhang had persuaded him, thinking about his young children, and hearing the matchmaker talking up the bride¡¯s beauty and abilities. He gritted his teeth and agreed to the marriage, but in the end, it turned out like this.


    Although he no longer longed for a harmonious and loving married life, the bride¡¯s suicide attempt on their wedding night made him both angry and annoyed!


    Fortunately, there was no loss of life. That was the silver lining within this misfortune.


    Being a man with a doomed and unfaithful destiny, it might have been fatal if he were to ¡°taint¡± the bride to death on their wedding night. In that case, his already tarnished reputation would continue to plummet, and there would be no possibility of marrying again.


    He and his two children might even be driven out of the vige and forced to live in istion.


    Thinking like this, he could not help but hasten his pace.


    Just as he approached the courtyard, he saw Liu Sisi sitting dumbfounded under the big tree roots, looking up at the sky overhead.


    As daylight sprinkled over her head, creating a dappled halo that cast her pretty face in an extraordinary beauty, such otherworldly beauty was definitely not something an ordinary viger like him could match.


    With this thought, Di Yelei felt an inexplicable irritation as he met her big eyes.


    Their lost and helpless, teary, resentful eyes seemed like a frightened and pitiful deer, instantly striking the softest part deep in his heart. He could not help but sigh heavily.


    ¡°Are you awake? Why don¡¯t you sleep a little longer? It¡¯s hot outside, let¡¯s go inside and talk.¡±


    As his deep, muffled voice rang out, a pair ofrge, bronze-colored hands reached out, reflecting a shiny radiance under the sunlight.


    Liu Sisi blinked, her disheveled mind not able to process the situation.


    She pushed away his support, trying to get up with her weak legs, almosting into intimate contact with the ground again, but was immediately caught by Di Yelei.


    ¡°Be careful! When you¡¯re still weak, just lie down in bed, don¡¯te outside and try to act tough. You¡¯re really driving me crazy!¡±


    Finally, there was a hint of warm anger in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, reminding her of everyone¡¯s gossip and losing her temper.


    Although the incident was caused by the original host, she didn¡¯t inherit the information left by the original host. However, the man in front of her didn¡¯t let her live or die on her own. He had taken care of her, sought medical treatment, and hadn¡¯t sold her directly to the brothel. He had done more than enough for her!


    Just as she was considering what to do, Di Yelei casually pulled her into the main entrance, and with a bang, the door was heavily closed behind them.


    ¡°Let go of me, you¡¯re hurting my hand!¡± Liu Sisi struggled.


    ¨C


    This story is a one-on-one, with a tough man, a soft girl, and a cute baby. It¡¯s a super sweet romance. The author haspleted multiple long novels with more than a million words; the quality of this story is guaranteed.

 Chapter 4 - 4: 2: Singing a different tune

    Chapter 4 - 4: 2: Singing a different tune


    Trantor:549690339


    Upon hearing this, Di Yelei quickly released her hand.


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s teary eyes spinning in her eye sockets, he felt annoyed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I didn¡¯t mean to grip you painfully. I only worried that your weak body would get dizzy from being in the sun too long. You¡¯d better go lie down for a while!¡±


    As he spoke, he bent down and yanked Liu Sisi up. In a few strides, he pulled her back to the inner room, took off her shoes and socks, and tucked her back into bed all snug and sound.


    Liu Sisi stared nkly at this busy man, her weak body too slow to react before he had already resettled her back into the bed, lying down once more in the quilt she had rested in for days.


    Before Liu Sisi could make sense of it, Di Yelei left the room only to return momentster with arge bowl in hand.


    ¡°Come on, drink the medicine! Be careful not to burn yourself.¡±


    Without saying much, Liu Sisi sat up and picked up therge bowl, pouring it into her stomach.


    In fact, from the initial awakening, she was afraid to drink this bitter, ck medicine. However, remembering the man before her forcing her to swallow it previously, she thinks it¡¯s better for her to drink it herself.


    Di Yelei pondered for a moment, deciding to speak up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard all about your past, but since you¡¯vee to my Di family with the big red bridal sedan, three matchmakers, and six bridesmaids, you are alive as my person, Di Yelei, and dead as my ghost, Di Yelei. Nevermind if you can return, even if right now you want to return¡­ can he still want you?¡±


    ¡°Even if he still wanted you, Di Yelei would never let you go again! You¡¯d better just give up on that idea. If you¡¯re willing to live our days peacefully, I won¡¯t let you be hungry as the husband of Di Yelei, even if only for a single day!¡±


    Finally, Liu Sisi put down the big bowl and returned to the quilt, staring at him with a pair of puzzled tear-filled eyes.


    A big red bridal sedan, with three matchmakers and six bridesmaids, huh?


    In her mind, she has absolutely no memory of it!


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t mind Liu Sisi¡¯s silence, he continued speaking on his own, ¡°As for whatever you had with that man in the past, the moment you stepped into my Di¡¯s house, youpletely severed that tie! Rest assured, no matter how far you¡¯ve gone with him, even if you¡­ are having a child, Di Yelei can still raise you¡­¡±


    Expecting a child? Liu Sisi hesitantly ced both hands on her still-t stomach, thunder rolling in her thoughts.


    She¡¯d gone her entire life without ever dating, never even giving away her first kiss, how could she be pregnant?


    However, it didn¡¯t matter, as it is natural for a grown woman to get married. At least now she has a family, which for Liu Sisi, an orphan from her previous life, is already a rare blessing.


    Speaking of the baby in her womb, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but gently stroke her still-t stomach, smiling faintly. This little one would be her closest rtive in this world!


    ¡°Simrly, if you can¡¯t let go of him and want to run away, even if you run to the edge of the world, Di Yelei will definitely catch you and bring you back! By then, you will know that Di Yelei is not so easy to deal with! In fact, all I want isn¡¯t much. If you are willing to treat my two children at home well, and help with the housekeeping¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t respond, the Employee let the original person get married to someone else. She didn¡¯t need such a man! She didn¡¯t have any of the original person¡¯s memories, nor any reluctance to leave.


    Di Yelei rambled on for a long time and didn¡¯t hear Liu Sisi move. Then he looked up and saw that she had already fallen asleep, snoring softly.


    In fact, he knew very well that everyone was right, a woman like her who had escaped and even had intimate rtions with other men was not an ideal choice for a virtuous wife or a good mother.


    A feeling of failure filled his heart, and he just couldn¡¯t treat this little woman harshly.


    Not only because of his own evil reputation of harming his mother and his wife but mainly because every time he looked into Liu Sisi¡¯s bright big eyes, his heart betrayed his own consciousness, caring for her deeply and unwilling to let her go.


    He sat there for a while, and as it gradually grew darker, he got up to prepare dinner in the kitchen.


    There was still plenty of food left from the wedding preparations a few days ago. There was still a hind leg of the wild boar and more than half of the wild pheasant. In addition, the other remaining cooked meats had been mostly eaten over the past two days.


    After thinking for a moment, Di Yelei put the wild boar meat back into the wooden barrel floating in the water tank, and he took out more than half of the wild pheasant, washed it quickly, chopped it up, and started cooking chicken soup in a pot.


    As the sun began to set, the chicken in the pot emitted a strong aroma that tempted people¡¯s appetite.


    Simrly, the greedy worms in Liu Sisi¡¯s stomach rolled around, forcing her to wake up from her sleep.


    This time, she felt refreshed when she woke up, and her fatigue disappeared. It seemed that the ck medicine was really effective.


    Putting on her shoes and socks, she headed to the kitchen. This was Liu Sisi¡¯s first time in the kitchen. Di Family¡¯s kitchen was located on the far right of the four adobe walls and roof of thatched hut arranged in a row. The room with smoke rising from the chimney was the kitchen.


    Perhaps Liu Sisi¡¯s footsteps disturbed Di Yelei, who was cooking. He turned his head and saw her face warm at the sight of Liu Sisi, ¡°You¡¯re up? Dinner will be ready soon, and you¡¯ll be able to eat in a while. How are you feeling? Have you be morefortable?¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t speak but moved slowly towards a small table and sat on a bench before looking around.


    This was an extremely simple kitchen. Tworge iron pots were ced on a stove, and above them, close to the wall, was arge water tank. Beside it was a bowl cab which could be seen all the way to the bottom, containing a few big y bowls. Then there was the small table where she was sitting.


    Di Yelei¡¯s question made Liu Sisi look up at him, but she immediately lowered her head and refused to speak.


    ¡°Come, have a bowl of chicken soup first to warm your stomach!¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t get angry either. He got up, washed a y bowl, filled it with half a bowl of chicken soup, and ced it in front of Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Liu Sisi was indeed hungry and quickly picked up therge bowl to blow on it and cool it, taking small sips. In recent days, she had been busy trying to contradict Di Yelei, and only when the chicken soup entered her mouth did she realize how hungry she was.


    ¡°No, no need to thank me!¡±


    Di Yelei was also somewhat embarrassed, even his face unconsciously carried a smile. He didn¡¯t expect Liu Sisi to actually thank him, so he stood there in a daze for a moment.

 Chapter 5 - 5: 3: Embracing Power

    Chapter 5 - 5: 3: Embracing Power


    Trantor:549690339


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t show any restraint. She slowly sipped the chicken soup from the big y bowl until it was all gone.


    A warmth began to spread from her stomach to the rest of her body. As she lifted her head to take a satisfying breath, she found herself eye-to-eye with Di Yelei, who was closely watching her.


    ¡°Is there something on my face?¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively reached up to wipe her face.


    Di Yelei quickly averted his gaze and walked away, his face suspiciously flushed.


    ¡°No-nothing! You rest while I serve the rice. It¡¯ll be ready in a while.¡±


    How could he admit that he had lost himself watching her to the point of forgetting to blink?


    Liu Sisi tilted her head curiously. The man¡¯s mood seemed a bit strange.


    From outside came a burst ofughter, followed by a little girl¡¯s voice: ¡°Brother, wait for me, don¡¯t walk too fast.¡±


    Liu Sisi turned around to see a boy rushing in from the door.


    The boy was about six or seven years old, carrying a bamboo basket on his back. His face was pitch-ck, only his tworge grape-like eyes could be seen, rolling around in his sockets. Behind him, a little head timidly peaked out ¨C upon seeing Liu Sisi, the head quickly retracted.


    Though it was only a glimpse, it was enough for Liu Sisi to see that the little girl was no more than three or four years old.


    Upon meeting Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, the boy showed a hint of resentment in his eyes, and then coldly snorted before greeting Di Yelei, who was serving the rice.


    ¡°Dad, we¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, you¡¯re back. You¡¯rete today. Hmm, where is your little sister YingEr? Why is she hiding? Hurry up and wash your hands for dinner.¡±


    As Di Yelei turned around with his chicken soup, he asked curiously.


    ¡°Ok, Dad.¡±


    Di Xuan casually put down the bamboo basket and then took his little sister YingEr to wash their hands.


    Liu Sisi looked over to find that the bamboo basket contained some wild vegetables, probably foraged by the two children.


    By the time Di Yelei had set out the bowls and chopsticks, the two children had washed their hands and sat opposite Liu Sisi. Di Xuan, with a stern expression, red at Liu Sisi before picking up his bowl to eat.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t care. From the moment she woke up, this boy hadn¡¯t had a pleasant expression on his face.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t eat much at dinner. She nibbled just two pieces of chicken meat. Her already half-filled stomach from the chicken soup couldn¡¯t take in any more food.


    Contrarily, when it was time to wash her face and feet, she stared nkly at the washbasin for a long time before finally giving up the idea of taking a bath.


    Without entertainment devices like phones and TV in ancient rural areas, Liu Sisi returned to her spot from several days ago. After trying hard to fall asleep with no sess due to her full stomach, she began to count sheep, only to be interrupted by a sudden noise.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you fallen asleep sote? You just recovered from your fever. You need to rest more to recover quickly.¡±


    Di Yelei entered after pushing the door open, while taking off his clothes and moving closer to the bed. He casually lifted Liu Sisi¡¯s quilt corner and sat down.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Liu Sisi let out a gasp. For the past two days that she had been awake, he hadn¡¯t been sleeping next to her.


    Although she was prepared to live life at the Di family¡¯s house, she was not ready to share a bed with aplete stranger. Especially since her fever had only just broken, she was not sure if her body could handle his persistence.


    Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t stay put. She climbed out of bed and moved as far back as possible, curling herself into a ball in the corner of the room.


    ¡°Of course, I am just changing and resting. What else could I be doing?¡±


    To avoid startling her, he had been squeezing onto Di Xuan¡¯s small bed all these days, which was quite ufortable for hisrge frame.


    ¡°Rest?¡± Liu Sisi eximed.


    ¡°Of course, rest. But don¡¯t worry, your body has just recovered, and I know you are disgusted by that sort of thing, I won¡¯t force you. Whenever you are ready, we can share a bed. Besides, I already have two children. Even if we don¡¯t have children, it¡¯s not a problem.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he quickly removed his coat, revealing his trousers underneath. Hey down on the outer side of the bed and covered himself with the quilt.


    Could it really be that easy?


    Liu Sisi instinctively felt apprehensive towards the strange man and was still on high alert.


    After lying on the bed for a moment, Di Yelei suddenly reached out and with unerring uracy, grabbed Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, pulling her back onto the bed. Before she could even let out a cry of surprise, she was lying back on the bed with Di Yelei¡¯s long arms and legs winding around her, trapping her in his embrace.


    ¡°Ah! Let go¨C¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively began to resist, trying to escape from his grip.


    ¡°Shut your mouth! Go to sleep, otherwise, I won¡¯t mind taking you right now!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s cold words sounded in her ear, which finally silenced Liu Sisi. She quickly settled down, obediently lying in his arms.


    Indeed, he didn¡¯t make any further moves. He just quietly held her as if she was a body pillow and, in no time, started snoring lightly.


    Being held in someone¡¯s arms, especially a mature man¡¯s arms, was something Liu Sisi, who had been living alone for many years, was not ustomed to. She felt ufortable all over and several attempts to break free proved unsessful.


    Turning and tossing, she tried to find afortable position. It wasn¡¯t until the rising body temperature next to her alerted her to the anomaly.


    ¡°Stop moving! Do you want to sleep peacefully or not?¡±


    A rough man¡¯s voice spoke from very close.

 Chapter 6 - 6: 4: United Front

    Chapter 6 - 6: 4: United Front


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Ah? Alright, I understand.¡±


    A bomb seemed to explode on Liu Sisi¡¯s face, making it feel like all the blood in her body had rushed to her face. She was utterly embarrassed!


    The hot source pressing against her back, even if she was innocent, in a world full of media and pervasive advertisements, she very clearly understood what it was!


    But it was so scorching hot, it felt as if it was going to burn the skin of her back. She couldn¡¯t bear it and instinctively twisted her body, trying to escape from this embarrassing situation.


    Suddenly, a gasp was heard from beside her ear. Immediately after, her body was encircled tighter than before.


    ¡°Stop moving! If you keep moving, I can¡¯t guarantee that we won¡¯t do something else tonight! Close your eyes and sleep now!¡±


    The deep male voice echoed in her ears, frightening her to instantly close her eyes tight, not daring to move any further.


    Though she initially thought she couldn¡¯t fall asleep, a whileter, she gradually drifted off to sleep. Even in her sleep, Liu Sisi wasn¡¯t well-behaved. In her previous life, she was used to hugging a pillow while sleeping.


    When the weather turned cooler in the middle of the night, she unconsciously turned over. Her hands and feet automaticallytched on to Di Yelei as if he was a big huggable pillow. She slept blissfully.


    Although she seemed to be peacefully asleep, it was giving Di Yelei a hard time. With a face full of frustrated desire, he countless times pulled away the hands and feet that automaticallytched on to him, staying awake till dawn.


    Liu Sisi woke up from a deep sleep, only to find that Di Yelei was no longer beside her.


    Liu Sisi quickly got up from bed, stepped out of the room and looked around, but saw no one. She walked into the kitchen and saw smoke swirling above the stove. Lifting the lid of the cooking pot, she found that food was being kept warm inside.


    After sshing some water on her face to refresh herself, she rinsed her mouth with a willow twig, casually tied her thick ck hair into a ponytail, and then headed back to the kitchen ¨C not because she was unwilling, but simply because she didn¡¯t know how to do a traditional Chinese hairstyle.


    Just as she turned her head, she saw two little heads peeking out from the corner of the wall. Noticing her gaze on them, they quickly retreated.


    ¡°Is that you, Xuan¡¯er and YingEr? Come on out, I see you!¡±


    Liu Sisi, in a yful mood, deliberately teased the two little ones.


    Indeed, following her words, two figures slowly emerged from behind the corner of the wall and came towards Liu Sisi, one step at a time.


    ¡°Are you two hiding there to y hide and seek?¡±


    Di Xuan held Di Ying tightly and bit his lip without speaking, whereas Di Ying beside him shook her head.


    ¡°No? Then why are you hiding there? Come on in quickly, let¡¯s go and eat.¡± While speaking, Liu Sisi reached out her arms towards the two children.


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to go with you! Second Aunt said you¡¯re a bad woman and told us to stay away from you!¡±


    Liu Sisi heard the little girl, Di Ying, blurt out. Di Xuan, standing next to her, wanted to cover her mouth but it was toote.


    His face became pale. Recalling what Second Aunt said before, once Dad found a stepmother, they would end up hungry and cold, get beaten every day. He didn¡¯t mind taking a beating, but YingEr was so little, if she were to be beaten¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit my little sister, hit me instead! I¡¯m the brother.¡±


    The little child was shaking all over but remained stubborn, firmly protecting his little sister behind him with no intention of backtracking.


    ¡°Who is Second Aunt?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked instinctively, then scolded herself for being a pig. The Second Aunt the kids were talking about must be the wife of Di Yelei¡¯s second brother!


    Di Xuan hesitated, ¡°Second Aunt is very fierce, and she always steals things from our house¡­¡±


    She dared to rob her own house? If she had met this kind of person in her previous life, she would have knocked her head off directly!


    ¡°People whoe to our house to steal things are naturally not good people. How can we believe what this bad guy says? Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Liu Sisi was cheerfully exining to the two children and trying to get them on side. She was also an orphan, and naturally understood what children who lost their mothers at a young age wanted most.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    The sudden overturning of his worldview left Di Xuan¡¯s head spinning. He still firmly protected his sister behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go serve the food, you guys hurry in and eat.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t push it, and turned to walk into the kitchen. Children¡¯s concepts needed to be changed step by step.


    She efficiently brought the two dishes from the pot to the table. One bowl was leftover chicken soup from yesterday, and the other bowl was wild vegetables that the siblings had dug up yesterday. After that, she turned to wash the dishes and serve the rice. The rice in the pot was not the same as the white rice from previous days, it was mixed with some sorghum and other foods.


    ¡°Little sister, run.¡±


    There was a loud shout from Di Xuan inside the courtyard wall. Before Liu Sisi could react, he dragged his sister into the room and closed the door with a ¡°bang¡±.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with you two?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at the two frightened children, watching Di Xuan pull his sister¡¯s hand and keep running around the room, looking terrified.


    ¡°You two little rabbits, dare to run! What are you hiding for? Look at you two, born with a mother but not taught by a mother. You can¡¯t even greet people!¡±


    Apanied by a series of kicking sounds, a sharp woman¡¯s voice sounded outside the door. The continuous cursing made Liu Sisi frown. She turned to look at the siblings huddled together under the small table, a fire burning in her chest. She strode forward and forcefully opened the door.


    With a ¡°pop¡± sound, a woman in a peach-pink dress staggered in from outside, cursing as soon as she opened her mouth.


    ¡°Ouch! I¡¯m going to die, you two little rabbits, did you eat a bear¡¯s heart and a leopard¡¯s gall? Look at your old mother not¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s your old mother?¡±


    Liu Sisi narrowed her eyes. This person was so cruel to two motherless children, how could it not make her furious!


    The woman finally managed to steady herself, and when she looked up, naturally she saw her. She scoffed and sneered at her.


    ¡°Oh! So Third Sister-inw¡¯s high fever is gone! Looks like she¡¯s saved, that¡¯s really good news!¡±


    Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow, not overpowered by the other¡¯s momentum, ¡°You haven¡¯t answered me yet, who¡¯s your old mother?¡±


    ¡ª-


    A note from the writer, at the beginning Liu Sisi was not pregnant, she was under the misconception that she was pregnant after hearing Di Yelei¡¯s guess. Di Yelei heard that Liu Sisi had been involved with someone before, and after Liu Sisi married into the Di Family, he still epted the child in her stomach.


    Although Di Yelei has two children, they are not his biological children.


    This is a double perpetrator plot, 1V1.

 Chapter 7 - 7: 5: Judging the Reason

    Chapter 7 - 7: 5: Judging the Reason


    Trantor:549690339


    Ms. Wang clearly didn¡¯t expect Liu Sisi to persistently hold onto her weakness, and her face instantly showed her displeasure!


    ¡°How could you talk to your sister-inw like this? No matter what, I¡¯m still your Second Sister-inw! Also, you two little brats, hurry up and get out of my sight! So, now that you have a stepmother, you don¡¯t recognize me as your Second Aunt? Watch me beat you to death¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe! So you still know you¡¯re someone¡¯s Second Aunt! Just now, I heard someone say they wanted to be someone¡¯s mother-inw!¡±


    When ites to arguing, Liu Sisi, who was an orphan in her previous life, had plenty of experience with this and was naturally unafraid!


    Such a humiliating situation, when had Ms. Wang ever experienced this? She was known for her rashness in the Upper Vige, and everybody tried to avoid her!


    Filled with anger, she pushed Liu Sisi away with ease, and after a few more pushes, Liu Sisi ended up next to a small table. Then, she raised her shrill voice and started to scold!


    ¡°Aiyo, you really think you¡¯re something, huh? You¡¯re just a discarded shoe, yet you¡¯vee to our Di Family to show off your might? Let me tell you, it¡¯s just because Ye Lei is easygoing that this kind of trash like you hasn¡¯t been sold directly into a brothel¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi wasn¡¯t the least bit embarrassed! Those things weren¡¯t her doing, so what was she guilty of?


    She immediately retorted: ¡°Whether or not I should be sold to a brothel, it¡¯s not up to you to decide ¨C or else you wouldn¡¯t be standing here, making a fuss!¡±


    This counterattack made Ms. Wang furious, ¡°Just keep being stubborn, wait until Third Brotheres back, you¡¯ll see!¡±


    With that, she turned around and started looking around the room. Soon, she found the wild boar leg hidden in the wooden barrel of the water tank, picked it up happily, and headed straight for the door.


    ¡°Second Aunt, that belongs to our family, you can¡¯t take it away!¡±


    Before Liu Sisi could figure out what Ms. Wang was up to, Di Xuan, who was hiding under the small table, suddenly rushed out and clung tightly to Ms. Wang¡¯s clothing.


    ¡°Let go! You little rabbit, if you don¡¯t let go, I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± Ms. Wang forcefully pulled herself free from Di Xuan and flung him out with a powerful force. He crashed ¡°bang¡± into the small table. The big y bowls on the table slid off with a ¡°crash¡± and broke into pieces, spilling the cooked dishes all over the ground.


    Already hiding under the table, Di Ying was frightened and immediately started crying out loud.


    Ms. Wang didn¡¯t care at all. She didn¡¯t even look back and just continued running towards the door.


    Great! It turned out she was nning to steal their food!


    The angered Liu Sisi had never seen such a shameless person before!


    She grabbed a broom from behind the door nearby and swung it hard at Ms. Wang¡¯s back: ¡°I¡¯ll teach you to sow discord, I¡¯ll teach you to steal my family¡¯s food! I¡¯ll teach you to be domineering! I¡¯ll teach you to beat even the kids¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi was truly furious, and the broom in her hand was swung harder and harder!


    ¡°Aiyo¡­aiyo, my goodness! You vicious woman, you really did attack me! Aiyo¡­ let go, let go! Help! The third family branch¡¯s new bride is trying to kill someone!¡±


    The shrieks that were like ughtering a pig emanated from the dpidated thatched hut and reverberated far and wide in the quiet mountain valley, quickly drawing a crowd of vigers.


    As everyone squeezed around to get a look, Ms. Wang, disheveled and hair flying about, was sitting on the ground cursing.


    On the other side, Liu Sisi was tightly holding two children, one big and one small, and ring resentfully at Ms. Wang, who was sitting on the ground causing a scene. The two children she was holding were crying loudly, looking terribly pitiful.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on this time? What¡¯s the matter? In these three days, there¡¯s been one big fight and two small ones. Is this even a life to live?¡±


    Apanied by an elderly yet authoritative voice, the crowd hastily parted, making way for the speaker to enter the center.


    Mr. Land Officer was truly annoyed. The Di Family¡¯s Second Daughter-inw was indeed a troublemaker; wherever she was, something would happen. And then there was Ye Lei¡¯s new wife who caused this whole mess right after marrying into the family; she probably wasn¡¯t easy to get along with either.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes were filled with tears that were spinning round and round, but she stubbornly clenched her lips and remained silent.


    It didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t speak; as soon as Ms. Wang saw Mr. Land Officering, she immediatelytched onto him, shedding tears and snot as she cried, ¡°Mr. Land Officer, you have to uphold justice for me! This entire family is trying to push me to death! Look at me, from head to toe! Oh, how can anyone live like this¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s lying! It was because she wanted to snatch our wild boar that my mom and I had a fight with her!¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Di Xuan on the side would have none of it, shouting out loud, ¡°She threatened to kill us and even said¡­ that when my dades home, he¡¯ll sell my mom to the brothel!¡±


    Although it was very ufortable for Di Xuan to call out ¡°mom,¡± he at least managed to say it, setting a good precedent.


    ¡°Let go, what kind of demeanor is this with all this pulling and tugging!¡±


    Mr. Land Officer struggled to snatch back his clothing from Ms. Wang¡¯s grip, really feeling a headache from this shameless woman!


    After straightening his clothes, he cleared his throat and interrogated Ms. Wang, ¡°Is what Xiao Xuan said true?¡±


    Ms. Wang could not utter a word for a long time, finally just resorting to another act of hysteria, ¡°Mr. Land Officer, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m being unreasonable! It¡¯s just that Third Brother¡¯s family has borrowed 20 taels of silver from me, initially saying they¡¯d borrow five taels, then five, then five more¡­ it¡¯s been several years now and they haven¡¯t returned the money. I was justing to get some pork as interest, but their whole family wants to beat me to death! Mr. Land Officer, you have to uphold justice for me!¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s wailing left Liu Sisi confused, not understanding what the money situation was at all. She instinctively retorted, ¡°You came in cursing people, then went straight for the pork, and then started attacking the children. There was never a mention of money! Alright, even if we really do owe you money, you juste in and snatch things; isn¡¯t that too much?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s too much? I just collected some interest! You wicked woman, you actually beat me to this state! After all, I¡¯m still your Second Sister-inw! It¡¯s only Third Brother who regards you, someone nobody wanted, as a treasure¡­¡±


    Chattering away, Ms. Wang did not have any awareness of being in the wrong. She shouted loudly, pulling at her clothes for everyone to see, ¡°Look, everyone, look! This is authentic Su embroidery fabric, and she ruined it like this!¡±


    ¡°You also hit my mom.¡±


    Di Ying, who had been timidly poking her head out from behind Liu Sisi, revealed the torn sleeve that Ms. Wang had ripped during the struggle.


    ¡°You all, see! This is the tear that Second Aunt made!¡±

 Chapter 8 - 8: 6: Harmony and Happiness

    Chapter 8 - 8: 6: Harmony and Happiness


    Trantor:549690339


    The delicate voice of a little girl apanied by the tears on her face immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention in the direction she pointed.


    As expected, on Di Ying¡¯s arm where she pointed, there were visible tearing marks on the sleeve. It was just that Liu Sisi had been hugging her arm tightly the whole time, so no one had noticed!


    ¡°Enough! I believe the situation is clear now,¡±


    Land Officer clearly understood both sides and made his final judgment: ¡°Ms. Wang, you have repeatedly taken things from others, from someone¡¯s turnip to another¡¯s green pepper. Not only are you never serious, today you even tried to steal the wild boar meat. This is your fault. Of course, there¡¯s also¡­ Ye Lei, you shouldn¡¯t have hit your Second Sister-inw.¡±


    Land Officer didn¡¯t side with either, sentenced each to five beatings on their boards, then said to Ms. Wang with an iron-for-steel expression: ¡°Ms. Wang, initially, when Ye Lei owed your family twenty taels of silver, you¡¯ve made a fuss countless times now. Ye Lei is not a debtor, so as his sister-inw, why do you have to put him down in front of the bride? You¡­ sigh!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer, I¡­ this, I¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang stammered for quite a while without giving a clear reason. Just like Land Officer said, everyone around was their fellow vigers; who wouldn¡¯t know her true nature?


    Land Officer looked back at Liu Sisi before turning and walking out of the courtyard.


    Land Officer, I have something to say,¡± Liu Sisi suddenly called out to him. She hadn¡¯t said anything before, was it because she was too easygoing?


    ¡°What else do you have to say?¡± Mr. Land Officer looked unhappy, did these people never end?


    Mr. Land Officer, as you can see, if Second Sister-inw continues to harass us like today every two or three days, it will not be a long-term solution. Sisi has no other requests, just wants Second Sister-inw to make a statement in front of everyone, so as to ease the children¡¯s minds.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes were red and wet, but her tears never fell.


    The onlookers nodded in agreement; they really needed to be on guard against such a sister-inw!


    Land Officer also agreed, turned back to Ms. Wang and ordered: ¡°Ms. Wang, did you hear clearly what your Third Sister-inw said? If there¡¯s a next time, I won¡¯t care about right or wrong, I will give you ten beatings first!¡±


    Ms. Wang was used to being rash, but she dared not disobey Land Officer¡¯s words, so she bitterly promised Liu Sisi.


    Secretly, her hatred for Liu Sisi grew even deeper.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, don¡¯t worry! It was me who was possessed by a ghost, next time I won¡¯t dare! You rest assured, with Mr. Land Officer as my witness, I won¡¯t act recklessly.¡±


    Only after the Land Officer and the onlookers left did Liu Sisi release the two children she had been holding in her arms the whole time.


    ¡°Did any of you get hurt? Is there anywhere you feel ufortable?¡±


    At that moment, Di Xuan¡¯s face seemed much better, and he no longer resisted Liu Sisi¡¯s touch. Instead, it was Di Ying next to them who tugged on Sisi¡¯s clothes and refused to let go.


    ¡°Mom¡­ ¡±


    The soft, milky voice struck Liu Sisi¡¯s heartstrings.


    ¡°Ah, Mom is here!¡±


    Wiping the tears off YingEr¡¯s little face and gently pinching her nose, Liu Sisi had a tender expression on her face: ¡°If any of you feel ufortable, remember to tell¡­ Mom, okay?¡±


    She could hardly call herself ¡®Mom,¡¯ but she was d she had taken this step.


    ¡°Mom, YingEr is hungry.¡± YingEr said, somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°Alright, you guys go outside and wait for a moment. Mom will clean up the house and cook.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked around and picked up the broom to sweep up the mess on the floor.


    She propped up the fallen small table and bench, the cooked dishes and leftover chicken soup from yesterday were all scattered on the ground, clearly not edible anymore. Severalrge bowls were shattered, but she reluctantly found one with a slightly smaller crack that could still be used.


    Feeling annoyed, she had been preupied with shielding the two children, and had forgotten about the food and broken bowls. If she dared to make trouble again next time, old and new ounts would be settled together.


    After rummaging through the cabs and drawers, she found nothing except a small bag of what seemed to be sorghum rice behind the bowl cab. She decided to cook some meat porridge with the wild boar leg meat she had snatched back.


    It was already approaching noon, and they hadn¡¯t had breakfast yet.


    With lightning speed, she washed the pot, added water, covered it, and turned to start the fire at the stove. After searching for quite a while, she couldn¡¯t find a lighter, so she had to make do with two strangely shaped stones she found by the stove. After much fuss, the fire was finally ignited.


    ¡°Mom, YingEr can make the fire¡­¡±


    Little Ying spoke softly from the side.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make the fire, YingEr, you go and y on the side.¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s hostility towards Liu Sisi had finally eased significantly, but he remained cautious as always.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t object, as it was normal for a seven-year-old child to start a fire. She didn¡¯t n to spoil the two children.


    ¡°YingEr, how old are you this year?¡±


    After measuring a portion of sorghum rice, Liu Sisi casually asked YingEr before pouring some grains back, deciding it would be better to eat a bit less for a few meals. There was practically nothing in the house except bare walls.


    ¡°YingEr is four years old this year, mom.¡± YingEr closely followed Liu Sisi, tightly gripping her clothes without letting go.


    ¡°Oh, so our YingEr is four years old now. Can YingEr eat by herself and take a bath by herself?¡±


    Liu Sisi chatted casually with YingEr while washing the sorghum rice carefully, then pouring it back into the pot and covering it with the lid. She cut about 2 taels worth of lean meat from the wild boar leg, washed it, chopped it into small pieces and marinated it with some salt.


    ¡°Yeah, there are so many things YingEr can do! Not only can she eat and bathe by herself but also dress herself and pick vegetables.¡±


    With a pitiful look on her face, Di Ying shyly said, ¡°Mom, will you do the same as YingEr¡¯s own mom and leave YingEr to go very far away and nevere back?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until the water in the pot began to boil that Liu Sisi let go of Di Ying and seasoned the pot with some salt. She watched the sorghum rice cook just about right before adding the lean meat into the pot.


    Such a child had never received her mother¡¯s love and care! Liu Sisi sighed in her heart.


    ¡°Our YingEr is so capable.¡±


    She put down the pot lid, washed her hands, and gave Di Ying a tight hug. She kissed YingEr¡¯s little face and said, ¡°Never again! From now on, mom will make delicious food for our YingEr and buy her beautiful patterned skirts, and raise YingEr to be fair-skinned, okay?¡±


    ¡°Really? Mom, when YingEr grows up, she will take care of you too.¡± Di Ying stood on tiptoe and imitated Liu Sisi¡¯s movements, kissing her chin.


    She originally wanted to kiss Liu Sisi¡¯s cheek, but she was simply too short to reach it.

 Chapter 9 - 9: 7: Unexpected Gains

    Chapter 9 - 9: 7: Unexpected Gains


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Ah! Our little YingEr is the cutest and prettiest one in our family!¡±


    Liu Sisiughed and picked Di Ying up, spinning her around in the room. This made Di Ying giggle even more.


    Di Xuan, who was adding firewood to the stove, looked at them with envy and happiness shining in his eyes. How long had it been since he had seen YingErugh so happily?


    ¡°We¡¯ll make do with meat porridge for lunch today. Later, when the sun isn¡¯t so strong, we can go out and dig up some wild vegetables to eat.¡±


    Liu Sisi was really starving. She smelled the appetizing aroma from inside the pot and reluctantly let go of Di Ying, uncovering the pot again.


    She scooped a spoonful of the sorghum meat porridge to check its consistency, and it looked perfectly cooked ¨C not too thick and not too thin. She filled a small bowl halfway for YingEr and ced it on the small table. Then, she scooped a bowl for herself before finding arge bowl, washing it clean, and pouring the remaining porridge into it.


    ¡°Be careful, it¡¯s hot.¡± Liu Sisi saw Di Ying taking a small sip from the edge of her bowl as she walked over with the cleaned spoon and quickly handed it to her.


    Liu Sisi then called Di Xuan, who was still standing by the stove: ¡°Stop dawdling, it¡¯s already noon, let¡¯s eat quickly, so we can go dig up wild vegetables on the hillter.¡±


    Di Xuan didn¡¯t talk, he just walked over, picked up therge bowl, and started drinking the porridge.


    The warm meat porridge slid down their throats and into their stomachs. The feeling of warmth was intoxicating for Liu Sisi. Soon, her bowl was empty. The two children, who were clearly hungry, drank their porridge quickly with happy and content expressions on their faces.


    After they finished eating and were washing the dishes, Liu Sisi reminded Di Xuan: ¡°Later, Mom will go out and see if I can find more food. You take care of YingEr at home, be cautious. If someonees to bother you, hide quickly and don¡¯t try to fight back, alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom, YingEr will behave at home and wait for you toe back.¡± Despite being just four years old, Di Ying was very sensible and didn¡¯t fuss, making Liu Sisi feel pity for her.


    ¡°YingEr is so good.¡±


    Seeing the clouds covering the sun outside, Liu Sisi then picked up the bamboo basket and left the house.


    She followed the small stream that flowed through the vige entrance. Liu Sisi naturally refused to touch the wild vegetables growing in the fields, as she didn¡¯t want to be considered a thief on her first day out. Although she was unsure of the specific season, she could tell it was midsummer from the rice, corn, and sorghum fields that were currently in bloom.


    With the mentality of leaving no stone unturned, Liu Sisi collected various wild vegetables that she recognized along her way ¨C dandelions, shepherd¡¯s purse, wild celery, and wild scallions, as well as a small patch of Manchurian wild rice, all of which made her very happy!


    This patch of Manchurian wild rice was growing beside the stream. She pulled apart the leafy stems to reveal tender, white wild rice. Although there were only a few of them, Liu Sisi was still delighted.


    She continued along the stream and reached a bamboo forest. The bamboo was lush and grew along the riverbank. The young shoots were almost as tall as the older bamboo and swayed in the river breeze.


    It urred to Liu Sisi that there might still be somete bamboo shoots emerging from the ground. She searched around the bamboo forest and managed to find four or five young shoots that had just sprouted.


    After peeling off the outeryer of the bamboo shoots, Liu Sisi¡¯s heart leaped with joy. She had now gathered enough vegetables to feed everyone for two days!


    The thing that made her the happiest was, while looking for bamboo shoots, she also caught quite a few bamboo insects and bamboo grubs. These bamboo grubs, when fried in oil, have a crispy chicken vor! They are delicious, but some people are allergic to the bamboo grubs and can¡¯t eat them.


    As for the bamboo insects, Liu Sisi quickly broke off their front ws, skewered them on bamboo sticks, and attached them to the edge of the bamboo basket to take back for the two children to y with. She then put the bamboo basket on her back and continued to walk up the stream.


    Not too far away, her gaze fell upon the various holes along the small stream bank. These holes were naturally dug by eels, crabs, and snakes along the riverbank.


    Due to individual differences, eel burrow entrances are the smallest, asionally only leaving a small bubble at the entrance. Crab burrow entrances are a t oval shape, and you can tell the size of the crab inside by the size of the entrance. As for snake holes, they are naturally round and smooth! Especially those holes that house water snakes; the mud at the hole¡¯s entrance that is close to the water source will be smooth.


    Of course, most of the holes are empty and have nothing inside. However, some water snakes camouge themselves by digging their holes inside the entrances left by crabs. This type of situation is the most terrifying!


    Imagine thinking there¡¯s a crab inside a hole, but what you dig out turns out to be a water snake¡­


    Liu Sisi slowly put down her basket, carefully choosing and exploring hole by hole. Her fingertips followed along the holes, quickly finding a soft foreign object. Overjoyed, she eagerly dug out arge chunk of river mud and promptly caught a slippery body.


    She originally thought it was an eel, but it turned out to be a loach! Nheless, even without fish and shrimp, this was at least a good sign!


    Delighted, Liu Sisi proceeded to explore cautiously, catching small crabs, small river shrimp, small loaches, small ms, and small field snails. As long as they were edible, she didn¡¯t discriminate!


    She didn¡¯t stop until she had searched every shallow area along the riverbank. Looking at the variety of food at the bottom of her basket, especially the eels and loaches strung together with wild grass, Liu Sisi was utterly satisfied.


    She was used to catching these things in her previous life, so she was quite skilled at it. Seeing that she had enough, she picked up her basket and headed home.


    As she walked, she pondered what dishes to make that night. With so much food right now, in addition to the wild vegetables that needed to be eaten quickly, some loaches and field snails could be kept for a few more days until they had expelled all the sand inside them. The Manchurian wild rice could also be kept for a couple more days¡­


    ¡°Where have you been? Why are you onlying back now?¡±


    The sudden questioning from up ahead startled Liu Sisi, causing her to instinctively raise her head and instantly lock eyes with a pair of ck pupils.


    Her deer-like, moist eyes were full of grievance, which instantly mollified Di Yelei¡¯s irritated heart.


    He then smiled at Liu Sisi, took the bamboo basket from her, and carried it on his shoulder.


    ¡°Next time you want to eat wild vegetables, just tell me, and I¡¯ll go dig them up fast. If you¡¯re feeling fine, you can just stay home and embroider or cook.¡±


    ¡°Who wants to stay home and embroider? I don¡¯t want to!¡± Liu Sisi instinctively protested.

 Chapter 10 - 10: 8: Love Fiercely Over and Over Again

    Chapter 10 - 10: 8: Love Fiercely Over and Over Again


    Trantor:549690339


    Although she was not sure if the original body knew how to embroider, even if her cross-stitches were decent, having her hold an embroidery needle all day long would bore her to death!


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to embroider, then don¡¯t. You can still wear the clothes without embroidery. On the other hand, you should remember to take a straw hat to cover yourself when you go out. The sun is intense, and it will be ufortable if you stay under it for too long.¡±


    Di Yelei cooked the food today and went out hunting early in the morning. He was always thinking about his delicate wife at home, which made him lose focus and even almost hurt an innocent person!


    After pondering for a moment, he decided to return home earlier today.


    What he didn¡¯t expect was that when he hurried home in anxiety, she was not there! His yful little wife wasn¡¯t waiting for him at home, which truly stabbed his heart.


    Had she run away again?


    That was the first thought that crossed his mind!


    Then, he heard from the two children about what happened in the morning, and he felt regretful again. He wasn¡¯t by her side when she needed him the most, which was extremely hateful! Thinking that his Second Sister-inw had once again taken advantage of his absence to steal food from his home, he was even more annoyed!


    He didn¡¯t have a wife before, so if the Second Sister-inw took something, he let it be. But now that he had a wife, if she wanted toe and rob again¡­


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know about his struggles. She shook her sore arms and legs: ¡°It¡¯s fine. After lying in bed for a few days, I felt like rust was growing all over me, and it was so ufortable. Going out for a walk actually makes me feel much better.¡±


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er and YingEr told me that Second Sister-inw humiliated you in the morning, I¡­¡± Di Yelei¡¯s voice was very hoarse. As a man, he couldn¡¯t even protect his own woman, which made him feel very angry.


    ¡°She said you owe her 20 taels of silver, what¡¯s the story?¡± Liu Sisi didn¡¯t care and followed Di Yelei closely.


    His steps wererge but slow, almost the same speed as Liu Sisi¡¯s small steps. It was obvious that he deliberately slowed down to wait for her.


    This man seemed strong and cold, but he was actually quite considerate! Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle inside.


    ¡°That silver was borrowed in installments, and I still owe 20 taels. But don¡¯t worry, after settling down at home for a while, I¡¯ll go into the deep mountains to hunt for more game. This way, we can sell them for more silver and pay off the debt sooner.¡±


    Di Yelei turned to look at Liu Sisi, then gently stretched out his hand to hold hers. His scorching palm encased her small hand in an instant, startling her, and she hurriedly tried to withdraw her hand. But after several attempts, it still remained firmly sped in his palm.


    ¡°Let go! It¡¯s not proper if someone sees us.¡±


    A lowugh escaped from his rolling Adam¡¯s apple, making Liu Sisi feel even more embarrassed. Her little face turned red, and she shyly red at Di Yelei.


    But that made him sp her hand even tighter!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no one around. Even if someone sees us, it doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re husband and wife. Let those who want to gossip do so; we won¡¯t lose a piece of meat.¡±


    ¡°No, let go now! Walking like this, all the pulling and dragging, is hard.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mind was filled with dark lines. How was she supposed to walk like this? She rolled her eyes fiercely, looking at the tall, cold-faced man. She never would have imagined that he would actually be so¡­ rogue when no one was looking!


    Her actions caused Di Yelei¡¯s heart to jump wildly and skip several beats! He wished he could immediately push her down and love her fiercely again and again¡­


    ¡­


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 Chapter 11 - 11: 9: Swallowing Alive and Flaying

    Chapter 11 - 11: 9: Swallowing Alive and ying


    Trantor:549690339


    Unfortunately, since they were on the main road and outside, he could only think about it in his heart, but he couldn¡¯t do anything.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know about the other party¡¯s dirty thoughts, and she was still anxiously looking around, afraid of being seen by outsiders, how embarrassing it would be!


    While the two of them were preupied with their thoughts, they turned around an earthen slope, climbed a short distance, and arrived at the house at the foot of the mountain.


    ¡°Dad, Mom!¡±


    Di Ying ran towards them from the path in front of the house and threw herself into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, tightly hugging her thigh without letting go.


    ¡°Mom, you said you¡¯d be back soon, but YingEr has been waiting for you for a long time and hasn¡¯t seen youe back. YingEr is so scared¡­¡± scared that you would abandon YingEr like her birth mother¡­


    As YingEr flew into her arms, Liu Sisi immediately withdrew her hand, but fortunately, this time Di Yelei didn¡¯t stop her.


    She bent down and gently patted YingEr¡¯s back while her voice unconsciously softened, ¡°YingEr, be good, mom went to dig wild vegetables. Look what mom brought YingEr back, do you like it?¡±


    While speaking, Liu Sisi grabbed the bamboo stick-wearing bamboo shoot insect from the bamboo basket carried by Di Yelei and handed it to YingEr.


    Once YingEr saw the bamboo insect, her eyes lit up! She quickly took the bamboo insect and shook it for a moment, and the insect immediately spread its wings and began to buzz, causing a small breeze. This made YingErugh and squint her eyes in delight.


    ¡°Mom, YingEr really likes it! Thank you, Mom. Do you have any more bamboo insects? YingEr wants to get one for her brother too.¡±


    Above the path where YingEr just ran down, Di Xuan was watching this side with tightly pursed lips. His small face, which was very simr to Di Yelei¡¯s, was tense. When his dad nced over, he quietly called out.


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re back.¡±


    Di Xuan quickly greeted Di Yelei, who was walking up the path withrge strides.


    ¡°Come, this is what your mother brought back for you guys. You take it and y too.¡±


    Di Yelei took another bamboo insect from the edge of the bamboo basket and handed it to Di Xuan. Then he gently patted Di Xuan¡¯s shoulder and went straight into the house.


    When he was about to enter the house, Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but look back.


    In the direction of the setting sun, YingEr was talking to Liu Sisi, who was looking down at her. With her back facing him, he couldn¡¯t see the little girl¡¯s expression clearly. But the young woman¡¯s eyebrows and eyes curved, and the corners of her mouth also held a faint smile. Her whole person was bathed in the golden radiance of the setting sun, exuding a sacred radiance from the inside out, which was captivating.


    Perhaps feeling Di Yelei¡¯s fiery gaze, she quickly looked up and found herself staring right into his eyes, immediately looking deep into his pupils.


    There was the center of a raging storm vortex, and a strong force kept pulling at her soul, as if in the next moment she would be devoured and eaten straight away; not even a bit of bone left!


    Such a naked look quickly turned Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks pink, which rapidly morphed into a deeper red, and her round-shaped small earlobes also turned a bright crimson.


    It took great effort for her to withdraw her gaze, feeling as if there was no ce to put her hands or feet, so she hurriedly took YingEr¡¯s hand and led her into the house.


    She also called out to Di Xuan: ¡°Xuan¡¯er, don¡¯t stand outside. The wind will start soon, and it¡¯s cold outside. Come inside to y.¡±


    As the saying goes, poor children grow up early in the family. Sensitive Xuan¡¯er naturally noticed the interaction between his dad and this mother. Could it be that his dad really liked this mother?


    It had been only three years since their mother passed away. He didn¡¯t believe that his dad hadpletely forgotten his birth mother.


    No, it couldn¡¯t be!


    He clenched his small fists, his face changing constantly, and after telling himself countless times in his heart, he finally went into the house.

 Chapter 12 - 12: 10: Preparing for a Rainy Day

    Chapter 12 - 12: 10: Preparing for a Rainy Day


    Trantor:549690339


    In the kitchen, a few pieces of game wereying, two dead pheasants and a roe deer.


    Di Yelei at the moment was boiling water in the pot, nning to pluck the fur off some wild animals, making them more convenient to eat.


    ¡°I saw you sleeping sweetly when I left in the morning, so I didn¡¯t wake you. I thought abouting back early, so I didn¡¯t go deep into the mountains, hence the less amount of game. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll venture further into the mountains, perhaps even hunt more game. Beyond what we eat ourselves, the excess can be sold in the town. Although it¡¯s not possible to get a high price in the town, and the city is too far away, taking into ount the round trip fare and the time lost, it¡¯s not worth it¡­¡±


    While quickly skinning the roe deer, Di Yelei was painstakingly exining it all to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Will it be a bit rash to go tomorrow? Is it safe to journey into the deep? If it¡¯s not safe, you can just hunt around. Money is never enough to earn, but peoplee first before money.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke softly while sorting out the wild vegetables she had brought back. She found a big basin, fed the field snails and loach with water. After carefully picking out the weeds and old leaves from the wild vegetables, she was ready to cook them for dinner.


    ¡°Sisi, are you caring for me?¡±


    A head suddenly stretched over from the side, Di Yelei yfully teased her with a smile on his face: ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ll pay attention to my safety. I n to go deep into the mountains with people like Li Wu and Zhang Peng for a few days. Although we would need to share the game hunted, it¡¯s rtively safer. Previously, I was not at ease going when the two children were too young¡­¡±


    As for his newlywed daughter-inw, he was more and more pleased looking at her. Her dexterity while working was obvious, manifesting steadfast familiarity with kitchen chores.


    Liu Sisi understood and nodded, leaving two half-grown children at home for several days while journeying into the mountains was indeed not appropriate.


    ¡°Right, I dare not speak for other things, but I can manage things like taking care of the children and cooking.¡±


    Liu Sisi was not nning to freeload; it was as natural as breathing to do house chores.


    Moreover, when the child in her belly is born in the future, she is likely to cause a lot of hassle. So, her current actions are essentially a form of future preparation.


    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s in your hand?¡±


    YingEr, who was ying with bamboo insects nearby, asked with a childish voice, pointing to the yellowish bamboo grub in Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Huh? Where did you catch all these carpenter bees? I remember eating them when I was a child, but haven¡¯t sought them for many years. They are delicious when fried.¡± Di Yelei was the first to lift his head and speak.


    ¡°Yes, although bamboo grubs are delicious, some people are allergic to it. They taste great whether fried directly in the oil pan or roast on a fire¡±, Liu Sisi added with her exnation.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words immediately caused YingEr to salivate: ¡°Mom, are these bees really delicious? YingEr also wants to eat.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s carpenter bees, your dad will prepare some for youter!¡±


    Naturally, Di Yelei loved his two children from the bottom of his heart. With his little daughter¡¯s request, he would not refuse.


    He turned to nce at Liu Sisi and smiled: ¡°The day is still early. Why don¡¯t you go take a rest in the room? I will call you once dinner is ready.¡±


    After considering it for a moment, Liu Sisi replied: ¡°No need, I¡¯ll stay here to help you.¡±


    ¡°Sure, hehehe.¡±


    This answer made Di Yelei burst intoughter right away.


    Liu Sisi shook her head, just about to speak, when the sound of an old woman cursing drifted in from outside.


    ¡°Third Son! It¡¯s not even dark yet and you¡¯re alreadyzing around the house? Do you even want to live anymore? You¡¯re always climbing into a woman¡¯s pants, I think you¡¯ll be useless forever, amounting to nothing!¡±


    ¡­


    The new book is fragile, please add to your collections, seeking rmendation tickets!

 Chapter 13 - 13: 11: Robbery and Plunder

    Chapter 13 - 13: 11: Robbery and Plunder


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°This is my mother¡­¡±


    Di Yelei looked hesitant and struggled.


    ¡°Your mother? Oh, I see. Should we go out and see?¡±


    Liu Sisi understood. Di Yelei¡¯s birth mother had died when he was born, so the current mother must be his stepmother. No wonder she was being cursed at so harshly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go out and have a look. If it takes too long, she might force her way in. You stay here and cook, and by the way, clean up this meat.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and he seemed quite helpless. He seemed to want to say something more, but ultimately didn¡¯t, and walked out of the kitchen.


    Di Xuan, who had been ying with a fire poker over the stove, suddenly stood up and followed Di Yelei out.


    On the contrary, the previously joyful Di Ying suddenly pounced into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, nervously whispering, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s Grandma who¡¯se. She must havee to snatch our meat. Every time Dades back from hunting, shees to our door like this¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly understood the key to the situation.


    Well!


    It turned out that there were too many freeloaders in this broken family!


    No wonder, even if this family was dragging along two children, it shouldn¡¯t be in such a state of disrepair that it could only be described as a mess. It turned out that the money they earned went into other people¡¯s pockets, which was not surprising!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze turned to the game on the ground that she was tidying up, and she immediately made a n in her heart.


    Outside, Di Yelei opened the kitchen door and walked out. In the courtyard, Ms. Zhao was cursing enthusiastically.


    Of the three sons left by the previous Ms. Fan, her least favorite was naturally Di Yelei. But somehow, this least favored third son managed to have a knack for hunting. Originally, he had married a bride with baggage, and she thought she had fulfilled her duty as a stepmother. But unexpectedly, this new wife would go up the hill to chop firewood when Di Yelei was not back from hunting. She identally fell from the hill, killing herself and her unborn child, and it cost a lot of silver to save her!


    Every time she thought of this, her heart bled, because it was all about money! She immediately continued cursing, but then she saw the figure she always found disgusting.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding in there for so long, pretending to be dead, huh? You think that now that you¡¯ve grown up and set up your own separate household, you don¡¯t have to keep me as your foster mother in your heart anymore? Remember, I raised you from birth, taking care of you every step of the way from cleaning up your poop and pee¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s cursing was relentless, without pausing for breath, and she pointed at Di Yelei¡¯s forehead and let out a tirade of insults.


    Di Yelei stood still in the same ce, not uttering a word from beginning to end.


    It wasn¡¯t until Ms. Zhao was tired of swearing that he finally spoke: ¡°I heard you went into the mountains today? Did you catch any game? Your father said he didn¡¯t have an appetite and just wanted to have some game soup. I know you don¡¯t care about me, your foster mother, but he¡¯s still your own father, after all. You wouldn¡¯t treat yourself to delicious food while letting your own father eat leftovers, would you?¡±


    She was putting pressure on him with filial piety! Liu Sisi, hiding behind the kitchen door, was also annoyed.


    This family was barely surviving on leftovers, yet some people still free-load! And not just once or twice! No wonder the family was so poor!


    However, the other party actually used filial piety to pressure him, so it¡¯s no wonder he had no choice but to back down!


    After a long silence, Di Yelei¡¯s deep voice came, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not that Yelei isn¡¯t willing to give, but today, Yelei didn¡¯t get much game. Sisi just got married and caught a cold, and I was nning to use this time to replenish her.¡±


    ¡°Replenish? Replenish what? This shameless rat is better off being sold to a brothel, at least then you could recover the ten taels of silver for the dowry! Replenishing her, she doesn¡¯t even know if she deserves such good fortune!¡±


    Zhao¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t have any kindness, mocking and sarcastic.


    ¡°Mom, Sisi is a good person, you can¡¯t talk about her like that.¡±


    Di Yelei, who has always yed the victim, could not stand it anymore and retorted.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great! He really forgot about his parents after getting a wife!¡±


    This statement immediately angered Zhao, who began to y the victim, ¡°Oh! Everyone,e and see! He got a wife and doesn¡¯t even want his own dad anymore! How are we supposed to live with them! A tiny child, I¡¯ve been picking up after him until now, and this is how I¡¯m treated¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! I¡¯ll give it to you! Isn¡¯t it enough that I¡¯m giving you game?!¡±


    Di Yelei angrily shouted, pushing open the door and walking straight into the kitchen, only to be met by Liu Sisi¡¯s big watery eyes, causing him to freeze in ce.


    His lips moved, but in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything. Withrge strides, he moved towards the stove, picked up the half-skinned roe deer, and turned to walk towards the doorway.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t call out to him. She just tightly hugged YingEr in her arms, motionless. After a short while, Di Yelei¡¯s deep voice was heard.


    ¡°Here! Today I only hunted around nearby and got only this one roe deer. You came before I could finish skinning it. Take it and make some soup for dad!¡±


    epting the roe deer, Ms. Zhao briefly looked at it. The deer weighed about 8 catties, quite fat!


    ¡°Only one? Are you trying to screw me? You only hunted one deer after entering the mountains¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao raised her voice, trying to get more out of Di Yelei. She also looked further inside, and apart from the deer skin on the ground, there was nothing left in the kitchen.


    Di Yelei was also somewhat angry but dared not vent his anger on Ms. Zhao. However, his words became harsher.


    ¡°Sisi has been sick in bed, and there are two young children in the family that need attention. Even if I, Di Yelei, am more capable, I¡¯ve only been out for four hours. How much am I able to hunt? Are you going to make me pay with my life if I can¡¯t provide enough?¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth when you talk!¡±


    Ms. Zhao knew when to take a step back, but she wasn¡¯t going to let Di Yelei get carried away either: ¡°Get it straight! This game is for your father to eat! The bad guy has be me, not me who wants to eat it! I raised you from birth, is this how you repay me? Let me tell you Di Yelei, you need to have a conscience¡­¡±


    After another burst of rapid-fire words, Di Yelei couldn¡¯t even raise his head. It was only then that Ms. Zhao finally walked away victoriously, holding the fat roe deer.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was full of frustration. He had promised to cook for Sisi to restore her health, but his moment of weakness had led him to give it away. What was he to do?

 Chapter 14 - 14: 12 Astonishing Soul (Part 1)

    Chapter 14 - 14: 12 Astonishing Soul (Part 1)


    Trantor:549690339


    Turning around, she saw Liu Sisi holding YingEr right behind her, and hesitated for a moment: ¡°Sisi, I¡­¡±


    ¡°The wind is strong outside,e in quickly. Tonight, let¡¯s cook these wild vegetables first.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke with a calm expression.


    In her opinion, filial piety was a virtue, and the man before her was clearly foolishly filial, leading to an empty house and two hungry children.


    But it didn¡¯t matter, after all, life had to be taken slowly, and one couldn¡¯t be fat in one bite.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll start cooking now.¡±


    At her words, a weight seemed lifted off Di Yelei¡¯s heart, and his face immediately broke into a bright smile.


    Surprisingly, Di Yelei quickly chopped the half wild boar leg that was almost taken away, put it in the pot to make soup, and on the other side, he quickly washed the pot, added water, and began to cook rice.


    He then went to the bowl cab, bent down, and directly lifted the cab out of the way, revealing arge hole near the base of the wall behind it. He pulled out a lightweight cloth bag and scooped out a bowl of white rice.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes brightened! So there was hidden wealth here!


    ¡°This¡­I only did it as ast resort¡­I know that things can¡¯t go on like this. But it¡¯s difficult for a man like me to take care of two children.¡±


    Di Yelei was somewhat embarrassed, quickly washing the rice and putting it in the pot: ¡°Also, while I¡¯m out hunting, my mother and Second Sister-inw often take some things when I¡¯m not home, but that means they¡¯re keeping an eye on my house and preventing outsiders from hurting the children. I thought that even if we had to give up some food, at least the children were still here and could grow up safely, which is better than anything else¡­¡±


    It turned out that this man had considered everything!


    However, this also exined why Di Yelei, who seemed so strong, was so indulgent toward them.


    Although Liu Sisi didn¡¯t say anything, her expression obviously softened.


    ¡°It¡¯s understandable that you have such thoughts, but living like this is really hard for the children. Now that I¡¯m here, we should fix the courtyard wall and reinforce the yard door, and also raise a German Shepherd, so that unrted people won¡¯t be able to take advantage of us.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she got up and put the picked wild vegetables aside, then bent down to fetch water to wash the vegetables.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea! If we really raise a big dog, they wouldn¡¯t dare to be so brazen!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly reached out onerge hand to take thedle from Liu Sisi¡¯s hand: ¡°Let me do it. You¡¯ve just recovered, rest for a while, and I¡¯ll have the meal ready soon.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t insist on doing the work. Di Yelei also used pig trotter fat to fry the bamboo grubs until they were fragrant. The Manchurian wild rice could be stored and eaten tomorrow. He briefly nched the dandelions and wild celery, and then stir-fried them with shepherd¡¯s purse. Together with the rice, they had a particrly satisfying meal.


    After dinner, Di Yelei quickly took care of the two children, helping them wash up and go to bed.


    YingEr, on the other hand, clung to Liu Sisi uncharacteristically, unwilling to let go, and looked at her with a pair of big, watery blue eyes. Liu Sisi felt her heart melting and happily held YingEr¡¯s hand, singing a luby she had learned in her previous life.


    ¡°The moon is bright and the wind is still, the leaves shade the window sill, crickets sing with nging call, just like the sound of strings that trill, the melody soft and thrilling, the cradle gently swaying, close your eyes, my baby dear, sleep and dream away in slumber so clear¡­¡±


    Clear and beautiful voice gently came from the room, not only did YingEr listen with her eyes wide open, but Xuan¡¯er who was sleeping in the next room also widened her eyes, carefully listening to the songing from next door.


    Di Yelei also put down his work, standing silently at the door, listening to the song, and his tall figure remained motionless for a long time.


    Only after confirming that YingEr had fallen asleep, Liu Sisi gently closed the door and returned to the kitchen.


    In the kitchen, Di Yelei was scooping up boiled water to scald the feathers off the two pheasants. Liu Sisi finally found an opportunity to start heating the water for bathing.


    She had been longing for a bath for several days, and now that the opportunity had finallye, she didn¡¯t want to miss it. The hot water was ready, but seeing the pitch-ck night around her, she decided to move the wooden barrel to the firewood room for washing.


    Liu Sisi, who had been working hard at carrying things around, had naturally caught Di Yelei¡¯s attention earlier. Though he was quickly stripping feathers and gutting the chickens, washing, and salting them from his hands, the corners of his eyes kept an eye on Liu Sisi¡¯s every move.


    Seeing her struggling to carry the wooden barrel step by step towards the firewood room, he immediately washed his hands and wiped them roughly beforeing to her side.


    ¡°Do you want to take a bath? Give me the bucket, I¡¯m stronger than you, and be careful not to trip.¡±


    Watching Di Yelei lift the barrel effortlessly and stride into the firewood room, Liu Sisi marveled at how what felt like a thousand-pound weight in her hands seemed as light as a feather in his. He didn¡¯t seem burdened at all.


    The big wooden barrel was soon filled with hot water. Di Yelei then looked back at her with the misty fog between them, his dark eyes shining brightly under the dim oilmp.


    The burning mes inside made Liu Sisi¡¯s whole body tense instinctively, and a wave of palpitations spread throughout her body.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks flushed, and even though she was still fully clothed, under his gaze, she felt as if she werepletely naked. Her feminine instincts spread gradually at the base of her heart, and even her sensitive red plum nipples stood erect, blooming proudly in the wind.


    ¡°You go ahead and wash, and if you need anything, just call me. I¡¯ll be right outside the door.¡±


    While talking, Di Yelei took a deep look at her and then strode out of the firewood room.


    He practically fled the firewood room and after taking several deep breaths, he managed to suppress the urge deep within his heart.


    He was no longer a young boy, but in front of Liu Sisi, he felt as if he had returned to his youth, to the moments of adolescent blossoming.


    Looking down at a certain part of him that refused to yield, he couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly to himself!


    Liu Sisi, covering her burning cheeks, felt embarrassed and annoyed. This was simply too humiliating! She actually did such a thing¡­in front of a stranger, no less! This was utterly mortifying!

 Chapter 15 - 15: 13 Astonishing Soul (Part 2)

    Chapter 15 - 15: 13 Astonishing Soul (Part 2)


    Trantor:549690339


    However, when she thought that, no matter what, the person outside was indeed herwful and dutiful husband, she began conjuring up excuses in her heart, telling herself, don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s just a bath after all!


    Gently peeling off her dress, Liu Sisi carefully folded them and stowed them aside, and then slowly immersed herself into the water.


    The water was slightly hot as she settled into therge wooden barrel, she breathed out a long sigh of satisfaction.


    Nothing could beat the feel of a warm bath!


    She hurriedly first drenched her hair, but encountered a problem while scrubbing¡ªshe hadpletely forgotten to bring any bathing essentials!


    She med herself for being so careless and forgetful. What did they use to bathe and wash hair during this era?


    Despite Di Yelei waiting outside the door, Liu Sisi tried calling out several times but her voice just wouldn¡¯te out. She dejectedly sat in therge wooden barrel and continued to daydream.


    Thump, thump!


    A knocking sound echoed, instinctively causing Liu Sisi¡¯s heart to tighten.


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯ve brought soapberries and bath beans for you. You cane and get them,¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s deep voice echoed from beyond the door.


    ¡°Ah? Coming,ing!¡±


    Liu Sisi was pleasantly surprised internally. It was like whatever came to her mind somehow became reality. Disregarding everything else, she hastily grabbed the clothes she had just taken off, haphazardly dressed, and then walked to the door. She only slightly opened the wooden door of the firewood room.


    ¡°Di, Ye Lei,¡±


    Before Liu Sisi could finish speaking arge hand reached through the cracked open door, and Di Yelei¡¯s voice came through the door panel, ¡°Sisi, here are the soapberries and bath beans. I saw that you¡¯d forgotten to bring them, so I purposely retrieved them for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank, thank you¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, she quickly grabbed the things from him and promptly shut the door to the firewood room. She stood breathlessly up against the door, her heart pounding.


    This was utterly embarrassing!


    Under the dim light of the oilmp, she inspected the two items in her hands, familiar with soapberries from her childhood, but as for these bath beans¡­forget it, if there¡¯s no fish, shrimps will do, better to make do with what she had.


    After a couple of steps, she looked back worriedly at the door, picked up a thick wooden stick and propped it against the door. Seeing that it was sturdy enough, she finally felt at ease and returned to her bath.


    She first washed her hair, pouring the dirty water outside before slipping back into therge wooden tub for a proper bath.


    Unbeknownst to her, the water she used for washing her hair ran down the slope of thend, flowed into the drain at the base of the wall, and seeped right into the roots of the wall.


    There, a Stink Snake that was hunting for mice was disturbed by the flow of water and had to slide out from the wall base, wagging its tail and hissing as it moved against the flow of water¡­


    At that moment, Liu Sisi was contentedly scrubbing herself, feeling so rxed that she was humming to the tune of a light-hearted song called ¡°Flying in Disarray¡±. Her sweet voice echoed from within the firewood room and each word distinctly reached Di Yelei, who was sitting outside on the stone steps.


    Such a beautiful voice, greatly differing from the strange songs he¡¯d heard on stage, naturally captured his full attention.


    Even though he couldn¡¯t understand the tune, he nheless instinctively enjoyed hearing Liu Sisi¡¯s sweet tender voice. The melodious rhythm coupled with sweet lyrics had caught his heart; He couldn¡¯t help but lean in to listen closely.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    A shrill scream suddenlying from within the firewood room interrupted the beautiful song. The previous melodious voice was now a terrified shriek that broke the night¡¯s silence, startling Di Yelei. He immediately leapt up from the stone steps and with a swift stride, he was at the door.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi what happened?¡±


    Instinctively, Di Yelei tried to push the door but found it was barricaded from the inside.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s crying voice came from inside, ¡°Di Yelei, help me, save me! It¡¯s a¡­ a¡­¡±


    Immediately rmed, Di Yelei didn¡¯t think twice, stepping back before forcefully kicking the wood door.


    Crash!


    Wood chips flew and the door shattered into pieces! Everything inside the firewood room was suddenly in his view.


    The sight of a small woman cowering in therge wooden barrel, her bare shoulders glistening, and the misty haze revealing a scene of spring temptation, standing off against arge, towering python snake.


    Upon seeing hime in, Liu Sisi¡¯s voice changed, ¡°Help¡­ save¡­ me¡­ ah!¡­ save me!¡±

 Chapter 16 - 16: 14 Astonishing Soul (Part 2)

    Chapter 16 - 16: 14 Astonishing Soul (Part 2)


    Trantor:549690339


    Just as she was crying out in shock, this stink snake, as thick as an arm, seemed to be rmed and charged straight towards Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Ah!¡ª¡ª¡±


    Liu Sisi screamed loudly, instinctively shutting her eyes.


    The anticipated pain did note. Liu Sisi slowly opened her eyes a slit, then widened them in surprise.


    In Di Yelei¡¯s grip was the tail of therge snake, quivering continuously!


    Therge snake tried to slither round in an attempt to attack Di Yelei, who was holding onto its tail.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were zing as he continuously swung the snake¡¯s tail, preventing the python from coiling around his arm and body. The python tried multiple times, but waspletely thwarted by his skilful set of movements.


    Seeing the giant python that was still trying to attack despite being held captive, Liu Sisi¡¯s tonepletely changed: ¡°Kill, kill it! Kill it!¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be afraid. This snake is a house snake, it¡¯s not poisonous.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he tightened his grip on the snake¡¯s tail and gave it a hard shake. A huge force travelled from the tail to the head along a strange frequency. Then, he raised his hand and threw the snake hard at the wall. Therge snake hit the wall straight on with a loud thud, dropped heavily onto the ground and didn¡¯t move again.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Frightened, Liu Sisi screamed again. She subconsciously wanted to get up and run but the skin that was exposed to the air felt a chill, so she quickly withdrew back into the water, caught between a rock and a hard ce.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s already dead,¡± Di Yelei unconsciously continued to soothe her.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Liu Sisi instinctively continued to scream, venting the fear deep in her heart. This cold-blooded creature was just too terrifying!


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Sisi, the snake is dead. It¡¯s dead, don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Di Yelei took a stride and effortlessly pulled Liu Sisi into his arms.


    Her heart beat wildly. Overwhelmed by surprise, all Liu Sisi could hear was her pounding heart. Only at this moment did the tears in her eyes start to pour down.


    It was so terrifying!


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s just a stink snake, it¡¯s not venomous, you don¡¯t have to worry¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    As he spoke, Di Yelei lightly patted her shoulder. The smooth, creamy touch made his heart race, awakening his bodily instincts.


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    The husky sound of his heavy breathing in her ears and the rapidly rising heat finally brought Liu Sisi back to her senses. Therge hand moving up and down her back almost torched her entire body.


    ¡°Ah¡­ p!¡±


    Apanied by Liu Sisi¡¯s piercing scream, she swung a palm at Di Yelei¡¯s face. With a smack, a clear imprint of five fingers appeared on his cheek.


    This p instantly stunned him.

 Chapter 17 - 17: 15: Heartbeats

    Chapter 17 - 17: 15: Heartbeats


    What a mess!


    Liu Sisi finally came to her senses after the ident. At the moment, she was soaking in the wooden barrel ced in the bedroom, nervously scrubbing her body.


    Suddenly, she remembered the special touch she felt when the other¡¯srge hand brushed against her back¡­


    Ah! Liu Sisi, you dirty girl!


    Liu Sisi covered her flushed cheeks with her hands in embarrassment. It was just too humiliating that she actually remembered that scene. Could it be that she was really unsatisfied with desire?


    How embarrassing!


    She eventually finished her bath after much dawdling, quickly put on her clothes, and went back to bed, covering herself tightly with the quilt. She curled up in the corner of the bed and pretended to sleep, eyes shut.


    I can¡¯t see anything! I can¡¯t see!


    While Liu Sisi was bathing, Di Yelei had already taken care of the stink snake. He swiftly cleaned up the room, poured out the water from the wooden barrel, swept the floor, and then went into the kitchen to drain the bamboo shoots and leave them to dry. He then went to the room of the two children, and after checking on the sleeping children, he returned to his room.


    Listening to her heavy breathing and looking at Liu Sisi pretending to be asleep, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He removed his clothes and went to bed.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s body was tense, fearing that he would touch her again. To her surprise, Di Yelei did not cuddle with her to sleep like he didst night; instead, hey down on the outer side, fully clothed, and fell asleep quickly.


    Without any further moves, Liu Sisi¡¯s heart felt a mixture of relief and disappointment, especially as the strong masculine aura of the man kept going up her nose, challenging her sensitive nerves and making it difficult to control herself. With wide eyes in the darkness, she found it hard to fall asleep.


    Am I really such a dirty girl? Liu Sisi felt annoyed!


    ¡°Don¡¯t move around, do you want to sleep or not?¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t want to talk, but he couldn¡¯t help it. Liu Sisi was too unconscious and didn¡¯t understand a man¡¯s heart.


    Men are visual creatures; the lingering feelings of that tender embrace and the blurring beauty of the scene in the hot water were still present in his mind.


    At the moment, this soft and fragrant bodyy within his reach. She was his legitimate wife, and yet, he had to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor and not do anything.


    What¡¯s worse, the little woman next to him seemed to intentionally tease him, constantly turning her soft body as though challenging his willpower.


    ¡°Ah? I¡­ I¡¯ll sleep right away.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly closed her eyes, her cheeks burning red. It was just too humiliating!


    That night, Liu Sisi kept her body stiff and dared not move. She barely fell asleep at dawn.


    As soon as she fell asleep, Di Yelei got up.


    He carefully pulled open his arm that had automatically wrapped around her and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.


    Looking at the dark circles beneath the sleeping woman¡¯s eyes, not only had he not slept for several days, but it seemed she was not feeling well either. This couldn¡¯t go on; even an iron body couldn¡¯t withstand it.


    He went out and properly washed, made breakfast, and hurriedly drank arge bowl of porridge before leaving the house. When he returned with arge bundle of bamboo, the sky was already bright.

 Chapter 18 - 18: 16: Ugly Daughter-in-law Meets the Parents-in-law

    Chapter 18 - 18: 16: Ugly Daughter-inw Meets the Parents-inw


    Liu Sisi slept until the sun had risen high into the sky before getting up. She rubbed her still-drowsy eyes and stumbled into the kitchen to wash her face with water, and rinse her mouth with a willow twig. She only learned this mouth-rinsing habit since she came here.


    Feeling slightly more awake after drinking a bowl of in rice porridge, Liu Sisi went to clean the kitchen and left the room. Lifting her gaze, she saw Di Yelei working diligently in the courtyard. Numerous bamboo strips were arranged before him, and she watched hisrge hands skillfully handle the bamboo strips and knife, producing one smooth bamboo piece after another. What a talented pair of hands!


    Liu Sisi took a few quick steps to stand under a nearby shade of a bitter chestnut tree and curiously asked, ¡°What are you making?¡±


    Di Yelei looked up with a smile: ¡°Our bed is rather small, and since summer is approaching, I thought I¡¯d make arge bamboo bed. This way, it¡¯ll be morefortable and cool in the evenings.¡±


    That was indeed a great idea!


    Liu Sisi previously had arger bed, which allowed her to roll around to her heart¡¯s content.


    ¡°That sounds wonderful; a big bed will be much cooler! By the way, is there anything I can help you with?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Di Yelei shook his head: ¡°No need. If you want to help, you can go freshen up, and once I finish with the bamboo strips, I¡¯ll take you to the old house. You¡¯ve been married for some time now, and people always say the new wife must meet her inws. It¡¯s better to go and pay them a visit now to avoid any unnecessary gossip.¡±


    Only then did Liu Sisi recall the discussions she had overheard among the gossiping vigers. Despite having moved out and started their own separate lives, Di Yelei was still a son of the Di family. As his wife, Liu Sisi had yet to go and pay her respects. It was indeed very improper!


    ¡°Are you insinuating that I¡¯m ugly?¡±


    The most attractive feature of her former self was undoubtedly her lovely face, even prettier than what she looked like in her previous life!


    ¡°No, no, I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­¡±


    Di Yelei seemed genuinely taken aback by Liu Sisi¡¯s question as he fumbled over his words, stammering a response.


    ¡°Hahaha! I was just joking. Look at how flustered you are.¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly smiled, her face blooming like a flower and leaving Di Yelei dumbfounded and unable to recover for a moment.


    ¡°Alright, then! I¡¯ll go get ready now.¡±


    A sudden thought of the children crossed Liu Sisi¡¯s mind, as she quickly asked, ¡°Hey, where are Xuan¡¯er and YingEr? I don¡¯t see them.¡±


    Di Yelei looked up from his work, pausing momentarily: ¡°YingEr wanted to see her brother Zhang Yun, so I let Xuan¡¯er take her to Zhang Peng¡¯s home. Oh, Zhang Yun is Zhang Peng¡¯s son. We often go hunting together. When the opportunity arises, I¡¯ll introduce you to them.¡±


    When Di Yelei and Liu Sisi arrived at the old house, Elderly Mr. Di was already out, and only his stepmother Ms. Zhao and Second Sister-inw Ms. Wang were at home.


    As soon as they entered, Di Yelei¡¯s face turned solemn, and he said in a deep voice, ¡°Mom, Second Sister-inw, Yelei has brought Sisi to meet you.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly stepped forward to pay her respects, presenting them with a wild pheasant she had hastily plucked. She didn¡¯t know what arrangements her previous self had made for the wedding, but all she found in her baggage were two old summer dresses and nothing else.


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s been so many days, and we can¡¯t bear such a formal visit. Look at this, a wild pheasant ¨C didn¡¯t you say you were all out of them yesterday?¡± Ms. Zhao said loudly without any signs of rxation on her face. These two people even dared to deceive her; it was simply outrageous.


    While speaking, she gave Liu Sisi a disdainful nce.


    Traditionally, a new wife must present a gift to her parents-inw during their first encounter, yet Ms. Zhao showed not the slightest sign of acknowledging this custom for Liu Sisi¡¯s first meeting with her inws.

 Chapter 19 - 19: 17: Protecting Shortcomings

    Chapter 19 - 19: 17: Protecting Shorings


    Ms. Wang had been harboring resentment in her heart for a long time. Although she had been reprimanded by thend officer back then, she could not swallow her anger and chose to hold a grudge against Liu Sisi.


    At the moment, as soon as she saw Liu Sisiing, she wouldn¡¯t miss such a good opportunity to pick a fight.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw has such a desirable appearance, truly captivating, and unforgettable!¡±


    Her words were clearly mocking Liu Sisi. The rumors about Liu Sisi and Businessman Zhang were already well known. To mention them now was nothing short of a tant p in the face.


    As soon as those words left her mouth, Di Yelei¡¯s expression changed.


    ¡°Second Sister-inw, what do you mean by that? Is it appropriate for you to say such things? Even your own sister-inw is being talked about like this; if outsiders heard you, who knows what they would think!¡±


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯ve just be a husband, and now you¡¯re already protecting the new wife like a treasure, not even allowing others to speak a word. I am still your Second Sister-inw, after all.¡±


    Ms. Wang turned to Ms. Zhao and said, ¡°Mother, look at Third Brother; who is the outsider in his mouth? Where does he put me, his Second Sister-inw, in his eyes? He¡¯s clearly trying to humiliate me in front of his new wife!¡±


    This was just an evildoer ying the victim!


    Liu Sisi stood silently with her head down, not saying a single word from beginning to end.


    ¡°Second Sister-inw, Sisi hasn¡¯t said a word since she entered the house, but you¡¯ve been picking faults, ying victim, and not leaving any face for her. How could you?¡± Di Yelei would not let his wife be bullied by others like this.


    But Ms. Wang widened her eyes. When had Di Yelei ever dared to confront her like this in all these years?


    ¡°Mother! Look at Third Brother, he¡¯s trying to bully his Second Sister-inw for the sake of this discarded woman. I¡¯ve said it before, such a shameless woman should be sold to a brothel instead¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth! Second Sister-inw, you¡¯re not young anymore. Please watch your words! I¡¯ve already said that no matter what Sisi did before, from the moment she married me, Di Yelei, she became my wife andpletely severed ties with her past! If you continue to bring it up, don¡¯t me your Third Brother for disregarding family ties!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face had veins bulging, making him want to punch the woman.


    ¡°And also, I can handle the affairs of my own household! Sisi, this is not the ce for us. Let¡¯s go home.¡± He immediately pulled Liu Sisi¡¯s hand and made a move to leave.


    How could Ms. Zhao let Di Yelei and Liu Sisi go just like that?


    Elderly Mr. Di had four sons and two daughters. His first wife, Ms. Hu, gave birth to three sons and one daughter.


    The eldest son, Di Hongyuan, was an official outside and had not returned home for many years without any news. Even the letters sent to him were lost without a trace, and neither side could benefit from them. The second son, Di Gaoyuan, was cunning, and his wife, Ms. Wang, was also calcting. They made everyone in the neighborhood uneasy.


    While outsiders thought this was a disgrace, it was precisely what Ms. Zhao wanted. If it wasn¡¯t for this, how could her own son, Di Ah-bao, stand out?


    When she initially married into the Di family with her daughter Di Ruoning, she had worked hard to help Di Yelei grow up. At the beginning, she loved Di Yelei like her own child, especially since her daughter from her previous marriage, Di Ruoning, was a few years younger than Di Yelei. However, within two years, her own biological child, Di Ah-bao, was born.


    With three elder brothers, when would her own child be able to make a name for themselves?


    Out of selfishness, Ms. Zhao intentionally fueled the arrogance of the second family branch. As she had anticipated, Ms. Wang became even more arrogant under her protection, causing trouble for the neighborhood and suppressing Di Yelei, who couldn¡¯t raise his head proudly.


    Now that Di Yelei had just married a new wife, signs of him slipping out of her control were emerging. How could she let that happen?


    ¡°Third Son, are you trying to humiliate me by implying that I am an outsider since your father is not here?¡±


    Saying this, Ms. Zhao sat down on the ground and began crying loudly.


    ¡°I know I am your stepmother, so I never dared to ask for anything from you. But when you publicly humiliate your Second Sister-inw like this, not to mention the brideing sote to serve tea, there isn¡¯t even a decent gift for our first meeting. You¡¯re clearly causing difficulties for your father, and you¡¯re unfilial!¡±


    With thebel of filial piety being put on him, Di Yelei opened his mouth but could not utter a word, feeling even more choked up.


    Liu Sisi, who had not spoken all this time, raised her head, gently pulled her hand out of Di Yelei¡¯s grip, quickly walked over, and tried to help Ms. Zhao up.


    ¡°Mother, the ground is too cold; you should get up and talk.¡±


    As she spoke, Liu Sisi reached out to help her.


    Ms. Zhao felt relieved, thinking that this new wife seemed to be easy to handle.


    Feeling triumphant, she stared at Di Yelei, and with the help of Liu Sisi, she started to get up.


    Bang!


    Ms. Zhao, who was halfway up, slipped and fell to the ground with a thud.


    ¡°Ouch, my butt!¡± Ms. Zhao covered her butt and instinctively let out a scream like a pig being ughtered.


    Liu Sisi on the side appeared panic-stricken, ¡°Mother, are you alright? I know you don¡¯t like me, but please don¡¯t y jokes with your own body! If you fall like this and identally injure your tailbone, you might be paralyzed for life!¡±

 Chapter 20 - 20: 18: Liu Sisi’s Counterattack!

    Chapter 20 - 20: 18: Liu Sisi¡¯s Counterattack!


    While talking, Liu Sisi reached out again to help Ms. Zhao.


    ¡°You vicious-hearted woman, wishing for me to be bedridden!¡±


    Ms. Zhao, in pain and barely able to speak, finally realized she had been taken for a fool. Seeing Liu Sisi reaching out her hands again, she med herself for being deceived by the person she had been hunting all along!


    She had actually been manipted! Ms. Zhao¡¯s anger surged upwards.


    With a roar, she said: ¡°You little wretch, don¡¯t you want to live anymore? How dare you deceive me! Get away from me!¡±


    During the talk, she angrily pped towards Liu Sisi¡¯s chest with her hand!


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, and he instinctively shouted, ¡°Mom! Don¡¯t¡­¡±


    As Di Yelei roared, he instinctively reached out to block the p from Ms. Zhao, but he was toote due to the distance.


    Liu Sisi sneered in her heart. Such a shameless stepmother was really too much! How could she allow herself to be pped like this!


    As soon as Ms. Zhao raised her hand, Liu Sisi screamed in sync with her pping motion!


    With that scream, she suddenly retreated several steps and fell under the eaves a few steps away. She stared with wide eyes, her mouth open in shock, and her face filled with disbelief.


    She whispered, ¡°Mom, why did you hit me?¡±


    Tears welled up in her beautiful face, but they didn¡¯t fall.


    ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°Sisi!¡±


    Two shouts came from Di Yelei and Ms. Wang. They rushed to Ms. Zhao and Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Sisi, are you okay?¡±


    Di Yelei, heartbroken, helped Liu Sisi up from the ground and red at Ms. Zhao: ¡°Mom, I respect you as an elder, but you can¡¯t treat my wife like this today. I married her to cherish her, not for her to be at your disposal to take your anger on.¡±


    Ms. Zhao was also obviously angered: ¡°What do you mean, ¡®treat her like this?¡¯ Now that you have a wife, you¡¯re forgetting me, your mother? She was clearly cursing me earlier! Although I¡¯m not your birth mother, I¡¯ve raised you through hardships for many years, and now you actually¡­ ¡±


    As she spoke, sadness overwhelmed her, and her fake crying turned into genuine tears, her face a mess with tears and mucus.


    Di Yelei¡¯s fists clenched, veins straining. Was he really thought to be a fool, hearing Ms. Zhao¡¯sints all these years?


    Ms. Wang, to make matters worse, said, ¡°Third Son, you actually helped an outsider to bully your mother-inw. How can you do such a shameless thing? What exactly are you plotting?¡±


    ¡°I know I can¡¯t please you, Mom. We¡¯ve been separated for many years, and I¡¯ve never given less than my utmost respect and financial support. Rest assured! We won¡¯t bother you again. I¡¯ll leave now and take Sisi with me. Just forget that you ever raised me!¡±


    His strong arms, used to pulling arge bow, showed bulging veins like dragons and vipers. Di Yelei¡¯s voice deepened, but he firmly protected Liu Sisi in his arms.


    Upon hearing this, Ms. Zhao, who had been wailing, realized that her third son intended to settle her with just the yearly support money. However, Ah-Bao wasn¡¯t married yet; the money was far from enough.


    It would be a problem if Elderly Mr. Di returned. How would she exin this?


    ¡°You dare! You dare to leave? You unfilial son, forgetting your parents¡¯ love now that you have a wife! If you leave today, I¡­ I¡¯ll ask your father to disown you!¡±


    Di Yelei firmly protected Liu Sisi with no sign of relenting!


    ¡°Whether or not my father recognizes me, I, Di Yelei, am still his son! Get out of the way!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him! Everyone, look! We have such a disrespectful, unfilial son here. Oh, Heavens! Why don¡¯t you strike him down dead with a thunderbolt?¡± Ms. Zhao cursed and cried out, her face covered in tears and mucus.


    Liu Sisi gently released Di Yelei¡¯s protective arm, her face showing a faint smile and a cold light shing in her eyes.


    ¡°Mom, please don¡¯t say that. Today is the first time I¡¯vee to pay my respects to my inws. How dare I offend you? If I have done something wrong since I came here, please point it out. This unfilial person, Sisi, dares not admit to, and can¡¯t bear the consequences!¡±


    Seeing more and more onlookers gathering around, Ms. Zhao resorted to herst tactic: crying, making a scene, threatening suicide, cursing, and wailing at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°You, you, an unwanted piece of trash, dare to question me here? I, I don¡¯t want to live anymore, wuu¡­¡±


    This chaotic scene was witnessed by Elderly Mr. Di and Di Defu, who had just returned from the fields.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is this a revolt against Heaven?¡±


    No wonder Elderly Di was angry. He had just been working in the fields when he heard that his third son had taken the bride to the old house. Thinking that Ms. Zhao had always disliked Di Yelei, he hurried back home with his hoe in hand.


    Before he could enter the house, he saw many neighbors peeping in. He squeezed through the crowd, only to see such a ridiculous scene!


    On the day the new bride came to pay respect to her inws, she was beaten by her own mother-inw! With that kind of reputation, Ah-Bao wouldn¡¯t need to find a wife either!

 Chapter 21 - 21: 19: Liu Sisi’s Counterattack! Continued

    Chapter 21 - 21: 19: Liu Sisi¡¯s Counterattack! Continued


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Old man, someone is trying to push my wife to death. People say stepmothers are hard to please, but my stepmother doesn¡¯t even respect you, let alone me!¡±


    Seeing that Elderly Mr. Di had returned, Ms. Zhao took the initiative and threw herself at his legs, crying as if her heart was broken.


    Elderly Mr. Di did not speak, his gaze sweeping over everyone around, taking in the lively Second daughter-inw, his sniveling and tearful wife clinging to him, the plucked wild pheasant lying on the ground, andstly, Liu Sisi, who was being guarded closely by Di Yelei.


    He said nothing, gently but firmly pried Ms. Zhao¡¯s hands off and walked a few steps before bending down to pick up the wild pheasant that everyone had ignored. He then turned to look at Di Yelei and Sisi.


    Di Yelei continued to guard Liu Sisi closely, remaining silent even when his father looked over.


    Unlike Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang¡¯s nagging, Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s face showed a gentle smile: ¡°You must be the new bride of Ye Lei? Come, sit inside.¡± As he spoke, he stepped into the room.


    Di Yelei wanted to refuse, instinctively saying, ¡°Dad, it¡¯s not necessary, we were nning on leaving¡­¡±


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi softly called out, shaking her head at Di Yelei¡¯s questioning gaze.


    Following Elderly Mr. Di, everyone entered the hall. Sisi pushed away the arm that guarded her and stepped forward. She came to Elderly Mr. Di and, following the etiquette of this era, bowed deeply to him.


    ¡°Daughter-inw Liu Sisi pays respects to father-inw. I apologize for the dy in visiting due to my ill health. Please forgive me, father-inw.¡±


    ¡°Get up, get up! Third Child, help your wife up quickly.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face lit up with happiness. He looked at the wild pheasant in the basket: ¡°Life hasn¡¯t been easy for you two. From now on, don¡¯t bring food to the old house every two or three days. As long as you two live earnestly, even if I eat a bit less, I¡¯ll be happy.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I¡­¡±


    Di Yelei began to speak, but could not continue. Only the tears in his eyes revealed his feelings at the moment.


    Liu Sisi also took the opportunity to examine Elderly Mr. Di. Di Yelei and his father had simr features; both were tall and had chiseled featuresbined with bronze-colored skin, giving a sense of strong stability and security at first nce.


    ¡°Father-inw, rest assured, since I married into the Di family, I am now a part of it.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke calmly, realizing that although her stepmother, Ms. Zhao, was troublesome, her father-inw was in charge.


    She adjusted her mood and smiled, ¡°Sisi had a high fever recently and lost all her past memories during the illness. But Sisi knows that taking care of the two children, looking after the home, and respecting father-inw, without giving Yelei any worries, is what I should do as a wife.¡±


    That¡¯s right, this father-inw deserved respect. As for the others¡­ she didn¡¯t run a charity!


    Elderly Mr. Di nodded. He understood what the bride had just said. Respecting father-inw did not include Ms. Zhao. Remembering the nonsense Ms. Zhao had said outside the door and then seeing her attack her new daughter-inw, he understood why Sisi spoke that way.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost your past memories? But that¡¯s fine! It¡¯s fine!¡±


    With a sigh, whether his daughter-inw¡¯s words were true or false, her attitude showed that she wanted to live a serious life with Third Child, which was enough. Elderly Mr. Di didn¡¯t say more.


    ¡°Come, you two kowtow in front of the ancestral tablets, and you¡¯ll officially be a daughter-inw of the Di family.¡±


    Only then did Liu Sisi notice the mural and the incense burner in front of it with fragrant incense smoke rising from it in the hall.


    Ms. Zhao wanted to interrupt but was stopped by a re from Elderly Mr. Di. She muttered inaudible words and eventually didn¡¯t speak. As for Ms. Wang, who had been hiding since Elderly Mr. Di entered the house, there was no sign of her.


    ¡°Thank you, father.¡±


    Liu Sisi, following Di Yelei¡¯s movements, each took three sticks of incense. They bowed thrice in front of the painting, then inserted the incense into the incense burner. Turning back, they bowed thrice to Elderly Mr. Di and then to Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang. After going through the formalities, Liu Sisi became an official member of the Di family.


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s weathered face broke into a smile. He pulled out his dry pipe from his pocket, with difficulty lit it, and took several puffs. Finally, he addressed Ms. Zhao with a frown, ¡°What are you still waiting for? Where are your prepared meeting gifts? Hurry up and bring them out.¡±

 Chapter 22 - 22: 20: Don’t Even Think of Crossing Over from Here

    Chapter 22 - 22: 20: Don¡¯t Even Think of Crossing Over from Here


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Give her a meeting gift? She doesn¡¯t even hesitate to take this money! We¡¯ve been married for days, and she onlyes to visit us with empty hands today. On the contrary, I still have to give her a meeting gift. What¡¯s going on here? I¡¯m just¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s words automatically faded after Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s gaze swept over her.


    After mumbling for a while, Ms. Zhao reluctantly took out a wrinkled red envelope from her arms and handed it over.


    ¡°Thank you, Father-inw, thank you, Mother-inw.¡±


    Liu Sisi thanked and tried to take the red envelope from Ms. Zhao¡¯s hand.


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s hand clenched tightly onto the corner of the red envelope, refusing to let go. Liu Sisi tried to pull it several times but couldn¡¯t take it. Di Yelei, who was standing beside her, naturally noticed this and couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di, who was sitting in a superior position, coughed twice and knocked the dry pipe on the armrest of his chair.


    Ms. Zhao was startled and had to let go of her hand, even ring at Liu Sisi along the way.


    Liu Sisi could only smile helplessly, feeling speechless in her heart.


    Did Ms. Zhao really think she was a soft persimmon to squeeze?


    It was just because today was a special day, that Liu Sisi swallowed her anger. Clenching the wrinkled red envelope in her hand, judging from its thickness, there seemed to be something like a stone inside.


    Could it be a silver ingot? Liu Sisi guessed.


    Elderly Mr. Di nced at everyone, looked at the defensive Third Brother, and then at Liu Sisi standing slightly behind Di Yelei. The faint smile on her face reminded him of various remarks about her.


    One could say that gossiping was the favorite pastime of vigers.


    At first, the matchmaker bragged a lot about Di family, saying Liu Sisi had a good appearance, skillful hands, and was unparalleled in the world. He should have been more cautious at that time. If there was such a great young maiden, how could she marry into the Di family, especially given the Third Brother¡¯s reputation for being a wife and mother killer?


    Unexpectedly, after the marriage, a series of problems emerged. Thinking of his Third Brother¡¯s fate, Elderly Mr. Di sighed secretly.


    Sometimes, people just need to ept their destiny!


    After refilling his clean dry pipe, Elderly Mr. Di fumbled around for a while before finding the flint and continued: ¡°Third Brother is not young anymore, and you¡¯ve been separated for many years. Some matters should be addressed, and over the years, I¡¯ve said it many times. Dad has no other requirements, just like before, give us two old people 100 maces per year. As for any medical expenses we might have, like before, you four brothers will share them. Sisi, do you have any objections?¡±


    Why had the conversation turned back to her?


    Liu Sisi, who had been trying to minimize her presence, couldn¡¯t help butugh softly and said, ¡°Father-inw, just let Father-inw and Yelei make the decisions on these matters. Sisi, as a humble woman, only needs to be filial to Father-inw, take good care of Yelei and the children.¡±


    Her words naturally satisfied Elderly Mr. Di, who nodded his head, as at least this daughter-inw was sensible. He was just casually asking, not intending to inquire about Liu Sisi¡¯s opinions.


    Seeing Third Brother¡¯s angry face and the veins bulging on his arm, Elderly Mr. Di hurriedly sent the two away, lest more trouble would arise if they continued to stay.


    ¡°It is for the best. Today is not early anymore, you should go back. To live a good life, you need to n carefully and be frugal.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Dad, then we¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    Di Yelei naturally was not in the mood to stay. At the moment, hearing his father¡¯s words, he took the opportunity to leave.


    ¡°Go ahead, remember to take good care of the two children, after all, they are the offspring of my Di family.¡± Elderly Mr. Di finished and once again sucked on his dry pipe, turning his head away.


    Was he afraid that she would abuse the children?


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t feel angry at the thought either. After all, she had Ms. Zhao as an example. It wasn¡¯t a surprise that Father-inw didn¡¯t trust herpletely.


    However, she didn¡¯t have too much expectation either. As long as everyone could maintain a surface calm, it would be fine. After all, they had already separated from the family and she didn¡¯t have to beg for food from her inws, which was good enough!


    As the two left the main entrance, Ms. Wang, who had just disappeared, chased after them, blocking their way.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, when are you going to repay the borrowed money? When you borrowed money, you behaved like grandsons; when ites to repaying it, you act like grandfathers! If you don¡¯t rify today, don¡¯t expect to get past here!¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh loudly!


    Even if she had borrowed money, constantly pursuing repayment every two or three days was really annoying, especially since this money had nothing to do with Liu Sisi at all. The fact that Ms. Wang stopped her was just because she saw her as an easy target ¡ª it was like grabbing a soft persimmon in the middle of the night!

 Chapter 23 - 23: 21: The Three-Chapter Agreement on a Huge Amount of Money

    Chapter 23 - 23: 21: The Three-Chapter Agreement on a Huge Amount of Money


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Second Sister-inw, just yesterday, didn¡¯t the Land Officer say you could give us some more time? You agreed to it yourself. Howe it¡¯s only been a day, and you¡¯re asking for the money again?¡± Liu Sisi instinctively said.


    ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m asking for the money? This silver is clearly mine, mine! I¡¯m just taking back what belongs to me. Who dares to say anything? Huh? Who dares?¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s face was full of madness as she gestured wildly towards the onlookers hiding in the corners, looking very smug.


    When she returned home yesterday after being scolded by the Land Officer, she felt humiliated. After thinking about it for a while, she couldn¡¯t understand why she, as the creditor, was being criticized, while the ones in debt were acting as if they were right.


    She tossed and turned all night, but due to the Land Officer¡¯s warning, she hesitated before causing another scene at their door. Today, when the two of them came to her, it was like a dreame true!


    The onlookers who were secretly watching themotion saw Ms. Wang¡¯s rash behavior and dispersed like birds to avoid being targeted by her.


    With her hands on her hips, Ms. Wang looked haughty as she nced over the two. Di Yelei¡¯s face was full of anxiety, while Liu Sisi looked calm, unaware of what she was thinking!


    Inwardly, she sneered at them. They were both phonies, and Liu was nothing more than an unwanted, worn-out shoe!


    She brought her illegitimate child and married into the Di family without any shame!


    ¡°So, what have you decided? Even as siblings, we have to keep things clear. It¡¯s not that I, as your Second Sister-inw, am being unreasonable. It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve been dragging this debt on for too long. You¡­¡±


    ¡°Within half a year, we will definitely repay you in full!¡±


    The one who said this was Liu Sisi herself.


    Ms. Wang was taken aback, her mouth wide open, unable to close it.


    The neighbors hidden in the shadows were shocked too, whispering amongst themselves that the Di Family¡¯s new wife seemed unreliable.


    Di Yelei was also startled by Liu Sisi¡¯s words!


    He almost jumped up and hurriedly wanted to cover Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth, ¡°Sisi, our home has no money¡­¡±


    It was true they had no money!


    Di Yelei felt his heart aching like being scratched by a cat¡¯s w.


    When Ms. Qiao was pregnant and brought her child Xuan¡¯er to their home, she and Di Yelei lived harmoniously because she was not well. They worked together and were very ambitious, with him going hunting on the mountain every two or three days, trying to catch more game to pay off their debt.


    But Ms. Qiao, eight months pregnant, fell down the hillside and was discovered toote.


    When Di Yelei returned from hunting, he received the news and rushed to gather silvers to buy the best wild ginseng the doctor suggested to save her life. He searched among the fellow vigers forrge sums of silver, but no one could offer that much.


    For ordinary families, working hard in the fields for a year barely earned them enough to make ends meet, let alone see any silver. Under such circumstances, if he asked anyone for money, they could only offer around ten copper coins. Compared to medical expenses, this was a drop in the ocean.


    He did not want to borrow money from the bank, so he had no choice but to swallow his pride and go to his Second Brother¡¯s house.


    After saying numerous good words, he reluctantly borrowed another 20 taels of silver.


    In the end, things dragged on for too long. Ms. Qiao gave her life when she gave birth to YingEr, leaving this world.


    Now, a widower, he had to take care of two young children and manage his deceased wife¡¯s funeral affairs.


    Because Ms. Qiao died fromplications during childbirth, local superstition dictated that she couldn¡¯t be buried in the Di family¡¯s ancestral tomb. He had to borrow another three and a half taels of silver from Second Brother, buy a plot ofnd near the Di family¡¯s tomb, and hurriedly buried Ms. Qiao in a thin coffin¡­


    Over the years, he¡¯s been working hard hunting to earn money to support his family and repay debts. However, due to his children being too young, he still couldn¡¯t repay the 20 taels of silver owed.


    Now, when he heard that Liu Sisi promised to repay the debt within half a year, how could he not worry?


    ¡°Sisi, we really don¡¯t have any money at home. I¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi naturally saw Di Yelei¡¯s anxiety and frustration, but Ms. Wang¡¯s behavior was just too irritating. Although Liu Sisi did set a six-month deadline out of anger, she was also confident that she could repay the 20 taels within half a year.


    ¡°Ye Lei, don¡¯t worry about the money. As the saying goes, ¡®a couple united can aplish anything.¡¯ As long as we work together, we¡¯ll seed.¡±


    Indeed, it¡¯s true that heroes can be tripped up by money. Mere 20 taels of silver nearly crushed the family; it¡¯s not a lie that this has been true throughout history!


    Di Yelei still hesitated: ¡°That¡¯s 20 taels of silver, not 20 copper coins. Even if we don¡¯t eat or drink, we can¡¯t repay it in ten years¡­!¡± He didn¡¯t say thest part, but everyone understood.


    Ms. Wang finally recovered from her shock and was immediately overjoyed!


    She announced to the surrounding vigers, ¡°This is what Third Sister-inw herself said, not me forcing her! We have so many witnesses here; everyone must testify for me in the future!¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s happy expression contrasted sharply with Di Yelei¡¯s furrowed eyebrows and dark expression.


    Liu Sisiughed, and her initially wavering heart inexplicably steadied.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I said that. However, I have one condition. If Second Sister-inw agrees, we¡¯ll put it down in ck and white, in front of everyone here. If you don¡¯t agree¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s smile stretched thin, and she red fiercely at Liu Sisi: ¡°What are the conditions? Hurry up and let everyone hear.¡±


    Liu Sisi confidently smiled, ¡°It¡¯s simple: you agree not toe to our home to demand money nor to steal food from us under any pretext during this half-year period. If you break any of these promises, the six-month deadline is void!¡±


    As soon as Liu Sisi finished speaking, the surrounding vigers immediately began discussing the matter.


    Ms. Wang¡¯s face was full of various colors, making her look incredibly interesting!


    ¡­


    After a long time, Di Yelei finally managed to pull Liu Sisi out of the crowd and hurried back to the Di family home. He wore a dark expression and remained silent throughout.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mind, she carefully read the written agreement in her hand once more, before carefully tucking it away.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you worried that we won¡¯t be able to repay this debt?¡± Liu Sisi sat across from Di Yelei, smiling at the gloomy man.


    Di Yelei had a suffocating anger in his chest that he couldn¡¯t vent. He couldn¡¯t bear to vent his anger on his little wife, so he suppressed it in his heart.


    Liu Sisi stifled augh, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that the terms I wrote are quite reasonable? At least we don¡¯t have to worry about your Second Sister-inw causing trouble for us during these six months, and the two children won¡¯t be bullied. Isn¡¯t that great?¡±


    Those words finally cracked Di Yelei¡¯s face, and he helplessly looked at Liu Sisi. He softened his tone, ¡°Although you¡¯re right, where will the moneye from? That¡¯s 20 taels of silver.¡±

 Chapter 24 - 24: 22: Can I go with you?

    Chapter 24 - 24: 22: Can I go with you?


    Trantor: 549690339


    No wonder Di Yelei was worried!


    Liu Sisi smiled and casually pulled the wooden barrel over, starting to process the small river shrimp inside. After pondering for a moment, she finally asked, ¡°If you go hunting, how much can a wild chicken sell for? How about a roe deer? And how much can a wild boar sell for?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s series of questions made Di Yelei realize that she was serious. He took over the work from Liu Sisi¡¯s hands without hesitation and directly answered.


    ¡°Ordinary people rarely buy game here, and in our town, we can only sell some on Market Day. But the business isn¡¯t very good either. I usually sell them to restaurants and wine-houses in town. Wild pheasants, depending on their size, sell for 50 to 80 copper coins each. Roe deer are worth a bit more, ranging from 100 to 300 copper coins per deer. Wild boar has a higher price, but I only manage to hunt a few in a year, and they can be sold for 500 to 3 taels of silver.¡±


    Based on Di Yelei¡¯s verbose exnations, Luo Shan understood. The price of a chicken egg here was one copper coin, which can bepared to the modern price of one egg for one yuan. Thus, a wild pheasant would be worth around 50 to 80 yuan.


    After calcting, it seemed reasonable, but now the problem arose!


    ¡°¡­The wine-houses and restaurants don¡¯t buy game every day, especially in the summer, when the game can¡¯t be stored for long periods. On Market Day, there are more people, but they don¡¯t usually ask for more game. Meanwhile, there are many people going hunting nearby, causing the game to often go unsold and taken home for personal consumption.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s expression darkened as he thought about something.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sell it in the county? ¡±


    In fact, Liu Sisi originally wanted to ask how far it was from here to the county, but she changed her question.


    ¡°Selling in the county would indeed fetch higher prices, but the round trip takes two days. I can¡¯t leave the two children alone at home for such a long time, so I¡¯m not at ease.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded, understanding. She took the prepared eel and loach, as well as a small amount of river shrimp, river ms, and field snails, nning to have them for lunch.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! As the saying goes, ¡®A couple united can cut gold.¡¯ As long as we work hard together, can¡¯t we pay off this debt?¡±


    In front of him, the young woman looked serious and determined, her blue eyes like a clear spring that instantly struck the depths of Di Yelei¡¯s heart.


    He felt invigorated, unable to blink as he stared at the young woman before him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something on my face?¡±


    While cutting the eel into slices, Liu Sisi saw him staring at her face, instinctively put down the kitchen knife, and wiped her face with the back of her hand.


    She felt nothing, and looked at him with a puzzled expression.


    But her innocent eyes held such an irresistible attraction that Di Yelei almost lost control on the spot.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll cook.¡±


    Regaining his senses, Di Yelei hurriedly changed the subject, somewhat embarrassed, ¡°You said earlier at the old house that you lost your previous memories?¡±


    ¡°No need, I can still cook.¡±


    Liu Sisi refused Di Yelei¡¯s outstretched hand, continuing her work, and answered in between, ¡°Yes! Since I woke up from the fever, I can¡¯t remember anything from the past. I tried hard to think for a few days but couldn¡¯t recall the slightest bit of my past.¡±


    She didn¡¯t get the original body¡¯s memory, it¡¯s more urate to say that she lost her memory. Perhaps some people guess all kinds of things, but it¡¯s better than carrying the sins of the past.


    ¡°You¡­ really lost your memory?¡±


    It was a sound of surprise and delight.


    Liu Sisi turned her head and saw Di Yelei¡¯s shining eyes looking at her, clearly very happy.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. How are my family? Who exactly is the so-called businessman they mentioned?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just nder from others, don¡¯t worry about it. As for your family, I really don¡¯t know. When I went to pick you up for the wedding, I saw that your family had quite a few people. I¡¯ll cook.¡±


    Di Yelei was truly delighted. This could be considered the first good thing that¡¯s happened recently! If Liu Sisi really forgot the past, even if that businessman had some ideas, they couldn¡¯t take her away.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t fight him for it and casually salted the vegetables. She could tell that Di Yelei didn¡¯t want to talk about his own family: ¡°By the way, when is Market Day in the small town recently?¡±


    While washing the rice and putting it in the pot, Di Yelei gently touched Liu Sisi¡¯s soft and fragrant body with his arm. The rice bag was almost empty, Di Yelei poured a little less than half of the rice and added a lot of coarse cereals like sorghum rice, and prepared to cook coarse grain porridge.


    ¡°It¡¯s the day after tomorrow, why? Do you want to go to the Market Day? This is possible, there are many delicious and fun things in the market, and I will go hunting in the mountains and exchange some silver for you tomorrow. You also need to buy a few more sets of clothes to change.¡±


    For his little wife, Di Yelei inexplicably became more patient, and within the scope of his abilities, he was willing to spoil her.


    ¡°No need for clothes, but can you take me with you when you go to the mountains tomorrow?¡± Liu Sisi stopped cutting the bamboo shoots and looked at him with hopeful eyes.


    This was the key point Liu Sisi had hoped for. She wanted to go to the mountains to see if there was anything that could be exchanged for silver.


    ¡°Take you hunting together? No, absolutely not!¡±


    Unexpectedly, Di Yelei directly and firmly refused: ¡°Hunting is running around in the deep mountains. As a woman, first of all, I don¡¯t know if your physical strength can keep up. Even if you can keep up, there are many fierce beasts in the mountains. If we really encounter them, even we can only run away in embarrassment, let alone bring you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was speechless. After thinking for a moment, she had to admit that Di Yelei was right. She didn¡¯t dwell on this issue.


    When the coarse grain porridge in the pot was cooked, Liu Sisi finally began to stir-fry the vegetables.


    She first rendered the fat from the leftover wild boar leg meat fromst night, filtered out the oil, and then stir-fried the bamboo shoots in the pot. Since the bamboo shoots had been soaked in waterst night, Liu Sisi took them out of the pot and put them into a bowl after frying for a few minutes.


    While Liu Sisi was cooking, Di Yelei watched her every move without blinking, and seeing her skillful actions, he became even more satisfied in his heart.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s cooking skills were good and very skilled. At least this way, he didn¡¯t have to worry about the two children starving when he went hunting!


    There was a noise outside the door, and then the kitchen door was pushed open, revealing a little boy about ten years old: ¡°Third Uncle Di, Yun¡¯er has brought Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er back.¡±

 Chapter 25 - 25: 23: Delicious Taste

    Chapter 25 - 25: 23: Delicious Taste


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Herees Zhang Yun,e in and have a seat quickly.¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly called out to the child and led the three children in, ¡°Come, sit by the small table, and we¡¯ll start eating in a while. This is your Third Aunt Di. Sisi, this is Zhang Peng¡¯s child. asionally, when I go hunting, I entrust Zhang Yun to help take care of the two children.¡±


    Liu Sisi turned her head to look at the three children. Zhang Yun was holding a vegetable basket, filled with a small handful of garlic sprouts and baby bok choy.


    ¡°Hello, Third Aunt Di.¡± Zhang Yun showed great manners as a child.


    While greeting, he also observed Liu Sisi. Seeing her delicate and frail, he felt a bit happy. If the stepmother was too strong, he would really be afraid that Di Xuan and YingEr would be abused by the stepmother¡­


    Di Ying hopped out from Di Xuan¡¯s shelter and came to Liu Sisi¡¯s side in a few steps. She reached out to pull Liu Sisi¡¯s dress, gently shaking it, ¡°Mom, it was Brother Yun who sent us home. Mom, what are we having for lunch at home?¡±


    ¡°It was Zhang Yun who brought you back. How good is our Ying¡¯er! Ying¡¯er, hurry up and go to Zhang Yun¡¯s side and sit with your Brother Yun for a while. When I finish cooking, we can eat. By the way, you should also wash your hands with Zhang Yun quickly, as the food will be ready soon.¡±


    Naturally, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know his thoughts and continued to talk as she made the food.


    ¡°No need, we already ate before we came back¡­¡±


    Zhang Yun still wanted to say something but was dragged away by Ying¡¯er: ¡°Brother Yun, let¡¯s go! Mom said it¡¯s time to wash our hands and eat. You have to wash your hands too, otherwise, bugs will get into your mouth, and you¡¯ll get sick¡­¡±


    Hearing Di Ying¡¯s chattering like a little sparrow, Liu Sisi smiled.


    She quickly washed the pot, added oil and salt, then took a few fiery red peppers from beside the chimney and put them in to bring out the aroma. Surprisingly, there were also Sichuan peppercorns by the stove! She threw a few in as well, stirring to release their fragrance before discarding them. When the bottom of the pot turned red, she added the marinated dried shrimp, river m meat, and field snail meat to quickly stir-fry.


    It is worth mentioning that in her previous life, Liu Sisi relied on her hard work and cooking skills when she lived with her grandfather. Even her college roommates joked that she should open a high-end restaurant after graduation!


    With that said, she naturally had more confidence in the dishes she made!


    When this unnamed dish was finished, Zhang Yun had also brought the two children back. The mouthwatering aroma provoked their appetites, making their mouths water.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t stop and chopped the few peri leaves she had picked up on the way back, sprinkling them evenly over the top.


    ¡°I¡¯d better go back! Staying would be too¡­ troublesome for Third Uncle Di and Third Aunt.¡±


    Zhang Yun¡¯s words were somewhat insincere, as the enticing aroma was too tempting to leave.


    Di Yelei also chimed in, ¡°What¡¯s troublesome? When we¡¯re busy, we¡¯ll have to ask you to help look after Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, hurry up and serve the rice. I¡¯ll fry some eel fillets and vegetables, then we¡¯ll be done.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she turned around to wash the pot again and began to stir-fry eel fillets.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t remove the bones while butchering the eel; it was Liu Sisi who removed themter when cutting the fillets. She heated the oil on high heat, added dried chilies, ginger slices, and garlic cloves to bring out their aroma, then poured the marinated eel fillets into the pot to stir-fry with the garlic and chilies. She added a little cooking wine and the garlic sprouts Zhang Yun brought before continuing to stir-fry until the sauce thickened, then removed the dish from the stove.


    The sight of such efficiency made Di Yelei forget to blink, and it was only at this moment that he realized his little wife actually had excellent cooking skills!


    This really was an unexpected surprise!


    Once more, Liu Sisi stir-fried the sweet potato sprouts that Zhang Yun had sent over. However, she reserved half of them, intending to nt them in the vacantnd behind the courtyard wall. This way, they would have an additional dish of sweet potato sprouts, and when autumn came, they could harvest sweet potatoes as well ¨C a win-win situation!


    When the sweet potato sprouts were ready, Liu Sisi added some water to the pot. The water in therge pot heated up quickly, and by the time Liu Sisi had set the table and served the grains rice, the water in the pot had already boiled.


    She washed the remaining shepherd¡¯s purse fromst night and tossed it into the pot. The boiling water in the pot bubbled under the high heat, and as soon as the shepherd¡¯s purse changed color, Liu Sisi swiftly removed it from the stove.


    This was clear soup, with no salt or oil added. Together with the three meat and vegetable dishes, the pot of clear soup was just perfect.


    With the soup served on the table, the four dishes and one soup were ready.


    There were three meat and two vegetable dishes on the table, colorful and mouthwatering, with a fragrance that lingered for miles. Everyone couldn¡¯t resist their appetites and eagerly started tasting the dishes as soon as Di Yelei picked up his chopsticks. The children no longer restrained themselves, quickly grabbing the dishes with their chopsticks and stuffing them into their mouths.


    Braised pork with stir-fried bamboo shoots ¨C the bitterness of the bamboo shoots had been removed, making them even more delicious than the braised pork itself.


    The field snails were crispy, the river m meat was sweet, and even the red dried shrimp meat was incredibly fragrant and crunchy. Not to mention the tender and smooth eel fillets, apanied by the green garlic sprouts, which made people unable to stop eating and wishing they could eat even their own tongues.


    Four pairs of chopsticks flew over the table as if they were afraid others might snatch their food.


    It was not until an adult and three children were all stuffed, with round bellies, and the food in the bowls was almost gone, that everyone reluctantly finished thest sip of soup in their bowls and put down their bowls and chopsticks, feeling contented.


    On the contrary, Liu Sisi, who had cooked the dishes, had only eaten a few mouthfuls and nced at the few pieces of braised pork left at the bottom of the bowls. She reluctantly picked up one piece and ced it in her bowl.


    ¡°It¡¯s simply too delicious! Ten times better than the food my mother makes!¡±


    Zhang Yun leaned contentedly on the chair back, let out a satisfied burp, and eximed, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, Ying¡¯er, you two are so lucky to be able to eat such delicious food every day. My mother¡¯s cooking is like boiling everything in water and then scooping it out.¡±


    Di Yelei, who was sitting opposite, couldn¡¯t help butugh with his mouth wide open. Even though Zhang Yun was praising Liu Sisi, Di Yelei felt even happier than if he himself had been praised!


    How could he bear to see Liu Sisi suffer?


    ¡°Sisi¡¯s body is not yet fully recovered. From now on, I¡¯ll take care of the cooking.¡±


    ¡°No! Dad, your cooking is too awful!¡±


    Di Xuan and Di Ying both objected in unison.


    Liu Sisi alsoughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just cooking some dishes, I¡¯m still capable of that. Zhang Yun, out of all the dishes here, which one do you think is the best?¡±

 Chapter 26 - 26: 24: Sorrow of Parting

    Chapter 26 - 26: 24: Sorrow of Parting


    Trantor: 549690339


    She asked just out of curiosity, wanting to understand the local people¡¯s taste a little better.


    Unexpectedly, Zhang Yun pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up: ¡°Third Aunt, naturally this clear soup is the most delicious! It¡¯s neither too salty nor greasy, so tasty!¡±


    The three people next to them also nodded their heads in agreement.


    ¡°This soup?¡±


    Liu Sisi was also quite surprised!


    The soup was simply boiled with clear water and then cooked with vegetable leaves. She thought that in a time where there was ack of fatty and meaty dishes, it shouldn¡¯t be that popr, but she did not expect¡­


    ¡°Yes, this soup you made is indeed the most delicious.¡±


    Di Yelei also spoke up, it seems that he also has a particr fondness for this clear soup.


    ¡°Mom, the food you made is the best. YingEr¡¯s stomach is so full, give me a rub, mom.¡± Little Ying beside her leaned directly on Liu Sisi¡¯s thigh, her face full of sleepiness.


    Liu Sisiughed and gently lifted YingEr: ¡°Oh my, our YingEr is too full, huh? You need to rest now, rubbing your belly after you are full could hurt your stomach, what are we going to do then? Remember to eat less next time, understand?¡±


    ¡°I know, mom.¡±


    YingEr squinted her eyes on Liu Sisi¡¯s arm, rubbed her eyes, and let out a big yawn on her shoulder: ¡± Mom, YingEr is so sleepy.¡±


    ¡°Are you sleepy, YingEr? How about you wash your hands and face, and then we¡¯ll take a nap together?¡± Liu Sisi, of course, was willing to spoil her four-year-old child.


    ¡°Okay, but YingEr doesn¡¯t want to move, mom help YingEr wash.¡± YingEr agreed with her mouth, but her body was still sprawled on Liu Sisi¡¯s thigh, showing no sign of moving at all.


    On the other side, Zhang Yun was saying goodbye to Di Yelei.


    ¡°Third Uncle Di, if I go back toote, my parents will be worried. Third Aunt, I¡¯m going home first.¡± After saying that, Zhang Yun turned and was about to leave.


    ¡°Wait a moment, Zhang Yun.¡±


    Liu Sisi gently picked up YingEr, swiftly walked a few steps, picked up a small bowl that was being warmed on the stove, and put it into the basket hanging next to the stove. The bowl contained some eel fillets and dried shrimps, which she had intentionally left aside when she was cooking: ¡°I¡¯m not a great cook, take these dishes to your parents and let them give some suggestions.¡±


    Zhang Yun quickly declined: ¡°Third Aunt, there¡¯s no need for these dishes, I have already eaten at your ce, if I take more¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t our Xuan¡¯er and YingEr often eat at your ce? Why so polite? Hurry up and take it! This dish is best eaten while hot, if it gets cold it will smell fishy, it won¡¯t taste as good.¡± Liu Sisi didn¡¯t wait for him to refuse, and firmly handed the basket to Zhang Yun.


    Di Yelei on the side was very happy, he could tell that Liu Sisi genuinely prepared the food for Zhang Peng¡¯s family: ¡°Just take it if your Third Aunt gives it to you, hurry home and ask your dad if he¡¯s going hunting with me tonight.¡±


    Only then did Zhang Yun ept: ¡°Okay, Third Uncle Di, I¡¯ll go home and ask my dad right now.¡± After that, he quickly hurried away.


    ¡°You¡¯re going hunting in the mountains again?¡± Liu Sisi instinctively asked.


    ¡°Yes, just take care of Xuan¡¯er and YingEr at home, I¡¯ll try to be back before it gets dark tomorrow, so we can sell it at the market the day after tomorrow.¡± As Di Yelei spoke, he walked over to the corner of the wall and picked up his bow and arrows.


    ¡°Mom, YingEr is so sleepy¡ª¡ª¡± Di Ying, held in Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, was so tired that she kept blinking, unable to keep her eyes open.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take YingEr for a nap first.¡±


    Without saying much, Liu Sisi washed Di Ying¡¯s little hands and cheeks and carried her into the small room. She carefully ced her on the small bed andy down next to her, gently patting YingEr¡¯s back. She sang the luby to put her to sleep, but she was calcting everything in her heart.


    Although Di Yelei¡¯s hunting could earn money, as he said, the consumption power of the small town was limited. The county was too far away, and by the time you deduct travel expenses and time wasted, little would be left. Here, one egg only costs one copper coin. A thousand copper coins only make up one tael of silver. Compared to the modern price of one dor for an egg, 20 taels of silver equals twenty-thousand dors. It was indeed difficult to pay off therge sum of 20 taels of silver within half a year, especially for a family with little ie!


    However, there¡¯s always a way out! When Di Yelei goes up the mountain, I will also go to the mountain to see if there¡¯s anything that can be turned into money.


    YingEr quickly fell into a deep sleep. Even in her dreams, she clung tightly to Liu Sisi¡¯s clothes and wouldn¡¯t let go. After some careful prodding, Liu Sisi managed to pull her clothes back.


    She quietly left the room and closed the door. Seeing Di Yelei and teacher Di Xuan busy polishing their bows and arrows.


    These bows and arrows were consumables. Before each hunt, Di Yelei would habitually recheck and adjust the bowstring, then take the feathered arrows out and polish them so they were bright and sharp. Father and son neither spoke, hearing Liu Sisi came out, they raised their heads and watched her, before burying their heads again and continued to polish the arrow tips on the grindstone.


    Liu Sisi paid little attention to it and turned back to the kitchen. Seeing that the bowls and chopsticks had been cleaned up, she found a small hoe in the house, and then picked up the half-cut sweet potato sprouts and walked to the empty ground next to the house.


    The big trees around the empty ground were still full of branches and leaves, forming arge area of shade where it was cool.


    Liu Sisi began to dig the ground with the small hoe. The sweet potato sprouts were very easy to grow. The Di family did not raise any chickens or ducks, so it was easy to grow them in the courtyard. Whenever they wanted to eat, they could simply pick them. Furthermore, the sight of lush greenery offered a double benefit.


    After a while, she turned the small area into a farnd and dug a hole to nt the sweet potato sprouts one by one.


    By the time Liu Sisi had watered the few dozen sweet potato sprouts, a tall and big man came in from outside the house. He carried a domineeringrge bow and a quiver on his shoulder. He had a vegetable basket in his hand, which seemed a piercing w to his heroic image.


    ¡°Are you Third Sister-inw? I am Zhang Peng. Is Yelei home?¡±


    Liu Sisi stood up hurriedly, stepped out of the field, and said: ¡°He is, he is busy sharpening his arrows. Brother Zhang, pleasee inside right away. It is hot outside.¡±


    Zhang Peng replied bashfully, casually handing over the basket in his hand: ¡°Third Sister-inw, this is your basket. Honestly, your cooking skills are superb. My wife, Guihua, cannot stop praising your food. She said she wille and learn from you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sister-inw, you are really ttering me. As long as sister-inw does not mind, she is wee toe over anytime. I¡¯m actually bored at home alone.¡±


    Liu Sisi saidughingly while taking over the vegetable basket.


    ¡°Zhang Peng is here, just in time, I was about to go find you.¡±


    Di Yelei from inside the house heard the conversation and rushed out. He also carried arge bow on his back, several dozens of feathered arrows were resting finely in the quiver.


    ¡°You are going to the mountain now? Not waiting until the sun sets?¡±


    Liu Sisi walked over quickly, feeling a hint of reluctance in her heart for some reason as she looked at the man in front of her.


    Di Yelei seemed slightly embarrassed: ¡°Sisi, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Cough, Yelei, I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± Zhang Peng, understanding that the two had something to say, hurriedly turned and left the courtyard.

 Chapter 27 - 27: 25: Casual Conversations

    Chapter 27 - 27: 25: Casual Conversations


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Sisi, I want to go up the mountain early so I can hunt more game. The animals on the mountain are more active at night, so¡­ ¡±


    Di Yelei also felt somewhat reluctant. Previously, when he left home for a few days, he didn¡¯t have this feeling of attachment. But now, as he thought about leaving home, his heart burned with a fiery sensation that he couldn¡¯t describe!


    ¡°Dad! How long will you be gone this time?¡±


    Di Xuan, who was standing nearby, asked before Liu Sisi could reply.


    A rare smile appeared on Di Yelei¡¯s face. He patted Di Xuan on the head: ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow afternoon! You¡¯re a man, you have to take care of your sister and listen to your mom¡¯s words, understand?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know.¡±


    Di Xuan nced at Liu Sisi before lowering his head to reply.


    Liu Sisi inexplicably burst intoughter!


    Although the child didn¡¯t say it out loud, his face still bore a guarded expression, thinking that others wouldn¡¯t notice. Yet, she could understand. She recalled her past life when her parents had passed away, and so-called rtives came to visit. At first, theyforted her, but when they realized her house was empty and there was nothing to gain, their sharp tongues came out¡­


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi!¡±


    Di Yelei noticed Liu Sisi daydreaming and called her repeatedly.


    Liu Sisi smiled apologetically: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of everything at home. Just be careful when you¡¯re hunting on the mountain. It doesn¡¯t matter how much game you catch, what matters is your safety. Our family relies on you to support it, and you can¡¯t have any idents.¡±


    Di Yelei wasn¡¯t a person who was good at expressing himself, and he couldn¡¯t speak sweet words.


    He just smiled broadly, then lifted his iron arm and hugged Liu Sisi tightly.


    ¡°Sisi, rest assured, I¡¯ll definitelye back safely!¡±


    As his words still echoed, Di Yelei released her, turned around, and strode through the yard door.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart raced, and her face flushed red like the afterglow of the setting sun.


    This man, how could he¡­ do something like that?


    The sweet feeling of being pampered touched Liu Sisi¡¯s heart through her blushing cheeks.


    She hurriedly walked a few steps, then ran out of the courtyard.


    Outside the yard, Di Yelei and Zhang Peng walked along the mountain path toward the back mountain. As he walked with big strides, Di Yelei unconsciously looked back and saw Liu Sisi peering at them from a distance.


    ¡°Go back, go back! The sun is too strong outside.¡±


    From afar, Di Yelei called out to Liu Sisi, waved his hand repeatedly, and then disappeared behind the mountain hollow with Zhang Peng.


    ¡°Hehe! Ye Lei, I must say, your new wife seems reliable. Don¡¯t even mention the other stuff, just looking at how close you two are, I can tell that she¡¯spletely captured your heart. Hahaha¡­¡± Zhang Peng¡¯s teasingughter echoed on the mountain path.


    ¡°Wh-where do you get that idea? I was just worried that she might not be ustomed to things at home, so I mentioned it a few more times¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face turned slightly red, but thanks to his darkplexion and the scorching sun, it wasn¡¯t noticeable.


    ¡°Haha, fine, if you say so! Seeing that you two have such a good rtionship, I can be at ease.¡±


    Zhang Peng patted Di Yelei¡¯s shoulder and sighed with relief: ¡°When Aunt Zhang suggested you remarry, I was worried about how your new wife would fit in if you two didn¡¯t get along? But now, Sisi seems like a good match. Just don¡¯t bully her. You should know she was forced to marry you ¨C it wasn¡¯t easy for her!¡±


    These words quickly erased the smile of happiness from Di Yelei¡¯s face as he asked eagerly: ¡°Sisi was forced to marry me? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Huh? You don¡¯t know about it?¡±


    Zhang Peng was surprised but soon figured it out: ¡°Well, this story started about a dozen days ago¡­¡±


    Once Di Yelei left, Liu Sisi felt somewhat lost. However, when she turned around and saw Di Xuan staring at her like a criminal, she had to hold back herughter.


    Fortunately, Di Xuan didn¡¯t say anything, and she naturally wouldn¡¯t approach him to provoke him.


    She quickly cleaned the rooms inside and outside the house, which were practically empty. Afterward, she rolled up the dirty clothes and searched forundry powder unsessfully before realizing that she was in an unknown ancient era.


    Adding a scoop of water to the wooden tub, she sprinkled some nt ashes into the water and soaked the clothes. After cleaning up the kitchen, she quickly washed the clothes, picked up the tub, and headed to the riverside to wash them in order to save water.


    ¡°Di Xuan, Di Xuan, are you there?¡±


    Liu Sisi shouted: ¡°Di Xuan, keep an eye on YingEr. If she wakes up, help her get dressed. I¡¯m going to the riverside to wash clothes.¡±


    Liu Sisi called a few times and finally found a corner of Di Xuan¡¯s dress behind the door. Shaking her head, she thought that the child was ying sulking games with her again!


    Carrying the tub, she went to the riverside.


    Di family was some distance from the river, and ording to the neighbors¡¯ gossip, the original Liu Sisi had probably attempted to drown herself in this very river.


    Looking at the deep green water, Liu Sisi could only say that it would be all too easy for someone who couldn¡¯t swim to drown!


    There were several washing stones on the shallow side of the river. A few women were washing their clothes under the shade of the trees. Most people here made a living from farming, working on the mountain before dawn, returning home when the sun was high, then going back into the fields until nightfall. During the busy farming season, even the women went to the fields to help, leaving only the young children at home to prepare meals.


    Now, during the ck season, the women had plenty of energy to gossip. East house, west house, unconfirmed news flew around as the women chatted passionately. Naturally, the topic of Di Yelei¡¯s new wife was the most popr.


    When Liu Sisi arrived with her wooden tub, they immediately stopped their gossip.


    ¡°Di family¡¯s young wife,e here, there¡¯s room over here.¡±


    The one inviting Liu Sisi over was Zhang Peng¡¯s wife, Guihua.


    ¡°Oh! Guihua, I heard that you and Di family¡¯s third son are pretty close. Over the years, you haven¡¯t stopped hanging around Di family. Could it be¡­ huh?¡±

 Chapter 28 - 28: 26: Verbal Battle

    Chapter 28 - 28: 26: Verbal Battle


    Trantor: 549690339


    While speaking, this woman sneered smugly and grinned at the people around her.


    The people around her washing clothesughed quietly; then, they quickly covered their mouths and went back to their tasks.


    Everyone said that widows attract gossip, but it seems that widowers have plenty of drama too!


    Liu Sisi shook her head without responding; talking with these women would only make her feel dirty. She brought her wooden basin to the stone stool beside Guihua, and she took out the clothes to wash.


    ¡°Hey, you gossip mills, how can you judge people so easily? He is a widower with two young children. You brazen women, instead of helping him out, criticize and gossip about him. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    The leader of the women threw the cudgel in her hands, put her hands on her hips, and began to scold, ¡°What are you talking about? If you have the guts, say what you think! I see, the house owner is silent, but you are shouting from the sidelines. It¡¯s just because he¡¯s young and easy to bully. Are you going to stick up for him? I think you are just a daffodil that never flowers. Everyone, do you agree?¡±


    This provocation caused a burst ofughter from the surrounding people, and the leading woman looked even more smug.


    Guihua nced at the crowd and continued to wash her clothes leisurely, ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because I don¡¯t say anything, it means I don¡¯t know anything. A few days ago, I saw someone dressed in red sneaking around outside my window. I chased after her out of curiosity, and guess what I saw?¡±


    Guihua¡¯s seemingly random words made the woman beside her, who hadughed the loudest, suddenly change her expression. She hastily packed up the clothes on the stone stool, picked up the wooden basin, and turned around to leave: ¡°I¡¯m done washing. You all take your time.¡±


    The woman next to her hurriedly stopped her, ¡°Hey, your clothes aren¡¯tpletely washed yet. How can you leave? Hey, hey!¡±


    The louder the woman shouted, the faster the other woman ran, leaving no trace in the blink of an eye.


    Guihua chuckled at Liu Sisi and coughed lightly again, ¡°Yesterday, I passed by the orchard in the east. Guess what I saw? Sisi, you too, give it a try.¡±


    Liu Sisi was suddenly named, and since Guihua had just helped her out, she kindly asked, ¡°Aunt Guihua, what did you see?¡±


    Guihua¡¯s eyes nced sideways; her tone was somewhat wandering, ¡°I saw, I saw¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the pockmarked-faced woman stood up, covered her stomach, and shouted in pain, ¡°Oh! My stomach hurts so badly. I need to go to the restroom. Second Sister-inw, can you bring my clothes backter?¡±


    After saying this, she didn¡¯t even look at the others; she ran even faster than the previous woman while holding her stomach.


    Liu Sisi blinked her innocent eyes, but her curled lips betrayed her good mood, ¡°Aunt Guihua, what did you really see?¡±


    ¡°What could I see in the orchard? Obviously, I saw trees full of nearly ripe fruit. Sisi, the fruit in our house is very sweet. When they are ripe, I¡¯ll have Zhang Yun send you a basket to taste.¡±


    Liu Sisi graciously nodded, secretly keeping Guihua¡¯s kindness in her heart: ¡°Thank you so much, Aunt Guihua.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Aunt, I call you Sisi, and you call me Guihua. Zhang Peng and Di Yelei are brothers, and we can¡¯t be worse than them, right?¡±


    ¡°Okay, Guihua.¡±


    Liu Sisi was happy, she liked Guihua¡¯s forthright nature.


    After that, the others dared not say anything more. When everyone finished washing their clothes and left, Guihua took a long breath and smiled embarrassedly at Liu Sisi: ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t take what those gossips said to heart. They just see you as a neer and want to intimidate you.¡±


    Liu Sisi wrung the clothes in her hands firmly and smiled back when she heard this, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Guihua. I won¡¯t take their words to heart.¡± If she bothered about these things, she might as well not continue living. ¡°By the way, Guihua, what were you really going to say earlier? Why did they¡­?¡±


    ¡°What else could it be? It¡¯s just that they have ghosts in their hearts.¡±


    As Aunt Guihua spoke, she leaned close to Liu Sisi¡¯s ear: ¡°A few days ago, the Land Officer¡¯s family¡¯s duck went missing. That day, I couldn¡¯t sleep during the noon break, so I got up to get a drink. I saw their festive kid in red clothes passing by the door of my yard. He¡¯s always been a thief. Everyone in the vige knows it, so I just frightened them a bit. Who would have thought¡­ hehe!¡±


    Guihua¡¯s face was full of smugness as sheughed, and Liu Sisiughed along with her!


    ¡°As for the incident in the orchard, Sisi, just pretend I didn¡¯t say anything. After all, it¡¯s not something to be proud of, so let it go.¡±


    Guihua slowed down her work: ¡°Sisi, don¡¯tugh at me, I¡¯m just quick to speak up when I see injustice.¡±


    ¡°Guihua, your temperament is good, not like mine¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just too delicate. That¡¯s why they think you¡¯re easy to bully and always gossip about you. If you were like me, who would dare to talk nonsense and not be afraid of this old mother knocking out their teeth!¡±


    Guihua swung the mallet in her hand with force and mmed it down with a fierce face!


    Seeing the surprised look on Liu Sisi¡¯s face, sheughed shyly: ¡°When Dou Family¡¯s mother left, YingEr was still a baby, and how could Brother Ye Lei, a grown man, take care of a baby? His stepmother refused to help raise YingEr, so I took care of her until she was half a year old. Later, I made some clothes for Brother Ye Lei, and people started gossiping about our affairs. Tsk, these troublemakers! I¡¯m telling you personally now to prevent you from getting suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Guihua, don¡¯t worry, I have a clear understanding.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly responded, believing that there was nothing going on between them, no matter what had happened in the past since Guihua dared to tell her.


    ¡°As long as you trust me! Actually, although Xuan¡¯er was brought into the Di family by Dou¡¯s mother, Brother Ye Lei really treats those siblings as his own children¡­¡±


    ¡°What were you just saying? I didn¡¯t hear it clearly?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked back.


    ¡°What did you not hear clearly? Brother Ye Lei treats the two siblings as his own children¡­ Oh, you don¡¯t know? Dou¡¯s mother was pregnant when she entered the Di family.¡±


    Guihuaughed: ¡°Dou¡¯s mother was also a poor woman. Her hometown was hit by a gue, and she was the only one left with 3-year-old Xuan¡¯er and pregnant. At that time, Brother Ye Lei had a kind heart and married her, raising Xuan¡¯er as his own child. He used to work outside to earn money, and only returned here after marrying Dou¡¯s mother, iming that the children were his own. My husband helped arrange their marriage, so I know the details.¡±


    So, Xuan¡¯er and YingEr were not Ye Lei¡¯s biological children.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know what to say and could only smile: ¡°Do Xuan¡¯er and YingEr know about this?¡±


    ¡°Of course, they don¡¯t know. No one told them. When Xuan¡¯er was young, he didn¡¯t remember, and Brother Ye Lei treated them well.¡±


    Guihua felt a bit awkward: ¡°Sister, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t know if I should mention. It¡¯s like this, my Zhang Yun is ten years old this year, and I think YingEr is a good match. I want to arrange their marriage early, what do you think¡­?¡±


    So she had her eyes on YingEr!


    Liu Sisi understood now. Was she trying to increase her bargaining power by mentioning those things earlier?


    ¡°Aunt Guihua, by rights, Sisi should call you aunt and not object to this matter. But as you can see, Sisi just entered this family¡­ So for this issue, Aunt Guihua should talk to Ye Lei.¡±


    YingEr was so young, calling her mother, which made her feel as if she were her own daughter. She couldn¡¯t bear her daughter marrying early. After all, she also called her mom!

 Chapter 29 - 29: 27: Pine Forest Slope

    Chapter 29 - 29: 27: Pine Forest Slope


    When Liu Sisi returned home with the wooden basin, the originally clear sky suddenly started to rain. Fortunately, she ran fast, but her skirt hem still got wet.


    She didn¡¯t have time for anything else and hurried into the room to check on YingEr, who was still sound asleep.


    Turning her head and walking out of the room, she was surprised to find Di Xuan hiding in the corner of the wall, using a wooden stick to write something on the ground.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, what are you writing? Let mom have a look.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you see!¡±


    Di Xuan abruptly lifted his foot and quickly destroyed the drawings on the ground.


    Although it was only a glimpse, Liu Sisi could vaguely recognize that the little guy had written the two characters ¡°Di Xuan¡±!


    ¡°You want to learn how to write your name? I can teach you that!¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    Facing Di Xuan¡¯s obviously incredulous expression, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh!


    After thinking for a moment, she went into the kitchen again, picked up a piece of charcoal, and neatly wrote the two characters ¡°Di Xuan¡± on the ground. She secretly marveled at herself, thinking that she was lucky to have a strong interest in ancient Chinese during college, which had cost her a lot of time to study other courses. Otherwise, she might not be able to handle these traditional characters.


    Di Xuan next to her was stunned at theplete and neat characters on the ground.


    He looked at the words on the ground with his mouth wide open, then looked up at Liu Sisi, who had a calm face. Afterward, his eyes turned into little stars.


    Although Di Xuan didn¡¯t speak, he amused Liu Sisi! It didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t speak, as long as he didn¡¯t go against her!


    She picked up the charcoal again and started writing and chanting on the ground, ¡°Di YeLei! Di Ying! Have you remembered how I wrote it? Look, the strokes are written this way, a nt, a dot, a horizontal, a vertical¡­ If you want to practice writing, you have to practice these simple strokes first. Only when you practice the strokes well, and make horizontals horizontal and verticals vertical, can you write characters well. Just like sharpening a knife does not waste time when chopping wood¡­ Come! Take this charcoal and practice the strokes yourself!¡±


    Looking at Di Xuan with his mouth open wide enough that it could fit a goose egg, Liu Sisi wanted to burst outughing in her heart!


    Little guy, I¡¯m a college graduate of elementary school education after all, cough cough! Although I often skipped sses, didn¡¯t pay attention during ss, and barely passed exams with low scores¡­ But as long as a child is willing to work hard, any teacher would love them!


    After Liu Sisi had hung up her clothes on the eaves, she looked at the still incessant heavy rain, turned around to enter the kitchen, and cooked a pot of porridge, only to hear the sound of Di Ying waking up in the room.


    ¡°Mom, YingEr missed you.¡±


    Just awakened YingEr was especially clingy, wrapping herself around Liu Sisi with her hands and feet, and refused to let go.


    ¡°YingEr, be good. Let mom put clothes on you.¡±


    It took some effort to finally dress Di Ying and take her out of the room, only to find that Di Xuan was still focused in the corner, holding the charcoal in his hand, earnestly trying to imitate the strokes.


    This is a good seedling indeed!


    However, considering the heavy debt in their home and the high education gift required to send Di Xuan to school, it would be a significant problem!


    After some thought, she wouldn¡¯t mind teaching Di Xuan the basics if it were feasible, but she was afraid that her textbooks would differ too much from modern learning content. If that were the case, it would harm the child for a lifetime.


    At dusk, Liu Sisi took out the wild pheasant and chopped it into small pieces to make soup. In addition, she cooked a te of Manchurian wild rice she had picked and ate it with rice porridge, making her full.


    She didn¡¯t know when the rain stopped outside. Looking at the evening sky under the sunset, Liu Sisi¡¯s thoughts wandered far. She thought of Di Yelei, her nominal husband, and wondered if he took shelter from the rain during the storm? Then she thought of that heavy debt¡­Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    Right, with such rain and sun in the summertime, there should be a lot of wild mushrooms on the mountain!


    Thinking of this, Liu Sisi smiled!


    Early the next day, Liu Sisi had an early breakfast and took the two children up to the mountain.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t go to the deep mountains but to the pine forest slope. The slope had few trees and weeds, and the ground was covered with slippery moss, making it an ideal ce for wild mushrooms to grow.


    Liu Sisi carried a long bamboo stick, always hitting the bushes around her before taking a few steps. It wasn¡¯t because she was timid, but because she couldn¡¯t take the risk! Poisonous snakes and wasps were most frequent on the mountain at this time of year. If she got bitten, it would be disastrous!


    Without going far, Liu Sisi picked some red mushrooms and put them in her basket.


    As for edible wild mushrooms, red mushrooms, nameko, bamboo mushrooms, lime charcoal, saffron milk cap, moss fungus¡­Liu Sisi had picked a lot in her previous life in the countryside. Not only did she pick a lot, but she also ate more wild mushrooms! Of course, this was also thanks to her grandpa, who taught her how to pick them when she was a child.


    Di Ying, squatting in the big basket on Liu Sisi¡¯s back, couldn¡¯t help but talk to her, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be afraid! Dad has brought my brother and me here before! Mom, look ahead, there¡¯s a Chinese toon tree there. Dad picked Chinese toon for us to eat justst month.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked in the direction that Di Ying was pointing and saw the Chinese toon tree with its tender buds growing on it.


    ¡°YingEr, you really talk too much!¡±


    Di Xuan, who was walking behind them, couldn¡¯t help but scold his sister, who had clearly switched sides.


    However, seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, Di Xuan added with a sophisticated tone, ¡°That tree¡­it¡¯s so tall, better not pick it¡­ ¡± As he spoke, he lowered his head, picked up the bamboo stick in his hand, and imitated Liu Sisi¡¯s by hitting the nearby bushes.


    ¡°Alright, we won¡¯t pick it. Let¡¯s save it for your dad to pick when it grows more,¡± Liu Sisi agreed.


    She mainly wanted to try picking mushrooms today to see if they could earn some money. As for the Chinese toon, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal to pick them another day!


    It turned out that the good living environment and the recent thunderstorms in the afternoon benefited the growth of the mushrooms a lot. Liu Sisi quickly found several edible mushrooms. Every time she found one, she picked it and exined to Di Xuan which ones could be eaten and which ones couldn¡¯t, the differences between them, and how to distinguish them. Regardless of whether Di Xuan was willing to listen, she would say it all at once.


    Although Di Xuan, the awkward child, seemed not to listen attentively, his shining eyes betrayed him as he tried to distinguish the differences between the mushrooms.


    ¡°YingEr, has your father brought you all to these mountains and forests before?¡±


    Di Yelei could bring the children here, indicating that at least the nearby area was safe and there would be no major wild beasts.


    Di Ying nodded heavily, ¡°Yes, mom, dad has brought my brother and me here many times, and also to the mountain top over there. Dad took us to see my mom¡­ Oh, not you, mom, I mean my mom, not¡­ YingEr is saying¡­¡±


    ¡°So, YingEr¡¯s birth mother lies on that mountain?¡± With a casualment, Liu Sisi solved the mystery, ¡°YingEr, be a good girl. Although I am your mother, there is only one birth mother who gave birth to you, and she lies on that mountain. Remember that, okay?¡±

 Chapter 30 - 30: 28: Indeed, there are people nearby.

    Chapter 30 - 30: 28: Indeed, there are people nearby.


    ¡°Hmm! Ying¡¯er will remember!¡±


    Di Ying nodded seriously, realizing that Liu Sisi could not see her actions on her back, and hurriedly added.


    ¡°Well, how about I carry you to therge stone over there to y? You just stay here quietly, and if there¡¯s anything, remember to call for mom.¡±


    As they spoke, Liu Sisi walked to therge stone on the hilltop and put Di Ying down. Below therge stone was the soft, thickyer of pine needles and fallen leaves, and because the stone was in an open area, she could better notice any movement in the area. If anything happened, she could rush over immediately.


    ¡°Alright, mom!¡±


    Once out of the basket, Di Ying happily started picking fruits from the wild nts around therge stone.


    At that moment, Luo Shan noticed that it was none other than loquats!


    Loquats, also known as wild sweet potatoes, have two types. One type has hard fruits, and breaking them open reveals things like flying ants and snake galldders inside, making them inedible. The other type, however, is red, round, and looks like a mini pumpkin the size of a thumb. These loquats are a childhood favorite!


    Not only can these loquats be eaten, but their entire nt can be used for medicine. This is quite a treasure!


    ¡°Sister, big brother will help you find them too.¡±


    Di Xuan, who was only seven years old, naturally could not resist the appeal of these delicious fruits provided by nature.


    Liu Sisi, wearing the basket on her back again, reminded him worriedly, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, remember to take care of your sister! And remember to hold the bamboo stick well. If you see bushes, remember to hit them with the stick before you go over. There are a lot of wasps and insects here¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I know, I know! I often bring my sister here to y, so you can go about your business without worrying!¡± Di Xuan impatiently waved Liu Sisi off.


    Which made her think that the children in these mountains really didn¡¯t need that much care and attention. She had indeed made too much fuss!


    Figuring that out, Liu Sisi went to look for mushrooms with her basket. However, she couldn¡¯t help but still worry about the two young children, so she didn¡¯t dare to go far and always kept them in her line of sight.


    After searching the nearby hilltops, she looked towards the entrance to the deep mountains but didn¡¯t step out after all.


    She had just arrived in this ce and was not familiar with the surroundings. She¡¯ll consider going further another time!


    Looking at the basket, which was already more than half full, she estimated that the clean, washed mushrooms would weigh twenty or thirty pounds. And as the sun was gradually rising, Liu Sisi turned around and decided to head back to the mansion ¨C no, back home.


    Just as she was turning around, the corner of her eye caught sight of a grayish thing, and she instinctively stopped.


    After thinking for a moment, she turned around again and walked toward the grayish patch.


    After passing through a thicket, what came into Liu Sisi¡¯s view was an abandoned termite nest about one meter in size. Such nests were not umon in the humid, rainy mountain forests, so it wouldn¡¯t normally catch her attention ¨C especially not an abandoned one. What caught Liu Sisi¡¯s attention were the clusters of shaggy ink cap in the shade under the bushes above the abandoned ant nest!


    Shaggy ink cap, also known as agaric fungus, was named for its taste, which was like eating chicken meat. Boiling it into soup was as delicious as chicken soup! Liu Sisi had often picked mushrooms in the mountains in her previous life, and she had only found shaggy ink cap once. Due to the ¡°wrappings¡± around some of the fungus, she nearly discarded it as poisonous mushrooms. It was her grandpa who stopped her and told her about the shaggy ink cap, which is a natural anti-cancer food!


    Finding shaggy ink cap in the mountains while picking mushrooms is like buying a lottery ticket with two dors and winning a multimillion-dor prize!


    Especially when it covers an entire termite nest that is more than one meter big!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart thumped with excitement, and it took her quite a while to believe her own eyes!


    It took her a long time to calm down before she carefully took a step forward!


    Hiss!


    Suddenly, a faint sound woke Liu Sisi. She quickly lowered her head and noticed a giant snake coiled up in the grass beneath her feet, encircling an ant mound!


    Oh my gosh! That scared me to death!


    Startled and frightened, Liu Sisi hurriedly backed up a few steps. ncing back, the snake actually raised its headzily to look at her, flicking its forked tongue in her direction but didn¡¯t make any further moves.


    However, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t have the courage to go forward and pick the shaggy ink caps anymore. No matter how good they were, she would prefer to continue gnawing on steamed cornbread and eating wild vegetables rather than face a giant snake!


    Only after retreating a considerable distance did Liu Sisi let out a long sigh of relief. Worried, she shouted for Di Xuan and soon got a response from Di Ying. After her usual reminders to be mindful of safety, Liu Sisi finally calmed down.


    No way! It¡¯s such a shame to give up on such arge patch of shaggy ink cap.


    It felt like knowing that a lottery ticket was worth millions, but she could only watch and not grab. Her heart was itching, as if a little kitty was scratching it, making her unbearably ufortable.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    Just as Liu Sisi¡¯s heart itched, she suddenly heard what sounded like someone moaning in her ear.


    She instinctively listened for a moment but heard nothing further. She couldn¡¯t help but secretly sigh that she had been so scared of snakestely that she became suspicious of everything. The slightest rustle would make her think something was wrong.


    Chuckling, she got up from the ground and decided to walk back in a different direction. Perhaps the giant snake had already left?


    ¡°Help¡­ me¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi stopped in her tracks. This time, she was sure she hadn¡¯t misheard. There was indeed someone nearby.


    And it was someone begging her for help!


    Who would be asking for help in this ce?


    Half curious and half nervous, Liu Sisi cautiously approached the source of the sound.


    Pushing aside the bushes for a closer look, Liu Sisi immediately understood why the person was asking for help.


    It was a person lying on the ground, a young man dressed as a schr. His face was turning green, and his lips were trembling slightly. He also seemed to be unconscious.


    Seeing that he clearly had no power to resist, Liu Sisi cautiously approached him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay? Where are you injured? Were you bitten by a poisonous snake?¡±


    After asking twice with no response, Liu Sisi refused to give up and tried to poke him with her hand, but hesitated and poked him with her bamboo stick instead.


    Maybe her actions woke him, as the young man¡¯s eyes barely opened a slit, and Liu Sisi¡¯s face reflected in them.


    After a moment, his eyes closed again, and his mouth kept repeating, ¡°Help¡­ medicine, medicine¡­ save me¡­¡±


    As he spoke, his arm stretched out futilely, grabbing at the air twice, before falling unconscious once more.


    Following the direction of his outstretched arm, she saw a jade bottle rolling down to a nearby nted ditch.

 Chapter 31 - 31: 29: Killing or Saving Lives?

    Chapter 31 - 31: 29: Killing or Saving Lives?


    Trantor: 549690339


    Could it be that this person is suffering from a heart attack?


    With this thought in mind, Liu Sisi hurriedly walked a few steps, picked up the jade bottle from the nting ditch, and pulled out the plug. As expected, there were some ck pills inside.


    Liu Sisi quickly took a couple of steps, poured out a few pills from the jade bottle, and fed one into the man¡¯s mouth. When she tried to feed him another, she unexpectedly found that the previous pill was still stuck in the man¡¯s mouth and had not been swallowed.


    The medicine wouldn¡¯t work if he couldn¡¯t swallow it!


    What should she do?


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes darted around and fell on some thatch nearby. She immediately had an idea!


    She quickly picked up a piece of thatch and gently tickled the man¡¯s nose. In a short while, as she had hoped, he sneezed twice, showing signs of waking up.


    ¡°Hey! Quickly eat the medicine! Swallow it! How many pills do you need to take at once? Hey, hey, hey!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly asked questions while forcefully pping the man¡¯s face, trying her best to stir him.


    ¡°Let go¡­¡±


    At the moment, Nan Tianzong waspletely weak and unable to exert any strength. Couldn¡¯t this annoying woman see that he was poisoned? Instead of trying to save him, she was forcing worm-expelling pills into his mouth; perhaps she thought he should have died from the poison instantly and wanted to hasten his death this way?


    He tried to open his eyes and kill her with his re!


    Unfortunately, at this moment, his whole body began to feel cold and numb. Even if he clenched his teeth, he couldn¡¯t utter a single word.


    ¡°Hey! Hurry up and swallow the pills! I¡¯m telling you, if you die because you can¡¯t swallow the lifesaving medicine in your mouth, you¡¯ll die in vain! Listen to me! Swallow it quickly!¡±


    Liu Sisi coaxed and persuaded him, using the same tactics she would use to deal with a kid.


    Is heaven trying to annihte me, Nan Tianzong?!


    He could no longer resist the attack of the poison, his eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious again.


    ¡°Hey! Can you hear me? Hey!¡­¡±


    After a great deal of effort, Liu Sisi finally realized that the man had slipped back into unconsciousness. His teeth were clenched tightly, and she couldn¡¯t see if the pills had been swallowed or not!


    Turning her head, she suddenly saw some bright red fruits on the branches in the bushes not far away. The fruits were as big as a thumb and hung in clusters, looking very lovely.


    They were thorny eagnus!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart leaped with joy!


    It seemed that the man had only held the pills in his mouth and hadn¡¯t swallowed them. The thorny eagnus fruits were full of water, so if she could squeeze some juice into his mouth, the pills might dissolve, and even if he couldn¡¯t swallow them, at least the juice could flow down automatically, right?


    Action spoke louder than words!


    Liu Sisi got up in a hurry, ran to the bushes, picked a handful of fruits, hurried back in front of the man, aimed at the corner of his mouth, and squeezed the fruits in her hand forcefully!


    Just as she had thought!


    Although a lot of thorny eagnus juice was wasted, the man had managed to ingest most of it. Liu Sisi finally breathed a sigh of relief!


    However, Liu Sisi, who was eager to save the man, didn¡¯t notice that when she hurriedly picked the thorny eagnus, a leaf from another wild nt got mixed in. As she squeezed the juice out of the thorny eagnus in her hand, the juice from that leaf was also squeezed out and went into the man¡¯s mouth¡­


    It wasn¡¯t until there was no more juiceing out from the thorny eagnus in her hand that Liu Sisi cautiously checked the man¡¯s breathing, only to find that it had gradually be stable!


    Hehe! It seemed that the medicine finally worked!


    It was exhausting!


    As soon as Liu Sisi let out a sigh of relief, she immediately slumped to the ground, panting heavily. Saving lives is really tiring!


    But fortunately, she was able to save the man, which could be considered a credit.


    It¡¯s a good thing she decided to go this way earlier, otherwise, how could she have encountered him?


    Going this way¡­ Oh no! Her huge prize! Hopefully, no one else gets to it first!


    Upon thinking of this, how could Liu Sisi keep sitting still?


    She quickly got up and ran towards where she had found the shaggy ink cap earlier. Indeed, the big snake had already left without her knowing when. Only those thick clusters of shaggy ink caps were still growing densely on the ant mound.


    Perfect!


    Using both hands and feet, Liu Sisi quickly picked the shaggy ink caps. Her basket, which was already more than half full of mushrooms, suddenly brimmed over. To prevent others from seeing them, Liu Sisi purposely poured out the ordinary mushrooms and ced the shaggy ink caps below.


    It wasn¡¯t until all the shaggy ink caps were picked that she put the ordinary mushrooms back on top. Using a fewrge kudzu leaves, she securely covered the basket¡¯s surface and tied it up with kudzu vines . Satisfied, she finally smiled.


    Today was a big harvest indeed!


    Although she didn¡¯t know how much these wild mushrooms would sell for, she assumed their price shouldn¡¯t be lower than ordinary vegetables!


    Not to mention the shaggy ink caps hidden underneath!


    As Liu Sisi walked back, thinking about it, she reached the spot where the man had been lying earlier. He had vanished without a trace.


    If it weren¡¯t for the crushed wild grass and the remains of the thorny eagnus she had discarded on the ground, Liu Sisi might have thought that she had just been dreaming.


    He actually left without saying goodbye! That¡¯s so rude!


    But it¡¯s better that he left. It means that at least his life is now safe!


    She then shifted her focus on the branches full of red thorny eagnus fruits. Why not¡­pick some of these fruits to try selling? Any unsold fruits would be discarded since they didn¡¯t cost her anything. She knew exactly how to do a business without any upfront costs!


    Putting down her basket, she cheerfully gathered an entire dress pocket of these thorny eagnus fruits. After calcting how many she had gathered in her makeshift container, she stopped picking and headed home, satisfied with the amount.


    What she didn¡¯t know was that while she was picking fruits by the thorny eagnus tree, a poor wild nt ¨C which had just yed a significant role, had turned to nothing under her feet¡­


    Only its roots, which looked identical to those around it, remained in the soil, not knowing when they would grow and sprout again!


    When she came back to therge rocks, Liu Sisi looked up and saw the siblings, Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er, ying.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, Ying¡¯er, let¡¯s go home!¡±


    Upon hearing Liu Sisi¡¯s voice, Ying¡¯er immediately ran over and grabbed her dress: ¡°Mom, Ying¡¯er missed you! Mom, look at the fruits Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er picked!¡±


    In the direction of Ying¡¯er¡¯s finger, next to therge rocks, there was arge pile of red and fragrant loquats!

 Chapter 32 - 32: 30 It’s late, hurry up and sleep!

    Chapter 32 - 32: 30 It¡¯ste, hurry up and sleep!


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°So many? Did you pick all these YingEr? You really are awesome! Here, mom will taste one¡­ hmm, very sweet!¡±


    Liu Sisi picked one and put it in her mouth, it tasted just as she remembered from her childhood, exceptionally sweet. The unique vor of the loquat is far tastier than other fruits like mulberries and peaches! Once she ate one, she couldn¡¯t stop and wanted another¡­


    And indeed, that¡¯s just what Liu Sisi did!


    After eagerly eating three, Liu Sisi finally felt a little embarrassed and stopped!


    ¡°The fruits picked by YingEr are the tastiest! Here, let¡¯s gather them up and take them all back!¡±


    As she spoke, Liu Sisi carefully put all the loquats into her pocket, then led the two children back home.


    The house was exactly as it had been when she left that morning. However, Liu Sisi still carefully inspected it once more, served two bowls of the porridge she made in the morning, and alongside the leftover vegetables from the morning, they enjoyed arge bowl of rice.


    Next, she went to the roadside to pick a few pumpkin leaves to use for cleaning mushrooms.


    While YingEr was sleeping, Liu Sisi opened up the basket full of mushrooms and prepared to carefully pick through them. Picked mushrooms often have a bit of dirt mixed in. Liu Sisi sorted them one by one and then carefullyid them out to dry. There should be no problem selling them tomorrow morning.


    After thinking about it, she selected two from each type of mushroom, cleaned them, and put them in the water. After a while, she also threw in a small handful of rice¡ª this is a method to determine whether the mushrooms are cooked or not. It is generally believed that when the rice cooked with the mushrooms is ready, the mushrooms are also cooked.


    As for Di Xuan, whenever he had free time now, he would squat in that corner, holding a tree branch and continuously drawing and writing with great focus.


    By the time Liu Sisi had finished sorting and processing all the mushrooms, those in the pot were also cooked.


    Looking at Di Xuan¡¯s eyes, which were firmly fixed on the pot, Liu Sisi hesitated for a moment and ultimately decided not to let him try them. ¡°Mom is notpletely sure these mushrooms are not poisonous, so we will try them today, lest anyone suspect they are poisonous when mom sells them tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ are you going to sell all these?¡± Di Xuan pointed to the mushrooms, which almost filled over half the room.


    ¡°Mom will leave some for tomorrow. However, we must wait until mom has eaten some tonight. If there are no problems, we can continue to cook them for everyone else.¡±


    Di Xuan looked at her in surprise, but said nothing more. He thought Liu Sisi was trying to hoard food, but she was actually just dividing each mushroom in half and tasting them to test for poison.


    By the time Di Yelei returned, it was already dark outside.


    Hearing Di Yelei¡¯s conversation with Di Xuan, Liu Sisi was overjoyed ¨C he had returned!


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m back!¡± Di Yelei¡¯s call was echoed by his distinctiverge figure appearing in the kitchen doorway.


    ¡°You¡¯re back, go wash your hands quickly. The vegetables are almost ready on the pot, and we can eat soon. Let¡¯s handle the game you brought after we eat!¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up and saw the game that Di Yelei had brought back. The game piled on top of game was bound together, bending his whole shoulder under its weight.


    Looking at the busy figure in front of the stove, Di Yelei felt moved. How long had he been missing this warm scene? What he really yearned for was actually very simple: a warm family life with wife and children which was his lifelong goal.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go right away.¡±


    Di Yelei casually tossed the fresh game he was carrying onto the floor, so hard that Liu Sisi could feel the floor vibrate thrice. Before she could say anything, Di Yelei had already turned and left the kitchen.


    Dinner was simple, almost half a chicken soup with some wild vegetables. In addition, Liu Sisi had put some shaggy ink cap mushrooms into the soup, making it even more delicious!


    After dinner, while Di Yelei went out to deal with the game, Liu Sisi led YingEr to take a bath in the bedroom.


    The incidentst time had left her considerably shaken. After she and YingEr had finished their baths and she had coaxed YingEr to sleep, she returned to her room to see Di Yelei vigorously drying his long hair with a towel.


    ¡°The hunt today was rather fruitful. Hopefully there¡¯ll be more merchants interested in buying game tomorrow. That way, we can sell it for a higher price,¡± said Di Yelei, looking rxed but also a touch worried.


    ¡°Have you ever had trouble selling the game before?¡±


    ¡°Plenty of times! Vigers rarely eat game. They think it¡¯s less juicy, more expensive, and definitely not as cost-effective as a big fat pig. So¡­ in such hot weather, the game cannot be stored for too long unless there are special merchant buyers, otherwise, it¡¯s hard to get a good price.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded, understanding his predicament. In this heat, even with the meat preserved with salt, it would still be susceptible to maggots and spoiling. Unless we¡¯re talking about a wealthy family with a cer full of ice cubes!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the market together tomorrow. I picked a lot of mushrooms on the mountain today, and we can¡¯t eat them all. So, why don¡¯t we sell them and buy some rice and flour?¡±


    Liu Sisi had thought ahead. If the game didn¡¯t sell, they could still sell the mushrooms and have some ie. Tonight, she had cooked thest of the rice, only leaving a bit for the next morning. If there were no ie, everyone would starve!


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte,e sleep. Stop dawdling!¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi still not moving after quite a while, Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but call out to her.


    ¡°Ah? Alright¡­ Okay.¡±


    God, she had been intentionally dawdling, but he was still not asleep!


    Liu Sisi was somewhat speechless.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were fixed on her tonight, his hot gaze not wavering for even a moment but following her every movement.


    It took her an excruciating passage of two quarters to walk the short ten-step distance from the doorway to bedside.


    Even if she was moving at a snail¡¯s pace, eventually she reached her destination.


    Just as she was considering whether or not to bolt out the door, Di Yelei beat her to it. He reached out and with uncanny uracy grabbed her wrist, and pulled her towards him.


    ¡°Ouch! What are you doing, let go!¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively struggled, trying to pull away from his grasp.


    ¡°Stop moving or you¡¯ll fall onto the ground!¡±


    Di Yelei showed no sign of letting go. How could he miss the defensive look on Liu Sisi¡¯s face? But even if he loved her dearly, he wouldn¡¯tpromise even to himself on some things that needed to be maintained.

 Chapter 33 - 33: 31: Hurry up! Time to sleep

    Chapter 33 - 33: 31: Hurry up! Time to sleep


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ah? Okay¡­ alright.¡±


    Heavens, she had deliberately lingered until now, and he still hadn¡¯t fallen asleep!


    Liu Sisi was somewhat at a loss for words.


    Di Yelei¡¯s gaze tonight was zing, his fiery eyes unwaveringly following Liu Sisi¡¯s footsteps as she moved.


    The short walk from the doorway to the bedside took Liu Sisi a full two quarters of time.


    Even if she was moving at a pace that could crush ants, she eventually arrived at the destination.


    Just as she considered fleeing through the door, Di Yelei acted first, raising his hand and urately grabbing her arm, then pulling it smoothly.


    ¡°Ouch! What are you doing, let go!¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively struggled to break free from his embrace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, or you¡¯ll fall to the ground!¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t show any intention of letting go. How could he not notice the defensive look of Liu Sisi in front of him? But even if he cherished her more, there were some boundaries that he would not concede.


    This little thing had a strong, intoxicating fragrance all over her, which he couldn¡¯t resist.


    Though it had only been a few days, he had already be ustomed to snuggling with this fragrant little thing to enter dreand. If there came a day when this littlepanion wasn¡¯t with him, he might not be able to sleep.


    ¡°You¡­ you let me go! I feel so ufortable like this.¡±


    The man¡¯s increasingly hot body made her feel as if she were on fire, particrly his rapid breathing and rapidly rising body temperature. All of these awakened the feminine instincts within Liu Sisi, making her feel entranced.


    It must be said that although Di Yelei was older, he was only 28 years old. Even though he had been working hard taking care of the two children, the passage of time added a touch of mature masculine charm to his cheeks.


    Moreover, his appearance was handsome and his eyes deep. With chiseled features, bronzeplexion, and striking muscles, he was utterly eye-catching.


    Being stared at by such an outstanding man with passionate eyes, Liu Sisi felt her throat go dry, and instinctively stuck out her tongue to moisten her lips.


    This unconscious action made Di Yelei let out a low growl from deep in his throat, followed by a sudden dizziness, and before Liu Sisi couldprehend the situation, they both copsed into a heap, with him pressing her down tightly.


    His strong body was like a mountain, his iron arms wrapped her tightly in his embrace with an ever-tightening force.


    ¡°No, my body hasn¡¯t recovered yet.¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively resisted his approach. In fact, she didn¡¯t dislike him, but instinctively felt scared. Regardless of her past experiences, the real Liu Sisi had never even shared a kiss, let alone such an intimate act.


    Perhaps she had been staring at his lips for too long, and he suddenly lowered his head, bending down to breathe warmly onto her face, and then pressed his lips to her cherry-red mouth, followed by his thin lips.


    His kiss was wild and domineering, assertive and persistent, soft and possessive, relentlessly savoring her taste.


    His shallow stubble kept pricking her tender cheeks with every movement, causing a series of mild stinging sensations, and brought an inexplicable feeling that left her intoxicated and mesmerized.


    He increased the force that held her waist, cupping her face without a trace of gentleness, and his cold thin lips fiercely seized her red lips. Taking advantage of her astonishment, his fiery tongue invaded her mouth and slid past her teeth to hook onto her soft tongue. Exploring every corner, twisting and turning¡­


    ¡°Mmm¨C¡±


    Her lips were taken abruptly, and she struggled to breathe, fighting desperately.


    He looked entranced, barely lifting his head with his eyes full of unfulfilled desire.


    ¡°Little thing, you taste so sweet, so beautiful¡­¡±


    ¡°You- you stop it, my body hasn¡¯t even fully recovered yet.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s voice was weak and whimpering, with a clear gasp. This was hardly speech; it was more like a fluttering sound.


    But the wind she blew from her small mouth carried a fragrant aroma.


    Maybe her words had an effect; he stared intently at her bewitching eyes for a long time before finally, reluctantly turning over and once again enclosing her whole body into his embrace.


    Her body shivered involuntarily, instinctively curling up, hoping for more breathing space.


    She was right; her body hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet and couldn¡¯t withstand his constant torment and exploration. At any rate, she was already in his arms, and it was only a matter of time; there was no need to rush.


    ¡°Go to sleep! We have to get up early and go to the market tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Let go of me! How can I sleep when you¡¯re holding me like this?¡± As Liu Sisi spoke, she struggled a few times, trying to extricate herself from Di Yelei¡¯s embrace.


    Di Yelei chuckled to himself, ¡°Who¡¯s the one who automatically cuddles up to me in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°Really can¡¯t sleep? If you really can¡¯t sleep, I don¡¯t mind working out a bit to consume some energy, then you¡¯ll be able to sleep.¡±


    In the midst of speaking, Di Yelei attempted to sit up again.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m sleeping, I¡¯ll fall asleep immediately, don¡¯t try anything more!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly closed her eyes tightly, fearing that he would try to ¡°exercise¡± again, in which case she¡¯d be the big loser.


    Such a pity!


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t describe the feeling in his heart as he watched Liu Sisi in his arms gradually fall asleep. It took a long time for him to fall asleep himself.

 Chapter 34 - 34: 32: Buying and Selling

    Chapter 34 - 34: 32: Buying and Selling


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    Her lips were instantly taken away, making it difficult for her to breathe, and she struggled desperately.


    He looked utterly enthralled, forcing himself to lift his head; his eyes were filled with unsatisfied desire.


    ¡°Little thing, you¡¯re so sweet, so beautiful¡­¡±


    ¡°You, stop messing around, my body hasn¡¯t even recovered yet.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s voice was weak and coquettish, apanied by clearly rapid breathing. It didn¡¯t even sound like she was talking but rather whispering sweet nothings.


    However, the wind that came out of her mouth was filled with a sweet aroma.


    Perhaps her words had an effect. He stared intently at her hazy eyes for a long time, then reluctantly rolled over and hugged her tightly in his arms again.


    The sensation pressed against her from behind nearly burned her entire body.


    She trembled, instinctively curling up her body, hoping to give herself a little more breathing room.


    She was right; her body hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet and couldn¡¯t withstand his repeated torment and exploration. Besides, she was already in his arms ¨C it was only a matter of time. There was no need to rush.


    ¡°Hurry up and sleep! We have to get up early tomorrow to go to the market.¡±


    ¡°Let go of me! How can I sleep when you¡¯re holding me like this?¡± As she spoke, Liu Sisi struggled a few more times, trying to wriggle out of Di Yelei¡¯s arms.


    Di Yelei stifled augh, thinking about who would automatically cling onto him in the middle of the night.


    ¡°Really can¡¯t sleep? If you really can¡¯t sleep, I don¡¯t mind getting some exercise, using up some energy so you can sleep.¡±


    As he spoke, Di Yelei tried to get up again.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m asleep, I¡¯m going to sleep right away, don¡¯te back!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly closed her eyes tightly, firmly grasping her own clothes with both her hands. Due to her nervousness, her small hands were shivering non-stop. She was afraid he would try to ¡°exercise¡± again, that would be a huge loss for her.


    What a pity!


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t describe the feeling in his heart as he looked at Liu Sisi, who was gradually falling asleep in his arms. He smelled the fragrant, soft, and sweet aura unique to women, tossed and turned, and was unable to fall asleep for a long time.


    Before the break of dawn, Di Yelei led Liu Sisi on their journey.


    Liu Sisi still insisted on bringing Di Xuan and Di Ying with them. She didn¡¯t feelfortable leaving two such young children at home alone.


    Di Yelei slung the game he caught yesterday over his shoulder: an elk, two roe deer, four pheasants, and a few rabbits. He didn¡¯t keep any for himself but carried everything at once.


    ¡°Not all of this game sells well every day. Some people like rabbit meat, some like pheasant. Whatever we can¡¯t sell, we can eat ourselves.¡± Di Yelei hesitated to continue, but Liu Sisi understood the unfinished message: he was still worried about that huge expense of 20 taels of silver.


    Today, Liu Sisi carried a basket of mushrooms on her back, held Di Ying, who was still not awake, in her arms, and apanied Di Xuan, who held two bamboo baskets: one filled with loquats and the other with thorny eagnus.


    Seeing Liu Sisi bring these along, Di Yelei initially wanted to stop her, but he didn¡¯t say anything when the words reached his lips.


    They hurried along the way, and by the time they arrived at the market, the sky was already beginning to brighten.


    The marketce in the countryside wasn¡¯t like the big cities; vigers were used to getting up early. At the moment, day had barely dawned, yet many people gathered in the market.


    Di Yelei confidently carried the game to the end of the street on the edge, next to the ce where poultry was sold, before finally putting down the game from his shoulder.


    Liu Sisi was also extremely tired!


    The mushrooms on her back weren¡¯t heavy, and the little YingEr in her arms was lightweight, but holding her while walking through the night was no easy task.


    Sensing they had arrived, Liu Sisi almost sat down directly on the ground.


    Di Yelei quickly arranged the game and then took Di Ying from Liu Sisi¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Tired, huh? There¡¯s a ce selling food over there. You two go and fill up your stomachs first.¡±


    While talking, Di Yelei took out a few copper coins from his pocket and handed them to Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi looked around and found that the people selling things around her were either not eating or eating dry grains brought from home: ¡°We¡¯ll goter, YingEr is still not awake. Besides, we haven¡¯t sold anything yet; how can we start spending money?¡±

 Chapter 35 - 33: Earning the First Pot of Gold

    Chapter 35: Chapter 33: Earning the First Pot of Gold


    Trantor: 549690339


    Di Xuan held the 25 copper coins in his hand, unable to describe the feeling in his heart!


    At first, he felt a bit of pity for selling all the loquats.


    Unexpectedly, she actually gave him the money from the sale, which really surprised him!


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t think too much about it. Di Xuan was already seven years old, and it was only natural to give children their own pocket money at this age. Moreover, this money was theirbor gains, so it should be left for the children.


    Turning back, she handed the money to Di Yelei.


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrows in surprise but didn¡¯t reach out to take it: ¡°It¡¯s better for you to manage the money, as a grown man like me doesn¡¯t need to spend any, so there¡¯s no need to hold onto so much silver.¡±


    Who would have thought that Di Yelei was such a good man!


    Liu Sisi felt a warmth in her heart. The feeling of being valued made her veryfortable. Without saying much, she put the money back in her pocket.


    Perhaps because of the sessful opening, the game and mushrooms sold very well today, and even most of the mushrooms were sold.


    In the process, Liu Sisi also helped the vegetable farmer next to her who borrowed the scale sell all his vegetables, to the point that the farmer happily thanked her and gave her thest bit of chives as a thank-you gift.


    Liu Sisi declined for a long time, but seeing that she couldn¡¯t refuse any longer, she finally expressed her gratitude and epted. In her mind, she pondered what delicious dishes she could make with these chives tonight.


    Liu Sisi was busy non-stop, and after YingEr woke up, Di Xuan took her to buy four big buns. Seeing that 25 copper coins had suddenly been spent on 4 coins, Di Xuan felt a pain in his heart.


    The vegetable buns made by the vigers wererge in size, but they had thin skins and lots of filling. The filling was actually a wild vegetable called Indian aster, which was fried and made into stuffing. The dough was just right, and the Indian aster was well-seasoned. The shopkeeper¡¯s skill was very good, and Liu Sisi finally managed to eat a bun, feeling full.


    YingEr only ate half, her stomach already round and full. The rest went into Di Yelei¡¯s mouth.


    People wereing and going to buy things, Liu Sisi was busy non-stop, and Di Yelei kept helping out on the side. Seeing that it was almost noon, and there was still a small portion of shaggy ink cap mushrooms left. There was also arge elk left, but nobody bought it because of its size.


    Right now, pork costs 10 to 15 copper coins per catty, and these mushrooms were sold at 80 copper coins per catty, which was an astronomical price. Most people bought them in small quantities to take home and eat as a treat for the rich to change their taste and try something new.


    Her mushrooms were good, so selling more than half of them was already a rarity.


    Di Yelei was also not idle, helping Liu Sisi busying around. When he saw there were fewer customers, he went out for a while and came back with a frown on his face.


    ¡°The one who buys game didn¡¯te today. I was originally counting on this elk to sell for a good price, but it seems we¡¯ll be lucky to sell it at all. Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s take the elk to the restaurant and see if they¡¯ll ept it.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he bent down to help pack the shaggy ink cap mushrooms.


    There were still several catties of shaggy ink cap mushrooms, and Liu Sisi was reluctant to take them home to eat. So, she thought about whether she could sell these mushrooms to the restaurantter.


    ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t pack it up, I¡¯m d I¡¯m notte.¡±


    The person approaching was a young waiter-like man who rushed to Liu Sisi and Di Xuan¡¯s booth, seeing them packing up the shaggy ink cap mushrooms and hurriedly stopping them: ¡°I just heard someone say there were agaric fungus being sold at the market, and I didn¡¯t believe it. I searched for a long time before I found them. How do you sell these mushrooms?¡±


    ¡°These mushrooms are 80 copper coins per catty. How much do you want, customer?¡±


    Little Second looked at the agaric fungus in the basket and felt there wasn¡¯t much left: ¡°Why don¡¯t you weigh them all together and see how much you have left?¡±


    Liu Sisi also didn¡¯t stand on ceremony, raising the scale high: ¡°There are 4 catties and 8 taels left, totaling 384 copper coins. I also have some Nameko over here, which is about half a catty. The original price was 40 copper coins per catty. If you take everything, 400 copper coins will do. What do you think?¡±


    Following the direction of Liu Sisi¡¯s finger, the man who looked like a waiter¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Hey! It¡¯s a Tippler¡¯s Bane! Was this mushroom still fresh yesterday? The reason it¡¯s changing color today must be due to you letting it sit in the sun.¡±


    Liu Sisi then realized that the man before her was the younger brother of the small town¡¯s clinic. He was sent by his young master to buy agaric fungus: ¡°This mushroom is non-toxic and should not be left in the sun when fresh, otherwise the whole body will dissolve into ink. If you want to store it for a long time, you have to cook it thoroughly and dry it in the sun to prevent it from going bad.¡±


    As the little second brother was showing off, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    She quickly put the Shaggy Ink Cap and Nameko, also known as Tippler¡¯s Bane, into the bamboo basket the other party had brought, filling it full.


    When Liu Sisi finished loading the mushrooms, the clinic¡¯s little brother was more or less done with his boasting, and he happily paid and left.


    Except for the elk, the rest of the game seemed to have been sold.


    Liu Sisi secretly calcted that there were about 13 catties of Shaggy Ink Cap, totaling 1040 copper coins, other mushrooms were 300 copper coins, rabbits 600 copper coins, wild chickens 240 copper coins, roe deer 500 copper coins, and wild fruits plus an old basket, 55 copper coins. Today, they made 2735 copper coins, not counting the 25 copper coins given to Di Xuan.


    However, after deducting the so-called ¡°specialty tax¡± of 10 copper coins, they had an ie of 2 taels and 725 copper coins today.


    And the elk hadn¡¯t been sold yet!


    Thinking of this, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Carrying the elk, Di Yelei looked back and saw Liu Sisi with a smile like a crescent moon. He couldn¡¯t help but soften his expression: ¡°What¡¯s so funny? You really worked hard on today¡¯s sale.¡± He knew that without Liu Sisi, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to sell so quickly and so much.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just seeing that most of the game has been sold, and I¡¯m happy,¡± Liu Sisi said happily, looking down and stroking the quiet Di Ying. ¡°YingEr, are you hungry? After we sell the elk in a while, mom will take you to eat something delicious, alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Di Ying replied crisply. She rarely had the chance to visit the market before, and she was now looking around with curiosity.


    In the meantime, Di Yelei led everyone into thergest restaurant in the small town ¨C Heji Restaurant.


    The town is small, and there are not many restaurants. However, at this moment, Heji Restaurant was bustling and full of people. The waiter, who was familiar with Di Yelei¡¯s routine, led them straight into the kitchen with the elk on his shoulder.


    The chief cook of Heji Restaurant was a middle-aged fatty with squinty eyes.


    From the moment he nced over, Liu Sisi instinctively disliked him, especially his gaze on her, as if she was naked and ufortably exposed.


    ¡°This elk is small and has been dead for a long time, right? I¡¯ll give you one tael of silver!¡±


    One tael of silver for an elk? That¡¯s equivalent to 70 catties of pork?


    Looking at the supposedly 230-catty elk on the ground, Liu Sisi was amused!

 Chapter 36 - 34: They are nothing but a bunch of beasts!

    Chapter 36: Chapter 34: They are nothing but a bunch of beasts!


    Trantor: 549690339


    Sheughed, and a natural smile spread across her face.


    A beautiful smile can captivate a city, and another can captivate a nation!


    Although Liu Sisi wore simple clothes, she could not hide her delicate and gentle temperament, her skin as smooth as jade. A few strands of her mischievous ck hair cascaded down her face, making her lovely features even more enchanting.


    With just this one smile, Fatty was instantly captivated.


    Seeing this, Di Yelei¡¯s face darkened. Instinctively, he shifted his tall frame to shield Liu Sisi behind him.


    ¡°Lord Chief Cook, are you joking with us? A 230 catty fat pig is worth more than three taels of silver, but you only offer one tael for such arge elk. Isn¡¯t that too little?¡±


    Fatty, his eyes now blocked by Di Yelei, was already displeased. Added to this, Di Yelei¡¯s confrontational tone made Fatty lose his patience.


    These poor folk had been bringing game to his restaurant all year round, always treating him with the utmost respect, fearing his wrath.


    He had long taken advantage of them. In this small town, only his Heji Restaurant had the capacity to purchase suchrge game. As they needed a long-term supplier, he was not afraid to offend these impoverished people.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to sell, then just leave! I¡¯m not begging you to do so.¡±


    He rolled his eyes, all white now visible: ¡°If you don¡¯t sell, go away! You won¡¯t sell, butter on, many will! You don¡¯t want to sell, and I don¡¯t want to buy.¡±


    Di Yelei suppressed his anger: ¡°Chief Cook, you know we¡¯re old acquaintances. One tael of silver really is too little, isn¡¯t it? We¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, the other party interrupted.


    ¡°Get out! Don¡¯t think you¡¯re the only one selling game. There are many who beg me to buy it! If you don¡¯t want to sell, just leave!¡±


    Fatty¡¯s fat face quivered: ¡°Hmph! If you bring it backter, forget one tael of silver, this Old Master won¡¯t even give you half a tael! Or, let your young wifee over¡­hee hee! Looking at your lovely face, perhaps I might give you a little more, who knows, haha¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was furious! With trembling fingers, she pointed at the fat pig, unable to speak!


    Before she could say anything, Di Yelei had already flown into a rage!


    His fists clenched and unclenched, unclenched and clenched; then, suddenly, with a swift punch, he struck Fatty hard in the face.


    Blood sttered!


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    With that punch, Fatty¡¯s bulky figure stumbled backward, unable to keep his bnce, and he retreated several steps in session.


    Bang!


    His whole body crashed into the shelves nearby, and various meats and vegetables on the shelves fell down, making a loud noise.


    Clearly, Fatty had not expected Di Yelei to act so impulsively. As the punchnded, blood poured from his fat face.


    ¡°You, you guys! How dare you hit me!¡±


    Fatty¡¯s face was a picture of disbelief!


    He had been swaggering and oppressive in this small town for many years, often using his official position to buy low and sell high, profiting from the difference.


    He made a fortune and, naturally, looked down on these poor folks all the more. Little did he know, he would hit a snag today!


    Echoes from themotion reached the kitchen where everyone was busy working. They bustlingly gathered around, even some customers in the front hall heard the noise and peeked around the kitchen door.


    ¡°I, Di Yelei, might be poor and down on my luck, but I have dignity! Someone like you deserves a beating! Sisi, let¡¯s go! I¡¯d rather starve to death than step foot in your Heji Restaurant ever again!¡±


    ¡°You, you actually think you can leave just like that? Someone grab him and take him to the officials! Ow, it hurts so much!¡±


    The fatty struggled to get up, unable to rise after several attempts.


    Seeing more and more people surrounding them, Liu Sisi quickly conjured tears and started to cry!


    ¡°I found that your whole family, along with other people, havepletely different fortunes. They all belong to the crab. You may mock us for being poor, but you even instigate my husband to sell his wife and children! You¡¯re not ashamed, and I¡¯m embarrassed for you! Husband, let¡¯s go!¡±-


    After saying this, Liu Sisi grabbed Di Yelei¡¯s arm, led the two children, and left the kitchen.


    ¡°Stop them! Did you really think that after hitting someone, you could simply leave like this? How daring! Are you trying to bully our Heji Restaurant because we have no one? Arrest them all and send them to the officials!¡±


    Fatty finally managed to get up with the help of several people, and loudly berated those around him.


    Many of the customers who had been eating scattered and fled. The few waiters quickly encircled them, trying to capture them.


    Seeing the unfavorable situation, Di Yelei heaved the elk on his shoulder and swiftly circled around Liu Sisi and the two children. Those who tried to pounce on them were immediately hit by the swung elk, clutching their wounds while eximing ¡°ouch!¡± and refraining from moving forward.


    ¡°Damned Fatty! You clearly went out of your way to make things difficult for us first, then you harassed an innocent woman. Now you have the audacity to try and arrest us? Pretentiousness invites thunder! How shameless! When have I ever bullied your family for not having people? All these people standing here, what are they from your family? Oh, I get it, they¡¯re not people, they¡¯re animals, right?¡±


    With just one sentence, Liu Sisi berated the many thugs present! As for involving the officials, right or wrong, they wouldn¡¯t end up welleither way.


    ¡°Hmph! I have money, so I have the final say! Money makes me superior! You bunch of poor people actually dare to call me an animal? Today, if you don¡¯t pay for your offenses by leaving this deer behind, don¡¯t even think about leaving this restaurant!¡±


    ¡°You actually dare to forcibly buy and sell! I¡¯d like to see if there¡¯s anyw left in the world!¡±


    Di Yelei was furious, flying into a rage as he spoke and raised his fist again.


    ¡°No, let¡¯s wait and talk about thister,¡±-


    Liu Sisi stopped Di Yelei with a sweet smile!


    If he¡¯s so shameless as to call the soldiers and officers, I¡¯ll grant his wish. With so many witnesses present, I can¡¯t believe he could still suppress the truth!


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s the situation now?¡±


    At the peak of everyone¡¯s chaos, a man dressed as a businessman walked in from outside.


    Fatty¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened as he crawled clumsily across from the other side, ¡°Boss, you have to stand up for me! Look at my face! They¡­ Boss! Theypletely disregard you and our Heji Restaurant! All of our customers¡­ They drove them all away!¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up and saw that the boss of Heji Restaurant wasn¡¯t very old, probably around forty, and looked quite decent.


    She then went forward, bowed down, and began to recount the incident in detail.


    In the end, she added, ¡°Boss, with your insight, this elk, not to mention its antlers, just the medicinal value of its meat alone is far beyond that of ordinary pork.¡±

 Chapter 37 - 37: 35: He got off way too cheaply!

    Chapter 37 - 37: 35: He got off way too cheaply!


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°But Boss, they chased all the customers out of the restaurant, this loss¡­¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡±


    Boss He scowled and grunted coldly, clearly not wanting Fatty to say anything more.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll go now, I¡¯ll go now!¡±


    Fatty shrank back, his face full of sycophantic ttery, repeatedly bowing to Boss He while backing out of the restaurant.


    As he left, he red furiously at Liu Sisi and Di Yelei, secretly scheming how to regain his lost ground.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t take this petty man¡¯s threat seriously at all ¨C he was just a dog seeking the support of humans!


    If a dog bites a person, the person cannot bite the dog back>


    ¡°Since the matter has been rified, we¡¯ll take our leave now.¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t want to stay a moment longer, leading Liu Sisi to turn around and leave.


    ¡°Wait, brave sir!¡±


    Boss He¡¯s gaze fell on the elk, flipping through some material before saying, ¡°This elk was killed by a single arrow through its throat! Other than that, it has no other injuries. Sir, you truly have impressive martial arts!¡±


    Elks are not like other animals. Deer are naturally agile and quick, and they have a timid nature, so with any slight disturbance, they¡¯ll run and disappear in a blink!


    To shoot an arrow to seal the throat without damaging the hide, it is only possible to do so at a very close distance with a direct shot.


    This requires not only extremely stringent archery skills but also an extremely high level of overall physical fitness.


    Yet this seemingly ordinary hunter aplished it, which naturally astonished Boss He.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t exin further, raising his fist slightly in acknowledgment: ¡°You tter me, Boss. It was just a lucky catch by Ye Lei.¡±


    Boss He¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment, but he didn¡¯t ask any more questions: ¡°Alright then! We won¡¯t take the deer antler from this elk. You can sell it at the herbal medicine shop for a good price. As for the elk itself, our Heji Restaurant will buy it at a price of 30 copper coins per pound, what do you think?¡±


    Liu Sisi understood that, given how the situation had developed, the boss had already shown enough sincerity. After all, this was their territory, and the shopkeeper had humbled himself enough. If she kept pushing, it wouldn¡¯t end well.


    Di Yelei and Liu Sisi obviously thought the same. If they forcibly took the elk away, they might really create a rift!


    ¡°If the Boss insists, then we¡¯ll sell this elk to Heji Restaurant.¡±


    Upon weighing, the elk was a total of 238 pounds, at 30 copper coins per pound, totaling 7,140 copper coins.


    ¡°How about this! Let¡¯s just call it 7 taels and 200 copper coins for the sake of round numbers.¡±


    While speaking, Boss He generously took out the silver, handed it over to Di Yelei, and settled the deal.


    Liu Sisi carefully looked at what Boss He had handed over ¨C onerge, two small silver ingots, and some scattered copper coins.


    Leaving Heji Restaurant, the couple saw Boss He still standing in the doorway, waving at them from afar.


    Only after he could no longer see the backs of Liu Sisi and the others did Boss He re-enter the restaurant.


    Fatty appeared from somewhere and came to Boss He¡¯s side, repeatedly nodding and bowing: ¡°Boss, this, this, this¡­¡±


    Boss He red coldly at him, continuing upstairs to the private room on the second floor.


    ¡°Boss ¨C I didn¡¯t mean it, really. I just saw such a big elk and thought there was a profit to be made, so I pressed down on the price. I didn¡¯t expect these poor bastards to be bolder, and they dared to disregard our Heji Restaurant, even¡­¡±


    Fatty entered pitifully, trying to please.


    ¡°Enough! Your fake sincerity towards outsiders, don¡¯t use it in front of me! You only gave them one tael of silver for such a big elk. Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to? You just have lustful thoughts about the pretty young wife, right?¡± Boss He hit the nail on the head.


    Fatty¡¯s face flushed red all of a sudden!


    ¡°No¡­ how could I? Boss, I¡¯m not, not¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! You caused quite a scene today, and the restaurant lost quite a bit! I won¡¯t say anything else, but I¡¯ll deduct a month¡¯s wages from you just to teach you a lesson. Beauty is not so easy to lust after!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, rest assured, boss! I¡¯ll definitely be more careful in the future!¡±


    Although he cursed Liu Sisi and Di Yelei to death in his heart, and lost money, Fatty still had to act like a grandson in front of his boss and put on a smile.


    ¡°Alright, just go! You don¡¯t need me to tell you what to do, just remember, this restaurant belongs to the He family! Not to you, Sun Ergou!¡±


    Sun Ergou was so shocked he nearly swore to the heavens!


    ¡°Boss, where are youing from? I, Sun Ergou, may be ignorant, but I naturally understand that this restaurant belongs to the He family. My heart is dedicated to the He family, pounding like this! If you don¡¯t believe me, you can feel my heart¡­¡±


    Boss He forcefully withdrew his hand, took out a handkerchief, and wiped his hand several times before throwing the handkerchief on Sun Ergou¡¯s fat, squinty face!


    ¡°Fine, just remember to be more conscientious! Isn¡¯t there work to be done in the kitchen? Hurry up and go!¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss, I¡¯ll get to it right away¡­¡±


    Once Sun Ergou left, Boss He¡¯s furrowed brow did not rx. Instead, it seemed to tighten even more.


    ¡°Where have I seen that young wife before? It seems that a few days ago, Businessman Zhang said he had his eye on a woman, causing quite a stir, but then it came to nothing¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ could they be the same person?¡±


    With the taels of silver and deer antler in hand, Di Yelei¡¯s thoughts were clear.


    This Chief Cook Fatty has always been a penny-pinching person. Today, he lost face because of the two of us. In the future, we will definitely be targeted to make things difficult. It¡¯s not likely to sell this game in the small town anymore.


    He frowned. It seemed that after hunting, he could only try to sell the game in the county!


    What can be done when this small town is really too small? There are only three restaurants in total!


    Liu Sisi and Di Yelei thought differently. The previous 2,725 copper coins, plus the current 7200 copper coins, totaled 9,925 copper coins. They were still short of 75 copper coins, which would make ten taels of silver, not counting the deer antler they were holding!


    Thinking of having nearly ten taels of silver yet to be sold, Liu Sisi became excited! It was one big step closer to clearing their debt!


    The most important thing right now was to turn these deer antlers into silver coins!


    ¡°Yelei, do you know how to get to the herbal medicine shop?¡±


    ¡°You want to exchange deer antlers for silver coins? Let¡¯s go, we can go this way.¡±


    Di Yelei immediately understood Liu Sisi¡¯s thoughts, bent over to hold Ying¡¯er in his arms, and led the others striding towards the other side.


    ¡°Yelei, are you angry? What happened just now was my fault¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! This matter has nothing to do with you.¡±


    Di Yelei turned around and gently sped Liu Sisi¡¯s hand: ¡°This Fatty Chief Cook has already been cutting into our hunting revenue for more than a day or two. Because there are only a few restaurants in the small town, everyone is angry but dares not to speak. They are all afraid of offending this little man. Today, one elk sold for more than seven taels, while it would normally take me half a year to make this amount!¡±


    ¡°So much? How much silver has Damned Fatty been pocketing from us all these days!¡± Liu Sisi gasped. It seemed that Di Yelei¡¯s punch was too lenient!

 Chapter 38 - 38: 36: Getting a Good Husband for Nothing

    Chapter 38 - 38: 36: Getting a Good Husband for Nothing


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Well, it was actually more of a coincidence that we caught that elk yesterday. A creature that weighs over 200 catties is rarely seen. The wild boar we ate at our wedding was hunted down with thebined effort of three of us, not to mention it took us several days to find it.¡±


    Di Yelei said helplessly, how could one be in luck every day?


    ¡°So generally, we mainly sell game like pheasants and wild rabbit roe. The Chief Cook pays a little less than others, but not by much.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded in understanding: ¡°No matter how much he skims off the top, it¡¯s still skimming. The next time we have a lot of game, we should go to the county to sell it. If there¡¯s not much, we can just sell it at the local market.¡±


    While they were talking, the couple arrived at a clinic and strolled in through the main entrance.


    There were quite a few patients in the clinic, with waiters darting between them. In front of the doctor, two patients were queuing up for consultation.


    Di Yelei led Liu Sisi to the counter where the ountant was. It was only then he took out the deer antler to sell.


    ¡°Old gentleman, we would like to sell this deer antler. Could you take a look for us please?¡±


    The old ountant, who was busy with his abacus on the counter, looked up without much interest, ¡°We don¡¯t buy medicinal materials from outside. You might want to try somewhere else¡­ Wait! Let me see that deer antler.¡±


    Without hesitation, Di Yelei handed over the deer antler.


    The pair of antlers had just been cut off from the elk, originally they nned to sell the whole elk together, but hadn¡¯t anticipated having to sell it separately.


    After examining the deer antler for a while, the old ountant looked up and said, ¡°We¡¯ll take this pair of deer antlers. I offer you three taels of silver, how does that sound to both of you?¡±


    Neither of them had any idea how much the deer antler was worth, Liu Sisi and Di Yelei were clueless.


    However, as an orphan in her previous life, Liu Sisi had long learned how to read people. She didn¡¯t find it hard to see the delight hidden in the old ountant¡¯s eyes. She lightly chuckled and said: ¡°Old gentleman, this deer antler isrge and old, with excellent quality, it¡¯s rare to find such a premium product. Offering three taels of silver, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit low?¡±


    The old ountant looked at the couple. The man was tall and strong, clearly very capable. By contrast, Liu Sisi beside him was willowy and beautiful. If not for her simple dress, she could easily be mistaken for the daughter of a wealthy family.


    Who would have thought such a pretty woman would be married to such a coarse man? An elegant flower stuck in cow manure!


    ¡°So, youngdy, how much do you think it¡¯s worth?¡±


    Liu Sisi offered a gentle smile and extended an index finger.


    ¡°Ten taels? That¡¯s too much! No!¡± The old ountant frantically waved his hands.


    While it¡¯s true that deer antler is a precious ingredient in medicine, it is not exactly a raremodity. The clinic had a regr supplier. He only considered buying it because the quality of this pair was exceptional and they were offered directly to him. Nheless, if the price was close to what his supplier offered, he¡¯d rather not buy it.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no way it¡¯s worth only three taels of silver.¡± Considering the number of deer avable in ancient times, deer antlers should not be as valuable as they are today, right?


    Liu Sisi was not angered, still smiling beautifully. Her captivating smile naturally drew admiration. The old ountant, despite being old, was not immune to her charm.


    ¡°Three taels might be a bit low, but these deer antlers certainly aren¡¯t worth ten taels either. Here is my offer¡ªfive taels of silver. If that¡¯s too expensive, then I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to bid you farewell.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Seems like we¡¯ve really made an unnecessary trip.¡±


    Liu Sisi merely sighed and lifted her hand to wrap the pair of deer antlers back with a piece of cloth, talking to herself as she did so: ¡°Yesterday a merchant offered seven taels for these, but someone else said they could be worth ten. Have they been tricking us?¡± Seeing the old ountant getting interested, Liu Sisi was certain he would want to buy them.


    Upon hearing these words, with the excellent quality of the antlers in mind and seeing Liu Sisi about to leave the clinic with herpanions, the old ountant couldn¡¯t help but raise his price: ¡°Six taels of silver it is then! This is as high as I can go! If you two still aren¡¯t satisfied, maybe it¡¯s time for you to leave!¡±


    Liu Sisi held back a smile. In just a moment, they had made an extra tael of silver. Pretty good!


    ¡°Husband, it¡¯s just one tael of silver, and we no longer need to take them to the county. Maybe we should just take a little loss and sell them?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you think is best, Sisi.¡±


    Di Yelei, standing aside, had nothing else to add. He found the conversation between Liu Sisi and the old ountant quite interesting, as he had never been in a situation to negotiate like this.


    An extra six taels of silver! That meant they¡¯re getting closer to paying off the old debt of twenty taels. Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but feel ted.


    As Liu Sisi was about to leave, having stored away the money, Di Yelei pulled her towards a doctor who just finished seeing a patient: ¡°Doctor, please take a look at my wife. She¡¯s unwell.¡±


    ¡°Husband, I¡¯m quite alright now.¡± Liu Sisi did not expect Di Yelei to arrange a medical consultation for her.


    Having lost her memories from Liu Sisi, going to a doctor would simply be a waste of silver. But Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t bring herself to voice these thoughts, instead turning her big watery eyes to look at Di Yelei.


    ¡°No way! Illness must be treated! Lives are more important than money. Be obedient and show your wrist to the doctor.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was left speechless! His words, saying she was more important than money, filled Liu Sisi with a sweet sentiment. For the first time, she felt fortunate for transmigrating into this world andnding herself a good husband.


    ¡°Where does this young woman feel unwell?¡±


    The doctor carefully ced a cotton cloth over Liu Sisi¡¯s wrist before feeling her pulse.


    ¡°She had a fever a few days ago, and she even forgot who her own parents were after that. Is there any way for her to regain her memories?¡± Di Yelei asked anxiously.


    His growing concerns about Liu Sisi even surprised himself.


    The doctor conducted a thorough examination on Liu Sisi, then removed the cloth from her wrist: ¡°The young woman¡¯s brain was probably damaged due to the high fever. She might regain her memory in a few days, or maybe she¡¯ll never remember again. As long as this doesn¡¯t impact her daily life, losing some memories won¡¯t harm her health. Here, I will give you a prescription. You can take it home and try this medicine.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until the doctor reassured them that there won¡¯t be any impact on her health, Di Yelei finally rxed. He thanked the doctor with a smile, paid for the medicine and left the clinic with everyone.


    ¡°See, I told you I¡¯m alright.¡± Liu Sisi quickly said since she didn¡¯t want to waste money on something like this ever again.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Besides, it¡¯s better to seek treatment now than to wait until things get severe.¡±


    Di Yelei said seriously. When he saw a food stand nearby offering noodles, he quickly pulled Liu Sisi and two others along: ¡°We should fill up our stomachs before it getste. Let¡¯s go home after that.¡±

 Chapter 39 - 39: 37: Money is meant to be spent!

    Chapter 39 - 39: 37: Money is meant to be spent!


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Boss, give us four bowls of vegetarian noodles!¡±


    As he spoke, Di Yelei shouted to the busy stall owner without stopping.


    ¡°Alright! Four bowls of vegetarian noodles!¡± The stall owner repeated loudly, picking up the noodles skillfully.


    Having been busy all morning, Liu Sisi was now tired and naturally sat down on a small stool.


    ¡°Mom¡ª¡±


    Di Ying, who was originally held by Di Yelei, looked at the busy owner with hopeful eyes and couldn¡¯t help but put her little finger in her mouth¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t put your hand in your mouth, it¡¯s dirty. Our Di Ying knows better, eating your hand will cause your stomach to hurt, do you understand?¡± Liu Sisi quickly pulled Di Ying¡¯s little hand away.


    ¡°Hehe, Mom, YingEr wants a hug!¡± Di Ying said as she tried to break free from Di Yelei¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! Be careful not to get burned by the noodle soup.¡±


    At this moment, the stall owner had already brought over a bowl of vegetarian noodles, and Di Yelei quickly pulled Di Ying¡¯s little body aside to avoid getting burnt.


    Di Ying shyly stuck out her little tongue.


    ¡°Here, customer, the vegetarian noodles are cooked! The other three bowls will be served shortly. Please take your time.¡± The boss quickly left.


    Di Yelei pushed the first bowl of noodles forward: ¡°Sisi, you eat first.¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Ying and Di Xuan, who were obviously very hungry: ¡°Let YingEr eat first, it¡¯s just a short wait, I can wait a little longer.¡±


    Di Yelei thought about it, and that made sense. So, he picked up the chopsticks and carefully blew on two strands of noodles to cool them before putting them into Di Ying¡¯s mouth.


    The bowl of vegetarian noodles was really just in noodles, a bunch of wild vegetables ced at the bottom of the bowl, and the thoroughly cooked noodles were then swirled in the middle of the bowl. Chopped green onions and chili sauce were sprinkled on top, and arge bowl of vegetarian noodles was ready!


    While Liu Sisi was looking, the remaining three bowls of vegetarian noodles were also served.


    By this time, Di Yelei had already fed half a bowl of noodles to Di Ying!


    Di Xuan, sitting next to them, was sensible and picked up his chopsticks to eat quickly. Although he was only a seven-year-old boy, he was very well-behaved, and his eating posture was quite elegant, showing that he had been well trained.


    Looking at therge bowl of noodles in front of her, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but add more than half of it to Di Yelei¡¯s bowl, and finally awkwardly stuck out her tongue, ¡°There¡¯s too much noodles, I can¡¯t finish it.¡±


    What she said was true. Her appetite was small, and she could only eat half a bowl of rice before feeling full!


    ¡°You need to eat more! Look at how thin you are.¡±


    Di Yelei frowned and said, ¡°With such a small frame, how can she endure my demands?¡±


    It seemed he needed to work hard to strengthen her body more, so she wouldn¡¯t faint when things got intense ¨C that would be a total mood killer!


    ¡°There is already a lot, look, I still have a big bowl of noodles here.¡±


    Liu Sisi naturally didn¡¯t understand the lewd thoughts running through Yelei¡¯s mind and stirred the noodles in her bowl with her bamboo chopsticks.


    The taste of the vegetarian noodles was nothing like she had imagined. Instead, they were hand-made and had a strong, chewy texture. The slight numbness and rich spicy vor rushed into her mouth, stimting her saliva immediately.


    She hadn¡¯t eaten such delicious food in a long time!


    Liu Sisi originally thought there were no seasoning spices like pepper and star anise here since she didn¡¯t see them at Di¡¯s home. It wasn¡¯t until she tasted the food that she realized they were not absent¡ªthey just didn¡¯t have them at Di¡¯s home!


    The increasingly hungry Liu Sisi struggled to finish her bowl of vegetarian noodles. By the time she was full, there were still almost half a bowl of noodles left, and she just couldn¡¯t eat anymore.


    ¡°I, I¡¯m full. YingEr, let me feed you, you eat the noodles first.¡±


    She can¡¯t be med for this; it¡¯s all the fault of the stall owner. Why would he put so much in a bowl? No matter how hard she tries, she can¡¯t finish it!


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Di Yelei looked up and saw that Liu Sisi still had a small portion of noodles left in her bowl, so he put Di Ying on the small stool beside her, picked up Liu Sisi¡¯s remaining noodles, and started eating hungrily.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but open her mouth wide: ¡°Those noodles¡­¡± were the ones I¡¯ve eaten from!


    Seeing the noodles in the bowl quickly being slurped up by Di Yelei, Liu Sisi swallowed the rest of her sentence. Her face flushed in waves, she quickly lowered her head to use feeding Di Ying noodles as a cover.


    Di Ying was eating happily, grinning at Liu Sisi with squinted eyes, making Liu Sisi¡¯s embarrassment disappear a bit.


    After everyone was full, Di Yelei finally settled the bill and left.


    Four bowls of vegetarian noodles actually cost 24 copper coins, causing Liu Sisi¡¯s heart to ache! This wild pheasant cost only 40 copper coins, and yet the vegetarian noodles without any meat cost 24 coins, which were so hard earned and used up so quickly!


    With their bellies full, Di Ying¡¯s spirits were lifted.


    ¡°Mom ¨C look over there!¡±


    Following Di Ying¡¯s pointing, Liu Sisi saw a stall selling various small ornaments.


    ¡°YingEr, do you want that hair flower? Let¡¯s go take a look.¡±


    Girls should be pampered, and Liu Sisi was also willing to spoil YingEr as she grew up.


    Di Ying¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up! She looked up at her brother, then at her dad, quickly lowered her head and clenched her lips, and dared not speak.


    Their earnings today were good, and Di Yelei looked at his little wife¡¯s moist, big eyes, then back at YingEr¡¯s hopeful gaze. He couldn¡¯t refuse in the end, ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Great! Dad, you¡¯re the best!¡± Di Ying said with a happy face.


    ¡°So Mom isn¡¯t good? YingEr, you¡¯re biased.¡± Liu Sisi yfully teased her.


    Di Ying¡¯s face was all smiles, ¡°Dad is good, Mom is good, and brother is good too.¡± While speaking, she didn¡¯t forget to include her big brother.


    Liu Sisi rummaged through the stall for a while and picked out a pair of delicate silk flowers suitable for a little girl to wear, then tried to put them on YingEr.


    ¡°My, our YingEr really knows how to talk! Here, take a look at this silk flower. Do you like it, YingEr?¡±


    ¡°I like it, thank you, Mom.¡± Naturally, Di Ying was happy to wear silk flowers for the first time in her life.


    Seeing that YingEr liked it, Liu Sisi haggled for a while, and finally bought the pair of silk flowers for 8 copper coins. She secretly marveled at the price; the silk flowers used only a small amount of cloth, yet they cost 8 coins, which was too expensive!


    Only then did Di Yelei lead everyone into the rice and grain shop.


    Initially, when the Di family separated, Di Yelei didn¡¯t get anynd. For him, the biggest expense throughout the year was the money spent on buying grain.


    As soon as they entered, Di Yelei said to the rice and grain store owner, ¡°Boss, give me a bushel of rice, a bushel of white flour, and a bushel of coarse grains. Also, weigh some table salt, and¡­¡±


    Here, one bushel is equivalent to 30 catties in modern terms. Rice and white flour cost 250 copper coins per bushel, and coarse grains cost 150 copper coins per bushel. One pint of salt costs ten copper coins. Liu Sisi nced around the shop and also asked Di Yelei to buy a bushel of soybeans and some chili, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seasonings to take back.


    The various grains filled up the empty basket, and the total cost was 1 tael and 193 copper coins. Although it caused Liu Sisi¡¯s heart to ache, she felt incredibly satisfied.


    Women were born to love spending money, especially on these indispensable costs, so they should naturally be spent!

 Chapter 40 - 40: 38: Show Sincerity

    Chapter 40 - 40: 38: Show Sincerity


    Trantor: 549690339


    Upon leaving the rice and grain store, Di Yelei led everyone to a clothing store.


    Sisi only had two summer dresses when she came, and she didn¡¯t even have any extra clothes for changing.


    Still unable to make up his mind after looking at the ready-made clothes for a long time, Di Yelei asked, ¡°Sisi, which dress do you like?¡±


    Seeing Di Yelei letting her choose the dress, Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes lit up ¨C buying dresses was a woman¡¯s favorite thing!


    Pointing to the light purple dress she liked, she asked, ¡°Shopkeeper, how much is this dress?¡±


    The shopkeeper hurriedly came over from behind the counter and nced at the dress. ¡°Customer, this dress is 150 copper coins. How many would you like to buy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s expensive!¡±


    Liu Sisi was startled and asked while pointing to the cloths beside her, ¡°What about these cloth pieces?¡±


    ¡°Our store¡¯s silk is 600 copper coins per bolt, cotton is 300 copper coins, inferior cloth is 200 copper coins. These pieces of cloth are two feet two inches wide and twelve yards long. One bolt can make threerge clothes or four dresses: tworge and two small. Which one do you want?¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s voice was very steady, almost no ups and downs.


    The shopkeeper¡¯s meaning was clear ¨C if you want to save money, buy a bolt of cloth and make the clothes yourself.


    Liu Sisi touched a bolt of dark blue fine cotton cloth, and ten thousand grass-mud horses galloped through her heart.


    A ready-made dress costs 150 copper coins, while a fine cotton cloth costs 300 copper coins and can make four dresses. Naturally, it¡¯s more cost-effective to make them yourself.


    As Sisi looked at the bolts of cloth, she felt extremely torn. Whether the original owner could make clothes or not, she wasn¡¯t sure. However, as for her, while small tasks like sewing and patching were manageable, making clothes felt like a death sentence!


    Liu Sisi turned her head and looked at the inferior cloth on one side. She couldn¡¯t help but flip through it for a moment. She found thatpared with fine cotton cloth, besides the slightly inferior quality, some of these cloth pieces also had obvious weaving mistakes and small damages.


    Among these inferior cloths, she even found half a bolt of silk that was clearly leftover from someone¡¯s cutting. This half silk had weaving mistakes and damages, but the worst thing was the messy colors.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, this cloth is¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just some fine silk that was identally ruined by the dyeing and printing female worker when she knocked over the dyes.¡±


    The shopkeeper spoke calmly, but indeed the batch of silk was ruined after the dyeing and printing female worker knocked over the dyes, leaving tiny holes in it. The servants tried to remedy it by throwing the silk into an ink pool and reworking it, hoping to dye it ck topensate for the loss. However, the resulting cloth was just like this¡­ a riot of colors and aplete mess!


    If they were to rework it again, not only would it require more costs, but the silk fabric was also clearly unable to withstand another round of processing, so it could only be sold cheaply as atonement!


    Liu Sisi stared at the silk with her eyes and touched the thin fabric, feeling that it was very simr to the silk flower material she had bought for YingEr before. She immediately had an idea.


    In the end, she raised her head abruptly, ¡°Shopkeeper, is all the damaged silk here? Do you have any more?¡±


    The shopkeeper¡¯s eyes lit up, and it was the first time he took a closer look at them. ¡°Yes! There are six bolts of this silk. However, their conditions are the same¡­ the other five are even worse.¡± He originally didn¡¯t want to mention it, but then he decided to add that anyway.


    To the shopkeeper¡¯s surprise, Liu Sisi was very happy. ¡°Could you please take them out so that I can take a look?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The shopkeeper left for a moment and carried out several bolts of silk. Indeed, the colors on these silks were even messier than before!


    ¡°Shopkeeper, I will take all of these cloth pieces! And also, that dress and this bolt of fine cotton cloth, how much will they cost in total?¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes sparkled like little stars in the sky.


    The shopkeeper was also very happy. This batch of silk had been lying in his shop for nearly a year without anyone interested in it. Selling it now, however much he sold it for, would be a profit!


    ¡°Since you want them all, I¡¯ll give you a discount! Let¡¯s count the dress as 120 copper coins, fine cotton cloth as 280 copper coins, and these silks at 250 copper coins per bolt!¡±


    Liu Sisi was taken aback. ¡°Shopkeeper, didn¡¯t you just say that the inferior cloth is 200 copper coins per bolt? Why is the price higher now that I want to buy more?¡±


    ¡°I said that the inferior cloth is 200 copper coins per bolt, but these are silk, not inferior cloth!¡±


    Looking at the calctive shopkeeper, Liu Sisi was speechless. Was he trying to rip her off?


    ¡°Oh, so these aren¡¯t inferior cloths? I must have misheard then. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have enough silver. Shopkeeper, can you give us a discount? Let¡¯s say the dress and this bolt of fine cotton cloth cost 380 copper coins.¡±


    The shopkeeper was stunned. How did the silk suddenly be unwanted?


    He quickly reacted, ¡°That¡¯s not going to work! The lowest price for these two items is 400 copper coins, not a penny less!¡±


    ¡°Fine, 400 copper coins, shopkeeper, please take care of it.¡±


    Liu Sisi wasughing in her heart, while she carried the cloth and dress to leave. The reason she haggled was because she was afraid the shopkeeper would go back to the original price.


    The shopkeeper was a bit slow to react. He lifted his head to look at the departing group, then lowered his gaze to the silks. It had been over a year since anyone had inquired about this silk. Who knew how long it would take to sell it again?


    ¡°Miss, wait! Wait!¡±


    The shopkeeper hurriedly called the group to a stop. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the money. You can also take two bolts first and use them. If you need more, you cane back to our store next time. I will give you a discount to guarantee the most favorable price. How about that?¡±


    Liu Sisi had long expected the other party to stop them, so she wasn¡¯t surprised at all!


    She gave a coldugh, ¡°Shopkeeper, let¡¯s not beat around the bush! I have to wash off the colors on these inferior cloths and re-dye them. Maybe I can make a small profit by doing this. You are charging such a high price, not even giving me a sip of soup. What¡¯s the point of me buying these silks? These silks are not even as good as worn-out cotton cloth, and they can¡¯t even be used for shoe soles.¡±


    To tell the truth, it was exactly as Liu Sisi said!


    Otherwise, these silks wouldn¡¯t have been sitting in the shop for so long without anyone inquiring about them. The shopkeeper felt bitter in his heart.


    Di Yelei had been quietly holding the hands of the two children and closely followed Liu Sisi. Although he didn¡¯t understand what Sisi was doing, he had an instinctual trust in her.


    If she wanted to buy these damaged cloths, there must be a reason behind it.

 Chapter 41 - 39: An Incompatible Opponent

    Chapter 41:? Chapter 39: An Ipatible Opponent


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll give you a discount¡­ How about 1,500 copper coins?¡± The shopkeeper also realized that the beautiful young wife in front of him was not someone to mess with.


    ¡°Humph! I¡¯ll offer at most 150 copper coins for one piece of cloth, so six and a half pieces of sub-standard cloth will be 975 copper coins.¡±


    She had seen through the shopkeeper¡¯s shamelessness!


    Liu Sisi naturally didn¡¯t want to waste any more words: ¡°These are all inferior products¡­ No! Look at all the damaged ces, it¡¯s not a stretch to call them waste products. If you think that 975 copper coins are a good price, we¡¯ll buy them; otherwise, we¡¯ll leave immediately!¡±


    ¡°975 copper coins? You¡¯re robbing me ¡ª I won¡¯t sell!¡±


    The shopkeeper was also angered!


    A piece of silk was worth 600 copper coins, and now five and a half pieces were only worth 975 copper coins. How could he ept this?


    ¡°975 copper coins are already quite a lot. You¡¯re selling waste products for almost one tael of silver, so why not? Moreover, instead of keeping these waste products in the warehouse and taking up space, why not sell them to me early? Next time I want to buy cloth, I¡¯ll definitelye to your shop. What do you think?¡± Liu Sisi sincerely said.


    The shopkeeper still furrowed his brows and shook his head repeatedly: ¡°No, no, the price is too low.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes shifted and suddenly noticed arge pile of scrap cloth in the corner of the wall.


    ¡°How about this! You pack up that pile of scrap cloth for me, and I¡¯ll give you one tael of silver, okay? I¡¯ve spent quite a lot of money here today, and for us poor people, we¡¯ve already squeezed out our food money!¡±


    The shopkeeper¡¯s gaze wandered between the pile of scrap cloth and the cloth pieces. The scrap cloth was usually sold for just 2 or 3 copper coins per bundle, which was really not worth much. In the end, he gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and waved his hand: ¡°Fine! One tael of silver and it¡¯s a deal! Take them all.¡±


    The family happily carried the cloth pieces on their way home. While passing through the street corner, Liu Sisi bought a lot of colorful silk threads.


    When they came across a small stall selling rice cakes, Liu Sisi bought two rice cakes for the children.


    ¡°Sisi, are you buying these cloth pieces to make clothes? Won¡¯t the colors be too strange to wear?¡± Di Yelei carefully said.


    Liu Sisi smiled mysteriously: ¡°They¡¯re not for making clothes, I n to use them for¡­¡±


    The rest of her words were blocked by a group of people that suddenly appeared in front of them.


    Not far ahead on the main road, a group of people blocked the way, with Damned Fatty at the head.


    Fatty Head Chef had been scolded by Boss He and fined a month¡¯s sry. Upon returning to the kitchen, he couldn¡¯t swallow his anger. In the end, he decided to gather a group of people and waited in a secluded ce at the exit of the market to teach them a lesson.


    ¡°Yo, you¡¯ve got quite a harvest here, picking up so many things!¡±


    Fatty¡¯s face was full of lewdness, and his greasy, mung-bean eyes kept scanning Liu Sisi¡¯s body.


    The lustful gaze made Liu Sisi¡¯s entire body break out in goosebumps. She held the hands of the two children and quietly hid behind Di Yelei.


    ¡°What do you want, Head Chef? Boss He said that the matter was already settled. Are you still nning to cause trouble?¡±


    Di Yelei instinctively protected Liu Sisi behind him and suppressed the anger in his heart as he questioned Fatty.


    The group of people on the other sideughed loudly. Naturally, the loudestughter came from Fatty.


    ¡°Oh, this is hrious! You¡¯re still asking what we want now?¡±


    Fatty grinned triumphantly, pointing arrogantly at Di Yelei¡¯s head: ¡°Weren¡¯t you very arrogant at the restaurant just now? Now you know fear, but it¡¯s toote! Hand over the silver you falsely took! Maybe, considering our dealings over the past few years, I¡¯ll spare your life!¡±


    Fatty pressed forward step by step, while Di Yelei shielded Liu Sisi and the two others, retreating step by step. Until there was no ce left to retreat, they reached a cliff.


    With nowhere to retreat, a fierce light shed in Di Yelei¡¯s eyes. Staring at the finger pointing at his own nose, he asked softly, ¡°What if I say no?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ He said no! You actually dare to say no?¡±


    A group of ruffiansughed loudly once more. The arrogant Damned Fatty pointed at someone in the crowd and asked triumphantly, ¡°Do you know who they are? You actually have the guts to say no after eating a leopard¡¯s galldder? Do you still want to see tomorrow¡¯s sun, huh?¡±


    ¡°Who they are, I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t want to know. Whether I can see tomorrow¡¯s sun is not up to you,¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s voice was very steady. Even surrounded by the crowd, he seemed to be chatting casually as if there was no intimidation at all.


    ¡°Good, good indeed! I see you¡¯re like a cooked duck ¨C stubborn!¡±


    Damned Fatty clearly didn¡¯t expect Di Yelei to respond like this, so he had brought a gang of ruffians who specialized in illicit business and were active in several nearby small towns.


    Usually, when he appeared with this group of people, no matter who it was, they would feel some fear. Of course, he had encountered fearless people, but he had nevere across a vige man who remained so calm.


    ¡°Do you really think we are just here for show? Brothers, go! Show him our strength! Rob him of his silver!¡±


    As Damned Fatty shouted, two tall and powerful men stepped out from the surrounding crowd and quickly approached Di Yelei.


    ¡°Sisi, take care of the children.¡±


    Di Yelei found the chance to take a nce and casually picked up the shoulder pole used for carrying game.


    Liu Sisi hastily nodded. Even if he didn¡¯t tell her, she would take good care of the two children.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    Di Ying¡¯s voice trembled, and Sisi clung to Liu Sisi¡¯s dress, refusing to let go.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Ying¡¯er, don¡¯t be afraid. Xuan¡¯er, hurry behind mom.¡±


    Liu Sisi tightly shielded the two children behind her, bemoaning this unprovoked disaster.


    Just as they were talking, the two ruffians had already strode up to Di Yelei. Each reached out to grab Di Yelei¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Courting death!¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly spoke. As his words fell, everyone felt their vision blur¡­


    Boom! Boom!


    Dust filled the air!


    As the two heavy sounds rang out, the spectators saw the two ruffians copsing to the ground, writhing in pain and wailing.


    Yet themb in everyone¡¯s eyes still stood tall, his body tense, and the ordinary ck shoulder pole, corroded by sweat over time, remained in front of him.


    ¡°You, you actually!¡­¡±


    Unable to hide the fear in his eyes, Damned Fatty sized up Di Yelei as if it was the first time he¡¯d met him. The two ruffians were no match for him alone. Were these people too useless or was the opponent too formidable?


    ¡°Go! Everyone together, take him down! In addition to the originally agreed silver, I¡¯ll treat everyone to a big meal tonight!¡± If he couldn¡¯t put him down, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hang around this small town any longer!


    ¡°Brothers,e on!¡±


    Under the promise of a generous reward, the ruffians eagerly pounced at Di Yelei, intending to capture him in one fell swoop!

 Chapter 42 - 40: Pecked in the Eye by Wild Geese After Hunting Them All Day

    Chapter 42: Chapter 40: Pecked in the Eye by Wild Geese After Hunting Them All Day


    Trantor: 549690339


    Di Yelei¡¯s legs were steady like the roots of a tree, his tall figure was firmly shielding Liu Sisi behind him.


    Facing this group of rushing rascals, his eyes slightly narrowed, and the shoulder pole in his hand spun around¡­


    Bang! Bang, Bang¡ª¡ª


    Before Liu Sisi could see clearly, she could only hear the sound of dust flying in the air, apanied by screams and the sound of heavy objects hitting the ground, which was quite eerie!


    Di Yelei actually had such skills, which was truly shocking to her.


    It also made Liu Sisi extremely excited!


    His figure became taller in her eyes, and a warm current spread across her body. She wished she could also rush forward and fight in the same exhrating way!


    Di Yelei¡¯s movements were fast, and it didn¡¯t take long, all the rascals were lying on the ground, the only one left standing was the Damned Fatty!


    Suddenly he turned around, his sharp eyes instantly stared at the Damned Fatty.


    The Damned Fatty was shaking like a sieve, and when he saw those eyes, a murky yellow liquid spread from his crotch, making arge stain on the ground.


    It was at this moment that he realized he had messed with the wrong person!


    ¡°You, you, you¡­don¡¯te over, don¡¯te over! I tell you, my cousin is the leader of the Qinglong Mountain, if you¡­¡±


    Hearing the Damned Fatty¡¯s severely trembling voice trying to sound threatening, Di Yelei nced at the puddle at his feet and frowned.


    ¡°We don¡¯t interfere with each other¡¯s business, but since you dared to provoke me, you should have thought of the consequences. If you want to find someone to teach me a lesson, I, Di Yelei, will be happy to oblige! However, if there is a next time, don¡¯t me me, Di Yelei, for being ruthless!¡±


    After finishing his words one by one, a fierce sh crossed the bottom of his eyes. He took two steps forward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯te over! My dog¡¯s eyes failed to recognize you. I deserve to die! Please spare my life, hero¡­ ¡±


    The Damned Fatty screamed in fear and begged for mercy, his body couldn¡¯t help but shiver, fearing that Di Yelei would make a move on him again.


    ¡°Sisi, let¡¯s go!¡±


    A touch of mockery shed in the corner of Di Yelei¡¯s eyes, as such a bully who¡¯s afraid of the tough and preys on the weak was beyond redemption!


    ¡°Wait, Ye Lei.¡±


    Liu Sisi had an idea, and she didn¡¯t intend to let it go just like that.


    ¡°You, you! And all of you! Give back the silver that you stole from us! Hurry up and return it voluntarily!¡±


    The stolen silver? The rascals wailing on the ground were stunned! The Damned Fatty was also stunned!


    When did they steal silver from Liu Sisi? They didn¡¯t even get a chance to do anything!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s smile was radiant, her eyes squinted, and sheughed with arching eyebrows, revealing a row of shiny white little teeth, ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t return it, that¡¯s fine too! However, in that case, we¡¯ll have to send you to the government office and let the Lord County Magistrate make the final decision!¡±


    ¡°You!¡­¡±


    Were they being yed here!


    Being notoriously greedy, the Macheng County Magistrate¡¯s office was like entering a tiger¡¯s den. Entering the governmental office with their status and even if they could bribe their way out, they would be lucky to escape with their lives!


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we going? Are you just not going to return our money?¡± There was a cunning glint in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes.


    Di Yelei stood still, his gaze sweeping over the wailing people on the ground.


    He who knows when to act is a true hero. These rascals had been frightened by Di Yelei, and as his eyes swept over them, they hurriedly handed over the precious silver in their pockets.


    Over ten rascalsbined only amounted to no more than 200 copper coins, to Liu Sisi¡¯s speechlessness! The biggest Fatty, however, was a good harvest, carrying over one tael of silver!


    ¡°Gentlemen, every day you bully others, you¡¯ll eventually be challenged. I advise you to stay on the right path! Aren¡¯t you tired of your dangerous life, living by the knife every day? Be wise!¡± After saying that, Liu Sisi pocketed the silver and left with Di Yelei and the children.


    It was only when they could no longer see Di Yelei and his group that Damned Fatty caught his breath: ¡°Mother! That scared me! Howe I¡¯ve never noticed that he¡¯s such a ruthless person?¡± If he knew this would happen, even if he had more guts, he wouldn¡¯t dare to mess with him.


    After catching his breath, he started grieving over the loss of his silver again: ¡°Women¡¯s hearts are indeed the deadliest¡­ Oh, my silver!¡±


    The rascals finally got up from the ground. Although Di Yelei knocked them down, he did not cause any real harm to them.


    But when did these rascals ever suffer such a loss? They naturally wanted to save face!


    Since they couldn¡¯t deal with Di Yelei, they decided to choose the softer target¡­


    Everyone¡¯s eyes homed in on Damned Fatty.


    As Damned Fatty mourned for his silver, the light in front of him suddenly dimmed. Instinctively, he opened his green bean-sized eyes and looked around at the rascals surrounding him. Only then did he realize something was wrong.


    ¡°What do you want? Don¡¯t forget, we¡¯re in this together¡­ Ah! Save me!¡±


    The distant cries for help didn¡¯t stop Liu Sisi and the others. By dusk, they finally arrived home.


    Di Yelei busied himself storing the items they bought today, while Liu Sisi prepared dinner.


    Naturally, the main course was rice. Di Yelei nced at it and swallowed the reminder he was about to say. He originally expected the rice tost for three months until the autumn harvest, when they could buy grain from their fellow vigers. That would be cheaper and more convenient. However, judging by the way Liu Sisi cooked, he estimated the rice would be enough for only two months at most.


    Liu Sisi, of course, was unaware of his thoughts and proceeded to scoop adle of pure flour to add water and steam buns. During the day, an old man had given her a small handful of chives, which was perfect for vegetable buns.


    ¡°Today we taught those rascals a lesson. Will they take revenge on us?¡±


    At that moment, Di Yelei was erging the hole behind the bowl cab, intending to store the grains they bought.


    Upon hearing her words, he looked at Liu Sisi and said, ¡°They are professional swindlers who don¡¯t take action lightly. Right now, under the circumstances, the only unlucky one will be that Head Chef.¡±


    While kneading the dough, Liu Sisi¡¯s face lit up, ¡°Really? That damned Fatty deserves it. I hope they fight among themselves, then they won¡¯t have time to bother us.¡±


    ¡°You! You¡¯re still so mischievous!¡±


    Love and affection filled Di Yelei¡¯s eyes as he assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Those rascals won¡¯t dare toe here!¡±


    While Di Yelei was certain, Liu Sisi remained skeptical and could only keep her doubts to herself.


    For dinner, Liu Sisi steamed a whole basket of chive buns, stewed half a wild chicken in soup, and stir-fried thest few pieces of Manchurian wild rice, nning to make do for the meal.


    As the steaming basket was opened, the distinctive aroma of chive buns rushed to the nose. Liu Sisi took a te and quickly loaded a few white buns: ¡°Xuan¡¯er, hurry up and take these buns to your grandpa.¡± No matter how unwee their own family was, she needed to observe the proper filial piety.

 Chapter 43 - 43: 41: The Greatest Test of Willpower!

    Chapter 43 - 43: 41: The Greatest Test of Willpower!


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°You go to grandpa¡¯s house and give him the vegetable buns, thene back. No matter what they say, just reply that you don¡¯t know, understand?¡±


    Liu Sisi instructed with apprehension, reaching out to touch Di Xuan¡¯s topknot, but he ducked out of the way.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Di Xuan turned and ran out the door, but Liu Sisi still caught sight of the charcoal residue on his fingertips.


    He must have been hiding away practicing writing by himself again, right? It seemed that the child was genuinely at the age to start learning to write! Next time they went to the market, she¡¯d have to buy him some paper and pens.


    Picking up thest batch of baby bok choy from Aunt Zhang, Liu Sisi stir-fried a te of vegetables and then set the cooked dishes on the table.


    Di Yelei had put everything away by this point, but he still couldn¡¯t help feeling uneasy: ¡°I¡¯ve divided the grain into three portions: one is ced next to the bowl cab, another is hidden behind the bowl cab, and the rest is in the cer behind the house. The cer isn¡¯t deep enough, so I¡¯ll dig it bigger someday to store more food.¡±


    ¡°That works. I¡¯ve thought about it, and next time we go to the market, you can buy some bowls and dishes to bring back, as well as two pickle jars for me to make pickled cabbage. We also need to buy some oil; we can¡¯t be without it, as the two children are growing.¡±


    ¡°Alright, there are still a few days until the next market, so it¡¯s not toote to buy then. As for the pickling jars you mentioned, there are some in the cer behind the house. They haven¡¯t been used for a long time, so they might need thorough cleaning before use. In the next couple of days, I n to chop some wood and rebuild the bathhouse, then make some benches and household items so that you won¡¯tck anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that we have jars. As for the cleaning work, I¡¯ll take care of it!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes lit up as she patted Di Ying¡¯s freshly washed hands, signaling her toe to the table.


    ¡°As for the bathhouse, make sure to build it sturdily. I¡¯m terrified of those bugs. We also need to get a few more bamboo baskets and dustpans.¡±


    A hand from the side quietly grabbed hers, firmly wrapping her small hand. Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were on fire: ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re my lucky star.¡± This was his heartfelt feeling. His heart had never been as calm as it was at the moment. Just looking at the little woman in front of him, a sense of satisfaction filled his chest.


    Seeing those burning eyes, Liu Sisi hurriedly dodged them, and her face quickly turned red.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t talk nonsense. The children are watching; it¡¯s not right.¡±


    As she spoke, she nced at YingEr who pulled her hand away forcefully, but she could still feel the faint warmth on her hand.


    Quickly using the chore ofying out the table to escape from him, she said, ¡°¡­The old house is not far away. Xuan¡¯er should be back by now. What if something went wrong?¡±


    ¡°There should be no problem. He¡¯s walked this path many times. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Di Yelei wanted toe closer, but seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s slender neck turn red, he stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m back.¡± Like a gust of wind, Di Xuan ran back.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er is back. Hurry up and wash your hands for dinner.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly scanned Di Xuan and didn¡¯t see any injuries. Only then did she rx.


    ¡°Dad, grandmother said that our family bought so many things and only sent them a few buns, as if we were just giving to beggars ¡­ and that you should have a conscience and not monopolize everything. Then Second Aunt came¡­ After that, grandfather told me toe back, so I ran back.¡± Di Xuan stammered as he washed his hands.


    Although Liu Sisi didn¡¯t witness the actual situation, she knew that the process couldn¡¯t have been as simple as Di Xuan described.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyebrows frowned, but he didn¡¯t say much and just called everyone to eat: ¡°Come on, let¡¯s sit down and eat.¡±


    The meal ended in silence.


    After dinner, Di Yelei continued building the bamboo bed under the moonlight. Watching the bed slowly take shape in his hands, Liu Sisi marveled at his remarkable skill.


    ¡°Alright! This bed is done, so we won¡¯t have to struggle squeezing in the old one anymore.¡±


    After nailing thest nail, Di Yelei sat on the bamboo bed with satisfaction, testing its sturdiness.


    Finally, he wouldn¡¯t have to endure the cruel torture of only being able to look but not touch every night!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes were already gleaming with excitement. The weather was getting hotter, and the bamboo bed would definitely be cooler to sleep on.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on this bed, and you sleep on the old one!¡± Before, Liu Sisi would never have dared to say this, but after spending time together, she naturally understood that despite Di Yelei¡¯s fierce appearance, he actually cared for her deeply.


    Di Yelei looked deeply at her without saying anything but picked up a grindstone to carefully polish the edges of the bamboo strips on the bed.


    What¡¯s the big deal about not saying anything!


    She stuck her tongue out making a face at him, but was caught by Di Yelei who looked back in the midst of turning around.


    Liu Sisi lowered her head sheepishly, touched her nose, and then escaped to the kitchen as if flying: ¡°I¡¯ll go heat up the bathwater!¡±


    How humiliating, right?


    Di Yelei watched her figure and a shallow smile melted the coldness on his face as he shook his head helplessly.


    She¡¯s still a little girl after all, it¡¯s no wonder she still has such a childish side.


    He suddenly thought of his visit to the clinic before, when he secretly asked the sitting doctor about the baby in Sisi¡¯s belly while she was settling ounts. The smile on his face faded involuntarily.


    Originally, he was afraid that Sisi would be heartbroken, so he asked the doctor quietly. But what he didn¡¯t expect was to get an answer that surprised him.


    ¡°What baby? This girl has tight fuzz between her brows and a clear forehead, which clearly indicates that she is a virgin. How can there be a baby? Don¡¯t randomly make up stories that would ruin a girl¡¯s innocence and her life!¡± In the end, the doctor even red at him fiercely.


    He couldn¡¯t even remember how he left the clinic!


    It was beyond his expectations that Liu Sisi was still a virgin.


    Whenever he thought of his beloved girl being so pure, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a rush of desire to throw her down and love her, deeply and repeatedly, never getting enough!


    Heaven knows how much willpower he had to expend to forcibly suppress the longing in his heart.


    But it absolutely couldn¡¯t happen now! Her body is too weak to bear such demands, and every blink of an eye in the same bed is the greatest test of his will.


    However, he understood he shouldn¡¯t indulge in lust because of lust. It seemed that he had truly fallen in love with his delicate kitten.


    Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly; there would be plenty of time in the future. It was just that a man¡¯s desire coulde quickly and fiercely, and he took a deep breath to suppress the burning in his heart, reminding himself that he couldn¡¯t have hot tofu by being impatient.


    But as he looked up, there was a sudden ¡°boom¡± in his head, as if his entire brain had exploded!


    Reflected on the swaying candlelit window was a seductive silhouette of an upper body, and the trembling peaks seemed to jump right into his eyes. Apart from that, he could see nothing else!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Please help by casting a rmendation vote for the new book list. Dear readers, please move your fingers and help! Craft_paper needs your support. Thank you, everyone!

 Chapter 44 - 44: 32 Trade_2

    Chapter 44 - 44: 32 Trade_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    No matter what, it¡¯s not toote to go shopping for food after the grand opening.


    Di Yelei thought this made sense, so he put the copper coins away.


    Liu Sisi quickly arranged the mushrooms and other items in her basket, tightly next to the pile of game. She deliberately arranged the mushrooms one by one to make them look more appealing. Next to them, she arranged the mountain loquats and thorny eagnus fruits.


    Perhaps it was because the items at Liu sisi¡¯s stall were so unique. As soon as sheid them out, someone immediately came over to ask about the prices.


    ¡°What is this? Mushrooms? How much are they?¡±


    The questioner is a middle-aged woman carrying a vegetable basket, followed by a maid, clearly a woman of means.


    Liu Sisi eagerly burst into a smile and said loudly: ¡°Madam, these are mushrooms that my husband and I picked while hunting in the mountains. Whatever the variety, they¡¯re all 40 copper coins a catty. These are Shaggy ink caps, their taste is delicious and simr to chicken meat and cost 80 copper coins a catty. Madam, would you like to buy some to taste?¡±


    The madam gasped: ¡°Why is it so expensive? And could these mushrooms be poisonous?¡±


    ¡°Not expensive, madam. When ites to food, freshness is paramount! Look at these mushrooms, I have carefully cleaned them. If you buy them, you just need to wash them casually before cooking, very easy. Moreover, I tried some of these mushroomsst night, they¡¯re absolutely non-toxic. You can eat them with confidence.¡±


    While Liu Sisi was talking, she made a point to open the food box she had brought. Inside was a half-eaten mushroom. She then took a big gulp of soup.


    The sight of Liu Sisi doing this lit up the madam¡¯s eyes!


    Everyone knows that there are mushrooms in the mountains, but no one can definitively say which are safe to eat and which are poisonous.


    But now that someone had already eaten these mushrooms, if she bought them, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about them being poisonous!


    ¡°Moreover, give me a catty of each. I¡¯ll taste it first. If it tastes good, and you are still selling here next time, I wille back to buy some more.¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t weigh it, instead Liu Sisi borrowed a scale from the adjacent stall and gave the madam a generous amount, and finally threw in a few extra mushrooms.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s actions made the madam squint her eyes andugh, obviously very satisfied.


    ¡°Thank you, madam, that¡¯s a total of 120 copper coins. Madam, this is the game my husband hunted in the mountains yesterday. The game is very nutritious. Since you are here early, you can pick arge one. These wild chickens are 80 coins each, rabbits are 100 coins each, roe deer are 250 coins, and elk is 2 taels of silver. Would you like take one home?¡±


    The madam carefully looked at the game: ¡°Is this fresh? It wouldn¡¯t be good if I eat it in the afternoon and it has spoiled.¡±


    ¡°Madam, rest assured, this game was just hunted yesterday and evenst night we kept it chilled in well water, it¡¯s not spoiled for sure.¡±


    The married woman fondled the beast meat for a while, ¡°I¡¯ll take this rabbit and the pheasant, pack it for me.¡±


    Di Yelei on the side was quite taken aback, two pieces of game were sold just like that?


    Was it this easy?


    Liu Sisi worked quickly, grabbing severalrge banana leaves from the side to wrap the two pieces of game specified by the woman and put them in the woman¡¯s basket.


    ¡°Madam, would you like to bring some loquats home for your children? These fruits are really sweet, kids love them. And these thorny eagnus fruits, if there are pregnant women in your home, they would probably like its sour taste.¡±


    Sure enough, her daughter-inw was pregnant and loved sour food the most!


    Looking at the fruits in the basket, the woman¡¯s eyes lit up immediately upon tasting a loquat. It was really sweet and delicious. She couldn¡¯t resist extending her hand to pick up another loquat and pop it into her mouth.


    After eating two, she seemed to still want more, reaching out again¡­ until she saw Liu Sisi¡¯s smiling face, then her face turned slightly red, and she retracted her hand: ¡°How much are these?¡±


    Liu Sisiughed: ¡°These fruits are light in weight, so we don¡¯t weigh them, but they taste good. Both adults and children like to eat them. Always eating pears and apples can be tedious, right? So these fruits are just right to change the taste. If madam is interested in buying all of it, one type of fruit is 30 copper coins, if you buy both together it¡¯s 50 copper coins! So in total, 360 copper coins.¡±


    Also, the madam quickly took out copper coins from her arms and handed Liu Sisi 400 copper coins: ¡°Here, take this money. I will also take the basket, what¡¯s left over can be considered as a tip for you.¡±


    40 copper coins for two semi-used bamboo baskets was quite a surplus!


    Liu Sisi did not hesitate, received the coins naturally, and her eyes curled into a smile as she said, ¡°Madam, if you find it delicious, remember to patronize us again next time. My husband often goes hunting in the mountains, so there¡¯s always fresh game at hand. Wee toe again!¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes were deep: ¡°If it tastes good when I go home, I will definitelye again.¡±


    After the woman left, Liu Sisi was excited!


    These 400 copper coins were the first money she had earned since she came to this world!


    Di Yelei, who was next to her, was also very happy. In no time at all, two pieces of the game were sold. His little wife was really amazing!


    The longer he knew her, the more inscrutable Di Yelei found her, always feeling that Liu Sisi was more mysterious, as if she had a surprise waiting for him at any moment.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, took 25 silver coins from this sum, and put them into Di Xuan¡¯s hand who was sitting next to her: ¡°Here! This is the money you and YingEr earned by digging up loquats yesterday. Keep it, but be careful not to lose it.¡±

 Chapter 45 - 42: Escaping in a Panic

    Chapter 45:? Chapter 42: Escaping in a Panic


    Trantor: 549690339


    The visual impact was countless times greater than what he had experienced in his daily life!


    Suddenly, he felt a heat, a surge of hot blood rushing from somewhere!


    In his eyes, only the trembling tip was constantly shaking in front of him, gradually erging¡­


    Undeniably, though he said he didn¡¯t care about Sisi¡¯s past, the moment he knew Sisi was still pure, he waspletely surrounded by surprise and joy!


    This indescribable feeling was like owning the whole world in an instant.


    That disobedient part of him was moring to break free from its cage, vent its anger, and bury itself in thend of happiness for repeated exploration, feeling very satisfied.


    A cold breeze blew, and he shivered violently, finally waking from this trance.


    His mind was bewildered, and he secretly felt ashamed. When did he fall into the ranks of inexperienced youngsters!


    He was 28 years old now, and the other party was only fifteen. The feeling of an old cow eating tender grass surged in his heart. What a sin!


    Looking up, there was no more figure on the window, and the voices of Sisi and YingEr wereing from inside the room. Listening carefully, it was clear that YingEr was urging Sisi to bathe together.


    Shared bathing?


    A picture suddenly appeared in front of Di Yelei¡¯s eyes¡­


    In the misty fog, a rich floral fragrance filled the air, and a jade-like figure sat in the bathtub, scooping warm water and sprinkling it down from the air.


    The flowers floating on the water raised and slowly fell with her movement,nding on her crystal-clear, jade-like skin.


    As her arm raised, the wine-red rose-filled water rippled beneath the surface.


    With her eyes half-closed, her face showed tenderness and honeyed sentiment, and a few strands ofziness brought out an enchanting charm.


    The yful water droplets slid down her arm like broken beads, slowly dripping¡­


    He approached silently, carefully gazing at the arm exposed above the water, feeling his blood boiling¡­


    Creak!


    The room door was suddenly opened, and a swaying candlelight flowed through the crack.


    The sudden light shone on his face, waking Di Yelei from his trance and instinctively stretching his hand to block the dazzling radiance.


    Looking at the light source, he saw Sisi struggling with a barrel of bathwatering out of the inner room. He hurriedly went to meet her.


    ¡°Here, give me the barrel! Such a heavy barrel, don¡¯t hurt your hand.¡± While speaking, he took the wooden barrel and quickly turned around and left, as if a ghost was chasing him from behind.


    Liu Sisi watched Di Yelei¡¯s weird walking posture, locking her eyebrows in confusion.


    When Sisi came back to the room after settling YingEr, she found that Di Yelei had ced the bamboo bed and wooden bed side by side. The bed seemed to be countless timesrger, so there was no need to worry about the heat!


    At this time, Di Yelei was busyying the mat and diligently avoiding Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s not early, you should go to sleep! There are still some bamboo strips left, which I can use to weave bamboo baskets and dustpans.¡±


    Having said that, his eyes didn¡¯t meet Liu Sisi¡¯s, and he almost fled in defeat!


    ¡°But it¡¯s already veryte, why don¡¯t you do it tomorrow¡­¡±


    Before Liu Sisi could finish her words, Di Yelei had already walked out quickly, mming the door shut and startling her.


    He had been acting strangely today. Was it because Xuan¡¯er was upset at the old house and it made him feel bad?


    Yes, that must be the reason.


    Since returning from the market, Liu Sisi had kept busy until now, when she finally had a chance to carefully organize today¡¯s ie.


    After expenses for buying cloth and grain, she still had 14,213 coins left. She had taken more than one tael of silver from the damned Fatty and the rascals, making a total of 15 taels and 432 copper coins. This was already two-thirds of the 20 taels of silver needed to repay her debt.


    She was very satisfied with the progress, and it seemed that it would not take half a year before the ¡°huge sum¡± for an ordinary farmer¡¯s family could be cleared!


    Liu Sisi counted several times, put the small amounts of silver in her pocket, and picked up the 15 taels of silver, considering where would be safe enough to hide it.


    Looking around, Liu Sisi first dug a hole under the bed corner, buried the silver, and filled the hole with dirt.


    This was just a temporary storage ce. As one clever rabbit has three burrows, she shouldn¡¯t put all her eggs in the same basket.


    The hiding ce for silver must be safe and secure, and withstand numerous searches without being found. Although Ms. Wang had sworn not to take things again, it didn¡¯t mean that she wouldn¡¯t manipte others to do so. To Liu Sisi, she couldn¡¯t afford to take the slightest chance. Hiding a small amount in each ce and even if she lost some of it, she would still have the remaining silver left.


    Could this adobe wall and thatched hut keep out a real thief?


    She didn¡¯t believe it!


    Liu Sisi blew out themp and slowlyy down on the bed. The bamboo bed was indeed much cooler than the wooden one, and the biggest reason was that she was the only person on the bed! For Liu Sisi, who had been used to sleeping alone in her previous life, there was nothing morefortable than getting a good night¡¯s sleep alone!


    After thinking about it for a long time, Liu Sisi finally fell asleep. It wasn¡¯t until Di Yelei finished weaving two bamboo baskets by moonlight that he took a bath and returned to the room.


    Liu Sisi in the room was already fast asleep. She was lying sideways on the big bed with an awful sleeping posture, hugging two pillows, her back facing Di Yelei, and her body twisted into an S-shape.


    Gazing at the curved Liu Sisi, Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but extend his hand, cautiously touching her slender waist lightly, then quickly withdrew.


    His heart was pounding like a drum, as if it would jump out of his chest the next moment.


    After a while, Liu Sisi made no movement, still sound asleep.


    Di Yelei regained his courage, and his wolfish hand reached out towards the sleeping girl again.


    This time, his target was not her slender waist but her chest that trembled with every breath.


    Liu Sisi was still sleeping soundly,pletely unaware of the danger behind her.


    His eyes were as red as blood, and his breathing became increasingly heavy, with trembling wolf-like paws slowly approaching, crossing her back, following her lying body, slowly reaching forward and aiming to grab¡­


    ¡°Mmm, hmm.¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively turned onto her back, barely missing the hand that Di Yelei had reached towards her.


    She still held the two pillows in her arms, using her hand to brush off the stubborn strands of hair from her neck that Di Yelei¡¯s heavy breath had blown onto her, revealing her slender swan neck.


    She remainedpletely unaware of her dangerous situation, found a satisfactory sleeping position, and continued to plunge into dreand.


    With her movement, the neckline of her inner garment was pulled and the exquisite skin that was exposed.

 Chapter 46 - 43: Asking for Trouble

    Chapter 46: Chapter 43: Asking for Trouble


    Trantor: 549690339


    Di Yelei found himself infatuated, seemingly frozen in ce, absolutely immobile.


    In his eyes, there was only that fair whiteness, far more tender and smooth than the softest tofu, which was irresistibly enticing. He uncontrobly extended his wandering hand again¡­.


    His predatory hand reached out slowly, drawing closer and closer to the white silhouette. Even though it was concealed by her inner clothing, a hint of an alluring shadow, vague and ephemeral, sent his heart pounding.


    As his hand stealthily neared the cor of her clothes, Di Yelei felt a wave of umcontrolled excitement!


    Taking a deep breath, he aimed for the object of his desire¡­


    ¡°Uh¡­ Ye Lei?¡±


    Liu Sisi moved slightly, her voice seemingly as melodic as a singing oriole, startling Di Yelei and making him jump!


    He quickly withdrew his hand!


    Heaven!


    If he were caught, he would be utterly shameless!


    Di Yelei finally awakened from his own nightmarish desires, wiping off the imaginary sweat. He had just scared himself!


    He couldn¡¯t bear to imagine how it would feel to be looked at by Sisi with strange eyes.


    Di Yelei cleared his throat, ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    After what seemed like a struggle, Liu Sisi opened her eyes just a crack, ¡°Ye Lei, I¡¯m thirsty! I want to drink water.¡±


    ¡°Alright, wait for me. I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±


    His voice, softer than he himself perceived, was as gentle as water.


    Entering the kitchen, he scooped up argedle of well water, gulping it down, managing to suppress the fiery desires within him.


    He had obviously been enchanted just before! That girl¡¯s charm was a temptation he simply couldn¡¯t resist!


    Once he finally calmed down a bit, he walked into the room with the cooled boiled water, ¡°Sisi, wake up and drink water, Sisi.¡±


    The drowsy Liu Sisi moved her lips, her eyes still refusing to open.


    ¡°Sisi,e now, get up quickly and drink the water.¡±


    Di Yelei put down therge bowl in his hand and carefully helped Liu Sisi to sit up.


    The touch of her delicate, tender skin drove his heart wild again. However, he had to suppress his raging emotions, telling her in a steady voice, ¡°Sisi, here, drink water quickly.¡±


    ¡°Um¡ª¡ª¡±


    The constant urging near her ear made Liu Sisi¡¯s eyebrows furrow. Battling between the need for water and the urge to doze off, she finally gathered the strength to open her eyes a little.


    ¡°Ye¡­ Lei.¡±


    Her sweetly aromatic breath made Di Yelei¡¯s heart flutter. He had to forcefully pull his attention back, quieting his rushing thoughts before lifting therge bowl, ¡°I¡¯m here, Sisi, drink water.¡±


    The cool rim of the bowl at her lips brought the thirsty Liu Sisi some rity. She reached out to hold the bowl and couldn¡¯t help but take a big gulp of water.


    ¡°Cough cough cough! Cough cough¡­¡±


    The sudden rush of cool water in her windpipe sent Liu Sisi into a violent bout of coughing, her eyes tearing up. It took her a while to catch her breath and finally managed to chase away her sleepiness.


    ¡°Look at you, how can you be so careless? You even choke on water, goodness you!¡±


    Di Yelei repeatedly patted Liu Sisi¡¯s back, his heart aching inexplicably. Her body was incredibly frail.


    ¡°No more! I was just careless.¡±


    Liu Sisi stuck her tongue out and plunged her head back into the bowl. This time, she sipped slowly until she had drunk over half the bowl of water before she finally stopped.


    ¡°Maybe I added too much salt to the dinner and got really thirsty, so you had to get up in the middle of the night to pour me water.¡± Liu Sisi felt somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small effort, no big deal. You should quickly go to sleep now, it¡¯s gettingte,¡± Di Yelei¡¯s voice was very husky.


    It was really not his fault. After themotion just now, Liu Sisi¡¯s inner garment¡¯s cor had loosened. Looking down her cor from where he was hugging her, he could see a beautiful sight; bouncy, quivering flesh, pink and enchanting, radiating exquisite attraction.


    His previously subsided excitement quickly aroused, moring wildly, craving for more.


    ¡°Go to sleep quickly. I¡¯ll put the bowl in the kitchen.¡±


    Di Yelei forcefully pushed Liu Sisi away from him, almost fleeing in haste.


    Pushed away all of a sudden, Liu Sisi nearly stumbled, looking puzzled in the direction of Di Yelei¡¯s hasty departure.


    What happened?


    Did he get angry because the act of pouring me the boiling water somehow hurt his macho image?


    He¡¯s too sensitive!


    Thinking this, Liu Sisi defiantlyy down on the pillow, her face turned towards the wall, and shut her eyes to continue sleeping. However, after all the fuss, her sleepiness had flown to Java Country ¨C she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t return to the room to sleep for a long time. It seemed he was genuinely upset. Such a man was absolutely speechless!


    Liu Sisi made a secret vow: next time, even if she were dying of thirst, she would definitely not call for him!


    Pouring bucket after bucket of cold water on himself, Di Yelei was drenched from head to toe. Even the chilly well water in June couldn¡¯t alleviate the overwhelming heat he was feeling.


    Especially that bewitching fire in his heart¡ªso hot it left him speechless!


    He had been in turmoil for a while, feeling helpless and secretly thinking that he must quickly restore Sisi¡¯s health, he was getting impatient!


    When he finally entered the room, he saw Sisi sleeping facing the wall.


    Even after he saw her exposed curves earlier, his body ached again!


    It seems taking a cold shower waspletely useless. How was he supposed to sleep now!?


    Quietly taking off his shoes and getting into bed, he carefully slept as far away from Liu Sisi as possible, at the very edge of the wide bed, his back towards Liu Sisi, regretting his decision immensely.


    Sleeping in the same bed seemed to be like inviting punishment!


    Liu Sisi hadn¡¯t fallen asleep at all.


    Originally, she was considering what had happened just now in her mind. They usually slept embracing each other, and even if she wanted to escape from his arms, she would be pulled back. But now, with almost two beds¡¯ width of distance between the two of them, she couldn¡¯t help but overthink!


    At that moment, she couldn¡¯t figure out the real reason why Di Yelei was avoiding her. She kept ming that petty man in her heart, and was tossing and turning, unable to sleep.


    The worst part was that, due to drinking too much water, she felt the need to use the restroom again. But to go to the restroom, she would have to step over Di Yelei, who was sleeping on the outside of the bed.


    No, I¡¯d better not go. I need to hold it in! However, the increasingly intense urge to urinate was making her lower abdomen more and more ufortable, causing her to subconsciously clench her legs together.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Dear readers! I¡¯m begging for all sorts of things! Seeking rmendation tickets, monthly tickets, subscriptions, gratuities. Moreover, I am no longer a new author, I guarantee I won¡¯t abandon this piece, please be assured on this point.

 Chapter 47 - 44: So embarrassing!

    Chapter 47: Chapter 44: So embarrassing!


    Trantor: 549690339


    At the moment, Di Yelei was not asleep at all. The lingering fragrance from the kitten¡¯s body troubled him enough, let alone the rest.


    What was worse, the other party kept tossing and turning, which was simply a naked temptation. Even though he tried hard to ignore it and closed his eyes pretending to sleep, he still couldn¡¯t escape from the temptation.


    Can¡¯t stand it anymore! He had to get up.


    She didn¡¯t want to wet the bed, that would be too humiliating!


    Getting up cautiously, Liu Sisi used both her hands and feet to slowly crawl out and came to Di Yelei¡¯s side. Only then did she carefully observe him for a moment, noticing that he was still fast asleep, before happily standing up and trying to step over him.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were closed, but his hearing was excellent.


    How could these small movements of Liu Sisi escape his ears?


    As soon as she started moving towards him, he immediately noticed, but he still held his breath and pretended to sleep, just to see what Liu Sisi was up to.


    But Liu Sisi didn¡¯t stop her movements, only stopping when she reached his side. The hot breathing from her nose wings made him understand that she was staring at him at the moment.


    What exactly did she want to do?


    Di Yelei spected countless answers in his heart.


    But in the next moment, she suddenly stood up and straddled him.


    He wasn¡¯t mistaken, she actually straddled him! Could it be that she had some special preferences, such as preferring the superior position, so¡­


    Di Yelei was secretly delighted in his heart, then suddenly opened his eyes and reached out to grab her!


    ¡°Ah! Ouch¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi screamed! ¡°Plop¡± as she fell heavily onto Di Yelei.


    She thought Di Yelei was asleep, and was just stepping over him when suddenly, he grabbed her ankle and pulled. Luckily, his quick reflexes caught her, otherwise, she would have tumbled straight down to the bed instead of falling onto his cushioning body!


    ¡°Ouch¡ª¡±


    With her hand covering the bruised nose, Liu Sisi¡¯s tears flowed down in torrents.


    ¡°Sisi! What are you doing?¡±


    Di Yelei clenched his teeth in anger as he asked.


    His hand was clutching a certain ce that had almost been folded back. The intense pain from that fragile part made the veins on his face throb in pain, sweat dripping down heavily.


    Liu Sisi sat down abruptly, almost breaking his thing!


    It was simply unbearable!


    After being yelled at by Di Yelei, the grievances umted over one night and the pain from her nose caused Liu Sisi to finally burst into tears, her sobbing growing more and more heartbroken.


    It was then that Di Yelei realized something was wrong and got up despite the pain.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s wrong? Did you hurt somewhere?¡±


    Since he was gritting his teeth in pain, Di Yelei¡¯s words naturally came out with a harsh tone.


    However, this just made Liu Sisi feel more aggrieved, her tears streaming down even more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Sisi, don¡¯t cry. Come, let me see where you got hurt? Did you hurt your nose?¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly stretched out one hand to hug her, clumsilyforting her.


    ¡°Whimper¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, and she leaned into Di Yelei¡¯s arms and started crying.


    How embarrassing!


    She had lived for two lifetimes, yet she actually cried because she bumped her nose¡­ She was really too ashamed to face anyone.


    ¡°Good girl, Sisi, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Di Yelei gently wiped the tears that kept rolling down her face, finally managing to pull Liu Sisi¡¯s hands away. Seeing her red, swollen nose, he suddenly burst intoughter.


    Her red nose was like a little rabbit¡¯s, shy and timid, brimming with tears. She was just too adorable!


    He couldn¡¯t help but tighten his arm around her slender waist, not wanting to let go.


    Meanwhile, Liu Sisi kept squirming in his arms in an attempt to break free.


    ¡°Ye Lei, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop moving around! It¡¯ste, go to sleep quickly.¡± Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but tighten his arm andy her down in bed.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s small face flushed red with anxiety, and she couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°Let go! I¡­ I need to pee!¡±


    Di Yelei was stunned on the spot!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks turned crimson, too embarrassing!


    She didn¡¯t want to live anymore!


    ¡­


    For the next few days, Liu Sisi and Di Yelei spent their time avoiding each other¡¯s eyes.


    Probably because the incident was too embarrassing, they tacitly agreed not to mention it.


    But after that, every night before bed, Di Yelei would prepare a bowl of boiled water and put it by the bedside for Liu Sisi to drink at any time.


    Liu Sisi also made sure to go to the bathroom before bed so as to avoid any more awkward situations.


    Di Yelei was also busy, and Liu Sisi was surprised to find that his craftsmanship was excellent. In no time at all, he made various bamboo baskets, grass mats, fruit tes, dustpans, brooms, and more!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes sparkled with admiration, he was too impressive!


    Not only that, but he found the time to expand the cer behind the house by two or three times its original size. Liu Sisi also saw the cer on the cliff behind the house. The cer was narrow and resembled the opening of a well, filled with various rarely used items, including the pickling jar Di Yelei had mentioned.


    It was clear that the jar hadn¡¯t been used for a long time. Liu Sisi spent quite a bit of time cleaning it thoroughly before drying it in the courtyard, preparing to make pickled cabbage for the winter when there would be no vegetables to eat.


    On the other hand, Liu Sisi also used a round dustpan to sprout some yellow bean sprouts.


    When she bought the soybeans, she had already nned on eating the sprouts. This dish was convenient and easy to make, and it didn¡¯t take as long to grow as other vegetables. It would only take three to five days at most.


    Once the bean sprouts came out, the whole family liked the taste.


    Although the bean sprouts were delicious, Liu Sisi still missed the tofu she used to make. Unfortunately, there was no gypsum at home, so she had to wait until the market day to buy some and make it again.


    Even so, Liu Sisi asionally fried a te of soybeans directly to go with porridge.


    During her spare time, Liu Sisi began working on the defective silk garments.


    She thought from the beginning that the strange color of the ruined silk could be used to make ribbon flowers. Although the silk color was odd, as long as it was cleverlybined, it could still shine and show its beauty.


    Liu Sisi used YingEr¡¯s ribbon flower as a temte and imitated it to make a ribbon flower out of the weird-colored silk. She picked a piece of cloth from the scraps for the stamen and quicklypleted a flower.


    It must be said that Liu Sisi was very talented and dexterous. She was especially interested in arts and crafts such as paper cutting during her school days. Thus, her scissors were precise and quick, and the petals werepleted in no time.

 Chapter 48 - 45: Stealing a Person

    Chapter 48: Chapter 45: Stealing a Person


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Sisi is busy right now? Huh! Why can¡¯t I see Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er?¡±


    Guihua carried a bamboo basket and walked quickly into the yard, where Liu Sisi had already cut a bunch of ribbon flower petals.


    ¡°The two children went out to y. It¡¯s not good for them to always stay at home. Guihua,e in and sit down. I¡¯ll get you a cup of tea.¡±


    Seeing Guihua arrive, Liu Sisi hurriedly got up to greet her. In the midst of their conversation, she went into the kitchen, poured a bowl of cold boiled water, and said apologetically, ¡°We don¡¯t have any cups at home, Guihua, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t worry about it. We userge bowls at home too. Those small white porcin bowls are precious!¡±


    Aunt Zhang took therge bowl with a smile, took a sip, and then put the bowl down: ¡°I have nothing to do today, so I thought I¡¯de and visit my younger sister. I brought the clothes I made for Zhang Yun, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m bothering you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by bothering or not bothering? I have no rtives here and always looking forward to having a chat with sister Guihua.¡± Liu Sisi squinted her eyes with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I was also bored at home and wanted toe chat with my sister. Are you cutting flowers or something? Your hands are so skillful!¡±


    Guihua couldn¡¯t help but pick up one of the petals Liu Sisi had cut and admired it with a sound of admiration.


    Liu Sisi also sat down andughed shyly, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to sew clothes, but I am interested in making these little things.¡±


    ¡°Your handiwork is so good, and you can¡¯t sew clothes? That¡¯s easy. Elder Sister will teach you. I guarantee that you will learn it.¡± Guihua patted her chest to assure.


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Guihua.¡± Liu Sisi was overjoyed, and it was a perfect time to use that bolt of cloth.


    ¡°By the way, on that day at the market, I heard a lot of noiseing from the Di family¡¯s old house. Did you hear anything?¡± Guihua asked curiously while sewing the clothes in her hands.


    Liu Sisi, of course, knew that it was the day she had asked Di Xuan to take buns to the old house.


    ¡°The old house was noisy? We¡¯re far away and didn¡¯t hear any noise.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was all messy stuff anyway, it¡¯s best not to hear about it.¡±


    As Guihua wrapped up the conversation, she brought up a new topic: ¡°Do you remember that pockmarked-faced woman we met onundry day?¡±


    ¡°Of course, what happened to her?¡±


    Liu Sisi certainly wouldn¡¯t forget the pockmarked-faced woman who had picked a fight with her that day.


    ¡°Let me tell you, the other day, that pockmarked-faced woman was caught naked with Big Mouth Li from the vige in the orchard by her husband. How could her man bear to wear such a green hat? He pped her and kicked her. That rash woman didn¡¯t know shame, she fought back and scratched her husband¡¯s face all over. Now he has scratches and bloodstains all over his face, haha¡­¡±


    Guihua whispered mysteriously into Liu Sisi¡¯s ear, her face full of schadenfreude.


    ¡°What about Big Mouth Li? Why didn¡¯t her husband beat him up?¡±


    Liu Sisi lowered her head and busied herself with her work, what on earth was all this!


    ¡°Big Mouth Li is well-known for being greedy and lecherous, even worse than your sister-inw! At the age of over thirty, he is still a bachelor, with a broken leg, and even caused the death of his own mother. Who dares to say anything to such a bad guy?¡±


    So, that¡¯s how it was!


    With Guihua¡¯s help, Liu Sisi finally finished cutting the clothes for their family¡¯s needs by the end of the day, which relieved her greatly.


    As Guihua was leaving, Liu Sisi gave her a basket of yellow bean sprouts: ¡°The two kids are always troubling you and Zhang Yun. This is just some random vegetables I made, you can try them.¡±


    ¡°No! You¡¯ve just got married, how can you have extra food? I¡¯ve heard that your wicked sister-inws are forcing you to repay a huge debt of 20 taels of silver within half a year. You should keep it, my home doesn¡¯tck for vegetables to eat.¡± Guihua refused to ept.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, please take it, this is just a little token from Sisi.¡±


    Liu Sisi covered the basket, not letting Guihua go: ¡°You know the situation at my home, what Sisi can bring out is just these few vegetables. If Sister Guihua keeps refusing, I will really feel humiliated.¡±


    With the discussion getting to this point, Guihua hesitated for a moment and no longer refused: ¡°Alright! Then I will ept it. If you have any difficulties, as long as I can help, I will definitely help.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed: ¡°Sister Guihua, rest assured, I will definitely not be polite with you!¡±


    ¡­


    For several days in a row, whenever she had free time, Liu Sisi was busy making this batch of ribbon flowers.


    By the time the market day came around again, every three days, Liu Sisi had already made an entire bolt of silk into ribbon flowers.


    These ribbon flowers were pairs of two with different colored stamens attached and no two were the same, so incredibly beautiful!


    The originally bizarre-looking silk, under Liu Sisi¡¯s skillful hands, presented a different kind of beauty, making people not want to put it down when they saw it.


    Di Yelei naturally also noticed Liu Sisi¡¯s outstanding craftsmanship and held a ribbon flower to take a closer look. It was hard to imagine that such ugly silk could make such beautiful flowers.


    ¡°Dad, do you think the ribbon flower Mom made looks good on YingEr?¡±


    What YingEr was wearing on her head was the first pair of finished ribbon flowers Liu Sisi had made, showing off in front of her dad!


    ¡°Yes, it naturally looks good on our YingEr.¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but smile too, touching YingEr¡¯s twin braids on the top of her head.


    ¡°Sisi, your craftsmanship is good, and it should be able to sell for a good price. I n to go to the mountain again this afternoon,e down the mountain tomorrow morning, and don¡¯t need to hunt too much game, just a few to sell or eat at the market.¡± Isn¡¯t it? Di Yelei went into the mountains again three days ago, but didn¡¯t catch anything.


    Liu Sisi was busy working in the kitchen. With no oil at home, Liu Sisi kept changing the dish preparation methods.


    Today¡¯s lunch was simple, she specially used the small mill to make rice noodles and fermented cakes, which the two children could snack on at any time. These rice noodles were made by Di Yelei taking the rice to the Land Officer¡¯s small mill house. In addition, she made some vegetable buns, served with wild vegetable soup and coarse grain porridge, which was enough to make everyone full.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, and tomorrow would be Market Day. Having a few game animals would also provide an additional ie: ¡°Alright! But you have to be careful on the road. The evening light is not good, so don¡¯t be greedy and neglect your health.¡±


    ¡°I know, Sisi, don¡¯t worry. You have to be careful at home as well, and don¡¯t open the door at will when you hear a noise outside.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were filled with tenderness.


    Ever since that day, the two of them had hardly even touched hands.


    It wasn¡¯t that Di Yelei had let Liu Sisi go, but rather he worried that he couldn¡¯t control himself, and would end up ¡°disposing¡± of Liu Sisi on the spot!


    ¡°Hmm, I understand, don¡¯t worry.¡± Liu Sisi nodded vigorously.


    ¡°By the way, keep the silver safe, don¡¯t let anyone steal it. I¡¯ll be back early tomorrow morning, don¡¯t worry.¡± Di Yelei gave a lengthy reminder before finally, reluctantly, heading to the mountain.


    In their heartfelt farewell, neither of the two noticed that not far behind them, a malicious gaze shed behind arge tree.

 Chapter 49 - 46: Shoes Wear Out from Being Worn

    Chapter 49: Chapter 46: Shoes Wear Out from Being Worn


    Trantor: 549690339


    After Di Yelei¡¯s previous hunting experience, Liu Sisi naturally did not worry too much this time.


    She diligently cleaned and organized the inside and outside of the house, and even went out to dig a basket of wild vegetables.


    She dug up some daylily seedlings along the way and nted a whole circle along the outer perimeter of Di¡¯s family¡¯s fence.


    The wild daylilies rarely bloom, but after transnting, as long as the environment and temperature are suitable, these daylily seedlings can bloom and grow rapidly. For the next few years, they don¡¯t need to be specially managed. By summer, there will be a constant supply of daylilies that can be harvested.


    Pick them up in the morning when the flower buds are about to open, nch them with boiled water, then dry them for use. Not only does this add a dish to the table, but it also saves money and doesn¡¯t take up much space. This is also the main reason why Liu Sisi chose it for cultivation.


    The potato seedlings she nted have also revived, and it seems that it won¡¯t be long before she can pick potato seedlings to eat. Unfortunately, this plot ofnd is simply not big enough, so she can only grow a small amount of vegetables for her own consumption.


    The chive roots that Guihua¡¯s son Zhang Yun sent her were in Liu Sisi¡¯s hands at this moment.


    Zhang Yun brought over chives with roots attached yesterday. She cut off the chives to eat, and these chive roots were nted by her around the outer perimeter of the potato field.


    The chive is very easy to nt. Besides using roots to nt, the method of inserting wheat into garlic can also be used to get chives. Chives don¡¯t need to be tended to frequently after they are nted, and don¡¯t take up much space. They can be nted anywhere in front and behind the house. For Liu Sisi, who has nond to use, growing chives is the best thing.


    As the day gradually darkened, Liu Sisi finally put away her gardening tools and got up to prepare dinner.


    A burst of noisy voices came from a distance, and Liu Sisi unexpectedly heard YingEr¡¯s crying. rmed, she quickly closed the room door and ran towards where the sound wasing from.


    At the weeping willow bank at the entrance of the vige, a group of children of varying ages was making a fuss about something. YingEr¡¯s crying wasing from the crowd.


    Liu Sisi shouted loudly, but her voice waspletely suppressed by the noisy crowd.


    Anxious, she did not care about anything else and forcefully parted the crowd and squeezed in.


    Inside, Di Xuan was gritting his teeth, fighting with a chubby kid who was much taller and bigger than him. The two boys were grabbing each other¡¯s shoulders, refusing to let go of each other¡¯s clothes. YingEr stood on the side, pulling at Xuan¡¯er¡¯s clothes and crying shrilly.


    ¡°Stop! Stop! You two let go! Why are you fighting?¡±


    Liu Sisi forcefully intervened, forcibly separating the two children.


    Only then did Liu Sisi realize that Di Xuan¡¯s mouth was continuously bleeding, and the chubby kid he was fighting with had several long scratch marks on his face, which were especially noticeable on his plump white face.


    ¡°The Di¡¯s young wife is here, run!¡±


    Upon seeing Liu Sisi appear, the group of children suddenly shouted and scattered in all directions, running away at a great speed.


    Liu Sisi had no time to deal with these naughty kids at the moment, her attention waspletely focused on Di Xuan, who was stubbornly trying to rush over and wrestle with the other boy again.


    ¡°Di Xuan, what are you making a fuss about? Stand still for me now!¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly grabbed Di Xuan¡¯s hand and forcibly held him behind her.


    ¡°Mom, YingEr is so scared! Wuuu¡­¡±


    Little YingEr, who had been terrified long ago, sobbed until she lost her voice, and then fiercely buried her face in Liu Sisi¡¯s chest, bawling her eyes out.


    ¡°Let go of me! Let go! If he dares to insult my mother, I will beat him to death! Beat him to death!¡±


    With a hideous expression of hatred on his face, Di Xuan struggled desperately to free himself from Liu Sisi¡¯s grip, preparing to pounce again.


    The little chubby boy across from them didn¡¯t show any mercy either. Taking advantage of Liu Sisi holding Di Xuan, he shamelessly attacked again, aiming two punches at Di Xuan¡¯s back. But Liu Sisi¡¯s quick reflexes stopped him.


    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t hit anyone, the chubby boy refused to back down, and he even punched Liu Sisi, yelling angrily, ¡°You bastard child, your mother gave birth to you but never taught you anything, only a lousy person like you would hide behind a woman¡¯s skirt. Have some courage ande at me! Come at me and fight me! Pah! Little mongrel!¡±


    This stinging remark set a fire in Liu Sisi¡¯s heart!


    ¡°Shut up! At such a young age, you spew such vile words, what will you be like when you grow up?¡±


    What Liu Sisi never expected was the little chubby boy¡¯s look of disdain, ¡°Who do you think you are? You¡¯re just someone¡¯s cast-off old shoe! And you dare to lecture me!¡±


    ¡°You! ¡­ Whose child are you? How were you brought up by your family? You have no manners!¡± Liu Sisi was also furious.


    The little chubby boy looked cocky, cing his hands on his waist, ¡°Tsk! My mother doesn¡¯t dare to control me! Let me tell you, she¡¯s the one who said those words. You have the guts, go find her! Let¡¯s see how she deals with you!¡±


    ¡°Good! Very good! Where is your mother?¡±


    I want to see what kind of person could raise such a good-for-nothing bird like you!


    ¡°No need for you to find, there! My mother¡¯sing.¡± The little chubby boy pointed with his lips.


    Liu Sisi turned her head and followed the direction the little chubby boy pointed to. She saw a gigantic, stout woman running towards them. Her enormous body, apanied by the movement of her two elephant-like legs, inevitably made her gradually approach them like a moving mountain.


    The little chubby boy looked triumphant. His mother was a famous tigress around. With her gigantic figure, all she had to do was stand somewhere and others would even dare not speak loudly. Furthermore, she was known for her ability to silence crying children; no one around here wasn¡¯t afraid of her!


    The heavy weight came up to them, and her beady-eyed staring at Liu Sisi, then at Di Xuan and Di Ying who Liu Sisi held tight.


    At that moment, Di Xuan had already lost his earlier rage. He was so terrified by the woman in front of him that he was trembling, shrunk even more behind Liu Sisi.


    And as Little YingEr, she clung even more to Liu Sisi¡¯s clothes¡ªburying her face into them.


    A hint of contempt slowly appeared in the woman¡¯s eyes: ¡°Are you the discarded shoe that nobody wants? On a normal day, it would be alright if you stayed low, but today, you¡¯re actually picking on my son! Do you think you can easily mess with Miao Cuihua?¡±


    ¡°Puff!¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t hold back a chuckle! Just look at her and her name is Miao Cuihua? Her parents were really¡­ creative.


    ¡°Shoes be broken from wear and tear! That¡¯s always better than someone who voluntarily gives herself to others, but nobody dares to take her!¡±


    So, if she doesn¡¯t talk, then Liu Sisi is a fool?


    In her previous life as an orphan, she had been ridiculed a lot by others, and had long since gained a cool-headed attitude and a sharp tongue.

 Chapter 50 - 47: Tired of Living!

    Chapter 50: Chapter 47: Tired of Living!


    Trantor: 549690339


    Many fellow vigers hiding in the shadowsughed.


    Everyone knew that Miao Cuihua¡¯s husband was a notorious ¡°quick gunner.¡± How could he satisfy her insatiable appetite?


    As a result, there were endless civil and military dramas in her home every few days, and the nearby vigers never stopped gossiping about it.


    Now that Liu Sisi had pointed it out, everyone naturally thought of these past events and whispered to each other secretly.


    Miao Cuihua was examining Little Chubby¡¯s injuries, getting angrier by the minute, and hadn¡¯t heard Liu Sisi¡¯s counterattack.


    ¡°Ayo! You little bastard, how dare you scratch my Chubby¡¯s face? You¡¯re indeed a lowly bastard born without a mother¡¯s care. Pay up! Otherwise, you won¡¯t leave here alive today!¡±


    Miao Cuihua bellowed, causing even the ground to tremble slightly.


    ¡°Who the hell are you calling a bastard?¡±


    Patting the trembling YingEr, Liu Sisi raised her head and stared Miao Cuihua in the face.


    She couldn¡¯t back down. If she retreated today, she might never stand up straight again in Upper Vige.


    If Miao Cuihua had only insulted Liu Sisi herself, she could have endured it!


    But the HONORED Yang and her deceased mother were the real targets of the mother and son¡¯s insults, and those who would curse even the dead couldn¡¯t be tolerated by Uncle, not to mention Aunt!


    ¡°Dog bastard, it¡¯s you!¡± came the proud retort.


    ¡°Oh, so you do realize you¡¯re a dog bastard! No wonder! What can you expect from a dog who doesn¡¯t understand even the most basic courtesy to the deceased?¡±


    As she spoke, Liu Sisi gently patted Di Xuan¡¯s head: ¡°Xuan¡¯er, when a dog bites someone, we can¡¯t bite the dog back, can we? We¡¯re better than that, so let¡¯s not stoop to the dog¡¯s level!¡±


    Miao Cuihua was stunned! She finally understood that she had been insulted and hadn¡¯t expected anyone to dare stand up to her.


    ¡°You have some nerve, calling me Miao Cuihua a dog bastard?¡±


    ¡°A tree without bark is doomed, and a person without shame is truly invincible!¡±


    Liu Sisi tenderly wiped the blood from Di Xuan¡¯s mouth, not showing any fear towards Miao Cuihua¡¯s threats: ¡°Miao Cuihua, don¡¯t think that only your child has parents to raise them, and others deserve to be bullied by you? My Di Xuan¡¯s mouth was also injured by your Little Chubby, and I haven¡¯t asked forpensation yet!¡±


    Miao Cuihua instantly jumped up at Liu Sisi¡¯s words!


    She took a couple of steps diagonally and stood in front of Liu Sisi. Just-freely standing there, her three timesrger size and burly figure cast a shadow, creating a strong sense of oppression towards Liu Sisi.


    ¡°You, you dare call me shameless? Do you believe I can send you to meet the Western Paradise with one punch?¡± As she spoke, she waved her fist at Liu Sisi.


    ¡°I never curse people, only those who aren¡¯t human.¡±


    Upon examination, Liu Sisi realized that Di Xuan¡¯s mouth had been broken open by the punch, and she was heartbroken.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that a big fist means you¡¯re right. Shielding your child in this way is wrong. Sooner orter, you¡¯ll ruin his entire life. Look at him now, does he still resemble a human? When you finally regret it, crying won¡¯t help.¡±


    It was true, Little Chubby leaned against the rocks, shaking his legs, looking like a little rascal.


    No one had ever dared speak to her like this!


    Miao Cuihua¡¯s eyes bulged wide, staring at the fragile waist and slender swan neck of the girl in front of her, with her big watery eyes that could capture anyone¡¯s soul ¡­.


    It was hard to imagine where such a delicate girl found the courage to challenge her authority and dared to confront her head-on. It seemed as if she had a death wish!


    ¡°With that scrawny body of yours like a skinny chicken, you dare to threaten me, an old mother?¡±


    ¡°Where? You didn¡¯t hear me, I was actually praising you!¡±


    Liu Sisi said earnestly, but the gathering storm in the depths of her eyes became increasingly intense: ¡°Back in the days, Honored Princess Consort Yang was the most beautiful and extravagant person in the world. Given your figure now, if you were born a few hundred years earlier, where would she even have a chance to survive?¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t understand what Liu Sisi was saying, Miao Cuihua saw the ridicule in her eyes: ¡°Hmm? Always saying things I don¡¯t understand, if I don¡¯t show you my power, will you think I¡¯m really a sick cat?¡±


    She reached out and grabbed Liu Sisi¡¯s cor, trying to lift her up.


    But in the next moment¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡ªWhat¡­ what did you do to me?¡±


    It was as if there was a thorn on Liu Sisi¡¯s body; Miao Cuihua had barely touched her cor when she suddenly felt a numbness in her waist, as if she had been struck by lightning and the feeling spread throughout her body.


    This made her heart violently contract, ¡°thump-thump,¡± pounding non-stop, as if her entire heart had been paralyzed. This made her subconsciously let go of Liu Sisi, staring at her in disbelief.


    ¡°What do you think? Hehe!¡±


    Liu Sisi chuckled twice and retreated a couple of steps, standing on arge rock and looking down at her.


    ¡°It was originally just a quarrel between children, but you are merciless in your words, not even letting the dead go. With such behavior, you are simply unworthy of being called human! Xuan¡¯er, YingEr, let¡¯s go! Talking to such trash is simply an insult!¡±


    As she spoke, Liu Sisi looked at her contemptuously, holding a child in each hand, and walked towards her home.


    ¡°Hey¡ªyou!¡­¡±


    Miao Cuihua tried to yell, but remembering that moment of weakness just a short while ago, she could no longer call out. She watched the frail figure walk further and further away¡­


    The gentle new bride of the Di Family actually defeated the fearsome tiger mother Miao Cuihua! This explosive news quickly spread throughout the Upper Vige!


    The fellow vigers hiding in the shadows spread the news from one to ten, a hundred, swiftly setting off a firestorm throughout the entire Upper Vige!


    Unbeknownst to Liu Sisi, her ¡°fierce reputation¡± had long surpassed that of Miao Cuihua, and she steadily gained the status of the number one person in the Upper Vige.


    Behind the retreating figure of Liu Sisi, a pair of lecherous eyes followed her every step, with a calcting radiance continuously shing.


    Upon returning home, Liu Sisi absentmindedly closed the door, and her entire body seemed to copse, shrinking into a shivering ball.


    During her confrontation with Miao Cuihua just now, she was nowhere near as calm as she had appeared!


    Facing the strong Miao Cuihua, she had to stand tall, because she was not only Liu Sisi, but also the mother of two children and their support.


    She had to force herself to face it with a strong demeanor, even if it meant getting bruised. However, luckily, Miao Cuihua was ultimately subdued by a few concealed embroidery needles of hers!


    Poking the waist¡¯s acupuncture point with a needle could cause a short period of a body-wide electric sensation. If done too forcefully, it could even lead to sudden cardiac insufficiency and death. This was one of the self-defense techniques she had learned from an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor in her previous life.


    ¡°Mom! *sobs*¡­¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi crying, YingEr also threw herself into her embrace, sobbing.


    Seeing Liu Sisi protect his mother, Di Xuan changed his previous guarded attitude towards her and truly epted her from his heart: ¡°Mom, don¡¯t cry anymore!¡±


    With that word ¡°Mom,¡± he called it sincerely and wholeheartedly.

 Chapter 51 - 51: 48: Crisis, Sneaky Figure

    Chapter 51 - 51: 48: Crisis, Sneaky Figure


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Okay, Mom won¡¯t cry!¡±


    Looking at Di Xuan¡¯s reddening eyes, Liu Sisi finally managed to calm her emotions.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, tell me what happened earlier? How did you end up fighting with Little Chubby?¡±


    Di Xuan lowered his head and clenched his fists without speaking.


    Di Ying, who was standing next to him, wiped her tears incessantly. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s all Little Chubby¡¯s fault! He chased us siblings and said we were untrained bastards born from a mother! When my brother told him to stop, he kept on chasing and cursing at us, then my brother started fighting with him, wooo¡­¡±


    So that was the reason!


    Liu Sisi felt a sour pang in her heart and couldn¡¯t help but hug both children tightly.


    She dered resolutely, ¡°You two remember this! Your birth mother is watching over you from heaven. You have two mothers who love you, and that makes you much happier than them. If anyone dares to bully you again, even if it costs everything, Mom will fight for justice for you. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Mom, we understand.¡± Di Ying wiped her tears. Di Xuan also nodded vigorously.


    After the mother and children had been affectionate for a while, Liu Sisi started to cook dinner.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll make a fire for you,¡± Di Xuan said to Liu Sisi, a rare initiative on his part.


    ¡°Alright, make sure the fire is big enough.¡±


    Liu Sisi was naturally happy that the child was finally willing to talk to her.


    Dinner was simple. Liu Sisi washed the wild vegetables she had picked, nched them in boiled water, and prepared a cold dish. Some buns were left over from the ones she had made for Di Yelei to take as lunch, so she steamed them again, serving them with rice porridge, both satisfying and tasty. Secretly, she resolved to get a small stone mill, which could be used to make soy milk to drink, bean paste for buns, and coarse cereals into flour for pancakes ¨C how many benefits in one!


    After the three of them had eaten their fill and cleaned up, it was gradually getting dark. Liu Sisi boiled some hot water for Di Xuan to take a bath first.


    The new bathing room built by Di Yelei was next to the firewood room, and after Liu Sisi was scared by the snakest time, he had sprinkled realgar all around the room and gathered a lot of mugwort and cmus to ward off mosquitoes and evil spirits.


    After the two children had finished bathing, Liu Sisi busily coaxed YingEr to sleep. After a long time of fussing, it was finallypletely dark outside.


    After carefully closing the courtyard door, Liu Sisi carried the hot water into the bathing room.


    People in this ce didn¡¯t like to bathe every day, thinking that it would drain their energy. However, Liu Sisi was already used to daily bathes and felt itchy all over if she didn¡¯t.


    She slowly removed her coat and lowered her head to start taking off her shoes and socks.


    A sneaky figure quickly approached the gate of the Di Residence and pushed it with both hands, but the tightly closed door remained closed.


    He spat on the ground and quietly walked to the side of the courtyard wall, where he leaped up and grabbed the edge of the wall. With a flip and a kick, he jumped over the wall.


    ¡°Thud!¡±


    The sudden sound of something heavy hitting the ground in the courtyard made Liu Sisi stop removing her shoes and socks and unconsciously ask aloud.


    ¡°YingEr? Xuan¡¯er? Is that you?¡±


    The courtyard was quiet, with no answer.


    Liu Sisi furrowed her brows involuntarily, nced at the hot water in the wooden barrel, and then looked at the courtyard outside. Could it be a thief? Di Yelei wasn¡¯t home tonight, and if there really was a thief in the yard, she and the two children would have no ability to resist ¨C what to do?


    No! I still need to go out and have a look around to feel at ease.


    Thinking of this, Liu Sisi quickly put on her coat, blew out the oilmp in one breath, and waited for a while for her eyes to adapt to the darkness of the night. She then cautiously removed the wooden stick blocking her door and carefully opened it.


    There was no moon tonight, and the courtyard was silent, not even the sound of crickets could be heard. Everything around her was the same as before she entered the bathing room.


    Liu Sisi lit the wick again, and walked along the courtyard wall uneasily. She entered the room, saw Di Ying and Di Xuan deep in sleep, but still found nothing.


    Could it really be that she was just hearing things due to her mind ying tricks on her?


    Initially, that stink snake in the firewood room had be Liu Sisi¡¯s nightmare, so when she inspected the house, she subconsciously forgot about the firewood room!


    Liu Sisi shook her head and walked back into the bathing room, putting down the oilmp and taking off her clothes again.


    She inexplicably became more cautious, and diminished thempwick of the oilmp, leaving just a tiny flickering light. Then she returned to the side of the bathtub and began taking off her clothes again.


    As soon as her sensitive palm touched the hot water in the wooden barrel, Liu Sisi unconsciously narrowed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of washing her face with the warm water before starting to wash her hair.


    Liu Sisi always had a habit of washing her hair first, then taking a bath, and today was no exception.


    The natural scent of soapberries permeated, and Liu Sisi was exceptionally pleased with the smooth, ck hair she inherited from the original owner, spending a lot of time grooming it during each wash.


    Meanwhile, a shadow silently pushed open the door of the firewood room, slipped into the Di Family¡¯s hall, and quickly sneaked into the bedroom searching for something. The shadow rummaged through the room without stopping, carefully inspecting every ce where items could be hidden, but found nothing.


    ¡°Strange! Where is the silver? Could it be that Di Yelei took it with him?¡±


    The shadow muttered to itself and unwillingly searched under the edge of the bed.


    Still, nothing was found!


    Disappointed, he angrily kicked the foot of the bed, and the pain of the kick made him sit on the ground while holding his foot, almost crying out. Fortunately, he tolerated the pain in time!


    Suddenly, his gaze fell on the ground at the foot of the bed, where the color of the mud was fresh, and the soil seemed loose.


    He immediately rejoiced, not caring about the pain in his foot, he got up, moved the bed aside, and quickly dug up the dirt on the ground. Sure enough, a heavy cloth bag appeared before his eyes.


    ¡°Heh! I finally found it!¡±


    The shadow stuffed the cloth bag into his arms, quickly restored everything nearby, and bolted out of the room.


    At the moment, Liu Sisi had finished washing her hair and got up to carefully cleanse her feet before preparing to take a bath.


    She casually hooked her little finger, and the belt around her waist fell off, revealing her naked body as she stepped into the wooden barrel and slowly sank into the water.


    The hot water submerged her chest and flowed out of the bathtub, quickly spreading across the ground, making a ssh.


    Liu Sisi happily gathered her wet hair, made a casual bun on her head, wrapped it with a bath towel, and then started to carefully clean herself.


    The shadow came out of the room, intending to escape by climbing the wall, but he was attracted by the light and noiseing from the bathing room!


    His eyes were spinning wildly, remembering that he had seen Di Yelei go up the hill in the afternoon. Didn¡¯t that mean¡­ the little beauty inside in the boudoir was alone and lonely at the moment? Hehe¡­


    Thinking of this, he had no intention of leaving. Instead, he approached the bathing room silently to get a better look at what was happening inside.

 Chapter 52 - 52: 49: Ye Lei! Where are you? Hurry back!

    Chapter 52 - 52: 49: Ye Lei! Where are you? Hurry back!


    Trantor: 549690339


    At the moment, Liu Sisi was carefully rubbing herself, with hot steam swirling around. The wafting mist was like the smokeing from an incense burner.


    A thinyer of air, as delicate as gauze, gently rippled on her pearl-like snowy arms.


    As she poured water, the mist was constantly disrupted and quickly changing.


    Even with only her slender swan neck and snowy shoulder exposed outside the wooden barrel, with a few strands of rebellious loose hair, it was so striking and enchanting that one could not resist.


    The wolf-like eyes outside the window flickered with lustful green light, greedily wanting to explore more, and couldn¡¯t help but take another step forward¡­


    Crack!


    The sound of a breaking twig came from the window.


    Such a close distance startled Liu Sisi, realizing there really was someone outside!


    She could no longer concern herself with anything else, as she abruptly poured a water column, directly extinguishing the oilmp.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    She asked quietly.


    Then, her heart leaped in sudden realization: perhaps the noise she heard earlier was far from coincidental. If her suspicion was correct, the intruder might have been in the courtyard for some time!


    If it wasn¡¯t for money, it was for lust!


    She couldn¡¯t worry about anything else anymore. She quickly got up from the wooden barrel, grabbed her clothes and put them on haphazardly. She also picked up a wooden stick she had ced beside the barrel and stared intently at the door.


    The shadow outside the door was also extremely annoyed, not expecting to be discovered so soon. But now, there was no turning back!


    He walked quickly to the door and pushed it.


    The bathing room¡¯s door was exceptionally thick, and when he pushed, it didn¡¯t budge an inch.


    Inside, the young woman¡¯s sultry voice made his heart race, and he couldn¡¯t bear to leave just like that.


    He examined the bathing room up and down. Because of a previous snake incident, Di Yelei constructed it to be especially sturdy during its renovations. After checking it out, he decided to break in forcefully.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    A series of heavy impact sounds echoed like they were striking Liu Sisi¡¯s heart!


    She tightly gripped the wooden stick in her hand, her eyes wide open, staring intently at the stick that was propping up the door in the darkness. She was ready at any moment to strike hard if the intruder broke in.


    Even if she had to put her life on the line today, she would never let anyone get close to her body!


    The fierce door-breaking sound outside was getting louder, apanied asionally by low cursing, faintly indiscernible.


    Liu Sisi slowly dodged to the side of the door. She knew thatpeting with a man¡¯s strength would put her at a disadvantage. At this point, she only had one chance ¨C to deal with him the moment he showed his face!


    The banging of the door in the silent night became even more chilling. The palms of Liu Sisi¡¯s hands, tightly gripping the wooden stick, were sweaty. Her tense face was covered in rolling sweat.


    It all came down to this!


    Bang!


    Bang, bang! ¡ª¡ª


    With the huge force from the outside, the stick propping up the door trembled continuously.


    Finally, after a heavy kick, the door frame that couldn¡¯t withstand such ferocious impact ¡°Bam!¡± turned into debris flying around, and the unsupported door heavily fell down¡­


    As the door fell, making a series of chaotic noises, the surroundings returned to silence once more.


    Almost in the first moment that the door fell, a shadow swooped in through the gap and quickly moved to the side, almost bumping directly into Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi was greatly rmed!


    She swung the wooden stick in her hand heavily, but it was blocked by the fallen door frame. The stick missed its mark, and hit the wall next to it instead.


    She actually missed!


    Liu Sisi was greatly annoyed at her mistake!


    The shadow was startled and quickly dodged to one side.


    He instinctively squinted, looking around the pitch-ck room, trying to get his eyes to adapt to the darkness as soon as possible.


    But how could Liu Sisi give him time to adjust?


    Unable tond the first hit, she wildly swung the wooden stick at his thighs several times. No matter how fierce he was, his legs would be of no use if injured.


    A sudden gust of wind blew through, and the shadow instinctively ducked, but ultimately it was toote.


    Thud!


    The sound of the wooden stick striking the bone rang out. Before the shadow had time to move away, his knee had already been hit.


    ¡°Ah! You filthy bitch¡ª¡ª¡±


    Not waiting for the shadow¡¯s scream to die down, Liu Sisi swung at the direction where he was, pummeling him.


    Just you wait!


    You wanted to take advantage of me!


    You¡¯ll cry for your mom and dad once you learn how fierce Liu Sisi can be!


    Beat him! Beat him! I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡­


    Not showing any mercy, Liu Sisi vented her rage! Even though the person had stopped moving, the stick in her hand still kept striking!


    Strike the snake on its weak spot.


    It¡¯s only when you frighten this viin once will he behave!


    Weakening with every swing, her hands and feet were getting weaker and weaker. Finally, Liu Sisi aimed for the man¡¯s crotch and mmed the stick down hard¡­


    Crack!


    The wooden stick broke into two!


    ¡°Ah!¡­¡±


    The man let out another ghastly scream, scaring Liu Sisi!


    Instinctively, she stepped back, her heart pounding while holding onto the broken stick.


    Had she not grown up an orphan who was ustomed to being cautious, she might have believed he was powerless and let him go.


    But now, with her broken stick, what could she use to fend him off?


    Clutching his crotch, the shadow kept rolling on the ground. All the struggling stopped after a while, apparently having passed out from the pain.


    Liu Sisi gritted her teeth and prodded him with the broken stick, ¡°Hey! Are you dead?¡±


    The man remained motionless.


    Seemed like he was really unconscious. Only then did Liu Sisi rx.


    Turning back, she fumbled for flint but couldn¡¯t light it with her trembling hands after several tries.


    Maybe the bathwater had entered the oilmp. She decided to go to the kitchen and light a torch instead.


    As soon as she took a few steps away from the bathing room, she heard a noise behind her. Frightened, Liu Sisi quickly looked back and saw a dark shadow quickly flee out the door and over the courtyard wall, disappearing into the darkness.


    Could the man still have the strength to escape?


    Only then did Liu Sisi feel afraid! She thought she had been hard enough on him, but he was surprisingly so tenacious that he still had the strength to escape.


    Shaken and frightened, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t care about anything else. Hastily picking up a few dirty clothes, she ran out of the bathing room and raced into the bedroom, mming the door shut.


    As she lit the oilmp again, Liu Sisi felt a wave of fear. She crawled back into the innermost part of her bed, tightly wrapping herself with the thin quilt and biting her lips, preventing herself from crying out, as tears streamed down her face.


    Ye Lei! Where are you?


    Hurry back!

 Chapter 53 - 53: 50: Stunning Speculation!

    Chapter 53 - 53: 50: Stunning Spection!


    Trantor: 549690339


    The horizon unveiled the first hazy ray of dawn, and a sprightly figure was approaching from the distant mountain path.


    He didn¡¯t have much luckst night hunting, he was worried about missing the market today, so as soon as he caught this porcupine, Di Yelei hurried home.


    The house was quiet, it seemed that Sisi hadn¡¯t gotten up yet.


    He pushed the main entrance a couple of times, but it remained closed.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, are you up? Please open the door.¡±


    Di Yelei called out a few times, but the house remained silent.


    Could it be that Sisi was sleeping too deeply? Di Yelei was about to shout again, but then he changed his mind.


    He walked to the side, looked at the tall courtyard wall, took a few steps back, ran and leaped, directly jumping over the wall, andnded in the courtyard.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, are you awake?¡±


    Di Yelei knocked gently on the bedroom door. Could she really be sleeping so soundly that she hadn¡¯t heard anything?


    ¡°Dad? You¡¯re back.¡±


    Xu¡¯an came out from the adjacent room, rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m back, Xu¡¯an, go wash your face quickly.¡±


    Since Sisi was still sleeping, he should go cook breakfast.


    With that thought, Di Yelei turned towards the kitchen, randomly nced at the chaotic scene of the wet spot and the wide-open door at the entrance of the bathing room, which suddenly alerted him.


    The broken door lying on the ground, the overturned wooden barrel, the wooden stick that was snapped in half, and a pair of wet underpants arbitrarily hanging from the oilmp holder, swaying continuously in the early morning cold wind¡­


    Sisi was meticulous and couldn¡¯t bear even the slightest mess at home, but the scene before his eyes clearly pointed out a horrifying fact.


    Startled, Di Yelei felt chills spreading from his heart; his head was booming! He suddenly let out a shrill cry: ¡°Sisi!¡±


    Boom!


    The bedroom door couldn¡¯t withstand Di Yelei¡¯s violent kick and copsed instantly.


    Before his eyes, Liu Sisi was huddled in the corner of the room, almost wholly wrapped in a quilt, not daring to move.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, what happened to you?¡±


    Di Yelei quickly walked in and reached her bedside in the blink of an eye.


    Last night, Liu Sisi spent the entire night in fear and loneliness. A thousand thoughts shed through her mind. She even thought of hiding it all. But how could she hide the copsed door? After much deliberation, she stared at the door so intently that she stayed up until dawn.


    Just as she had just closed her eyes for a while, she heard the sound of Di Yelei returning home.


    She wanted to get up, but her legs had already gone numb after sitting motionless all night, and she couldn¡¯t stand up at all.


    As soon as she saw Di Yelei enter, she seemed like a helpless little bunny who had been injured, her eyes reddened from hiding in the thin quilt, raising her eyes to look at him.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡ª¡ª¡±


    As soon as she called out his name, her tears streamed down.


    ¡°Ye Lei,st night¡­there was a thief in the yard, woohoo¡­¡±


    A thief came inst night?


    Di Yelei held Liu Sisi tightly in his arms, thinking about the chaos in the bathroom, then about the thief who broke inst night. His heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat, and he hurriedly asked in a soft voice.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t cry. What exactly happened? Tell me, I will surely seek justice for you!¡±


    Seeing such deep concern from Di Yelei, Liu Sisi could no longer contain the bitterness in her heart. She hurled herself into his arms and began to sob.


    After a while, she managed to tell him the important details of what had happened.


    ¡°Last night while I was washing my hair, I heard noises from outside in the courtyard. I thought YingEr had woke up, so I called out to her. I didn¡¯t expect it to be a thief. I¡­I fought with him, I¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi stuttered on for a long time, but she couldn¡¯t clearly articte what had happened.


    Even though she only gave vague details, it was not hard for Di Yelei to infer exactly what had happenedst night. No wonder the bathroom was in such chaos!


    ¡°Sisi, be good! Take a nap; everything will be over once you wake up. Ah! Sisi, be obedient, close your eyes and go to sleep!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes had the storm brewing, but his words were especially gentle.


    Whoever dared to harm Sisi in his absence had better be prepared for his storm-like revenge!


    No matter who this person was, he would definitely find him out!


    Liu Sisi, who had cried her heart out hardly had any strength left. In his warm and broad chest, the overwhelming sense of security made her rx and unable to resist the call of sleep, she fell soundly asleep.


    After a long time, Di Yelei gentlyid Liu Sisi¡¯s body t, propped up the pillow, and carefully covered her with a thin quilt, and then only then he stood up.


    The next moment, he was attracted by a sh of bright red on the quilt.


    His eyes shrank, and when no one noticed, his pupils narrowed almost to the shape of a needle before squinting. His trembling hand reached out to touch the bright red patch.


    Immediately after, his eyebrows twitched a few times, his eyes darkened, and he slowly withdrew his hand.


    It was blood! He had just checked in secret, Sisi had no wounds on her body, and the color of the blood was still fresh.


    He casually lifted a corner of the quilt and found a simr hint of dark red at the hem of Sisi¡¯s skirt.


    Could it be thatst night, Sisi was vited by that thief¡­


    Such spection made his heart ache, and a severe shortness of breath spread throughout his heart.


    He slowly withdrew his hand, clenched it into a fist, a strong gust of wind shed in his eyes.


    But after a moment, his face regained its calm, as if nothing had happened. He turned and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.


    Outside, Di Xuan was standing at the bathroom door, looking curiously at the chaos inside.


    ¡°Di Xuan! What are you sneaking around for? You should hurry up and get the fire started!¡±


    The sudden yell from Di Yelei behind him made Di Xuan jump with fear, he paid no attention to anything else and dashed into the kitchen.


    There was no expression on Di Yelei¡¯s face, he quickly surveyed the surroundings and indeed found a thief¡¯s tracks. He measured the size of the shoe print on the top of the wall, and then with a swipe, wiped off a thinyer of dirt on the wall to cover the trace.


    Only then did he go back to the room to get his tools and returned to the bathroom to fix the door.


    By the time he had fixed the door and cleaned up the room, the sun had risen high in the sky, and only then did he return to the kitchen.


    Di Xuan was consideratelybing Di Ying¡¯s hair. When they were young and had no one to take care of them at home, Di Xuan wouldb Di Ying¡¯s hair. At this moment, Di Ying had clearly just woken up, rubbing her eyes and demanding to see Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Where is mom? I want mom tob my hair, brother is so bad! Dad, YingEr wants mom!¡±


    YingEr¡¯s tantrum did not receive the usual response, Di Xuan stole a few nces and instinctively realized that their dad was in a bad mood.


    Di Yelei grabbed a couple of handfuls of soybean sprouts from the dustpan, rinsed them, and quickly stir-fried them.


    When he served the dishes on the table, there was a stir in the bedroom, Liu Sisi woke up!

 Chapter 54 - 54: 51: Disturbed Fetal Energy?

    Chapter 54 - 54: 51: Disturbed Fetal Energy?


    Trantor: 549690339


    Almost the moment she opened her eyes, Liu Sisi jumped out of bed.


    With a casual nce, Di Yelei was nowhere to be seen, and the scent of food wafted from the kitchen, making Liu Sisi feel exceptionally hungry.


    She quickly turned to fold the quilt, and the bright red stain on the quilt cover suddenly stunned her.


    Wasn¡¯t it said that this body was already pregnant? Why would she still have her period? Could it be that she had a miscarriagest night because she exerted too much force?


    Thinking about it, Liu Sisi became worried again.


    But the current issue was to solve the inconvenience of her body first.


    As Liu Sisi had not prepared for this beforehand, she felt at a loss. Should she use cotton or wrap wood ash in a square headscarf like she had read about before?


    Suddenly, she missed the sanitary pads from her previous life.


    After Liu Sisi finished tidying herself up, she quietly picked up the dirty quilt cover and slipped out of the bedroom. Once she soaked the dirty quilt cover and stood up, she almost bumped into someone standing behind her.


    Di Yelei was standing not far from her, watching her.


    Liu Sisi was flustered and confused, did he see the filth on the quilt cover?


    She remembered hearing that some men were very particr about not seeing such filthy things and would consider it unlucky. She wondered if that was true.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were deep and unfathomable, ¡°I¡¯ve already cooked the food, you go in to eat, I¡¯ll wash the quilt cover for you.¡±


    ¡°No! I mean, it¡¯s not necessary. Haha! That is¡­ washing the quilt cover is a woman¡¯s job. You go in and eat, and I¡¯ll have it washed soon.¡± Liu Sisi waved her hand in refusal, stuttering.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes grew darker, but he didn¡¯t say much. He just nodded silently, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve ced the food on the table. When you finish washing, hurry up to eat. I caught a porcupinest night, so I might as well clean it up myself and eat it instead of taking it to the market to sell it.¡±


    Having said that, Di Yelei turned and went into the kitchen. He soon came out with a porcupine and headed to the backyard.


    It seemed that Ye Lei was upset, and Liu Sisi felt a little sad.


    After washing the quilt cover, Liu Sisi went to the kitchen to eat. YingEr chatted with Liu Sisi, while she absent-mindedly responded, looking listless.


    She had an intuition that she had neglected something, but she couldn¡¯t remember what it was.


    Meanwhile, breakfast started at the Di family¡¯s old house.


    Today¡¯s breakfast was as usual ¨C a pot of thin porridge where one could count the grains of rice at the bottom of the bowl. Paired with oil-free boiled wild vegetables, it was simply unappetizing to look at.


    The most noisy one was Wang¡¯s youngest son, Di Gao, who knew her preferences well as he had been pampered by her since childhood.


    He only took one sip before angrily throwing down his chopsticks and crying, ¡°Mom! I want to eat meat, I want to eat meat! Hurry up and get some meat from Third Uncle¡¯s house. Third Uncle is getting stingier, and he doesn¡¯t even give us any game to eat. They must want to starve me to death! Mom, go and get it quickly! I want to eat wild pheasant, I want to eat roasted sparrow, wu wu¡­¡±


    As the child made amotion, several other children who had been eating quietly also joined in the mor. Before long, there was a chorus of crying.


    Wang Shi, already ustomed to taking some delicious dishes from the third family branch from time to time, felt itchy and anxious in her heart as if a few cats were scratching inside.


    Upon hearing the children¡¯s wailing, her anger surged up, and she suddenly threw down her chopsticks, grabbed her little daughter Di Wei, and started beating her. ¡°I¡¯ll let you cry! I¡¯ll let you howl, howling so much that it unsettles me! You¡¯ve always known only to eat meat, and nothing else! Eat, eat, eat, eat until you die! I¡¯ll beat you to death today¡­¡±


    With the sounds of the beating and Di Wei¡¯s screams filling the early morning air, it added a touch of ¡°scenery¡± to Di Family¡¯s old house.


    Wang Shi had always favored her son, and her belly did not let her down.


    Her eldest son Di Cheng was now sixteen and was a good hand for working in the fields. He was honest and wooden in appearance and did not like to talk. Her daughter Di Min, thirteen years old, was at the age when she was blossoming into womanhood, and her once-t body was gradually filling out, worrying Wang Shi over the marriage of her two children. Di Wei was Wang Shi¡¯s youngest daughter, and when she was born, Wang Shi was injured and almost lost her life.


    ording to a fortune teller, Di Wei¡¯s birth sign was said to be detrimental to her mother, which made Wang Shi even more unhappy with her. Now that she was six years old, Wang Shi still either hit or scolded her and often made her take the me for her beloved Di Gao¡¯s misdeeds.


    As Wang Shi was beating her child in one room, Di Ah-bao in the other room also mmed his chopsticks in anger.


    ¡°Mom! Look at Second Sister-inw, beating a child early in the morning. If you know, you¡¯d think the child was disobedient, but if you don¡¯t know, you might think she¡¯s deliberately doing it to show her dissatisfaction with you! Where does she put you, her mother-inw, in her eyes? And Di Yelei¡¯s side as well. Originally, we had meat in every meal, but she deliberately stirred things up. Now, we don¡¯t even have the meat we should be eating. Fromst time to now, Di Yelei only sent a few buns over, with just a tiny bit of meat inside, barely enough to fill the gaps in my teeth, let alone satisfy my appetite?¡±


    Di Ah-bao was relentlessly adding fuel to the fire for Wang Shi. However, he forgot that the buns were actually sent by Liu Sisi for Elderly Mr. Di to eat, and he wasn¡¯t even considered in the equation!


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s original name was Di Defu. His first wife, Dou Shi, gave birth to his eldest son Di Hongyuan, eldest daughter Di Xian, second son Di Gaoyuan and died from massive bleeding during the birth of Di Yelei. Three yearster, he remarried Zhao Shi. When Zhao Shi married him, she brought a daughter, who was named Di Ruoning. Zhao Shi was also strong-willed and gave birth to their youngest son, Di Ah-bao, in just two years.


    Logically, since Di Yelei was the youngest, Zhao Shi, who had just remarried, should have loved him the most. However, Elderly Mr. Di had always felt that Di Yelei was the one who caused Dou Shi¡¯s death, so naturally, he never treated him kindly. Zhao Shi, being a re-married woman, was naturally good at reading people¡¯s faces and simply went along with it, treating Di Yelei unfairly even more.


    At this point, the elder son, Di Hongyuan, had already reached adulthood and resented his father¡¯s remarriage. After the three-year mourning period, he directly went to the capital to take the imperial examination and became a sessful schr all at once, being appointed County Magistrate of Fencheng City, but then disappeared without a trace ever since.


    On the contrary, the second son Di Gaoyuan had a sweet mouth since childhood, and his rtionship with his biological mother was not as deep since she died when he was only five years old. After Zhao Shi entered the family, she naturally took extra care of the more likeable Di Gaoyuan. Over time, their rtionship became even closer than that of biological mother and son.


    At this moment, when Wang Shi, Di Gaoyuan¡¯s wife, was beating her granddaughter outside, she, as a grandmother, naturally should stop it.


    However, a few days ago, because of the wild pheasant Di Yelei brought home, Wang Shi didn¡¯t show a good face to her half-way mother-inw, and even spoke rudely, fighting over the pheasant, which left Zhao Shi holding a grudge in her chest.


    Now, hearing themotion outside, she was secretly delighted inside, wishing she could go out and p Wang Shi a few times to ease her resentment.


    Yet, Elderly Mr. Di was sitting right there watching her intently, so she had no choice but to get up and demonstrate her magnanimity.


    ¡°Ah-Bao, don¡¯t talk nonsense! You¡¯ll hurt the rtionship between you and your brother, who is, after all, a Prefect. It¡¯s right to beat a child who craves food. Otherwise, if they grow up to be greedy, they won¡¯t be able to marry, which would be a problem. You guys go ahead and eat. I¡¯ll go out and have a look.¡±


    Zhao Shi only mentioned Ah-Bao¡¯s second brother being a Prefect and did not mention Wang Shi at all.


    ¨C


    Many people leftments on this chapter, so Dou Dou will exin it specifically.


    The female protagonist misunderstood that she was pregnant after overhearing the male protagonist¡¯s conversation when she transmigrated. After her period arrived and her emotions were stirred up yesterday, she thought she had a miscarriage. In fact, the female lead was still a virgin and not pregnant.


    In the previous chapter, the male lead mistakenly thought that the female lead had been taken advantage of by someone else.

 Chapter 55 - 52: In Sight, but Out of Reach!

    Chapter 55:? Chapter 52: In Sight, but Out of Reach!


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Exactly, we¡¯ve already separated from the family. Why should Second Sister-inw take my wild pheasant? She¡¯s so capable, why doesn¡¯t she go to Di Yelei to get it herself? It¡¯s just that she sees mom as easy to bully, so she picks the soft persimmons to pinch.¡± Di Ah-bao didn¡¯t care about what others thought and continued to stir the pot. Anyone who dared to snatch meat from his bowl should have expected this day toe.


    Hearing Ah-Bao¡¯s words, Ms. Wang couldn¡¯t help butugh, and the corners of her mouth curled up naturally.


    Elderly Mr. Di, who was beside her, nced at her lightly and then lowered his head to continue drinking the in rice porridge in his bowl.


    Although it was just one nce, being a married couple for many years, Ms. Zhao shuddered in her heart and naturally understood Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s meaning. She quickly turned and left the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense; she¡¯s your Second Sister-inw. I¡¯m going to check on what¡¯s going on. They¡¯ve been fighting for quite a while now.¡±


    As soon as Ms. Zhao left the room, Di Ah-bao murmured and cursed under his breath for quite some time before continuing to chew the steamed cornbread in his mouth.


    Elderly Mr. Di sighed secretly but said nothing in the end.


    ¡°What are you doing? What are you doing? Why are you hitting the children so early in the morning? Stop right now!¡±


    Ms. Zhao quickly went forward and snatched Di Wei from Ms. Wang¡¯s hands. Looking at the child who had been hit hard, she then turned back and continued to scold: ¡°Look at how heavy your hand is. If the child is really injured or left with a scar, and she can¡¯t get married, are you going to support her for the rest of her life? How big a deal is it for the child to make a fuss? Who treats their children like this?¡±


    Ms. Wang had been holding in her anger with no way to vent it. Now that she had been stopped from hitting her own child and scolded by her stepmother-inw, her anger red up as well.


    Unable to bear it, she pointed at Ms. Zhao¡¯s nose and cursed back: ¡°What do you mean, how do I treat my child? Can¡¯t I discipline my child when she¡¯s causing trouble? She¡¯s already craving meat at such a young age, demanding meat all day long. Eating the steamed cornbread is already good enough. Just a few days ago, we caught half a wild pheasant, and it all went into their mouths. Not to mention my son Gao only got a few pieces of meat, even I, his wife, didn¡¯t get a taste of the soup. On the other hand, you three over there took more than half of the pheasant, and there should be some meat left, right? Why not share some with Brother Gao? After all, he also calls you grandmother! ¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s mouth was flipping fast, and her words came quickly without even pausing to catch her breath.


    As soon as Ms. Zhao heard the request to share their meat, she couldn¡¯t help but start cursing as well!


    ¡°What do you think you are? This meat was given to your father by someone who had a brush with thew. You, azy and troublemaking wife, only know how to eat, eat, eat. A good home has been eaten into poverty by you, and now you are even trying to dig meat out of Ah-bao¡¯s mouth to eat for yourself. I think your heart and liver are ck¡­¡±


    The more Ms. Zhao scolded, the more intense it got, and naturally, Ms. Wang didn¡¯t want to be outdone. Early in the morning, it started with the children crying and turned into a mother-inw and daughter-inw battle, with loud cursing that echoed throughout Upper Vige.


    Meanwhile, the instigators Di Ah-Bao and Di Gao,pletely unconcerned, continued to eat the food in their bowls. One was a favorite youngest child, and the other was a treasured grandson, but neither of them thought of going out to stop the fight. After they were full, they each slipped out of the old house, not knowing where they went to y.


    By the time Elderly Mr. Di finished eating and carried a hoe up the mountain, the arguing between the two women had not yet stopped, so he called out to them.


    ¡°What are you arguing about? If anyone has too much energy, go up the mountain and chop a few bundles of firewood to bring back!¡±


    Who would be willing to go up the mountain and chop firewood on a hot day?


    Both immediately fell silent with that single statement, giving each other an angry stare before going back to their own rooms.


    Growing even more furious after nearly losing her voice from all that arguing, Ms. Wang couldn¡¯t resist the tormenting hunger gnawing at her stomach. She left the old house and headed straight for Di Family¡¯s residence.


    Di Yelei efficiently plucked the porcupine¡¯s quills, gutted and divided the animal, cut it into several pieces, seasoned them with a little salt, and then threaded them onto palm leaves, hanging them under the eave to drip dry. He estimated that one cooked piece would be enough for several people to eat for a day. This porcupine meat was very nourishing, nearly devoid of fat, and provided a deliciously rich soup that was perfect for Sisi to regain her strength.


    After brief consideration, Di Yelei took a piece of meat and went straight to the kitchen, nning to cook it in a stew for today¡¯s noon meal.


    Today, Liu Sisi¡¯s mind seemed to be elsewhere as she automatically sewed ribbon flowers with nimble hands. Her thoughts had strayed far away, and she could not hear what Di Ying was chattering about beside her.


    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why aren¡¯t you responding to YingEr?¡±


    Di Ying shook Liu Sisi, finally pulling her distant thoughts back.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, YingEr? I didn¡¯t hear you just now. Can you tell me again?¡±


    YingEr pouted, ¡°Mom, I think I saw Second Aunt wandering outside.¡±


    Ms. Wang wandering around outside? That implied so many things!


    Liu Sisi quickly put away the ribbon flowers she was holding and stood up, ¡°Your dad was outside processing the porcupine earlier, I think he only brought one piece of meat in. I¡¯ll go out and see if the meat is still outside.¡± She wondered, could Ms. Wang have been attracted by the porcupine?


    As soon as she stepped out of the room, Liu Sisi saw Ms. Wang wandering outside the courtyard, looking anxious. Clearly, the pieces of meat hanging under the eave had caught her attention.


    Appearing fearful that Liu Sisi would discover her, Ms. Wang quickly hid behind a big tree outside Di Family¡¯s fence as soon as she saw Sisiing out.


    Liu Sisi looked down to see the inner organs that Di Yelei had casually thrown to the side, and couldn¡¯t help but tut, ¡°Ah! Ye Lei, how could he hang the meat out here? What if a cat or dog took it away? I¡¯d better take the meat inside. As for these inner organs, why didn¡¯t he deal with them? He¡¯s not nning to throw them away, is he? That wouldn¡¯t be right; this is all meat!¡±


    Liu Sisi deliberately provoked her in a quiet mutter. Such a shameless person who was only interested in other people¡¯s possessions deserved this kind of treatment: to watch but be unable to eat!


    Even without seeing Ms. Wang¡¯s expression, Liu Sisi could imagine the indignant look on her face.


    As she carelessly turned over the inner organs with her hand, she considered cooking them with chili and scallions to make a delicious dish tonight. They had chili at home, but they needed scallions¡­ She seemed to remember seeing some by the road at the entrance to the vige.


    She casually looked toward the vige entrance and, beyond Di Family¡¯s fence, Liu Sisi unexpectedly spotted a stranger¡¯s figure lying on the wall edge.


    The unfamiliar man seemed to be very familiar with her, continuously waving and greeting her.

 Chapter 56 - 53: The Apricot Blossoms Beyond the Wall

    Chapter 56:? Chapter 53: The Apricot Blossoms Beyond the Wall


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ah! Ah,e here, Sisi,e quickly! Sisi¨C¡±


    The man yelled her name as if he was afraid others wouldn¡¯t hear him.


    Liu Sisi red at him, no matter who he was, climbing over the wall to find someone else¡¯s daughter-inw was definitely a yboy.


    She hurriedly turned her head and saw Ms. Wang poking her head out in this direction.


    Biting her teeth, she quickly bent down to grab a handful of mud from the ground and threw it with all her might at the fence where the man was.


    At the same time, she cursed non-stop: ¡°Where did this yboye from? Don¡¯t you know that you have to go through the main entrance when visiting others? Sneaking around on someone else¡¯s courtyard wall is clearly up to no good! Get lost! What nonsense, pah!¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    A chunk of mud hit the man¡¯s forehead. With his painful scream, the figure rolled off the wall, followed by a thud, obviously falling outside the fence.


    Perhaps Liu Sisi¡¯s scolding deterred him, and the man did not show his face again.


    ¡°Wow, Third Sister-inw, there¡¯s a handsome young man spying on you from the wall! He looks familiar, won¡¯t you go out and greet him? Haha¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang mocked, her lean face with a monkey-like expression and feignedughter put on a girl¡¯s disguise, making her look creepy.


    The words reminded Liu Sisi of what happenedst night, and her face turned pale.


    ¡°Second Sister-inw, you can joke about eating, but you must be careful what you say! Aren¡¯t you the second sister-inw to Sisi? How can you be like a gossiping woman, ndering Sisi¡¯s innocence? Which eye saw that he is an old acquaintance of mine? Which eye saw me involved with someone else? Shameless words, what exactly are you plotting?¡±


    Liu Sisi, having held her anger, naturally spoke without reserve.


    Ms. Wang¡¯s smiling face faded, and she almost tore the handkerchief in her hand. ¡°What are you talking about, Third Sister-inw? What am I plotting? I clearly saw him calling you from the wall of your house! Are you still trying to deny it?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! If Sisi remembers correctly, this is quite a coincidence! Second Sister-inw ¡®you¡¯ and ¡®he¡¯, one each on opposite walls calling me simultaneously! To those who know them, it¡¯s a coincidence. But to those who don¡¯t, they might think¡­ Ha! Now that¡¯s a joke! Second Sister-inw, isn¡¯t that what Sisi just said?¡± Liu Sisi emphasized the pronouns ¡®you¡¯ and ¡®he¡¯ when speaking.


    Ms. Wang¡¯s face changed instantly after what Liu Sisi said!


    She had intended to humiliate Liu Sisi, but inadvertently implicated herself. At the moment, she was no longer concerned with anything, but eager to clear her name.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Liu Sisi, you better rify that! Don¡¯t you dare falsely use me of anything! Don¡¯t think I¡¯m easy to bully because I¡¯m old¡­¡±


    Before Liu Sisi could speak, a furious voice came from behind her, startling both of them!


    ¡°Who¡¯s old mother are you?¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly turned her head to see Di Yelei standing at the corner of the eaves. His tall figure made the corner seem even lower. The storm was brewing in his pair of ck eyes above that expressionless face.


    How long has he been here? How much did he hear of the conversation? Did he recognize the man who was climbing the wall just now?


    An inexplicable sense of guilt rose in Liu Sisi¡¯s heart.


    He came to Liu Sisi¡¯s side, looked her up and down, and saw nothing unusual. Then he raised his head to look at Ms. Wang outside the fence.


    ¡°Second Sister-inw, who¡¯s old mother are you? Why don¡¯t you tell us! And it seems you¡¯ve forgotten about the written proof fromst time, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    As soon as Di Yelei appeared, Ms. Wang¡¯s face turned pale.


    At the moment, being questioned by Di Yelei, Ms. Wang was so frightened that she nearly jumped up.


    ¡°I¡­ I misspoke, misspoke! I¡¯m leaving now, leaving now¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang was notoriously rash, but she was instinctively afraid of Third Brother, especially when he was angry, she wanted to avoid him subconsciously.


    Watching Ms. Wang run far away, Di Yelei turned back and looked deeply at Liu Sisi, not saying a word, just reaching up and taking down the several pieces of meat hanging under the eaves, then carried them into the room.


    Could he really know the person who was just peeping over the wall?


    This idea crossed Liu Sisi¡¯s mind for no reason, followed by a wave of annoyance. She didn¡¯t know the person at all, and it was unbearable to be so blind.


    Looking at the discarded organs by Di Yelei, Liu Sisi went back to her room to fetch scissors and tidy them up. She kept the heart and liver, stuffed the intestines with pumpkin leaves, cleaned them several times to remove the dirt, then rinsed them with clear water, filling a full big ocean bowl.


    She carried the bowl into the kitchen and found Di Yelei sitting in front of the stove in a daze, with steam bubbling from the pot and the smell of meat wafting from it. The firelight in the stove flickered on his resolute face, making it even more angr.


    Seemingly noticing Liu Sisiing in, he looked up in surprise at the big bowl in her hand, but didn¡¯t say much in the end.


    Sisi scooped water to clean the organs again, while secretly watching the expression on Yelei¡¯s face.


    Waiting until she had washed them and then rubbed them with salt and set them aside, she finally looked up at him.


    ¡°Di Yelei, do you know the man who was just peeping over our wall? I don¡¯t know him, and that yboy kept waving at me, so I deliberately grabbed some mud and threw it at him¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know him?¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly looked up and asked, obviously very surprised!


    ¡°Ah! What¡¯s wrong? Am I supposed to know him?¡±


    Even though Liu Sisi¡¯s original self definitely knew the man, she herself naturally didn¡¯t, and she wasn¡¯t going to admit it: ¡°You know I¡¯ve forgotten everything that happened before, I don¡¯t even remember what my own parents look like, how could I know him?¡±


    Looking at Liu Sisi¡¯s bewildered expression, Di Yelei¡¯s tense face rxed, and suddenly loosened!


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve forgotten, if you¡¯ve forgotten, don¡¯t worry about him, he¡¯s not an important person anyway. You just need to remember, if he dares toe again next time, just deal with him like today.¡±


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know him, but I have a feeling that I used to know him?¡±


    Liu Sisi narrowed her eyes subconsciously. Who on earth was this person?


    Why was Di Yelei hiding it from her?


    ¡°No matter who this person is, he knows that you¡¯re my Di Yelei¡¯s wife but still dares to be so arrogant, so he should be prepared to face the consequences!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ ¡±


    Although she said so, she didn¡¯t know what felt strange. Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Di Yelei¡¯s tough facial lines grew even more rigid: ¡°There¡¯s nothing to say! Don¡¯t be fooled by his hypocritical appearance, that toy boy-looking face has deceived so many virtuous women¡­¡±


    Really? He could havee up with a better excuse.


    Liu Sisi squinted her eyes. She didn¡¯t expect Di Yelei, a man like him, to be a gossiping woman, talking about people behind their back. This change had really taken her by surprise!

 Chapter 57 - 54: Do It for Your Own Good

    Chapter 57: Chapter 54: Do It for Your Own Good


    Trantor: 549690339


    However, since he didn¡¯t want to talk about it, Liu Sisi naturally didn¡¯t press further.


    Not only was this lunch eatente, but it was also eaten with a very oppressive atmosphere. The two children also sensed the abnormality in the adults and quietly ate the dishes in their bowls, not making a sound.


    Only Di Yelei continued to ce meat and scooped soup into Liu Sisi¡¯srge bowl as usual, filling it almost to the brim, before turning to give each of the two children a few pieces of meat. He then buried his head in the bowl, eating the coarse grains with wild vegetables.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s appetite was small to begin with, so she couldn¡¯t finish so much meat even if she tried.


    ¡°YingEr, be good, eat more meat.¡±


    Liu Sisi turned her head and put all the meat pieces from her bowl back into therge bowl, and finally, with only two pieces of meat left, she continued eating silently.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes dimmed for a moment, but then returned calm. Frowning but not saying anything.


    After lunch, Liu Sisi coaxed YingEr into taking a nap, but ended up falling asleep herself as well. Having slept poorly from the continuous shocks and fears ofst night, she only woke up when the sun was about to set.


    YingEr was already up, and after searching around the house for a while, no one was found.


    After a moment of hesitation, Liu Sisi picked up the basket and prepared to go out to dig wild vegetables.


    As soon as she was at the vige entrance, she saw YingEr and Xuan¡¯er ying and frolicking with a few children under a willow tree on the riverbank, including Zhang Yun from Zhang Peng¡¯s home. Only then did Liu Sisi feel at ease, continuing to walk along the mountain road.


    She was quite skilled and fast at digging wild vegetables. Before long, she had collected enough for half a basket. Along the way, she encountered several fellow vigers working in the fields, most of them staring at her curiously and whispering to each other.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mind and continued to dig wild vegetables.


    ¡°Third Son Di¡¯s wife, are you digging wild vegetables too?¡±


    The sudden call made Liu Sisi look up and it was the Land Officer calling her.


    In the remote Upper Vige, the Land Officer was the highest authority in people¡¯s eyes, usually having the final say in everything.


    Seeing the Land Officer beckoning to her, Liu Sisi hurriedly smiled and paid her respects, ¡°Mr. Land Officer is busy with farm work.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no farm work for me to do. I rented out all mynd, and I¡¯m just idling out of boredom. I came to the fields to get some vegetables to eat at home. I see you¡¯re digging wild vegetables? Take this bunch of rape greens back home to eat. Don¡¯t let the sun get to it, or else Ye Lei will be distressed.¡±


    Land Officer smiled kindly and handed over a bunch of rape greens. When Di Yelei separated from the main family, he didn¡¯t receive anynd, and Mr. Land Officer naturally knew it well.


    Liu Sisi naturally epted the vegetables since Mr. Land Officer was giving them to her in front of everyone, ¡°Sisi thanks Mr. Land Officer for his kindness, thank you.¡±


    Happy to receive the rape greens, Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze fell on another type of vegetable nearby, and her eyes suddenly brightened! Wasn¡¯t this water spinach?


    Water spinach is also known as hollow-hearted vegetable. This vegetable grows easily and has high yields. If she could nt a small corner with it, there would be no need to dig wild vegetables every day!


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer, is this water spinach yours as well? Can you spare me a few nts? I¡¯d like to take them home and nt some too.¡±


    Mr. Land Officer apparently didn¡¯t expect Liu Sisi to take an interest in the vegetable; after a momentary pause, he randomly picked a few nts and handed them to her.


    ¡°No problem. However, Third Son Di¡¯s wife, it¡¯s good that you want to be self-reliant upon arriving at Upper Vige. But Miao Cuihua is so muscr and strong¡­ it¡¯s better to keep your distance from her. Don¡¯t provoke that mad woman with just a momentary quarrel.¡±


    So Mr. Land Officer also knew about what had happened at the riverbank yesterday.


    Liu Sisi put the water spinach in her basket and then smiled: ¡°If Mr. Land Officer knows about yesterday¡¯s event, you must have also heard about the whole story. From now on, she won¡¯t bother me, and I will keep my distance. However, if she keeps deliberately insulting the deceased, I cannot guarantee that what happened yesterday will not happen again.¡±


    Mr. Land Officer originally wanted to mention yesterday¡¯s incident just to remind Liu Sisi, who looked so weak and delicate. But seeing her talk like this, he became angry.


    He blew his beard and red: ¡°If you don¡¯t listen to advice, then take care of yourself!¡±


    Having spoken those words, he turned his back to Liu Sisi and didn¡¯t bother with her anymore.


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer¡¯s advice, Sisi will naturally listen to and take to heart. However, as the old saying goes, ¡®People who are kind will be taken advantage of, and horses that are kind will be ridden.¡¯ Sisi is acting like this only to be able to stand firm in this ce. Our children at home are still young, Mr. Land Officer, Sisi will leave first.¡±


    After finishing what she had to say, Liu Sisi turned around and left.


    As she just said, if she came across as truly weak and submissive, would people like Miao Cuihua let her off the hook?


    Watching Liu Sisi¡¯s receding back, Mr. Land Officer secretly sighed. Wasn¡¯t it true that kind people get bullied? It seemed that Third Son Di¡¯s wife saw through it quite well!


    If Sisi had just obediently agreed, he would have been happy on the surface, but deep down, he would have inevitably looked down on her even more.


    Her rebuttal at the moment, however, changed his initial impression of her and made him view Liu Sisi more favorably.


    Third Son Di¡¯s wife didn¡¯t seem as bad as the rumors suggested!


    When Liu Sisi came back home, Di Yelei still hadn¡¯t returned.


    She went around the courtyard and finally chose arge feed trough in the corner, which seemed to be used for feeding pigs or horses. Inside it, there was more than half the trough filled with water, and moss was growing around it. It was perfect to nt water spinach!


    Liu Sisi brought some soil to fill half of the feed trough, mixed it with the original silt in the trough, and then nted the little water spinach she had.


    The setting sun¡¯s afterglow fell beside her, and a few strands of stubborn hair hung down on her face, making her face more beautiful and radiant, stunningly beautiful.


    On her delicate skin, a few droplets of fragrant sweat were rolling, slipping down her chin.


    Her slender body moved with her hands, making her full chest and slim waist appear even more alluring to him.


    Di Yelei came in from outside just in time to see this beautiful scene in front of him. A colorful halo in his eyes scattered, and the surrounding images gradually disappeared.


    In his eyes, there was a little mud-ying fairy in front of him.


    Her slightly upturned lips looked somewhat yful, and the wind blew her ck hair strands into her line of sight.


    She couldn¡¯t help but gently raise her arm, using her sleeve to wipe the sweat off, her big, moist, and shy eyes nced around and happened to meet Di Yelei¡¯s gaze.


    When did Ye Leie back? A hint of surprise shed by in her eyes.


    ¡°Where did this water spinache from? The mud is dirty, let me nt it, and you go and wash your hands.¡±


    Di Yelei had already rolled up his sleeves and took the nts from Liu Sisi¡¯s hands, quickly nting them as he spoke.


    ¡°It was given to me by Mr. Land Officer. There were quite a few people who saw it at the time.¡±


    A strange look flickered in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, questioning her as soon as he came back. Was he worried she had spent his money?


    She unconsciously pursed her lips, and couldn¡¯t help but speak sarcastically: ¡°What, are you worried that I¡¯m recklessly spending your money?¡±


    Hold on, money? Money¡­


    Liu Sisi suddenly turned pale as if a broken string had suddenly been reconnected in her mind!


    Last night¡¯s thief¡­


    She suddenly got up and ran into the house like a madwoman!

 Chapter 58 - 55: True Feelings Revealed in Adversity

    Chapter 58: Chapter 55: True Feelings Revealed in Adversity


    Trantor: 549690339


    Di Yelei¡¯s hands kept nting, and it was clear that he was very skilled at farming.


    ¡°What are you talking nonsense about? I¡¯ve told you, since the silver has been given to you, you¡¯re free to do whatever you like with it, you¨C¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Liu Sisi had already dashed into the room like a whirlwind.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Di Yelei quickly inserted thest two water spinach nts and hurried in after washing his hands.


    In the room, Liu Sisi sat dully by the bamboo bed, motionless.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s wrong? Sisi.¡±


    Seeing Sisi like this, Di Yelei felt a pain in his heart and hurriedly embraced her, softly calling her name.


    His gentle coaxing made Liu Sisi¡¯s heart ache, and pointing at the dug-up hole, tears instantly streamed down her cheeks.


    ¡°Ye Lei, the silver¡ª it¡¯s gone!¡±


    This silver was meant to repay the debt, and a thief had stolen it. Liu Sisi naturally understood it must have been lostst night.


    A deep sense of defeat struck Liu Sisi¡¯s heart. Even if she didn¡¯t want to cry, she really didn¡¯t want to cry!


    But her tears werepletely uncontroble, rolling down her cheeks in a torrent, unable to be stopped no matter what.


    The silver is gone!


    Di Yelei¡¯s head buzzed as if struck by lightning. His mind went nk.


    Sisi¡¯s wailing made Di Yelei¡¯s heart ache. He clumsily patted her back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Sisi, don¡¯t cry. As long as we are still here, we can earn the silver back. I¡¯ll go up to the mountain and sell more game, and the silver wille back. Don¡¯t cry, Sisi¡­ ¡±


    If Di Yelei hadn¡¯tforted her and instead scolded her harshly, she might have felt better.


    But he was clearly in so much pain, yet he wasforting her like this. It made her guilt even more unbearable, and she couldn¡¯t help but bury herself in his arms and cry even harder.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be sad. A few days ago, I heard Li Wu said he had several wolf-dog puppies in his home, thinking of giving them away. I¡¯ll go get one to watch our house, so the courtyard won¡¯t feel so empty. Don¡¯t cry, Sisi, don¡¯t cry¡­ ¡±


    With a thick nasal voice, Liu Sisi shook her head vigorously and said, ¡°No, not one, two!¡±


    ¡°All right, we¡¯ll get two. Li Wu¡¯s German Shepherds are not only good for guarding the house, but they¡¯re also great hunting assistants. Moreover, they don¡¯t bark indiscriminately, so they¡¯re very reliable.¡±


    Di Yelei continued tofort her for a long time before Liu Sisi finally snapped out of her remorse.


    No matter who this thief was who stole the silver, she would definitely find him and make him pay double what he took!


    Di Yelei was also holding back a fire in his heart! Did this thief want to eradicate thempletely?


    Well! He would like to see who would ultimately destroy whom!


    ¡°By the way! I just remembered something.¡±


    Liu Sisi finally struggled free from Di Yelei¡¯s arms, and looked at him with her big eyes like startled deer: ¡°Ye Lei, I beat that thief up when he broke into the bathing room, and with thest hit, I struck his¡­that area. Furthermore, since the thief came in the middle of the night, it means he must live near our house. So, I think if we check the nearby clinics and see if there¡¯s anyone who¡¯s injured all over, we¡¯ll definitely know who it is.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words struck Di Yelei like a revtion, a glimmer of hope blooming in his heart.


    He thought for a while before saying, ¡°There is a clinic in the nearby Upper Vige, and if anyone gets sick, they usually go to Zhang Peng for help. Since he often goes into the mountains, he also brings back medicinal herbs for sprains, bruises, and minor ailments to keep at home. Those who seek medical help from Zhang Peng know that he¡¯s just a makeshift doctor. For small ailments, it¡¯s fine, but for major illnesses, they usually go to the town. This afternoon, I went to Zhang Peng¡¯s house and made some indirect inquiries. No one came to see him for medical help from yesterday till today. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go to the clinic in town tomorrow and see what the result is.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought about it and it made sense, even though she was heartbroken about the lost silver. There was no better solution at the moment and so she obediently nodded: ¡°Alright, and while you¡¯re at it, go to Second Brother Li¡¯s house and bring the little dog back.¡±


    When it was time to cook dinner in the evening, Di Yelei unexpectedly found that the piece of meat hanging under the kitchen chimney was gone!


    Not only that but even the leftover meat soup from lunch was gone too!


    Without needing anyone to say, Di Yelei knew who had done it.


    How unlucky, like a leaking roof during the rainy night!


    Of course, Liu Sisi had also noticed that the meat was gone. Her face immediately turned pale with anger: ¡°They must have taken advantage of my absence this afternoon when I was out gathering wild vegetables. They really¡­ they really went too far!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! This kind of situation has happened more than once or twice already, and it¡¯s not suitable for you, a new bride, to confront them. Just leave it to me to handle. You make the meal first and I¡¯ll be right back!¡±


    Di Yelei said and dashed out of the courtyard like a whirlwind, leaving Liu Sisi unable to stop him in time.


    Uh-oh!


    Ye Lei must have gone to the old house. Could he, a man, bring the meat back?


    She wanted to go to the main house herself but thought about Di Yelei¡¯s words just now and gave up on the idea. Liu Sisi felt as if she had fifteen buckets in her heart, swaying back and forth with uncertainty.


    The few moments she waited felt as long as several years.


    The two children were sent back by Zhang Yun, and Liu Sisi tried to muster her spirits and greeted him. Luckily, Zhang Yun was in a hurry to go home for dinner and didn¡¯t stay long.


    Sisi crushed the coarse grains and made some steamed cornbread. With the earned silver gone, she needed to be very careful and find a way to recover the lost money as soon as possible.


    When Di Yelei came back with a piece of meat, the cornbread in Liu Sisi¡¯s pot was already cooked.


    From outside, angry scolding and shouting could still be heard faintly.


    ¡°Here, cook this meat tonight. After I catch the little wolf-dog in a few days, I¡¯ll go hunting in the mountains again.¡±


    At this moment, his clothes were disheveled and full of creases, and even his face and exposed hands had scratches. Although he didn¡¯t say so, Liu Sisi could tell at a nce how much effort it took for him to retrieve the meat from the old house.


    She silently took the meat, drew some clear water, and carefully and gently cleaned Di Yelei¡¯s wounds. The person who had hurt him didn¡¯t show any mercy, especially the three long scratches on his face, which welled up with pus, causing Liu Sisi¡¯s heart to ache.


    Di Yelei held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand and the two exchanged silent nces.


    His deep ck eyes mirrored Sisi¡¯s tearful ones, which refused to roll down her cheeks. He smiled faintly.


    He reached out to pinch her cheek, watching it turn red under his caress andughed. Their hearts were warmed by each other¡¯s unspoken understanding andpassion, all words unnecessary.

 Chapter 59 - 56: Unexpected Joy!

    Chapter 59:? Chapter 56: Unexpected Joy!


    Trantor: 549690339


    At dinner time, the two felt much more at ease with each other.


    However, due to theck of silver, the atmosphere was somewhat tense.


    The piece of meat that Di Yelei had taken back was made into soup, and the pieces of meat he had picked for Sisi were put into the bowls of the two children by Liu Sisi. She herself drank most of the meat soup.


    ¡°You eat more. In two days, I¡¯ll go to the mountain, and I won¡¯t let you and the children go hungry.¡±


    Di Yelei insisted on putting the meat into Liu Sisi¡¯s bowl.


    Liu Sisi shook her head and took it out: ¡°The children are growing, and we can¡¯t dy their growth. Just like you said, it¡¯s only a few days, and it won¡¯t starve me. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Di Yelei thought about it and gave up insisting on it.


    In the evening, when they went to bed, Di Yelei changed his previous habit of staying far away and put his arm around Liu Sisi, lying t with her in his arms, and a warm feeling surrounded them.


    Liu Sisiy quietly at his side, resting her head on his shoulder, thinking about her own thoughts.


    ¡°Sisi, while I¡¯m away these days, why don¡¯t we take the opportunity to raise the yard fencing wall a bit? It will save other people from easily jumping in andpromise our safety.¡±


    Since Sisi is young and everyone knows that Di goes hunting at night, the safety of the two children and Sisi is exposed to those with ill intentions. Di Yelei had no intention of hunting in the mountains before solving the current difficulties. Relying solely on the two puppies for security is not realistic.


    At this moment, Liu Sisi understood his meaning and examined the surrounding architecture for a moment. She gently stood up and lifted her head.


    ¡°Ye Lei, why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to expand the yard while raising the wall? In the future, even if we need to build more houses, we don¡¯t have to demolish the wall and rebuild it. What do you think?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words gave Di Yelei a sudden idea, and he sat upright: ¡°What do you think is the best way to expand?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there an undeveloped piece of wastnd next to us? I see there¡¯s nothing being produced on it, and no one is nting crops. We can buy it from the Land Officer. It¡¯s not very useful for nting crops, so it should be cheap.¡±


    The current courtyard is small, and it doesn¡¯t take much effort to tten the adjacentnd for expansion. It would be perfect for the courtyard.


    What¡¯s rare is that there is a small hidden river nearby, with water flowing along the slope from the trench. Although the water source is small, it would be enough for a single family to use for daily life.


    ¡°That piece of wastnd is only about six or seven acres and shouldn¡¯t cost much silver. Once I have some time and sell more game, I¡¯ll buy it.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke halfway, he suddenly remembered that their silver had run out, so he hastily corrected himself.


    Liu Sisi tight-lipped and got down from the bed, walked to a bare wall, carefully removed a not-too-big base blue stone along the stone crevice, put her small hand inside and took out a cloth bag, handing it to Di Yelei.


    ¡°What is this¡­?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes sparkled as he eagerly opened the cloth bag to see small amounts of silver.


    Liu Sisi shyly touched her nose and smiled: ¡°As the saying goes, a sly rabbit has three burrows! I wouldn¡¯t keep all the silver in one ce. There¡¯s more here, let me check if it has been stolen.¡± Saying this, she went to the desk and looked at Di Yelei with a smile.


    ¡°Here, you still hid silver?¡± He asked in surprise.


    Liu Sisi nodded with certainty!


    Di Yelei was also interested in Liu Sisi¡¯s hiding ce and searched high and low, turning over everything on the desk and in the two drawers, but still found nothing.


    He couldn¡¯t stand it and moved the desk away to examine the wall behind it. After hitting and tapping on it for a while, he still came up empty-handed.


    Finally, he had to admit that Sisi had hidden it well: ¡°Sisi, where on earth did you hide it?¡±


    ¡°Right under your nose, you just can¡¯t see it.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed proudly and took the bone hairpin from her hair. She carefully pried the surface of the desk several times gently. In no time, there was a small wax strip on the surface. Crushing the wax strip, she revealed a 5-tael silver ticket.


    It turned out that there was a wood knot on the surface of the desk. Liu Sisi carefully hollowed out the area below the knot, put the silver ticket in, sealed it with wax, smoothed the surface of the wood, trimmed any excess parts of the knot, and put it back in its original position. It looked just like before, but there was a silver ticket inside the wood.


    ¡°Look! The money¡¯s here! There are 5 taels of silver in one ce, making a total of 10 taels. Plus, I have 432 copper coins in my hand, which should be enough to buy those wastnd plots.¡± Liu Sisi took out the scattered copper coins from her arms and handed them to Di Yelei.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually so much? ¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s voice trembled as he spoke!


    He thought all the silver was gone. But little did he know, they still had so much left! They had 10 taels of silver in hand!


    How could he not be excited?


    This sense of satisfaction was far greater than when he made the 15 taels of silver. It made him even happier and more joyful!


    ¡°You¡­ Sisi, you¡¯re so smart!¡±


    Unable to hold back his excitement, Di Yelei grabbed Liu Sisi and lifted her high above his head, spinning her around wildly twice!


    ¡°Ah! Stop ¨C put me down quickly; I¡¯m scared of heights!¡±


    Liu Sisi screamed in panic.


    ¡°Good, Sisi is really good! Haha!¡±


    Unable to suppress his excitement, Di Yelei finally let her down. But suddenly, he lowered his head and nted a vigorous kiss on her cheek.


    At that moment, Liu Sisi froze!


    Her big, watery eyes widened in shock, and her little mouth opened slightly as she looked at him timidly.


    Di Yelei also froze. He hadn¡¯t expected the little woman in his arms to taste so sweet. It was like biting into a ripe peach ¨C juicy, tender, and tempting. He couldn¡¯t help but want to taste her over and over, unwilling to let go.


    Liu Sisi was clearly frightened.


    Her little face flushed all at once, and even her delicate earlobes and swan-like neck turned as red as if they had been painted with rouge.


    A ripple shimmered in her bright eyes, and one nce was enough to melt anyone in her wet, deer-like eyes.


    ¡°Sisi -¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s voice quivered, unable to suppress the excitement in his heart, and he hugged her tightly.

 Chapter 61 - 61: 58: The Little Hound

    Chapter 61 - 61: 58: The Little Hound


    These two little hounds, one male and one female, were born in the same litter. One had a brownish-yellow coat and the other had ck and white spots. Both were round and chubby, obviously well-fed. The two little guys didn¡¯t act shy when they arrived at the Di family¡¯s home, sniffing around everywhere with their stout little legs, even marking their territory by urinating on both sides of the main entrance of the Di residence.


    Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er were ecstatic chasing the two little dogs around all day, obviously in love with them.


    Little did the happy family realize that they had dodged a hidden scheme by not going to the market out of necessity, instead inadvertently enjoying good fortune.


    After working diligently day and night, Di Yelei finallypleted the fence after several days.


    This fence expansion was only widened on the side near the newly purchasednd plot. Bamboo and wood structures were used to encircle the area, and a row of iron spikes was nted along the fence¡¯s outer edge.


    With this arrangement in ce, the thick outeryer of iron spikes acts as the first barrier; if anyone still manages to get past it, they would face the fence, backed by a row of yellow daylilies grown along the perimeter.


    On top of that, they now have two small hunting dogs. If any thieves try to climb over the wall, it won¡¯t be so easy anymore!


    During this time, Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang both came by several times one after the other, looking displeased as they saw the two working on the fence.


    Without Di Yelei going hunting in the mountains, the two of them have no opportunity to take advantage.


    Recently, they have been having in rice porridge with wild vegetables for many days in a row, desperately in need of game to fill their stomachs. But Di Yelei, who used to go up the mountains every two to three days, had changed his habits; how could they not be outraged?


    Moreover, the two little hounds seemed particrly sensible. They would bark nonstop whenever they saw Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang.


    Although the little hounds couldn¡¯t bite people, their sharp teeth constantly shook the two¡¯s pant legs, causing the two to hate them immensely.


    While Ms. Wang didn¡¯t dare to enter the courtyard because of the written proof, Ms. Zhao frequently came uninvited, inevitably encountering the two little hounds.


    ¡°I say, Third Son¡¯s family, how much grain will these dogs eat once they grow up? Even if you have a lot of money, that¡¯s not how you waste it. I think you should give them away sooner rather thanter to save yourself the trouble of taking care of these two little troublemakers,¡± Ms. Zhao said sarcastically.


    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it. These little guys need to be well taken care of. Isn¡¯t that right, mom?¡±


    Liu Sisi pretended not to understand, chiming in along with her words, pulling the two little hounds away from Ms. Zhao¡¯s pant legs, one in each hand.


    ¡°Moreover, these two little hounds don¡¯t bark at passers-by but only start barking when mom and Second Sister-in-Law appear. Isn¡¯t that strange?¡±


    Seeing the pant legs covered in bite marks from the little hounds¡¯ teeth, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to herself.


    Turns out that even small hounds know who their friends are and who the bad guys are!


    ¡°You¡­you¡­hmph! This is outrageous!¡±


    Amidst Ms. Zhao¡¯s ttering scolding, Liu Sisi continued her work undisturbed, treating the other¡¯s verbal abuse as nothing more than a passing breeze.


    The cool breeze was so soothing on this summer afternoon!


    ¡°Ah-Huang, Ah-Hua! Come and eat your meal!¡±


    Ying¡¯er¡¯s soft, glutinous voice echoed through the courtyard as she served food into the two little hounds¡¯ bowls and called for them.


    This task was originally done by Sisi, but YingEr swooped in and took it over. As soon as the family put down their bowls and chopsticks, she would collect the bones from the table, mix them with the leftover cooked dishes, and soup water to make a bowl of food for the two little hounds.


    These two recently weaned little hounds are not picky at all, and both their little heads squeeze together, never giving in, and happily eating everything.


    Fearing that the two small wolf-dogs would not eat well, Di Yelei made a specialrge tray by weaving it together, adding three bamboo poles and a hemp rope to make a fish moving tool.


    This fish-moving tool is an emergency measure when there is no fishing gear avable. It is to tie ropes on the edges of therge tray, fix the intersection of the three bamboo poles, put a little bit of inner organ in the tray, and sink it into the river. After a while, when the rope is pulled up, there are much more lively little fish and shrimp in therge tray.


    Taking advantage of the scorching sun at noon, Di Yelei went to the river-bank under the drooping willow with tworge water buckets. By the time Liu Sisi woke up from her nap, he had already carried back a load of little fish, river shrimp, and crabs, leaving Liu Sisi stunned.


    Thinking back to when she had just arrived, she had struggled for a long time to catch only a bowl or two of fish and shrimp. As a result, he directly carried back a load of them.


    Di Yelei wiped the sweat from his forehead with a grin and took off the shoulder pole from the water bucket: ¡°We have a lot here, let¡¯s pick out the big ones to eat, and dry the small ones for the two little dogs, so they can grow faster.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m used to doing these things, you¡¯re hot, hurry up and drink some cold water to rest for a while.¡± Liu Sisi said with a smile, handing over the chilled boiled well water.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t hesitate, took the bowl, and drank it dry in one gulp, then got up and walked outside: ¡°The fish-moving tool is still by the riverbank, I¡¯ll go get it first. By the way, where are Xuan¡¯er and YingEr?¡±


    Liu Sisi also picked up the dustpan and began to sort the fish and shrimp in the buckets.


    ¡°It seems like Xuan¡¯er is practicing calligraphy, and YingEr is ying with the two little dogs outside with Zhang Yun ¨C hey, here theye!¡±


    While Liu Sisi was speaking, YingEr and Zhang Yun walked into the kitchen, one in front of the other.


    Leading the way, however, were the two little wolf-dogs.


    The two little wolf-dogs were barking and wagging their tails around the water bucket non-stop. Those ever-swinging tails,bined with the cheerful barking, made people wonder if the tails would fall off from all the wagging excitement.


    ¡°Yo! Can they already smell it? Ha ha! These two greedy dogs.¡± Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.


    ¡°Ah-Huang, Ah-Hua, stop barking or I¡¯ll hit you.¡± YingEr scolded the two little hounds with great seriousness, making everyoneugh even harder.


    Liu Sisi finally sorted the fish and shrimp from the two messy buckets.


    The little crabs were ced separately in a bowl, and the not-so-many loaches and eels were also ced separately in water. Of the fish in the two buckets, river shrimp were the most abundant, and there were a lot of fish called sow shell and sand fat fish in the local name. Liu Sisi focused on processing these two kinds of small fish, spreading them all out in a fine sieve to dry, while the rest, such as crucian carp, carp,mprey, and sawbelly, were fed with water separately, nning to carefully remove their inner organs, dry them into fish, and eat them slowly.


    In the evening, of course, they had fresh fish soup and fried river crabs.


    The potato seedlings and water spinach from the fields had already begun to be harvested, so they also stir-fried potato seedlings and water spinach for dinner.


    After putting down the bowl and chopsticks, Di Yelei sighed, ¡°Sisi, the potato seedlings and water spinach are tender. In the future, when these vegetables are growing more and more lush, you won¡¯t have to go out and dig up wild vegetables. I really never thought that I, Di Yelei, would be so lucky as to have found a woman like you who knows how to live. It seems that Heaven is not ill-treating me.¡±


    He still remembers grumbling all the time when Sisi had just arrived, and he didn¡¯t expect that his views would changepletely in just over a month. Indeed, one should not judge a book by its cover.


    Liu Sisi felt embarrassed to be praised.


    ¡°I nted vegetables because I didn¡¯t want to go out and dig wild vegetables every day. When autumnes, we can change to nting waterweed and turnips, so we can have vegetables in winter too.¡±

 Chapter 61 - 61: 58: The Little Hound

    Chapter 61 - 61: 58: The Little Hound


    These two little hounds, one male and one female, were born in the same litter. One had a brownish-yellow coat and the other had ck and white spots. Both were round and chubby, obviously well-fed. The two little guys didn¡¯t act shy when they arrived at the Di family¡¯s home, sniffing around everywhere with their stout little legs, even marking their territory by urinating on both sides of the main entrance of the Di residence.


    Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er were ecstatic chasing the two little dogs around all day, obviously in love with them.


    Little did the happy family realize that they had dodged a hidden scheme by not going to the market out of necessity, instead inadvertently enjoying good fortune.


    After working diligently day and night, Di Yelei finallypleted the fence after several days.


    This fence expansion was only widened on the side near the newly purchasednd plot. Bamboo and wood structures were used to encircle the area, and a row of iron spikes was nted along the fence¡¯s outer edge.


    With this arrangement in ce, the thick outeryer of iron spikes acts as the first barrier; if anyone still manages to get past it, they would face the fence, backed by a row of yellow daylilies grown along the perimeter.


    On top of that, they now have two small hunting dogs. If any thieves try to climb over the wall, it won¡¯t be so easy anymore!


    During this time, Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang both came by several times one after the other, looking displeased as they saw the two working on the fence.


    Without Di Yelei going hunting in the mountains, the two of them have no opportunity to take advantage.


    Recently, they have been having in rice porridge with wild vegetables for many days in a row, desperately in need of game to fill their stomachs. But Di Yelei, who used to go up the mountains every two to three days, had changed his habits; how could they not be outraged?


    Moreover, the two little hounds seemed particrly sensible. They would bark nonstop whenever they saw Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang.


    Although the little hounds couldn¡¯t bite people, their sharp teeth constantly shook the two¡¯s pant legs, causing the two to hate them immensely.


    While Ms. Wang didn¡¯t dare to enter the courtyard because of the written proof, Ms. Zhao frequently came uninvited, inevitably encountering the two little hounds.


    ¡°I say, Third Son¡¯s family, how much grain will these dogs eat once they grow up? Even if you have a lot of money, that¡¯s not how you waste it. I think you should give them away sooner rather thanter to save yourself the trouble of taking care of these two little troublemakers,¡± Ms. Zhao said sarcastically.


    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it. These little guys need to be well taken care of. Isn¡¯t that right, mom?¡±


    Liu Sisi pretended not to understand, chiming in along with her words, pulling the two little hounds away from Ms. Zhao¡¯s pant legs, one in each hand.


    ¡°Moreover, these two little hounds don¡¯t bark at passers-by but only start barking when mom and Second Sister-in-Law appear. Isn¡¯t that strange?¡±


    Seeing the pant legs covered in bite marks from the little hounds¡¯ teeth, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to herself.


    Turns out that even small hounds know who their friends are and who the bad guys are!


    ¡°You¡­you¡­hmph! This is outrageous!¡±


    Amidst Ms. Zhao¡¯s ttering scolding, Liu Sisi continued her work undisturbed, treating the other¡¯s verbal abuse as nothing more than a passing breeze.


    The cool breeze was so soothing on this summer afternoon!


    ¡°Ah-Huang, Ah-Hua! Come and eat your meal!¡±


    Ying¡¯er¡¯s soft, glutinous voice echoed through the courtyard as she served food into the two little hounds¡¯ bowls and called for them.


    This task was originally done by Sisi, but YingEr swooped in and took it over. As soon as the family put down their bowls and chopsticks, she would collect the bones from the table, mix them with the leftover cooked dishes, and soup water to make a bowl of food for the two little hounds.


    These two recently weaned little hounds are not picky at all, and both their little heads squeeze together, never giving in, and happily eating everything.


    Fearing that the two small wolf-dogs would not eat well, Di Yelei made a specialrge tray by weaving it together, adding three bamboo poles and a hemp rope to make a fish moving tool.


    This fish-moving tool is an emergency measure when there is no fishing gear avable. It is to tie ropes on the edges of therge tray, fix the intersection of the three bamboo poles, put a little bit of inner organ in the tray, and sink it into the river. After a while, when the rope is pulled up, there are much more lively little fish and shrimp in therge tray.


    Taking advantage of the scorching sun at noon, Di Yelei went to the river-bank under the drooping willow with tworge water buckets. By the time Liu Sisi woke up from her nap, he had already carried back a load of little fish, river shrimp, and crabs, leaving Liu Sisi stunned.


    Thinking back to when she had just arrived, she had struggled for a long time to catch only a bowl or two of fish and shrimp. As a result, he directly carried back a load of them.


    Di Yelei wiped the sweat from his forehead with a grin and took off the shoulder pole from the water bucket: ¡°We have a lot here, let¡¯s pick out the big ones to eat, and dry the small ones for the two little dogs, so they can grow faster.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m used to doing these things, you¡¯re hot, hurry up and drink some cold water to rest for a while.¡± Liu Sisi said with a smile, handing over the chilled boiled well water.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t hesitate, took the bowl, and drank it dry in one gulp, then got up and walked outside: ¡°The fish-moving tool is still by the riverbank, I¡¯ll go get it first. By the way, where are Xuan¡¯er and YingEr?¡±


    Liu Sisi also picked up the dustpan and began to sort the fish and shrimp in the buckets.


    ¡°It seems like Xuan¡¯er is practicing calligraphy, and YingEr is ying with the two little dogs outside with Zhang Yun ¨C hey, here theye!¡±


    While Liu Sisi was speaking, YingEr and Zhang Yun walked into the kitchen, one in front of the other.


    Leading the way, however, were the two little wolf-dogs.


    The two little wolf-dogs were barking and wagging their tails around the water bucket non-stop. Those ever-swinging tails,bined with the cheerful barking, made people wonder if the tails would fall off from all the wagging excitement.


    ¡°Yo! Can they already smell it? Ha ha! These two greedy dogs.¡± Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.


    ¡°Ah-Huang, Ah-Hua, stop barking or I¡¯ll hit you.¡± YingEr scolded the two little hounds with great seriousness, making everyoneugh even harder.


    Liu Sisi finally sorted the fish and shrimp from the two messy buckets.


    The little crabs were ced separately in a bowl, and the not-so-many loaches and eels were also ced separately in water. Of the fish in the two buckets, river shrimp were the most abundant, and there were a lot of fish called sow shell and sand fat fish in the local name. Liu Sisi focused on processing these two kinds of small fish, spreading them all out in a fine sieve to dry, while the rest, such as crucian carp, carp,mprey, and sawbelly, were fed with water separately, nning to carefully remove their inner organs, dry them into fish, and eat them slowly.


    In the evening, of course, they had fresh fish soup and fried river crabs.


    The potato seedlings and water spinach from the fields had already begun to be harvested, so they also stir-fried potato seedlings and water spinach for dinner.


    After putting down the bowl and chopsticks, Di Yelei sighed, ¡°Sisi, the potato seedlings and water spinach are tender. In the future, when these vegetables are growing more and more lush, you won¡¯t have to go out and dig up wild vegetables. I really never thought that I, Di Yelei, would be so lucky as to have found a woman like you who knows how to live. It seems that Heaven is not ill-treating me.¡±


    He still remembers grumbling all the time when Sisi had just arrived, and he didn¡¯t expect that his views would changepletely in just over a month. Indeed, one should not judge a book by its cover.


    Liu Sisi felt embarrassed to be praised.


    ¡°I nted vegetables because I didn¡¯t want to go out and dig wild vegetables every day. When autumnes, we can change to nting waterweed and turnips, so we can have vegetables in winter too.¡±

 Chapter 62 - 62: 59: Something Hidden from Her

    Chapter 62 - 62: 59: Something Hidden from Her


    While talking, Liu Sisi took the dustpan and began to clean the river shrimp from the barrel, intending to make dried shrimp.


    ¡°Well, your idea is not bad. Anyway, there¡¯s still a small piece ofnd in the newly bought courtyard. We can just spend more energy and sleep a little less, saving time to dig wild vegetables. It¡¯s really a good way to go.¡±


    Di Yelei also sat down, taking a small basin, and began to remove the internal organs of the little fish from the barrel: ¡°Right, tomorrow afternoon I n to go into the mountain again to hunt for game and go to the market one more time. It¡¯ll be good to pay off the owed silver sooner and get that off our minds.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, I also think it¡¯s time to go to the market. It¡¯s been quite some days, and there¡¯s not even a tiny bit of oil left at home.¡±


    Without oil, any dish would not be fragrant. Liu Sisi was a genuine food lover from her past life to now. Recently, because she lost the 5 taels of silver, she had to suppress her appetite forcibly.


    When the conditions allowed, she would never torture her own stomach!


    ¡°Brother Third Son Di, is Brother Third Son Di at home?¡±


    As the two were talking, there was a sudden knock on the door outside the main entrance. The little hounds were also whining, creating a lively atmosphere.


    ¡°It¡¯s Brother Zhang¡¯s voice, I¡¯ll go out and see.¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly washed his hands and left the room, driving away the two little dogs and opening the door: ¡°It¡¯s Brother Zhang Peng,e in and sit down quickly.¡±


    ¡°Brother Third Son Di, this is your family¡¯s bamboo basket, here!¡±


    Zhang Peng handed over a bamboo basket, which was the one Liu Sisi had asked Zhang Yun to take home with the small fish.


    ¡°Nowadays our homes are not well-off, and your family is not easy either. You caught some fish and sent so many to my house. That¡¯s really not good. Yelei, you don¡¯t treat me as a brother at all, do you?¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly denied: ¡°Brother Zhang, what are you talking about? The two children have caused you a lot of trouble on weekdays. What we have sent is just some small fish and shrimp, which is not worth two maces.¡±


    Just as Liu Sisi washed her hands and came out, she politely invited him toe inside: ¡°Brother Zhang,e in and sit down for a while.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to bother. Sister-inw, I specially came to return your family¡¯s bamboo basket.¡±


    Zhang Peng waved his hands again and again, giving Di Yelei a meaningful look: ¡°Yelei, it¡¯s hot tonight, why don¡¯t we go out for a walk?¡±


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯ll go out for a while and be right back.¡±


    Liu Sisi naturally saw the exchange of nces between the two and obediently nodded: ¡°All right, it¡¯s hot outside, be careful of bugs on the ground.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t me herself for not feeling at ease. Nowadays, she had an instinctive fear of bugs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll just be outside, not going far away.¡±


    While Di Yelei was talking, he left the courtyard together with Zhang Peng. In the dim moonlight of the night, Liu Sisi vaguely saw the two gradually walking towards the back-mountain direction before she closed the main entrance.


    Shaking her head, she returned to the kitchen and continued to deal with the river shrimp. Liu Sisi was now washing and cleaning the river shrimp again after selecting them once before. Then, she put the shrimp and salt in a big pot, heated it to cook, and spread it on a reed mat to dry.


    Not until Liu Sisi had finished dealing with everything did Di Yelei return.


    Liu Sisi paid no attention, washed up, and went back to her room and fell asleep.


    This sleep, she slept until daybreak.


    When she woke up in the morning, she did not see Di Yelei. It seemed he hadn¡¯t returned all night.


    When Liu Sisi cooked rice in the morning and dressed YingEr, Di Yelei finally came back.


    The two little hounds wagged their tails non-stop around him. Ah-Hua, because of being both fat and short, even rolled directly over his foot, happily frolicking.


    ¡°Yelei? Hurry up and wash your hands, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡±


    Liu Sisi was quickly stir-frying the small dried fish in the pot, nning to eat it with porridge.


    ¡°Ah?¡­Okay!¡±


    Di Yelei hesitated for a moment but eventually said nothing and went to wash his hands.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t ask him where he had gone for the night.


    If he wanted to tell her, he would naturally do so. If he didn¡¯t want to tell her, she would likely end up using countless excuses to cover up the truth even if she asked.


    If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s better not to ask.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After dinner, Liu Sisi continued making ribbon flowers, while Di Yelei went back to his room to sleep. At noon, Sisi steamed a basket of chive and dried shrimp dumplings, intending to take them as dried food for Yelei. She also filled tworge bamboo tubes with water for him to carry at any time.


    In addition, Liu Sisi also killed the eel and loach to make sure Di Yelei had a full stomach, so he would have the energy to go hunting in the mountains.


    When Di Yelei really went up to the mountain and saw his distant back, Liu Sisi felt extremely wronged!


    Is it true that if she doesn¡¯t ask, he really won¡¯t tell her where he went the night before?


    However, a momentter, she shook her head with a smile, suddenly not understanding what was wrong with her.


    Why was she so worried about gains and losses,pletely unlike her past self!


    It is true that the more you care, the more afraid you are of losing!


    Once she figured it out, Liu Sisi calmed down, busying herself with chores, and the day passed by.


    Early the next morning, Di Yelei returned.


    He brought back many hunting trophies today, including two dead weasels and mountain marmots, as well as two big wild rabbits and a litter of little wild rabbits, and two live golden pheasants. Liu Sisi was overjoyed at this!


    ¡°Dad! Dad, I want to touch, I want to touch the little wild rabbit!¡±


    YingEr grabbed the fluffy little wild rabbits and refused to let go: ¡°Dad! Keep the little wild rabbits, keep the little wild rabbits!¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head with a smile: ¡°Of course we will keep them, no one wants such small wild rabbits. But what does YingEr n to do with the little wild rabbits?¡±


    ¡°YingEr wants to raise the little wild rabbits to be big and fat, so the little wild rabbits can apany YingEr.¡±


    YingEr smiled with her eyes squinted.


    ¡°Sister, let brother help you raise them together, so in the future, we will have many many little wild rabbits.¡± Xuan¡¯er¡¯s eyes were also shining beside her.


    ¡°Since you guys want to raise them, let¡¯s just keep this pair of golden pheasants as well.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she picked up the pair of golden pheasants: ¡°Let¡¯s make it clear first, once these golden pheasants grow up, they cany eggs, and these eggs will be for Xuan¡¯er and YingEr to eat. But, the wild vegetables for the little wild rabbits and baby chicks will have to be dug up by Xuan¡¯er and YingEr, okay?¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t intend to spoil the two children and thought that starting with raising small animals was a great way to cultivate their sense of responsibility from a young age.


    ¡°Yes! We will dig up wild vegetables for the little wild rabbits every day, don¡¯t worry mom.¡± YingEr nodded quickly.


    Xuan¡¯er also hurriedly said, ¡°And the golden pheasants.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Since the kids like them, let¡¯s keep them.¡± Di Yelei naturally couldn¡¯t bear to refuse the children¡¯s request.

 Chapter 63 - 60: The Proud Laughter

    Chapter 63:? Chapter 60: The Proud Laughter


    Trantor: 549690339


    He directly found two cages and locked up the wild rabbit and the pheasant separately, before getting ready to head out for the market.


    ¡°Zhang Peng said this morning that he had called over Zhang Yun to look after Xuan¡¯er and YingEr, and there are also two dogs. We should be fine if we go quickly and return quickly.¡±


    While Di Yelei was speaking, he heard Zhang Yun¡¯s voiceing from outside the door.


    After giving a series of instructions to Zhang Yun, and repeatedly assuring YingEr, Liu Sisi finally went out the door with her ribbon flowers and Di Yelei.


    This time, the two didn¡¯t walk but spent 4 copper coins to take a bull-cart directly to the small town.


    The bull-cart bumped along the road and finally arrived at the small town. Liu Sisi felt like her whole body was going to fall apart from the bumpy ride.


    As always, the small town was bustling. The two, carrying their ribbon flowers, went directly to the essory shop. The essory shop was not far from the entrance of the town, with the Stele Drum ying Shop and the stone mill shop on either side. Liu Sisi left her ribbon flowers outside for Di Yelei to watch and went into the shop.


    Upon entering, she was immediately captivated by the dazzling array of essories in the store. Seeing so many essories, she felt more at ease. The more essories there were, the greater the chance of selling her ribbon flowers.


    She walked directly to the counter, where a plump, kind-faced married woman stood.


    Seeing Liu Sisi enter, the woman greeted her cheerfully, ¡°What type of essories would the young wife like to buy? In addition to gold and silver jewelry, we also have many other items for various purposes here. Whatever the customer wants, just say it.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled lightly, taking out a pair of ribbon flowers from her bag and cing them on the counter, ¡°Shopkeeper, these are ribbon flowers that I made and want to sell in exchange for some silver. Do you ept them here?¡±


    The married woman was startled, and picked up the ribbon flowers to examine them carefully. The cloth used for the ribbon flowers had a strange color, but the craftsmanship was solid and secure. It was clear that they had been made with care.


    Most importantly, these ribbon flowers had very unique shapes and it was unknown how they would look when worn.


    As if understanding what the shopkeeper was thinking, Liu Sisi casually picked up another ribbon flower, removed the towel wrapped around her long hair, casually pinned the ribbon flower on her head, and quickly braided a hairstyle simr to a fall-back bun.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, I don¡¯t have a mirror and can¡¯t see how my hair looks. I wonder if you think it looks good?¡± Liu Sisi smiled lightly.


    Sisi had a delicate face, fair and rosy skin that was delicate enough to break with a touch. Since she was not familiar with ancient hairstyles, she had never dressed up before.


    At present, with just a casual grooming, the original seven-point beauty immediately turned into a perfect ten. Her already stunning face was further enhanced by the ribbon flowers, making everyone¡¯s eyes widen in admiration.


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s quite good. Not only are you skillful, you also look as if you¡¯ve stepped right out of a painting, making my own heart soften!¡±


    The shopkeeper sincerely praised, before looking down at the ribbon flowers in her hand again.


    It was the first time she had seen ribbon flowers made from silk garments of such color.


    Although the style was novel, she hesitated as the color of the flowers was so strange. If they couldn¡¯t be sold, she would suffer a huge loss!


    ¡°How many ribbon flowers do you have like this?¡±


    ¡°Not too many, about 200 pairs.¡± Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mention more, fearing the shopkeeper would lower the price if she knew the actual quantity.


    The shopkeeper lightly tapped on the surface of the counter, finally gritting his teeth: ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll buy these ribbon flowers of yours. I sell the regr ones here for 10 copper coins a pair, and buy them at 6 copper coins. I¡¯ll just give you a direct purchase price of 8 copper coins per pair, what do you think?¡±


    Liu Sisi immediately shook her head: ¡°Shopkeeper, the price cannot be calcted like that. The 10 copper coins per flower you¡¯re talking about are ribbon flowers sold to children. The ribbon flowers I make not only have no repeating patterns but also appeal to ordinary children and married women. If you take them to the county, and the girls at Blossom House and Drunken Moon Restaurant find their special characteristics, to say that these ribbon flowers are worth only eight copper coins is simply an insult to their value. Shopkeeper, don¡¯t you think what I, the young wife, said makes sense?¡±


    After Liu Sisi¡¯s exnation, the shopkeeper¡¯s eyes instantly brightened!


    What she said wasn¡¯t wrong; she just saw that the small town couldn¡¯t sell at a high price. But what about the county and provincial cities?


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the asking price, young wife?¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled: ¡°Shopkeeper, you also know that the silk alone costs 600 copper coins, plus the silk thread, cotton thread, andbor, I won¡¯t ask for too much. Just price the ribbon flowers at 20 copper coins. If the shopkeeper sells them well and quickly, the next time you want them, I¡¯ll still sell them to you at this price, how about it?¡±


    Liu Sisi had already done the math. A piece of cloth can make about 120 to 150 pairs of ribbon flowers. If made with good silk, the cost is around 8 copper coins per pair without consideringbor.


    Her asking price of 20 copper coins per pair seemed a bit high, but after deducting the wages, it wouldn¡¯t be too much.


    ¡°20 copper coins? That¡¯s too high! No, no! I won¡¯t mention other things, but at most, 15 copper coins per pair. If you still think it doesn¡¯t work, we don¡¯t need to talk about this deal.¡± The shopkeeper was also unwilling to give in, her understanding of the cost seemed crystal clear in her mind. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Let¡¯s be frank, the shopkeeper must know the cost of making these silk flowers. Don¡¯t you need to make a living as well, young wife? I will sell them for 18 copper coins per pair if you agree.¡± Liu Sisi pretended to look pained and wiped her face with a towel.


    The shopkeeper looked up and naturally saw Liu Sisi¡¯s fingers, which were almost poked through by the needle¡¯s eye, and her heart softened: ¡°17 copper coins per pair! However, I¡¯ll buy as many as you have now. To be honest, I n to ship them to the capital to sell, and if the quantity is too small, I won¡¯t make a profit.¡±


    Liu Sisi was naturally overjoyed! After checking, she had spent 1 tael of silver to buy 5 and a half pieces of silk and made 756 pairs of ribbon flowers, selling them for 12 taels and 682 copper coins.


    The shopkeeper alsoughed happily, gave Liu Sisi 12,700 copper coins directly, which settled the deal concerning both money and goods.


    Once they left the essory shop, Di Yelei and Liu Sisi were both overjoyed!


    ¡°Ye Lei! We can finally pay back that huge debt. We¡¯ll be debt-free now, and things are really great!¡± Liu Sisi was almost jumping for joy.


    The most excited was Di Yelei!


    ¡°Sisi, I give you all the credit. So many ribbon flowers were made by you, stitch by stitch, and it took nearly twenty days toplete them. Look at your fingers¡­ I¡¯m really, really, too clumsy!¡±


    Di Yelei held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand tightly, his face full of heartache.


    ¡°This is the main street, and everyone is watching. Let go of my hand quickly!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly withdrew her hand, her cheeks flushed: ¡°Besides, it¡¯s just a few needle pricks, it¡¯ll be fine in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Sisi, I know how hard you¡¯ve worked for everything. You keep the silver now, and once we sell the game today, our family will have money to work with.¡±


    Di Yelei happily spoke, as he bent down to pick up the weasel, mountain marmot, and wild rabbit. He then walked briskly towards the market, protecting Liu Sisi.

 Chapter 64 - 61: Where is it considered to be spoiled?

    Chapter 64:? Chapter 61: Where is it considered to be spoiled?


    Trantor: 549690339


    The two originally thought that since their game sold so quickly thest time they attended the market, it would be sold out quickly today as well.


    However, what they never expected was that they kept their stall at the market all morning, and while the dead rabbits from the neighboring stall were sold out, no one wanted their live rabbits. As the market gradually emptied, none of the game they brought have been sold.


    It was truly peculiar!


    Not far from where the two were, a figure in a tea house had a full view of everything, and couldn¡¯t help but grin with satisfaction!


    ¡°We can¡¯t just keep waiting here, we still have to buy things we¡¯re missing at home. If we really can¡¯t sell them, we can take them home and eat them ourselves.¡±


    Liu Sisi said, standing up from the ground.


    ¡°Should we leave already? Should we wait a little longer?¡±


    Di Yelei was hesitating. It was four pieces of game and taking them home to eat was an option, but what he hoped more was to exchange them for some silver. But it seemed impossible at the moment.


    Picking up their game, the two slowly walked down the street.


    Upon reaching the corner of the street, Liu Sisi felt that gaze again. This gaze had been persistently following her since the morning. She didn¡¯t take it to heart since she was rather attractive. But this time seemed different! Despite it being just a fleeting nce back, she clearly saw the owner of the gaze and instantly tensed up.


    It was the Head Chef, Sun Ergou!


    Seeing the cheeky and unabashed gaze from him, Liu Sisi realized that the reason they couldn¡¯t sell their game might have something to do with him.


    ¡°Sisi, you wait here. I¡¯ll go inside and ask if this restaurant might need them.¡±


    Di Yelei was referring to another well-known restaurant in town: Juxian Restaurant. He seemed to still hold onto a glimmer of hope.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t stop him. Even if that Fatty could control everything, people of the same upation were natural enemies. And this restaurant was also in the same business. Even if Fatty tried to y tricks, most likely he wouldn¡¯t be able to reach here.


    As expected, Di Yelei went in for only a moment beforeing out excitedly, the mountain marmot in his hands was gone.


    ¡°This restaurant has already bought some game, but the Boss is kind and took one in. At least the trip wasn¡¯t in vain.¡±


    As he said this, he handed over 700 copper coins to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed not bad. Let¡¯s take the rest home and eat ourselves. Let¡¯s go! First we need to buy some things that we arecking at home, especially oil. We haven¡¯t had any oil at home for a long time.¡±


    Liu Sisi also looked pleased, took the coins and headed to the pork stall.


    There are mainly two types of cooking oil here; one is rapeseed oil, the other isrd. Rapeseed oil is mostly used for cold dishes and fried food, whilerd is used by vigers in their daily meals.


    When Liu Sisi and Di Yelei arrived at the pork stall, there was very little pork left on the counter.


    At the moment, Pork Rong was raising his voice, shouting: ¡°Come and buy! Come and buy! Freshly ughtered pork this morning! Border oil 20 coins, foot oil 18 coins, lean meat 10 coins, semi-fat meat 15 coins, pig offal half price ¡ª Come and buy! Come and buy!¡± Border oil is pig fat or called b oil, while foot oil is theworked oil that is peeled off from the viscera.


    As Pork Rong spoke, he picked up an iron rod and repeatedly rubbed his big de, making ¡°swoosh swoosh swoosh¡± noises.


    ¡°This pig offal is half the price? Why?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but ask the curious question to Di Yelei standing next to her.


    ¡°The pig offal has a lot of grease, selling it for 5 copper coins a pound seems normal right?¡±


    Di Yelei looked at Liu Sisi, surprised, evidently not expecting her to ask such a question.


    Liu Sisi rubbed her little nose awkwardly, then thought about it and understood.


    Mentioning meat here was unnecessary as people rarely ate it. When they bought it, it was often for the sake of rendering fat. Therefore, the best-selling pork was neck cor meat, or pork neck meat. This is because it had a high fat content and little lean meat. Rendering it produced no loss so everyone liked to buy it. Although the pig offal had a strange smell, it couldn¡¯t beat the greasiness. Selling it at half the price of meat made perfect sense.


    ¡°Old man, I want that piece of b oil.¡±


    The meat and b oil hanging on the hooks had been significantly reduced, and after some selection, Di Yelei finally chose a piece of b oil.


    Although he could hunt, game generally had little fat, so his focus was naturally the fattiest border oil.


    A piece of border oil weighed a full 15 and a half catties, after removing the bit, Pork Rong took straight 300 copper coins.


    ¡°Ye Lei, let¡¯s buy a pig¡¯s stomach too, I want to eat pig¡¯s stomach.¡±


    On seeing food, the greedy worm in Liu Sisi¡¯s stomach came out. She seemed to have seen the cooked chicken wrapped in the pig¡¯s stomach walking towards her¡­


    Pork Rong found this funny: ¡°Hey! Is this big brother a hunter? The little sister-inw is so cute. How about this! I¡¯ll swap this pig¡¯s stomach and the border oil from just before with two of your wild rabbits, okay?¡±


    Di Yelei grinned from ear to ear as if he were the one being praised, heughed like a fool, evidently very happy.


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Yelei, then blushing, said: ¡°The big brother is too kind. But these are fat wild rabbits. Each weighs over six catties. If we add them to the swap, we¡¯re at a big loss. Why don¡¯t we trade these two wild rabbits and this weasel for your pig¡¯s stomach and offal along with border oil?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Pork Rong was somewhat distraught. Some of the pig offal was picked off by someone else just now, although there wasn¡¯t much left, he would clearly be at a loss if they traded¡­ n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Big brother, you buy game for a change of taste right? We regrly hunt for fresh meat because we also want a change of taste right? Even if you¡¯re at a loss, it¡¯s a few copper coins. Isn¡¯t it better to change it up a bit?¡± Liu Sisi said,ughing lightly, her beautiful eyebrows arching like crescent moons.


    Pork Rong hesitated for a moment, then took down the pig¡¯s stomach and offal and said: ¡°Fine! Just as the sister-inw said, a loss is nothing but a few copper coins. Take it and go!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, big brother!¡±


    Liu Sisi was also very happy, she had thought they wouldn¡¯t be able to sell the game today, so she was surprised when it was all swapped away in the end!


    It was only then that the two rushed to the rice and grain shop, bought some rice and seasonings, then went to the y pot store and bought a dozen different sizes of ceramic bowls for future use. They even specifically detoured to the mill store to buy a small stone mill, which made Liu Sisi very happy!


    Now they could grind soy milk at any time!


    Seeing that the baskets were so full that they couldn¡¯t fit anything else, the two of them happily walked home. When they reached the intersection, Liu Sisi bought two sticks of candied haws for the two kids.


    When it was time to pay, Di Yelei took three sticks of candied haws and handed one to Liu Sisi: ¡°Here, you eat it! You, always spoiling the two kids. They¡¯re still little now so it doesn¡¯t matter much, but what if they grow up and be spoiled because of you?¡±

 Chapter 65 - 65: 62: Reunion with an Old Friend, Nan Tianzong’s Unspeakable Sufferings

    Chapter 65 - 65: 62: Reunion with an Old Friend, Nan Tianzong¡¯s Unspeakable Sufferings


    Gently biting a candied haw, the sweet and sour taste immediately whirled in her mouth, making Liu Sisi¡¯s bright moon-like eyes squint contentedly.


    Hearing Di Yelei¡¯s words, she let out an unhappy hum: ¡°What are you talking about? Girls should be pampered! Besides, it¡¯s just two strings of candied haws, how could it spoil a child? Humph!¡±


    While talking, she also wrinkled her cute little nose.


    ¡°You really¡­¡±


    Di Yelei shook his head helplessly with a smile. In his eyes, Liu Sisi was still a child herself, and this childish side of her was exactly what he treasured the most.


    It was hard on her to marry an ¡°old man¡± like himself at such a young age, really wronging her!


    ¡°Here! You have one too. These candied hawthorns are sweet and sour, and they taste so good!¡±


    Liu Sisi held up the string of candied haws, stood on tiptoes to close the distance between them, and brought the candied haws to his mouth.


    Di Yelei wanted to refuse, but he couldn¡¯t resist her sparkling eyes, so he lowered his head and bit a candied haw.


    The sour and sweet taste instantly filled his mouth, making his taste budse alive. An indescribable feeling spread in his heart, just like this candied haw, sour and sweet, sweet and sour.


    ¡°What do you think? These candied haws are delicious, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes narrowed as she smiled, and she couldn¡¯t help but think of those creative sweets from her previous life.


    It¡¯s just a pity that she never learned how to make cakes and desserts. It¡¯s truly a pity now, missing out on so many delicious treats¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! Look at you!¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly called her: ¡°You got sugar all over your face. Come on, let me wipe it off for you¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he gently rolled up his sleeves, carefully wiping away the sugar residue on her small chin.


    ¡°Where? Is there any more on my face?¡±


    Liu Sisi swung her head from side to side, trying to give Di Yelei a clearer view.


    But when she turned her head, she met his suddenly deep and immeasurable eyes, her cheeks turned red and she quickly lowered her head.


    Her shyness made him unable to help but chuckle, causing Liu Sisi to blush even more and re at him fiercely while pretending to be angry.


    A hero¡¯s anger is for the beauty, and a beauty¡¯s smile is for the city.


    Indeed, an angry beauty has a unique charm.


    ¡°Ahem! It¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Only then did Di Yeleie back to his senses, remembering that he had been staring like a youngster on the street, and felt secretly annoyed.


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Liu Sisi did not dare to look up at him, walking ahead with her head down.


    As they passed a bookstore, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but stop. She suddenly remembered that she should buy a set of calligraphy tools for Di Xuan.


    This bookstore connected to threemon sleeping areas, and from outside, it was fully stocked with various books, paper, and other four treasures of the study.


    What caught Liu Sisi¡¯s attention the most was a recruitment advertisement standing at the entrance of the store: ¡°Our shop is hiring a waiter, capable of writing and calcting, and not to provide food and lodging. To work on market days. Five maces of silver monthly¡­¡±


    The reason Liu Sisi was moved was not because she could get that five maces of silver monthly as a waiter in this shop, but from kindergarten until she crossed over, what she dealt with the most were obviously books!


    She liked books, or rather, she liked reading.


    Aftering here, every day was filled with firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. Where could she find the opportunity to be associated with books?


    At the moment, she had a rare chance to see so many books, and it was also a job advertisement. Thinking that she could continue touching books in the future, her silent heart suddenly thumped with excitement!


    Right away, she couldn¡¯t care about anything else. She stuffed the candied hawthorn in her hand into Di Yelei¡¯s hand, carefully arranged her appearance, and then stepped into the bookstore.


    As soon as she entered the store, a strong ink fragrance greeted her. This familiar aura made Liu Sisi close her eyes in fascination, taking a deep breath.


    When she opened her eyes again, she was met with a pair of seemingly smiling eyes.


    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s you!¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    Behind the counter sat a young man, holding a book in his hand, and at this moment, he was looking at her with interest. He wore a bamboo green robe, his ck hair bound tightly at the back of his head with a headband of the same color, pinned with a deep blue headscarf. He had a slender and tall figure, distant and leisurely brows, deep and secluded eyes, a straight and prominent nose, and thin lips blooming with a bewitching shallow smile.


    At this moment, he was sitting behind the counter, standing there quietly like an inkndscape painting, exuding a faint ink fragrance.


    Her eyes couldn¡¯t help but squint slightly, and everything around her disappeared from her sight. It seemed as if the world only left him, floating an bing distant¡­


    ¡°Ahem! It turns out to be you, young wife.¡±


    A sh of radiance swiftly flickered in the depths of this young man¡¯s eyes without giving anyone a chance to see it clearly.


    He put down the book in his hand, slowly stood up from his seat, and walked over to Liu Sisi, bowing slightly, ¡°Is little madam doing welltely? It seems that you and I are really fated to meet here.¡±


    Only at this moment did Liu Sisi suddenlye back to her senses.


    She couldn¡¯t help but sigh silently: Truly a demon, a demon indeed!


    This man was more beautiful than a woman, and she didn¡¯t know how much peach blossom debt he would incur in the future, seducing countless young girls and making them dream of him with broken hearts.


    This young man was none other than the one she identally saved while picking mushrooms!


    Back then, perhaps it was because of his heart disease that he looked like he had been rolled in mud from head to toe, with a pale face mixed with green, tightly closed eyes, and ck lips, which greatly diminished his beauty.


    However, now that he was all dressed up like this, with his picturesque brows and eyes, her eyes couldn¡¯t help but widen!


    ¡°It seems that Young Master has recovered from his heart disease, hasn¡¯t he?¡± Liu Sisi casually mentioned.


    ¡°Heart disease?¡± The young man raised an eyebrow.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Yes! That day, you had a heart attack, and I went through a lot of trouble to administer the lifesaving pill. You don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Since she rarely met him again, Liu Sisipletely forgot about the concept of maintaining a distance between men and women, and went on talking about her experience of rescuing him.


    Because she was so engrossed in talking, she didn¡¯t notice the corners of his mouth twitching and theughter he was barely holding back.


    ¡°¡­Oh! I spoke so much and forgot to introduce myself. My surname is Liu, my husband¡¯s family is surnamed Di. I still don¡¯t know your name, Young Master?¡± Liu Sisi suddenly pped her forehead and eximed.


    ¡°My¡­ my surname is Nan, my first name is Tianzong. Thank you, young wife, for your¡­ lifesaving grace that day.¡±


    When Nan Tianzong said these words of ¡°lifesaving grace,¡± he almost gritted his teeth to spit it out! That day, by coincidence, Liu Sisi identally administered the real detoxification medicine to him.

 Chapter 66 - 66: 63 Sisi Looking for Work, Ye Lei is Furious

    Chapter 66 - 66: 63 Sisi Looking for Work, Ye Lei is Furious


    However, when he thought about the ingredients of the insect and snake repellent medicine he had swallowed, his heart was filled with waves of nausea.


    If possible, he really didn¡¯t want to see Liu Sisi again.


    Because seeing her would inevitably remind him of his pitiful past!


    Liu Sisi seemedpletely unaware, waving her hand dismissively: ¡°No need to thank me! It was nothing more than a helping hand! I¡¯ve already forgotten all about it. By the way, are you hiring a waiter in this shop?¡±


    A bright sparkle twinkled in her eyes, a sparkle so familiar to him that he instinctively took a step back.


    Nan Tianzong retreated half a step, casually asking as if joking: ¡°¡­Why are you suddenly asking this? Are you nning to apply for the job?¡±


    ¡°Sir Nan is indeed beyondpare, with broad knowledge. I am indeed thinking about applying for the job of a waiter. What do you think, Sir Nan?¡±


    Nan Tianzong was dumbfounded, frozen in ce, unable to speak for quite a while.


    At that moment, he wished he could p himself, regretting that he had brought up the topic!


    This had led him to an embarrassing situation, and he deserved it!


    Di Yelei had been outside waiting for a long time. From his standing position, he could only see the back of Liu Sisi. The scorching sun overhead was blinding, and it seemed like the young woman inside wasn¡¯t ending the conversation anytime soon. Unable to restrain himself, he stepped into the shop.


    Inside, Liu Sisi, with her back to him, was confronting a young schr.


    ¡°This¡­ may not be so good.¡± The schr hesitated.


    ¡°What¡¯s not good about it?¡±


    Although he couldn¡¯t see Sisi¡¯s expression at that moment, Di Yelei could easily tell from her voice that she was pleased.


    ¡°This¡­There¡¯s never been such a precedent.¡±


    ¡°What precedent?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s never been a precedent for a woman doing this.¡±


    ¡°I am a married young woman. Who says a young wife can¡¯t do the cleaning work?¡±


    In the small town, there were many young wives who, in order to make ends meet, came out and started small businesses.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually I can also dress as a man. I will absolutely not cause any trouble for you, Young Master Nan. What do you think? Can you give me a definitive answer?¡±


    Hearing the deep disappointment in Sisi¡¯s words, and how she had resorted to begging, Di Yelei quickly stepped forward and stood by Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡±


    As Di Yelei, with his tall figure, stood by Liu Sisi and spoke, he raised his head and looked deeply at Nan Tianzong across from him.


    The man across from him was dressed like an elegant schr, without the strength to even truss a chicken, and had a sickly pale face. This man, who was even more feminine than a woman, dared to reject Sisi¡¯s request? What insolence!


    At their first meeting, Di Yelei¡¯s masculine instincts kicked in and he felt an excessive aversion for the pretty boy in front of him!


    Naturally, Nan Tianzong noticed Di Yelei, who had purposefully strided in from outside.


    With the man standing protectively next to Liu Sisi and ring provocatively at Nan Tianzong, a tremendous pressure hit him head-on.


    Nan Tianzong felt an unjustified irritation in his heart, yearning to separate the two of them.


    Years of education curved his lips in a casual smile, careless but impossible to ignore. This casual attitude created a barrier between him and others.


    Instinctively, he inclined his head towards Di Yelei in greeting. However, a glint of sharpness shed in his eyes.


    But this caused an inexplicable tightening in Di Yelei¡¯s heart.


    A strong sense of crisis rushed towards him, as if he were not facing a person at all!


    But a ferocious beast, causing the hair all over his body to stand on end, and his muscles naturally tightened.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t notice the underlying struggle between the two and turned her head to whisper, ¡°Huh, how did you get in? Didn¡¯t I tell you to wait outside? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be ready in a little while.¡±


    She then turned her attention back to Nan Tianzong, pleading softly, ¡°Mr. Nan, what do you think about this? Please, I really love this job. Trust me, I won¡¯t be any trouble!¡±


    ¡°What job? Sisi, what are you talking about?¡±


    Not until this moment did Di Yelei realize that their conversation was off, his brow furrowing instinctively.


    ¡°Ah? No¡­ it¡¯s nothing, his shop is hiring for a cleaning job, I just came to try my luck ¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctually avoided Di Yelei¡¯s gaze.


    Suddenly remembering that she had forgotten to discuss it with him, she wondered whether he would agree to her getting a job.


    Di Yelei¡¯s brow furrowed tightly: ¡°Cleaning? How much silver can that make, I don¡¯t agree ¡­¡±


    ¡°I agree, remember toe and start work early on the next Market Day.¡±


    Before Di Yelei could finish speaking, Nan Tianzong made the final decision on the matter.


    Even he didn¡¯t understand. It was clear that he had made up his mind early on to refuse her, yet now he had unexpectedly changed his mind. Even he found it unexpected.


    People who were familiar with him, knew that he was a man of principles. Yet now, he had abandoned his usual behavior because of a woman he had only met twice. He found this inconceivable!


    In an instant, Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes twinkled like little stars, nearly jumping for joy!


    ¡°Are you serious? You really agreed? That¡¯s great! Rest assured, on the next Market Day, I¡¯ll definitelye in on time for work!¡±


    ¡°Good, just remember it.¡±


    Nan Tianzong was stillughing elegantly.


    After her excitement, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t forget the main purpose of her visit. After asking Nan Tianzong to help her choose a set of the four treasures of the study, she nned to take them back for Di Xuan.


    Under the smiling gaze of the other party, Di Yelei left the shop with a stiff face and went home with Liu Sisi.


    As soon as they got home, they received a warm wee from YingEr and the others. Even Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua¡¯s frolicking couldn¡¯t melt Di Yelei¡¯s darkened face.


    ¡°Dad, mom! You¡¯re back!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    YingEr came running excitedly, and the two strings of candied hawthorns in Liu Sisi¡¯s hand instantly attracted all her attention.


    ¡°Mom! Are these candied hawthorns for me?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up at Zhang Yun, who was standing next to Di Xuan, and regretted that she had forgotten to buy candied hawthorns for Zhang Yun!


    An embarrassing color shed across Liu Sisi¡¯s face.


    She hastily bent down, handed the two strings of candied hawthorns to YingEr and said, ¡°YingEr, go and give one string to big brother Zhang Yun. Remember to thank him for looking after you. Our YingEr is the most obedient and sensible, right?¡±


    YingEr happily took the candied hawthorns and nodded her head forcefully, ¡°Okay, mom! Big brother Zhang Yun yed with YingEr all morning today. He¡¯s been so nice to YingEr! Big brother Zhang Yun can have one string of candied hawthorns and YingEr will have the other. Big brother Zhang Yun! Big brother Zhang Yun¡­¡±


    While speaking, YingEr hurriedly ran over with the candied hawthorn and handed it to Zhang Yun, smiling happily!


    Zhang Yun epted it awkwardly, showing his happiness.


    Next to them, a shadow crossed over Di Xuan¡¯s eyes, a feeling of being left out surged up.

 Chapter 67 - 67: 64: Ms. Wang Comes to the Door to Demand Payment

    Chapter 67 - 67: 64: Ms. Wang Comes to the Door to Demand Payment


    He clenched his fists tightly, pursed his lips, but didn¡¯t say a word.


    As the people were talking, Di Yelei, with an iron-blue face, had already passed by them and went straight into the house, mming the door with a loud ¡°bang¡±, making the house tremble for a moment.


    Three children were scared into silence, but the only two little puppies still wagged their tails and followed closely without any impact on them.


    A hint of sourness rose from the bottom of Liu Sisi¡¯s heart, her eyes dimmed.


    She knew Di Yelei disapproved of her going out to work, but the job allowed her to get closer to books, and she would never give it up!


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er,e here.¡±


    Liu Sisi called out to Di Xuan, waving at him.


    Di Xuan was feeling upset at the moment, hearing Liu Sisi¡¯s shout, he reluctantly walked over, his lips pursed and silent.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t dwell on it, taking out the calligraphy tools she had bought, she handed them to Di Xuan.


    ¡°Although mom didn¡¯t buy you candied hawthorns, I bought you these instead. Look inside. Do you like them?¡±


    Di Xuan obviously didn¡¯t expect Liu Sisi to buy him something; he hesitated before opening the paper package, then gasped, with tears immediately welling up.


    ¡°Mom! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s call was full of emotion and unceasing tears.


    ¡°As long as you like it! But remember, be careful when using it, and never damage it, understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand, mom!¡± Di Xuan nodded heavily.


    ¡°Good, it¡¯s gettingte, I¡¯ll go cook.¡±


    After saying that, Liu Sisi went into the kitchen, thinking about how to persuade that stubborn donkey-head to agree, so she could help in the drawing workshop.


    ¡°Di Xuan, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Yun, who had been ying happily with YingEr next to him, rushed over when he saw Di Xuan cry.


    Di Xuan sobbed, wiping his tears, ¡°My mom, my mom she¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± Zhang Yun grew worried.


    Not long ago, several of his ymates had secretly ridiculed Di Xuan; they assumed there wouldn¡¯t be good days for him after his stepmother moved in. However, Di Xuan was crying so hard now, did his stepmother hurt him while he wasn¡¯t paying attention?


    But these words, Zhang Yun only thought about them in his mind and didn¡¯t say out loud.


    Di Xuan kept wiping his tears and shook his head vigorously, choking, ¡°My mom, my mom bought me a set of calligraphy tools! Look! I¡­I¡¯m just so happy! Sob sob¡­¡±


    It was indeed a set of the Four Treasures of the Study!


    Zhang Yun looked at the cloth bag tightly grasped in Di Xuan¡¯s hand, filled with envy!


    He initially thought Di Xuan had been mistreated by his stepmother, but didn¡¯t think that this stepmother would give him a set of the Four Treasures of the Study so casually, which were not cheap¡ª a set cost several taels of money!


    Unexpectedly, they really gave Di Xuan the set, moreover, Di Xuan was only seven and a half years old!


    How could he not feel envious and jealous?


    But he was ultimately still too young, so as soon as he returned home, he couldn¡¯t wait to tell a few of his friends about it. Soon, the news spread among them.


    In no time, the entire Upper Vige had heard that Di Yelei¡¯s new wife had actually bought a set of four treasures of the study for Di Xuan ¨C an item worth several taels of silver!


    It wasmon knowledge that the Di Family was in debt of a whopping 20 taels of silver!


    Could it be that the Di Family suddenly struck it rich?


    The average family in Upper Vige only spent one and a half taels of silver a year. With Di Family¡¯s new wife spending several taels of silver so casually, where did they get the money to buy such expensive things?


    For a moment, everyone in Upper Vige was buzzing, and various sorts of nastyments were passed.


    Of course, Di Yelei and Liu Sisi were unaware of all this.


    Liu Sisi cooked the food, making a pot of coarse grain porridge and stir-fried water spinach. The water spinach was growing well at the moment. She would pinch the top parts of it with bamboo chopsticks when it reached a certain length, ensuring that only the tenderest vegetables were used.


    She sent YingEr to call Di Yelei, who was hiding in his room, to dinner. Meanwhile, she calmlyid the table and pondered how to break the news to him.


    But before Di Yelei coulde out, the two little puppies in the courtyard outside started barking non-stop.


    Folowing that, the tightly closed main entrance was pounded with loud thuds!


    ¡°Open the door! Open it now for me! If you won¡¯t open this door, I¡¯ll burn this whole house down and let¡¯s see if you¡¯re still so arrogant! Open up!¡±


    Even without seeing who it was, Liu Sisi could naturally recognize that it was none other than Di Family¡¯s Second Sister-inw, Ms. Wang, who was pounding on the door.


    Ms. Wang stood proudly outside the Di Residence¡¯s gate, hands on her hips as she yelled out.


    At the moment, it was the hottest time of the afternoon, and people working in the fields had long retreated to their homes for a break, waiting until the heat subsided before continuing with their work. As soon as they heard the shouting, the people in each house came out one after another, hiding in the shadows to watch themotion at the Di Family¡¯s doorstep.


    Seeing the onlookers, Ms. Wang cursed even more fiercely!


    ¡°Everyone,e and see! Look at this! Is Di¡¯s Third Son really treating people this badly? Ah! A few days ago, they boughtnd from the Land Officer. Today, they bought the four treasures of the study for that little brat! That¡¯s a precious thing! Isn¡¯t everyone aware that those four treasures are worth several taels of silver, and they just casually gave it to the child to y with, yet they oddly don¡¯t have the money to repay us! What¡¯s the meaning of this? Everyone,e and evaluate, am I wrong?¡±


    As soon as Ms. Wang opened her mouth, her upper and lower lips flipped non-stop, speaking with an impressive fluency!


    Liu Sisi in the house was stunned for a moment, then, she removed her apron casually and walked out of the room.


    Di Yelei came out as well, furrowing his brow while striding toward the yard door.


    ¡°Creak!¡±


    As soon as the gate opened, Ms. Wang immediately approached with a smug expression, ¡°Yo! So Third Brother and Third Sister-inw are finally willing toe out! I thought you two were nning on bing turtles, hiding in there for the rest of your lives.¡±


    ¡°Second Sister-inw! Watch your filthy mouth!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face turned even more iron-like and ugly. He repeatedly pushed back the anger inside him, finally restraining the urge to throw a punch.


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®watch my filthy mouth¡¯? When you borrow money, you act humble, but when it¡¯s time to pay back, you act like a lord. Let¡¯s go to the Land Officer to settle the matter, and let¡¯s hear what he thinks!¡±


    With her hands on her hips and a triumphant look on her face, Ms. Wang wasn¡¯t at all afraid of making the matter more significant, now that she¡¯d caught onto the weakness of the third family branch.


    ¡°Second Sister-inw! Borrowing money and repaying debts are just part of life! Justst month, we had agreed in writing that the debts would be repaid within half a year.¡±

 Chapter 68 - 68: 65: The Fox’s Tail is Exposed

    Chapter 68 - 68: 65: The Fox¡¯s Tail is Exposed


    But what you¡¯re saying now, Second Sister-inw, is really too much. What do you mean by calling us cowards? Don¡¯t forget, Ye Lei and Second Brother are real brothers. If we are cowards, what are you?¡±


    Liu Sisi, furious, naturally spoke without being polite.


    ¡°Listen, everyone, listen, the one who owes the debt is justified now! They have money to buynd and the four treasures of the study, but not to repay the debt¡ª¡±


    Ms. Wang shouted loudly, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go to the Land Officer for justice. Is there now left in this world!¡±


    It was only then that Liu Sisi understood that it was the calligraphy tools she bought for Xuan¡¯er that caused the trouble.


    ¡°Well, you dare to call us cowards? Liu Sisi, don¡¯t think that I¡¯m afraid of you just because you hide behind a man. You, a worthless piece of trash that no one else wants, can only match a man like him, who is doomed by fate to ruin his mother, wife, and child. I think you will end up just like those with short-lived fate, sooner orter¡­ouch!¡±


    Before Ms. Wang could finish, an angry Liu Sisi took two steps forward, raised her hand, and pped Ms. Wang¡¯s face.


    p!


    A piercing and loud p echoed.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was full of fierce determination, and there was no trace of her usual timidity.


    Her eyes wide open, she tried hard to straighten her thin, small body.


    ¡°I warned youst time: If I ever hear you disrespecting the deceased, I¡¯ll take action myself. Since you don¡¯t understand humannguage, I¡¯ll beat you until you do!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words were loud and clear, resounding like a bell!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ms. Wang was stunned!


    Touching her burning face, she took quite a while to regain her senses from befuddlement; she had actually been pped.


    She had actually been pped by the worthless trash that she never took seriously.


    How could she swallow this humiliation!


    ¡°You¡­ you dare to hit me? Old mother will fight you to the end!¡±


    She roared loudly, anger driving her to lunge toward Liu Sisi.


    However, before she could get close, the petite figure was protected in the embrace of another taller figure.


    Next, the tall figure casually raised a hand, easily catching her charging hand in mid-air.


    Di Yelei tightly gripped Ms. Wang¡¯s arm, preventing her from breaking free.


    His face, rarely so fierce, made Ms. Wang, who wanted to put up a fight, shudder with terror, and she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.


    ¡°Second Sister-inw! Every time youe to Third Brother¡¯s house, you either rob or insult people. That¡¯s enough! Today, as soon as you entered, you disrespected our deceased mother andte wife. A person like you staying in Di Family, that¡¯s the real disgrace to our family.¡±


    As he spoke, Di Yelei swung his arm forcefully, and Ms. Wang spun several times in the air before staggering back a few steps and falling onto the ground, sitting.


    Clearly, her head was spinning.


    It¡¯s all because they saw that Sisi and I had earned a few silver coins and then came to cause trouble. Di Yelei stepped forward, looking down at her from a height.


    Ms. Wang timidly dodged and retreated silently.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face veins kept pulsing angrily: ¡°Over the years, you have taken countless game from Third Brother. He allowed it, thinking that with two young children, you could at least help take care of them. The game eventually ended up in the mouths of my nephew and niece, as a token of my love as their Third Uncle. However, now it seems you¡¯ve taken his kindness as nothing but a donkey¡¯s liver and lungs. So, let¡¯s settle the ounts. In the past, I went hunting every seven days, and you took one or two games of varying kinds. Calcting it at the rate of one wild rabbit at 100 copper coins every seven days, in three years, it¡¯s worth a total of 15 and a half taels of silver. But the actual number is far more!¡±


    As Di Yelei¡¯s words fell, the surrounding fellow vigers whispered to each other and the discussion started.


    What kind of person Mrs. Wang was in these years, and how Di Yelei acted, and the character of his stepmother, were all clear to everyone.


    Where would they not know that what Di Yelei said at the moment was all true?


    So, the usations of the neighbors all poured into Mrs. Wang¡¯s ears, making her blush with shame.


    ¡°Second Sister-inw, do you want to know the total amount? I have a detailed record of every item on the ount book in my hand. Second Sister-inw, do you want to see if Third Brother has made a mistake in ounting?¡±


    Upon Di Yelei¡¯s words, Mrs. Wang¡¯s face turned pale.


    She never expected that the silent Di Yelei would be so ruthless, recording all the silver taken.


    She cursed in her heart, truly a dog that doesn¡¯t bark would bite.


    ¡°What ount? Where did the ounte from? When did I take these things from your house? Don¡¯t wrong me. Be careful, I might report you for nder!¡± Mrs. Wang stammered and roared.


    ¡°Whether we have ndered you or not, let¡¯s wait until we bring Mr. Land Officer to check the ounts one by one, then everything will be clear.¡±


    Liu Sisi stepped out from behind Di Yelei: ¡°I think, our fellow vigers and neighbors all know it, right? Second Sister-inw, once it reaches the Land Officer, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not us returning silver to you, but¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi deliberately lengthened her tone and saw Mrs. Wang¡¯s face alternating between pale and angry, daring not to speak out.


    ¡°You, how could you be so ruthless! Everyone,e and see.¡±


    Before Mrs. Wang could reply, Mrs. Zhao squeezed in from the crowd, crying loudly: ¡°Woo¡­ Isn¡¯t it just because my old man wanted some soup and took a few games of yours? You even recorded it in the ount book. Now you¡¯re protecting this¡­ this woman and don¡¯t even want your own father anymore, oh Heavens! Why don¡¯t you strike him down with a thunderbolt!¡±


    Look at how smooth these remarks were¡­


    The game that Mrs. Wang had taken away had now be something Father Di ate!


    What¡¯s more important is that so much game had turned into a few in her mouth.


    Liu Sisi smiled lightly and walked forward two steps, pretending to help: ¡°Mom, you are an elder, don¡¯t let the vigersugh at us. Those who know would say you are not willing to let Second Sister-inw suffer; those who don¡¯t would think you are being disrespectful and making a scene, which would not be good.¡±


    Mrs. Zhao never expected Liu Sisi to dare to confront her in front of everyone, and immediately cried more loudly: ¡°You, you rash girl, how dare you say I am disrespectful? I don¡¯t want to live anymore, old man,e and see!¡±


    ¡°Mom, you must not wrong Sisi like this. Even if you lend Sisi a hundred guts, Sisi would never dare to be disrespectful to you!¡±


    Liu Sisi showed a grieved expression, tears welling up in her eyes, making people feel pity: ¡°You said that a few hundred games Second Sister-inw took away were just a few, then it must be just a few, where would Sisi dare to say otherwise? You said that the game was eaten by Father, so it must have been eaten by Father! Who else would dare to eat this game? Mom, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Father ate all those games, right? Didn¡¯t you say yourself that they were all eaten by Father?


    I¡¯m just following what you said!


    The surrounding neighbors couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter after hearing these words.


    Everyone was a neighbor, and who didn¡¯t know whose mouth the game Di Yelei hunted eventually ended up in?

 Chapter 69 - 69: 66: Repaying Debts

    Chapter 69 - 69: 66: Repaying Debts


    ¡°You! -¡±


    Zhao¡¯s words were stuck in her throat, unable to say anything.


    Seeing that the situation was one-sided, Ms. Wang couldn¡¯t help but yell: ¡°No matter what you say today, since you have the money to buy those fancy Four Treasures of the study, you must pay me back! If you can¡¯t afford it, you¡¯ll have to use those Four Treasures to pay off the debt!¡±


    Aha! After making a scene here for so long, the fox¡¯s tail finally shows!


    It turns out that they had heard about the Four Treasures and specifically came here to cause trouble!


    Liu Sisi suddenly realized!


    ¡°Second Sister-inw! This set of Four Treasures of the Study is mortgaged by the bookstore owner as a half-year sry for my work!¡±


    As Sisi said this, her eyes became bloodshot.


    ¡°Everyone knows that the Four Treasures are expensive. How could our family have the silver to buy such valuable things? It¡¯s just that the bookstore owner in town is kind and lent this set of Four Treasures to Sisi, just to let her quickly learn a few basic characters and help in the store. Now that the Second Sister-inw has brought it up, Sisi is really ashamed.¡±


    The fellow vigers suddenly realized!


    No wonder the Di family had the Four Treasures! It turns out that this is what happened! After everyone reacted, they began to loudly condemn Ms. Wang.


    ¡°Your sister-inw¡¯s Four Treasures are also borrowed, so it¡¯s best not to get any ideas.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Wang, how much you¡¯ve taken from the Di Family in the past, who among us doesn¡¯t know? You¡¯d better cause less trouble!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer ising, Ms. Wang, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have a hard time again, haha¡­¡±


    The vigers¡¯ discussion made Ms. Wang¡¯s face pale, which looked quite interesting.


    Seeing that the situation was not right, Ms. Zhao, the cunning woman, slipped away early.


    As they were talking, they saw Mr. Land Officering from the other side, and following him was not someone else, but Guihua.


    Guihua winked at Liu Sisi, obviously, it was her who had helped to invite Mr. Land Officer over.


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer!¡±


    Everyone hurriedly paid their respects to the Land Officer, and Liu Sisi quickly went into the house to move a chair for him.


    After sitting down and catching his breath, the Land Officer raised his head and looked at the shrunken Ms. Wang, with a frown on his face.


    ¡°What happened? Who can tell me?¡±


    As soon as the Land Officer spoke, everyone began to talk about the incident, ming Ms. Wang.


    ¡°Ms. Wang, what do you have to say?¡± Mr. Land Officer¡¯s face was not looking good either. It would be weird if he could stand such a shameless woman.


    Seeing the situation bing one-sided, Ms. Wang simply resorted to being aggressive: ¡°I don¡¯t care! Today, if you don¡¯t pay me back, I will kill myself at your doorstep. Then we¡¯ll see if you can get away from this!¡±


    Indeed, a tree without bark will die, and a person without shame is invincible in the world!


    ¡°Fine! We¡¯ll pay you back! I want to see what other tricks you can y!¡±


    Liu Sisi had enough of the opponent¡¯s unruly behavior and stepped forward to speak.


    Everyone was stunned by her words!


    Who doesn¡¯t know that the Di family is so poor that they can¡¯t even hold their heads up in the Upper Vige for years, and Di Yelei can¡¯t speak tough words in front of his brothers, isn¡¯t it all because of the huge debt they owe!


    To say that they will pay back now, how can it not be surprising?


    Ms. Wang was also stunned!


    Seeing Liu Sisi speaking so confidently, she couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. Could it be that the Di family could reallye up with the silver?


    Di Yelei, who was next to them, became anxious!


    ¡°Sisi, what nonsense are you talking about? Where would we get that much¡­ that silver is¡­¡±


    Originally, 15 taels of silver were stolen, leaving 5 taels. The money from selling ribbon flowers was Sisi¡¯s private savings, only enough to repay half of the debt.


    Could it be possible to use Sisi¡¯s private savings? This is absolutely uneptable!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, Di Yelei¡¯s words caused Ms. Wang to misunderstand.


    Her eyes lit up, unable to conceal the delight on her face: ¡°Fine! Then you pay! As long as you can pay today, I will not ask for the interest of these years. How about that? You said you want to repay, where is the silver? Hurry up!¡±


    As she spoke, she ced one hand on her waist and stretched out the other to demand the payment from the couple.


    ¡°Alright then! You wait! I¡¯ll be back shortly!¡±


    Liu Sisi clenched her teeth, turned around, and went into the house.


    ¡°Sisi!¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly followed her in: ¡°Sisi, the money for selling ribbon flowers is your private savings, you can¡¯t use that money¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi turned back to look at him, her face calm: ¡°Ye Lei, didn¡¯t you give me all the money you earned? Actually, Second Sister-inw was right about one thing. In the past, we couldn¡¯t repay it because we didn¡¯t have the money, but now that we have enough silver, we can¡¯t keep dying repayment.¡±


    ¡°No way! Even if I, Di Yelei, have to beg in poverty, I will not use my wife¡¯s private savings to repay debts!¡± Di Yelei insisted with an ashen face.


    ¡°How about this then! The silver you earn from hunting next time, you can save it for my private savings. How does that sound?¡± Liu Sisi proposed apromise.


    Little did she know, Di Yelei stubbornly shook his head: ¡°No way! You take out those ten taels of silver first, I will find a way toe up with the remaining ten taels!¡± In saying this, he turned around to leave.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Money can be earned again if it¡¯s gone. Besides, is it possible that I, Liu Sisi, am even worse than a stranger in your eyes? Do you prefer to seek help from others instead of epting my help? You¡­¡± her words were filled with sorrow.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words made Di Yelei¡¯s body freeze for a moment, and he slowly turned back with a look of surprise.


    ¡°Sisi, I, I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± he was somewhat at a loss for what to do.


    Liu Sisi stared at him, not saying a word.


    After a while, his spirit seemed to dete, and he turned and strode into the kitchen. He returned a short whileter: ¡°Here! This is two taels and three coins of silver that I¡¯ve saved over the years¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at the silver in her hand, with fresh mud still on it, and gentlyughed.


    Outside the main entrance of Di Family¡¯s residence.


    Ms. Wang cockily shook her legs: ¡°Humph! If you can¡¯te up with the silver, just give me the Four Treasures of the Study. It just so happens that it¡¯s time for my Brother Gao¡¯s enlightenment. This is just like finding a pillow when sleepy, it¡¯s about¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Liu Sisi came out, with Di Yelei following behind her with an ashen face, not saying a word.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes were red from crying.


    ¡°Yo! You¡¯re actually giving the money!¡± Ms. Wang¡¯s voice was hoarse.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t bother with her, but walked past her to the Land Officer: ¡°Please, Mr. Land Officer, be a witness for the both of our families!¡± As she spoke, she took out the cloth bag and handed it over.


    Land Officer visibly breathed a sigh of relief.


    Throughout these years, he had seen the hardship Di Yelei had endured and wanted to help, but he knew he couldn¡¯t be too biased.


    ¡°Come! Let¡¯s see if there is enough money.¡±


    As he spoke, he gently poured the silver coins from the cloth bag, astonishing everyone present.


    ¡°One tael, two taels, five taels, two taels, one tael, one tael¡­ ¡±


    Land Officer carefully counted. The misceneous pieces of ingots, copper coins, and silver tickets added up to 20 taels. He counted three times before handing them to Ms. Wang.


    ¡°You should count it carefully as well, is the amount correct?¡±

 Chapter 70 - 70: 67: Don’t Show Off Your Wealth

    Chapter 70 - 70: 67: Don¡¯t Show Off Your Wealth


    If it were someone else, Ms. Wang might have tried to renege, but since she was facing Land Officer, she could only swallow her bitterness and show a smile that was uglier than crying: ¡°Yes, exactly 20 taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°Good! Ye Lei, take back the IOU. Everyone here can testify, from today on, the 20 taels of silver that Ye Lei lent to Ms. Wang is consideredpletely repaid!¡±


    After hearing Land Officer¡¯s words, Liu Sisi finally showed a satisfied smile.


    Returning the silver was as hard as fighting a battle, it¡¯s really not easy!


    When Land Officer left, Ms. Wang¡¯s face suddenly changed, and she began to curse again.


    Three years¡¯ interest on 20 taels of silver was not a small amount, no wonder she was in pain!


    Guihua wasn¡¯t afraid of Ms. Wang¡¯s rashness, and she put her hands on her hips and cursed back at Ms. Wang.


    The two of them went back and forth with each other, making quite a scene!


    It wasn¡¯t until Elderly Mr. Di stepped in and yelled at Ms. Wang a few times that she finally stopped cursing and left.


    ¡°Humph! To deal with this kind of rash woman, you need to be even more rash and unreasonable! Sisi, you¡¯re just too nice, always letting people with no shame walk all over you. You, sigh!¡± Guihua couldn¡¯t help but shake her head and sigh as she looked at the pitiful Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi smiled helplessly.


    Her body was naturally pitiful-looking, prone to tears at any moment, which also left her speechless.


    However, since she had this natural advantage, she would be a fool not to use it!


    ¡°Sister Guihua, thank you for today. If it weren¡¯t for you helping me invite Land Officer, I¡­¡±


    As she spoke, her eyes began to turn red.


    ¡°Alright, Sisi, don¡¯t be sad. You don¡¯t have to worry about your wicked mother-inw and gossiping Second Sister-inw. Besides, you¡¯ve already separated your families. From now on, all you have to do is give them their annual share of the filial money and let other people talk. Everyone knows what kind of person Ms. Wang is.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, don¡¯t worry, Sister Guihua, I know what to do now.¡±


    Liu Sisi naturally understood Guihua¡¯s sincerity towards her.


    ¡°As long as you know. The sun is about to set, and I need to go back and cook. If anything happens in the future, remember to call me, alright?¡±


    After saying that, Guihua hurriedly left with Zhang Yun.


    When everyone left, Liu Sisi closed the door and entered the kitchen.


    The food in the kitchen had long gone cold, and the family sat around the table without moving their chopsticks.


    ¡°We should be happy now. Our family¡¯s debt has been repaid, and our lives will only get better from now on. Why are we still feeling down?¡±


    Li Sisi spoke softly, hoping to improve the gloomy atmosphere.


    Di Yelei still kept his mouth shut, not saying a word.


    ¡°By the way, Xuan¡¯er, The Four Treasures of the Study was carefully chosen by your father to give to you. What your mother said outside earlier was just for the others to hear. You¡¯re not young anymore, and you should understand the principle of not showing off your wealth. So, don¡¯t worry and use that set of Four Treasures of the Study, okay?¡± Liu Sisi said earnestly.


    Di Xuan¡¯s eyes lit up immediately, and he showed a shallow smile, nodding vigorously: ¡°Xuan¡¯er understands, Mom! Do not show off wealth!¡±


    Di Yelei moved his lips but eventually didn¡¯t say anything with his eyebrows still furrowed.


    He believed that men should not be too cautious about money, otherwise it would be difficult to achieve greatness! The thought that he had hunted for so many years, yet had received so much disdain and not a single praise, caused his long-standing view to waver deep within his heart.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Our Xuan¡¯er from the Di family is the most understanding. When our strength is not enough to protect ourselves, we must carefully hide our wealth. When our strength is strong enough, even if we put a mountain of gold out in the open, who would dare to steal it?¡±


    Di Xuan nodded seriously: ¡°Is it like when our home was burrized a few days ago, yet today, with all those silver taels disyed in front of Mr. Land Officer, no one dares to steal. Mom, is this what you¡¯re saying, that our strength is not enough to protect ourselves?¡±


    What a clever child who can deduce from one example! Most importantly, this was the first time Liu Sisi heard him speak such a long sentence.


    ¡°Our Xuan¡¯er from the Di family is so smart! Actually, the Land Officer is not considered a high-ranking official, and out there are many County Magistrates, governors, and even higher-ranking officials such as the Prime Minister. Those are all influential people. But even so, above them are even more honorable people like the current Emperor and Empress Dowager. So, our Xuan¡¯er from the Di family must not be shortsighted¡­¡±


    In Liu Sisi¡¯s light words, the family quietly ate their meal.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes shed with confusion as the Liu Sisi in front of him, who was talking eloquently, felt extremely unfamiliar.


    This feeling was very difficult to describe; she was clearly just beside him, within arm¡¯s reach, yet it felt as if there was an enormous distance between them, making his heart restless.


    Perhaps it was because the two had not consummated their marriage till now?


    Or maybe he should¡­


    After the meal, Di Yelei¡¯s figure disappeared in a sh.


    Liu Sisi brought out the border oil and pig offal she had bought.


    Border oil was of course for oil refining, so she washed it clean, cut it into thumb-sized pieces, and began to refine the oil over a fire.


    The oil gradually heated in the pot, and soon a rich and fragrant scent drifted far away. The oil bubbles in the pot attracted the two children to crane their necks and take a look inside.


    Liu Sisi scooped out a bit of the dried oil residue into a small bowl, added a bit of white sugar she had bought, and handed it to the two children.


    This delicious dish was something she especially loved during her childhood in her previous life. The unique taste of freshly fried oil residue was unmatched by any other snack!


    Especially in those poor years when even eating oil was a luxury.


    Di Xuan and Di Ying happily held their new bowls, eating from the newly purchased white ceramic bowls that were adorned with many flower and grass patterns, which the children couldn¡¯t let go of.


    When the border oil was refined, she filtered out the oil residue and poured it into arge bowl. The oil residue from the border oil was used to make soup, especially when making cabbage soup, adding a handful of border oil residue would make it even more delicious than meat.


    After letting therd in the pot cool down a bit, she poured a small amount into a small oil jar, and the rest into arge oil jar, nning to seal it and put it in the cer forter consumption.


    After doing all this, Liu Sisi finally let out a long sigh of relief and turned to clean the pig offal.


    Although there wasn¡¯t much pig offal, the good thing was she had a piece of rice sausage and a section of pig intestine, so Liu Sisi thought about how to turn them into delicious dishes.


    First, she picked a few pumpkin leaves, poured them into the small intestine to remove the mucus, and repeated the process several times before rinsing with clear water.


    Washing therge intestine was naturally more troublesome. After turning and washing it repeatedly, Liu Sisi even used a small amount of wheat flour and table salt to rub and wash it, further removing any unpleasant odor from the intestine.


    Afterwards, she washed her hands and went out to gather some ingredients for cooking.


    The Di family¡¯s seasonings were quiteplete now, but they needed some vegetables to go with the meat.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Liu Sisi walked around and dug up a cluster of wild scallions, which were even more fragrant than ordinary scallions for seasoning!

 Chapter 71 - 71: 68: I Can’t Wait!

    Chapter 71 - 71: 68: I Can¡¯t Wait!


    Trantor: 549690339


    Besides that, she also picked shepherd¡¯s purse and dandelions, briefly nched therge intestine in boiling water before draining it, and then made fried spicy pork intestines. She fried red pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, and garlic to release their fragrance, then used soy sauce and wild scallions for voring. The fried intestines looked delicious with their vibrant color and strong aroma, immediately whetting one¡¯s appetite.


    She cleaned the small intestine and marinated it, nning to make glutinous rice sausage with it the next day. She thought it would definitely be delicious when stuffed with the oil residue!


    She first soaked glutinous rice and coarse cereals separately for tomorrow¡¯s use.


    She then stir-fried two dishes of vegetables, fried some dried small fish, and steamed a basket of steamed buns. Dinner was now ready.


    These steamed buns were made with a mix of pure flour and coarse cereals, which was already considered a luxurypared to the in rice porridge and wild vegetables that other families ate all year round!


    As it was getting dark, Di Yelei came home carrying two grey hares.


    At the same time, he also brought back tworge bags of ckberries!


    Facing Liu Sisi¡¯s surprised gaze, he smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, ¡°I don¡¯t have any other skills, just hunting. Just now, I just went out for a stroll, and saw a rabbit burrow, so I caught them. I also saw these ckberries and brought them back for you¡­ and the children to eat.¡±


    As he spoke, he held up arge bundle of ckberries with their stems attached and presented it to Liu Sisi with hopeful eyes.


    Looking at the grey mud and sweat on the man in front of her, and the muddy old cloth shoes on his feet that already had a hole, things probably weren¡¯t as simple as he said, right?


    Liu Sisi tried to hold back the sourness in her eyes and picked a few ckberries from those he brought, putting them into her mouth.


    ¡°Hmm! These ckberries are really sweet!¡±


    She nodded vigorously, and two teardrops fell from her eyes.


    She really didn¡¯t want to cry!


    ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t cry, Sisi, please don¡¯t cry!¡±


    Di Yelei hesitated for a moment, urgently stretching out his arms to embrace Liu Sisi. However, as he remembered how dirty he was, his outstretched hand hesitated!


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t care about that and suddenly threw herself into his arms, sobbing softly.


    He clumsilyforted her, his confused mind unable to figure out why she started crying just from eating two ckberries!


    After a moment, Liu Sisi also raised her head, embarrassed, ¡°I was just so happy that I cried, really!¡±


    She deliberately emphasized her point.


    Having experienced the hardships of two lifetimes, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t ask for much.


    All she wanted was a husband who genuinely loved and cherished her.


    Although Di Yelei in front of her was clumsy with words and couldn¡¯t coax people, he showed through his actions that he genuinely cared for her!


    How could that not touch her heart?


    These ordinary ckberries in front of her revealed his true feelings.


    Feeling touched at the bottom of her heart, how could her tears stop so easily?


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry! Look how dirty I am, be careful not to smear yourself like a spotted kitten.¡±


    How could someone be so happy that they cry? It¡¯s said that women are made of water, and it seems to be true!


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh through her tears, and finally left his embrace.


    ¡°You go ahead and eat first, I¡¯ll go wash up ande back.¡±


    Di Yelei went to the bathing room and Liu Sisi looked up to see YingEr hiding behind the door giggling with her hand covering her mouth.


    ¡°YingEr,e and eat some ckberries.¡± Liu Sisi called out to her.


    ¡°Mom, I saw everything.¡± YingEr said with a smile.


    Di Ying rushed over, whispering in Liu Sisi¡¯s ear: ¡°Mom, YingEr saw you and Dad kissing.¡±


    ¡°Shush! Silly child, don¡¯t talk about this outside, okay?¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks blushed red, pretending to be ferociously yful.


    ¡°Hehe, YingEr is not silly! Don¡¯t worry, Mom, I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    Grabbing the ckberries, Di Ying ran out of the kitchen, and then a silver bell-likeugh came from outside the door.


    That child¡­


    Liu Sisi covered her face, who said that ancient children didn¡¯t understand anything?


    Of course, everyone was very satisfied with this dinner. After washing up, Liu Sisi took Di Yelei¡¯s old shoes and started cutting out new patterns.


    People in this era had their shoes sewn by women, but it was truly a challenge for Sisi.


    Still, thinking about Di Yelei¡¯s shoes with protruding thumbs, she decided to make a pair of well-fitted shoes for everyone.


    What Di Yelei saw when he came in after bathing was Liu Sisi carefully cutting the cloth under the light.


    Her scissors seemed magical, and with the constant sounds, shoe patterns quickly appeared before his eyes, making Di Yelei unable to help but stare.


    This little woman had a pair of clever hands.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep? Doing needlework at night is very bad for your eyes. Go rest.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After waiting for a while, Di Yelei finally walked up, took the scissors from Liu Sisi¡¯s hands, and put them aside, then he held her hand, gently pulling her up from the stool.


    His eyes were deep, filled with a passionate lingering.


    ¡°Oh, I know.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart trembled involuntarily, her cheeks blushed. Her steps were a bit weak and staggered, but she was firmly supported by his hand. She tried to look away, but his eyes held her gaze and she couldn¡¯t escape.


    She could only follow his footsteps, slowly walking into the room.


    Di Yelei¡¯s heart was surging like a storm, feeling like he had returned to his childhood. His feelings were even stronger than in those years.


    Even though it was just a short distance, he was sweating all over his body.


    ¡°Sisi, I¡­ can¡¯t wait any longer!¡±


    With his low, husky voice, Di Yelei kissed her face when she didn¡¯t have time to react, and his big hands were not idle, quietly upying the territory.


    Her head was hazy, instinctively wanting to resist but unconsciously responding.


    His passion grew more intense, just like always, with a touch of dominance.


    Her hands wanted to push away, but they firmly clung to his shoulders instead.


    ¡°Ye Lei, stop¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi had no strength to stand up, she was practically slumped and half-hanging on him.


    She clung to him like a wless spirit, her thick eyshes pping slightly. More like a ko climbing up a eucalyptus tree, unable to let go.


    Her actions unexpectedly affected Di Yelei, and the corner of his mouth curled slightly.


    ¡°Sisi, do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m so hot.¡±


    Her voice was uniquely soft and sweet, reaching the depths of his heart.


    Unable to hold back any longer, he let out a low growl and kissed her lips again.

 Chapter 72 - 72: 69: A Messy Situation

    Chapter 72 - 72: 69: A Messy Situation


    Trantor: 549690339


    Di Yelei¡¯s heart surged with overwhelming emotion, feeling as if he had returned to his innocent childhood, with his passion now even more intense than ever before.


    His entire body tensed to the extreme, and even this short distance made him sweat profusely from head to toe.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Continuously lingering and whispering sweet nothings in each other¡¯s ears!


    Her mind was hazy, instinctively wanting to resist, yet awkwardly responding to him unconsciously.


    Her hand wanted to push him away, but instead clung tightly to his shoulders. Though shy, she felt joy in this moment.


    ¡°Sisi, do you like it?¡±


    This unexpected act pleased Di Yelei, and the corner of his mouth quietly curved upwards.


    ¡°I feel so hot, Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Her voice carried a unique mixture of tenderness and sweetness, seeping into the depths of his heart.


    ¡°Not here, YingEr, YingEr will see¡­ Ye Lei!¡±


    She hurriedly tried to save her waistband which he had grabbed, pleading quietly with Di Yelei. They were still in the wing room, not yet having entered the bedroom ¨C if the two children were to wake up¡­


    The result would be unthinkable for Liu Sisi. She couldn¡¯t forget what YingEr had said earlier in the evening.


    ¡°Hehe, Sisi, don¡¯t be afraid. The two children are asleep and they won¡¯te out to bother us.¡±


    His words carried an indescribable charm, causing Liu Sisi¡¯s body to tremble involuntarily.


    ¡°But¡­ No! It¡¯s just a few steps away.¡± How could he not even tolerate this short distance!


    Before she could finish speaking, she was tackled by the man, who could no longer wait to enter the room and started tearing at her clothes.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s just a few steps away.¡± How could he not even tolerate this short distance!


    She waved her hands frantically, desperately trying to escape from the man who had suddenly transformed into a wolf, looking resentfully at the bedroom door just a few steps away, and closed her eyes.


    Death it is then!


    ¡°Sisi, my darling, how dare you be distracted at a time like this¡­¡±


    The man, who had been tirelessly in the process of conquering, raised his head amidst his busy schedule to say a word to her, then lowered his head again, continuing to fiddle around at her heart despite the clothing barrier.


    It was hard to imagine that the usually gentle and kind Di Yelei could be so cunning and treacherous at a moment like this.


    His wet hair rubbed against her tender skin, tickling her, and inadvertently stirring her sensitive nerves.


    ¡°Uh¡­ It hurts!¡±


    Unable to tell if she was in pain or numb, she shuddered as her whole body seemed to fall into an abyss.


    But he smoothly caught her, pulling her into his arms.


    ¡°Not here, let go¡ª¡± The indescribable feeling made her shiver all over, and she felt terrible.


    Her subconscious still clearly remembered that this was not the right time or ce.


    ¡°My little kitten, are you still considering such things at this moment?¡±


    Di Yelei chuckled, but it didn¡¯t affect his movements in the slightest, continuing forcefully while a mischievous smile spread across his face.


    ¡°Sisi, my little treasure, it seems your husband still needs to try harder!¡±


    As he spoke, he narrowed the space between his arms even further, trapping her tightly in a tiny space where she couldn¡¯t move, leaving her at his mercy.


    How could he let go of such a long-awaited opportunity so easily?


    He gripped her slender waist, forcing her to press firmly against his body.


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡±


    Extremeck of oxygen brought Liu Sisi back from her daze, and she couldn¡¯t help but shove him away. Leaning against the wall, she coughed incessantly and greedily gulped down the fresh air.


    Di Yelei could only reluctantly let her go, still craving more.


    ¡°You¡­ bastard!¡± She red furiously at him as she continued to cough.


    However, her disheveled clothes, swollen lips, and the aftermath of the storm in her appearance all seemed to send a powerful invitation to the man opposite her.


    A wicked grin spread across his face, and the mes burning in his eyes intensified, rapidly igniting like a wildfire.


    Slowly, he licked his glistening lips and grinned towards her direction, his gaze filled with deep meaning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this¡ª¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes took in the scene, her cheeks flushed red, and the heat quickly spread throughout her entire body.


    ¡°Sisi, my little kitten, you clearly enjoyed it too, so don¡¯t try to deny it!¡±


    He recounted the sensations he had experienced up close,ughing and shing a row of white teeth. Her embarrassment turned her face beet red, wishing she could just crawl into a crack in the ground.


    As he spoke, his hands took no mercy, sliding underneath her clothes.


    After a moment, her struggling ceased, leaving her limp and vulnerable like amb awaiting ughter.


    He pinned her hands above her head with one of hisrge hands, taking advantage of her defenselessness.


    ¡°Ah! Not here. Ye Lei!¡±


    Her soft, weak voice emerged from her small mouth, barely audible and quickly fading into the air.


    The hazy thoughts in her mind couldn¡¯t hold onto the string of reason any longer, and it drifted far away.


    ¡°How do you like it?¡±


    Seeing her like this, he released the hand that confined her above her head and fully supported her against the wall. Then, he leaned forwards and positioned himself in between her bent knees, allowing her hands to rest on his shoulders so she wouldn¡¯t copse.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Her mind was aplete mess, struggling to process the sensations within her body before understanding what the man had said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too hard, just tell your husband your true feelings. Do you want to continue?¡±


    His enticing tone, mingled with his heated breath, cascaded down her ear and caused her body to go limp, her mind turning to mush.


    His other hand resumed its mischief, undoing her skirt¡¯s waistband.


    As the waistband loosened, her skirt fluttered to the ground.


    ¡°I want to¡­¡± She had lost the ability to think, only able to follow her deepest desires.


    ¡°Alright, little kitten! Your husband will immediately fulfill your wishes.¡±


    A sneaky smile crept across his face as he lowered his head and fervently kissed her again. Only then did he stand up, forcefully stripping off his own bothersome clothes.


    In the dim candlelight, his tall figure stood exposed, revealing his bronze chest, and well-defined abdominal muscles ¨C a dazzling sight.


    With a flick of his hand, his clothes fell to the floor, mingling with her dress.


    His perfect body held her captivated, unable to tear her gaze away, forcing her to follow his every movement with her eyes.


    Then, his trousers fell¡­

 Chapter 73 - 70: Unfilial son takes action, Di’s father seriously ill

    Chapter 73: Chapter 70: Unfilial son takes action, Di¡¯s father seriously ill


    She stared nkly at everything happening in front of her, until she felt a chill on her chest, which immediately made her sober up.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    So embarrassing! He actually¡­ actually¡­


    After experiencing the life of the big dye vat in her previous life, she naturally knew what the other party wanted.


    Although he let go of her restraint at the moment, the tall wall of a man in front of her still blocked her, making her unable to dodge.


    ¡°Ye Lei, don¡¯t do this, I can¡¯t even talk properly.¡±


    She avoided his gaze, with both hands on his chest, trying her best to keep some distance between them. Not daring to look down at his sturdy body, her whole body blushed like a boiled lobster. The scene before her eyes frightened her to the point of almost screaming.


    Under the dim light, the two maintained this intimate posture, enclosing her in the small space before him.


    His big hand continued to y with fire on her body, the corner of his mouth raising a ruffian-like curve.


    ¡°My dear Sisi, my dear kitten, do you want your husband to show you evidence that you are thinking of the same thing as me right now?¡±


    After he finished speaking, the fingers of his right hand were about to stretch out, with just a little more stretch, he could touch¡­


    Bang! Bang!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!!


    Outside the yard door, a series of violent knocks sounded one after the other.


    ¡°Third Uncle, Third Uncle, open the door! Third Uncle, Grandfather is in trouble, hurry up and open the door!¡±


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The earth-shaking knocking sound continued toe from outside the door.


    Di Yelei, who was originally about tounch into action, froze abruptly. Being interrupted like this was nothing short of inhuman torture for any normal man!


    His distorted and ferocious face, with blue veins popping, wished he could tear apart the annoying intruder!


    ¡°Ye Lei, there seems to be someone outside.¡±


    Liu Sisi seemed to hear themotion in her daze and instinctively spoke up.


    ¡°No one! Kitten, focus!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s words were almost uttered through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Third Uncle! I am Di Cheng. Third Uncle, Grandfather can¡¯t hold on any longer! My dad asks you to hurry over! Third Uncle!¡±


    Outside, Di Cheng¡¯s calling and the banging noise of knocking on the door continued.


    ¡°Ye Lei, there really seems to be someone calling you outside, you¡­hurry up and let go.¡±


    Liu Sisi struggled to push away the pressing body, dodging his big hand while listening to the movement outside.


    This situation made Di Yelei take a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the desire that was already on the brink.


    He buried his head in Sisi¡¯s neck, taking a deep breath before cursing and forcefully kissing her swollen lips. He then let her go and quickly put on his clothes.


    He better had apelling reason, otherwise¡­


    He would show him why on earth the flowers are so red! n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi¡¯s body trembled while she struggled countless times to gather her clothes with her weak hands. Then, she picked up her underwear and looked for her dress around the room.


    ¡°Sisi, go to the other room and rest for a while, I will go outside to see what is going on.¡±


    After that, Di Yelei strode towards the hall and turned to walk out of the room.


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡±


    Liu Sisi screamed.


    He immediately turned his head and raised his eyebrows at her.


    She quickly took two steps forward, her face red and ears burning, grabbing her ¡°missing¡± dress from behind Di Yelei¡¯s belt, and holding it in her arms as she ran back into the bedroom.


    The dress almost came out of the room with Yelei¡­ so embarrassing!


    Di Yelei¡¯s iron-gray face eased slightly, his deep gaze like fire staring at the direction of the bedroom for a moment, before striding out of the room.


    In the bedroom, Liu Sisi shivered and finally put on her dress, tidying herself up.


    Picking up the small bronze mirror, she saw her reflection with misty eyes, watery and bright, blushing cheeks ¨C it was the appearance of one who had been subject to loving indulgence and torment.


    She whimpered twice, burying her head in her arms, the burning heat on her cheeks never dying down.


    Reluctantly returning to bed, she shivered as she pulled up the thin quilt, her sensitive body still agitated.


    Even a slight movement caused an irritating sticky liquid to seep out from the embarrassing area, making her unconsciously twist her body, trying to relieve the emptiness inside her.


    This kind of thing was not only ufortable for him alone!


    Outside, Di Yelei coldly opened the door, his face gray and staring angrily at Di Cheng in front of him.


    Di Cheng shivered under his gaze but couldn¡¯t help but stiffly say, ¡°Third Uncle, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s Grandfather. He¡¯s vomiting blood and unconscious, and barely alive. My dad asked me toe to you.¡±


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrows in surprise, ¡°Wasn¡¯t he fine this afternoon? What happened?¡±


    ¡­


    Shortly after, Di Yelei went back into the house and quickly roused Di Xuan and Di Ying as well.


    He re-entered the bedroom and called out to Liu Sisi, ¡°Quickly get dressed, we¡¯re going to the old house; my dad is sick.¡±


    ¡°Sick? Is it¡­ my father-inw?¡± Liu Sisi hesitated.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising, as anyone would have a hard time imagining that Elderly Mr. Di, who had been in high spirits in the afternoon, would suddenly be on his deathbed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask so many questions, just hurry up. I¡¯ll go see if the two children are awake yet.¡±


    Having said that, Di Yelei didn¡¯t linger any further and turned to leave the room.


    Liu Sisi, of course, didn¡¯t dare to dy and quickly got up to change clothes.


    After tidying up, Liu Sisi led the way with a torch, while Di Yelei carried Di Xuan and held Di Ying, walking slowly behind her.


    After a while, Di Yelei spoke softly, ¡°It¡¯s because of what happened this afternoon. After leaving our ce and returning to the old house, my mom and Second Sister-inw started arguing again. They called back the Land Officer. Mr. Land Officer scolded my dad a few times¡­¡±


    To be precise, he had scolded Elderly Mr. Di!


    When the Land Officer left, Elderly Mr. Di naturally exploded with anger, cursing everyone in the courtyard.


    Though Di Cheng couldn¡¯t articte the whole story correctly, Di Yelei could infer most of it from those details: Ms. Zhang and Ms. Wang quarreled bitterly, while Little Di Ah-bao made matters worse, adding fuel to the fire. Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s reprimands failed to suppress the unruly crowd, which led to a fit of rage, reaching for a broom to hit someone.


    But Di Ah-bao snatched the broom away and hit his dad several times with it¡­


    Elderly Mr. Di, overwhelmed with anger, spit out fresh blood and fell unconscious.


    Di Ah-bao was still angry, scolding his father for faking his death and kicked him again, which was when everyone realized the gravity of the situation¡­


    Unable to wake him, they hurriedly sent Di Cheng to call for help.


    Di Yelei naturally couldn¡¯t tell Liu Sisi all the embarrassing details.


    Even though she had only heard half of it, Liu Sisi understood what Di Yelei¡¯s words implied. The two of them silently headed straight for the old house.

 Chapter 74 - 71: Taking Away Two Mice

    Chapter 74: Chapter 71: Taking Away Two Mice n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    In the old house.


    In the not-sorge wing room, Elderly Mr. Di stilly quietly on the bed, still in a deepa without waking up.


    On the ground below the bed, a crowd of people kneeled close together. Ms. Zhao and Di Gaoyuan, Di Ah-Bao kneeled on the inneryer, while Ms. Wang and the others kneeled outside, as if they were seeing off Elderly Mr. Di.


    When Di Yelei arrived with Liu Sisi and the children, this was the scene they saw.


    As they opened the door, a thick, stifling, and sultry aura rushed toward them, causing Liu Sisi to frown involuntarily.


    Such air would be unbearable not only for theatose patient but also for healthy people.


    ¡°How is Dad? Where is the doctor? Why hasn¡¯t he arrived yet?¡±


    Di Yelei put down the two children and walked straight to the head of Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s bed withrge strides, checking his father¡¯s condition.


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s face was pale as gold foil, appearing as if he was barely breathing and unconscious of his surroundings.


    ¡°What illness? Wait until he wakes up, and it¡¯ll be fine¡­.¡±


    Ms. Zhao, on the side, instinctively refuted but was stared at by Di Yelei and shrank back, hurriedly adding, ¡°Where can we find a doctor nearby? Besides, it¡¯ste at night now, do you think emergency visits are free? Anyway, it¡¯s only a few more hours until daybreak, let¡¯s wait until then.¡±


    As she spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but grumble in her heart.


    From the first day she married into the family, she disliked Di Yelei the most, not only because of his face, which was 70% simr to his birth mother¡¯s, but also because of his infamy. Above all,she hated his current gaze!


    Although he was only three years old at the time, he always stared at her with that creepy gaze.


    It made her feel a chill down her spine and covered her in cold sweat.


    How could she possibly like him?


    ¡°What? You want to wait until daylight!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s voice suddenly doubled in volume, but thinking of his father still lying on the sick bed, he suppressed his anger and growled in a low voice.


    ¡°Dad is unconscious, and you still want to wait until tomorrow? Do you think that once my dad is gone, you can take over the Di Family? Don¡¯t forget that even if you die, you¡¯re not qualified to be buried in my Di family¡¯s ancestral tomb!¡±


    Di Yelei said this, naturally due to local customs.


    Locals believed that a widowed woman who remarries must be buried with her former husband to avoid conflict in the afterlife, avoiding disturbances at home.


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s face changed instantly!


    ¡°How could you say that to me? Di Yelei, I know you never take me, your stepmother, seriously, but I did raise you and your brothers from a young age. Why can¡¯t I be part of the Di family?¡± Ms. Zhao immediately tore off her usual kindness, and it seemed that a battle was about to erupt.


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t want to spend the money! If my father¡¯s condition worsens due to this dy and something happens to him, you¡¯ll see if I, Di Yelei, dare or not! Besides, when you married in, I was already three years old and past the need for diapers.¡±


    Di Yelei stood his ground, his face cold and dark. ¡°Why did Dad suddenly cough up blood and fall unconscious? Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know just because I wasn¡¯t there!¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he nced coldly at Ms. Zhao, Ms. Wang, and the others in the room. Everyone lowered their heads to dodge his gaze.


    His eyes darkened, and he turned and walked out. ¡°Sisi, wait here, I¡¯ll go get Zhang Peng.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly replied, and Di Yelei had already walked far away.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on the mother and her two children by the doorway, causing the children to unconsciously huddle closer to Liu Sisi.


    Ms. Zhao was furious, staring at her with eyes as big as copper bells.


    Ms. Wang,zily leaning by the window, had already calcted everything in her mind!


    Di Yelei is going to call in a doctor ¨C that costs money. How could she agree to spend money on such a matter?


    Her gaze swept over and was immediately attracted by Liu Sisi¡¯s slightly swollen red lips.


    Although Di Gaoyuan and Di Yelei were brothers and only a few years apart in age, in a woman¡¯s eyes, a thirty-year-old man is like a wolf, and a forty-year-old man is like a tiger.


    Di Gaoyuan and Ms. Wang were about the same age, and at this time, Ms. Wang was in the prime years of being like a wolf and a tiger. However, Di Gaoyuan was always a ¡°quick gunner,¡± rarely sharing a room with her twice a month, leaving her extremely dissatisfied.


    After Ms. Dou passed away, she often went to Di Family, harboring some ulterior motives. Little did she know, Di Yelei, this wooden-head, became colder and colder towards her over the years, making her repressed feelings even stronger and increasingly resenting his insensitivity.


    But today, when she saw that wretched little Liu Sisi looking so fulfilled, she couldn¡¯t help but feel consumed by jealousy and hatred!


    And she had no one to confide in!


    She coughed lightly: ¡°You really have a ¡®blessed¡¯ Third Sister-inw! It seems Third Brother didn¡¯t neglect you in the bedroom at all! Even though father is seriously ill now, you two still stayed in the same room¡­really¡­Tsk tsk!¡±


    Once she mentioned this, everyone¡¯s attention naturally turned to Liu Sisi¡¯s face, where the swollen red lips had clearly been wrecked by love bites. The signs of passion were so obvious that it could not be hidden.


    In an instant, the eyes of those present held varying degrees of depth, their expressions mysterious.


    ¡°Second Sister-inw is mistaken!¡±


    Liu Sisi said indifferently, ¡°Sisi has been in this home for almost three months now, and of course, I must try my best to bear a son and a daughter for the Di family as soon as possible. It is the duty of a wife to prosper the bloodline. Besides, Sisi is well aware of why father-inw has fallen ill.¡±


    You were the ones who angered him into sickness, and now you want to pin the me on me?


    No way!


    ¡°A vixen is just a vixen! Aside from maddening men and keeping them in bed, what else can you do?¡±


    After staring intently at Liu Sisi for quite a while, Ms. Zhao finally spoke.


    She abruptly spat out: ¡°Bah! You, a shameless, ragged thing, are just right for that cursed man who brings death to his wife, children, and mother! Poor my Di family¡¯s old man, to be cursed to death by him again! Oh, Heaven! Why don¡¯t you strike him with a thunderbolt and just kill him directly?¡±


    As Ms. Zhao rambled on, she began to wail.


    ¡°Stop making noise, Mom! Father-inw is still sick!¡±


    Liu Sisi lowered her head and said softly, ¡°Mom, when the doctorester, we¡¯ll need boiled and room-temperature water for wiping his sweat. Is there any prepared?¡±


    It was ufortable for so many people to squeeze into a small, stuffy room. It was better to find an excuse to go out for some fresh air.


    Ms. Zhao had been crying miserably and was interrupted by Liu Sisi, so she held her breath.


    Hearing her question, how could she give her a good face? ¡°No! This is for the best. You hurry up and boil some water and bring it here. The kitchen is at the corner on the left side. Remember to keep your hands clean and don¡¯t take anything away!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s lips pursed, and she gave an almost inaudible snort: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom! There¡¯s nothing in the old house that Sisi can take away except the two rats in the room.¡±


    The meat they ate at the old house was all taken from her own home, and they still worried about her taking things away?


    What a joke!


    As for who these two ¡°rats¡± were, they could just figure it out on their own!

 Chapter 75 - 75: 72: How Can There Be Intact Eggs Under a Toppled Nest

    Chapter 75 - 75: 72: How Can There Be Intact Eggs Under a Toppled Nest


    However, it was a pity that the ¡°mouse¡± in Liu Sisi¡¯s words did not have such consciousness.


    When she left the room, she took away two children with her.


    The two children didn¡¯t cry or fuss, even when they had to get up in the middle of the night. They quietly followed Liu Sisi, making her feel unusually heavy and emotional.


    ¡°You two, be careful not to stray away from your mother. Understand?¡±


    Liu Sisi added firewood to the stove and turned to speak to Di Ying who was close to her. She also looked at Di Xuan.


    ¡°Mom, YingEr understands.¡±


    Di Ying nodded seriously.


    Liu Sisi gently touched his head without saying much.


    By the time she had prepared hot water, Di Yelei had already brought Zhang Peng over and had done a medical examination.


    Zhang Peng¡¯s brows were furrowed, and he scanned the crowd, ¡°We are all vigers, I, Zhang Peng, won¡¯t lie to you. Uncle Di¡¯s disease is very dangerous. I¡¯m just a half-baked doctor who can only heal minor illnesses, how could I treat such a serious condition? If you still want to save him, hurry to the town and find a good doctor. If you dy until tomorrow morning, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    Zhang Peng¡¯s words stopped there. He didn¡¯t have to finish, everyone already understood.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help with Uncle Di¡¯s treatment, so I will go first. The night road is not easy to walk on now. If you n to ask for a doctor, you¡¯d better prepare. Farewell!¡±


    After saying that, Zhang Peng turned and walked away.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, take it slow, let Sisi apany you for a while!¡±


    Even though Zhang Peng said he did not want any silver, he dide all the way in the middle of the night, without even a cup of tea. How could they let him go for nothing?


    When Liu Sisi said she would apany him, she obviously meant to give away silver, so no onepeted with her.


    ¡°No need, sister, go back. The outside is dark, you are not convenient with two children.¡±


    But when he was just at the entrance, Zhang Peng stopped Liu Sisi from apanying him further.


    ¡°Here! Brother Zhang, Sisi just arrived here and don¡¯t know how much you charge for a visit. If it is less, please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    While speaking, Liu Sisi took out 50 copper coins and handed them over.


    Zhang Peng shook his head, refusing to ept, ¡°I am close with Brother Yelei, isn¡¯t it worth more than the few copper coins for a home visit? Sister, put it away quickly! There is nothing much I can do at Brother Zhang¡¯s ce, but if Uncle Di¡¯s condition does improve, you will need a hundred-year-old wild ginseng at the very least. I heard that a one hundred year old wild ginseng is worth around 200 taels of silver.¡±


    His words made Liu Sisi gasp for breath!


    She did not expect it would actually require a hundred-year-old wild ginseng! And this wild ginseng is so expensive?


    They just repaid a debt of 20 taels of silver, which can be said to be a matter of sheer luck.


    But now they were facing the sky-high price of 200 taels of silver, Liu Sisi could not help but be startled!


    He paused, sighed, ¡°Although it only requires a little bit to save a person, the cost¡­ it¡¯s a huge sum of money! Plus, whether it can save a person¡¯s life, that¡¯s another matter. So¡­ huh! Brother Zhang is going back first, sister, no need to send me.¡±


    ¡°Take care, Brother Zhang.¡±


    With a confused mind, Liu Sisi turned around and almost collided with Wang who was hiding on the side.


    ¡°Scared me! Second Sister-inw, what are you doing hiding here? It¡¯ste at night, you scared me.¡±


    As she spoke, she quickly moved the two children behind her.


    ¡°Laughable! This is my home. I can go wherever I want. Can you control it?¡±


    Wang tossed her head, snorted coldly, turned around and went in.


    When Liu Sisi entered, she happened to see Wang pulling Di Gaoyuan into a wing room.


    On the side, Di Ah-bao, who had caused the trouble, was leaning on a chair, his snoring thundering, sound asleep.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi walked to Di Yelei¡¯s side, called him softly, and gently tugged at his sleeve.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrows, let go of Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s hand he was holding, and obediently walked out of the room.


    Liu Sisi spoke without any secrecy, she clearly ryed what Zhang Peng had said.


    ¡°Second Sister-inw heard it just now. I saw her pulling Second Brother to the wing room¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi felt somewhat embarrassed: ¡°Yesterday, Second Sister-inw forced us to return 20 taels of silver. Now, the only money left in my hands is this 3 taels and 213 copper coins. You take it first. This money won¡¯t be enough to hire a doctor. Firstly, we¡¯ll borrow some from the vigers!¡±


    Di Yelei silently epted the money, holding it tightly in his hand.


    He nodded slightly and turned to enter the house.


    Inside the room, the children had already left, and only Ms. Zhang, Di Gaoyuan, Ms. Wang, and Di Ah-bao remained.


    Di Ah-bao was yawning continuously, his eyes half-closed with sleepiness. He was lying in a lounge chair, swinging his legs to and fro, showing no remorse for the disaster he had caused.


    ¡°What do we do now? What¡¯s the n?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s deep voice echoed.


    As the second son, Di Gaoyuan naturally had the most authority to speak.


    ¡°What n? The coffin for the deceased is already here. We just need to prepare the rest and buy everything tomorrow morning from the town. Of course, we can bring the doctor back on the way.¡±


    The word ¡°coffin¡± referred to a coffin. When a viger turns fifty, his descendants would prepare a coffin as a birthday present, since it was the 50th birthday, it was gloriously called a ¡®coffin¡¯. If someone¡¯s parents turned fifty and they did not prepare a coffin for them, they would be regarded as unfilial by the people of the vige, and thus, they would be cursed.


    At Di Gaoyuan¡¯s words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    Anyway, everyone will have to walk this path when they get old. It¡¯s better to go sooner and save money¡­


    Everyone was rolling their eyes thinking about it, but naturally, they did not say it aloud.


    ¡°So, you all disagree to hire a doctor?¡±


    The eyes of Di Yelei became darker. His veins were bulging like they would pop out any moment.


    Ms. Wang and others couldn¡¯t help but step back, but the thought of arge stack of silver hardened their resolve.


    ¡°Third Brother, what are you talking about? Dad is sick, as his offspring, how can we not hire a doctor? It¡¯s just that it¡¯s dark and slippery outside! As soon as it¡¯s daybreak, I¡¯ll go to the town first thing in the morning to bring a doctor.¡±


    One way or another, they still wanted to wait until dawn before going for help.


    ¡°Why did dad suddenly be ill and unconscious? I think you guys know better than me!¡±


    Di Yelei said through gritted teeth: ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that if this gets out, it¡¯ll embarrass the Di Family, making it difficult for the men of our family to marry and the young girls to get married?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Di Gaoyuan wanted to argue again: ¡°How is this my doing? It¡¯s obviously the fault of my little brother¡­ Your words are too harsh, Third Brother!¡±


    Di Ah-bao, who was by his side, disagreed!


    He suddenly stood up from his lounge chair: ¡°Second Brother, what do you mean by ¡®my doing¡¯? It was obviously¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    Following Di Yelei¡¯s roar, he raised his hand and mmed it down heavily.


    Bang!


    The corner of the wooden table under his hand instantly turned into flying sawdust!


    The loud noise scared everyone in the room into screaming!


    ¡°Shut up! If anyone screams again, they¡¯ll be thrown out!¡±


    With Di Yelei¡¯s angry shout, everyone huddled together, and no one dared to look directly at Di Yelei¡¯s fierce face.


    ¡°Every egg in the overturned nest is going to break! Second Brother, do you think that by ming our little brother, you can keep yourself out of the matter? Even at this point, you are thinking about yourself. It was a waste for dad to pamper you the most since childhood!¡±


    After speaking, Di Yelei turned around and walked back down.


    However, after only taking two steps, he turned around again.


    ¡°Dad, I will definitely save you! The doctor, I will definitely bring him back! As for the silver, people are alive and silver is dead. You should think carefully about whether people are more important or silver!¡±


    Di Yelei finished speaking, turned around and strode into the night.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Previously, there was an error when copying and pasting from the writing software to the author¡¯s control panel, resulting in a paragraph arrangement error in this chapter. Those who have read it can go back and check it again.

 Chapter 76 - 76: 73: Filial Piety

    Chapter 76 - 76: 73: Filial Piety


    The scene suddenly fell into silence, with no one speaking.


    The faces of Ms. Wang, Ms. Zhao, and others changed from pale to green, and Di Gaoyuan¡¯s face also looked bad.


    Only Di Ah-bao seemed unperturbed, yawning loudly, rubbing his eyes, and turning to leave the room: ¡°Ugh! I¡¯m so sleepy, you guys stay here, I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡±


    As he passed by Liu Sisi, he reached out to pull Di Xuan¡¯s ear, which frightened the two children and made them hide behind Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi was annoyed and red at Di Ah-bao¡¯s retreating back, thinking that he had grown up crooked indeed!


    What would be of him in the future?


    Seeing Di Ah-bao leave, Ms. Wang also wanted to slip away but was stopped by a fierce re from Ms. Zhao, forcing her to return.


    ¡°Why is it that he, as their son, can leave, but I, as their daughter-inw, have to stay and serve by my father-inw¡¯s sickbed? I¡¯m not afraid of beingughed at if I say it out loud!¡±


    Naturally, Ms. Wang was not one to be trifled with and couldn¡¯t help muttering a fewints.


    ¡°What a joke! Who dares tough at you, Ms. Wang? Ha!¡±


    Di Ah-bao was Ms. Zhao¡¯s darling, and when she heard Ms. Wang¡¯sint, she couldn¡¯t help but scold her loudly: ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, the troublemaker, who keeps stirring up trouble and making a fuss! My husband ended up spitting out blood and passing out, and my Di family must have had bad luck for eight generations to have married such a white-eyed wolf like you!¡±


    ¡°How am I the white-eyed wolf or the troublemaker? Why don¡¯t you talk about your precious baby boy? If he hadn¡¯t repeatedly defied Mr. Land Officer, how could Mr. Land Officer have scolded my dad for not disciplining him properly? If Mr. Land Officer hadn¡¯t scolded my dad, would my dad have used family punishment?¡± Ms. Wang retorted without a second thought.


    Ms. Zhao couldn¡¯t let her daughter-inw get the better of her and immediately returned the scolding: ¡°It¡¯s you! Howe this troublemaker doesn¡¯t say that the whole thing started because of you! That¡¯s 20 taels of silver, and when it was just a little bit to honor your parents, you pushed and pulled. I think your conscience has been eaten by dogs!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°That money is from my family! Why do you want ten taels just by stretching out your hand? Do you think that¡¯s ten wen? If my conscience had been eaten by dogs, I would have left and been snoring long ago! Why would I be staying here guarding this ce?¡±


    Ms. Wang scolded ambiguously, smugly responding: ¡°Your precious baby boy even hit his own father, and then he covered his head and went back to sleep! Such an unfilial son, and you still treasure him! I spit!¡±


    After being used like this by her daughter-inw, Ms. Zhao was enraged!


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your big brother Gao constantly instigating, would my husband have coughed up blood in anger? Let me tell you, Ms. Wang, if anything happens to my husband, this ount will be on your head¡­¡±


    In a short time, the quarrel between the mother-inw and daughter-inw was in full swing.


    Their loud quarrels grew louder and louder, while Liu Sisi held her lips tight and hugged the two children, not saying a word.


    Seeing the two bing more and more excessive, she suddenly roared in anger!


    ¡°Shut up! When are you going to stop?¡±


    Liu Sisi was truly angry!


    In her previous life, her parents died early, and she had to rely on her grandfather for survival. She longed to be by her parents¡¯ side, holding their arms at all times, but her loneliness and hardships from a young age were a pain that would never leave her heart!


    Now, the way these two were acting naturally enraged Liu Sisi!


    ¡°My father-inw is still unconscious, and if you two aren¡¯t worried, so be it! But to be standing by his sickbed, arguing loudly, what kind of heart do you have?¡±


    Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang opened their mouths wide, obviously not expecting Liu Sisi to confront the two of them.


    ¡°Good! Who gave you the courage of a bear and a leopard? You actually, actually dare to¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao was quite angry, she couldn¡¯t believe this wretched woman dared to yell at her here.


    ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a piece of merchandise our Di family spent ten taels of silver to buy! Who do you think you are!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was frosty as she scanned everyone.


    ¡°What if I¡¯m just merchandise? My father-inw is still lying in bed, and one of you is his concubine and the other is his daughter-inw, and you have the nerve to argue here? Do you want to anger him to death?¡±


    Suddenly, she turned around, not giving the two a chance to react, and unexpectedly grabbed a broom by the door, sweeping her sharp gaze over them, her cold voice saying, ¡°If you dare to make a scene again, don¡¯t me me for being rude to you two!¡±


    ¡°You?¡­ Humph! I won¡¯t yell if I don¡¯t want to, who cares!¡±


    Angry, Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang were intimidated by Liu Sisi¡¯s ferocity. They dared not say more, stared at each other angrily, and sat down in separate ces.


    Time slipped away quietly.


    Liu Sisi ignored the two, and quietly put down the broom, leading the two children to sit down on a long bench next to the door.


    In such a situation, it was hard on both of the little children, who were neither noisy nor troublesome.


    YingEr somehow curled up in Liu Sisi¡¯s arms and fell asleep, while Di Xuan leaned on her shoulder, sleeping soundly.


    Such a sensible child!


    After an unknown amount of time, a noisymotion suddenly came from outside.


    Liu Sisi, delighted, hastily woke up the children and went out to meet them.


    The figure of a tall man suddenly broke into the main entrance. It was Di Yelei, carrying an elder doctor on his back, stepping into the old house.


    Before Liu Sisi could speak, Di Gaoyuan, who had been silent next to her, quickly passed her and approached the doctor.


    ¡°Aiyo! It¡¯s the famous Dr. He from the town! Thank you for making the effort toe all this way. Please,e inside quickly. Ms. Wang! Ms. Wang! Quickly serve Dr. He some tea!¡±


    Di Gaoyuan kept shouting, trying to help the elder doctor.


    ¡°No need for the tea! Saving a person is like putting out a fire! Where¡¯s the patient?¡±


    The elder doctor got off Di Yelei¡¯s back, shook his limbs, and walked inside.


    ¡°He¡¯s in the wing room! We appreciate Dr. He¡¯s help in diagnosing my father. Please go ahead!¡±


    As he spoke, Di Gaoyuan swiftly escorted the elder doctor inside.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was pale, and after setting down the elder doctor, he could not help but fall to the ground, unable to get up for quite a while.


    ¡°Ye Lei, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Liu Sisi was shocked and hurriedly tried to help him up.


    Di Yelei weakly waved his hand, his whole body appearing as if he had just been fished out of the water.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi tried several times but could not pull him up and was terribly worried.


    ¡°Dad! Dad, are you okay? Dad!¡±


    Di Xuan, who was beginning to understand, saw his father¡¯s distress, and with tears in his eyes, he almost cried on the spot.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine! I just¡­ran too fast¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s pale face was dripping withrge beads of sweat, and after a long while, he barely responded, smiling faintly: ¡°I¡­just need to rest for a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°Get up! Ye Lei, you can¡¯t suddenly stop after running so fast. You have to get up and walk a few steps.¡±


    Liu Sisi understood that Ye Lei had run too quickly, and suddenly stopped to squat down to help the elder doctor, causing him to feel dizzy and lightheaded from insufficient blood supply to the brain.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m catching my breath now. You and the kids stay here, I¡¯ll go in and check on Dad.¡±


    Di Yelei persisted in standing firm and gently squeezed Liu Sisi¡¯s small hand.


    Liu Sisi could only let him stagger inside.


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m so tired! This big brother¡¯s pace is so fast, even with someone on his back! Let me¡­rest for a while, I¡¯m exhausted! Oh, oh!¡±


    A medicine pageboy carrying a medicine box finally stumbled into the doorway behind them.


    He wiped a handful of sweat off his brow: ¡°Fortunately, I came here a few years ago; otherwise, I would have gotten lost.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly approached with an apologetic face: ¡°It¡¯s been tough on you,ing out to see patients sote at night¡­how about you take a break in the next room?¡±


    ¡°No¡­healing the sick and saving lives is a healer¡¯s duty! My master will need me soon, so I¡¯ll go in first.¡±


    The medicine pageboy protected his medicine box like a precious treasure, barely managing to stand up from the ground and enter the wing room.


    Inside the wing room.


    ¡°My father suddenly vomited blood and fainted at night, and he hasn¡¯t woken up yet. So we¡¯ve asked Dr. He to take a look. How is my father now?¡±


    Di Gaoyuan¡¯s face was full of worry as he ushered in the elder doctor. Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang on the side were also constantly wiping their eyes, their grief and pain making the onlookers cry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t crowd in here, everyone go out! Quickly open the window; the patient needs good venttion while unconscious!¡±


    The elder doctor casually sat down on a stool nearby, flicked his robe, and said, ¡°Worry not! Old me is not tired from the journey. Thanks to that young man who carried me all the way here. If it were up to my pace, I would not have arrived by daybreak. He truly went to great lengths to not even take a break or drink a single drop of water on this trip!¡±


    As he spoke, he directed everyone to open the doors and windows, and, after cleaning his hands, he began to prepare to take the patient¡¯s pulse.

 Chapter 77 - 77: 74: Everyone Has a Scale in Their Heart

    Chapter 77 - 77: 74: Everyone Has a Scale in Their Heart


    As Di Yelei and the medicine pageboy went in one after another, the elderly doctor had already diagnosed Elderly Mr. Di, administered an injection, and left the wing room.


    Seeing Elderly Mr. Di waking up from hisa, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Elderly Mr. Di, who had just awakened, was still in a state of confusion. Although he managed to open his eyes, he soon fell back to sleep again.


    The elder doctor was then invited into the hall, after cleaning his hands, he settled down on a chair to quickly prescribe a medicine!


    It wasn¡¯t until he put down his brush-pen, that the elderly doctor nced at the anxious faces around him.


    ¡°The patient¡¯s illness was caused by extreme rage, leading to a reversal of blood and qi that rushes to the brain. To suppress the condition, at the very minimum, we will need ginseng that is over a hundred years old to save him. Luckily, I happen to have some ginseng that is around 120 years old. Part of it has already been used, but if you¡¯re willing, we can use it to treat the patient,¡±


    Di Yelei was the first to step forward, ¡°Use it! Dr. He, please do whatever it takes to save my father! As for the money, we will find a way. Dr. He, I beg of you!¡±


    The elder doctor didn¡¯t say anything, he just stared at the others.


    ¡°So¡­ how much does this ginseng cost?¡±


    Ms. Zhao, who was standing nearby, hesitantly asked.


    ¡°Aplete piece of old ginseng will cost 300 taels of silver. As for the patient¡¯s condition ¡­ well, let¡¯s do it this way! I will use two slices of the ginseng and an additional ginseng whisker for his medicine, and I will only charge you 50 taels of silver. The rest of the money for the medicine and consultation fee will be calcted separately.¡±


    Everyone gasped!


    So much!


    All of them gasped at the high cost of the medicine!


    Although they were mentally prepared that the medicine wouldn¡¯t be cheap, they never expected it would be such an enormous sum!


    Liu Sisi was also taken aback. It might be a mere figure for the wealthy, but for the ordinary farmers, one tael of silver was enough to support a whole family for a year!


    The elder doctor¡¯s asking price of 50 taels of silver was practically robbing these families of their lives!


    Di Gaoyuan standing nearby couldn¡¯t wait any longer!


    Without waiting for Ms. Zhao to speak, he hurriedly strode forward two steps, ¡°Dr. He, did you ¡­ is it possible that you mentioned a higher price? We previously heard that the hundred years old ginseng was priced at 200 taels of silver, so why¡­¡±


    ¡°True, a hundred-year-old ginseng does cost 200 taels of silver, but what I brought is 120-year-old ginseng.¡±


    The irritated elder doctor stood up, ¡°The older the ginseng, the more potent it bes. I¡¯ve been practicing medicine for years, don¡¯t tell me you think I am trying to swindle you? Such an ignorant group!¡±


    ¡°No, not at all! Dr. He, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Gaoyuan didn¡¯t mean that, he was merely asking out of curiosity!¡±


    With his face turning red, Gaoyuan waved his hands in denial. Even when used of ignorance, he didn¡¯t dare to refute.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing medicine for so many years, and no one has ever doubted my medical ethics!¡±


    Clearly, the elder doctor was upset!


    But when he turned around and saw the anxious Di Yelei, he remembered how the young man had hurried half the night to invite him, and managed to suppress his anger.


    ¡°Whether to use it or not, discuss it among yourselves! When you havee to a decision, let the old me know! However, before 5-7 a.m, you must give the old me an answer. I am tired, the rest is up to you. Humph!¡±


    ¡°Dr. He, Dr. He, Gao Yuan didn¡¯t mean that! I¡­¡±


    Di Gao Yuan hastily apologized, but Dr. He closed his eyes to rest and no longer bothered with everyone else.


    The medicine pageboy stepped forward and directly drove everyone else away: ¡°Our old gentleman needs to rest for a moment, please leave! You can inform our gentleman when the result is out.¡±


    Everyone exchanged dubious nces and reluctantly exited the hall.


    ¡°Just the cost of the old ginseng alone will be 50 taels of silver, plus the doctor¡¯s fee and other medical expenses, it would end up costing around 50 to 60 taels of silver¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao analyzed, her eyes wandering over everyone¡¯s faces.


    Is it worth spending 50-60 taels of silver to save a dying person and consequently burden arge family with debt, making it difficult to lead a good life? Worth it or not?


    Everyone present had a scale in their hearts, where the fulcrumy, everyone had their own judgement.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Gao Yuan stood in ce without speaking.


    Ms. Wang was more blunt: ¡°If it¡¯s money you want, our second branch doesn¡¯t have any! If it¡¯s a life you want, there is one, whoever wants it can take it!¡±


    Di Yelei bit his lips and looked at everyone. Finally, he looked at Di Ah-Bao: ¡°Little brother, what do you think?¡±


    Di Ah-Bao, who was sound asleep, was forcibly dragged out of the quilt by Ms. Zhao. At this moment, he was still drowsy, and only because his Third Brother called on him, did he have to raise his head reluctantly: ¡°Whatever you guys want to do, just do it. Don¡¯t ask me, I wouldn¡¯t know anyway.¡±


    ¡°You dare say you don¡¯t know!¡±


    The volcano that had been silent for years suddenly erupted today. At this moment, Di Yelei was like a firecracker being baked at high temperatures, ready to ignite!


    Di Yelei suddenly stretched out his hand, took a big step forward, forcefully lifted Di Ah-Bao from the ground, and lifted him into the air with one extend of his arm. He shook him wildly, about to throw him out¡­


    ¡°Our father fell ill because of you, and you dare to say you don¡¯t know? Believe it or not, I will break your arms and legs right now. I don¡¯t mind having an extra burden in my next life!¡±


    Di Ah-Bao¡¯s arrogance was mainly due to elderly Mr. Di¡¯s acquiescence and Ms. Zhao¡¯s neediness, which led to his current aggressive and unbridled demeanor.


    Upon being grabbed and lifted up by Di Yelei like this, his face turned pale with fear, and he screamed desperately!


    ¡°Let me go! Let me go! Mom, Mom! Save me ¨C save me!¡±


    Ah-Bao¡¯s cries finally woke Ms. Zhao from her fright, she rushed forward with all her might, attempting to grab Di Yelei¡¯s arm and force it down: ¡°Let go! Let go, he¡¯s your brother too! Let go quickly!¡±


    ¡°Brother? I, Di Yelei, have a fratricide as a brother?¡±


    Di Yelei sneered and looked at Ms Zhao coldly: ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this, Ms. Zhang, if you don¡¯te up with the silver to save my father today, I¡¯ll have Di Ah-Bao tied up and sent to the government office tomorrow. His charge will be parricide! You, Ms. Zhang and Ms Wang, will be the aplices! I really want to see if you would choose money over your lives!¡±


    ¡°You¨C you¡¯re an undutiful son!¡±


    Ms. Zhao was shaken with anger, but there was nothing she could do: ¡°How can my Ah-Bao be a parricide? Also, how did we be aplices? Don¡¯t you talk nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Whether I¡¯m talking nonsense or not, everyone here knows very well! Who was the one who made the father spit out blood in anger? Now, who is the one who is unwilling to spend money to treat his illness?¡±


    Di Yelei left no room for negotiations, nor any respite for the others: ¡°I, Di Yelei, will make my words clear today: my father¡¯s illness must be treated! The cost of treatment will be divided into three parts, each part being 20 taels of silver, Di Ah-Bao one part, Second Brother one part, and one part will be mine. Whether you borrow or impound, the 20 taels of silver must be brought before 5-7 a.m!¡±

 Chapter 78 - 78: 75: A Chilling Heart

    Chapter 78 - 78: 75: A Chilling Heart


    ¡°20 taels? In your dreams! No!¡±


    Ms. Zhao was the first to yell, not caring that she was still half-hanging onto Di Yelei¡¯s arm: ¡°Even if you send us to the authorities, I still won¡¯t have it!¡±


    Ms. Wang beside her didn¡¯t hold back either: ¡°20 taels of silver? Do you think this silver was washed up in a flood? Send us to the authorities just do it, even if you send me to the county government, at most I¡¯ll be an aplice!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Di Yelei suddenlyughed coldly!


    This usually calm person suddenly became truly angry, and his towering fury almost directly burned people to ashes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to give! If I don¡¯t see the silver by 5-7 a.m, I won¡¯t mind breaking his arms and legs to repay the debt!¡±


    As soon as he said this, Ms. Zhao¡¯s arrogance was instantly extinguished.


    ¡°Put Ah-Bao down first, put him down!¡±


    Ms. Zhao desperately tore at Di Yelei¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°You can also choose to believe that I, Di Yelei, am lying, but bear the consequences yourself!¡±


    After finishing speaking, Di Yelei threw Di Ah-Bao to the side with a bang.


    ¡°Ah-Bao! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Ms. Zhao eximed in surprise and threw herself at the Di Ah-Bao on the ground.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! He¡¯s not hurt right now!¡±


    Having said that, Di Yelei turned his head and looked at Ms. Wang: ¡°As for you, Second Sister-inw, you just took 20 taels of silver from Third Brother the day before yesterday evening, there is the IOU in third brother¡¯s possession, stamped with Mr. Land Officer¡¯s personal handprint. If the Second Sister-inw finds prison food tasty, please indulge!¡±


    After that, he didn¡¯t stay any longer and led Liu Sisi and the two children straight out of the Di Family main entrance.


    Di Gaoyuan stood silently in the dark corner, almost blending in with the surrounding darkness, not saying a word from beginning to end.


    In the silent night sky hung a few dim stars.


    The faint crescent moonlit all the surroundings with a hazy glow.


    As they left the old house, a gentle mountain breeze blew their clothes and messed up their hair.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but look back at the old house hidden in the darkness, a chilling coldness rose up her spine, causing her to subconsciously hold Ying¡¯er tighter in her arms.


    On the other side, Di Yelei also lowered his head and held Di Xuan in his arms.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    He didn¡¯t say much but simply moved forward in silence.


    Liu Sisi hurried to catch up.


    Both walked quietly.


    From a distance, asional frog croaks and cricket chirps could be heard, as well as an owl flying by with pping wings, emitting a series of eerie screams.


    Liu Sisi quickened her steps, trying hard to approach the tall and sturdy figure in front of her.


    The figure stopped and reached out arge hand back toward her.


    ¡°It¡¯s chilly at night, are you cold?¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly moved closer to his side and shook her head vigorously: ¡°Not cold¡­ it¡¯s the heart that¡¯s cold.¡±


    Heart cold!


    Di Yelei tried to take Ying¡¯er away: ¡°Yes! Heart cold¡­¡±


    He murmured to himself.


    Liu Sisi shook her head to stop his action, trying to walk shoulder to shoulder with him as much as possible. He deliberately slowed down, and the two of them moved forward at a leisurely pace.


    ¡°I n to ask Zhang Peng and Li Wu for help, to see if I can borrow some!¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded silently, remembering that the other person couldn¡¯t see her, and quickly said with a soft hum, ¡°Hmm! Brother Zhang¡¯s family should be prepared, and as for Brother Li¡¯s side¡­¡±


    ¡°Li Wu, he¡¯s the fifth ranked brother in his family, so when his Uncle Li named him, he simply named him Li Wu to save trouble.¡± Di Yelei cut off the conversation.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m afraid that the amount from Li Wu and Brother Zhang may not be much.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t Liu Sisi deliberately pouring cold water, but in her feeling, one tael of silver here far exceeded the actual purchasing power of 10,000 RMB in her previous life. Twenty taels of silver was far beyond 200,000 RMB, and who among ordinary farming families would have such arge sum of silver avable? It seemed impossible.


    Di Yelei unconsciously stopped in his tracks, looking back at her.


    ¡°I only have more than 3 taels of silver on hand from you, and the rest¡­ is gone.¡±


    Speaking of this, Di Yelei found it somewhat difficult to utter.


    He had always told himself that he would give Sisi a good life, but as soon as she married him, she had to help him with his debts.


    Now that the debts were finally gone, they were about to incur new ones immediately!


    And this new debt hasn¡¯tnded yet!


    ¡°There should be some silver from Zhang Peng, but Li Wu recently arranged a marriage for his son, so he may not have much silver¡­¡±


    A barely audible sigh had not had time to be emitted, dissipating into the air.


    ¡°Dad! Dad, Xuan¡¯er has money here!¡±


    Di Xuan, who had been quietly nestled in his father¡¯s arms, suddenly spoke up.


    ¡°Dad, Xuan¡¯er has 43 copper coins at home. Mom gave 21 copper coins that day, and the New Year¡¯s money given by the others, Xuan¡¯er has been saving it, and it¡¯s kept at home. When Xuan¡¯er goes back to get it, give it to Grandfather to cure his illness!¡±


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s voice trembled slightly.


    These sudden words from the young child touched the oppressed bottom of his heart.


    He couldn¡¯t help but hug the child in his arms tightly.


    Even a seven-year-old child knows the principle of filial piety, so do the adults inside really not understand it?


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, you have a kind heart, and your grandfather would be very happy to know that¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi tried tofort him, but halfway through her sentence, she couldn¡¯t continue.


    Di Xuan once again emphasized, ¡°Dad, Mom, what Xuan¡¯er said is true! And there¡¯s that set of four treasures of the study, Mom, you can give it to the doctor. Xuan¡¯er hasn¡¯t used it yet, they¡¯re all new!¡±


    ¡°Or, should I go to Mr. Land Officer¡¯s house to borrow some?¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly thought of a way out and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know how much I can borrow, Mr. Land Officer is a good person, and he will usually lend some. When the Dou Family went to him, Mr. Land Officer gave them 2 taels of silver.¡±


    It¡¯s true that money can topple heroes. At that time, Land Officer gave Di Yelei 2 taels of silver directly, saying it was a reward for the younger generation.


    Since it was a gift from the elders, Di Yelei had no choice but to ept it reluctantly.


    In this situation, if it wasn¡¯t for being pushed to the point of having no alternative, he wouldn¡¯t want to open his mouth to the old man.


    ¡°How about I go to the Land Officer¡¯s house? In this situation, it¡¯s more appropriate for me, a married woman, toe forward. You just go to Brother Zhang¡¯s house and Li Wu¡¯s house. We¡¯ll act separately and borrow as much as we can.¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly suggested, and in fact, this was also the result of her thinking for a moment.


    Di Yelei was reluctant to speak out, but a married woman could, even if she said something wrong, it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Alright¡­ Sisi, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Di Yelei held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand tightly, and he couldn¡¯t say anything more.


    ¡°Husband and wife are one, so there¡¯s no need to talk about hardship. For the fact that you were willing to let me stay at that time, it¡¯s worth doing all this for you. However, I must tell you, Di Yelei, you can¡¯t fail me in the future, otherwise¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi pretended to be angry, trying to alleviate the tense atmosphere.

 Chapter 79 - 79: 76: Borrowing Money

    Chapter 79 - 79: 76: Borrowing Money


    Who would have thought that Di Yelei would actually raise his hand solemnly.


    ¡°I, Di Yelei, swear to the heavens: I will treat Sisi well and cherish her for a lifetime! If I break this oath, then heaven¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop! Who asked you to swear?!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi, annoyed, hurriedly stood on tiptoes and stretched out her arm to cover his mouth, ¡°As long as I am in your heart, that is enough! I, Liu Sisi, don¡¯t believe in such swears. Hmph!¡±


    Although she said this, the corners of her mouth couldn¡¯t help but curl up, with a touch of joy spreading in her eyes and eyebrows.


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. He reached out and grabbed Liu Sisi¡¯s small hand, which was covering his mouth.


    His gaze was intense, and the swallowing movement in his throat became more and more pronounced. He subconsciously pulled her into his embrace and kissed her cheek.


    The rough stubble on his face brought a tingling, prickling sensation to her skin, causing Liu Sisi to instinctively dodge, but she couldn¡¯t break free from the strength in his arms.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi, shy, quickly struggled and avoided his gaze, ¡°There are two children here!¡±


    Di Yelei lowered his head and happened to meet Di Xuan¡¯s curious eyes. Perhaps realizing that his father was watching, he quickly closed his eyes and hid back in his embrace, refusing to show his head again.


    Such a move made Liu Sisi¡¯s face flush, and she angrily red at Di Yelei. Stomping her foot, she quickly turned around, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯ste now. Let¡¯s split up and meet directly at the old house.¡±


    ¡°Fine! The vige chief¡¯s house is just ahead. I¡¯ll go to Zhang Peng and Li Wu¡¯s houses.¡±


    Di Yelei pointed to therge house at the vige entrance with a wide area and swiftly walked away.


    Liu Sisi took a deep breath and cheered herself up!


    There is no insurmountable obstacle in this world, Sisi,e on!


    Despite her own encouragement, Liu Sisi was still doing this sort of thing for the first time. After hesitating for a moment, she finally gathered the courage to knock on Mr. Land Officer¡¯s door.


    Mr. Land Officer¡¯s wife was a very kind married woman who smiled and poured a cup of tea for the somewhat restrained Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my old man will be out in a while. You drink some water and rest first.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡±


    Liu Sisi gratefully smiled, stood up to receive the cup, and carefully brought the teacup to YingEr¡¯s face, ¡°YingEr, drink some water.¡±


    Now it was the end of July, but even in the peak of summer, the mountainous areas get cold in the second half of the night, and the mountain winds blow icy-cold on the skin.


    The warm water brought warmth to her stomach, and YingEr couldn¡¯t help but nestle in her embrace and smile.


    The Land Officer¡¯s wife saw this scene and nodded silently to herself. It seemed that Ye Lei¡¯s new wife was a good one, and at least she truly cared for YingEr.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s Di Third Son¡¯s wife. Sit down and let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Apparently, Mr. Land Officer had just got out of bed, and his face still showed prominent creases from sleep.


    ¡°Greetings, Mr. Land Officer. Sorry for disturbing you sote at night. Sisi is actually here to borrow some silver¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly got up to pay her respects before sitting down.


    ¡°Pfffft! Cough¡­ cough¡­¡±


    The original water-drinking Mr. Land Officer choked on a big mouthful of water! He guessed that something had happened but did not expect Liu Sisi to be so straightforward.


    ¡°Look at you, at this age, still being so careless. Aren¡¯t you afraid of beingughed at by juniors?¡±


    Mr. Land Officer¡¯s wife looked at Liu Sisi with her eyes as well.


    Making Liu Sisi¡¯s face flush with embarrassment, feeling extremely awkward.


    Having finally calmed down, the Land Officer set down his teacup and looked Liu Sisi up and down. When his gaze fell on YingEr, who was nestled in her arms, it finally softened somewhat.


    ¡°Third Son Di¡¯s wife, you just repaid Ms. Wang 20 taels of silver in the evening. Howe it has only been a few hours and you need to borrow money again? What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±


    This question made Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes well up with tears, and her eyes reddened instantly.


    ¡°My father is gravely ill, and Ye Lei went to the town to request Dr. He¡¯s help. He said that ginseng over hundreds of years old is urgently needed to save his life. Fortunately, the doctor has 120-year-old ginseng avable, but the price is quite steep¡­ just for the ginseng alone, it costs 50 taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°What happened to your father?¡±


    ¡°Did you call Dr. He? He is the best doctor in the town.¡±


    The two were startled and asked in unison.


    Naturally, Liu Sisi did not hide anything and exined the details of the situation.


    As for certain family secrets, of course, she did not mention them.


    Hearing Liu Sisi¡¯s understatement, as the Land Officer, how could he not understand the situation of the Di family?


    ¡°Sigh! I must say I also have some responsibility for this!¡±


    The Land Officer pped the table heavily: ¡°Last night, there was a quarrel at the Di family¡¯s old house. That¡¯s not a trivial matter! At that time, I was so angry that I scolded your father a few times. It must have been that which made him so sick.¡±


    ¡°No, Mr. Land Officer. Sisi heard that Ah-Bao snatched the broom from my father¡¯s hand, and then¡­ and then¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes dodged, and she stammered, unable to make sense of what had happened.


    ¡°And then Di Ah-bao hit your father!¡±


    Although the Land Officer asked the question, he used a positive tone, showing that he knew Di Ah-Bao¡¯s character well.


    He pondered for a moment before raising his head: ¡°Alright, how much do you want to borrow?¡±


    Liu Sisi swallowed: ¡°¡­the medicine cost will be evenly divided among the three brothers. We need to provide 20 taels, and Ye Lei has gone to Brother Zhang¡¯s and Li Wu¡¯s house to borrow silver. We hope that we can put together a little.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Peng¡¯s family should have some silver. Li Wu is heard to be preparing to arrange a marriage for his son, so he probably can¡¯t spare any money.¡±


    Mr. Land Officer really understood the situation of the vige clearly: ¡°Can your mother-inw and Second Sister-inw agree to spend 60 taels of silver on treating Elderly Mr. Di? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s Ye Lei¡¯s idea, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Getting Ms. Zhang and Ms. Wang to agree would require the sun to rise in the west.


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer, you really have a discerning eye.¡±


    Liu Sisi bitterly smiled and shamelessly ttered him!


    ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s hard for you to have such filial devotion! Elderly Di is lucky to have such a filial child like Ye Lei.¡±


    The Land Officer sighed and took a silver ingot from his robe, cing it in Liu Sisi¡¯s hand: ¡°This is 20 taels of silver. If it¡¯s not enough, let Ye Leie and fetch itter. What¡¯s the point of having a married woman like youe forward? Aren¡¯t you afraid of beingughed at?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Land Officer.¡±


    Liu Sisi was overjoyed in her heart as the medicine¡¯s cost was finally settled!


    ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Land Officer. As soon as my father¡¯s condition stabilizes, I will have Ye Leie to apologize to you.¡±


    Although the Land Officer did not say it explicitly, Liu Sisi also understood what he meant ¨C he was ming Di Yelei for noting in person.


    ¡°Never mind! I have watched Ye Lei grow up. It¡¯s gettingte, and saving a person is like putting out a fire, so you better go back quickly.¡±


    Watching Liu Sisi¡¯s figure gradually disappear into the night, the Land Officer could not help but shake his head and sigh: ¡°Di Yelei is really lucky to have found such a good wife!¡±


    By the time Liu Sisi returned, Di Yelei had also arrived back at the old house. Seeing her enter, his eyes immediately brightened, and he strode towards her.


    ¡°How¡¯s everything? What did Mr. Land Officer say?¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly took out the silver ingot and ced it in his hand: ¡°I got it, hurry up and give it to the doctor. Don¡¯t dy saving people and healing them.¡±

 Chapter 80 - 80: 77: How Much Longer for the Buns?

    Chapter 80 - 80: 77: How Much Longer for the Buns?


    Having silver naturally makes everything easier!


    The doctor¡¯s prescription came quickly, he administered the acupuncture, and the old ginseng was also used.


    When Liu Sisi came to the room with the medicine around the time of the dragon-hour, she took a nce and saw that her father-inw¡¯splexion had improved significantly and he no longer looked frail.


    On the contrary, everyone looked tired and sleepy, and the doctor and the medicine pageboy had already gone to rest in the guest room prepared for them.


    ¡°Doctor He said that you need to receive acupuncture treatment for three consecutive days to invigorate the channels and coterals, and you can recover slowly. So dad, just rx and recuperate well.¡±


    Di Yelei carefully took the medicine bowl and served his father with the medicine attentively, exining the situation softly to Elderly Mr. Di.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Elderly Mr. Di was extremely weak, and he remained silent as he sipped the medicine while leaning on his pillow.


    It wasn¡¯t until he had finished the medicine and Elderly Mr. Di fell asleep that Di Yelei and Liu Sisi left the wing room together.


    The sky outside was gradually brightening, and no one was in sight.


    Di Yelei stayed silent for a while before whispering, ¡°Yesterday, I borrowed 5 taels and a half of silver from Li Wu and Zhang Peng. My mom gave out 20 taels; my second sister-inw only gave 10 taels, saying she needed to buy the four treasures of the study for Brother Gao to attend private school. My second brother and I had a quarrel, and he only gave out 2 more taels in the end.¡±


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows; was Ms. Wang nning to renege on her obligations?


    ¡°Even if they don¡¯t want to give, forcing them won¡¯t help. The silver to buy the old ginseng is enough, but when can all these borrowed money be repaid?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s voice was soft and hoarse from not sleeping all night.


    ¡°We can only take it step by step, Sisi, it¡¯s been tough on you.¡±


    Di Yelei held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand and sighed: ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m useless, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to break his leg! After all, he is my brother! I¡­ always said I wanted to make your life better, but in the end¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, who can just raise their hands against someone like that!¡±


    Liu Sisi forcefully pulled her hand back and coldlyughed: ¡°The two children are tired too. We have pheasants and rabbits at home, and Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua were also locked up. Someone needs to take care of the pets. Why don¡¯t you stay here, while I go back home to check on them?¡±


    As she spoke, she turned to leave.


    A resentment was gathering in her heart. How long would Di Yelei continue to be a pushover?


    Justst night, she had given Ms. Wang 20 taels of silver, and now, it was gone before dawn! Who would believe that?


    Giving silver for her own son¡¯s education is more important than her father-inw¡¯s life?


    Or is it that Di Yelei is too easy-going, hiding his own silver and borrowing money from others?


    Just now at the Land Officer¡¯s home, she was so embarrassed that she wished she could burrow into a hole!


    That was 8 taels of silver!


    It was agreed that the three brothers would each contribute 20 taels, but now the deal has changed!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was filled with resentment, but there was nowhere to vent it.


    She hated to see his honest and foolish looks!


    Di Yelei also knew Liu Sisi was angry, and he quickly caught up and grabbed her arm.


    On his honest and sturdy bronze-colored face, there was a look of anxiety: ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be angry! I know it¡¯s all my fault. One day, I will go hunting and earn some more silver¡­¡±


    The deep and mellow voice which once made Liu Sisi feel at ease was now filled with anxiety.


    ¡°Why should you earn more silver just to fill the holes for others? Right! When your father is sick, I will give the money without hesitation, that¡¯s the silver that should be used! But why does her family have to give so little? How does she treat you and the two children every day!¡±


    The more Liu Sisi spoke, the angrier she became!


    Doormat men are the most annoying!


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, don¡¯t be angry. Yesterday¡¯s incident was just an ident¡­¡±


    Di Yelei tried to exin.


    ¡°Enough! Really, enough! Haven¡¯t you hunted enough over the years? How helpful is even more hunting? In the end? Didn¡¯t you still end up with a buttload of debt?¡±


    Liu Sisi forcefully shook off his arm, struggling twice without being able to break free from his grip.


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    Di Yelei firmly held her arm without letting go.


    ¡°Let go! I want to go home to rest!¡±


    She stared angrily at him, her eyes filled with deep disappointment: ¡°Mr. Land Officer said, if there¡¯s another time, he¡¯ll let you borrow from him yourself!¡±


    His body shuddered slightly, and he immediately withdrew his hand, his gaze dimmed.


    Standing in the distance, motionless!


    Liu Sisi wanted to say something else, she moved her mouth but ultimately gave up.


    If he didn¡¯te to his senses and understand the truth, what use was her saying more?


    Forget it!


    Returning to the kitchen, she picked up YingEr from the hay, woke Xuan¡¯er, and led the two children out of the old house¡¯s main entrance.


    Even if she didn¡¯t look back, she could feel that gaze behind her, closely following her.


    As she walked far away, faint arguments and scolding from the old house continued to be heard intermittently; but all of it was not something Liu Sisi cared about at the moment!


    Entering the house, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua heard the footsteps from afar and kept barking, ¡°Woof, woof, woof,¡± as they eagerly scratched at the door.


    Liu Sisi pushed open the door and led the two children into the room.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, you go back to sleep for a while, and when mom has cooked the dishester, I¡¯lle wake you up to eat.¡±


    Liu Sisi carried YingEr into her hut.


    ¡°Alright, mom.¡±


    Xuan¡¯er was truly tired, and by the time Liu Sisi settled YingEr, he had already fallen into a deep sleep.


    Standing by the bed and watching Xuan¡¯er sleep obediently, Liu Sisi let out a quiet sigh and headed for the kitchen.


    Life had to go on.


    She picked up the rice to make porridge but reconsidered and put the rice bag back, picking up the coarse grains from the side and making a pot of coarse grain porridge instead.


    With so much silver owed, it¡¯s better to save where you can!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart felt stifled, unable to vent her frustration.


    Thoughts churned in her mind, that no matter what, she had to get Ms. Wang to cough up that silver.


    It wasn¡¯t about the money itself, but such momentum shouldn¡¯t be started. Once that habit is formed, she feared that the next time, the other party would be even more increasingly ruthless.


    After filling the stove with firewood, Liu Sisi went out and wandered around the front and back of the house for a moment, picking some wild vegetables.


    She chose the juicy wild lettuce to dry for feeding the rabbits, washed the rest for cooking, and chopped some to feed the two wild chickens.


    She scooped out a spoonful of natto to go with the cooked dishes, and once she had prepared them, she woke up the two children to eat.


    The soaked natto was already savory and delicious. With wild vegetables and coarse grain porridge, Liu Sisi drank half a bowl.


    Additionally, she filled arge bowl with porridge and some wild vegetables and natto, carefully ced it in a basket, and instructed Di Xuan to eat fast: ¡°Xuan¡¯er, take care of YingEr. Mom will bring the food to your dad. You be good at home and don¡¯t open the door easily, alright?¡±


    ¡°Mom, Xuan¡¯er knows.¡±


    Di Xuan obediently replied.

 Chapter 81 - 81: 78: Not Even Letting You Get Extra Soup and Water!

    Chapter 81 - 81: 78: Not Even Letting You Get Extra Soup and Water!


    Coming back to the old house again, she saw from afar that the main entrance was wide open.


    As she walked in, she found the whole family crowded outside the wing room door, craning their necks to look inside.


    Di Yelei, a towering figure, was standing under the eaves, behind several children, peeping through the window.


    Perhaps the sound of Liu Sisi¡¯s footsteps startled him, and he quickly turned his head. His eyes lit up immediately, and he hurriedly strode towards her, ¡°Sisi, did you bring me some food? How did you know I haven¡¯t eaten yet?¡±


    As he spoke, he hurriedly took the bamboo basket from her, with a smile on his face, trying to please her.


    ¡°What happened? Did everyone else eat already?¡±


    Liu Sisi peeked over there before turning back to ask Di Yelei.


    He had already sat down on a stone stool under the eaves, removed the cloth cover from the basket, took out the big sea bowl, and gave Liu Sisi a simple smile as he held the bowl and picked up the chopsticks, ¡°I was taking care of Dad earlier, and by the time I came out, they had already finished eating.¡±


    After saying that, he buried his head and began to drink the porridge.


    A big sea bowl of coarse grain porridge mixed with wild vegetables and natto was consumed in just a few bites, showing how hungry he was!


    It seemed like the old house hadn¡¯t prepared a portion for him at all!


    During his quick meal, Ms. Wang even deliberately passed by the couple.


    She stretched her neck to look into the big bowl and only when she saw that it was coarse grain porridge with wild vegetables, did she curl her lips and snort before briskly walking into the room.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back to freshen up and thene back? I¡¯ll be here watching anyway. If there¡¯s anything you need to do, I¡¯ll send someone to call you?¡±


    His entangled wet hair, still soaked in sweat, and his clothes, which she hadn¡¯t noticed were creased and stained with a mix of dried and wet sweatst night, made Liu Sisi¡¯s heart ache and she let out a silent sigh.


    ¡°No, if I leave, who knows what tricks they might pull.¡±


    After a slight consideration, he declined Liu Sisi¡¯s suggestion. He went to the corner of the courtyard to draw some well water and washed the bowl, and also sshed some water on his face before wiping it with his hand. He then carefully ced the big sea bowl and bamboo chopsticks back in the bamboo basket, covered it with the cloth, and with a goofy smile, handed it back to Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi took it and let out a long sigh, ¡°Is the whole family just going to guard like this? Life has to go on, you know. You¡¯re not even leaving to change your clothes, let alone going inside the room. What¡¯s the use?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment, his tone heavy, ¡°You¡­noticed?¡±


    ¡°Noticed that they kicked you out? Hah! It¡¯s obvious. When I left, you were in the wing room; now you¡¯re outside and won¡¯t leave. There¡¯s only one possibility.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi sighed quietly, feeling at a loss for words and not knowing how to advise him.


    ¡°They are them, and I don¡¯t care what they think of me. But the one lying inside is my dad!¡±


    That¡¯s right!


    No matter how the outsiders treated him, his real family was still sick!


    Di Yelei clenched his fists and thenughed, ¡°It¡¯s only three days anyway¡ª I can grit my teeth and endure it. You should be more careful when I¡¯m not home. Be alert when Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua are barking.¡±


    The more he talked, the more worried he became.


    Leaving his delicate wife at home seemed really unsafe!


    ¡°I¡¯m going back first. I¡¯ll go up to the mountainter to see if there¡¯s anything to eat.¡±


    Since Di Yelei couldn¡¯t go hunting for silver, she had to think about how to make ends meet for the family and find a way to have enough food and eat well!


    Otherwise, once the patient recovered, the one taking care of the patient might break down instead.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, Sisi, thank you for your hard work. I know¡­ I know what I say will make you angry, but¡­ besides that, I really don¡¯t have anything else to say.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes also turned red as he spoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. Everything will be fine!¡±


    Tears in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes also began to swell.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it will be fine! Sisi.¡±


    Di Yelei looked serious in his reassurance!


    ¡°Oh! This is such deep love between husband and wife.¡±


    As the two were talking, Ms. Wang came over with a scornful nce at them: ¡°I say, Third Brother, Third Sister-inw, what time is it now, and you still haven¡¯t gone hunting in the mountains to nourish our father? Are you nning to starve your whole family to death?¡±


    ¡°Has Second Sister-inw forgotten? Dad is lying ill in bed. If he has a good appetite, even if Sisi doesn¡¯t eat, she will definitely catch a wild animal for him.¡±


    Liu Sisi coldly smiled and said.


    Ms. Wang put her hands on her hips: ¡°So what? Today is your turn to cook, but you¡¯ve beenzy and just showed up now! You¡¯ve made all these people wait with empty stomachs. I even had to help you light the fire and cook. How are you still in the right?¡±


    ¡°What empty stomach, waiting for me?¡± Liu Sisi was confused!


    Di Yelei felt embarrassed and quickly pulled Liu Sisi to the side: ¡°It was Mom who suggested it yesterday. Dr. He and the medicine boy are staying at home for three days, so each of the three brothers should cook one day¡¯s worth of food. I thought Mom would cook today, so¡­¡±


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t have time to tell me yet, did you?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly understood!


    Based on Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang¡¯s habits of loving cheap things, they might be waiting for Di Yelei to go hunting today so they wouldn¡¯t have to spend a penny on meat and vegetables for the next two days!


    They had calcted this quite smartly, all for their own gain!


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, aren¡¯t you trying to shirk cooking?¡± Ms. Wang¡¯s sharp words came from behind them.


    Liu Sisi suddenly smiled: ¡°Second Sister-inw, where did you get that idea? Didn¡¯t Sisi just arrive and not know about this? Don¡¯t worry! Since you cooked breakfast today, Sisi will cook today¡¯s lunch, dinner, and tomorrow¡¯s breakfast. How about that?¡±


    Nobody will take advantage of even a drop of soup on my watch!


    ¡°As long as you know! Now hurry up and go to the mountain! Humph!¡±


    Ms. Wang spat and turned around to enter the room.


    Looking at Di Yelei, who was visibly awkward and honest, Liu Sisi sighed quietly: ¡°You stay here! From what I know of Second Sister-inw and Mom¡¯s stinginess, you should keep an eye on them while Dad takes his medicine. Don¡¯t let them tamper with anything.¡±


    With such expensive medicinal materials, she wouldn¡¯t believe that Ms. Zhang and Ms. Wang had no ulterior motives.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful!¡±


    Di Yelei nodded repeatedly.


    Liu Sisi turned around, loaded up therge basket on her back, and went up the mountain.


    At the moment, in July, although there were many edible things on the mountain, they could only fill their stomachs. Wild vegetables weren¡¯t tender enough to be satisfying, and wild game was hard to find, let alone catch with her skill.


    With Dr. He¡¯s experience of seeing all sorts of delicacies in town, it was really difficult for Liu Sisi to make a satisfying meal for them.

 Chapter 82 - 82: 79: The Dish is Ready!

    Chapter 82 - 82: 79: The Dish is Ready!


    Her gaze wandered through the bushes, trying to luck into a trove of wild mushrooms again, just like the previous time.


    But she was disappointed!


    There were wild mushrooms on the mountain, but the quantity was far less than the previous harvest. Even after scouring the entire hillside, she only filled the bottom of her basket.


    Two bowls of cooked mushrooms might make a good side dish, which is not too bad!


    Liu Sisi straightened up and wiped her sweat, then her eyes fell unintentionally on the base of another slope and were drawn to a patch of ferns.


    There, left from either human activity or natural disaster, was arge area showing signs of a fire. From the ashes grew a swath of bright green, tender ferns, catching Liu Sisi¡¯s eye immediately.


    Aha! This proves that there¡¯s always a way out!


    She decided to prepare a cold fern dish when she got home. It would be delicious,plement rice well, and she wouldn¡¯t need to worry about having no dishes to eat ¨C it was a win-win!


    She didn¡¯t hold back, harvesting all of the tender ferns before starting her way home.


    On the way, she stopped by the Chinese toon tree she¡¯d seenst time and with some effort, cut down a bunch of young shoots to make scrambled eggs with Chinese toon at home.


    It was already July. The reason these Chinese toon shoots were still young was thanks to the consistent harvest by people.


    Gettingte, Liu Sisi quickened her pace homeward.


    When she got home, the two children had just returned, each carrying a basket of wild vegetables. Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but sigh at how early the children of poor families learn to work!


    She quickly washed two big pots, rinsed rice into one and made enough rice for two. In the other, she prepared a pot of coarse cereals porridge.


    The rice was, of course, meant for the two doctors.


    Over here, she carefully cleaned the wild mushrooms. By the time she finished, the water in the pot was boiling.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, it¡¯s gettingte. Can you help mom start the fire?¡± asked Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve known how to start fire since I was little,¡± Xuan¡¯er replied, obediently taking a seat in front of the stove.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The midday summer heat was blistering, making people sluggish. The continuous singing of the cicadas outside was annoying, making one wish to jump into the river for a refreshing cold bath.


    However, the sun was gradually reaching its zenith, and the host had not yet lit the stove.


    Doctor He sat on the chaise lounge, where Elderly Mr. Di usually liked to lean on, tapping on the table every now and then, making a disconcerting noise.


    The medicine pageboy was behind him, fanning him whilst dripping sweat.


    The air was filled with a suffocating silence, only asionally broken by one or two coughsing from the wing room.


    ¡°Here ites! The food is here!¡±


    Someone suddenly shouted, and everyone in the courtyard started moving, rushing towards the door.


    ¡°Old gentleman, the food must being, isn¡¯t it?¡± the pageboy asked excitedly.


    Doctor He lifted his eyelids, his ordinarily slight tapping inadvertently missing a beat.


    He looked at the pageboy and said coldly, ¡°Quit nagging!¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯m just really hungry¡­¡±


    The pageboy quickly lowered his head mumbling, and then couldn¡¯t help but stretch his neck to look outside.


    Liu Sisi, carrying a small basket, arrived in front of the old house, being greeted from afar by a tall figure.


    Di Yelei rushed up to meet her: ¡°Sisi, let me help you carry that!¡±


    ¡°No need, I can manage thesest few steps. Go back home and bring the food I prepared in the water bucket. Remember to change your clothes after eating beforeing back.¡±


    Liu Sisi pulled away from his touch and said coldly.


    She ignored him and walked straight into the old house through the main entrance.


    ¡°Third Son¡¯s family, is this tiny amount of food you cooked going to fill our entire family¡¯s stomachs? Are you trying to starve us, leaving no one with the strength to look after the Old Master, what is it?¡±


    Ms. Zhang¡¯s gaze skimmed over the small basket, and her sharp words immediately echoed.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, this is prepared for the old gentleman. Ye Lei has picked out the food for everyone else. Just wait a moment.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t say anything else and went straight into the living room, where she saw the two doctors sitting leisurely.


    She carefully put down the burden, smiled lightly and said, ¡°Sisi waste and let you two wait for a while. Sisi will apologize first.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Old Doctor He responded with a closed eyes and said no more.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mind, she took off the grass mat covering the bamboo basket and ced it directly on the table.


    This mat was handwoven by Di Yelei. The sealed and green and yellow bamboo strips depicted the pattern of a rich and lucky cloud pattern. After carefully spreading it out on the table, it instantly reced the originally dull ck color.


    The old gentleman¡¯s eyshes twitched, but he remained still.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s movements were swift. In no time, there was a table full of dishes spread out on the table.


    ¡°Both of you must be hungry by now, please take your time.¡±


    Liu Sisi said softly, then fetched a bowl of clear water from the very bottom of the basket and handed it over.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The medicine pageboy epted it with a smile, swiftly helped Old Doctor He to wash his face and hands, and dried it off, before he started to serve the food.


    ¡°Hmph! What¡¯s so great about that! I want to see what kind of dishes she can make!¡±


    With a spit, Ms. Wang couldn¡¯t help but twist her body, sneaking peeks from outside the living room with Ms. Zhang.


    The food on the table was served in small white porcin dishes, each filled only about seventy percent full, but each dish had a different color.


    The medicine pageboy picked up the bamboo chopsticks and carefully picked up a loquat from nearby and put it in the old gentleman¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°This is a loquat. Although it is a wild fruit from the mountain, it has the effect of removing phlegm and suppressing coughs. It is especially suitable to eat in the summer.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s clear voice came from the side.


    Then, the medicine pageboy reached out with the bamboo chopsticks to pick up the second dish.


    Two snow-white jade rabbits with red eyes, the two small rabbit ears stood up, looking extraordinarily cute.


    ¡°This is an egg rabbit, made with eggsid by wild pheasants and decorated with diced carrots. It is easy to prepare.¡± Liu Sisi said with a faint smile.


    The old gentleman took a bite and nodded almost imperceptibly.


    The medicine pageboy then picked up the third dish.


    ¡°This is cold lettuce slices. The lettuce slices are arranged in patterns like sunflowers, and chili sauce is poured over it. It is both appetizing and refreshing.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s voice came again.


    Once the lettuce entered his mouth, Old Doctor He frowned imperceptibly and leaned down a bit.


    The medicine pageboy then picked up the fourth dish.


    ¡°This is summer scallion jade, made with half a small cabbage and nched red-skinned white turnip. Arranged into red and white flowers with emerald green stems. The taste is sweet and sour, particrly appetizing.¡± Liu Sisi smiled confidently, and then withdrew the four cold dishes, recing them with a few warm dishes.


    Old Doctor He unintentionally sat upright.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    This chapter and the next one are cooking chapters. If you are not interested, you can skip the chapters.

 Chapter 83 - 80: Follow-up After the Dish is Prepared

    Chapter 83: Chapter 80: Follow-up After the Dish is Prepared


    The fifth dish was a warm dish of yellow-braised fish with soybean paste, which attracted people¡¯s taste and vision as soon as it was taken out of the tightly-covered basket. The fiery red chilies and plump soybean paste covered the fragrant braised little fish, making anyone¡¯s appetite surge at the sight of it. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°The dish is made by frying dried crucian carp until golden, then adding the seasoning to the pot and repeatedly stir-frying until the vors seep in. A small amount of water is then added to simmer for a while, until the pot¡¯s liquid is reduced. The fish bones inside are already crispy and tender, melting in the mouth as soon as you take a bite.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, a small fish had already entered Dr. He¡¯s mouth.


    As he took one bite, everything around him fell silent.


    Everyone stretched their necks and stared with wide eyes, unconsciously swallowing their saliva as they fixed their gaze on the old gentleman¡¯s wriggling mouth.


    ¡°Mmm¡ª the fish is delicious, the soup is rich and the fish is tender, it has a unique vor, and it lingers in the mouth. Excellent, truly excellent!¡±


    Dr. He couldn¡¯t help stroking his long beard and swaying his head slightly in a tipsy manner: ¡°Child, bring me wine!¡±


    ¡°Ah? Sir, you said it yourself, no wine is allowed during a medical consultation, as it may cause mistakes! You can¡¯t drink!¡±


    The medicine pageboy beside him dared not agree.


    ¡°Hm? Alright! Old me actually forgot that I can¡¯t drink. It¡¯s a pity to have good food but no good wine! Sigh!¡±


    Dr. He nodded and shook his head, sighing continuously: ¡°Next dish!¡±


    ¡°The previous dish was a bit heavy in vor, which is why you wanted to drink. This is steamed eggs with tofu! Made by steaming a mixture of eggs and tofu, the dish is both tender and smooth, try it.¡±


    The soft, smooth taste of the egg and tofu filled his mouth, and as Liu Sisi had said, it instantly neutralized the intense vor of the previous dish, leaving a lingering aftertaste.


    After shaking his head for a while, the old gentleman opened his eyes again, and couldn¡¯t help giving Liu Sisi a thumbs up: ¡°Delicious! Your cooking skills are simply extraordinary! Excellent! Next dish!¡±


    The medicine boy hurriedly brought up the next warm dish¡­


    Compared with the lively dining scene inside, the people peeking around the doorway and windows in the living room were even more restless, as if they were like dog paws, itching to rush into the room and taste the deliciousness inside!


    Especially the rich variety of fragrances continuously stimted everyone¡¯s taste buds, causing their mouths to water and their saliva to flow uncontrobly.


    ¡°Who would have thought that this wretched woman could cook such a good meal!¡±


    Ms. Wang muttered resentfully, nearly tearing the handkerchief in her hand to shreds!


    ¡°Damn! Third Son¡¯s family even hid eggs. He¡¯s forgotten his own mother after getting a wife!¡±


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s eyes were bulging out.


    ¡°Here ites! The food is here!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t clear who shouted, but everyone turned their heads in unison, their eyes lighting up! Like starving dogs, they pounced on Di Yelei, who was carrying arge bucket filled with coarse grain porridge.


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but feel a little guilty.


    When he got home, he found that Sisi had prepared separate meals for the two children and himself. Although they were all drinking coarse porridge, the dishes were quite different.


    Thinking of how Sisi was angry with him in the morning, he dared not intentionally annoy her, so he quickly took a shower, changed into clean clothes, ate his meal, and hurried over here with tworge buckets of coarse porridge.


    Closely following him were Di Xuan and YingEr, each carrying arge bamboo basket.


    ¡°Third Son, were you trying to starve us? You¡¯re so slow! Hurry, hurry up and bring out the food!¡±


    Ms. Wang swallowed her saliva fiercely, as if envisioning countless fragrant little fish and delicious delicacies rushing toward her¡­


    ¡°Slow down! Don¡¯t make a mess!¡±


    Di Yelei called out, but he wasn¡¯t quick enough for the crowd.


    He had just barely put down the buckets by the well when he was pushed to the side, almost falling into the well, and hastily grabbed the edge!


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush! Move aside, let me divide!¡±


    Ms. Zhao was the first to reach the front, the first to pick up the big spoon, ready to face the fragrant chunks of meat¡­


    Therge water bucket usually used for fetching water had a crack uncovered, and arge spoon could not wait to stretch in¡­


    As the lid left the big water bucket, the spoon scooped up nothing but coarse grain porridge!


    Ms. Zhao could hardly believe her own eyes, the smile on her face suddenly frozen!


    The crowded people also suddenly lost their ability to shout and speak, all dumbfounded, unable to speak.


    ¡°How could¡­this be!¡±


    Ms. Zhao, unwilling to ept defeat, searched through the coarse grain porridge and found it was still in rice porridge.


    She suddenly uncovered the other side of therge water bucket, and it was still a big bucket of coarse grain porridge, and her whole body suddenly wilted.


    After a long time, Ms. Zhao suddenly bounced up from the ground and pointed at Di Yelei¡¯s nose and scolded angrily: ¡°Where¡¯s the meat? The fish? The vegetables? Where did they go? Did you eat them all, huh!¡±


    Di Yelei was taken aback, looking at the finger pointing at the tip of his nose, and raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡°Mom, we eat coarse grain porridge at home too.¡±


    ¡°Grandmother, the vegetables are with Xuan¡¯er.¡±


    Di Xuan carefully handed the bamboo basket: ¡°Dad is right, we also eat coarse grain porridge at home. Mom said before that we still owe more than 20 taels of silver in debt and don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll pay it back. My sister and I¡­we won¡¯t have meat to eat in the future.¡± Di Xuan¡¯s voice became softer, and his grievance grew.


    Hearing this, Ms. Zhao couldn¡¯t help but re at Ms. Wang. It was this troublemaker who had 8 taels of silver that she didn¡¯t take out yesterday, making her want to tear off her skin.


    Ms. Wang also shrank for a moment, and couldn¡¯t help lifting the cloth covered over the bamboo basket first, and there was a full basket of ferns!


    ¡°This fern is astringent and bitter! You¡¯re trying to feed beggars! Liu Sisi, you piece of junk, get out here!¡±


    Ms. Zhao couldn¡¯t bear the anger in her heart any longer and shouted loudly!


    At this moment, in the living room, it was another scene.


    ¡°This is fern, tender fern leaves grown on a burnt hillside. After being briefly washed in water, mixed with various ingredients, it is especially delicious. Old gentleman, have a taste!¡± Liu Sisi said with a gentle smile.


    Following the tender ferns, the old gentleman pulled two mouthfuls of rice, only to find that the rice in the bowl had run out.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed delicious! I didn¡¯t expect that you, a young wife, would have such skills. You¡¯re really ingenious, and I admire you, I really do!¡±


    Liu Sisi did not be particrly happy because of hispliments, her face stillposed with a faint smile.


    ¡°This is wild mushroom soup, made from freshly picked mushrooms on the mountain. The soup is not only fresh but also more delicious!¡±


    The medicine pageboy quickly served a bowl for the old gentleman and also picked some wild mushrooms.


    Only after finishing a bowl of wild mushroom soup did the old gentleman burp in satisfaction, wipe his hands with a handkerchief, and consider the meal finished.


    ¡°Hey! I remember now, this elder sister must be the one who sold mushrooms before. Old gentleman, do you remember the chicken agaric I bought back that you praised so much? I bought it from this elder sister!¡±


    The medicine pageboy beside him finally remembered the long-forgotten past. He was ordered by Young Master to buy chicken agaric, and most of it ended up in the old gentleman¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°You have a good memory, little brother. Back then, you told me about the drying precautions for tippler¡¯s bane.¡± Liu Sisi, of course, would not tell the medicine pageboy that she had recognized him a long time ago.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it. The chicken agaric was indeed delicious. Today, your wild mushroom soup tastes even better.¡±


    Dr. He could not help but praise.


    ¡°Elder sister, you are so lucky! Our master is known for being picky. Even the famous dishes at De Fu House in the county town can¡¯t please him. If he says it¡¯s delicious, then your dishes must be delicious!¡± The medicine pageboy hastily ttered.


    ¡°Indecent words! Do you speak about your master like that?¡± The old gentleman alsoughed, forcefully knocking a chestnut on the medicine pageboy¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Ouch! Old gentleman, you bully me.¡± The medicine pageboy feigned pain.


    Causing the three of them tough.


    Right now, when they were in harmony, suddenly outside there was a furious roar: ¡°¡­ Liu Sisi, you piece of junk! Get out here for me!¡±

 Chapter 84 - 81: A Powerful Hand Strikes!

    Chapter 84: Chapter 81: A Powerful Hand Strikes!


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is it so noisy outside?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, should we go out and take a look?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just some minor family matters. Please wait a while, guests. Sisi will go out and check, both of you can rest assured and take a break.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she quickly picked up the burden and left the living room.


    Outside, Ms. Zhao was shouting and making a fuss.


    ¡°What¡¯s all themotion? Have you all eaten enough? If you have, I¡¯ll take this load back and feed it to the dogs!¡± Di Yelei shouted angrily.


    Even if the porridge is given to the dogs, it¡¯s better than feeding it to you ungrateful wolves who can never be satisfied!


    He stood there quietly, seeming calm on his face. But those usually deep eyes were filled with a hidden rage, making it impossible for anyone to figure him out.


    His gaze made Ms. Zhao cower, she lowered her head and used the action of scooping porridge to hide her fear. Ms. Wang, who was next to her, stopped provoking too, not daring to say anything. The shrewd Di Gaoyuan didn¡¯t even speak, let alone the others. Even the usually outspoken and troublemaking Di Gao went against his usual nature and silently retreated while holding his bowl.


    Only Di Ah-bao stretched out one finger and kept picking through the ferns in his dish.


    He pinched a piece of fern and held it in front of Di Yelei: ¡°Is this even edible? This pig feed might not even be eaten by a dog! How dare you serve this to me, the young master who is going to attend private school? You actually give this to me? I¡­ ¡±


    Bang!


    ¡°Ah! ¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, a dark shadow passed by, and his jaw was hit by a punch. His body was suddenly thrown in a parabolic arc and mmed directly under the eaves, apanied by a shriek.


    With his fall, the bucket of coarse grain porridge spilled all over, and the ferns in the bamboo basket were scattered everywhere, affecting everyone nearby. The food was clearly inedible now.


    ¡°Ah-Bao! Are you alright?¡±


    Ms. Zhao screamed out and rushed over.


    Di Ah-bao struggled for a while before finally getting up from the ground. Wiping his face with his hand, he smeared a handful of blood-red liquid. Scared, he let out a cry and vomited a mouthful of blood and saliva, along with a broken tooth!


    ¡°Mom! Whoo¡­ my tooth! Mom, you have to avenge me (avenge me)!¡±


    And so, his mouth swelled up visibly fast, making his speech unclear!


    ¡°Ah-Bao? How are you? My poor Ah-Bao! Di Yelei, you cruel monster, how could you do such a thing to your own brother! I¡¯ll fight you to the end!¡±


    As Ms. Zhao spoke, she turned around, ready to attack.


    ¡°Shut up! If Di Ah-bao has turned out this way, isn¡¯t it because you¡¯ve spoiled him? And you still have the audacity to confront me!¡±


    Di Yelei roared fiercely!


    An emotionless calm expression appeared on his face: ¡°Mom, you¡¯d better pray that my dad lives a long life! That he can protect you and your precious Ah-Bao for a lifetime. If anything were to happen to him¡­ Hmph! Next time, you¡¯ll realize how lucky it was to only lose one tooth!¡±


    His words startled Ms. Zhao, and she stopped in her tracks.


    ¡°You¡­?¡±


    She stared at him, her eyes filled with fear. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Di Yelei suddenlyughed!


    With a bloodthirsty grin!


    His ten fingers suddenly curled and tightened in the air. In between the bone joints of his fingers, there was a series of crisp sounds from the friction.


    ¡°As I said before, Mom, you can choose not to believe me, but bear the consequences yourself!¡±


    A fierce and icy streak shed across his sharply cold eyes.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao opened her mouth, involuntarily taking a step back.


    Is this ruthless and fierce person really the same Di Yelei from the past, who would never fight back no matter how much she bullied him?


    It¡¯s like he¡¯s be apletely different person!


    ¡°You¡­ Who are you?¡±


    Ms. Zhang instinctively asked, retreating two steps unsteadily.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    A hint of mockery shed through Di Yelei¡¯s eyes.


    It seems that Sisi was right. His endless forbearance in their eyes was clearly a sign of his weakness and cowardice!


    But in fact, he just didn¡¯t want to make a fuss and disturb the family¡¯s peace!


    However, at the moment Dad is unconscious, and his suppression is no longer present in the old house, and everyone in the family seems to be rebelling! If he didn¡¯t stand up and take charge now, their family would probably fall apart for real.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to provoke me anymore. Taking good care of my father is your responsibility as a wife, and our responsibility as his children.¡±


    Ms. Zhao instinctively took another step back but bumped into Di Ah-bao behind her. The two of them squeezed together, shrinking into a bundle.


    At this moment, Liu Sisi walked out of the living room.


    The courtyard was a mess, with soup and water spilled all over the ground.


    Di Xuan and Di Ying ran to her side as soon as they saw her, clinging to her left and right, ¡°Mom¡ª¡±


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, Ying¡¯er, be good, don¡¯t cry.¡±


    She nced at everyone¡¯s expressions and asked softly, ¡°What happened? Ye Lei.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Sisi.¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi, his demeanor suddenly changed, and the whole person immediately warmed up.


    The fierce and cruel person from just a moment ago seemed to have had a change of heart, instantly resuming his original appearance of simplicity: ¡°Were the doctors satisfied with their meal?¡±


    Even a blind man could tell that something was wrong from the mess on the ground!


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t say anything, and Liu Sisi naturally wouldn¡¯t ask: ¡°The old gentleman was very satisfied with the meal. Now the children are still eating. You go ahead, I will bring my father-inw¡¯s cooked dishes inside.¡±


    While speaking, she took a tightly wrapped stewing pot from the carry basket, turned around and headed for the wing room.


    A stewing pot is a round-shaped ceramic container used for stewing and cooking.


    Liu Sisi remembered seeing this container in the corner when she was cooking at noon. Since time was running out, she decided to use it.


    The stewing pot is small at the top andrge at the bottom. When cooking, it can be ced in the stove, cooking rice while using the heat to stew a small amount of food. Due to the special structure of the stewing pot, it is far superior to y pots for cooking things like bacon, saving time and firewood.


    Liu Sisi chopped up some meat, mixed it with soybeans and rice, added clear water, and cooked a bowl of meat porridge for her father-inw.


    The meat porridge is delicious, nutritious, easy to swallow, and easy to digest, making it the most suitable food for patients like her father-inw.


    ¡°Sisi, wait, let me take it in. If Dad needs anything, it¡¯s more convenient for me as his son. You take the two children home first.¡±


    Di Yelei called out to Liu Sisi and nced back at everyone. Their eyes darted away, not daring to meet his.


    ¡°I wonder if mother has had enough to eat? If she has, Ye Lei will take the leftover food back.¡±


    All the food is scattered on the ground, what¡¯s left to eat! Isn¡¯t this a deliberate provocation? Ms. Zhang¡¯s face turned pale, but she did not dare to respond.


    ¡°Sisi, you should go back quickly. You haven¡¯t eaten yet, and you can change the children¡¯s clothes when you get back.¡± Earlier, when the coarse porridge was spilled, the two children standing nearby were also somewhat affected.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s expression darkened, and she cast a discreet nce at everyone: ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Two updates a day, one update consists of 2000 words.

 Chapter 85 - 85: 82: As One Wave Subsides, Another Arises

    Chapter 85 - 85: 82: As One Wave Subsides, Another Arises


    Guiding the two children and carrying empty buckets, Liu Sisi had just stepped out of the old house when she saw the Land Officer leading several people sauntering towards the old house.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly stepped forward to pay her respects.


    ¡°Is that you, Sisi? How¡¯s your father faring?¡±


    The Land Officer had tossed and turned all night. The thought that Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s illness was somewhat caused by him made him feel a little guilty. Hence, early in the morning, he sent someone to check on Mr. Di. He was relieved to find out that Mr. Di had awakened. However, after having lunch, he heard about the incessant noiseing from here and rushed back.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Mr. Land Officer. My father has awakened. Sisi just brought him lunch. Now I¡¯m nning to take the children to eat.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed lightly and gently stroked YingEr, who was hiding behind her and didn¡¯t want to meet people.


    Despite their timid expressions hidden behind her, their eyes were not deceptive.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s gettingte. You should hurry home. I will go check on your father.¡±


    After the Land Officer finished speaking, he bypassed the mother and children, leading several people towards the old house.


    Remembering the chaos in the courtyard, Liu Sisi let out a coldugh in her heart.


    That¡¯s fine!


    It will allow Mr. Land Officer to see the chaos in the house!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Xuan¡¯er, YingEr, let¡¯s go home and bathe.¡±


    Once they arrived home, Liu Sisi heated water for the children¡¯s bath and cleaned the house thoroughly.


    While taking the dustpan to dispose of garbage, Liu Sisi heard a repressed call from nearby, ¡°Sisi, Sisi, it¡¯s me, Sisi!¡±


    Lifting her head, Liu Sisi saw an unfamiliar man running quickly towards her.


    ¡°Stop right there! Who are you?¡±


    Liu Sisi ordered.


    No wonder she was nervous; even though she didn¡¯t recognize the man, he was the same one who had climbed over the wall that day!


    Knowing that she is a married woman, but still climbing over the wall and now even calling her by her nickname loudly, made Liu Sisi instinctively dislike this man.


    Actually, the man was handsome and carried an air of elegant charm.


    He wore a headband adorned with a sesame pattern, beneath his sword-like eyebrows were a pair of slender, charmingly bewitching peach blossom eyes, filled with affectionate emotions, which could easily captivate people.


    At the moment, beneath his tall nose, his thin lips were spreading into a smile that was enticing to the soul.


    However, when Liu Sisi suddenly ordered him to stop, he halted and looked at her, the smile on his face gradually disappearing.


    ¡°Sisi! Don¡¯t you recognize me? I am Zhang Shixin!¡±


    Looking at his anxious face, Liu Sisi instinctively countered, ¡°Zhang Shixin? Do I know you?¡±


    A grown man with peach blossom eyes, truly a demon!


    An expression of sorrow washed over his face; he looked pained and anxious.


    ¡°Sisi, I am Zhang Shixin. Don¡¯t you remember me? We promised to be together forever, never parting! It was your father who forcibly separated us, causing us, two lovers, to be forcibly ced apart! Sisi, I am Shixin!¡±


    Zhang Shixin got more and more emotional!


    Unable to contain himself, he reached out to Liu Sisi, wanting to get closer to her.


    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯te any closer! Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rude!¡±


    Liu Sisi pointed the dustpan in her hand at him!


    At this point, she naturally understood who this man could be ¨C Businessman Zhang, as everyone had been talking about, the one who wanted to marry her as his fourth or fifth concubine! The father of the child in her belly!


    But what difference does that make?


    The one he swore lifelongmitments to was not the current Liu Sisi!


    Even though he was speaking so passionately, Liu Sisi had an instinctual unwillingness to believe him!


    Liu Sisi did not let her guard down and red at the man. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, I don¡¯t know you. Get back from where you came from, and if I catch you here again, don¡¯t me me for being rude!¡±


    When she finished speaking, she lifted the dustpan in her hand threateningly.


    Zhang Shixin widened his eyes in surprise, his peach-like eyes full of heartache. He spoke in a pained voice, ¡°Sisi¡­ Are you ming me for not visiting you all this time? I was wronged! All this time I had to go to the capital city for family business. Worse still, they took advantage of my absence and married you off! Sisi¡­¡±


    In the midst of speaking, he suddenly reached out and grabbed the dustpan.


    Liu Sisi was startled and instinctively turned to run, but he caught her waist firmly with hisrge hand.


    ¡°Let go! Let go, you ruffian! Let go!¡±


    Struggling fiercely, Liu Sisi tried to shake off the pestering man.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be like this, I really miss you! My Sisi!¡± His voice full of deep affection kept ringing in her ears, and his actions became more and more audacious, gradually wrapping Liu Sisi in his arms.


    Behind her, where Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t see, Zhang Shixin had a smug smile on his face!


    ¡°Let go!¡­¡±


    As Liu Sisi struggled, she realized that she could not break free. In desperation, she steeled herself and stomped hard on his foot, then swiftly raised her arm, spun around, andnded an elbow strike backward on his temple.


    At the same time, she dealt a series of heavy blows.


    Her previous life¡¯s ¡°three techniques of hooligan defense¡± definitely were not learned in vain!


    ¡°Ah! ¨C¡±


    Zhang Shixin let out a cry of pain and instinctively released Liu Sisi, clutching his crotch.


    Liu Sisi leaned backward, using the momentum to knee him in the gut.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    Unable to make a sound, Zhang Shixin clutched his crotch in agony, his eyes bloodshot.


    Take advantage when he is vulnerable!


    She would never give him another chance to hurt herself!


    But the advantage of his height was too great. As soon as he let go of her, Liu Sisi lost the opportunity to attack him again.


    ¡°¡­Sisi, you¡¯ve changed!¡­ Where¡¯s your understanding and gentle temperament? Sisi¡­ you are so hard-hearted!¡±


    Zhang Shixin¡¯s face waspletely distorted, his eyes shooting daggers at Liu Sisi.


    Stars twinkled in his eyes, and the world spun around him. Struggling to hold himself up, he clutched his crotch, unable to believe that the woman in front of him was the once gentle and understanding Liu Sisi.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you! I don¡¯t care who you are, harass me again, and I will castrate you, leaving you childless!¡±


    After dropping this harsh threat, Liu Sisi grabbed the abandoned dustpan and quickly ran into the courtyard, closing the front door behind her, finally allowing herself to breathe a sigh of relief.


    She seemed fierce just now, but only she knew about the unsettling feeling secretly stirring deep within her. The stirring was not initiated by her present self but originated from the deep-seated memories of the previous owner of her body.


    Her body instinctively longed for his touch, yearned for his undivided attention, and hoped he wouldfort her trembling heart.


    Even though she knew full well that she hated and despised the man, when he lunged at her, she instinctively froze, which gave him the upper hand and allowed him to confine her in his embrace.


    Damn it, could it be that the man just now really is the father of the child in her stomach?


    Liu Sisi was damn annoyed!


    Truthfully, troubles just kept oning one after another!

 Chapter 86 - 86: 83: Stormy Winds and Heavy Rain

    Chapter 86 - 86: 83: Stormy Winds and Heavy Rain


    ¡°Sisi, why did you take so long?¡±


    Behind her, Di Yelei was smiling at her with an honest expression.


    But it frightened Liu Sisi so much that she almost jumped!


    ¡°Ah! You¡­why is there no sound when you walk? Do you want to scare me to death!¡±


    Liu Sisi kept patting her chest, annoyed.


    When did Di Yeleie back? Did he see what happened just now?


    Although there was nothing between her and that person, she couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty, and subconsciously nced around. She also missed Di Yelei¡¯s gaze at the moment.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes darkened, and the muscles on his face couldn¡¯t help twitching a few times, a touch of disappointment shed through his eyes.


    But soon, he put away his abnormal expression and quickly rxed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Sisi, your face is very pale, is it because you didn¡¯t rest wellst night? You should go back to your room and sleep for a while.¡±


    He looked at Liu Sisi¡¯s pale face with a pained expression and led her into the room by the hand.


    ¡°Just after you left, Uncle Land Officer came and saw the chaos in the courtyard. He immediately scolded everyone and demanded Second Brother take out 8 taels of silver. Second Brother wanted to dy the time and said he had no silver, but the Land Officer showed strong determination and wanted to search the room. With no choice, Second Brother had to take out the silver¡­I was worried about you and came back to see you while sending the silver back to you as well.¡±


    While talking, Di Yelei took out the silver and handed it to Liu Sisi.


    He looked at Liu Sisi¡¯s face carefully: ¡°I deliberately informed the Land Officer and came back first. Now Mr. Land Officer is apanying Dad, and with him here, they dare not make any trouble.¡±


    After saying that, he took out the five and a half taels of silver that Liu Sisi had lent to him and the 3 taels and 312 copper coins, and handed them to Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi looked up and saw the face full of cautious and pleasing expression, her heart suddenly softened.


    In fact, among all the trouble, Di Yelei was the most innocent and contributed the most.


    Caught between his family members, he was in a difficult situation.


    It must not feel good for him!


    ¡°Why did you think of giving it to me? You keep it.¡± She refused to ept it.


    Listening to the 8 taels of silver that Ms. Wang had spat out, she was happier than anyone else.


    ¡°No way! As the saying goes, ¡®Men are money rakes, women are money boxes,¡¯ you are my wife, and you should be in charge of the money. Whatever you want to eat or wear, just spend it. When I really need money, I wille and get it from you.¡±


    Di Yelei said, forcibly stuffing the money into her palm.


    ¡°So you think I¡¯m a moving money vault for safekeeping?¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment and put away the money: ¡°Fine! Keep it here, and when you need it, just let me know. By the way, how is father? Is he feeling better?¡±


    The two had already entered the inner room as they talked.


    ¡°Yeah! The old man is able to speak a few words now. Sisi, I want to take a nap. I haven¡¯t slept since yesterday, and I¡¯m very tired now.¡±


    Only then did Liu Sisi notice that Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and he looked exceptionally tired.


    Indeed, since Di Yelei went hunting in the mountain the day before, he had gone to the market without sleep, and then something happened to his fatherst night. He carried his elderly father on his back, running all the way and staying up all night until now. Even an iron body couldn¡¯t bear it.


    Seeing such a tired Di Yelei, Liu Sisi felt very distressed too.


    ¡°What are you still doing here? Hurry up and get some rest. If your body gives out, do you think anyone will take care of you?¡± Saying that, he quickly pushed Di Yelei toward the room.


    Before Liu Sisi could react, she was already being pulled by Di Yelei towards the bedroom.


    ¡°Ah! Let go of me! It¡¯s not good if the children see us!¡±


    Liu Sisi tried to struggle, but fearing the two children would hear, she didn¡¯t dare to speak loudly and could only respond in a soft voice.


    ¡°Both Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er have gone back to sleep. Don¡¯t worry! No one will disturb us.¡±


    Lowering his head, he wanted to kiss Liu Sisi¡¯s incessantly chattering little mouth¡­


    ¡°Ye Lei, don¡¯t!¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s small hand blocked his chest and quietly called out.


    ¡°How can you be like this? Is your health more important or the other things? Don¡¯t you know how I felt when I saw you copse earlier and couldn¡¯t get up? I was so scared, I¡­¡±


    Her words were hoarse and trembling, and as she spoke, her eyes turned red.


    ¡°But, I miss you. Sisi¡ªwill you apany me to sleep for a while? I¡¯m genuinely tired. Just hold you and sleep for a while.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he pulled her quickly towards the inner room.


    His kisses were unusually passionate, his rough stubble brushing against her mouth and cheeks, making her constantly raise her head and twist her neck, trying to escape the awkward situation.


    With a flick of his foot, the door to the inner room closed and was locked.


    In two strides, he threw her onto the bed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Ye Lei, you just said¡­ It¡¯s the middle of the day, don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi cried out in surprise, instinctively wanting to flip over and flee.


    However, before she could escape, his tall figure pressed down on her, trapping her unfinished words deep in her throat.


    Liu Sisi kept retreating, he advanced step by step, continuously pressing his entire body weight onto her.


    ¡°It¡¯s more exciting during the day, isn¡¯t it, Sisi? I¡¯ve missed you, you teasing little kitten¡­¡±


    A muffled cry came from her mouth, making him lose control of his mind. His burning heart felt suffocated, as if it was enveloped in a fog.


    Di Yelei was infatuated by her!


    The small woman on the bamboo maty in front of him with disheveled clothes, her slender swan-like neck covered in strands of damp hair, so pure and beautiful, yet so enchanting.


    She was like abination of a demon and an angel, making him utterly bewitched.


    He released her and started to struggle to remove his own clothes, wanting more.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She was already limp as mud.


    Even though the man in front of her had already let her go, she was so exhausted that she couldn¡¯t move. She could only lie there quietly, like amb waiting to be ughtered.


    Her deer-like eyes opened, still covered in ayer of bewildered fog, and stared at the man undressing in front of her, frozen in ce.


    The next moment, the man¡¯s muscr and sturdy body pressed down upon her.

 Chapter 87 - 87: 84 He actually fell asleep!

    Chapter 87 - 87: 84 He actually fell asleep!


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi called out softly.


    Her voice was hoarse, and her breath continually brushed against his strong body.


    He was covered with sweat, which dripped from his skin. His face was twisted, but his actions were extremely gentle.


    It was as if she was the most precious and rare ze cup in the world, and he held her carefully.


    The sight before him captured all of his vision and spirit.


    He took a deep breath, and a low growl emitted from deep in his throat, burying his face in her, reluctant to leave. Liu Sisi could hardly control herself and couldn¡¯t resist¡­


    But she couldn¡¯t wait for the next step!


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help gently pushing the man on top of her, only to hear the faint snoringing from his mouth.


    ¡°Ye Lei? Ye Lei!¡±


    Liu Sisi gently patted his face.


    However, he instinctively moved to the side, rolled over, and continued to sleep deeply.


    If it weren¡¯t for the dark circles under his eyes, Liu Sisi would have thought he was deliberately teasing her!


    She bit her small mouth and stubbornly tried pushing him again.


    But he urately caught her naughty hand, ced it on his chest, and fell asleep deeply again.


    Liu Sisi rolled her eyes, feeling embarrassed.


    Even though her desires had just been eased, the unspeakable regret in her heart made her annoyed enough to pinch his arm hard.


    Realizing her improper actions, she quickly withdrew her hand.


    Seeing him frowning in his sleep but still sleeping deeply, she finallyughed happily.


    It seemed he was really exhausted!


    After tidying herself up, she leaned into his arms and fell asleep with a smile.


    When Di Yelei awoke again, his previous memories rushed back. It seemed¡­ that he was in the middle of something with Sisi, and then what happened?


    He suddenly sat up and saw the sleeping woman beside him.


    Her face wore a peaceful smile as she slept soundly.


    He regretted missing such a great opportunity to make her truly his own!


    Looking up at the sky, it was already dusk.


    He reluctantly got up quickly to dress, considering whether to wake Liu Sisi. Before he could say anything, she opened her eyes.


    Upon seeing his broad back, she blushed and quickly covered her eyes, but couldn¡¯t resist taking a peek through a narrow slit at the man in front of her. That strong back, that broad chest, and those tightened muscles¡­


    ¡°What do you think, Sisi? Are you satisfied with your husband¡¯s body?¡±


    His back seemed to have eyes, even though he was facing away from her, his teasing words reached Liu Sisi. She let out a cry and quickly closed her eyes in embarrassment.


    It was¡­ so awkward!


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t helpughing. Although his back was to her, he could hear her waking up and her sudden, fast breathing.


    He secretly rejoiced, was Sisi¡¯s reaction an indication that she felt something for him too? Realizing this, the corners of his mouth couldn¡¯t help but turn up.


    With a long reach, he grabbed her in one swift motion.


    ¡°Ah! What are you doing? Let go! It¡¯s getting dark, and I need to cook dinner. Otherwise, your Second Sister-inw will have something to say.¡± Liu Sisi blushed and instinctively pushed him away.


    Di Yelei stared at her intently, with an inexplicable brightness shing in his deep eyes. He suddenly leaned in and gave her a fierce kiss.


    Not until both were panting for breath did he let her go again.


    Looking at the melted Liu Sisi beneath him, her big eyes fluttering constantly, she was so sweet that he hated to not seize her repeatedly.


    Immediately afterward, he revealed a row of shiny white teeth with satisfaction!


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯ll go over to the old house first and check things out. Cooking dinner will be hard work for you.¡± As he spoke, he hugged her tightly.


    Liu Sisi gave him a sideways nce, the allure in the depths of her eyes almost breaking his self-control.


    ¡°You better hurry up! It won¡¯t be good if anything unexpected happens. Once I¡¯m done cooking, you cane back and carry it.¡±


    How could Di Yelei let go when faced with such a look?


    He wrapped around her again, and the two of them were affectionate for a while before he reluctantly left.


    Liu Sisi also tidied herself up and went into the kitchen.


    Making coarse grain porridge was naturally easy, and there was still more than half of the fern left from noon, so she made a cold fern dish. Then she scooped up the glutinous rice soaked yesterday, chopped the oil residue finely, added chopped green onions, ginger, garlic, and other seasonings to mix, and filled the small intestines.


    She rolled the remaining glutinous rice into four happiness meatballs.


    Then she picked some wild vegetables, water spinach, and chives to nch and make cold dishes. She took out a small amount of each, cut them finely, chopped the dried shrimp, and mixed in white sugar to make the bean dregs left over from making soy milk. She quickly wrapped the buns with the well-risen white dough. With added white sugar, the six different fillings for the small buns quickly took shape in her hands.


    Once the porridge in the pot was cooked, she added water to cook the glutinous rice sausage. She then ced the steaming basket on top and steamed the buns directly.


    As she was busy, Sister Guihua hurriedly entered from outside.


    ¡°Sisi, I heard your father-inw¡¯s illness is serious. Is that true?¡±


    As she spoke, she quickly put down the bamboo basket in her hand and took out the few fresh vegetables she had.


    Guihua was also a little embarrassed, ¡°These vegetables were pickedst minute from the field, they¡¯re still fresh! I was worried about you and rushed over, but there might not be much¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Sister Guihua, you saying that makes Sisi feel utterly humiliated. I¡¯ve always been eating your family¡¯s vegetables, and I still¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know how to continue.


    ¡°Hey! Let¡¯s not bother with formalities between us. Look at all the things you have to deal with. I also have food steaming at my home.¡± Guihua hurriedly left.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but sigh as she saw the buns and glutinous rice sausage already steamed and cooked. She scooped them up and sliced them directly onto a te.


    Moreover, she also fried a dish of dry fried small fish, pickled cabbage and fish, and daylily soup.


    The daylilies in the courtyard had already been harvested twice. She nched them with boiled water at noon and let them sun dry on bamboo strips. She hadn¡¯t expected the sun to be so strong in the summer that they were now thoroughly dried, perfect for making soup.


    As usual, she simmered a small bowl of meat porridge for her father-inw. When the rice in the pot was finally cooked, Liu Sisi made another soup with wild mushrooms before taking a long breath.


    Four dessert dishes, four warm dishes, four cold dishes, two soup dishes¡ªthis was all she could cook with everything she had!


    As she was arranging the dishes, Di Yelei returned.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re so capable! Turning the rotten into magical! If it were me, I¡¯d be lucky to make two or three dishes out of these ingredients! Not only did you manage to cook so many dishes, but your speed was also incredible!¡±


    Seeing that she had prepared so many dishes again, he couldn¡¯t help but be astonished! In a situation where food materials were scarce, if it were him, he would be at a loss.


    Being recognized by him, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but feel a thrill of joy in her heart.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t just stand there. Quickly pack it up and carry it away. If these dishes get cold, the taste will be much worse!¡±

 Chapter 88 - 88: 85: Warm Embrace, Terrifying Habits

    Chapter 88 - 88: 85: Warm Embrace, Terrifying Habits


    As Di Yelei walked away, Liu Sisi called the two children to eat.


    Xuan¡¯er¡¯s face still had un-dried ink marks, while YingEr kept ying with Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua.


    The two little hounds have grown so much in only over half a month at the Di family, their heads have be much bigger. They kept bouncing and jumping around the feet of the people, constantly ying happily.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, wash your hands and clean your face. There is ink on your face. Eat your meal carefully, and after you finish, mom will teach you to practice writing.¡±


    After some consideration, Liu Sisi said.


    She originally nned to send Xuan¡¯er to a private school, but ns couldn¡¯t always keep up with the changes. They were in debt now, and Xuan¡¯er¡¯s enlightenment should not be dyed. Naturally, what she could do was to give Di Xuan enlightenment herself.


    Di Xuan¡¯s eyes lit up right away!


    He nodded repeatedly, ¡°Okay! Thank you, mom.¡±


    ¡°Mom, YingEr also wants to learn.¡±


    Upon hearing this, YingEr, who was ying happily with the two little hounds, hurriedly squeezed in.


    This amused Liu Sisi, ¡°Okay! If you canplete the learning tasks assigned by mom, mom will also let YingEr learn.¡±


    ¡°Hmm! Mom, YingEr will definitelyplete it.¡±


    Di Ying was full of confidence.


    Both children ate their cooked dishes enthusiastically and early, and then waited for Liu Sisi to clean up the house.


    As she promised, Liu Sisi began teaching Di Xuan to grind ink, grip the brush, sit properly, and pay attention to details. Then, she wrote down the direction of the strokes and arranged an exercise task to write a hundred times a day. In her previous life, due to her grandfather¡¯s guidance, Liu Sisi had learned to write good calligraphy with a brush-pen.


    Di Xuan stared wide-eyed, carefully watching her every move, while Di Ying couldn¡¯t sit still.


    While Liu Sisi was catching Di Xuan¡¯s hand to teach him to practice writing, Di Ying had secretly slipped away and ran out to y with the little grey rabbits in the cage.


    These little grey rabbits were raised very healthily by YingEr, their size grew rapidly with each passing day. The two wild pheasants were kept separately in another cage. Recently, the hen had beenying eggs for several days in a row.


    Not until Di Xuan¡¯s brush writing posture looked proper did Liu Sisi let go, satisfied.


    She turned around, only to find out that Di Yelei was surprisingly standing behind them, quietly watching them practice writing.


    ¡°Eh! Howe you¡¯re back? Did you eat well there?¡±


    ¡°I ate well. Everyone didn¡¯t say anything, Dr. He was very satisfied, even the medicine pageboy kept praising your kind-heartedness and good cooking skills.¡±


    Di Yelei answered with his mouth, but with his neck stretched out, watching Di Xuan¡¯s writing action.


    A light shed in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes. She picked up another brush, picked up a new piece of paper, and exined the writing method she had just taught Di Xuan again. Then, she handed the brush to Di Yelei.


    ¡°Here! You try it too.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s hands trembled as he took the brush, and after meeting her encouraging gaze, he plucked up the courage and carefully drew a horizontal line on the paper.


    Curvy earthworms seemed to crawl on the paper, which surprised him.


    Then he wrote another line, but the situation did not seem to improve much. He couldn¡¯t help but turn his head to look at Di Xuan next to him.


    Xuan may be younger, but his writing was more proper. He sat upright and wrote earnestly without any stage fright.


    Even when they heard his parents speaking, he didn¡¯t stop practicing.


    Probably Di Xuan¡¯s seriousness inspired Di Yelei, he calmed down and wrote a few more lines in earnest. It looked much better naturally.


    ¡°How about from now on, whenever you have time, practice writing with Xuan¡¯er during his studies! Teaching one child is the same as teaching three.¡±


    She tried to arouse Di Yelei¡¯s interest in writing. It would be a pity if such a big man pretended to be blind.


    Di Yelei carefully looked at her and didn¡¯t say much. Instead, he practiced all the strokes of the characters and then put down the brush.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°I have already picked up and washed the carry basket and the bowl and chopsticks. Dad cannot be left alone for a long time, so I will go and take care of him tonight. Remember to close the doors and windows well. Just lock the two little puppies directly in the hall, and if you hear any noise, remember to be alert¡­¡±


    Di Yelei chattered on, holding Liu Sisi¡¯s soft hands reluctantly.


    Looking at the brush that he put down, Liu Sisi was a little disappointed, but she knew that she could not force the issue.


    ¡°I know, you should go quickly. I will take care of the house, and this time I will be prepared. If any thief dares toe, I will beat them to death with a stick!¡±


    This made Di Yeleiugh as well!


    Even though she said that, when Liu Sisiy alone on the big bed, she tossed and turned and could not sleep for a long time.


    She gradually got used to the warm embrace, and now all of a sudden lying here alone, she just couldn¡¯t sleep.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she had been rolling around in the bed, but it seemed like as soon as she closed her eyes, the morning rooster began to crow.


    She got up, got dressed, washed, and since it was the morning, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t specifically make anything delicious as usual, just cooked a pot of coarse grain porridge, steamed a basket of vegetable buns and steamed buns, ground some soy milk with a small mill, and scooped up a bowl of natto. Breakfast was ready.


    When Liu Sisi brought the food over, she ran into Ms. Wang.


    The other party red at her angrily and turned into the room.


    Liu Sisi smiled faintly, as long as the other party did not take the initiative to provoke her, she had no energy to quarrel with them.


    After sending the buns, steamed buns, and soy milk to the living room, she sent the natto and coarse grain porridge to the alley for everyone to eat. As soon as Liu Sisi put down the water bucket, everyone gathered around the tworge water buckets todle out porridge.


    ¡°Third Aunt, your cooked dishes are really delicious. Yesterday¡¯s fern you made was different from what we usually eat. You are amazing.¡±


    The one who spoke was Di Gaoyuan¡¯s eldest son, Di Cheng.


    Looking at Di Cheng¡¯s honest face, Liu Sisi seemed to see a young version of Di Yelei, with the same honest expression. No wonder he was not loved by his father.


    Liu Sisi smiled and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s all the same. I just nched it and mixed it with some seasonings, so it tastes better.¡±


    ¡°No wonder, I was wondering why it was so delicious.¡±


    Di Cheng suddenly realized! His own home didn¡¯t have any seasonings.


    ¡°Di Cheng, are you full or what? If you are full, hurry up and go to the fields! Is there no work to be done in the fields? You shamelessly ingratiate yourself, not only losing your own face but also making me lose all my old face!¡± Ms. Wang scolded resentfully.


    These words made Di Cheng¡¯s smile disappear, and he awkwardly smiled at Liu Sisi before quickly lowering his head, carrying a bowl of coarse grain porridge, and walking to the table.


    Liu Sisi smiled indifferently and casually nced at Ms. Wang.


    Making the mother and son seem like enemies, it was a wonder Ms. Wang could still smile so proudly.


    Fortunately, the food for the whole day was finally cooked!


    For the next two days, except for visiting her father-inw three times a day in the old house, Liu Sisi did not take the two children to the old house for a meal.


    Waiting until the elder doctor left after the consultation, the third family branch received another two taels and three coins of silver for expenses.


    ¡°What a pity! We could have eaten those delicious cooked dishes.¡±


    Not until entering the carriage did the medicine pageboy stop muttering, and the doctor gave him another smack.


    Time flew by, and it was Market Day.


    Liu Sisi got up early before dawn to go to work at the bookstore. She had long heard that the market was held on the first, fourth, and seventh days, so she only had to work nine days a month.


    It wasn¡¯t good to leave two half-grown children alone at home, so Liu Sisi sent them to Sister Guihua¡¯s house early and went to the small town by herself.

 Chapter 89 - 89: 86: Waiter

    Chapter 89 - 89: 86: Waiter


    After hurrying along the way, by the time they finally arrived at the bookstore, the sky was already bright.


    As Liu Sisi entered the store, she happened to see Nan Tianzong standing with his back to her, at the row of shelves near the door, carefully dusting the shelves with a feather duster.


    The sunlight fell on him, bathing him in a golden radiance.


    His ck hair was tied up at the top of his head by a dark blue square headscarf, and a light green long shirt revealed his slender, tall figure.


    Even when doing the simplest cleaning, his back still looked so pleasing to the eye, giving a sense of transcendence from the mundane, making it hard to desecrate.


    As if sensing Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, he casually turned his head.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The deep, mysterious ck eyes nced over, under the straight bridge of his nose, a shallow smile blooming on his thin lips.


    ¡°Huh! Miss from the Liu Family? I really didn¡¯t expect that you would actuallye.¡±


    The deep, maic voice came from his thin lips, sounding heavenly.


    A hint of surprise also shed through his eyes!


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Nan. You can call me Little Four.¡±


    Liu Sisi walked into the store, taking a few steps forward: ¡°Since I agreed to help you in your store that day, Little Four keeps her word. Here I am, having tidied up beforehand ande over early.¡±


    No wonder Liu Sisi said so, as she was now wearing a very simple set of menswear. She removed the handkerchief originally wrapped around her head, tied her long hair directly on the top of her head, and made a bun in the style of a schr, casually tied up with a hairband, revealing a clean forehead.


    The whole person looked clean and refreshing, making her seem even more ethereal, leaving him entranced, unable to take his eyes off her.


    Standing firmly in ce, Liu Sisi looked at him with a smile: ¡°Boss, how about letting Little Four do this cleaning work?¡±


    As she spoke, she reached for the feather duster in his hand and quickly started cleaning the store.


    ¡°Little Four?¡± Nan Tianzong raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡°Yes, Little Four refers to my ranking in my family.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke casually, Liu Sisi, Liu Si, after all, they sound simr too.


    ¡°I just mentioned it casually that day. How could I really ask you to be a waiter? This is too¡­¡±


    The smile on Nan Tianzong¡¯s face was almost bursting.


    Every time he saw her, he felt a deep sense of helplessness rising from his heart. He couldn¡¯t help but think of the deworming pill he had swallowed back then¡­


    Thinking of this, his facial muscles twitched involuntarily, almost breaking his handsome face.


    ¡°Of course! Although Little Four is not as good as others, since I promised you, I will keep my word. Boss, please step aside so Little Four can clean.¡±


    As she spoke, she intentionally dusted off the high-level dust, forcing Nan Tianzong to instinctively retreat a few steps.


    ¡°Alright! But think carefully! If something goes missing in the store, you¡¯ll be the one I ask!¡± After saying that, he directly flicked his sleeve and walked into the counter. A feeling of inexplicable righteousness was rising in his heart.


    ¡°Of course, thank you, Boss, for giving Little Four this opportunity!¡±


    Liu Sisi happily replied!


    Great!


    Finally passed the first hurdle!


    Looking at so many books in front of her, Liu Sisi inexplicably felt that her whole body was filled with fighting spirit!


    She carefully organized the messy books and papers, forcibly restraining the desire to open and read them and arranged them one by one.


    Even without looking up, she knew that his gaze was closely following her, secretly criticizing her.


    Could it be that he¡¯s unhappy with how clean she¡¯s made the space?


    That¡¯s too nitpicky!


    As her cleaning work ended, the number of pedestrians on the street gradually increased, and more people came into the store to buy various items.


    Most of the peopleing and going in the store were students, buying more paper products and fewer books.


    Since this was Liu Sisi¡¯s first day at work, she naturally wasn¡¯t certain about the prices and had to turn back to ask Nan Tianzong about them, causing his eyebrows to furrow even tighter.


    However, Liu Sisi¡¯s memory was excellent, and once he told her a price, she would remember it firmly.


    In just one morning, she had a rough grasp of the prices of the items in the store.


    Plus, she had a sweet mouth and a pleasing voice.


    Even though she dressed as a man, the feminine figure couldn¡¯t fool the eyes of so many students!


    Such an attractive beauty not only made the students too embarrassed to haggle, but also gave her some tips before they left.


    This made Liu Sisi¡¯s smile even sweeter!


    By the end of the morning, Nan Tianzong, the shopkeeper, sat behind the counter, either following her cleaning with a book in hand or quickly writing something on the paper with a brush-pen.


    As it approached noontime and there were fewer people, Liu Sisi deliberately came to the spot close to him while cleaning and purposely stretched her neck to take a peek, only tough involuntarily!


    He was actually writing the Three Character ssic!


    How could she not be surprised that such a refined young master was writing the Three Character ssic!


    Nan Tianzong originally liked tranquility, so he hated the influx of many students buying things in the store on market days, which disrupted his work. That¡¯s why he decided to hire a waiter to help manage the store¡¯s business.


    Unexpectedly, he ended up hiring Liu Sisi as a waiter. Although she was pleasant to look at, shepletely disrupted his ability to concentrate on his work. It was aplete reversal!


    That clueless little woman just kept sauntering around in front of his eyes, how could he not be bothered?


    ¡°Laughing? What¡¯s so funny? What are youughing at?¡± Nan Tianzong put down his pen.


    Unable to calm down, he simply stopped writing!


    Liu Sisi looked at him with some surprise but still continued the conversation: ¡°Nothing! I just saw you at your age, still practicing writing the Three Character ssic, so I found it amusing.¡±


    After being teased like this, Nan Tianzong¡¯s face turned red, and the smile on his face almost couldn¡¯t hold back as he yelled defensively, ¡°What do you know? I¡¯m copying books! Don¡¯t you understand? If I don¡¯t copy the books, how do you think all these books in my storee from? Am I supposed to buy them directly? Won¡¯t that make me lose money? Huh! You can actually read?¡±


    Nan Tianzong was greatly surprised!


    No wonder he was surprised; in that era, generally only the daughters of wealthy families would have a teaching nanny arrange for a female tutor to teach them manners and writing. Ordinary farm families couldn¡¯t even afford food, let alone learn to read! That was simply dreaming!


    Examining Liu Sisi up and down, Nan Tianzong couldn¡¯t figure out how she knew-how surprising!


    Although Liu Sisi was naturally beautiful and full of a spiritual aura, her dressing did not resemble a noble daughter from a wealthy and fortunate family.


    Moreover, her slick business sense didn¡¯t have even a touch of the noble miss¡¯s arrogance.

 Chapter 90 - 90: 87: Ms. Wang’s Downfall

    Chapter 90 - 90: 87: Ms. Wang¡¯s Downfall


    Actually, this was an oversight on the part of Nan Tianzong!


    In her previous life, Liu Sisi was an orphan. Not long after she got into college, her grandpa, who had raised her since childhood, passed away.


    With no source of ie, she had to work part-time jobs while studying toplete her education.


    Her most frequent job was naturally selling smallmodities at the night market! Gradually, she honed her bargaining and business skills.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said before that I can read and write¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes brightened! She hurriedly approached and asked, ¡°Do you also copy books for students here? How much do you charge for copying one book? For example, the Three Character ssic, the Analects, the Mencius, the Tao Te Ching, how much do you quote for these?¡±


    Liu Sisi thought more, as it was already midsummer. When winter arrived with heavy snow, she wouldn¡¯t be able to continue doing this work, right?


    At that time, if she took on some copying jobs to do at home, it would also be a decent ie.


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s smile, like encountering a spring breeze, almost copsed, and the corners of his mouth couldn¡¯t help but twitch slightly.


    ¡°You¡­ n to support your family by copying books and making money?¡±


    ¡°How could that be possible? I just think that copying books can somewhat supplement the household expenses. Of course, I don¡¯t dare to expect to make a lot of money, but as long as it¡¯s profitable, that¡¯s always good. Don¡¯t you agree, shopkeeper?¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s watery eyes blinked, and the clever, calcting radiance in her eyes was skillfully hidden by her.


    Nan Tianzong stared intently at her familiar smile, feeling an inexplicable stirring in his heart.


    He casually picked up a brush-pen and a piece of paper from the side and pushed them towards her, ¡°Come! Write a few words for me to see.¡±


    It turns out that he still needs to test her first!


    Liu Sisi rolled her eyes and confidently took the brush-pen dipped it in ink. The scene before her eyes seemed to transport her back to her past life as a child when she practiced writing with a brush-pen under her grandpa¡¯s guidance.


    With a sweep of the brush, she wrote down Yue Fei¡¯s famous verse: ¡°Don¡¯t waste time, youth fades, emptily regretting!¡±


    With the brush-pen down, the flower-pin small script waspleted!


    Nan Tianzong took a breath and couldn¡¯t help but look down. Although there were just a few words, each one was round, delicate, upright, and neat. They were thin and soaring, revealing a touch of elegant and lively charm.


    It was soft yet thin, gentle yet vigorous.


    It truly embodied the saying, ¡°a person is reflected in their handwriting.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste time, youth fades, emptily regretting¡­¡±


    Nan Tianzong murmured softly, examining her closely from head to toe, various thoughts rolling in his mind.


    The ancients said that the flower-pin small script is ¡°as delicate as the ice from a jade vessel, as enchanting as the moon on Yatai mountain, gently like a tree, and serene like a Qingfeng.¡± Now that he saw it, it was indeed not a false reputation!


    However, how could this simple country woman have acquired such good writing skills?


    Could it be that she was sent by ¡°him¡±?


    A sudden shock surged through his heart!


    If it was true¡­


    For a moment, his thoughts flew far away.


    Under that straight nose, on those thin lips, the seductive shallow smile could almost not be held back either.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, take a look at Little Four¡¯s writing here, can it still pass through your discerning eyes?¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled confidently! Although she couldn¡¯tpare with a true calligraphy master, she hadplete confidence in being able to handle copying books!


    ¡°What¡¯s so impressive about being able to write a few characters?¡±


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s gaze was heavy, and he looked deeply into her eyes: ¡°You can copy it if you want! I will provide you with calligraphy tools, and you can try with this ¡®Standards for being a Good Pupil¡¯ first. If I am satisfied with your work, we can discuss the price.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, shopkeeper.¡±


    Liu Sisi took the book and the paper, and couldn¡¯t help but smile!


    When she left after finishing her work, Liu Sisi kept looking back, her face filled with regret.


    So many books were in the bookstore, within her reach but out of sight, which was really frustrating!


    At the moment, the vige entrance was also bustling with activity.


    As people were gathered under the tree for shade, gossipy women of all ages huddled together. Ms. Wang was fanning herself triumphantly, raising her voice.


    ¡°I saw it with my own eyes yesterday; it was Businessman Zhang from the city who tightly embraced Third Sister-inw!¡±


    She put her hands on her hips and shouted loudly, ¡°It was yesterday afternoon, at this very moment! She was holding a dustpan and was embraced by Businessman Zhang! Tsk tsk¡­ I knew it! How could such a seductive woman end up marrying into our poor and remote vige? Clearly, she came here as a cover to conveniently have secret affairs!¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s words immediately caused the people nearby to crane their necks and whisper to each other.


    As for Ms. Wang, who had been making a fuss in the past couple of days, people had be used to her antics.


    ¡°A few days ago, I saw Businessman Zhang climbing up the Di Family¡¯s wall, shouting Third Sister-inw¡¯s nickname. If I hadn¡¯t identally bumped into him, who knows what kind of indecent things he might have done? What I saw is true, and if there¡¯s even half a lie in my words, I¡¯ll feed my hands to the dogs!¡±


    Getting more and more pleased with herself, Ms. Wang raised her voice even higher!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Someone shouted from afar.


    ¡°Ms. Wang, since you saw your Third Sister-inw doing such shameful things, why didn¡¯t you call out right away? ¡®Catch a thief red-handed, catch an adulterer in the act.¡¯ If you actually caught the two of them, wouldn¡¯t it be a direct trip to the Land Officer and then thrown into the pond?¡±


    Everyone who was watching the drama burst outughing.


    ¡°I really wanted to catch them! But they discovered me, and they just ran away!¡±


    Ms. Wang proudly waved her handkerchief!


    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t catch them because all of this is just a fabricated story to deceive people? From what I can see, ever since Sisi came to our vige, she¡¯s been abiding by the rules, and nobody¡¯s ever said anything like this about her. You¡¯d better not spread false rumors.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Your brother is not an easy person to deal with. If he heard you making up these stories, wouldn¡¯t you be afraid he¡¯de knocking on your door?¡±


    ¡°You dare!¡±


    Ms. Wang was not only unafraid, but her speech became more garrulous and her arrogance more unbridled!


    ¡°I¡¯m his Second Sister-inw. If he dares to touch a single hair on my head, I¡¯ll never let him off. In the end, we¡¯ll take this matter to our father, and let¡¯s see how he exins it to his mother-inw!¡±


    Ms. Wang became even more smug.


    Just as the third family branch had finally repaid the 20 taels of silver, she was delighted. However, father¡¯s sudden illness forced her to help and provide grain, and in the end, even the hard-saved 8 taels of silver were demanded by the Land Officer. How could she not be angry?


    Now that she had an opportunity to humiliate the third family branch on legitimate grounds, how could she let it go?


    Suddenly, a crisp voice came from the outskirts of the crowd: ¡°What¡¯s going on here? What happened to cause such amotion?¡±


    Everyone turned their heads to see Liu Sisi standing on the edge of the crowd.


    Liu Sisi had hurried all the way home and finally arrived at Upper Vige before sunset. However, she didn¡¯t expect to see arge crowd gathered outside her house before she could even enter.

 Chapter 91 - 91: 88: When is it your turn to gossip about the women in my life, Di Yelei?

    Chapter 91 - 91: 88: When is it your turn to gossip about the women in my life, Di Yelei?


    ¡°Sisi!¡±


    Suddenly, the onlookers surrounding them went quiet.


    ¡°What on earth is happening?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked around with a faint smile on her face, as if everything happening had nothing to do with her. Only her clenched hands holding the book and papers betrayed the anger in her heart.


    The person in question has appeared!


    Ms. Wang cheerfully shouted, ¡°You see! This shameless vixen, after stealing a man, still dares to be so arrogant! Truly a worthless piece of trash without a shred of face or skin! She should be caught and drowned in a pond!¡±


    After speaking, she looked around triumphantly.


    ¡°Second Sister-inw! I never expected you to care so much about our rtionship. On behalf of Ye Lei, Sisi thanks you for taking care of our third family branch!¡±


    Her crisp and soft voice, gentle and sweet, slowly approached a step or two.


    The shallow smile at the corner of her mouth carried a strong sense of refreshing beauty, making people look at her with infatuation.


    Isn¡¯t daily trouble-making just another way of taking care of the third family branch?


    Doesn¡¯t she ever get tired?


    The onlookers couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.


    Cheers and boos came in waves.


    This Di Family drama is just like the chives that grow after early spring ¨C endless and impossible to keep up with.


    Ms. Wang spat.


    ¡°Ptui! Who cares about your life or death? You, a vixen, staying in our Di Family is a disgrace to the eighteen generations of our ancestors! I, Ms. Wang, never had a sister-inw like you!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly raised her eyebrows, and burst intoughter!


    Immediately, the smile on her face disappeared.


    She raised a hand and pped Ms. Wang¡¯s left cheek!


    p!


    The crisp sound of the p was followed by Ms. Wang¡¯s left cheek swelling at a visibly rapid pace.


    ¡°Ah! ¨C You¡­you dare to hit me?¡±


    Ms. Wang screamed in pain, her eyes wide in shock as she covered her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m hitting you because you¡¯re a gossipmonger who deserves it!¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she raised her hand again and pped Ms. Wang¡¯s right cheek.


    p!


    Another crisp sound.


    The p was not light, and Ms. Wang couldn¡¯t avoid it at all.


    She was knocked to the ground and couldn¡¯t get up for quite a while.


    ¡°Let me tell you, Ms. Wang. Liu Sisi has been tolerating you and respecting you because you are my second sister-inw! But since you don¡¯t consider me, Liu Sisi, as a part of your family, then I don¡¯t have to be polite with a person like you!¡± Her face was thick-skinned enough, and her hand from pping was numb!


    Ms. Wang finally climbed up from the ground, her scattered hair hanging loosely to one side, with a few dried yellow grass leaves stuck to it.


    Both sides of her face were swollen, but the right side was noticeablyrger than the left, making her look especiallyical.


    ¡°You¡­you shameless bitch!¡±


    Ms. Wang roared and pounced at Liu Sisi.


    Her hands extended with sharp, w-like fingernails, aiming at Liu Sisi¡¯s face. If nailed securely, there would be at least ten deep scratches!


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Ms. Wang only felt pain in her hand, as the raised hand was firmly caught by someone else.


    A cold and bone-chilling voice came from behind, ¡°Second Sister-inw, when did it be your turn to meddle in the affairs of my, Di Yelei¡¯s woman?¡±


    A frosty chill spread from her back, and the raised hand of Ms. Wang stiffened in mid-air.


    Di Yelei¡¯s tiger-like eyes swept over Sisi and, seeing that she was not injured, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    He turned his head to look at Ms. Wang, his dark eyes narrowed slightly, and he hooked his foot¡­


    Boom!


    Before Ms. Wang could understand what was happening, she fell heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. A scream rang out from her mouth!


    ¡°Oh¡ª¡±


    Everyone covered their faces, imagining how painful that fall must have been!


    Di Yelei seemed unconcerned about the consequence he had caused and turned back to carefully examine Liu Sisi. His thin lips were tightly pressed, and his thick ck eyebrows were deeply furrowed.


    ¡°Sisi, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head at him, then turned to look at Ms. Wang with a hint of mockery in her eyes.


    Following her gaze, Di Yelei raised a mocking smile and guarded her behind him.


    ¡°If there¡¯s a next time, I¡¯ll cut off your tongue and feed it to the dogs.¡±


    Ms. Wang naturally wouldn¡¯t submit easily. She struggled to get back on her feet after falling to the ground. Her swollen face resembled steamed buns, and blood from her nose flowed down her mouth. Her face was a mix of blood and dust, and her disheveled hair added to her disarray!


    ¡°You, you all¡­ Di Yelei, the one who¡¯s been unfaithful is her, and your head is already green! And you¡¯re still scolding me?¡±


    Ms. Wang felt so wronged!


    Is it true?


    The onlookers suddenly quieted down.


    They turned to stare at Di Yelei, their eyes moving back and forth between the two.


    A whirlwind seemed to gather rapidly around Di Yelei.


    He stepped towards Ms. Wang, grabbed her wrist, and with either a rough movement or too much force, her face went pale.


    She cried out in pain in his grip, ¡°Let go of me! Let go¡­ ah!¡±


    Ignoring her pleas, he warned her, ¡°Listen clearly, my, Di Yelei¡¯s woman, is not someone anyone else can teach a lesson to, besides me!¡±


    ¡°I, I, I understand, I understand. I won¡¯t do it again in the future.¡±


    Ms. Wang nodded her head vigorously.


    Di Yelei sneered, suddenly let go of her hand, strode towards Liu Sisi, and dragged her back home.


    ¡°Ms. Wang, Ms. Liu is your Third Sister-inw, and you¡¯re the Second Sister-inw. Are you not ashamed to expose your own family¡¯s secrets?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, even if you didn¡¯t catch her, you should protect your own people. Where¡¯s the reason for kicking your own people when they¡¯re down?¡±


    ¡°Such a person deserves to be scolded and should be ashamed¡­¡±


    The onlookers pointed at Ms. Wang, who hadpletely be the street rat that everyone wanted to beat.


    Ms. Wang¡¯s face alternated between green and white, like a color palette, full of variety.


    Seeing a gap when fewer people were around, she fled as if she had wings!


    Di Yelei¡¯s pace was quick as he pulled her back home, pushing her against the doorframe, and his tall body closed in.


    His fingertips cupped her face, fiercely biting her lips. His lips curved into a chilling smile, ¡°Where have you been all day?¡±


    Apanied by a ¡°bang¡± as the door closed, Liu Sisi jumped in fright at the sudden, harsh questioning!


    She looked up and met Di Yelei¡¯s smiling face.


    Once he started smiling, he seemed very creepy.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    That kind of bone-chilling cold seemed to seep out from within, making her feel as if frost and snow had suddenly descended, chilling even the air around her.


    ¡°I¡­I went to¡­um¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi answered subconsciously, but before the words left her mouth, his icy lips kissed her.


    Liu Sisi felt her scalp numb and her back shivering from the kiss.


    She instinctively dodged away.

 Chapter 92 - 92: 89: You’re so great, how can I bear to let you go to someone else?

    Chapter 92 - 92: 89: You¡¯re so great, how can I bear to let you go to someone else?


    This indifferent Di Yelei was something she had never seen before!


    Liu Sisi instinctively distanced herself, wanting to escape the storm brewing around her.


    Her big eyes, watery and akin to frightened deer, were filled with grievance.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you there that day? You heard it all, right? I went to the bookstore to help out with some cleaning work.¡±


    Her words immediately made the air surrounding Di Yelei tense.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go there tomorrow.¡±


    He walked toward her step by step with a cold expression, heavy enough that it sent chills through Xia Ziqing even from a distance.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve been busy these days, and there are still unfinished tasks in the store.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze was frantic, and her heart was both nervous and guilty.¡±


    In her haste to back away, she identally bumped into a stool, quickly standing up to avoid it.¡±


    ¡°So, if you¡¯re always busy, you n on staying there forever?¡±


    He slowly approached her with heavy steps, cing his arms on the table on either side of her, and leaned in slightly toward her.¡±


    His face was very close to her small head. His deep, ck eyes stared at her intently, their icy gaze chilling her to the bone.¡±


    Liu Sisi felt nervous under his unwavering stare.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t process his question in her head, and had no time to react.¡±


    She remained silent, and Di Yelei took that as her consent.¡±


    His eyes narrowed slowly, the chilly glint in his hawk-like gaze falling on her like a sharp dagger.¡±


    Liu Sisi became even more nervous.¡±


    Movement came from outside the house.¡±


    Liu Sisi nced past him, cautiously looking at the door outside the room, only breathing a sigh of relief when she didn¡¯t see anyone else.¡±


    However, she didn¡¯t have time to catch her breath before a sudden sound startled her, making her heart shrink with fear.¡±


    Her eyes widened in rm.¡±


    The sound of footsteps continued, seeming to notice someone in their vicinity and quickly approaching.¡±


    The source of the noise continued, soon passing by the door and gradually fading into the distance.¡±


    Looking at Liu Sisi¡¯s flustered face, Di Yelei¡¯s expression remained unchanged.¡±


    ¡°On what grounds can¡¯t I go out to work? Even if I work as a helper at the bookstore, it¡¯s still on the main avenue in broad daylight, it won¡¯t bother you. Why won¡¯t you allow it?¡±


    Liu Sisi argued with reason.¡±


    Was this selfish pig trying to trap her in the backyard¡¯s small world?


    Truly despicable!


    Damnable!


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m your husband, and you¡¯re my wife. If I say you can¡¯t, then you can¡¯t!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Di Yelei was furious, coldness radiating from his eyes like mes. The bitter jealousy in his heart tormented him to the point of madness!


    His gaze swept over her clothes: ¡°Wearing this, who are you trying to seduce?¡±


    ¡°You!¡ª¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face turned pale. These clothes were made from the in blue cloth hastily boughtst time, with no patterns or adornments.¡±


    Immediately, she became furious!


    ¡°Di Yelei! Stop applying your petty mindset to me! Even though I, Liu Sisi, am not perfect, I still understand honor and shame! You¡¯re framing me with these usations!¡±


    He gently caressed her face, causing her whole body to shudder with chills.¡±


    ¡°So the matter between you and Businessman Zhang is also fake?¡±


    His breath was cold as ice.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ saw that?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly froze, going still. Her eyes were unfathomable, cold as ice in December.¡±


    She slowly raised her head, staring at him with a pale, cold face. Her eyes were dry and irritated, yet she stubbornly bit her lip, refusing to let the tears fall.¡±


    Trembling, she raised her small head, looking directly into his eyes: ¡°What¡­what did you say¡­¡±


    Seeing her tremble like a candle in the wind, Di Yelei¡¯s heart clenched painfully.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve seen it all.¡±


    He suddenly yanked her fiercely, pulling her into his arms.


    With one hand, he restrained her head, lowered his own, and aimed for her lips, kissing her fiercely and wildly.


    Liu Sisi was startled, not yet fully awake from their previous conversation.


    A momentter, she struggled desperately, finally rousing herself from her confusion.


    ¡°Di Yelei, you bastard!¡±


    Liu Sisi was both angry and furious!


    Don¡¯t think that just because I, Liu Sisi, married you, you can do whatever you want. If I don¡¯t teach you a lesson, you have no idea how powerful I, Liu Sisi, can be!


    She clenched her lower lip, raised her hand, and swung a p at him¡­


    But her hand was caught in mid-air by anotherrge hand.


    ¡°What, you want to hit me?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s voice was extremely faint; it was almost inaudible if one didn¡¯t listen carefully.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart shuddered uncontrobly, and her entire body trembled. Unable to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes, they rolled down her cheeks.


    ¡°Di Yelei, just go die!¡±


    In her fury, she raised her other hand and pped him hard!


    Smack!


    The sound of the p echoed.


    The p was real, and the marks of five fingers appeared on his left cheek in no time.


    He stopped, his eyes wide in shock, staring speechlessly at Liu Sisi for half a moment.


    The room was eerily quiet.


    Only their silent confrontation remained ¡ª the tearful her and the enraged him.


    ¡°You¡­ you hit me.¡±


    He softly pointed out the fact.


    After a while, her anger faded, and she looked at her own hand in disbelief while a mix of indescribable emotions roiled in her heart.


    ¡°I did hit you!¡±


    Liu Sisi yelled angrily!


    The next moment, tears spilled from her eyes as her body trembled uncontrobly.


    The fury on his face gradually disappeared, reced by astonishment.


    Underneath the dark expression, his gaze grew darker and darker.


    He was like an elegant leopard discovering its prey ¡ª calm and tranquil on the surface, but endless turbulent waves hidden underneath.


    With an inexplicable sh of thought, the only thing left in his eyes was a serene expression. The zing rage at the bottom of his eyes was like a small me that suddenly engulfed the entire in!


    Unable to help herself, her body began to shrink, her heart trembling with fear, and she instinctively wanted to escape from his side.


    Trying to run, she found herself trapped by his iron grip, only able to hear her own pounding heartbeat.


    His sharp features suddenly loomed before her.


    ¡°Liu Sisi, you forget, you¡¯re my wife.¡±


    A shallow smile emerged on his face, but it didn¡¯t reach his stormy eyes, only making the scratches appear more pronounced.


    His hand brushed her earlobe, stirring waves of tingling sensations that sent shivers down her spine.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re mine¡­¡±


    His words were gentle, but ice-cold: ¡°You¡¯re so good, how can I bear to give you to someone else?¡±


    Suddenly, he entrapped her, step by step forcing her into a corner, and kissed her fiercely.


    Thunder struck as the earth caught fire!


    This kiss carried punishment, resentment, and was heavy and merciless.

 Chapter 93 - 93: 90: No One Wants to Admit Defeat

    Chapter 93 - 93: 90: No One Wants to Admit Defeat


    He suddenly trapped her like a madman, step by step gradually forcing her into a corner and fiercely kissing her deeply.


    Thunderbolt stirs the fire on the ground!


    This kiss is filled with punishment, resentment, heavy and fierce.


    Without any skill, no tenderness, no pity, only deepening the kiss.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    As soon as she regained consciousness, she began to struggle fiercely!


    Both hands and feet, kicking and scratching fiercely, constantly striking back at the man in front of her. Never showing weakness, constantly trying to bite and tear at him.


    Showing her deep resentment!


    The more she resists, the more his desire for conquest arouses.


    The two of them fought fiercely, stirring up a sweet and pungent taste.


    The sweet and pungent taste spreads between them, neither willing to admit defeat.


    Liu Sisi tried to retreat, but was firmly trapped in his arms, unable to struggle free. His iron arm, like steel, held her, rendering all her struggles futile.


    She became increasingly short of breath, increasingly short of oxygen, and had to desperately retreat.


    But he only became more aggressive, closer, stronger, not giving her any chance to escape, leaving no gap.


    Her little face flushed red, and darkness intermittently filled her vision.


    She felt like she was going to die and retreated instinctively.


    The man, however, approached her step by step, triumphantly raising his thick eyebrows.


    It wasn¡¯t until he finally released her that she copsed into his arms, gasping for fresh air.


    However, he took the opportunity to press forward, pinning her against the wall and holding her struggling hands: ¡°Sisi, you are mine! Mine! No one can take you away from me, no one can¡­¡±


    His domineering deration!


    His mouth moved along her slender swan-like neck, tasting it meticulously.


    Meanwhile, on another side.


    As soon as Ms. Wang returned to the old house, her disheveled appearance immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    Everyone in the room turned their heads, staring at her disheveled state, wanting tough but not daring to, each lowering their heads and avoiding each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Don¡¯t you all have anything else to do?¡±


    Ms. Wang looked barely human, with a red and swollen face, messy hair, and her body covered in mud. She was as miserable as can be.


    Seeing everyone¡¯s faces right now, she couldn¡¯t hold back her anger: ¡°Get back to work immediately! Or do you all want everyone to starve to death?¡±


    Under her gaze, Di Wei didn¡¯t dare to say a word and hurried to the kitchen to cook.


    ¡°Wow, Ms. Wang, you are truly impressive today!¡±


    Ms. Zhao looked at Ms. Wang coldly, not allowing her daughter-inw to climb over her head.


    How dare she call herself ¡®mom¡¯ in front of her, putting her own mother in what position?


    Di Gaoyuan, who was next to her, coughed impatiently: ¡°Weiwei didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so why are you yelling at her, mother? Isn¡¯t it your turn to cook today? What did you do to look like this?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean what did I do? It¡¯s all because of your good Third Brother and Third Sister-inw! Look, it¡¯s them who hit me in the face!¡±


    Ms. Wang was irritated by Di Gaoyuan¡¯s words and quickly recounted the events.


    ¡°¡­You see, as long as this shameless vixen continues to stay in the Di family, the Di family will be ruined by her sooner orter!¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, the one who will ruin the Di family is you!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di, lying in the inner room, struggled to get up and walk to the doorway, leaning against the wall, just in time to hear Ms. Wang¡¯s shameless words.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of you, this ignorant woman, constantly stirring up trouble all day long! If I ever hear you say half a bad word about Sisi or the third family branch again, I¡¯ll divorce you right away! Just go back to your Wang family and gloat!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di suddenly spoke, startling everyone!


    Seeing Elderly Mr. Di suddenly rejuvenated, everyone¡¯s faces changed, each of them shrunk their necks, and no one dared to stick their neck out.


    Especially Ms. Wang, who became as timid as a mouse in front of a cat, and lost all her previous arrogance. If she were really sent back to her mother¡¯s home, she might as well give up on life.


    ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m leaving now to cook, cook¡­¡±


    Dodging behind others with a hesitant look, she hurried into the kitchen and didn¡¯t dare to show her face again.


    In the end, she yelled a couple of times, ¡°Weiwei, you damned girl, why aren¡¯t youing in to cook? Where are you going to run off to again?¡±


    How hateful! This damned old man actually came back to life!


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re all cursing in your hearts, you can¡¯t wait for me to die!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di took a deep breath.


    ¡°And you all! Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t hear you if I¡¯m dying in bed. Ah! You¡¯re all such great wives, sons and grandsons! You all get out! Out! Out!¡±


    As soon as the three words ¡°Out!¡± fell, everyone scattered like birds and beasts, hiding in their rooms, not daring to show their heads.


    Where was their prestige from a few days ago?


    ¡°Unfilial descendants¡­what sins have I, Di Defu,mitted! Cough, cough ¨C what will happen in the future¡­Ah!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s old tears flowed freely. As he spoke, he covered his mouth and coughed in a series, his whole body unable to support itself, slowly copsing.


    ¡°Old man! Old man, what¡¯s wrong with you! Old man! Someonee! Come on¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s cry echoed immediately! But the room was silent, without any movement.


    Just then, Di Cheng, carrying a load of firewood, returned.


    At the sight of his fallen grandfather, he was so frightened that he threw the firewood and rushed over.


    ¡°Grandfather! How are you, Grandfather? Grandfather!¡±


    Over at the Di Family.


    Di Yelei and Liu Sisi were still at odds.


    There were scratch marks left from her fingers on his arm and face, and even his iron arm had several rows of teeth marks. However, this damned man had no intention of letting her go, still tightly controlling her.


    He gradually approached her corbone, repeatedly delighting in the fine details. Wherever he went, he left a trail of coolness.


    ¡°Let go of me! Di Yelei, don¡¯t make me hate you!¡±


    Her whole body trembled slightly, like a candle in the wind, constantly assaulting her consciousness.


    Having no other options, she kicked her legs desperately at him.


    But their bodies were so close that their feet moved too much, causing her to lose her bnce and fall to the side.


    Looking at her like this, at the rebellion and struggle in her eyes, and the faint trace of blood on her lips, it was unclear whether it was his or her blood. She appeared even more enchanting.


    Her almond-shaped eyes were ring at him, as if using him of his irrational behavior.


    There was a voice in his heart starting to yell.


    He wanted her.


    She was originally his wife!


    Seeing her embraced by another man, the rage in his heart burned uncontrobly.


    He firmly gripped one side of her cheek with his big palm, pressing her fiercely against the wall: ¡°If you think I¡¯ll let you go to be with another man, don¡¯t even dream of it! Liu Sisi, let me tell you, it¡¯s never going to happen!¡±


    The veins jumping on his forehead, the hatred in his eyes, were clearly burning to the extreme.


    Didn¡¯t she know that he was doing all of this for her own good?

 Chapter 94 - 94: 91-92 Sisi’s Heartache: The Shocking Secret! Up

    Chapter 94 - 94: 91-92 Sisi¡¯s Heartache: The Shocking Secret! Up


    He gripped her chin, repeatedly savoring her lips.


    She tried to grab hisrge hand locking her chin, her heart seemingly plunged into an ice cave, her chin throbbing with pain.


    The more she struggled, the more unwilling he was to let go of her chin.


    Almost suffocating, she refused to yield and kept struggling: ¡°Let me go, let me go! You bastard, let me go, ah!¡±


    Blinded by rage, he suddenly lifted her into his arms.


    Taking a few quick steps, he aggressively cleared the table with a sweep of his hand and carelessly threw her onto it.


    Before she could scream, his body was already covering hers.


    Hisrge hand didn¡¯t waste any time, quickly grabbing her cor and tearing it open. The robe she had just worn for the first time was ripped apart by his brute force.


    Z!


    Apanied by the piercing sound of ripping cloth, the robe hung in tatters on her body, revealing the white binding cloth underneath.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Di Yelei frowned, annoyed with himself, and struggled again with the tightly wrapped white cloth. As she tried to cover herself, he grabbed her interfering hand and held her down firmly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, you look¡­ so beautiful like this!¡±


    Hisrge hand couldn¡¯t help but reach out, covering her beautiful body.


    ¡°Let me go! Di Yelei, you damn barbarian, don¡¯t make me hate you!¡±


    Liu Sisi struggled hard, raising her hand and pping him in the face.


    Pa!


    Another crisp sound.


    This p was substantial, leaving a clear imprint of five fingers on his face.


    It also interrupted his actions.


    He red furiously, stopped his hands, and narrowed his eyes to look at her. The icy coldness in his eyes seemed like it would freeze her.


    She red back at him, without any sign of relenting, her face full of stubborn determination.


    Neither of them was willing to yield to the other, ring at each other in the silence with no other sound to be heard.


    After a while, his mouth turned up slightly, and his eyes were filled with a deep, deathly stillness.


    ¡°How many times have you pped me now?¡±


    His voice was soft.


    He slowly raised his hand to cover his face, which was stinging from the p, and suddenly chuckled.


    Liu Sisi clenched her fists nervously, her slender fingers gripping tightly, and swallowed saliva. In truth, she had no choice but to p him reflexively¡­


    She propped herself up, trying to escape from the edge of the table.


    However, she gave him the perfect opportunity. He suddenly stretched out his hand and grabbed her arm.


    His big hand tugged a few times, and by the time she reacted, he had restrained her again.


    ¡°You pped me and now you want to run?¡±


    His voice was deep, making Liu Sisi shiver involuntarily.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    She really didn¡¯t mean to; her hands moved faster than her thoughts, and she pped him subconsciously.


    He raised his eyebrows, lifted his hand¡­


    She screamed, her cheeks flushing and then turning pale, as she quickly covered her face, fearing the man in front of her would p her in return.


    He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and pull her into his arms.


    ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Meanwhile.


    Di Xuan and Di Ying arrived at the intersection. Walking ahead of them was Zhang Yun.


    ¡°Brother Zhang Yun, Brother Zhang Yun, walk faster! If momes home and doesn¡¯t see us, she¡¯ll be worried.¡±


    Di Ying anxiously pulled Zhang Yun forward while jogging.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, YingEr! Walk slowly.¡±


    Zhang Yun was carrying arge vegetable basket on his arm, which made it extremely inconvenient for him to walk. Furthermore, Di Ying was pulling him to run, making it even more difficult for him to move.


    ¡°YingEr, even if your mom is home, everything will be fine. She knows you two stayed at my house. Although we left in a hurry without telling her, she definitely won¡¯t scold you!¡±


    Di Ying still didn¡¯t stop and continued to pull Zhang Yun¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Hurry up, Brother Zhang Yun! I know what you¡¯re saying, but I miss my mom, so hurry up!¡±


    Zhang Yun had no choice but to speed up his pace.


    ¡°Zhang Yun, YingEr, please slow down¡­ wait for me!¡±


    Behind them, Di Xuan, who was also carrying a vegetable basket, followed up while gasping for air and calling out to the two in front of him.


    Aunt Guihua was too generous, giving them so many things for their own home. The weight of the items made their hands sore.


    Zhang Yun really couldn¡¯t walk anymore.


    He put down therge bamboo basket and wiped the sweat off his brow while standing up straight: ¡°YingEr, how about you go ahead first, and we¡¯ll catch up immediately, alright?¡±


    Di Ying looked at the two of them with an expression of reluctance and anxiety.


    Finally, she unwillingly nodded: ¡°Alright, but you two better hurry up. I¡¯ll go find mom first!¡±


    After saying that, she quickly ran away.


    In the house.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze was evasive!


    But, the barbarian man in front of her really hadn¡¯t hit her even when provoked¡­


    ¡°Mmm! Let go of me, you¡¯re hurting my hand¡­¡±


    This unfamiliar aura was rising in temperature, every bit of it burning Liu Sisi¡¯s soul.


    ¡°Sisi, my Sisi.¡±


    Di Yelei softly called out to her, his eyes greedily looking at the beautiful scenery in front of him.


    He firmly restrained her hands, while his other hand snuck under her long skirt from the top down.


    ¡°Mmm! You¡­!¡±


    She suddenly widened her eyes, her entire body stiffened as if she were a shivering kitten in the cold wind. Her cry originated from his wicked hand, rapidly sweeping away herst bit of reason. He looked at Liu Sisi¡¯s blushing cheeks and tenderly caressed her face,ughing softly.


    He squinted his eyes and reached for the end of her skirt¡­


    The huge battle was about to begin!


    ¡°Mom! Mom, YingEr, is back. Mom, where are you?¡±


    Outside, Di Ying had already mmed open the main entrance and was rushing towards the house.


    She was running while shouting: ¡°Mom, YingEr, and brother, Brother Zhang Yun is back! Mom, Dad!¡±


    At the same time, it called back her reason: ¡°Let go of me, YingEr is back.¡± Liu Sisi roared, her passion quickly cooling, and she sternly scolded.


    ¡°Let go of you? How is that possible?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s bloodshot eyes were filled with desire. He forcefully held her hands, refusing to let go.


    ¡°Had enough? Bastard!¡±


    Liu Sisi was too angry!


    She violently lifted her head and bit down on his shoulder.


    The pain finally brought Di Yelei to his senses, and he finally returned to reality after shivering.


    ¡°Huh? It sounds like the voice ising from the hall.¡±


    Di Ying muttered to herself and quickly turned and ran towards the hall.


    ¡°YingEr! Don¡¯t run so fast, be careful not to fall.¡±


    Di Xuan and Zhang Yun were carrying therge bamboo baskets and entered the yard¡¯s fence. They anxiously called Di Ying.


    ¡°I heard someone talking in the hall. My mom must be there! You guys wait here, I¡¯ll go check!¡±


    After YingEr finished speaking, she directly rushed into the hall.


    ¡°Mom! Mom, are you there?¡±


    The partially opened door of the hall was pushed open with Ying¡¯er¡¯s call.


    Upon seeing Di Ying walk in, Liu Sisi could no longer hold back the grievances deep within her heart, and her tears instantly fell.


    Di Yelei still wore a stupefied expression.


    However, he was immediately kicked by Liu Sisi, who swiftly pulled up his pants and tightened his belt.


    In the room, Di Yelei¡¯s tall figure blocked Liu Sisi. His muscr back tightened, making the scratch marks on his back all the more prominent.


    ¡°Mom! Dad! You¡¯re here too?¡±


    Di Ying cheerfully hopped into the room and immediately ran over with joy when she saw them.


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    Liu Sisi harshly pushed Di Yelei away. With trembling hands, she barely managed to cover the torn part of her inner robe over her chest.


    She then burst into tears and ran straight into the bedroom, mming the door behind her. A string of soft sobbing sounds echoed from inside.


    YingEr was stunned!


    Despite her young age andck of understanding of the situation unfolding before her eyes, she understood the tears on her mother¡¯s face ¡ª her mother was upset!


    ¡°YingEr! Is Mom at home?¡±


    At the doorway, Di Xuan and Zhang Yun, who had just put down therge bamboo basket, also entered the hall,ing face to face with Di Yelei who had just turned around.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was deadly pale. He nced at the three people at the doorway, picked up the clothes from the floor in silence, and swiftly put them on.


    The scratch marks on his body became even more shocking.


    Especially the two handprints on his face ¨C even his bronze skin couldn¡¯t hide the red imprints.


    ¡°Dad, why is Mom crying?¡±


    YingEr asked with a lump in her throat, stubbornly biting her lip, quite reminiscent of Liu Sisi.


    ¡°YingEr,e here.¡±


    Di Ying and Di Xuan were too young to understand, but Zhang Yun, who was already over ten years old, clearly understood the present situation.


    He promptly took Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er away, ¡°Ying¡¯er, your dad and mom have something to discuss. Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re going to cook in the kitchen. By the time we finish, your dad and mom will be ready to eat, okay?¡±


    A momentter, the hall once again fell into silence.


    With a stern face, Di Yelei put on his clothes, nced at the direction where the three had disappeared, walked firmly to the door of the room, and forcefully pushed it. However, the door remained immovable.


    Apparently, it had beentched from the inside.


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t let anyone take you away from me, never!¡±


    After whispering these words through the door, he turned and left the room.


    In the room, Liu Sisi leaned against the door, biting her lip, her tears silently streaming down.


    As his footsteps gradually faded away, she slowly slid down the door, copsing on the floor where she sobbed quietly.


    At this moment, she thought of her grandfather from her previous life and her best friend from that time.


    Most importantly, she missed her home!


    She just didn¡¯t know if she would ever have the chance to return to that home in another time and space.


    Daylight gradually dimmed.


    YingEr knocked and called several times, and Di Yelei also called for Liu Sisi to eat, but the room door remained tightly shut. After a long silence, she heard Di Yelei¡¯s instructive voice.


    Liu Sisi understood. He had gone to the old house on the other side and would stay by his father¡¯s sickbed without returning tonight.


    Then, everything fell silent again.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After what felt like an eternity, Liu Sisi finally climbed up from the floor. Bracing herself, she went to the kitchen and ate a few bites of food. Even though it was hard to swallow, she would never let herself go hungry.


    That night, she tossed and turned restlessly.


    At daybreak, she heard Di Yelei¡¯s voice again, along with the sound of him pushing the door.


    Liu Sisi ignored him.


    She clearly remembered how he had kicked down the main door in the past. It was impossible for such a door to stop him!


    Before long, YingEr was crying at the door, and Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t bear to leave her outside any longer.


    ¡°Mom! Are you not going to keep YingEr anymore? YingEr promises that she will behave herself and stop running around! Mom¡­¡±


    YingEr, tightly curled up in Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, had already turned into a crying mess, wailing louder than Liu Sisi herself.


    ¡°YingEr, don¡¯t cry, Mom isn¡¯t angry with you¡­¡±


    The tears at the bottom of Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help slipping down, the mother and daughter clung to each other and sobbed together.


    ¡°Mom, you stop crying. YingEr will wipe your tears for you.¡±


    YingEr had finally cried herself out, and took a towel clumsily wiping tears off Liu Sisi¡¯s face.


    Having a daughter sure isforting!


    Liu Sisi finally manages to smile, hearing that her previously stopped tears fell once again.


    She took the towel and carefully wiped off the tear stains from YingEr¡¯s face: ¡°Okay! Mum will stop crying! Having such a sensible daughter as YingEr, Mom will not cry!¡±


    ¡°Hmm hmm, in the future, we don¡¯t need a father, YingEr just wants Mom.¡±


    Di Yingzily snuggled up in Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, yawning widely.


    ¡°YingEr, do you want to sleep? Do you want to take a nap?¡±


    Liu Sisi gently patted YingEr¡¯s back.


    ¡°Hmm, Mum, YingEr is so sleepy. I was worried about you, so I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night.¡± YingEr murmured.


    ¡°Then YingEr, you sleep! Mom will be here with you.¡± Liu Sissi gently patted YingEr¡¯s back.


    Indeed, daughters are like small cotton-padded jackets for their mothers.


    After coaxing YingEr to sleep, Liu Sisi left the room. There was arge bowl of cold food on the bench at the door.


    Di Xuan was sitting at the table in the hall, practicing writing attentively. Seeing Liu Sisie out, he looked at her worriedly, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Outside, at this moment, the sun was just overhead.


    Liu Sisi nced around casually. The bow and arrow hung on the wall were nowhere to be seen. It appears Di Yelei had gone up the mountain.


    She didn¡¯t think too much, quietly lifted the lid of the pot. The half bamboo steamer of buns and the bowl of food inside were still steaming.


    She directly brought it out, ate her fill, and then took out the clothes that he had torn apart to mend.


    In the afternoon, Guihua came over with some embroidery.


    Seeing Liu Sisi mending clothes, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Sisi, your Second Sister-inw really isn¡¯t a good person! Ever since she married into the family, she¡¯s either taking away the boss¡¯s turnip or stirring up wars. As soon as I heard yesterday that your shameful Second Sister-inw was speaking nonsense again, I wanted toe over as soon as Zhang Yun told me!¡±


    Guihua looked at Liu Sisi¡¯s swollen eyes, without need for anyone to tell her, she understood what humiliation Sisi had suffered.


    Guihua sighed deeply and spat out softly!


    ¡°It¡¯s all Zhang Peng¡¯s fault! I originally said I was going toe overst night to check on you, but he insisted on saying couples fight and then make up. He absolutely wouldn¡¯t allow me toe! If I had known earlier, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Guihua, Brother Zhang was right. These are matters between a husband and wife. Even if you hade, it would be difficult for you to mediate!¡±


    Liu Sisi said softly, her tears couldn¡¯t help but fall again.


    She hurriedly raised her hand to wipe them away, but the more she wiped, the more tears came.


    ¡°Oh dear! Sisi, don¡¯t give it any more thought, and don¡¯t believe a word your Second Sister-inw says. She¡¯s the kind of person who would prefer all hell to break loose! If you pay attention to her, won¡¯t you just end up crying for the rest of your life? Don¡¯t you agree, Sisi?¡±


    As Guihua spoke, she quickly raised her hand to tug Liu Sisi¡¯s sleeve.


    Liu Sisi covered her eyes with her hands, sobbing, couldn¡¯t help but struggle a bit, her sleeve slipped down, and a red mole the size of a bean on her wrist appeared.


    Guihua¡¯s face changed instantly, she was shocked!

 Chapter 95 - 95: 93 Sisi’s Heartache: The Shocking Secret! Down

    Chapter 95 - 95: 93 Sisi¡¯s Heartache: The Shocking Secret! Down


    She suddenly turned her hand and grabbed Liu Sisi¡¯s arm, gently lifting her sleeve with trembling hands, revealing the bright red mole that appeared before her eyes once again.


    Liu Sisi was immersed in her own thoughts, still wiping her tears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about people like her, I¡¯m just sad, I¡­¡±


    Halfway through her sentence, Liu Sisi choked up and couldn¡¯t speak.


    Guihua stared with wide eyes, still fixated on the red mole and unable to move.


    After a while, she swallowed her saliva and hesitatingly asked: ¡°Sisi! Did you and Brother Ye Lei¡­ you¡­ did you not share a room at night?¡±<div>


    Guihua finally asked the question, her voice barely louder than a mosquito¡¯s.


    The listeners didn¡¯t feel anything, but the person who asked the question was blushing with embarrassment.


    ¡°What do you mean sharing a room? Sister Guihua, what are you trying to ask?¡±


    Liu Sisi stopped her tears and blinked, lowering her head to continue mending the neckline.


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m asking if you and Brother Ye Lei¡­ stayed together at night?¡±


    This question was really embarrassing!


    Guihua saw that Liu Sisi still appeared unconcerned and continued mending, so she couldn¡¯t help but angrily snatch the needle and thread from her hand, throwing it directly into the nearby sewing basket.


    ¡°Sisi! Are you really not listening to me? You and Brother Ye Lei¡­ you¡­ you¡­ oh! Did your mother tell you any secrets about the bridal chamber before you got married?¡±


    How could she ask such a question!


    This was truly a case of the Emperor not being in a hurry while the eunuch was anxious to death!


    Guihua was pacing anxiously, but Liu Sisi naturally noticed and fell silent.


    Too many things happened yesterday, but she had already thought a lot, even considering divorce.


    The her of today was no longer the sickly Liu Sisi who had just crossed over; even without relying on Di Yelei, she could still stand on her own in this world.


    But should she really take this step?


    She had been repeatedly asking herself.


    However, whenever she thought about the child in her stomach, she couldn¡¯t make up her mind.


    If she had to choose between Di Yelei and the so-called Businessman Zhang, she would rather choose Di Yelei because he was honest and simple.


    Zhang Shixin was too slippery and insincere, and he had many wives and concubines at home. She couldn¡¯t ept sharing a husband with others and wouldn¡¯t demean herself like that.


    But Di Yelei¡¯s actions yesterday had hurt her heart and made her want to leave.


    In this era, women could only leave either by divorce or being discarded.


    ording to the current situation, if she proposed divorce, everyone would think she hadmitted adultery. It would be impossible to divorce, and the most likely oue would be being discarded and returning to her mother¡¯s home.


    Her mother¡¯s home? A ce where she had no memory of, she would naturally not go back to!


    But where could she go if she was pregnant and discarded?


    After thinking it through, she decided to stay for the time being, at least¡­ until the current storm passed and they could discuss divorce.


    However, she couldn¡¯t mention these thoughts to anyone, including the Guihua sister before her eyes.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, you know that I had a high fever just after getting married, and I¡¯vepletely forgotten about the past. I don¡¯t even remember where my family is, or how many people are in my family.¡±


    Liu Sisi said calmly, then lowered her head, picked up the clothes and needlework, and continued mending.


    Guihua had her eyes wide open in amazement, the words she wanted to say stuck in her throat, unable to speak.


    That was indeed the maiden¡¯s blood symbolizing her virginity, and she was sure she wasn¡¯t mistaken!


    They had been married for several months, and Sisi was still a virgin?


    If anyone were to say there wasn¡¯t something strange going on, she would be the first to disbelieve!


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s reddened and swollen eyes, Guihua swallowed the words she was about to say and quickly changed the topic.


    ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t this the clothing we finished sewing together a few days ago? How did it get torn like this? Come, let me see how to mend it better.¡±


    She casually took the damaged clothing, and the ripped shape immediately caught Guihua¡¯s eyes.


    Her eyes couldn¡¯t help but darken again, as her mind quickly filled in the nks.


    Could it be¡­?


    That Di Yelei was experiencing some problems in the bedroom, so¡­?


    Heavens!


    This is explosive news!


    She must tell Zhang Peng as soon as possible to see if some medicine or other remedies can help. At the very least, they needed to consummate their marriage, right?


    With this in mind, her gaze towards Liu Sisi became even more sympathetic and affectionate!


    ¡°Give it to me! I¡¯m great at mending clothing. After all, it¡¯s your clothing, so there¡¯s no need to worry about others gossiping.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Liu Sisi forced a smile and picked up the shuttle Liu Sisi had brought. This was something she had learned since arriving here; it wouldn¡¯t be right to let others help for nothing.


    With nothing else to do, Guihua tried hard to divert Liu Sisi¡¯s attention: ¡°Oh, Sisi, have you heard? Big Mouth Li from our vige hasn¡¯t been seen for days. Old Man Li has ame leg and has been hungry for several days; can¡¯t stand it any longer, so he went to find the pockmarked-faced woman to make a scene. That pockmarked-faced woman is having an affair with Big Mouth Li, do you remember her? She¡¯s the married woman you scolded when you were washing clothes by the river. Tsk, tsk! That scolding¡­¡±


    In the forest.


    In the middle of the dense woods, there was a depression that formed a small pond. In summer, the pond was full of lush vegetation and water nts, with traces of wildlife seen from time to time.


    At the moment, a small group of elk were cautiously emerging from the hill hollow, vigntly scanning for any movement around them.


    The leading elk was a tall, mature male with high andrge antlers. He cautiously advanced two steps then retreated half a step.


    >


    As the leader approached the pond without incident, the other elks slowly followed behind, cautiously moving closer to the water¡¯s edge.


    Hiding in the bushes around the pond were several people.>


    Everyone held their breath, fearing that any noise would startle the group of elks. They silently raised their bows and aimed their arrow tips at the lead elk as it drew closer to the water.


    Di Yelei was among them.


    His hands were taut, and therge bow in his grasp was already stretched into a full moon, ready to release the crucial arrow at any moment.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The lead elk had reached the edge of the pond, carefully scanning the surroundings before cautiously lowering its head to drink the water.


    ¡°Achoo! Achoo! Achoo, achoo-¡±


    Several sneezes startled the elks!


    The lead elk sprang and bolted, swinging its legs in the air to form an arc, and let out a loud cry as it fled with the other elks. In an instant, the elks had vanished without a trace.


    Di Yelei rubbed his nose in annoyance. Could it be that Sisi was thinking about him?


    Seeing the elks flee at their sudden scare, Di Yelei could only watch as the perfect opportunity that he had been waiting for slipped before his eyes, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Damn it!


    As the saying goes, misfortune neveres singly.


    He had no choice but to leave his hiding ce, pick up his bow and arrow, and head toward the other side to meet up with Zhang Peng and the others.


    ¡°Ye Lei, what happened to you today? How could you make such a mistake? Seems like your mind is not on hunting. Are you still worried about your father¡¯s illness?¡±


    Zhang Peng, Li Wu, and several other hunters gathered around.


    It was indeed his fault, but Di Yelei didn¡¯t bother to exin further: ¡°My father¡¯s illness has improved a lot, but it¡¯s just the cost of the medicine¡­¡±


    As soon as he said this, everyone understood.

 Chapter 96 - 96: 94: Sisi Seeks a Way Out: Nan Tianzong’s Suspicions

    Chapter 96 - 96: 94: Sisi Seeks a Way Out: Nan Tianzong¡¯s Suspicions


    Zhang Peng patted him hard on the shoulder: ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too much. People inevitably get sick while eating all five grains, and if you run out of silver, you can earn more. I think your little sister is quite capable! Once you catch more game, you can sell them directly in the county town. Although it takes more time, you can still earn more silver, right?¡±


    ¡°Right! This Liuping Town is really too small. We might as well catch more game and sell it together in the county town. It¡¯s better than selling game at a low price now.¡±


    Li Wu, who was next to him, also agreed with Zhang Peng¡¯s words.


    ¡°Brother Zhang is right! Macheng County City and Yanqing County are said to be rtively small, but Lin County¡¯s Raoping County, and Dacheng County are much more prosperous. We can also try our luck in other county cities.¡±


    The two hunters nearby also came over and said.


    Di Yelei thought for a moment, thought of his father, lying in bed, and the recent events. The urgent desire to make money weighed on his heart.<div>


    Then he clenched his teeth: ¡°Alright! If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll go straight to the county town after hunting. We could have your kid at home send the news. What do you think?¡±


    The ¡°kid¡± he mentioned is Li Wu¡¯s son, Li Qi.


    ¡°Good! Let¡¯s do it this way!¡±


    As everyone dispersed in twos and threes, Zhang Peng sighed and patted his shoulder again.


    Only then did he say: ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what happened between you and your sister-inw, Brother Zhang, who is several years older than you, was entrusted by Hongyuan to take care of you before he left. I have always treated you as my own brother, and there are a few words that I shouldn¡¯t say, but I still have to tell you.¡±


    Di Yelei immediately looked up, his eyes shining as he stared at Zhang Peng.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, I, Di Yelei, have always regarded you as my real big brother. Just say whatever you want!¡±


    The Hongyuan mentioned by Zhang Peng is Di Yelei¡¯s eldest brother, Di Hongyuan.


    Initially, Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s taking of a new wife met with Di Hongyuan¡¯s opposition. After Ms. Zhang entered the family, she naturally treated Di Hongyuan as a thorn in her side and forced him to leave home for the exam, never to return.


    When the news of Di Hongyuan¡¯s sess in the exam reached the Di family, it was already several yearster.


    Di Hongyuan and Zhang Peng were childhood friends.


    Before leaving, he entrusted his younger brother Di Yelei to Zhang Peng, which is why Zhang Peng has been taking such good care of him.


    ¡°You¡¯re a man, and you¡¯re a father of two children! You should be more amodating to her when you should. Your sister-inw is such a soft woman, and if a fight really breaks out and she gets hurt, you will not only regret it but also have to spend silver to treat her illness.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hit her.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Di Yelei said just one sentence, then tightly pursed his lips and refused to speak.


    Indeed, he had notid a hand on her yesterday.


    Although he was angry and bit her lip, although his thoughts wandered off, he wanted to make Sisi his real woman.


    But in the end, it was ruined by a few children.


    At that time, he was angry, butter he was extremely grateful that he didn¡¯t take her in a fit of rage.


    Otherwise, even he couldn¡¯t forgive himself!


    ¡°As long as you didn¡¯t hit her, it¡¯s fine!¡±


    Seeing Di Yelei¡¯s stubborn and flushing face, Zhang Pengughed secretly in his heart.


    This person obviously cares so much, yet insists on pretending to be indifferent, only bringing trouble to himself!


    ¡°You know what kind of person your second sister-inw is, and what kind of character she has. Who in the vige doesn¡¯t know? You got angry with your sister-inw because of such a shameless woman, and it was your fault!¡±


    Zhang Peng said solemnly, seeing Di Yelei lower his head and not speak, he patted his shoulder again: ¡°Go hunting! Catch more game and sell them to bring more silver back. Then coax your sister-inw well. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After Zhang Peng finished speaking, he went straight past Di Yelei and ran quickly in the other direction.


    Di Yelei drooped his shoulders, feeling particrly disheartened in his heart.


    However, after a short while, he regained his spirits, realizing that at the moment, it was more important to hunt more game and earn some silver.


    That night, Di Yelei didn¡¯t return home.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mind and sorted out the things brought by Zhang Yun yesterday.


    She fried the perishable vegetables first. There were also some dried goods like broad beans, peas, and green beans, which she stored in pottery jars and put them in the cer. She also hid some of the misceneous grains, such as millet, sorghum rice, and corn, in the bowl cab. She held a small bag of pure flour in her hands, which she thought was enough for a few meals.


    She used a small amount of flour to make the dough, intending to make vegetable buns.


    No matter if the stuffing was made from wild vegetables grown or dug, the vegetable buns were always better than a mixture of flour and water cooked with vegetables.


    The next day, Di Yelei still didn¡¯te back. Liu Sisi finished sewing a pair of shoes she made for Di Yelei a long time ago, but it was only today that she finished.


    In modern times, giving shoes as a gift represents a breakup, but here it represents a lifelongmitment. People here were conservative, only husbands could see the jade feet, so giving shoes was a very intimate act, simr to giving underwear as a gift nowadays.


    She casually threw the shoes on the head of the bed, thinking that she didn¡¯t intend to give them away.


    She spread out the papers she had brought back, ground the ink, and started copying the ¡°Standards for Being a Good Pupil.¡±


    She had memorized the ¡°Standards for Being a Good Pupil¡± long ago. At this moment, she was actually writing from memory. She quickly finished copying the pages and waspletely engrossed in her work.


    Tomorrow was Market Day, and she hoped to finish copying the book in its entirety before tomorrow morning.


    The two children behaved well. Di Xuan silently watched Liu Sisi writing as he practiced his own brushstrokes. Ying¡¯er also changed her mischievous ways, learning to help Liu Sisi add water and grind ink.


    As darkness fell, she finally finished writing, put down the brush, and stretched her weary body.


    She was really exhausted!


    She hadn¡¯t used a brush for a long time, and her right arm was so sore and swollen that it didn¡¯t feel like her own, not to mention her swollen right hand, which was difficult to bend.


    She arranged the papers one by one and put them away before she got up to cook.


    The next day, Liu Sisi got up before dawn.


    After eating, she carried Di Ying and led Di Xuan to the small town in the dark.


    By the time the sky gradually brightened, the three of them had arrived in the small town.


    The door of the bookstore hadn¡¯t opened yet. Liu Sisi bought a sesame stick candy for each of the two children to eat, and she sat on the stone steps in front of the door, thinking about recent events and waiting for Nan Tianzong to open the shop.


    ¡°Mom,e and have some candy; it¡¯s delicious.¡±


    Di Yingughed happily, holding the sesame stick candy near Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Ying¡¯er, you eat it. Mom doesn¡¯t like sweets.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled and hugged Ying¡¯er tightly: ¡°Later, Mom will work here, and you and Xuan¡¯er should y quietly on the side. Don¡¯t talk to strangers, don¡¯t run around or touch other people¡¯s things. Understand?¡±


    Ying¡¯er nodded vigorously: ¡°Ying¡¯er understands! Mom, I¡¯ll y quietly by the side and won¡¯t cause trouble for you.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed and pinched Di Ying¡¯s cheek: ¡°You! You little smart one!¡±


    While they were talking, they saw Nan Tianzong walking towards them from a distance.


    When he caught sight of Liu Sisi and her children, he couldn¡¯t help but pause, and his eyebrows furrowed into the shape of a stream.

 Chapter 97 - 97: 95: Sisi Finds a Way Out: Nan Tianzong’s Suspicion

    Chapter 97 - 97: 95: Sisi Finds a Way Out: Nan Tianzong¡¯s Suspicion


    The man strolled from afar, still dressed in a bamboo-green long robe, which entuated his thin frame, making him appear even taller. Beneath his high, straight nose and across his thin lips, his beguiling smile barely held itself together.


    Would he really have to hire this woman to mind his shop? This persistent spirit just wouldn¡¯t leave him alone.


    No, he couldn¡¯t allow it! He needed to find an excuse to send her away.


    Frowning all the time was a waste of her celestial beauty.


    Liu Sisiined mentally.


    Still, she stood up, greeted the iing man with a smile, ¡°Shopkeeper, you¡¯ve arrived. Today¡¯s weather seems good. It must be a good day for making money. I¡¯m sure your wealth will flourish and gold will flow in.¡±<div>


    She stood at the entrance of the shop, bathed in the early morning sun, smiling faintly at him.


    Even disguised in a man¡¯s attire, she couldn¡¯t hide her ethereal beauty, particrly her pair of shy, watery eyes, which now seemed tinged with light mncholy. One look at her and an irresistible urge to protect her wells up, making you want to wrap her in your arms.


    Damn it!


    Had he lost his mind?


    Nan Tianzong cursed himself quietly, disguising his expression with a smile as warm as the spring breeze, and made his way to the shop, inspecting the two children.


    ¡°Are these two children yours?¡± he asked as he unlocked the door.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly followed, ¡°You are spot on, shopkeeper! There was no one at home today, so I brought my two children here. But don¡¯t worry. These two children are extremely well-behaved. They won¡¯t cause you any trouble. In fact, they might even help attract more business¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Nan Tianzong, who had walked ahead, suddenly stopped and turned around. That smile on his otherwise gentle face instantly froze.


    Liu Sisi closed her mouth, hesitated, and looking at her children, one on each side, she lowered her head in disappointment.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She understood that she shouldn¡¯t have brought her two children, but it wasn¡¯t a solution to continually leave them at Guihua¡¯s house.


    On the day Sister Guihua had a family emergency, she had no choice but to bring Di Xuan and Di Ying to her mother¡¯s house, resulting in Di Yelei not finding anyone at home when he returned. After much thought, Liu Sisi decided to bring the children and try her luck. If the shopkeeper couldn¡¯t ept it, she was prepared to leave at any moment.


    Of course, before that, she wanted to give it her best shot.


    But in the face of his frozen smile, she found herself unable to voice her remaining words.


    Nan Tianzong grimaced as his eyebrows twitched uncontrobly. He turned back and continued towards the interior, ¡°You can leave the two kids here, but you won¡¯t get paid for your work today. Think it through. Don¡¯t me me for being heartless. After all, this is not a charity!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes instantly lit up!


    ¡°Thank you, shopkeeper! I will work hard, wee the customers well, and take good care of the children. I promise not to cause you any trouble!¡±


    She was ecstatic!


    Who knew that this man named Nan Tianzong had such a kind heart!


    Just a moment ago, she thought he would reject her!


    This was too much of a surprise!


    Liu Sisi, overjoyed, led the siblings to a corner near the inner room, found a table and chairs for them, and then started her cleaning work for the day.


    As Nan Tianzong watched her swift movement among the shelves, a surge of indescribable irritation welled up in him.


    He covered his forehead in frustration!


    Looking at her disappointed expression just now, his heart inexplicably stirred. The words of keeping the children just slipped out of his mouth, making him wish he could p himself.


    Haven¡¯t he decided to find a way to send her away?


    Such a great opportunity wasted by none other than himself!


    But now that he had spoken, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to go back on his word.


    Frustrated, he retreated behind the counter, grabbed a book to cover his face, avoiding looking at her, so as not to get more annoyed.


    But in a moment, his attention was involuntarily drawn to the figure darting between the shelves, captivating all his senses. His eyes followed her every move, unable to look away.


    Many customers came in the morning. Some passed through to make a purchase. Because of the shopkeeper¡¯s kindness in letting both her and her children stay, Liu Sisi worked extra-hard.


    Even the students who didn¡¯t n to buy much ended up taking home an extra item due to her charming rmendation. The day¡¯s business was nearly twice as good as usual.


    As a result, Liu Sisi received quite a lot in tips.


    Having finally seen off thest customer, she was both exhausted and thirsty. She hurriedly walked over to the counter, picked up the bamboo tube, uncapped it, and started drinking.


    Wiping the corner of her mouth, she let out a deep sigh of relief, however her amusement upon seeing the shopkeeper made her burst intoughter.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, is that ¡®Book of Songs¡¯ in your hand really that interesting?¡±


    A beauty¡¯s smile captivates the city!


    Even the in-faced, cross-dressed beauty in front of him seemed to carry a different allure the more he looked at her.


    Nan Tianzong sat behind the counter, silent and motionless, book in hand, looking like an inkndscape painting exuding a faint ink fragrance.


    Upon hearing her question, he raised an eyebrow as heavy as a mountain, ¡°There¡¯s a jade-like face in the book, of course it¡¯s interesting.¡±


    ¡°It must be truly interesting then.¡±


    Liu Sisi earnestly nodded, pointed towards the book in his hand, ¡°But shopkeeper, your book¡­ it¡¯s upside down.¡±


    The corners of her mouth held a light, faint smile.


    Clearly, she was happy, her beautiful lips curving upward!


    As a result, her doe-like watery eyes also held a strong sense of joy.


    The sunlight streaming through thettice window fell on her, bathing her in a glow. She looked ethereal, her beauty otherworldly, it seemed like she shouldn¡¯t belong to the mortal realm. Nan Tianzong was thoroughly bewitched.


    He was certain he was bewitched!


    His heart was crying out in agony!


    Falling!


    Struggling!


    She was merely a married woman with children. What merit or ability did she have to attract his full attention?


    He, the aplished eldest legitimate son of the prominent Nan family, who had ess to any kind of beauty he wanted, when did he sink so low to take interest in a married woman?


    If he really brought her back to his family, let alone passing the scrutiny of those so-called family elders, even his own parents probably wouldn¡¯t agree!


    Wait, wait!


    Why was he considering bringing her back to his hometown?


    Could it be he really harbored some ill intentions towards her?


    At this thought, Nan Tianzong was instantly shell-shocked, his mind whirling in chaos, momentarily lost for bearings.


    Hepletely forgot Liu Sisi was still standing in front of him!

 Chapter 98 - 98: 96 Uninvited Guest: Liu Sisi Gets Lost

    Chapter 98 - 98: 96 Uninvited Guest: Liu Sisi Gets Lost


    ¡°Ahem! Shopkeeper¡ª¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s slender fingers tapped gently on the counter, her eyebrows and eyes curved in a charming arc.


    Nan Tianzong jolted back to reality, instinctively wanting to use the book in his hand to block her view. Then he suddenly realized that he had been holding the ssic of Poetry upside down without even noticing, and his face turned beet red.


    Like throwing a hot potato, he discarded the book in his hand, leaned down, shifted his direction, picked up a brush-pen, and started writing. He sneered coldly.


    ¡°What do you know? I am trying to read upside down on purpose, so I can recite it back-to-front. What are you still doing here? I¡¯m hungry, you better go buy some noodles for me to eat.¡±


    ¡°Buy¡­ noodles? If you¡¯re hungry, why don¡¯t you go eat by yourself?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi was somewhat surprised that Nan Tianzong actually asked her to run errands and buy noodles for him!


    Nan Tianzong didn¡¯t say much more and directly took out twenty copper coins from the counter: ¡°Go to the alley on the left, where there¡¯s an Auntie selling noodles. Take the two kids with you, and don¡¯t say that I¡¯m harsh on them by not even allowing them to have lunch.¡±


    After speaking, he buried his head back into his writing and refused to talk anymore.


    He¡¯s actually inviting their children for lunch!


    At that moment, Liu Sisi¡¯s worries were put to rest!


    She initially thought that Nan Tianzong dislikes the children very much, but it turns out that he¡¯s quite caring!


    ¡°Thank you, shopkeeper! I¡¯ll take the children to eat noodles then.¡±


    Liu Sisi happily put down the feather duster in her hand and called out to the two children, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, YingEr, let¡¯s go. We¡¯re having lunch outside.¡±


    It was hard on the two children who had quietly yed in the corner all morning. At this moment, hearing Liu Sisi¡¯s call, they quickly scampered out.


    ¡°Mom, where are we going for lunch? Didn¡¯t you say we have no money left?¡±


    Mature YingEr came up to Liu Sisi with head tilted up, asking her.


    Having picked her up, Liu Sisi then led Di Xuan out of the bookstore: ¡°Today, the lunch is on the shopkeeper! Let¡¯s go and eat noodles!¡± While saying so, she hastened towards the noodle stand Nan Tianzong had mentioned.


    For this meal, Liu Sisi felt that she hadn¡¯t taken advantage of him.


    Although she agreed to let the two children work today without pay, working ten days a month for a total of 500 copper coins, they were paid 50 coins a day. In this small town, it¡¯s indeed considered high pay and demands literate people who can read and write! How many real schrs would be willing to swallow their pride and work as a waiter?


    Literacy is an intangible asset!


    As such, 50 copper coins a day is honestly not expensive!


    Now that she has foregone the 50 copper coins in wages and spent over a dozen coins on his noodles, no matter how she does the math, she¡¯s on the losing end!


    The three left, Nan Tianzong threw the brush-pen down casually, scratched his head in pain, and drooped his usually upturned mouth. He knew how stiff his smile was, but after wearing the mask for a long time, it was as if it grew on his face. He couldn¡¯t take it off, and gradually it became the signature of him, Nan Tianzong.


    Speaking of that woman¡­ maybe he¡¯s been too busytely, and hasn¡¯t been with a woman for a long time¡­


    That¡¯s it!


    It must be like that!


    That¡¯s why when he sees a sow, he thinks it¡¯s Diao Chan!


    He hadn¡¯t been to Yihong Courtyard for a long time, so it seemed tonight he would have to make time to go there and vent his frustration!


    As soon as the idea was formed, his mood inexplicably improved a lot, and the usual gentle and elegant smile appeared on his face as he picked up the brush-pen again and doodled earnestly.


    Liu Sisi took the two children ording to Nan Tianzong¡¯s guidance, turned left into a small alley, looked up and saw a tent on the roadside, where an elderdy with white hair was making ned noodles.


    Although this was just a small alley, there were quite a few people eating noodles. When Liu Sisi and the two kids arrived, all four tables were full of people.


    Finally, when someone left, Liu Sisi hurriedly settled the children down and then said to the elderdy, ¡°Shopkeeper, I want two bowls of minced meat noodles and a bowl of vegetarian noodles. The other bowl to be packed and taken away is for the bookstore owner next door. He said to tell you and you would know which noodles he wants.¡±


    Old Lady Cao paused in her noodle-making and nced at Liu Sisi before continuing her work,ughing and saying, ¡°You must be the new waiter at Little Nanzi¡¯s shop? I¡¯ve heard him mention you, saying that you are capable and resourceful.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Little Nanzi¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Wasn¡¯t this the name used for eunuchs in old TV dramas? Little Dongzi, Little Liz, Little Kouzi¡­ Now that Aunt Cao called him Little Nanzi, Liu Sisi¡¯s first reaction was naturally tough.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it! Calling him Little Nanzi is more endearing!¡±


    Old Lady Cao put down her dough and smiled at Liu Sisi. She stirred the ned noodles in the pot, then quickly put chopped vegetables in ader to nch them, and began arranging the bowls.


    ¡°Little Nanzi is kind-hearted and has a good mind. He opens his shop inconsistently, working for three days and taking two days off. I¡¯ve long advised him to hire a waiter so the shop could be open on non-Market Days, and still make some profit. Keeping the shop closed every day like this causes more loss than gain, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    You¡¯re right, Auntie! But he didn¡¯t let Little Four open the shop on cold days. So¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled, not understanding Nan Tianzong¡¯s thoughts, but since he would do this, he must have his reasons; she wouldn¡¯t deliberately look for trouble.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Little Nanzi may seem easy-going, but once he makes a decision, it¡¯s hard for others to change it.¡±


    While chatting, Old Lady Cao picked up the nched vegetable leaves and put them at the bottom of the bowl, scooped up ned noodles on top, added two heaping spoonfuls of minced meat sauce, and finally sprinkled chopped green onions.


    ¡°Here! Hurry up and bring it to the children! They must be hungry.¡± Old Lady Cao looked kind and loving.


    Liu Sisi looked down and saw that the three bowls of noodles had a moderate portion, but the amount of minced meat sauce on top was about twice as much as in other people¡¯s bowls!


    ¡°But Auntie, Little Four asked for two bowls of minced meat noodles and a bowl of vegetarian noodles just now¡­¡±


    ¡°Silly girl, this is what Auntie is treating you to, hurry up and give it to the children.¡±


    Liu Sisi wanted to say more, but the people waiting at the neighboring table couldn¡¯t wait any longer!


    ¡°Aunt Cao, how much longer do I have to wait for my noodles?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯sing, it¡¯sing, right away!¡±


    At the moment, Aunt Cao didn¡¯t have time to entertain her any longer and hurriedly continued making noodles.


    Liu Sisi had no choice but to thank her and carry the noodles to the children.


    Both kids were already hungry, and they each picked up their bamboo chopsticks and began eating the fragrant noodles as soon as they were served. Liu Sisi, of course, was no exception.


    Meanwhile, in the bookstore, Nan Tianzong was currently engrossed in doodling on paper.


    At that moment, a soft sound of footsteps approached, and he instinctively looked up to see a man walking straight towards the counter.

 Chapter 99 - 99: 97: Uninvited Guest – Liu Sisi Lost in Confusion

    Chapter 99 - 99: 97: Uninvited Guest ¨C Liu Sisi Lost in Confusion


    Nan Tianzong looked up curiously, meeting a pair of wandering eyes.


    ¡°This way, brother, if you want to buy calligraphy tools, and this way, if you want to find books and paintings¡­ Huh! What¡¯s going on with you all?¡±


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s goodwill was ultimately in vain, as the other party was evidently not here for the items in the store.


    He waved his hand, and several servants immediately rushed into the store, rummaging around and even breaking into the back hall, leaving the shop in a mess.


    Hearing Nan Tianzong¡¯s question, the man nced at him and then stretched his neck to watch the servants¡¯ actions, clearly not intending to leave without finding something.


    ¡°Brother? Brother!¡±<div>


    Seeing the man¡¯s unfriendly gaze and actions, Nan Tianzong couldn¡¯t help knocking on the counter to get his attention: ¡°Brother, what are you trying to do? You¡¯re trespassing into a civilian house! Not to mention anything else, if you really report this to the county government, you won¡¯t be able to handle the consequences!¡±


    He also realized that the other party was here to cause trouble!


    Before Nan Tianzong could get angry, the man suddenly turned his attention away, and then smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re the owner of this shop?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Nan Tianzong hesitated: ¡°Yes, I am. And you are¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi had only brought YingEr back to the bookstore after feeding her. From a distance, she saw many people in the shop, so she hurriedly increased her pace and ran back to the shop.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte¡­ It¡¯s you!¡±


    In the shop, Nan Tianzong was confronting the man across the counter. Hearing the footsteps, both men turned their heads to look.


    The man¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately called out with a delighted expression: ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°Howe you¡¯re here?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked astonished, it was actually Zhang Shixin! How did he end up in the bookstore? What was going on?


    ¡°Sisi, I missed you. I went to your house twice and couldn¡¯t find you. I heard someone say that they¡¯d seen you here, so I came looking for you.¡± Zhang Shixin gazed at Liu Sisi with tender yearning, making people¡¯s skin crawl.


    Seeing Liu Sisi dressed in men¡¯s clothes, his eyes brightened! She was indeed bing more and more beautiful.


    He thought of her infatuation with him in the past and was confident that within three months, he would definitely have this little beauty in his grasp.


    By that time, a married woman hidden away in a small courtyard would surely be ignored by the poisoned wife who had initially meddled, pretending not to see.


    Zhang Shixin couldn¡¯t help narrowing his eyes, involuntarily resenting the poisoned wife. If it wasn¡¯t for her, the girl in front of him would have long been his prey!


    Liu Sisi felt nauseous at the man¡¯s lewd gaze and quickly stepped back a couple of steps!


    ¡°Stop! Businessman Zhang, we are strangers with no grudges. Why bother pretending here and talking nonsense for others to hear?¡±


    Zhang Shixin looked hurt, his eyes almost overflowing with tenderness as he looked at Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Sisi! Have you forgotten our vows of love? Back then, we promised each other a lifetime of loyalty! How can you go back on your word now? Sisi ¨C¡±


    ¡°Shut up, let me tell you! Even if I don¡¯t know you, so what? Since I, Liu, am married, I naturally have nothing to do with the past! If you continue to nder my reputation here, don¡¯t me me for being impolite!¡±


    While speaking, Liu Sisi angrily grabbed a feather duster nearby and aimed it at Zhang Shixin¡¯s handsome face, striking him relentlessly.


    ¡°Old Master, be careful! Are you alright?¡±


    The servants who had been standing on the sidelines hurriedly rushed over to stop her.


    ¡°Have you had enough?!¡±


    Nan Tianzong couldn¡¯t stand it any longer! He forcefully pushed the encircling crowd away and firmly protected Liu Sisi behind him.


    He shouted sternly: ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are! Since she said she doesn¡¯t know you, just get out of here! If I see you bothering her again, don¡¯t me me for not being polite!¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Zhang Shixin finally took a good look at Nan Tianzong.


    The small town was indeed not very big, and Zhang Shixin was very familiar with itsyout.


    Nan Tianzong had only arrived in the small town about half a year ago and mostly kept his shop closed, with no one knowing where he went. When he opened for business, he did not entertain the local gentry, unintentionally offending some people¡¯s interests. Overnight, the bookstore was destroyed by a massive fire.


    However, to the disappointment of the onlookers, the bookstore was rebuilt on the original site, and the shop front was expanded by a full half.


    After reopening, the bookstore changed its previous decline and business improved several times.


    He had initially nned to investigate Nan Tianzong¡¯s background, but unfortunately, his family¡¯s business forced him to go to the capital city. By the time he returned, Nan Tianzong had already gained some prominence.


    He looked Nan Tianzong up and down and sneered a few times, pointing at his nose and cursing: ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, you should ask around, who is Zhang Shixin? It¡¯s for your own good to stay away from the woman I have my sights on!¡±


    ¡°She works for my shop, and naturally, she¡¯s under my care! Who the hell are you? I, Nan Tianzong, haven¡¯t even considered you! Get out of here!¡± A fierce light shed in Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Very well! Fine, you daring, unconscionable brat! I, Businessman Zhang, am at least a respectable figure, and you dare¡­ ¡±


    ¡°If you have the guts, then bring it on! I, Nan Tianzong, will deal with all of it! If I find you bothering her again, don¡¯t me me for being impolite!¡± A murderous intent shed in his eyes as he spoke.


    Zhang Shixin was taken aback, his eyebrows standing on end.


    ¡°Fine! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After glowering at Nan Tianzong for a few moments, he turned around, leading the group and leaving the bookstore inrge strides.


    When they left, Liu Sisi¡¯s momentum copsed, and her entire body softened, even the feather duster in her hand slipped out of her grasp.


    ¡°Mom, are you alright?¡± Di Xuan asked worriedly.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t handle it, don¡¯t try to be tough; it won¡¯t kill you to ask for help!¡±


    Nan Tianzong casually brought a stool for Liu Sisi to sit on, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! As long as you work in my shop one day, he, a mere businessman, won¡¯t be able to hurt you.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was pale as she hastily shook her head. When she saw Zhang Shixin earlier, the residual consciousness of this body had acted up again.


    God knows how much willpower it took her to forcibly suppress the palpitations in her heart and to put on a fierce demeanor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve caused you trouble. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯te to the shop to work from tomorrow on.¡±


    After drinking a cup of boiled water, Liu Sisi finally calmed down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense; if you don¡¯te, won¡¯t it mean that I, Nan Tianzong, am afraid of Zhang, the businessman? Just feel free to work here. I want to see what kind of trouble he can cause me!¡± A cold light quickly shed in Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 100 - 100: 98: An Unexpected Guest – Liu Sisi’s Confusion

    Chapter 100 - 100: 98: An Unexpected Guest ¨C Liu Sisi¡¯s Confusion


    The whole shop¡¯s items were messily scattered around, obviously the work of those people from earlier.


    After Liu Sisi finished tidying up the items, she took the two children and started heading home.


    Passing through the market, onto the main road leading home, following the mountain bay, and turning into a dense cornfield, she was suddenly attracted by arge group of people gathered in the cornfield.


    Liuping Town was a small town, and the sudden appearance of so many people on the road back to the Upper Vige, along with several soldiers officers in uniform and carrying shiny big des, meant that something had happened, and it must be a significant incident!


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, over here!¡±


    Someone in the crowd waved their hand, calling her.<div>


    Liu Sisi looked carefully. Wasn¡¯t that Miao Cuihua whom she had just argued with recently? What was she doing here? Most importantly, she beckoned to herself like a harmless person.


    Feelingpelled, Liu Sisi gave a forced smile: ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. What¡¯s¡­ what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Miao Cuihua ran over with herrge frame and mysteriously said in response to Liu Sisi¡¯s question, ¡°Take a guess?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi pursed her lips.


    ¡°Hehe, what else could have happened for the soldiers officers toe? Someone died!¡±


    Miao Cuihua said loudly, shouting: ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of outrageous thing this person did, but he waspletely naked and not only strangled to death but even that thing was cut off. Tsk tsk¡­¡±


    That thing?


    Liu Sisi was stunned for a moment before she understood what Miao Cuihua meant, and her cheeks immediately turned red.


    Miao Cuihua didn¡¯t notice Liu Sisi¡¯s reaction, and continued excitedly: ¡°They say the man had been dead for many days and his corpse is already rotting. It was a corn farmer who came to harvest his crops and noticed a few stray dogs digging in his field. Curious, he drove the dogs away and took a closer look, only to find the dead man. He was so scared that he scrambled to the town to report it. The townspeople didn¡¯t dare to dy, and promptly reported it to the county government, which then sent people¡­¡±


    As they were talking, the noisy crowd on the other side was already carrying a stretcher toward them.


    A piece of ck cloth, so dark that one could hardly tell its original color, covered the stretcher. A strong stench of decay emanated from it, making Liu Sisi quickly get the two children out of the way.


    Fortunately, the stretcher was not headed in the direction of the Upper Vige. Once on the main road, the four strong men walked towards the small town, gripping the edges of the stretcher.


    On the other hand, several officers surrounded a tall man who was obviously their leader, having a quiet discussion and asionally looking back to give instructions.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The people behind him repeatedly responded.


    The leader was clearly a serious and unsmiling man, with his eyebrows locked together so tightly that arge ¡°´¨¡± had formed between them.


    When passing by Liu Sisi, he only nced at her casually. However, when their eyes met, he suddenly shuddered and sharply stared back at her. His piercing gaze was like a steel needle stabbing straight into her heart, causing a pang of pain.


    His expression changed rapidly in his eyes: joy, doubt, confusion, hatred, and coldness. Although it was only a brief moment, it seemed as if he had gone through countless cycles.


    However, before Liu Sisi could get a clear look, the man¡¯s gaze had already darkened. He turned his head and body away without looking back, walking away with the other officers inrge strides towards the other end of the main road, his sturdy figure soon disappearing around the corner.


    Who was this person?


    Did she know him before?


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t describe the thoughts in her heart at that moment, but she was sure of one thing: that officer she just saw definitely recognized her, or rather, the original owner of this body. At this moment, Liu Sisi waspletely at a loss!


    ¡°¡­Sisi, do you think my analysis just now is urate?¡±


    Miao Cuihua proudly concluded her long-winded exnation.


    ¡°Ah? Oh, yes¡­¡±


    At the moment, Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was a mess, with so many things happening continuouslytely, she had no interest in dealing with others.


    She forced a smile and excused herself, ¡°It¡¯s not early anymore, I have to go back. Xuan¡¯er, YingEr, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Without caring about the shouts behind her, she took the two children and rushed home.


    Di Yelei had already returned home. When Liu Sisi arrived back, he was pulling weeds and cleaning in the expanded courtyard. His sharp facial features and strong body showed off sleek, glistening muscles under the sun as he swung the broom quickly, sweeping the ground with a rustling sound.


    Seeing Liu Sisi and the others return, he hurriedly grinned and approached.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re back¡­¡±


    Liu Sisipletely ignored him, walking straight past him with a stony face.


    At the moment, her lips were pressed tightly, and herrge, deer-like eyes were filled with coldness and frost, almost piercing through people.


    ¡°Dad, Dad you¡¯re back¡­¡±


    As soon as YingEr let go of Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, she clung to Di Yelei¡¯s thigh.


    Di Yelei wanted to chase after her, but his feet were tangled by YingEr, so he could only watch as Liu Sisi entered the bedroom door and closed it in front of his eyes.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    His eyes darkened, and the smile on his face gradually faded. He gently patted YingEr¡¯s head and secretly sighed.


    Sisi¡­


    She was still angry at him!


    Touching the silver in his arms, Di Yelei felt much more at ease.


    Liu Sisi quickly took off her male clothes and changed into her own clothes, then picked up the discarded clothes and walked outside the room, intending to wash them.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes brightened, and he immediately went over with a smile, ¡°Sisi, let me wash them for you. You¡¯ve been tired all day, take a break first!¡±


    Liu Sisi dodged his outstretched hand, went straight past him to the kitchen, picked up a wooden basin, and did not even nce at him.


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t bear her coldness at the moment and couldn¡¯t help but hug her from behind.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be mad at me, it¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have misunderstood you and shouldn¡¯t have forced you. But when I saw you and him hugging each other, and with Second Sister-inw inciting me, I was so angry, so¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Let go!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s icy voice came from the front, making Di Yelei startle and easily letting Liu Sisi shake off his big hand.


    She didn¡¯t say more, grabbed a few handfuls of straw ash from the stove, carried the wooden basin out of the kitchen, and went to theundry trough at the edge of the courtyard to start washing clothes.


    ¡°Sisi, take this! I went hunting and sold it in the county. I was lucky this time, and I sold it for 2 taels and 634 maces of silver. It¡¯s all here.¡±


    As Di Yelei was talking, he tried to stuff the money bag into Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Have you had enough? Di Yelei!¡±


    Liu Sisi, furious, forcefully knocked the money bag out of his hand and shouted at him, ¡°Who do you think you are? And who do you think I, Liu Sisi, am? I, Liu Sisi, may be cheap, but I¡¯m a person, not a beast! And I¡¯m not your servant whom you can hit and scold as you please!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    The story updates twice a day, 2000 words per update. One update at noon around 12 o¡¯clock, and one update in the evening around 20 o¡¯clock, not ruling out the possibility of early orte updates in special circumstances. Thank you for your support of Craft Paper!

 Chapter 101 - 101: 99 Divorce: Sisi’s Heartache, YingEr Cries

    Chapter 101 - 101: 99 Divorce: Sisi¡¯s Heartache, YingEr Cries


    ¡°Sisi, you¡­ you actually think of me like this¡­¡±


    The radiance in Di Yelei¡¯s eyes dimmed. His tall figure in the afterglow of the setting sun seemed so deste.


    Liu Sisi suddenlyughed, her smile filled with boundless destion.


    ¡°Ha! How else could I think of you? You are a famous strong man, doing whatever you want to others, and who would dare to defy your will? What am I, Liu Sisi? I¡¯m nothing more than a dog you can summon and dismiss at will!¡±


    As soon as someone provoked him, he immediately put the me on himself. It¡¯s better not to have such a man who doesn¡¯t trust himself!


    ¡°I never! I never thought that way!¡±<div>


    Di Yelei roared!


    These are all unfounded sins, and he would never admit to them, even if it kills him.


    ¡°Yes! You didn¡¯t think like that, but you did it!¡±


    She suddenly raised her head, the anger in her eyes piercing his eyes, so that he couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    Di Yelei fell silent, staring at her in a daze.


    ¡°Hehe!¡±


    Liu Sisi snorted coldly and quickly washed the clothes, wrung them dry, and fetched another bucket of water to rinse the clothes.


    In her heart, a ball of rage burned fiercely, rapidly breaking down her trust in him.


    From beginning to end, the two never spoke again. A few times, Di Yelei wanted to grab the water bucket from her, but eventually gave up in the face of her fierce stare.


    Not until the clothes were washed did Liu Sisi, carrying the wooden basin, stand up and stare straight at him.


    Di Yelei¡¯s heart suddenly rejoiced. This was the first time Sisi looked at him so directly: ¡°Sisi, let me hang them up to dry¡­¡±


    ¡°Di Yelei, let¡¯s divorce!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Before Di Yelei could finish speaking, Liu Sisi interrupted him and sessfully made the smile on his face disappear.


    ¡°You¡­ what did you just say?¡±


    His voice was low!


    Heavy!


    It carried an inexplicable suffocating aura.


    ¡°I said, let¡¯s divorce! When you married me, you spent 10 taels of silver. Give me some time, and I will pay you back in full. I came here the same way I will leave now. Besides that, I don¡¯t want anything else, nor will I take anything away. What do you think?¡±


    ¡­


    Di Yelei opened his mouth wide but couldn¡¯t say a word. He felt a chill rising from the bottom of his heart. Even though it was the end of July, he felt as cold as if he had fallen into an ice cave, freezing purple.


    Finally spoke out! Liu Sisi took a long breath of relief.


    ¡°We¡¯vee this far, let¡¯s just part amicably. If you have any other requests, you can also mention them.¡±


    After Liu Sisi finished speaking, she suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of relief in her heart. In addition, another inexplicable reluctance emerged from the bottom of her heart.


    Reluctant to do what? She didn¡¯t even know herself.


    ¡°No! I never allow it!¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly came to his senses, and immediately became furious: ¡°Let me tell you, Liu Sisi, even if you die, you are still my wife! I will never agree to divorce!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow it, Sisi. You are mine¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly lunged forward and hugged Liu Sisi, aiming for her lips to kiss¡­


    Bang!


    Before he could kiss her, the wooden basin in Liu Sisi¡¯s hand fell to the ground, directly hitting Di Yelei¡¯s foot.


    That¡¯s right!


    She deliberately dropped the basin! Did she really think Liu Sisi was easy to bully?


    ¡°Uh! -¡±


    Di Yelei uttered a muffled groan. The feeling of being hit by a basin wasn¡¯t pleasant at all. But he didn¡¯t stop his actions, deepening the kiss further.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t respond at all, holding her fists tightly and resisting the familiar feeling from his touch and his kiss.


    She didn¡¯t respond, didn¡¯t resist, didn¡¯t struggle, just passively confronted him.


    It wasn¡¯t until a long timeter that he finally let go of her with a furrowed brow: ¡°Sisi?¡±


    Her originally beautiful face remained calm, without a trace of ripples.


    It was as if he was putting on a one-man show.


    What was revealed in her eyes was naked contempt: ¡°Di Yelei, besides forcing weak women and using force to conquer them, what else can you do?¡±


    Her lips were slightly swollen, but the words she spoke were more hurtful than a sharp de.


    Di Yelei was taken aback and growled angrily.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Did I say anything wrong? Di Yelei, you¡¯re really capable.¡±


    Liu Sisi reached out a finger to touch his arm lightly, which made him instinctively let go of her as if he had been burned by lightning.


    She bent down to pick up the scattered clothes on the ground, nning to wash them again, and then turned back: ¡°Think about it carefully. If you have any requests, you can make them.¡±


    Perhaps the situation she was in now was what they meant by ¡®grief beyond heartbreak¡¯!


    Liu Sisi rewet the clothes and began washing them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you can get rid of me! Sisi, let me tell you, even if you die, you should be buried in my Di family¡¯s ancestral tomb! You want a divorce, there¡¯s no chance at all!¡± Di Yelei¡¯s face veins jumped, and he yelled.


    He stormed out of the courtyard, and with a ¡°bang!¡± the yard door was mmed shut, and his footsteps gradually faded away.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s body went limp, and she couldn¡¯t help but copse to the ground. Her eyes stung, and tears followed, sliding down her cheeks.


    Tell herself to be strong!


    But basically, she was still just a little girl who had just stepped into the working world, and she would feel lost and distressed!


    She wanted to cry, but there were no tears.


    She wanted to go home even more!


    Home?


    But where was her home?


    In her previous life or now, she didn¡¯t have a home¡­


    The silent night gradually descended.


    The stars in the sky, along with the waning moon, lit up the sky and a corner of the small courtyard.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t return, the two children wisely hid in the room withouting out, and Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know how long she had been standing in ce before she finally crawled into the kitchen from the ground.


    Copy the Three Character ssic she brought back tonight, and go to the bookstore again tomorrow to quickly gather 10 taels of silver, which would also be considered redeeming herself.


    Redemption?


    That¡¯s what she really thought!


    Unexpectedly, Liu Sisi found that there was fragrant beast meat stewing in the stewing pot in the stove, and in the pot were cooked rice and scalded wild vegetables, which must have been prepared by him earlier on.


    Taking it out to heat up, Liu Sisi only called the two children to eat.


    Although she saw YingEr hesitating to speak, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Mom, what does divorce mean? Are you¡­ really not wanting YingEr anymore?¡±


    Unable to hold back the sadness in her heart, YingEr still asked in a small voice.


    Although she couldn¡¯t understand what divorce meant, she instinctively knew that her mother didn¡¯t want her anymore and was going to leave her.


    Liu Sisi had no idea how tofort her, as YingEr was Di Yelei¡¯s legitimate child, and even if she wanted to take her away, there was no reason for the other party to give her.


    No matter how much reluctance, she couldn¡¯t voice, a thousand words turned into silent sighs, she gently stroked Di Ying¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, eat quickly!¡±


    As she spoke, the tears she had been forcibly holding back fell from her chin into the bowl.

 Chapter 102 - 102: 100: He Li: Sisi’s Heartache and the Urgency to Make Money

    Chapter 102 - 102: 100: He Li: Sisi¡¯s Heartache and the Urgency to Make Money


    The Three Character ssic has only 1145 characters. Liu Sisi copied it by an oilmp until she finished and then went to bed.


    She almost couldn¡¯t sleep, feeling like the rooster crowed outside almost as soon as she closed her eyes.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t feel like sleeping any more, so she got up, washed hastily, and started cooking. Di Yelei didn¡¯te homest night, and Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know where he went, nor did she want to inquire about it.


    After eating, Liu Sisi once again took the two children to the small town.


    Although she knew that the responsibility for the two children was not hers, she could not bring herself to leave them alone at home.


    Just as she blended into the darkness, Di Yelei¡¯s figure emerged from behind the house.<div>


    Looking at the stubborn outline of her back, he couldn¡¯t help clenching his fists ¨C at least she hadn¡¯t left the children behind. Did this mean that she still had him in her heart?


    He consoled his confused heart.


    Liu Sisi hurried along the night road, walking shallowly and deeply, passing by where the corpse had been dug up yesterday, and couldn¡¯t help speeding up. She always felt chills creeping up her back, which was very ufortable.


    When she arrived at the entrance of the town, she saw several officers in uniforms of the governmental office¡¯s runners, rushing towards her head-on.


    The leader of the officers was the tall man she had seen yesterday, who frowned deeply in the shape of a river.


    He clearly noticed her too, his sharp eyes sweeping over her body like a snake¡¯s kiss, which made Liu Sisi shiver involuntarily.


    Before she could do anything, the group of men passed by her and walked quickly away down the road.


    Cold sweat poured down her back!


    This man¡¯s murderous aura was too strong!


    Liu Sisi wiped her forehead and hurried with the two children towards the bookstore. To her surprise, the main entrance of the bookstore was half-open and already weing customers. Upon seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s arrival, Nan Tianzong raised his thick eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡°Oh? What brings you here today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to return this copy of the Three Character ssic.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly handed over the copy she had written the night before.


    ¡°So quickly?¡±


    Nan Tianzong was surprised to take it, flipping through it casually. The handwriting was exceptionally neat and concise, not inferior to that of a man¡¯s.


    ¡°The handwriting is excellent. But you¡¯ve been working too hard. I gave you the job yesterday afternoon, and you¡¯re back with it this early morning. Did you not sleep at allst night?¡±


    No wonder he asked. Liu Sisi¡¯splexion was very poor today, pale and obviously not well rested.


    Liu Sisi shook her head with a faint smile: ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just that something happened at home and we need some silver urgently. So I thought I¡¯d take on more copying work to help with the cost.¡±


    That made sense.


    Nan Tianzong secretly nodded his head. If not for a major change at home, why would a woman who can read and write take a job as a waiter?


    ¡°Copying and working as a waiter won¡¯t earn you much money.¡±


    He pondered for a moment, ced the freshly made Three Character ssic on the shelves, and then took a thick book from near the inside and ced it in front of Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Take this book home to copy. As before, I¡¯ll supply you with the calligraphy tools, and I¡¯ll pay you 5 taels of silver as an advance. When you¡¯ve finished copying, I¡¯ll deduct it from your earnings. How about that?¡±


    Generally, the paper for copying books is provided by the shopkeeper, and the inkstone is paid for by the individual. There is a deposit for taking the original book, after all, if you don¡¯t return it, who can the shopkeeper turn to find it?


    Now, Nan Tianzong not only provided all the necessary writing materials but also prepaid 5 taels of silver, which is simply a windfall!


    ¡°5 taels of silver? Shopkeeper, are you¡­ not afraid that I¡¯ll take the money and run away?¡±


    Liu Sisi felt a stirring in her heart, and it felt great to be trusted wholeheartedly. Holding this copy of ¡°A New ount of the Tales of the World¡± in her hand, Liu Sisi felt an unusual weight.


    ¡°Just because you said that, you won¡¯t run away, will you?¡±


    Nan Tianzong smiled slightly and then handed her the 5 taels of silver.


    Last night, he went to Yihong Courtyard specifically. But when he was about to take a shot, there was always a small woman¡¯s figure shaking in front of him, causing him to go soft at crucial moments and fail to demonstrate his prowess, no matter how hard he tried.


    Under the contemptuous gaze of the other party, he escaped in disgrace.


    This was why he opened the shop early and unexpectedly saw her as soon as he turned around. His body immediately reacted.


    A thousand galloping steeds stormed in his heart, proving his guess. It turned out that it wasn¡¯t that he was incapable, but the person was not right!


    ¡°I really won¡¯t run away. Thank you, shopkeeper! Really, thank you¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    At this moment, Liu Sisi was genuinely grateful.


    ¡°Just call me Tianzong!¡±


    A beam of radiance shed in the depths of Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyes, quickly vanishing. He smiled amiably, with an exceptionally charming and gentle temperament, and a faint ink fragrance swirling around.


    ¡°¡­Tianzong.¡±


    Liu Sisi casually called his name, happily putting the original book and paper into her cloth bag. She secretly nned that even if this one book was not enough to earn her 5 taels of silver, she would take on more books to copy, hoping to raise the required amount as soon as possible.


    When the Di Family initially married her, they spent 10 taels of silver. She would return the 10 taels to them so they would have nothing to say about it.


    ¡°Oh, by the way! I think I heard something a few days ago.¡±


    Nan Tianzong tapped the countertop lightly: ¡°A wealthy family nearby is looking for a suitable female tutor to enlighten their young miss. Actually, this isn¡¯t a big secret, you¡¯ll know if you ask around.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes lit up instantly!


    In her previous life, she studied elementary education. In this inexplicable ancient world, if she were to enlighten a boy with an eight-legged essay, she would worry about him failing the Imperial Examination and ruining his future. But if it is for a girl, she is quite confident.


    ¡°How long has it been since this young miss has been looking for a female tutor? Have they found a candidate yet?¡± Liu Sisi hesitated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she definitely hasn¡¯t found a teacher yet. Strictly speaking, this young miss is a famous figure from far and near.¡±


    Nan Tianzong smiled confidently, then began to tell, ¡°The lineal granddaughter of the Gan Family in the north of the small town is seeking to hire a female tutor. The Gan Family has a dwindling poption, and the main lineage has only a son and a daughter left in this generation. The second son is with his parents in the capital city, while the eldest daughter, aged 8, stayed in the hometown ¡ª here in the small town ¡ª due to certain reasons.¡±


    ¡°There should be many peopleing to hire a female tutor for such an official¡¯s daughter, right?¡± Liu Sisi frowned.


    ¡°Of course! This is the daughter of an official who has been to the capital and can¡¯t stand the ordinary female tutors from the countryside. Moreover, this Miss Gan has been spoiled since childhood; even female tutors from the capital have been driven away or dissuaded by her bad temper. The days go by, and the hiring reward offered by the Gan Family gets higher and higher, and the requirements for the female tutor get lower and lower. From thest female tutor being driven away a month ago to the present, no female tutor has entered the Gan Family¡¯s door.¡±


    ¡°So, Miss Gan certainly hasn¡¯t found a female tutor yet.¡± Nan Tianzong concluded confidently.


    ¡°Do you think I can do it?¡± Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow.

 Chapter 106 - 106: 104: The Two Reconcile: Officers Visit the Door

    Chapter 106 - 106: 104: The Two Reconcile: Officers Visit the Door


    ¡°You go first!¡±


    The two of them said in unison again.


    In the end, Liu Sisi nodded her head: ¡°You go first.¡±


    Di Yelei pondered for a moment and said earnestly: ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re right. I was wrong, I shouldn¡¯t have forced you and been aggressive towards you, or lost my temper at you! I shouldn¡¯t have made you angry! I promise there won¡¯t be a next time. Please forgive me! From now on, I will treat you well and not let you be wronged! Sisi¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that all you want to say?¡±


    The smile on Liu Sisi¡¯s face disappeared, her gaze heavy.<div>


    Di Yelei was somewhat uncertain, having said all that he should have said, but Liu Sisi¡¯s expression was growing more and more unpleasant.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re so beautiful and capable, and also knowledgeable. I know I don¡¯t deserve you. But I¡¯m sincere about you! I¡¯m trulymitted to spending my life with you. It¡¯s me who is stupid, foolish, and useless because I can¡¯t earn enough silver! I¡­ please forgive me. I promise there won¡¯t be a next time! Sisi¡­¡±


    Her movements suddenly paused, and she raised her head to re at him!


    In her heart, waves were surging, she wished she could p him!


    ¡°Di Yelei, in your heart, is that really why you think I, Liu Sisi, am angry? Then you really underestimate me, Liu Sisi.¡±


    Having said that, she put away the ink and brush from the table, rolled up the paper and put the books into the cloth bag, then walked straight into the bedroom.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be angry¡­¡±


    Di Yelei was suddenly anxious and hurriedly reached out to grab her arm.


    But then, when she turned to look back, he quickly let go of her.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be angry. If you have something to say, just say it. Even if a criminal made a mistake, they should be allowed to know exactly what they did wrong, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Fine then! Let¡¯s not talk about your forcefulness today!¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded: ¡°Di Yelei, let me ask you. Since you saw Zhang Shixin bully me that day, why didn¡¯t youe out to help and instead hid yourself? Tell me, huh? Tell me!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Sisi, hear me out!¡±


    Di Yelei avoided her gaze, lowered his head, and suddenly didn¡¯t know how to continue.


    ¡°Sisi, that day I came back from the old house and searched everywhere for you. I just heard some noise outside, so I hurriedly walked out of the courtyard. I looked up and saw you struggling with him. Before I could speak, you shook him off. I¡­ I was afraid you¡¯d feel embarrassed if you saw me, so I hid myself, not thinking it would lead to so many misunderstandings.¡±


    ¡°Is it really as you say?¡± Liu Sisi narrowed her eyes slightly.


    Di Yelei suddenly raised his head and raised his right hand: ¡°Sisi! You are my, Di Yelei¡¯s wife, and I promise! From now on, anyone who dares to bully you has to get past me, Di Yelei, first. Even myself is not an exception. If I break this oath, I will¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop! Why are you making such a vow so casually?¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly grabbed his hand, rolled her eyes: ¡°Just remember what you said today, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Having said that, she poked his chest with a finger: ¡°And most importantly! Don¡¯t ever let me find out you don¡¯t trust me. If you believe someone¡¯s instigation so easily again, see how I¡¯ll deal with you!¡±


    Having said that, she let go of him and walked into the bedroom by herself.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face brightened up, did Sisi¡¯s words mean she had forgiven him?


    ¡°Sisi, have you forgiven me? I will definitely remember what I said today, don¡¯t worry! Sisi¡ª¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly followed her into the room, looking like he wanted to please her as he trailed behind her.


    It didn¡¯t look like something a 28-year-old man would do at all!


    Liu Sisi secretly found it amusing.


    Although she had forgiven him in her heart, she couldn¡¯t let him off so easily. She couldn¡¯t swallow this!


    ¡°Hmph! There¡¯s no such thing as an easy way out!¡±


    She picked up a pillow nearby and threw it directly at him!


    ¡°Now we¡¯re in an observation period! Until I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve changed and I¡¯ve forgiven you, you go sleep in Di Xuan¡¯s room! Without my permission, don¡¯te into this room any further, do you hear me?¡±


    Seeing the beautiful angle of her lips curl up and those two small dimples, Di Yelei waspletely captivated and intoxicated!


    How he was pushed out of the room, he didn¡¯t even notice.


    By the time he realized it, the bedroom door had closed in front of him. Apanied by the sound of the bolt being fastened, a softughter from a certaindy inside could be heard.


    Di Yelei stood there, dumbfounded.


    Sisi¡­ sheughed?


    Di Yelei stood alone at the door, smiling foolishly for a long time, until the candlelight in the room was extinguished. Then he turned and walked towards Di Xuan¡¯s room.


    After two steps, he suddenly remembered that he had left his change of clothes in the bedroom!


    He raised his arm to knock on the door, but thought better of it.


    He hadn¡¯t slept well for the past two days, and Sisi¡¯splexion was not good either. He decided to let her have a good night¡¯s sleep, and get his clothes tomorrow.


    With that, he spoke softly in a low voice, ¡°Sisi, I promise you, if you don¡¯t want me to enter the room, I won¡¯t. It¡¯s gettingte; you should get some rest.¡±


    Not caring if she heard or not, he grinned, took his pillow, and headed to Di Xuan¡¯s room.


    In the bedroom, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t sleep. Naturally, she had heard what he said.


    A sweet feeling welled up in her heart, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile! What an honest man!


    She thought he would just pin her down¡­


    The thought made her cheeks burn, and her ears felt as if they were on fire. She couldn¡¯t help but cover them!


    So embarrassing!


    How could she have thought of such things?


    But didn¡¯t this also show that he truly cared about her feelings?


    She pulled the thin quilt tightly around herself, still smelling his unique male aura. This scent was incrediblyforting and gave her a sense of security, just like how he made her feel¡ªas if he were right beside her, holding her tight!


    Liu Sisi smiled faintly and slowly drifted off to dreand.


    Before dawn, the sound of shoveling outside woke Liu Sisi. Yawning and rubbing her eyes,st night¡¯s memories returned to her mind as she sat up.


    Outside, Di Yelei was sweating profusely, shoveling dirt near the well. Seemingly noticing Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, he turned to look at her, grinning goofily with his big mouth, and then straightened his back.


    ¡°Sisi, are you up? Breakfast is already cooked in the pot; you should eat soon.¡±


    As he spoke, he wiped his sweat with the towel on his shoulder and continued shoveling dirt.


    ¡°Okay¡­ you should eat too.¡±


    Liu Sisi hesitated for a moment before speaking awkwardly. It seemed she had slept so deeply that she didn¡¯t even know when he got up and prepared breakfast.


    The two children were still asleep, so the couple ate quietly. Di Yelei had a good appetite, constantly adding dishes to Liu Sisi¡¯s bowl, with more than half of the rabbit meat ending up in her bowl.


    Seeing Liu Sisi looking at him, he hurriedly grinned goofily.


    After some thought, Liu Sisi took two pieces of rabbit meat from her bowl and ced them into his. ¡°You eat too; I can¡¯t eat that much.¡±


    ¡°Oh! This is what Sisi gave me; of course, I¡¯ll eat. Sisi, you eat too! Eat!¡±


    As he spoke, he put the pieces of meat she had given him into his mouth and quickly chewed it up.


    Watching him eat so heartily, Liu Sisi¡¯s mood improved.


    After tidying up the bowls and chopsticks, she was about to continue copying the book, A New ount of the Tales of the World, when a suddenmotion came from outside.


    Unable to resist, the two dropped their tasks and went out into the courtyard.


    From a distance, they saw several officers walking into the vige from the riverside path, knocking on the neighbors¡¯ doors one by one and speaking to everyone.


    Liu Sisi and Di Yelei exchanged nces, and both saw surprise in each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Could something have happened? Let¡¯s go and see!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Thank you for your support of Craft Paper! This chapter was almost finished this afternoon, but a power outage trapped it in theputer, unable to be retrieved. The power didn¡¯t return until now. Thank you for understanding. Mwah!


    Also, Craft Paper¡¯s real-life work is busy, so although individual replies to your messages haven¡¯t been made, your messages have been read carefully. Thank you for your support! Sob¡­


    Additionally, Craft Paper rmends several friends¡¯ works! Zhuang Ke¡¯ai¡¯s ¡°Di Guo Meng Bao: Zuo Wo Die Di, Yao Pai Dui,¡± Xi Yanxiao Jun¡¯s ¡°Jiao Chong Xiao Ming Xing: Shou Xi Xiong Meng Chi Bu Gou,¡± Xuan Ya¡¯s ¡°Da Pai Wu Fei: Qian Jin Nan Mai Ni Yi Xiao,¡± Hu Naonao¡¯s ¡°Yi Wan Tian Chong: Shou Xi Tian Jia Hao Men Qi,¡± Yue Liangshang De Hudie¡¯s ¡°You Gua Meng Qi: Fu Hei Leng Shao Lai Shang Wo,¡± Ran Chenfei¡¯s ¡°Re Huo Meng Qi: Boss Shi Zhi Lang,¡± and Yao Feiqingcheng¡¯s ¡°Hun Qian Chong Yue: Gao Leng Lao Gong Qiu Bao Bao.¡± Feel free to check them out if you¡¯re interested.

 Chapter 107 - 107: 105: Clouds of Suspicion – The Death of Big Mouth Li!

    Chapter 107 - 107: 105: Clouds of Suspicion ¨C The Death of Big Mouth Li!


    At Zhang Family¡¯s Mansion.


    Zhang Shixin carefully tidied up his appearance from head to toe.


    Looking at the half-covered hickey on the base of his neck, he couldn¡¯t help but think of the enchanting little demon fromst night. The thought of her involuntarily lifted his spirits.


    Outside the hall, his attendant Xiao Shitou hurriedly jogged in.


    ¡°Old Master, the carriage is ready, and we can leave at any time.¡±


    ¡°Good! Xiao Shitou, how do I look in these clothes?¡± Zhang Shixin stretched out his arms and proudly turned around in a circle.<div>


    Witty Xiao Shitou knew exactly what his Old Master had in mind.


    ¡°Old Master, your appearance is like a jade tree exposed to the wind, with an impressive appearance and a face that rivals Pan An. This time, you will undoubtedly make the young wife from the Liu Family swoon under your power, surrendering to you as you pluck that bright flower¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡­ You sure know how to talk, kid. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Zhang Shixinughed loudly, then suddenly stopped and picked up a folding fan. He swung it leisurely in his hand while takingrge, confident strides toward the outside, saying: ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re leaving the manor!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Master.¡±


    Xiao Shitou hurriedly followed.


    As the two walked one before the other, heading toward the gate of the mansion, Zhang Shixin couldn¡¯t help but be relieved. It seemed he wouldn¡¯t meet that despicable person today.


    ¡°Old Master Businessman, where are you going today?¡±


    Suddenly, a delicate female voice came from behind.


    The voice made Zhang Shixin¡¯s entire body shudder. He exchanged bitter nces with Xiao Shitou before turning to face the person who called him.


    In the blink of an eye, a pleasing smile had appeared on his face: ¡°Madam, you have a weak constitution. Why don¡¯t you rest in the inner courtyard instead ofing out here and catching a cold? That would really be distressing.¡±


    ¡°Old Master Businessman, have you forgotten? It¡¯s July now. The weather outside is nice and refreshing. Naturally, I want toe out and enjoy the fresh air, stroll around the streets, and rx!¡± Madam Zhang Shen Qiu replied with a charming smile.


    Zhang Shixin¡¯s smile disappeared, and he desperately worried if the woman had found something out.


    He then quickly stepped forward and supported Shen Qiu¡¯s waist, saying: ¡°Madam, it¡¯s the July sun, and it¡¯s strong and poisonous. If it harms your delicate skin, it will be my sin! Please listen and let your maids help you back to your room to rest.¡±


    ¡°Old Master, I want to apany you on your journey outside. I can enjoy the beautiful scenery surrounding us. With you by my side, I¡¯m not afraid of a little sunlight.¡±


    Shen Qiu spoke in a delicate tone: ¡°Old Master, with your outstanding appearance, I can¡¯t be sure that you won¡¯t be captivated by some enchantress from the Yihong Courtyard such as Shan Shan or Sisi, and then I¡¯ll have lost such a wonderful husband.¡±


    Trying to get rid of Shen Qiu? Hmph! That won¡¯t be so easy!


    Zhang Shixin¡¯s eyebrows twitched!


    Could it be that the despicable woman really knew everything?


    ¡°Stop messing around! I¡¯m going out for business, and it¡¯s not appropriate for a married woman like you to show her face in public! What does that say about you?¡±


    He spoke with indignation, putting on an air of authority: ¡°Hong¡¯er, Greeny, what are you standing around for? Quickly help the Madam back to her room! If there¡¯s a mistake like this again next time, I won¡¯t let you off easy!¡± After finishing, he turned around and hastily left.


    ¡°Yes, Old Master!¡± The two maids hurriedly came forward, supporting Shen Qiu on both sides.


    ¡°Old Master! Old Master¨C¡±


    Shen Qiu cried out repeatedly, but she couldn¡¯t stop Zhang Shixin¡¯s footsteps. She forcibly broke free from the support of the two maids.


    ¡°Get out of the way! Who asked for your help? All of you are so useless!¡±


    Shen Qiu¡¯s face was full of fierceness,pletely different from her previous gentleness. She suddenly turned her head and nced around at the several maids, immediately lowering her eyshes to cover her thoughts deep within her eyes.


    ¡°Hong¡¯er, you must quickly find out what happened to that wretched girl, Liu Sisi. Didn¡¯t they say it was already dealt with? How could she still appear before the Old Master?¡±


    Hong¡¯er hurriedly took a few steps forward, ¡°Madam, initially, Nanny Wang was the one who handled this matter. Should I¡­ bring Nanny Wang to see you and inquire about it?¡±


    Shen Qiu¡¯s gaze moved, and a fierce light shed across her eyes. ¡°Fine! Make sure to investigate carefully! If someone has taken my silver and not done their job properly, there¡¯s no need to be polite!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    Meanwhile, in Upper Vige.


    Liu Sisi and Di Yelei blended in with the crowd, listening to the questioning of several officers.


    ¡°So the dead man is Big Mouth Li! We all thought he had run off somewhere, but he was actually killed. This is no surprise, considering the other party was notorious for petty thefts. It¡¯smon for him to disappear for three or five months at a time, and everyone was hoping he¡¯d die soon. Isn¡¯t it obvious? He must have been killed by one of his own partners in crime¡­¡± Miao Cuihua, a plump and round woman, squeezed in beside Liu Sisi and spoke in a mysterious tone.


    Liu Sisi nced at her but didn¡¯t engage in conversation, continuing to crane her neck to observe the center of the scene.


    The constable who referred to himself as I from the Zuo Family stood behind the ountant, carefully watching their ounts. In front of the ountant, several vige residents recalled thest time they saw the deceased.


    ¡°Oh my heavens! How can an old cripple like me go on now that you¡¯re dead? You were my only support¡­ A white-haired man sending off a ck-haired one, what am I going to do from now on! Oh heavens¡ª¡±


    Big Mouth Li¡¯s father wept bitterly, wailing nonstop.


    Suddenly, he seemed to be filled with energy and jumped up. He reached out, grabbing the cor of a nearby married woman. ¡°It must have been you who killed my son! You wicked woman, I want you topensate for his life!¡±


    The woman whose cor Li¡¯s father grabbed was none other than Pockmarked Face, the married woman who had an affair with Big Mouth Li.


    ¡°Let go! What are you doing? My rtionship with Big Mouth Li was innocent, don¡¯t you dare falsely use me!¡± Pockmarked Face retorted sharply.


    ¡°It was you! Thest time someone came to my home for silver, it was you! I saw it with my own eyes!¡±


    Soon, the two started fighting in the center of the scene.


    Just as the situation was getting out of control, the constable standing in the background suddenly stepped forward and yelled, ¡°Quiet down! This is an official matter. If you keep fighting like this, I¡¯ll have you both arrested for obstructing justice and locked up in jail. Let¡¯s see if you still want to fight then!¡±


    His words fell, and the two people who were fighting gradually let go of each other, both continuing to sob uncontrobly.


    Seeing that the situation was getting worse, Liu Sisi quietly leaned in towards Di Yelei. ¡°Yelei, Pockmarked Face couldn¡¯t have been the one who killed Big Mouth Li, right? She doesn¡¯t have that much strength. What do you think, Yelei? Yelei! Yelei¡ª¡±


    After calling out several times, Di Yelei was still lost in his own thoughts, looking pale and sweating profusely.


    Liu Sisi curiously tapped him a little. ¡°Yelei? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Ah? Sisi- You just said what?¡± Di Yelei was very nervous.


    He suddenly grabbed her arm and quickly squeezed through the crowd, heading back home.

 Chapter 105 - 105: 103: The Murder Case: The Official Visits and Sisi’s Confused Heart

    Chapter 105 - 105: 103: The Murder Case: The Official Visits and Sisi¡¯s Confused Heart


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mood was awful too.


    In her previous life, after her parents died, many rtives came out of nowhere, trying to adopt her and win her favor.


    When they learned that there were nopensations after her parents¡¯ death, they all disappeared. She had been with her grandfather since she was a child, witnessing the cold and warmth of the world.


    From childhood to adulthood, she had always been used to controlling everything in her own hands.


    She spent her childhood busy fighting against bullies, middle school busy studying and learning to survive, high school busy with academics while taking care of her sick grandfather. When she went to college and her grandpa passed away, she made arrangements for her grandpa while working hard at part-time jobs¡­


    So busy that she had no time for love!<div>


    In her mind, as long as everything she did meets her own expectations, it would be good.


    Why is this time different?


    When she thinks about leaving the Di family, her heart feels a strange sense of urgency, as if something very important is about to leave her! But what exactly is it?


    The more she thinks, the less she understands!


    When she can¡¯t figure it out, she stopped thinking about it and focused on copying the book A New ount of the Tales of the World.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Meanwhile, Di Yelei came by and saw her concentrating on copying. He turned around and continued digging the well.


    She wrote until night falls, only then stopping and rotating her wrists. This was not a rxing work.


    For dinner, Liu Sisi still braised the rabbit meat, and to ward off hunger, she made pancakes with chive fillings. The dough was already prepared at noon; the pancakes came out golden with a tempting aroma.


    She picked a fewrge ones, put them on a te in the basket, and let Di Xuan take them to their grandfather. She then stir-fried the vegetables and set the table with bowls and chopsticks beforeing to the edge of the well.


    The sound of the heavy shovel digging the soil still came from inside.


    ¡°The food is ready.¡±


    Standing there for a while, Liu Sisi suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Sisi? Okay, I¡¯ll be done soon!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s cheerful voice came from below, and he quickly increased the pace of his work.


    Not long after, he jumped out of the well, showing her a wide smile with his gleaming white teeth, and immediately bent down to grab the rope hanging on the edge of the well opening. With a strong pull, arge bucket of muddy water droplets and silt was pulled up from the bottom of the well.


    Di Yelei conveniently dumped the sludge to a corner of the courtyard wall.


    He wiped his sweat: ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go up to the mountain to carry some bluestone back and seal the well opening, leaving a small ess for water fetching, making it convenient and safe.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded slightly: ¡°I think the terrain here is not bad, so why not build a small water pool under it? We can nt some lotus flowers and raise some small fish in it since the water source here never ends, so we don¡¯t need to worry about it drying up.¡± After saying that, she bit her lip in annoyance.


    She was about to leave, so why was she still thinking about these things? What a worrywart!


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes lit up!


    He praised her: ¡°Sisi, you are so thoughtful. Not many people around here grow lotus flowers unless they are a wealthy family who would nt some in their courtyards.¡±


    After pondering for a moment, he added, ¡°I remember there are lotus roots for sale in the city. Tomorrow, after I go hunting on the mountain, I¡¯ll head to the county directly and buy the lotus roots to nt. How big and what shape do you think the water pool should be?¡±


    Looking at the chatty man beside her, covered in mud and sweat or perhaps well water dripping from his forehead, he did not bother to wipe it off; instead, he spoke to her with a humble and pleasing tone, as if seeking her approval¡­


    All of a sudden, Liu Sisi felt that something copsed inside her heart!


    A wave of panic welled up from the bottom of her heart.


    That strange feeling appeared again, as if she was about to lose something precious, making her heart twisted into a knot, constantly tugging at her.


    She took a deep breath and held it for a while before finally exhaling slowly. She couldn¡¯t resist his careful and pleasing gaze any longer, scanning the surroundings and considering for a moment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about these things. This area was originally a muddy pond, so why not dig around the edge of the pond and make a narrow strip about one meter wide and five meters long?¡±


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s a meter?¡± Di Yelei hesitated.


    Liu Sisi rolled her eyes: ¡°I mean, three feet wide, extending to the edge of the courtyard, and also turning the small piece ofnd outside the courtyard into a small pond, or a deepwater field.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it?


    This ce was adjacent to the foot of the mountain, and although the well water source was small, it flowed all year round. If it were to be developed into a deepwater field, the area would be too small for rice cultivation, but it would be feasible for growing lotus and raising fish.


    Di Yelei thought for a moment: ¡°It would be difficult to turn it into the small pond you mentioned, but it would be feasible to transform it into a deepwater field. However, the area would be too small, and it would only be suitable for growing lotus flowers or something like that.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at him firmly: ¡°Why?¡±


    Why are you still treating her so well? Just because of her casual words, you really want to dig a well, dig a pond, and nt lotus flowers?


    You could have refused!


    Why, why! Why ¡­


    She wanted to get angry and yell, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°What why?¡± Di Yelei asked curiously.


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi closed her mouth, knowing that she couldn¡¯t ask this question no matter what.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat, you go take a shower first.¡±


    After saying that, she turned around and entered the house. The frustration in her heart was indescribable.


    ¡°Okay, then! I¡¯ming.¡±


    Di Yelei replied loudly, his smile gradually fading.


    He missed those days when they were together, warm and full of vitality. Most importantly, Sisi made him feel at home. But now, they seemed like strangers.


    After dinner, Liu Sisi continued to copy writings bymplight, while Di Yelei sat across from her, weaving bamboo strips. The two apanied each other quietly, peaceful as they silently did their tasks. But beneath the tranquility, there were turbulent emotions.


    Liu Sisi stole a nce at him and recalled the recent events that had urred.


    It had to be said that Di Yelei was really good to her; not only did he pamper her, indulge her, work diligently, and endure hardships, but his hunting ie was also quite good. Moreover, he handed over all his ie to her for safekeeping, and he was very handsome ¨C except for being a bit too naive.


    Such a person would be hard to find any ws in ¨C even in modern times.


    But she was just angry at him!


    Angry that when she saw herself being bullied by that dog-shit Businessman Zhang, he not only didn¡¯te forward to help but hid! This clearly showed that he didn¡¯t trust her, Liu Sisi!


    Did he really think she was a flirtatious brothel girl?


    Liu Sisi became even angrier when he tried to force herself on her!


    Wait a minute!


    Why was she angry?


    Having never been in love in both her past and present lifetimes, Liu Sisi was aplete romantic idiot.


    Even though she hadn¡¯t been in love, you don¡¯t have to eat pork to see pigs run. Considering her recent reactions, she felt that she was making a big deal out of nothing!


    It is said that a lover¡¯s eyes can¡¯t even bear a grain of sand!


    Could it be ¡­


    In an instant, a sense of rity spread through her mind.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    Both of them called out to each other at the same time, then stopped talking, looking at each other andughing in unison.

 Chapter 106 - 106: 104: The Two Reconcile: Officers Visit the Door

    Chapter 106 - 106: 104: The Two Reconcile: Officers Visit the Door


    ¡°You go first!¡±


    The two of them said in unison again.


    In the end, Liu Sisi nodded her head: ¡°You go first.¡±


    Di Yelei pondered for a moment and said earnestly: ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re right. I was wrong, I shouldn¡¯t have forced you and been aggressive towards you, or lost my temper at you! I shouldn¡¯t have made you angry! I promise there won¡¯t be a next time. Please forgive me! From now on, I will treat you well and not let you be wronged! Sisi¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that all you want to say?¡±


    The smile on Liu Sisi¡¯s face disappeared, her gaze heavy.<div>


    Di Yelei was somewhat uncertain, having said all that he should have said, but Liu Sisi¡¯s expression was growing more and more unpleasant.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re so beautiful and capable, and also knowledgeable. I know I don¡¯t deserve you. But I¡¯m sincere about you! I¡¯m trulymitted to spending my life with you. It¡¯s me who is stupid, foolish, and useless because I can¡¯t earn enough silver! I¡­ please forgive me. I promise there won¡¯t be a next time! Sisi¡­¡±


    Her movements suddenly paused, and she raised her head to re at him!


    In her heart, waves were surging, she wished she could p him!


    ¡°Di Yelei, in your heart, is that really why you think I, Liu Sisi, am angry? Then you really underestimate me, Liu Sisi.¡±


    Having said that, she put away the ink and brush from the table, rolled up the paper and put the books into the cloth bag, then walked straight into the bedroom.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be angry¡­¡±


    Di Yelei was suddenly anxious and hurriedly reached out to grab her arm.


    But then, when she turned to look back, he quickly let go of her.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be angry. If you have something to say, just say it. Even if a criminal made a mistake, they should be allowed to know exactly what they did wrong, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Fine then! Let¡¯s not talk about your forcefulness today!¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded: ¡°Di Yelei, let me ask you. Since you saw Zhang Shixin bully me that day, why didn¡¯t youe out to help and instead hid yourself? Tell me, huh? Tell me!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Sisi, hear me out!¡±


    Di Yelei avoided her gaze, lowered his head, and suddenly didn¡¯t know how to continue.


    ¡°Sisi, that day I came back from the old house and searched everywhere for you. I just heard some noise outside, so I hurriedly walked out of the courtyard. I looked up and saw you struggling with him. Before I could speak, you shook him off. I¡­ I was afraid you¡¯d feel embarrassed if you saw me, so I hid myself, not thinking it would lead to so many misunderstandings.¡±


    ¡°Is it really as you say?¡± Liu Sisi narrowed her eyes slightly.


    Di Yelei suddenly raised his head and raised his right hand: ¡°Sisi! You are my, Di Yelei¡¯s wife, and I promise! From now on, anyone who dares to bully you has to get past me, Di Yelei, first. Even myself is not an exception. If I break this oath, I will¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop! Why are you making such a vow so casually?¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly grabbed his hand, rolled her eyes: ¡°Just remember what you said today, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Having said that, she poked his chest with a finger: ¡°And most importantly! Don¡¯t ever let me find out you don¡¯t trust me. If you believe someone¡¯s instigation so easily again, see how I¡¯ll deal with you!¡±


    Having said that, she let go of him and walked into the bedroom by herself.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face brightened up, did Sisi¡¯s words mean she had forgiven him?


    ¡°Sisi, have you forgiven me? I will definitely remember what I said today, don¡¯t worry! Sisi¡ª¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly followed her into the room, looking like he wanted to please her as he trailed behind her.


    It didn¡¯t look like something a 28-year-old man would do at all!


    Liu Sisi secretly found it amusing.


    Although she had forgiven him in her heart, she couldn¡¯t let him off so easily. She couldn¡¯t swallow this!


    ¡°Hmph! There¡¯s no such thing as an easy way out!¡±


    She picked up a pillow nearby and threw it directly at him!


    ¡°Now we¡¯re in an observation period! Until I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve changed and I¡¯ve forgiven you, you go sleep in Di Xuan¡¯s room! Without my permission, don¡¯te into this room any further, do you hear me?¡±


    Seeing the beautiful angle of her lips curl up and those two small dimples, Di Yelei waspletely captivated and intoxicated!


    How he was pushed out of the room, he didn¡¯t even notice.


    By the time he realized it, the bedroom door had closed in front of him. Apanied by the sound of the bolt being fastened, a softughter from a certaindy inside could be heard.


    Di Yelei stood there, dumbfounded.


    Sisi¡­ sheughed?


    Di Yelei stood alone at the door, smiling foolishly for a long time, until the candlelight in the room was extinguished. Then he turned and walked towards Di Xuan¡¯s room.


    After two steps, he suddenly remembered that he had left his change of clothes in the bedroom!


    He raised his arm to knock on the door, but thought better of it.


    He hadn¡¯t slept well for the past two days, and Sisi¡¯splexion was not good either. He decided to let her have a good night¡¯s sleep, and get his clothes tomorrow.


    With that, he spoke softly in a low voice, ¡°Sisi, I promise you, if you don¡¯t want me to enter the room, I won¡¯t. It¡¯s gettingte; you should get some rest.¡±


    Not caring if she heard or not, he grinned, took his pillow, and headed to Di Xuan¡¯s room.


    In the bedroom, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t sleep. Naturally, she had heard what he said.


    A sweet feeling welled up in her heart, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile! What an honest man!


    She thought he would just pin her down¡­


    The thought made her cheeks burn, and her ears felt as if they were on fire. She couldn¡¯t help but cover them!


    So embarrassing!


    How could she have thought of such things?


    But didn¡¯t this also show that he truly cared about her feelings?


    She pulled the thin quilt tightly around herself, still smelling his unique male aura. This scent was incrediblyforting and gave her a sense of security, just like how he made her feel¡ªas if he were right beside her, holding her tight!


    Liu Sisi smiled faintly and slowly drifted off to dreand.


    Before dawn, the sound of shoveling outside woke Liu Sisi. Yawning and rubbing her eyes,st night¡¯s memories returned to her mind as she sat up.


    Outside, Di Yelei was sweating profusely, shoveling dirt near the well. Seemingly noticing Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, he turned to look at her, grinning goofily with his big mouth, and then straightened his back.


    ¡°Sisi, are you up? Breakfast is already cooked in the pot; you should eat soon.¡±


    As he spoke, he wiped his sweat with the towel on his shoulder and continued shoveling dirt.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Okay¡­ you should eat too.¡±


    Liu Sisi hesitated for a moment before speaking awkwardly. It seemed she had slept so deeply that she didn¡¯t even know when he got up and prepared breakfast.


    The two children were still asleep, so the couple ate quietly. Di Yelei had a good appetite, constantly adding dishes to Liu Sisi¡¯s bowl, with more than half of the rabbit meat ending up in her bowl.


    Seeing Liu Sisi looking at him, he hurriedly grinned goofily.


    After some thought, Liu Sisi took two pieces of rabbit meat from her bowl and ced them into his. ¡°You eat too; I can¡¯t eat that much.¡±


    ¡°Oh! This is what Sisi gave me; of course, I¡¯ll eat. Sisi, you eat too! Eat!¡±


    As he spoke, he put the pieces of meat she had given him into his mouth and quickly chewed it up.


    Watching him eat so heartily, Liu Sisi¡¯s mood improved.


    After tidying up the bowls and chopsticks, she was about to continue copying the book, A New ount of the Tales of the World, when a suddenmotion came from outside.


    Unable to resist, the two dropped their tasks and went out into the courtyard.


    From a distance, they saw several officers walking into the vige from the riverside path, knocking on the neighbors¡¯ doors one by one and speaking to everyone.


    Liu Sisi and Di Yelei exchanged nces, and both saw surprise in each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Could something have happened? Let¡¯s go and see!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Thank you for your support of Craft Paper! This chapter was almost finished this afternoon, but a power outage trapped it in theputer, unable to be retrieved. The power didn¡¯t return until now. Thank you for understanding. Mwah!


    Also, Craft Paper¡¯s real-life work is busy, so although individual replies to your messages haven¡¯t been made, your messages have been read carefully. Thank you for your support! Sob¡­


    Additionally, Craft Paper rmends several friends¡¯ works! Zhuang Ke¡¯ai¡¯s ¡°Di Guo Meng Bao: Zuo Wo Die Di, Yao Pai Dui,¡± Xi Yanxiao Jun¡¯s ¡°Jiao Chong Xiao Ming Xing: Shou Xi Xiong Meng Chi Bu Gou,¡± Xuan Ya¡¯s ¡°Da Pai Wu Fei: Qian Jin Nan Mai Ni Yi Xiao,¡± Hu Naonao¡¯s ¡°Yi Wan Tian Chong: Shou Xi Tian Jia Hao Men Qi,¡± Yue Liangshang De Hudie¡¯s ¡°You Gua Meng Qi: Fu Hei Leng Shao Lai Shang Wo,¡± Ran Chenfei¡¯s ¡°Re Huo Meng Qi: Boss Shi Zhi Lang,¡± and Yao Feiqingcheng¡¯s ¡°Hun Qian Chong Yue: Gao Leng Lao Gong Qiu Bao Bao.¡± Feel free to check them out if you¡¯re interested.

 Chapter 107 - 107: 105: Clouds of Suspicion – The Death of Big Mouth Li!

    Chapter 107 - 107: 105: Clouds of Suspicion ¨C The Death of Big Mouth Li!


    At Zhang Family¡¯s Mansion.


    Zhang Shixin carefully tidied up his appearance from head to toe.


    Looking at the half-covered hickey on the base of his neck, he couldn¡¯t help but think of the enchanting little demon fromst night. The thought of her involuntarily lifted his spirits.


    Outside the hall, his attendant Xiao Shitou hurriedly jogged in.


    ¡°Old Master, the carriage is ready, and we can leave at any time.¡±


    ¡°Good! Xiao Shitou, how do I look in these clothes?¡± Zhang Shixin stretched out his arms and proudly turned around in a circle.<div>


    Witty Xiao Shitou knew exactly what his Old Master had in mind.


    ¡°Old Master, your appearance is like a jade tree exposed to the wind, with an impressive appearance and a face that rivals Pan An. This time, you will undoubtedly make the young wife from the Liu Family swoon under your power, surrendering to you as you pluck that bright flower¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡­ You sure know how to talk, kid. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Zhang Shixinughed loudly, then suddenly stopped and picked up a folding fan. He swung it leisurely in his hand while takingrge, confident strides toward the outside, saying: ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re leaving the manor!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Master.¡±


    Xiao Shitou hurriedly followed.


    As the two walked one before the other, heading toward the gate of the mansion, Zhang Shixin couldn¡¯t help but be relieved. It seemed he wouldn¡¯t meet that despicable person today.


    ¡°Old Master Businessman, where are you going today?¡±


    Suddenly, a delicate female voice came from behind.


    The voice made Zhang Shixin¡¯s entire body shudder. He exchanged bitter nces with Xiao Shitou before turning to face the person who called him.


    In the blink of an eye, a pleasing smile had appeared on his face: ¡°Madam, you have a weak constitution. Why don¡¯t you rest in the inner courtyard instead ofing out here and catching a cold? That would really be distressing.¡±


    ¡°Old Master Businessman, have you forgotten? It¡¯s July now. The weather outside is nice and refreshing. Naturally, I want toe out and enjoy the fresh air, stroll around the streets, and rx!¡± Madam Zhang Shen Qiu replied with a charming smile.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Shixin¡¯s smile disappeared, and he desperately worried if the woman had found something out.


    He then quickly stepped forward and supported Shen Qiu¡¯s waist, saying: ¡°Madam, it¡¯s the July sun, and it¡¯s strong and poisonous. If it harms your delicate skin, it will be my sin! Please listen and let your maids help you back to your room to rest.¡±


    ¡°Old Master, I want to apany you on your journey outside. I can enjoy the beautiful scenery surrounding us. With you by my side, I¡¯m not afraid of a little sunlight.¡±


    Shen Qiu spoke in a delicate tone: ¡°Old Master, with your outstanding appearance, I can¡¯t be sure that you won¡¯t be captivated by some enchantress from the Yihong Courtyard such as Shan Shan or Sisi, and then I¡¯ll have lost such a wonderful husband.¡±


    Trying to get rid of Shen Qiu? Hmph! That won¡¯t be so easy!


    Zhang Shixin¡¯s eyebrows twitched!


    Could it be that the despicable woman really knew everything?


    ¡°Stop messing around! I¡¯m going out for business, and it¡¯s not appropriate for a married woman like you to show her face in public! What does that say about you?¡±


    He spoke with indignation, putting on an air of authority: ¡°Hong¡¯er, Greeny, what are you standing around for? Quickly help the Madam back to her room! If there¡¯s a mistake like this again next time, I won¡¯t let you off easy!¡± After finishing, he turned around and hastily left.


    ¡°Yes, Old Master!¡± The two maids hurriedly came forward, supporting Shen Qiu on both sides.


    ¡°Old Master! Old Master¨C¡±


    Shen Qiu cried out repeatedly, but she couldn¡¯t stop Zhang Shixin¡¯s footsteps. She forcibly broke free from the support of the two maids.


    ¡°Get out of the way! Who asked for your help? All of you are so useless!¡±


    Shen Qiu¡¯s face was full of fierceness,pletely different from her previous gentleness. She suddenly turned her head and nced around at the several maids, immediately lowering her eyshes to cover her thoughts deep within her eyes.


    ¡°Hong¡¯er, you must quickly find out what happened to that wretched girl, Liu Sisi. Didn¡¯t they say it was already dealt with? How could she still appear before the Old Master?¡±


    Hong¡¯er hurriedly took a few steps forward, ¡°Madam, initially, Nanny Wang was the one who handled this matter. Should I¡­ bring Nanny Wang to see you and inquire about it?¡±


    Shen Qiu¡¯s gaze moved, and a fierce light shed across her eyes. ¡°Fine! Make sure to investigate carefully! If someone has taken my silver and not done their job properly, there¡¯s no need to be polite!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    Meanwhile, in Upper Vige.


    Liu Sisi and Di Yelei blended in with the crowd, listening to the questioning of several officers.


    ¡°So the dead man is Big Mouth Li! We all thought he had run off somewhere, but he was actually killed. This is no surprise, considering the other party was notorious for petty thefts. It¡¯smon for him to disappear for three or five months at a time, and everyone was hoping he¡¯d die soon. Isn¡¯t it obvious? He must have been killed by one of his own partners in crime¡­¡± Miao Cuihua, a plump and round woman, squeezed in beside Liu Sisi and spoke in a mysterious tone.


    Liu Sisi nced at her but didn¡¯t engage in conversation, continuing to crane her neck to observe the center of the scene.


    The constable who referred to himself as I from the Zuo Family stood behind the ountant, carefully watching their ounts. In front of the ountant, several vige residents recalled thest time they saw the deceased.


    ¡°Oh my heavens! How can an old cripple like me go on now that you¡¯re dead? You were my only support¡­ A white-haired man sending off a ck-haired one, what am I going to do from now on! Oh heavens¡ª¡±


    Big Mouth Li¡¯s father wept bitterly, wailing nonstop.


    Suddenly, he seemed to be filled with energy and jumped up. He reached out, grabbing the cor of a nearby married woman. ¡°It must have been you who killed my son! You wicked woman, I want you topensate for his life!¡±


    The woman whose cor Li¡¯s father grabbed was none other than Pockmarked Face, the married woman who had an affair with Big Mouth Li.


    ¡°Let go! What are you doing? My rtionship with Big Mouth Li was innocent, don¡¯t you dare falsely use me!¡± Pockmarked Face retorted sharply.


    ¡°It was you! Thest time someone came to my home for silver, it was you! I saw it with my own eyes!¡±


    Soon, the two started fighting in the center of the scene.


    Just as the situation was getting out of control, the constable standing in the background suddenly stepped forward and yelled, ¡°Quiet down! This is an official matter. If you keep fighting like this, I¡¯ll have you both arrested for obstructing justice and locked up in jail. Let¡¯s see if you still want to fight then!¡±


    His words fell, and the two people who were fighting gradually let go of each other, both continuing to sob uncontrobly.


    Seeing that the situation was getting worse, Liu Sisi quietly leaned in towards Di Yelei. ¡°Yelei, Pockmarked Face couldn¡¯t have been the one who killed Big Mouth Li, right? She doesn¡¯t have that much strength. What do you think, Yelei? Yelei! Yelei¡ª¡±


    After calling out several times, Di Yelei was still lost in his own thoughts, looking pale and sweating profusely.


    Liu Sisi curiously tapped him a little. ¡°Yelei? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Ah? Sisi- You just said what?¡± Di Yelei was very nervous.


    He suddenly grabbed her arm and quickly squeezed through the crowd, heading back home.

 Chapter 108 - 108: 106: Brothers at Odds – Zuo Xingyu comes to the door

    Chapter 108 - 108: 106: Brothers at Odds ¨C Zuo Xingyues to the door


    This scene was all seen in the eyes of the constable behind them.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He ordered directly: ¡°Have two people take them in for questioning separately and have them recount everything they know. The more clues we gather, the sooner we can find the real culprit.¡±


    Liu Sisi nced back at the chaotic crowd, but Di Yelei dragged her away quickly.


    ¡°Ye Lei, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Barely keeping up with his pace, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong, I just remembered that the well at home hasn¡¯t been built yet, so we need to hurry back and work on it.¡± Di Yelei said without turning his head.<div>


    Liu Sisi instinctively retorted: ¡°But¡­¡±


    Di Yelei pushed open the main gate of the courtyard, looked back at her with a piercing gaze, and then smiled: ¡°What else is there to say, silly girl, don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    As he spoke, he couldn¡¯t help but stretch out his arms and gently hug her.


    In a ce where she couldn¡¯t see, he frowned worriedly, but his gaze was firm: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Sisi! I¡¯ll be by your side to protect you and won¡¯t let anyone hurt you. Even if the sky falls, I, Di Yelei, will hold it up for you!¡±


    Burying her head in his chest and listening to his strong heartbeat, a sense of happiness spread from the bottom of her heart, making Liu Sisifortably close her eyes.


    She sighed softly: ¡°I understand¡­¡±


    So, this is the happiness she has been longing for!


    The feeling of being loved and pampered is far better than the countless times the two of them had argued and felt heartbroken! Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but lift the corners of her mouth.


    Her hand unconsciously drew circles on his chest, teasing him.


    She knew he was hiding something from her.


    But who doesn¡¯t have a little secret they can¡¯t share with outsiders? She was no exception! Naturally, she wouldn¡¯t me him.


    ¡°Sisi, what are you doing?¡±


    Di Yelei gasped and grabbed her mischievous little hand, gritting his teeth.


    Could any real man withstand such a tease?


    He was no eunuch!


    ¡°Ah? No, nothing¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly pulled back her hand, covering her mouth andughing softly, deliberately teasing him to ease his tense mood.


    Di Yelei, half doting, half scolding, gently pinched her little nose: ¡°You, Sisi, you little troublemaker, my little demon!¡±


    He wanted to hold her tightly, love her, and pamper her to the bone; yet he feared rming her or scaring her away! He could only gently embrace her in his arms, inhaling the fragrance of her hair.


    They shared an intimate moment for a while before reluctantly separating from each other.


    Liu Sisi returned to her room to continue copying books, while Di Yelei continued to work on the opening of the well.


    He seemed to be preupied, and the frolicking dogs and the chirping YingEr by his side couldn¡¯t make him rx.


    Not long after, Zhang Peng pulled up with several stone bs on a handcart, making Liu Sisi jump!


    She hurried back to the kitchen and boiled an egg to bring out.


    The two in the courtyard seemed to have an argument, both ring at each other with angry faces, unwilling to admit defeat.


    Although Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know what the two had said, their postures suggested that the conversation hadn¡¯t been pleasant.


    Liu Sisi stopped in her tracks, not knowing whether to move forward or go back.


    ¡°Is Sister busy? You don¡¯t need to greet me, I¡¯m not an outsider anyway.¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisiing out, Zhang Peng softened his face first and turned his head to look: ¡°Just came over to lend a hand, and it¡¯s easier for two people to do this work together. Don¡¯t need the eggs, you can still give them to the two children to nourish their bodies.¡±


    ¡°Sisi is naturally grateful if Brother Zhang is willing to help.¡± Liu Sisi quickly took two steps forward and handed over the poached eggs.


    ¡°Ye Lei is straightforward and honest, and if he says anything wrong, I hope you won¡¯t be angry, Brother Zhang. Our family has benefited a lot from your help in the past. Even the grain we eat now was brought by you, so please don¡¯t refuse this trivial bowl of poached eggs.¡±


    ¡°Sisi is right! Zhang Peng, you hurry up and eat, so we can work together and finish early.¡± Di Yelei also eased his face and wiped off a handful of sweat.


    With no choice, Zhang Peng could only take the bowl and eat.


    At this moment, barking sounds from two puppies were heard in the courtyard. Liu Sisi hurried out to answer the door and saw several constables standing in front of the yard door. The one leading them was none other than Constable Zuo.


    Constable Zuo looked at the perimeter of the Di family home, his eyebrows furrowed into a Chuan shape without rxing, so this is the Di family she married into!


    Hearing the door open, his sharp gaze swept across the people, causing Liu Sisi to shudder involuntarily.


    ¡°Mrs. Di, I am Zuo Xingyu, a constable from the county government. I am here today to inquire about the victim Big Mouth Li. I wonder if you could let us in?¡± Constable Zuo Xingyu said, eyes narrowed.


    So that¡¯s his name, Zuo Xingyu!


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was somewhat embarrassed, for the courtyard was in chaos at the moment and unfit for hosting. She had no choice but to lead them in.


    The center of the Di family¡¯s yard was the courtyard, neatly arranged with piles of gravel and stones. Vegetables grew around the edges, and two big trees stood beside the house and the wall, half-shielding the adobe rooms in a straight row.


    Only one corner was muddy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, since we didn¡¯t know that the constables woulde, we¡¯re currently digging a well, so¡­¡± Di Yelei was a bit constrained.


    ¡°No matter! We are here to investigate a murder, just need you to tell us thest time you saw the victim.¡± The ountant hurriedly said.


    ¡°Let me start.¡±


    Liu Sisi, standing up straight, didn¡¯t fear the crooked shadows, especially under that Constable Zuo¡¯s piercing gaze, she didn¡¯t want to stay there any longer: ¡°I just married into this family, and I don¡¯t know Big Mouth Li and have never seen this person. So I can¡¯t talk about anyst meeting.¡±


    She calmly faced everyone¡¯s gaze without avoiding it.


    Zuo Xingyu nodded and turned to Di Yelei: ¡°This Di¡­¡±


    ¡°Just call me Di Yelei.¡±


    Di Yelei said calmly: ¡°I have seen Big Mouth Li. He and his father came to eat at our wedding banquet. That day, he came without a cash gift and made a fuss, but he also snuck into Sisi¡¯s room by pretending to be drunk. Aunt Zhang, who was guarding the room, drove him out ¨C oh, many people saw it! You can ask anyone. After that, I haven¡¯t seen him since, as our house is quite far from the vige.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu didn¡¯t interrupt. They had questioned everyone in the vige, and the Di family was thest. Many people had mentioned this earlier, and now that Di Yelei¡¯s words were confirmed, he naturally didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Do you have anything else to add? Or any useful clues, or anyone who was close to the victim?¡± The ountant asked in a matter-of-fact manner.


    ¡°No.¡± The couple shook their heads together.


    ¡°Good! If you find any clues, be sure to notify us as soon as possible. Gentlemen, we will take our leave.¡±


    Finally, the constables left, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°What on earth happened? Judging from what the constables said, could it be that the killer is from our vige?¡± Liu Sisi asked curiously.


    Zhang Peng straightened his back: ¡°Ah, Big Mouth Li was not a good guy at all. He deserved to die for his thievery and harms. Even though the vigers don¡¯t talk about it, I¡¯m sure they are secretly very happy about it.¡±


    ¡°Puff! Brother Zhang, you should have said: ¡®Big Mouth Li deserved to die! He died a good and perfect death! He died a noisier death! His death actually eliminated a scourge for the vigers.¡¯ Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Liu Sisi teased humorously.


    Unexpectedly, Zhang Peng actually nodded seriously and said meaningfully: ¡°I think we shouldn¡¯t look for the killer, but rather reward the hero who eliminated the scourge!¡±

 Chapter 109 - 109: 107 Past Events: Sister Guihua’s Kindness

    Chapter 109 - 109: 107 Past Events: Sister Guihua¡¯s Kindness


    This remark made all three of them burst intoughter!


    All of them wereughing heartily!


    The two of them had been busy all afternoon and finally managed to seal the mouth of the well, leaving a small opening. The babbling stream bubbling out from below the well¡¯s mouth, although notrge in volume, was clean and sweet ¨C it¡¯s virtue was its rity and sweetness.


    After Zuo Xingyu and the others had thoroughly investigated and questioned everyone in Upper Vige, they set off back to the small town.


    Along the way, they were discussing in detail their findings.


    They left Upper Vige through the vige road, crossed a small river, took a few turns around the bay, waded through a small stream, and arrived on the main road. It just so happened that they ran headlong into a few people who were hurriedlying their way.<div>


    Zuo Xingyu sharply refocused his gaze: ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    The other party also shouted out!


    The personing was none other than Zhang Shixin, who had hurriedly made his way from the Zhang family¡¯s mansion.


    Today, from the moment he stepped out of his house, every single thing had gone wrong!


    He inadvertently stepped into a pond, and while sitting down for breakfast, he was dragged into a brawl by idle men, which left his forehead all bruised up. After finally managing to leave the clinic, he was hit by the tail end of a horse whip belonging to a galloping horse. This had not only marked his freshly changed clothes with a muddy stain, but also left a painful welt where the whip hadnded!


    It truly was a saying that, when a person has bad luck, even drinking cold water can cause a toothache!


    What god of fortune did Zhang Shixin offend today?


    He did suspect that lowly person of some foul y, but upon careful consideration, he dropped the idea. He was sure that the lowly person wouldn¡¯t dare to sabotage him behind his back!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But he had underestimated a woman¡¯s jealousy.


    At the moment, his usual handsome appearance looked like a dog who had lost its home,pletely disheveled. As his gaze met Zuo Xingyu¡¯s, he shouted out.


    ¡°It¡¯s you! What are you doing here?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes lingered deeply on him, then raised the corner of his mouth slightly in a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. He said, ¡°Businessman Zhang, it¡¯s strange you ask me this. I, Zuo, am here to investigate a case, naturally. I wonder, what brings Businessman Zhang here?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I, I am here to collect rent, of course!¡±


    Zhang Shixin was showing signs of nerves, his gaze flickering.


    ¡°And you? What are you doing in the Upper Vige? Zuo, don¡¯t forget your initial promise!¡±


    The surrounding temperature abruptly dropped, and it felt as if even the air was frozen.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s gaze suddenly darkened, eyes as deep as two vast ck ponds. They seemed capable of sucking someone in whole, causing instinctive shivering.


    ¡°The words I¡¯ve spoken, I, Zuo, naturally remember!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu took two steps forward, whispering in his ear, ¡°Let me remind you, Businessman Zhang! Don¡¯t treat everyone else as fools! Since you¡¯ve already given her up and allowed her to marry someone else. If I, Zuo, find out you¡¯re up to anything underhanded, I might not dare to do much, but I could still have you eat prison food for a few days, free of charge!¡±


    With a couple of cold chuckles, Zuo Xingyu stood straight, holding his big de against his chest, arms crossed, and his sharp eyes pierced Zhang Shixin¡¯s heart straight away.


    ¡°You! ¨C Zuo Xingyu! Don¡¯t be too smug too soon, don¡¯t push your luck!¡±


    Zhang Shixin was raging mad, his handsome face twisted into an extremely hideous expression. ¡°What are you, Zuo Xingyu? All talk, no action! Weren¡¯t you kicked aside by Sisi? At least she chose me over you in the beginning! You¡¯re even worse than me, you dare to act self-righteous here! What are you nning now? You¡¯re not trying to pester her to death, are you? Pah! What a joke!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu cast a somber gaze. The ominous sound of his voice sent chills down everyone¡¯s spine: ¡°I¡¯ve recently heard an interesting joke, I wonder if Businessman Zhang would like to hear it?¡±


    ¡°Not interested! Xiao Shitou, let¡¯s go! Don¡¯t bother with this self-important know-it-all!¡±


    Businessman Zhang had no desire to listen further. With Xiao Shitou by his side, he turned to leave.


    ¡°Leaving so soon, Businessman Zhang? Just the other day, a colleague from the capital mentioned something interesting. Apparently, a certain gentleman in our Yanqing County was so determined to take a concubine that his poor wife had no choice but to sabotage their own family¡¯s business, leaving her scatterbrained husband with no time for anything else but running off to the capital city. In the end, he even had to grovel to his own father-inw, begging for forgiveness. Even after barely preserving his family business at the cost of several tens of thousands of shiny silver pieces he still felt grateful to his father-inw, the one who orchestrated his downfall¡­ Tsk tsk! Businessman Zhang, wouldn¡¯t you say this story is amusing?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu stood half-turned, a hint of mockery creeping up on his face as he watched Zhang Shixin turn back.


    Zhang Shixin nearly tripped over in shock!


    ¡°Back off! I don¡¯t need your help!¡±


    With a harsh shove, he pushed off Xiao Shitou who hade forward to help steady him. Barely managing to stand upright, he turned to point an using finger at the nose of Zuo Xingyu.


    ¡°Incredible, Constable Zuo! Now you¡¯re a gossiping woman! Since you seem to be so interested in such rumors, why don¡¯t you go to the eunuch chamber to fulfill your ambitions? That way, all our troubles will be solved, won¡¯t it? Haha¡­¡± Then, with a greatugh, he proudly strode off.


    The eunuch chamber was where men were made eunuchs.


    Zuo Xingyu remained at the spot, fixing a cold stare at Zhang Shixin¡¯s departing figure with a smug smile, then sweeping a look over the bystanders who were watching curtailed by curiosity.


    ¡°What are you staring at? Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Meanwhile, Zhang Shixin strode away with fury in his belly, muttering venomously once Zuo Xingyu was out of sight, ¡°A small man in power! I, Zhang Shixin, will wait and see how long you can maintain your arrogance!¡±


    ¡°Master, are we still heading to the Upper Vige now?¡± Little Shitou tentatively inquired, fearful that he¡¯d end up as the defusing kit for his master¡¯s anger.


    ¡°What Upper Vige? To home! I wish to a word with THAT despicable woman. Find out if what Zuo Xingyu said was true! Onwards!¡± dered Zhang Shixin in a huff.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡±


    Xiao Shitou hustled to keep up, grousing to himself: Going back? What could you possibly do to Madam at home?


    Our master¡¯s father-inw, Old Master Gan, controls half of the private salt trade in the capital. That¡¯s a big-money business! Our master has been doing nothing but jockeying for his favor! If Madam wasn¡¯t the illegitimate daughter of Old Master Gan, would our master have had a chance to marry her?


    Yes, he may curse her a bit now, but in front of Madam, wouldn¡¯t he be just like a mouse before a cat? He¡¯s hurrying back home to endure her wrath, but what for?


    Xiao Shitou kept these thoughts to himself while he caught up.


    Meanwhile¡­


    While Liu Sisi was busying herself at the stove, Guihua came to visit.


    ¡°Sisi! Your cooking skills are really something else! Even the simplest dishes turn into delicacies when made by you! They taste much better than the ones I cook. You know, both Zhang Yun and Zhang Pengpliment your cooking skills.¡± Guihua kept herself busy helping Liu Sisi sort the vegetables.


    Liu Sisi was currently preparing the fish that Zhang Yun and Di Xuan had brought back from the river. ¡°Keepplimenting me, Guihua! You¡¯re praising me so much, I can barely tell east from west.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a praise, I just stated the fact.¡±


    Guihua nced up at Liu Sisi, who looked noticeably more refreshed today. Unable to resist her curiosity, she lowered her voice: ¡°Sisi, have you and Brother Ye Lei¡­consummated your marriage yet?¡±


    This was the second time Guihua had asked, and it made Liu Sisi ufortable. ¡°¡­Guihua, why would you¡­¡± ask something like that?


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s pitiful! You¡¯ve been married for months and you¡¯re still a virgin. If this were known, you¡¯d be theughingstock.¡±


    Guihua slid closer to her and quietly handed her a small packet, ¡°Here! In the evening, give this medicine to Brother Ye Lei and that will sort things out!¡±

 Chapter 110 - 110: 108: Turmoil – Unexpected Arrival, A Cloud of Suspicion

    Chapter 110 - 110: 108: Turmoil ¨C Unexpected Arrival, A Cloud of Suspicion


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively grabbed the paper package and began to unwrap it.


    The words ¡®take¡¯ and ¡®care¡¯ were misheard by Sisi as ¡®dispose¡¯ due to Guihua¡¯s pronunciation. She asked directly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Guihua was also quite embarrassed and quickly stopped Sisi from unwrapping the package: ¡°I just wanted to help¡­ This is the only solution, Sisi, don¡¯t me me for being nosy.¡±


    This was the medicine powder Guihua had specially prepared for Di Yelei after discussing with Zhang Peng. Originally, she wanted Zhang Peng to give it to Di Yelei, but Zhang Peng was too shy and refused, saying that they had to save face for Di Yelei.<div>


    She really didn¡¯t understand, they were already at this point, what face was there to save?


    It was only right to consummate the marriage first!


    Having no choice, she could only give it to Sisi.


    As Guihua didn¡¯t allow her to open it now and asked her to give it to Di Yelei in the evening, it seemed that the thing inside the paper package was quite important!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s pretty face couldn¡¯t help but turn red. Without saying much, she hastily stuffed the paper package into her pocket and coughed lightly while shaking her head.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, what are you talking about? Since marrying into this family, I¡¯ve been grateful for your and Brother Zhang¡¯s care. Even though they are not blood brothers, their bond is much stronger. You¡¯ve always taken good care of me. On the contrary, I¡­ after marrying into this family, always brought trouble to you and¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey! We¡¯re all brothers here, why say all these things? I¡¯m just d you don¡¯t think I¡¯m nosy.¡±


    Having resolved a major issue, Guihua felt a weight lift from her chest. She couldn¡¯t help but change the subject as she found the atmosphere a bit odd: ¡°The food should be ready soon, let¡¯s set the table. Once they¡¯re done with their work, everyone can fill their stomachs.¡±


    Liu Sisi naturally had no objections: ¡°Alright, let¡¯s follow Sister Guihua¡¯s arrangement.¡±


    That night, Guihua¡¯s family stayed at Di Family for dinner.


    As usual, Sisi scooped some of each dish and let Di Xuan bring them to the old house before starting her own meal.


    Zhang Yun brought a jar of his homemade sorghum liquor. As he opened the lid, the fragrant and passionate aroma of the wine filled the air.


    Di Yelei and Zhang Peng drank cup after cup, gradually letting loose and enjoying the delicious food on the table. The crispy small fish, sweet and sour fish, braised rabbit meat, dry-fried green beans, and shrimp and vegetable buns were all mouth-watering¡­


    The full table of food gradually made its way into everyone¡¯s stomachs. Everyone except the two drinkers had already left the table.


    As Liu Sisi chatted with Guihua, they cut the cloth into pieces, nning to sew them into garmentster.


    They drank until the waning moon hung low in the west, and Di Yelei¡¯s face was flushed red as he swayed the already passed out Zhang Peng.


    ¡°Come on! Zhang Peng, you¡­ drink! Let¡¯s keep drinking¡­ drink!¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you drinking for? You¡¯re already so drunk, how can you keep going like this?¡±


    As they chatted, time flew by. By the time Guihua noticed, the two men were clearly drunk.


    Despite pouring them two bowls of hangover drink, there seemed to be no improvement. In the end, Guihua had no choice but to call Zhang Yun. The two of them supported the unconscious Zhang Peng and staggered home.


    Di Yelei, with his drunken eyes, headed towards the bathing room.


    The two children were sleeping soundly, and Liu Sisi tidied up the room. Not seeing Di Yelei, she suspected that he might have gotten drunk and passed out in the bathroom.


    Liu Sisi hesitated, then picked up the oilmp and went into the bathroom.


    Just as she had guessed, the man¡¯s tall body was curled up in therge wooden barrel, with only his head sticking out. He was sound asleep. This bathtub was specially made for Di Yelei, with a diameter of 1.2 meters and a height of 70 centimeters. His tall figure lying in the bathtub didn¡¯t seem out of ce at all.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Ye Lei, wake up!¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed with relief and approached him, softly calling his name a few more times. When he didn¡¯t respond, she couldn¡¯t help but reach out her hand to gently pat his face.


    Just as her hand touched his cheek, his eyes, which had been closed in deep sleep, suddenly opened, their sharp gaze making it impossible to look directly at him. A sudden burst of pain shot through her arm, and she let out an instinctive muffled groan.


    ¡°Uh! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Before she could react, she felt the world spinning around her, followed by a ssh as she fell head-first into the bathtub, swallowing several mouthfuls of bathwater.


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ help¡­ drowning¡­¡±


    Plunged suddenly into the water, she instinctively iled around, the cramped space making it difficult for her to turn her body.


    Liu Sisi tried to grab onto whatever she could reach to help her get out of the bathtub. Her hands reached out, her fingers touching a hard, rock-like, well-built and muscr body that was slippery and impossible to get a grip on.


    The more panicked she became, the more her legs iled, swallowing more bathwater and trying to grip onto anything she could.


    Finally able to turn around and emerge above water, she gasped for air.


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough, cough! ¡ª¡ª Let go of me! Cough, cough, I¡¯m dying! Di Yelei cough, cough¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi struggled desperately, looking like a drowned rat.


    She coughed and coughed, trying to expel the bathwater that had gotten into her throat.


    ¡°Uh! Sisi!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s distinct hoarse voice suddenly came through, filled with bewilderment. His face, steep and deep like a knife sculpture, was full of wicked and wild charm,pletely unlike his usual honest demeanor.


    This change made Liu Sisi¡¯s breath hitch.


    ¡°Sisi! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s voice carried a hint of uncertainty, a hint of hesitation, his drunken eyes firmly fixed on her.


    The next moment, his big hand reached out suddenly and covered her small hand, assertive and domineering! His mouth emitted a mesmerizing hum.


    Bam!


    The blood rushed to Liu Sisi¡¯s head, and her face turned beet red, lovely and alluring.


    If by that moment, she still didn¡¯t understand what Ye Lei wanted to do, she would have wasted her more than twenty years in her previous life!


    ¡°Ye Lei! Quick¡­ let go of me.¡±


    She instinctively tried to flee, but the water sshed around her, revealing her delicate curves. Her soaked clothes no longer hid anything. The undershirt within quickly became visible.


    ¡°Sisi, behave!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He murmured subconsciously, his gaze never leaving the beautiful sight before him.


    Liu Sisi instinctively retreated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this¡­ let go of me! Uh¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi wanted to struggle, to break free, but his kiss melted her into a puddle of water, leaning against the edge of the bathtub and holding onto his arm without any strength to stand.


    His kisses gradually moved upward, from her corbone, along her slender neck, to her face.

 Chapter 111 - 111: 109: Wine Drunken Turmoil: Unexpected Arrival, Clouds of Suspicion

    Chapter 111 - 111: 109: Wine Drunken Turmoil: Unexpected Arrival, Clouds of Suspicion


    The passionate movements of the two caused the hot water in the bathtub to ssh rapidly, overflowing from the big tub and making everything nearby a mess.


    It seemed like a flood had urred, leaving a huge wet area around them. Under the water, Liu Sisi was almost entangled on Di Yelei¡¯s body, leaning powerlessly against the edge of the big tub, relying solely on the man in front of her for support.


    Her head was groggy, even more dazed than the drunk man in front of her, and her whole body melted like water in his embrace.


    An exceptionally hot temperature in her small hand was too much for her to handle, making her heart anxious. She tried numerous times to withdraw her hand, but he held it tightly, rendering her unable to break free.


    Despite knowing that this man was extremely dangerous, she was always confused by his simple appearance, bing a helplessmb that voluntarily came to his door.


    She let him repeatedly harvest and savor her at will.<div>


    She trembled like a small grass battered by the wind and rain, swaying with the storm, barely having a chance to catch her breath.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Let go and let me get up!¡±


    Her voice was soft and charming, carrying an ultimate attraction. Rather than sounding like she was rejecting him, it was more like an invitation.


    As soon as the coquettish voice spoke, she regretted it and quickly bit her lower lip.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was because of the hot water, but Liu Sisi felt a fire rising from the bottom of her body. The intense mes engulfed her, almost burning her entire being.


    ¡°Hush¡ªdon¡¯t talk! Sisi, focus.¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly lifted her up and ced her on the edge of the bathtub.


    Upon contact with the edge, she felt the coldness, which immediately reminded her of thest time with the stink snake, and she jumped up in fear.


    ¡°Ye Lei! A snake! Catch it! Quickly!¡±


    Frightened, she instinctively jumped up, directly flinging herself into Di Yelei¡¯s arms like a tree for a ko bear.


    The fragrant soft little body automatically embraced him, instantly destroying his willpower. But the trembling body in his arms made him unable to steel his heart.


    ¡°There¡¯s no snake, Sisi, don¡¯t be afraid, that wasn¡¯t a snake!¡±


    After reassurances, Liu Sisi finally stuck her head out from his embrace and indeed realized that it was a false rm. However, the next moment, she noticed that their posture was not proper, and her face turned beet red as she struggled to break free from his embrace.


    ¡°Stop moving! If you keep this up, your husband will have to punish you for being naughty.¡±


    Obedient, what obedient? If she continued to be obedient, would she not be devoured to the bone with nothing left?


    Even though she wanted to avoid him, her body¡¯s instinct caused her to gradually weaken as she grew limp and powerless. She barely managed to lift her head and squinted at him, dazed and confused in front of her.


    Sisi, it seems, craves affection more than hardness!


    It wasn¡¯t in vain that he pretended to be drunk!


    His big hands quickly found her skirt, pulled it gently, and it easily fell away from her body. Soon, it floated on the water¡¯s surface, hiding a beautiful scene.


    ¡°You, you, let go! Ye Lei! You promised me¡ª¡±


    She gritted her teeth and spoke desperately. Biting her lower lip, she closed her soaked eyes.


    Adding both of her past lives together, this was her first time. She didn¡¯t want it to happen so carelessly while he was drunk.


    The mes inside her body grew more intense, and the moring desire in her head was about to consume herst shred of rationality.


    She rejected him out of shame, but deep down, she truly craved it. Wave after wave, it broke through her heart¡¯s defenses.


    Two crystal clear teardrops quietly hung at the corners of her eyes.


    He suddenly embraced the little woman in his arms and stood up directly from the bathtub. He didn¡¯t care about the dripping water on his body and just carried her straight out of the bathroom, heading towards the bedroom.


    In the courtyard, a cool breeze brushed past, raising a series of goosebumps, and at the same time, it blew away the fog in front of Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, causing her consciousness to clear a little.


    As they walked down the path, a trail of water formed on the ground, damp and dripping continuously.


    ¡°Promise what? Baby, I missed you.¡±


    He casually tossed her onto the bamboo mattress and leaned over her.


    His voice carried a unique coquettishness, making it incredibly hard to imagine that such a grown man could also possess such a weak and clingy side.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was instantly touched.


    But before she could react, he got up and brought themp over, using its light to carefully admire the beautiful scene before his eyes. This passionate gaze made Liu Sisi instinctively evade, wanting to escape the embarrassing situation.


    Her body felt as if it was electrocuted, a wave of sour numbness swirled upward from the soles of her feet. The tingling sensation gradually spread, engulfing her entire body.


    He was very satisfied with her reaction and held her delicate, lovable body, kneading and rubbing it while firmly sping her fingers, immobilizing her already weak body.


    His crimson lips became even more enchanting due to his desire, and the wild, reckless smile at the corners of his mouth made her instinctively feel extremely dangerous.


    ¡°Let go! Ye Lei! You promised not to force me, don¡¯t make me hate you!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but tremble slightly. This unfamiliar and frightening feeling was something she had never experienced before, but deep down, an instinct told her its secrets.


    The soft tingling sensation felt like ants scratching at her heart.


    His arm muscles tensed, and his rough palm rubbed against her delicate and silky skin, causing a tingling and itching sensation, deliberately stirring up her sensitive and vulnerable nerves.


    ¡°Heh, don¡¯t worry! As long as you don¡¯t beg me to take you, I won¡¯t touch you, okay?¡±


    He noticed the gaze she cast on him, raised his head and confidently smiled, revealing pearly white teeth and a strong desire in his eyes, dazzling her so much that she couldn¡¯t help but close hers.


    His gaze was too shiny and filled with madness. His intrusion became more intense, and his evil hand gradually moved downward towards the enchanting area.


    My dear Sisi, there will be a time for you to cry out loud soon.


    ¡°Di Yelei! This is what you promised.¡±


    She clenched the quilt tightly under her body, but could not control her trembling.


    He could feel the changes in the person beneath him, and each shiver was like grass in the spring, brushing against his nerves again and again.


    This unintentional teasing made him lose control even more. His lips pressed down harder, eliciting a low moan from Liu Sisi beneath him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s still plenty of time.¡±


    His charming and mellow voice was close at hand, and the warm, intoxicating breath hit her ear, causing her to shudder again and unconsciously tilt her head to escape.


    How could he possibly let her get away?


    He immediately pressed down on her, his cold hand sliding along her slightly reddened skin downwards, lingering at the most intimate area.


    ¡°No¡­No more.¡±


    She pleaded once again, grabbing his wrist. He pushed back, capturing her iling hands and inserting his finger into the her most private area.


    ¡°Look, your body is more honest than your mouth. Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t want it? Then why is there so much slippery water here?¡±


    His rough finger slowly plunged in and was immediately enveloped by the warmth inside.


    ¡°No!¡± She was so scared that her entire body shook, and her inner thighs tightened fiercely, trapping his fingers inside. He smiled contentedly, and from this touch alone, he knew she was an unopened flower bud, which made him even more eager to arouse her desires.


    Wait, no!


    His hand suddenly stopped there!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Just at the tip of his finger, he felt a thin and stic membrane!

 Chapter 112 - 112: 110: Wine Drunken Turmoil – Unexpected Arrival, A Cloud of Suspicion

    Chapter 112 - 112: 110: Wine Drunken Turmoil ¨C Unexpected Arrival, A Cloud of Suspicion


    How could this¡­happen? He was greatly shocked!


    Hisplexion suddenly changed, unable to resist, he raised his hand and violently pulled open her clothing on her arm.


    That delicate, alluring maiden¡¯s blood was exposed before his eyes.


    Unable to resist, he gently brushed his trembling fingers over the red mole, and he was instantly surrounded by immense, great joy!


    These past days, although he hadn¡¯t spoken about it, a shadow had remained in his heart.


    He still remembered when he first saw that touch of dazzling red, the heartrending pain in his heart, tugging at his heart,almost tearing him to shreds.<div>


    But suddenly, everything vanished, and he felt like he was soaking in a jar of honey, sweet to the depths of his heart.


    ¡°Ye Lei?¡±


    Lost in the haze of passion, she became dazed and confused. His sudden departure left her feeling lost, instinctively calling his name.


    It seemed that this would make her feel more at ease.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my love, let¡¯s take it slow!¡± He chuckled softly, gently and affectionately guiding her.


    His burning gaze took in her exquisite body, the heat in that ce growing stronger and stronger, almost about to burst forth. He forced down the restlessness in his heart, took a deep breath, and slowly rotated his fingers.


    Damn! It really was too small and too narrow! One finger almost filled her uppletely, and it was extremely difficult for her to amodate him without being hurt.


    She suddenly stiffened her body, gripping his hand even more tightly.


    She really was a keen little thing!


    He paused in his action, looking up at her blushing face and said enticingly: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Sisi, how can I continue if you keep doing this? Rx.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ don¡¯t touch there.¡±


    She shook her head, pleading, her delicate hand tightly grasping his big hand.


    ¡°Rx, my love, you are my wife, and I will not hurt you. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t! Ye Lei, you said you wouldn¡¯t force me¡­ It really hurts!¡±


    Crystal clear tears formed on her long eyshes, and as she shook her head, the teardrops scattered in the air.


    ¡°Rx, or it will hurt even more soon.¡± He patiently whispered soothingly, using both hands to pry her open and move closer.


    ¡°Ah! Uh¡­ you shameless! No, don¡¯t¡­I really don¡¯t want it anymore.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but scream, gripping his arms tightly with both hands, not allowing him to continue.


    She tightly wrapped around his probing fingers, the agile digits asionally bending and teasing, ying with the barricade: ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient my love, first let me show you the beautiful taste of ecstasy.¡±


    He was covered in sweat, forcibly resisting his desire for her, and she instinctively reached out to embrace his head.


    The scorching heat from there rushed into the half-opened center again and again, and the powerful touch caused her to tremblingly itch, wanting more and more!


    ¡°Ye Lei!¡±


    She let out a passionate moan, grasping his hair tightly with both hands, following her instincts, and drawing him closer.


    Brilliant, dazzling fireworks exploded in her mind.


    She trembled uncontrobly from head to toe, like a small boat in the ocean, climbing higher and higher amidst the sudden arrival of fierce winds and storms.


    ¡°Ah! No more!¡±


    Liu Sisi finally screamed loudly, her toes tightly clenched straight, her body suddenly sitting up and copsing back onto the bamboo mattress.


    Apart from the lingering aftershocks that still spread, there was no movement from her.


    Di Yelei¡¯s entire body was as tense as iron, withrge beads of sweat rolling down from his forehead. Seeing that he was about to send her to the summit, he finally let out a long breath.


    ¡°How do you feel, Sisi?¡±


    He called to her softly, but got no response from her. Anxious, he quickly reached out to touch her, only to discover that Liu Sisi had already fainted.


    Damn it! How could her body be so delicate? How could it withstand his demands!


    Veins throbbed on his face as he recalled the promise he had made to her: not to touch her without her consent. Suddenly, he felt like he had dug a deep pit for himself!


    In the end, he was the one who fell into it!


    After struggling for a while, looking at the furrowed brows and the teardrops on her cheeks, even in her unconsciousness, he heaved a deep sigh.


    In the end, he couldn¡¯t bear to im her while she was unconscious.


    His whole body went limp, burying his face in her fragrant shoulder, inhaling her scent. After a while, he reluctantly left her body, resignedly pulled the thin quilt over her, then walked into the bathroom again.


    With Fifth Miss¡¯s help, he took care of himself before lying down next to Liu Sisi, fully clothed, spending the whole night without sleep.


    When Liu Sisi woke up, there was no one beside her.


    Confused for a moment, memories fromst night came flooding back. Liu Sisi buried her head in the thin quilt, her face flushed with embarrassment.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Yesterday, she had actually¡­ fainted!


    At such a crucial moment! Sob¡­ This body was just too fragile!


    Wrapped up in the quilt for a while, she resignedly got up and dressed.


    The bruises and love marks all over her body made Liu Sisi grumble again. He must be like a dog!


    There was no one in the courtyard. Liu Sisi walked into the kitchen, where the rich aroma of food wafted from the stove.


    After cleaning herself up for a bit, she walked out of the house courtyard and looked around.


    She saw Zhang Peng standing nearby at a crossroad, his figure obscured by a high haystack. It was clear that he was not in good spirits. Opposite him stood Di Yelei¡¯s towering figure.


    Apparently, the two were arguing and pulling at each other.


    Liu Sisi frowned. She had seen the two behave so strangely yesterday at the edge of the well. Could it be that Ye Lei was really hiding something big from her?


    As Liu Sisi hesitated, the two turned around and began walking towards the mountains behind the vige, still arguing about something.


    Since they were too far away, she naturally couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying. However, judging from their posture, this conversation seemed to be quite intense!


    In just a moment, the two continued on their way, gradually disappearing into a Moso Bamboo forest as they rounded a mountain bay.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s curiosity was piqued. She bit her lip and followed the direction the two had gone.


    However, after following them past the bay, she lost their figures.


    Not willing to give up, she searched around for a while but still couldn¡¯t find them, so she reluctantly returned.


    What secret was there between Di Yelei and Zhang Peng, and did it have anything to do with Big Mouth Li? Recalling Di Yelei¡¯s nervous expression from before, she felt uneasy.


    At noon, as she was preparing to cook, Di Yelei came back. As soon as he got home, he took hisrge bow and feathered arrow, and put them directly on himself.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    ¡°Sisi! Zhang Peng, Li Wu, and some others and I are going into the mountains again; I might not be back for a few days.¡±


    Di Yelei could hardly meet Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes. He fumbled around in his arms, pulling out a cloth package and cing it in her hand.


    ¡°This is the silver I earned from huntingst time, it¡¯s all here. I¡¯ll leave the house and the two children in your care while I¡¯m gone. Remember to close the yard door at night and don¡¯t let anyone in casually. If the two little dogs bark, be sure to check carefully. I¡¯ve also asked Aunt Zhang, as long as she has time, she will definitelye to keep youpany¡­¡±


    As soon as Di Yelei started talking, he didn¡¯t stop.


    Liu Sisi frowned. Why did she have a feeling that he was making hisst arrangements?

 Chapter 113 - 113: 111: Ye Lei Goes Up the Mountain: Nan Tianzong’s Thoughts

    Chapter 113 - 113: 111: Ye Lei Goes Up the Mountain: Nan Tianzong¡¯s Thoughts


    ¡°Ye Lei, why are you leaving so hastily? Why don¡¯t you have lunch before you go? I can also steam some buns for you to take with you. They are easier to store and you won¡¯t have to worry about going hungry.¡± Liu Sisi hesitated for a moment before speaking softly.


    She could tell that Di Yelei didn¡¯t want to answer her question.


    But going on a hunting trip for many days without bringing any provisions is impossible, right?


    Di Yelei hesitated for a while and reluctantly nodded: ¡°That¡¯s true! Please hurry up. There¡¯s no need to make buns, just make steamed cornbread. They¡¯re faster to make and keep longer, and I can bring more for the road.¡±


    Liu Sisi agreed and hurriedly made steamed cornbread.


    She had prepared the cornmeal the night before, and now she quickly added some coarse cereals and kneaded the dough for a while. Afterward, she shaped them into steamed cornbread and ced them in the steaming basket. Then she thought for a moment, took the old dough and made a basin of pure flour dough, steaming a basket of steamed buns. Soon, the steaming hot cornbread and buns were ready.<div>


    Outside, Zhang Peng¡¯s voice called for Di Yelei.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly lifted the lid of the steaming basket, let it cool for a while, and then quickly picked up the cornbread and buns and put them into the bags until they were filled to the brim. Only then did she reluctantly stop.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡­¡±


    Di Yelei took the bags of provisions and suddenly reached out, grabbing her hand tightly. His grip was so strong that it hurt her! He held her and wanted to say something, but in the end, he did not say it.


    ¡°Ye Lei, do you have something to tell me?¡± Liu Sisi kindly asked.


    Di Yelei hesitated, looking at his delicate little wife in front of him. A bitter pain surged in his heart, ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Ye Lei! Brother Ye Lei, are you ready?¡±


    Outside, Li Wu¡¯s shouting came again.


    Di Yelei closed his mouth, stared at her, and eventually said nothing. He suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her in his arms.


    ¡°Sisi, wait for me. I wille back, I will definitelye back!¡±


    He said each word deliberately and forcefully!


    ¡°Ye Lei, I believe you wille back. Remember to take care of yourself,¡± Liu Sisi said softly, closing her eyes and embracing his waist tightly.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    He suddenly pushed her away, turned around, and left the house without looking back, crossing the courtyard and meeting up with the others at the main entrance. They walked further and further down the path, never looking back.


    Liu Sisi bit her lower lip. What was Di Yelei hiding?


    On the path, the group gradually spread out.


    Zhang Peng couldn¡¯t help but lean in: ¡°Ye Lei, have you told your sister-inw?¡±


    Di Yelei shook his head and looked at Zhang Peng: ¡°I don¡¯t know how to start. This matter has nothing to do with Sisi, and I don¡¯t want her to be involved in it, so¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Zhang Peng sighed and lowered his voice, looking at the few people who were following far behind: ¡°Even if you don¡¯t say it now, if the soldiers officers investigate and find out about your sister-inw¡­¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any possibility! Only the two of us knew about that night. Who else knows? Besides, Big Mouth Li deserves to die!¡± Di Yelei¡¯s face was extremely ferocious, gritting his teeth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! You are indeed strong, but I, Zhang Peng, will be the first to disbelieve that you can kill someone,¡± Zhang Peng said seriously.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. At that time, I just punched him severely and didn¡¯t cut off his lifeblood, let alone want to take his life! If I really wanted to kill him, would I have punched him so many times? You know my strength!¡±


    Di Yelei was quite agitated, frowning: ¡°I don¡¯t know who has a grudge against me and wants to frame me.¡±


    Zhang Peng fell silent. They had discussed this topic several times recently, and it always ended unpleasantly: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The government office hasn¡¯t investigated the matter yet. After wee back from hunting, the criminal may have already been caught.¡±


    Although the probability of what Zhang Peng said was very small, Di Yelei sincerely hoped that it was true.


    At present, the most important thing was to take care of what was in front of him and catch some more game.


    After Di Yelei left, Liu Sisi felt empty in her heart, as if she had lost her soul. In her daily life, she took care of the two children and copied books. Every three days, she went to the bookstore to help with the business, and at noon, she took the two children to Auntie¡¯s noodle stall for a bowl of in noodles before going home.


    Aftering and going, not only had Liu Sisi be more familiar with Auntie, but the two children were no longer shy either, often sneaking out of the back door of the bookstore to y with Auntie ¨C the back door of the bookstore was directly opposite Auntie¡¯s noodle stall, but the evil and fun-loving Nan Tianzong had not told her!


    If Liu Sisi could say what she was most satisfied with in her job, besides the high wages, free books to read, and easy work, admiring the elegant and gentle Young Master boss Nan Tianzong was also a great pleasure!


    For example, right now!


    The chattering of the two children and Auntie came from the half-open back door, which made Liu Sisi feel at ease.


    There were no customers in the shop. Naturally, Liu Sisi did not miss the good opportunity to take a quick nce at the books in the store.


    Her target was a book of biographies she hadn¡¯t read before. After a moment of searching, she easily found a book called ¡°Taiping Guangyi¡±. She quickly sat back behind the counter and began to read it attentively.


    Having been in this ce for several months, she had never had a chance to touch other books. Now, she felt her whole bodye alive as she held the biography in her hands, quickly sinking into the ocean of books.


    Nan Tianzong was concentrating on writing and painting on rice paper, non-stop.


    However, he was not as focused as Liu Sisi thought. He was always watching her movements out of the corner of his eye.


    Liu Sisi was very attentive. From the moment she picked up the book, she hadn¡¯t moved, holding the biography in her hands as if she were in a trance.


    ¡°Ah! What are you doing?¡±


    A sudden big hand pulled away the book in her hand, causing Liu Sisi to instinctively cry out in surprise.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Nan Tianzong raised his eyebrows: ¡°A customer just came in, and you actually let me, the boss, personally greet them. Do you not want to work here anymore?¡±


    Seeing the person in front of her, she hurriedly stood up with a ttering smile: ¡°You¡¯re joking, boss. Little Four was just mesmerized. I promise there won¡¯t be a next time! Please sit for a while, and I¡¯ll go clean up.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°You still know I¡¯m your boss? Howe I feel that you seem more like the boss than I am?¡±


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyes deepened, looking at her with interest: ¡°What are you cleaning up for? It¡¯s noon and you haven¡¯t had lunch yet? Remember to bring me a meal too.¡±


    ¡°Boss, you¡¯re so magnanimous! Don¡¯t joke around with Little Four!¡±


    Liu Sisi hesitated for a moment, and then quickly ttered him: ¡°It¡¯s said that there are two kinds of people in the world who attract others. One is really beautiful, and the other is like you, boss. You¡¯re simply too charismatic!¡±


    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but raise the corners of his mouth: ¡°Although women who are without talent are virtuous, having a smart and clever one like you is not bad either! It¡¯s better than raising a parrot. At least when I¡¯m bored, I can have some fun.¡±


    Did he say her parrot?


    Liu Sisi clenched her teeth in anger!


    With a forced smile, she lifted the corner of her mouth: ¡°That must be hard for the boss, having to deal with a green-feathered parrot all day. You must be as green as it is.¡±


    Was this implying that he was wearing a green hat?


    ¡°Well said, well said!¡±


    Nan Tianzong raised his thick eyebrows, exuding an elegant and gentle air: ¡°Little Taohong was indeed a very good tastest night, her eyes were so seductive, and her little mouth was so beautiful¡­ such a pity! Such a pity!¡±


    As he spoke, he looked up and down at Liu Sisi, who was dressed as a man, clicking his tongue with disdain. The contempt was obvious.

 Chapter 114 - 114: 112: The Beauty and The Shrew

    Chapter 114 - 114: 112: The Beauty and The Shrew


    ¡°What a shame not every woman has such assets! Sigh!¡±


    As he spoke, he shook his head dramatically, giving an impression of speechlessness!


    What does he mean that she doesn¡¯t have good assets?


    Isn¡¯t her chest clearly bound with cloth strips?


    Liu Sisi blushed!


    She could not help but tighten the cor that was already fastened tightly. ¡°Hey! Where are you looking? If you dare to look around aimlessly, I¡¯ll gouge your eyes out!¡±<div>


    Her eyes were misty with anger, and her cheeks were tinged with a blush.


    A beautifuldy in anger, it has its own charm!


    ¡°Tsk, tsk¡­. I thought you were a charmingdy, but you turned out to be a fierce tigress!¡±


    The spark in Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyes shed and disappeared, returning to his original gentlemanly demeanor. He casually picked up a folding fan, opened it and fanned himself.


    ¡°What a pity that you¡¯re a woman. Otherwise, I could invite you to Yihong Courtyard to taste its delight- ha-ha!¡±


    ¡°Shameless! Scum!¡±


    Liu Sisi was so angry her teeth ached: ¡°If you are so fond of your little Taohong, why don¡¯t you marry her yourself and y with her slowly! Humph!¡±


    She was infuriated!


    She picked up a book in her hand and hit him on the head with it.


    Badly enough, only today did she find out that the man in front of her was a rogue!


    She dashed out of the bookstore and walked towards the noodle stall. Hopefully, this yboy would catch some kind of venereal diseases; that would be interesting! Let¡¯s see if he would still spend his days loitering in inappropriate ces.


    ¡°Mom! Are you here? Grandma was waiting for you with noodles ready to eat.¡±


    From afar, YingEr ran towards her,ughing and jumping into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, refusing to let go.


    ¡°Mom! I¡¯ve missed you so much, mom!¡±


    ¡°Come, YingEr, let me hug you. Mom has missed you too.¡±


    Seeing such cute, soft YingEr, Liu Sisi¡¯s heart melted!


    She bent down to hug her, kissed her little cheek, and then turned to Aunt Cao: ¡°Hello Aunt Cao, sorry for the trouble you¡¯ve taken for looking after the kids.¡±


    Today, Aunt Cao¡¯s noodle stand didn¡¯t have many customers, only two people were sitting at the four tables she had set up.


    ¡°Hey! We¡¯re neighbours, no need for formalities. Also, your kids are well-behaved.¡±


    While Aunt Cao was talking, her face creased into a smile. She lifted the bowl of noodles that was kept upside down and served Liu Sisi: ¡°Eat quickly! I thought you¡¯de at our usual time, so I cooked a little early. Taste it and if it¡¯s not good, I¡¯ll make you another one.¡±


    ¡°This bowl is just perfect, Aunt. You needn¡¯t bother. Please, sit and rest awhile!¡±


    Liu Sisi sat down with YingEr in herp. She looked at Di Xuan, who was engrossed in practicing calligraphy at the back of the bookstore. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. This child is really studious; she recently started teaching him not just writing but also character recognition. After ensuring that his pronunciation matched modern standard pronunciation, she finally felt relieved.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay! There aren¡¯t many customers today, so I can rx.¡±


    Aunt Cao pointed to Di Xuan who was still quietly practicing calligraphy: ¡°Your boy will definitely be sessful in the future. See, even in this noisy market, he is so calm andposed. He does not get disturbed. It¡¯s rare and remarkable to see such concentration in a seven-year-old.¡±


    Isn¡¯t it? Xuan¡¯er is currently studying hard. As long as he keeps this up, I wouldn¡¯t say he would be a schr with abundant knowledge, but at least he will have no problem reading and understanding characters.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°The child is willing to learn on his own. As his mother, I can¡¯t really help him much.¡±


    Liu Sisi said lightly as she ate her noodles.


    Little Ying besideined!


    Pouting, she objected: ¡°That¡¯s not true! All of my brother¡¯s knowledge is taught by my mother!¡±


    ¡°Really? Your mother is really impressive then!¡±


    A sh of surprise passed through Aunt Cao¡¯s eyes. It was hard to believe that the woman in front of her could actually read!


    In this poor and remote ce, even the men from ordinary families didn¡¯t have the chance to encounter books, let alone women knowing how to read. This is not somethingmon!


    Unable to help herself, Aunt Cao immediately started to view Liu Sisi in a higher regard.


    ¡°Absolutely not! I only know a fewmon characters, far from impressive. Little Ying does not see others writing at home and instinctively think it¡¯s impressive. Aunt Cao, don¡¯t listen to the child¡¯s nonsense.¡± Liu Sisi hurriedly tried to redirect the conversation.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, kids often say things without understanding.¡± Aunt Cao answered casually, her mind filled with countless imaginings.


    After the meal, Liu Sisi made some ned noodles to take back and was about to leave with her two children when Nan Tianzong suddenly stopped her: ¡°A while ago, you mentioned wanting to try and apply for the female tutor position at the Gan Family. How did it go? Did they take you in?¡±


    Nan Tianzong had asked this for a reason. Initially, he thought Liu Sisi was a fallen daughter from a wealthy family.


    Yet, as each day passed, certain details of her life that were unconsciously revealed through their conversations and her way of doing things made it increasingly harder for him to see through her.


    It was because of this very reason, the arrogant Miss Gan that other people could not handle, might actually listen to Liu Sisi?


    ¡°I haven¡¯t gone yet. There have been many matters at home recently, so I couldn¡¯t spare the time.¡±


    While Liu Sisi was saying this, she was considering the idea to make a trip to Gan Mansion to try her luck.


    Standing once again before the main entrance of Gan Mansion, as Liu Sisi looked up at the thick, heavy door of the mansion, she recalled the proud young girl fromst time.


    With a small smile, she led the two children forward to knock on the door.


    The door was opened by an old servant who was somewhat curious to see Liu Sisi and her two children.


    ¡°Elder Uncle, I am here to apply for the female tutor position for Miss Gan. Will you please pass on the message?¡±


    The old servant was a bit surprised, he looked Liu Sisi up and down, ¡°Please, wait a moment.¡± As he was speaking, he closed the room door, and his footsteps disappeared in the distance.


    Not long after, he returned and weed Liu Sisi inside.


    While the outside of Gan Mansion was grandly luxurious, the inside was no less impressive. The white y walls contrasted with the red columns and ck tiles. Throughout the mansion, engraved beams supported arcs and corridors while the garden was filled with several kinds of brilliantly colored flowers. Liu Sisi followed the old servant through several pavilions and corridors, turned around a few screens, and finally arrived and stopped in front of a living room with tall and wide windows.


    ¡°Teacher please wait.¡±


    The old servant led the three to the front of the building, then he entered the room to report, ¡°Old Madam, the teacher is here.¡±


    ¡°Please,e in.¡±


    After a quick nce around the wide-open living room, Liu Sisi easily took in everything before her eyes. The one speaking was the old woman in the center ¨C she looked spirited and extraordinarily sharp and capable. Besides her was the spoiled young girl Liu Sisi had met before.


    Liu Sisi started with a smallugh and slowly moved forward to greet them.

 Chapter 115 - 115: 113: A Greedy Little Cat

    Chapter 115 - 115: 113: A Greedy Little Cat


    The meeting process was not as strict as Liu Sisi had imagined, with the Old Madam apanying the spoiled young girl right outside the living room door.


    The spoiled young girl clung to the elder woman¡¯s side from beginning to end, with a cunning look on her face.


    After the host and guest were seated, the elder woman¡¯s eyes fell on the two children, and she asked with a lightugh, ¡°Sir, where is your home? You seem to be young¡­¡±


    ¡°My respects to the Old Madam.¡±


    Liu Sisi stood up to return the courtesy, and gently touched YingEr¡¯s hair, ¡°Sisi lives in Upper Vige. Due to poverty at home, my husband went to the mountain to hunt, and there was no one to look after these two children at home. That is why Sisi had brought them with me to take care of. It is my fault for disturbing the Old Madam.¡±


    ¡°A gentleman who is never far from his two children is undoubtedly kind-hearted. How can there be any fault?¡±<div>


    The elder woman said with a smile, her eyes narrowing into a slit and gliding over the two children.


    Di Xuan and Di Ying, the brother and sister, sat quietly on a chair nearby, sitting upright and not crying or snatching the pastries and snacks on the small table.


    Seeing the book Di Xuan was holding tightly in his hand, the elder woman¡¯s eyes dimmed for a moment.


    ¡°The Old Madam praises too much.¡±


    Liu Sisi politely replied again before sitting down.


    The subsequent conversation was diverse and not as difficult as Liu Sisi had imagined. Maids brought pastries, which Liu Sisi could not refuse, so she took some.


    Seeing the Old Madam sipping her tea, Liu Sisi stood up and took the two children to say goodbye.


    The Old Madam personally escorted Liu Sisi to the main entrance: ¡°Sir, when will you be avable? How about starting tomorrow to teach my ignorant grandson?¡±


    Liu Sisi was taken aback. Had she passed the test?


    Her heart surged with joy as her gaze fell upon the cunning young girl who had been quiet from the beginning to the end. She immediately understood!


    The real test had not even begun yet!


    She pondered for a moment: ¡°From tomorrow on, lessons will be held for two hours every day from 9 a.m to 11 a.m, and we will rest on Market Day. What does the Old Madam think?¡±


    Naturally, she said this because she would be working at the bookstore on Gathering Day, which would not conflict with each other.


    The Old Madam seemingly didn¡¯t expect Liu Sisi to have such a request, and agreed right away: ¡°As you say, sir.¡±


    After bidding farewell and leaving, Ying¡¯er reluctantly looked back, blinking her big watery eyes: ¡°Mom, the pastry just now was so delicious.¡±


    What Ying¡¯er was referring to was the honey jujube osmanthus cake that was broughtst, which indeed tasted extraordinarily sweet and delicious.


    ¡°Do you want to eat more, Ying¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Mom, that cake was really tasty!¡± Ying¡¯er¡¯s big eyes were twinkling.


    ¡°Ying¡¯er, don¡¯t talk nonsense. That cake is very valuable. The silver used to buy one is more expensive than our food for a month,¡± Di Xuan interjected to scold her.


    ¡°Once or twice in a while wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    After giving it some thought, Liu Sisi decided to reward herself and the two children this time, as she was in a good mood after passing the first test: ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll go buy some. Although I can¡¯t afford expensive pastries, it¡¯s still possible to buy them once in a while.¡±


    Ying¡¯er¡¯s eyes lit up instantly!


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re so nice! Hurry up, mom. Ying¡¯er knows there¡¯s a pastry shop nearby. Let¡¯s go.¡± As she spoke, she forcefully dragged Liu Sisi¡¯s hand forward.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s go buy some first.¡±


    What a little glutton!


    Liu Sisi lovingly tapped her little nose, leading her to walk quickly towards the pastry shop.


    There weren¡¯t many types of pastries in the shop, most of them having a longer shelf life. Liu Sisi felt that it made sense, considering this was a small town, and any perishable pastries would likely spoil before being sold.


    A palm-sized honey date osmanthus cake was priced at 300 copper coins, which shocked Liu Sisi. This was much more expensive than meat!


    Thinking about the huge debt owed made her cringe for quite a while.


    She gritted her teeth and bought a piece, then divided it into two parts for Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er.


    ¡°Thank you, mom, you eat as well.¡±


    Ying¡¯er smiled brightly as she offered her piece of cake to Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Silly child, mom doesn¡¯t like eating pastries; they¡¯re too sweet and not to my taste. Ying¡¯er, you go ahead and eat. Remember not to eat before bedtime.¡± Liu Sisi gently advised.


    ¡°No, mom, you eat too!¡± Ying¡¯er insisted, shaking Liu Sisi¡¯s arm.


    What a sweet and loving daughter!


    Liu Sisi broke into a wide smile, bent down to tear off a small corner of the cake, and then chewed it. Afterward, she embraced Ying¡¯er, lovingly kissing her little face before turning back to go home.


    Ying¡¯er giggled happily, then kissed Liu Sisi¡¯s cheek before happily eating her cake.


    ¡°Alright, thank you, mom!¡±


    Di Xuan, standing nearby, couldn¡¯t help but watch enviously as the two interacted. He carefully wrapped up his cake in oil paper and put it into his bag.


    Liu Sisi caught this scene and couldn¡¯t help but stroke Xuan¡¯er¡¯s head. She took Di Xuan¡¯s hand with a sigh, thinking he was a truly thoughtful and well-behaved boy.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ¡°OK, mom.¡±


    Di Xuan couldn¡¯t help but smile, secretly holding Liu Sisi¡¯s hand tighter.


    Her hand felt just as warm, delicate, andforting as his birth mother¡¯s had.


    Ying¡¯er also munched on her cake with a smile, looking curiously at Di Xuan. ¡°Brother, why aren¡¯t you eating the cake? It¡¯s delicious! Brother, you should eat.¡±


    ¡°Ying¡¯er, brother isn¡¯t hungry yet, I ate too much inside just now.¡± Di Xuan reassured her.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Ying¡¯er hesitated for a moment before packing up her cake and handing it to Di Xuan: ¡°Brother, help me save this forter when I¡¯m hungry. Ying¡¯er¡¯s stomach is also full now.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Our Ying¡¯er is bing so sensible! Such a good girl!¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but nuzzle her face again before leading the two children back home at a brisk pace.


    Halfway home, they encountered someone selling poultry. Liu Sisi gritted her teeth and spent 600 coins to buy 25 baby chicks. Seeing the remaining five chicks in half-dead condition, the seller half-sold and half-gave them to Liu Sisi.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Since the baby chicks couldn¡¯t be covered, Liu Sisi took the cages, promising to return them tomorrow, and then hurriedly walked home.


    As soon as they arrived home, two little dogs greeted them from afar, happily jumping and wagging their tails with extraordinary cheerfulness.


    Liu Sisi opened the yard door and first let out the baby chicks in a cool and shady ce.


    The baby chicks clucked merrily. Having raised chickens during her childhood, Liu Sisi was quite familiar with their habits.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Apologies for thete update from Craft Paper, and thank you for your continued support. The next chapter will be delivered on time at 8 p.m.

 Chapter 116 - 116: 114: Soldiers officers visit again: Sisi feels flustered and restless

    Chapter 116 - 116: 114: Soldiers officers visit again: Sisi feels flustered and restless


    Don¡¯t catch the baby chicks at will, especially don¡¯t pinch their stomachs, try not to drive away the baby chicks, causing confusion in the flock. After touching the baby chicks, be sure to wash your hands frequently to prevent the spread of disease¡­


    After nagging for quite a while, the two children listened carefully.


    In the beginning, the baby chicks refused to eat, making noises. They didn¡¯t know which chick started to eat first, gradually, everyone started to drink water and eat rice. Then they huddled together next to the nest that Liu Sisi had made with straw.


    The baby chicks were still too young, and there was no mother hen to take care of them. At night, they had to be put in a carry basket and hung from the roof beam to prevent damage from animals like mountain cats and weasels.


    YingEr was particrly busy, adding water for the two wild pheasants, giving some dried green grass to a group of half-grown rabbits, and then carrying a basket out the door, saying that she would also get some green grass for the baby chicks.


    Meanwhile, Liu Sisi was busy making dinner.<div>


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, go out and check on YingEr. Why hasn¡¯t shee home as it¡¯s getting dark?¡±


    Di Xuan was reciting his textbook and practicing writing. The child was too quiet, often sitting for half a day.


    ¡°Yes, mom.¡±


    Di Xuan put down the book in his hand, carefully tidied it up, and then went out.


    ¡°Mom, mom! There are so many soldiers-officers outside!¡±


    Di Ying ran in quickly from outside, panting and saying as she got to Liu Sisi¡¯s side.


    ¡°What soldiers-officers? The ones we sawst time? Where are they now?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat!


    Could it be that something really happened?


    ¡°They are the uncles who were holding big des that we saw. They went into the vige and are now heading this way¡­¡± Di Ying said, blinking her big eyes.


    The Di Family¡¯s home was located at the foot of the mountain, with a significant distance from the other houses in the vige. It was a single-family home, so it was easy to see the officers heading toward them.


    ¡°Oh, mom will go out and have a look. Xuan¡¯er, you are a man. Take care of your sister and watch the fire in the stove. Don¡¯te out. Understand?¡± Liu Sisi quickly untied her apron and spoke to Di Xuan.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mom. I understand.¡±


    Watching Liu Sisi quickly walk out of the kitchen, Di Xuan couldn¡¯t help but clench his small fists.


    He was a man!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Not a coward who needed to hide in the house!


    As Liu Sisi came out of the courtyard, she saw Zuo Xingyu leading a de Runner to the main entrance. They were about to knock on the door when she stepped out.


    The door was pulled open, and his outstretched hand nearly knocked on Liu Sisi¡¯s head, causing him to quickly retract it.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t expect the timing to be so coincidental. She had just opened the door, and the other party¡¯s hand was falling down. She instinctively closed her eyes and lowered her body, with his arm brushing past her cheek, bringing a gust of wind and moving her hair.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    She instinctively screamed, taking a while before carefully opening her eyes a little.


    ¡°Mrs. Di, I¡¯m sorry for my rudeness. I, Zuo Xingyu, apologize for startling you,¡± He said with a bow.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly dodged and gave a slight bow in return, ¡°Lord Zuo, no need to apologize. It was just a coincidence. I should apologize for disturbing the two of you. Pleasee in.¡±


    Her polite words were very elegant but made Liu Sisi secretly sweat. It was so ufortable just saying those words!


    Zuo Xingyu nodded, looked deeply into her eyes, and entered the courtyard.


    She really had changed!


    Not only did she disy a newfound grace, but also a confidence that radiated from within! In addition, her moist deer-like eyes, originally filled with disdain, were now filled with curious exploration, making her even more unfathomable to him.


    Perhaps, he had never seen through her!


    Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help clenching his fists, forcibly suppressing some unpleasant memories, his deep gaze swiftly swept over, before asking in a businesslike tone.


    ¡°Mrs. Di, today we¡¯re here to investigate the murder of Big Mouth Li, seeking to learn some official business from Di Yelei.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mind buzzed, herplexion instantly turned pale, almost unable to stand.


    ¡°Lord Zuo, what do you mean by that? Can you please exin?¡±


    Could it be that her previous suspicions were true? Liu Sisi dared not think further.


    Zuo Xingyu was somewhat impatient: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Di, it¡¯s official business, and as per the rules, I cannot reveal the details. Please call your husband out, as I have something to ask him.¡±


    Liu Sisi lowered her eyes, her pale face making her look even more delicate.


    She bit her lower lip, raised her head, and looked straight into their eyes: ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to summon Yelei, but my husband went hunting up the mountain ten days ago and has yet to return. I really cannot call upon him. As a wife and husband, we are one body. If you trust me, talking to me would be the same.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu stood up and shook his limbs; his serious face showed impatience.


    ¡°Alright! Mrs Di, on the third day ofst month, did Di Yelei go out in the evening? Where did he go? When did hee back and what was his demeanor, and were there any abnormalities?¡±


    This series of questions really caught Liu Sisi off guard.


    ¡°Mr. Officer, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to answer you, but it has been too long since that day, and I don¡¯t remember the slightest bit. How about Lord Zuo gives me some time to think carefully and then reply?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyebrows were tightly furrowed, therge character ¡®´¨¡¯ in the middle of his forehead made him look even more serious.


    He nced deeply at her and nodded, ¡°Alright! Think carefully. We wille again in three days.¡± Having said that, he took his leave.


    As soon as he left, Liu Sisi slumped back into her chair, unable toe back to her senses for a long while.


    The third day ofst month¡­


    Wasn¡¯t that the evening when Di Yelei went out for the entire night and didn¡¯t tell her where he went?


    Zuo Xingyu said that he was investigating the murder of Big Mouth Li, and he specifically pointed to the third day ofst month. From this, it could be deduced that the time of Li¡¯s death was most likely that same evening!


    For a moment, Liu Sisi¡¯s mind was filled with countless thoughts.


    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Seeing that everyone had left, and Liu Sisi still hadn¡¯t moved, Di Xuan worriedly walked out of the house and gently pushed Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Ah? Xuan¡¯er, are you hungry? Mom will cook.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly stood up and identally bumped into the small table next to her, the pain causing tears to swirl in her eyes.


    ¡°Mom!¡± The two children quickly gathered around her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mom is fine, you all wait, I¡¯ll go and serve the food.¡±


    Liu Sisi panicked, hastily lifting the pot lid. identally, she knocked over the big sea bowl used for holding soup near the edge of the stove, dropping it directly onto the ground.


    Crack!¡ª¡ª


    With a crisp sound, the fragments of the big sea bowl scattered all around, breaking into countless pieces.

 Chapter 117 - 117: 115: Sisi Injured – Di Yelei’s Whereabouts

    Chapter 117 - 117: 115: Sisi Injured ¨C Di Yelei¡¯s Whereabouts


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was deathly pale, and suddenly she felt her eyes unbelievably dry. She couldn¡¯t help but squat down and stretch out her trembling hand to pick up the shattered tiles on the ground.


    Unintentionally, a sharp tile cut through her tender palm, and fresh blood immediately dripped from her fingertips.


    The vibrant red drops on the white tiles were so enchanting and dazzling!


    Ye Lei, Ye Lei, where are you?


    I don¡¯t believe it, I absolutely won¡¯t believe it! You couldn¡¯t have done that, I know you¡¯re not a murderer!


    ¡°Mom, mom, why are you crying? Does your wound hurt? Let YingEr blow on it for you, it won¡¯t hurt if I blow on it.¡±<div>


    YingEr¡¯s exmation awakened Liu Sisi, and with her uninjured hand, she casually wiped her face, feeling a handful of wetness.


    Had she truly cried?


    ¡°No! Mom didn¡¯t cry, it¡¯s just that mom¡¯s hand hurts too much, and the tears couldn¡¯t hold back, that¡¯s why they¡¯re flowing out. YingEr, why don¡¯t you blow on mom¡¯s hand so her hand won¡¯t ache anymore.¡± Liu Sisi forced a smile, and with her uninjured hand she wiped her face, but she couldn¡¯t stop the gushing tears.


    Blood poured from her fingers, staining the ground. Whether it was blood or tears, she couldn¡¯t tell through her blurry vision.


    The pain in her fingers couldn¡¯tpare to the heartache, so much that the tears in her eyes could no longer be restrained, and they uncontrobly rolled down her cheeks.


    ¡°There¡¯s so much blood; what should we do, Mom?¡±


    She tried to press down on it, but the blood still flowed through her fingers, gushing it onto the ground.


    YingEr also came to help, but it was of no use.


    Frightened, she cried out, ¡°Mom! What should we do? So much blood¡­ I don¡¯t want mom to die!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! YingEr, don¡¯t cry. Quickly go behind the door and find a few clean spider webs for mom. Xuan¡¯er, you go help mom find a few cloth strips. Be careful, the tiles on the ground are sharp; don¡¯t step on them!¡± Liu Sisimanded the two children methodically.


    Di Xuan¡¯s face was also deadly pale!


    In his eyes, the scene of his mother lying in a pool of blood and dying during his childhood emerged again¡­


    Hearing Liu Sisi¡¯s instructions at this moment, he didn¡¯t say a word and ran out of the kitchen.


    Although Di Ying was young, he immediately wiped away his tears and began searching for spider webs.


    Dark corners of the adobe walls in rural areas were prone to spiders, which built theirs on the walls. Thes were norger than the size of a thumb, filled with the spider¡¯s eggs, and usually twoyers.


    Directly tearing it off the wall and peeling away the outeryer, the clean side should be ced on the wound.


    The fine membrane not only effectively stops bleeding, but also prevents tetanus and wound infection. It¡¯s an economical and practical material.


    Liu Sisi applied seven or eight spider webs to therge, deep wound, then tightly wrapped it with cloth strips,yer uponyer, finally managing to stop the bleeding.


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    YingEr said pitifully, tightly clutching Liu Sisi¡¯s clothes, afraid that she would really leave because of this.


    ¡°YingEr, don¡¯t be afraid, see mom¡¯s fine now, isn¡¯t she? Good, ah!¡±


    With her uninjured right hand, she tightly hugged YingEr and gently patted Di Xuan, who was squatting beside her. Liu Sisiforted the two children who were frightened.


    Waiting until YingEr stopped crying, Liu Sisi picked up a broom and dustpan to clean up, only to be snatched away by Di Xuan.


    ¡°Mom, you should rest first. Xuan¡¯er will clean up.¡±


    Looking at Di Xuan carefully cleaning up, Liu Sisi¡¯s heart warmed. This was the first time the child had spoken so warmly and kindly to her!


    ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Mom.¡±


    Fortunately, it¡¯s the right hand that was injured!


    Di Xuan cleaned up, arranged the cooked dishes, and only then did the family start eating. After dinner, Liu Sisi picked up the brushing-pen to copy books, but she couldn¡¯t calm down her thoughts.


    Ye Lei, what are you doing right now? Why haven¡¯t you returned after ten days?


    The next day, early in the morning, Liu Sisi went to the Gan Mansion.


    Xuan¡¯er volunteered to stay behind: ¡°Mom, when Dad used to go up to the mountain, he would often be gone an entire evening. Xuan¡¯er is used to it. You can go with peace of mind; Xuan¡¯er will take good care of YingEr.¡±


    Little Ying beside them kept nodding as well: ¡°Mom, YingEr will stay at home to look after the baby chicks and rabbits and won¡¯t cause any trouble for brother. Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua are at home apanying YingEr, YingEr is not afraid.¡±


    Upon reflection, Liu Sisi thought that the journey was indeed far, and going back and forth would indeed take a toll on the two children.


    ¡°Alright, you two must be good and wait for me toe back.¡±


    To enter Gan Mansion again was naturally easy. As soon as Elder Uncle saw her, he hurriedly greeted her with a broad smile.


    Leading Liu Sisi to a small pavilion beside the back garden: ¡°Teacher, the Miss hasn¡¯t woken up yet. You can rest in the garden pavilion for a while, and the Miss will naturallye over when she wakes up.¡±


    Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow in surprise, and then put it down, nodding in understanding: ¡°In that case, I will have to trouble Elder Uncle. I don¡¯t even know how to address you?¡±


    Elder Uncle casually set out some pastries and said, ¡°Just call me Uncle Ding. Please enjoy these pastries. I have something else to do, so I will take my leave first.¡±


    Liu Sisi nced casually at the stone table, which was filled with pastries and fruits. The Gan family was indeed generously wealthy.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Ding.¡±


    But regrettably, as noontime approached with the end of 9 a.m to 11 a.m, the Miss of Gan Family still did not appear.


    Was this a disy of power to her?


    Liu Sisi smiled and got up, not saying anything. She left Gan Mansion directly and hurried back home.


    Everything was fine at home. The two children were behaving well, with Di Xuan reading and writing, and YingEr and Zhang Yun ying happily beside the baby chicks.


    She let out a sigh of relief!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    For the next two days, the situation remained the same. Every day when Liu Sisi arrived at Gan Mansion, she was brought to the pavilion and well fed. Starting the second day, Liu Sisi brought all her calligraphy tools with her. Upon arriving at Gan Mansion, she sat down in the pavilion and began copying books until noon, before leaving for home.


    What seemed to have vanished, however, was the Miss of Gan Family, who had not been seen.


    At the same time, Di Yelei was also missing!


    Zhang Peng and Li Wu had returned a few days earlier, and the two made a joint visit.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, Brother Li Wu, so you two have returned? Is Ye Lei back as well?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart leaped with joy, and she couldn¡¯t help but run toward the two men. The two exchanged nces, and Zhang Peng hesitated before stepping forward.


    ¡°Here are 7 taels of silver. Ye Lei asked us to give it to you. He is doing fine and told us that you don¡¯t need to worry. He also asked us to tell you that when he has earned enough money to repay his debts, he wille back.¡±


    As Zhang Peng spoke, he ced the pouch of silver in Liu Sisi¡¯s hands.


    The smile on Liu Sisi¡¯s face disappeared.


    What did they mean? Where was Ye Lei? Why didn¡¯t hee back, but instead send back this small amount of silver? Could it be¡­


    Did something happen to Ye Lei?


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart twisted into a knot, her mind racing, her eyes fixed on the pouch of silver. She stood there for a while, unable to say anything.

 Chapter 118 - 118: 116 Sisi Knows the Truth: Ignorant World

    Chapter 118 - 118: 116 Sisi Knows the Truth: Ignorant World


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, are you okay? What happened to your hand?¡±


    The two of them had noticed the cloth band bound around Liu Sisi¡¯s hand a while ago, but only asked about it now.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just got my hand pierced by shards of tile. Brother Zhang, Ye Lei¡­ is he okay?¡±


    There were many questions she couldn¡¯t ask, couldn¡¯t express, no matter how worried or frightened she was, she didn¡¯t want to show it in front of others.


    ¡°With Brother Ye Lei¡¯s impressive skills, you don¡¯t need to worry. He won¡¯te to harm.¡±


    During the conversation, Zhang Peng pulled out a porcin bottle from his body and put it beside her: ¡°This is medicine for de injuries. Apply the powder directly onto the wound morning and night. It¡¯s very effective. We all use this medicine. You should take it.¡±<div>


    ¡°Thank you Brother Zhang, Brother Li Wu.¡±


    Liu Sisi softly thanked them and gratefully nced at the two before finally stowing away the porcin bottle.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, you should rest early, we¡¯ll head back first.¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s reddened eyes and her fragile posture that seemed like a breeze would knock her over, they didn¡¯t know how tofort her, so they decided to take their leave.


    Liu Sisi tightly clutched the money bag, suddenly feeling physically and mentally exhausted.


    Why? Ye Lei!


    Zhang Peng and Li Wu both returned, so why haven¡¯t youe back?


    I know, you couldn¡¯t have killed Big Mouth Li! I believe in you!


    But where are you now, won¡¯t youe home anymore? I miss you, I miss you so much¡­


    That night, she sat by the window looking at the crescent moon in the sky, suffering from insomnia.


    The next day was Market Day, and not needing to go to the Gan Mansion, Liu Sisi got up early feeling groggy. It felt like there was a fire burning in her throat. Not only did her wound not heal, but it also turned white and started to fester.


    Injuries in summer were such a nuisance!


    She poured the medicinal powder onto her palm and forcefully wound the cloth band around a few times. Holding the knot with her teeth, she soaked the dirty strip of cloth for washingter and tightly covered the cooked dishes. She then left for the bookstore.


    Halfway there, Liu Sisi felt her head grow heavier, her breath quickened and she started sweating profusely, even the road beneath her feet seemed to sway. She sat down and took a rest on the big stone by the roadside. Afterwards, she gritted her teeth, rose to her feet, and forcibly continued walking.


    Her foot slipped, she staggered, and her vision went ck. A wave of vertigo overcame her and she fainted by the roadside¡­


    When she regained consciousness, she could smell the unique scent of herbal medicine.


    After opening her eyes, it took Liu Sisi a while to recognize that she was lying in the same partitioned room of the clinic she once visited. Through the half-opened door, she could clearly see Dr. He who had treated her father-inw during their previous visit.


    Who had brought her here? She wonderes as she got up to put on her shoes, then she left the partitioned room.


    ¡°Dr. He, thank you for treating me. I am grateful.¡±


    Seeing the previous patient leave, Liu Sisi quickly stepped forward to express her gratitude.


    ¡°Young wife, you¡¯re awake, huh? How do you feel, has your health improved? Why not rest some more?¡± Dr. He still wore a kind face.


    Liu Sisi gently shook her head: ¡°I am much better now. I have two children at home, I can¡¯t rest easy here. I should hurry back.¡±


    Dr. He naturally remembered Liu Sisi¡¯s family circumstances: ¡°That¡¯s good! Your wound got infected, plus you didn¡¯t take care of it promptly. Couple that with your recent overexertion, it¡¯s further dying the healing of your wound. Young wife, money is important, but your health is even more important! Go home! Go home!¡± As he spoke, he waved at her.


    ¡°Thank you, Dr. He for your care. Here is the consultation fee¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone has already paid your consultation fee,¡± the medicine pageboy said ahead.


    Liu Sisi was taken aback, ¡°Who was it? Medicine pageboy, do you know them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, they¡¯re probably not from our small town.¡±


    Whoever was so kind to save her and even brought her to the clinic! She needed to remember this act of kindness and express her gratitude properly.


    ¡°Medicine pageboy, did you get a good look at their face? What did they look like, were they tall or short, fat or thin?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really pay attention to their appearance, there were too many people in the clinic at the time.¡± And even if he knew, he wouldn¡¯t tell. That¡¯s what the benefactor had instructed.


    Off to the side, the medicine pageboy leaned in: ¡°Young wife, Dr. He is having a hard time forgetting your cooking. He was talking about it just a few days ago. I wonder if we will have the chance to taste your cooked dishes in the future.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? Looking for a beating!¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking, when Dr. Hended a p on his forehead.


    If they tasted Liu Sisi¡¯s cooking again, wouldn¡¯t that mean someone from the Di Family fell sick again? If he doesn¡¯t beat him up, then whom?


    Liu Sisi was also amused!


    She couldn¡¯t help but smile, and when she turned her head, she saw a pregnant woman with a big belly next to her, an idea suddenly brightened in her mind!


    She hastily sat down on a stool and moved closer to Dr. He: ¡°Dr. He, here¡¯s the thing! I¡­ Sisi is wondering, could you help check on me, if the fetus in my belly is still all right?¡±


    Dr. He was stroking his beard andughing, he casually asked back: ¡°Fetus? What fetus?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°I mean, I mean the child in my belly, just the child. I¡¯m pregnant¡­for a few months now, I want you to help me check.¡± Liu Sisi said with a guilty conscience.


    From the moment she woke up until now, she kept forgetting she¡¯s pregnant. Seeing that pregnant woman, she suddenly remembered that there¡¯s no movement in her belly at all, not even a bulge, and even considered numerous possibilities secretly.


    Could it be aplication?¡­ Or maybe there¡¯s no child in her belly? But these words, she would have to hear from the doctor himself before she could confirm!


    ¡°Your pulse is weak and stringy, but there¡¯s no trace of any rolling beads. The soft hair in your brow is dense, clearly indicating you¡¯re still a virgin.¡±


    Dr. He leaned in to her ear: ¡°How can a virgin get pregnant? Young wife, didn¡¯t your mother exin to you things about the wedding chamber on your wedding?¡±


    Liu Sisi was dumbfounded and couldn¡¯t say a word!


    ¡­


    She doesn¡¯t remember how she left the clinic, not to mention asking who her benefactor was.


    ¡°Do you have a red mole as big as a broad bean on your wrist? That would be maiden¡¯s blood. Ah! People are ignorant!¡± Dr. He¡¯s sighing voice still echoed in her ear.


    ¡°Ah! You poor creature! You¡¯ve been married for several months and you¡¯re still a virgin. If this were to get out, you would be theughing stock!¡±


    The words Guihua said rose to the surface of her heart again, making her bite her lip out of annoyance.


    She wished she could bury her face in the dirt and never show herself to anyone again!


    Virgin, disposal, she must be the only one who would misunderstand.


    Suddenly, another thought came into her mind: Why hasn¡¯t Di Yelei touched her? She did not believe that he would be clueless about such things, given his age was much greater than her own!


    Especiallyst time when he was drunk, his fingers were clearly¡­


    If things had already progressed to that point and he hadn¡¯t noticed anything unusual, Liu Sisi would be the first to disbelieve! Thinking so, her face felt as if it was on fire, burning fiercely.

 Chapter 119 - 119: 117: Squinting Eyes, Like a Gentle Little Kitten

    Chapter 119 - 119: 117: Squinting Eyes, Like a Gentle Little Kitten


    She couldn¡¯t describe the feeling in her heart!


    Liu Sisi finally made it home before nightfall, stumbling and bumping into things along the way.


    Di Yelei still hadn¡¯te back, but Sister Guihua was ying with YingEr. Seeing her return, Guihua breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Sisi, why is your face so pale? Is your wound still hurting?¡±


    No wonder Guihua asked. Liu Sisi¡¯s hand was still holding a string of paper-wrapped parcels, which were the medicinal materials Dr. He had prepared for her.


    ¡°Ah? I¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi looked at the medicine sack in her hand and couldn¡¯t remember how she had picked it up, totally spaced out.


    Guihua examined her carefully for a moment, and then touched her forehead, ¡°Ay! You have a fever, no wonder your face is so pale. You better go lie down for a while. Dinner is ready, I¡¯ll go boil the medicine for you first, and you can eat after you drink the medicine.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t refuse. Just walking back home had drained all her energy.


    Her injuries, fever,ck of rest, and extreme anxiety had already worn her out. She went back to her room, copsed on her bed, and fell into a deep sleep.


    In a daze, she seemed to hear Di Yelei¡¯s deep and mellow voice in her ears.


    Through the haze, she seemed to see Di Yelei¡¯s face right in front of her, reaching out to support her and pouring soup medicine into her stomach, one mouthful at a time.


    She wanted to see his face clearly and whether he had gotten thinner.


    She wanted to express her worries and apany him.


    She wanted to tell him that she had always believed he wasn¡¯t the killer.


    His image in front of her eyes was sometimes close, sometimes far away, but she could never see his face clearly. His voice was so gentle that it was intoxicating¡­


    But where was he? Why wouldn¡¯t hee back!


    Confused, she couldn¡¯t resist the overwhelming drowsiness and fell asleep once more.


    In her dreams, Di Yelei held her tenderly, pampering and loving her over and over again. The two were inseparable and yful to their heart¡¯s content¡­


    She was intoxicated, lost in this beautiful spring dream.


    Never to awaken!


    The moment she woke up, Liu Sisi jumped out of bed! Had Ye Leie back?


    Quickly putting on her shoes, Liu Sisi went straight to the kitchen, but didn¡¯t see anyone. She turned around and hurried to the firewood room. Usually, he would be chopping firewood in the firewood room at this time, but there was still no one here.


    She didn¡¯t give up and went around the front and back of the house.


    Then she ran out of the courtyard, opened the main entrance, and searched for traces of his presence.


    Still no one!


    Her legs went limp, and she sat down on the threshold, burying her head in her arms. She hugged herself, feeling dizzy.


    It was so cold! So cold!


    The early autumn weather was pleasant, but her heart was cold.


    ¡°Sisi.¡±


    Liu Sisi closed her eyes and couldn¡¯t help butugh bitterly. She had hallucinated again, hearing Di Yelei¡¯s gentle call to her name.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t sit here, the ground is cold. Let¡¯s go to bed and sleep!¡± His voice came again.


    Immediately, a familiar figure appeared in her line of sight.


    Liu Sisi closed her eyes tightly, frustrated, covering her ears. This time she must be really sick, not only hearing things but even seeing things. And the figure was so clear.


    ¡°Ah! How can you not take care of yourself? Look how sick you are, yet you¡¯re running around everywhere. Let me see, is your head still hot?¡±


    As the illusion spoke, his hand touched her forehead.


    It felt so cold, and Liu Sisi closed her eyes infort, leaning her face into his touch, sweetly like a little kitten asking for affection.


    ¡°Sisi, dear, you¡¯ll feel better once the fever is gone. Come on! Let me carry you in.¡± With that, he bent down and scooped her up into his arms.


    ¡°Ah! Ye, Ye Lei¨C¡±


    Liu Sisi stared in surprise at the man before her, unable to tell if she was dreaming or awake.


    ¡°It¡¯s really me, your husband. Sisi, I¡¯m back! I promised you I¡¯d return safely. Look, I¡¯ve made it.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you really came back.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but reach up to touch his face.


    He had returned, truly standing in front of her, not just a dream!


    In that instant, Liu Sisi felt a surge of life and energy, as if the sky had suddenly brightened.


    Di Yelei half-teasingly remarked, ¡°Silly girl! I¡¯ve only been gone for a dozen days, and you end up like this. If I go away again in the future¡­ what will you do?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say that!¡±


    Liu Sisi eximed, quickly raising her hand to cover his mouth.


    Di Yelei suddenly chuckled softly.


    While her hand was covering his mouth, he yfully rubbed her palm with his stubble and then affectionately bit her fingers.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The stubble pricked the center of her palm, causing a string of tingling sensations! His gentle bite made her tense up and instantly blush as she withdrew her hand.


    Even so, she glowered at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to talk like that ever again! I believe in you, I know you didn¡¯t kill Big Mouth Li.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s advancing steps suddenly halted as he looked intently into her eyes.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°You figured that out?¡±


    Gazing deeply into each other¡¯s eyes, the two exchanged a heartfelt silence. Overwhelmed by emotion, Di Yelei couldn¡¯t resist bending down to press a light kiss on the corner of her mouth.


    After a moment, he continued forward and opened the room door, carrying Liu Sisi back to the bed. He then pulled the thin quilt over her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill Big Mouth Li! You can rest easy and sleep. Once you wake up, I¡¯ll tell you the whole story, alright?¡±


    ¡°No, I need to hear it now. I still have to go to the small town, I have to right now¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly exined, as the Miss of Gan Family was waiting for her lessons¡ªeven though she had never actually attended one.


    ¡°No excuses, just rest! Money is important, but your healthes first. Go to sleep, I¡¯ll stay right by your side!¡±


    Di Yelei strongly and assertively dered!


    ¡°¡­Such a tyrant.¡±


    Murmuring, Liu Sisi closed her eyes with a faint smile, tightly gripping his hand in both of hers.


    He had returned, and it was so lovely to have him by her side!


    Di Yelei¡¯s gaze was intense as he stared at her sleeping face, not wanting to blink.


    He had originally nned to stay hidden, but he couldn¡¯t stop worrying about the little woman who constantly upied his thoughts, so he returned.


    He wasn¡¯t the one whomitted the crime, why should he act guilty? Why should he hide so that the real killer could go unpunished?


    It was nonsense!


    At noontime, the stern and serious Zuo Xingyu arrived again.


    As soon as he entered, he got straight to the point, ¡°You¡¯re Di Yelei, right? I am Zuo Xingyu, a constable. I¡¯vee to inquire about information rted to Big Mouth Li¡¯s murder. I hope you can tell the truth and cooperate with our investigation.¡±


    Di Yelei nodded, ¡°Even if you hadn¡¯te to see me, I would have sought you out. Ask anything you want, I¡¯ll bepletely candid.¡±

 Chapter 120 - 120: 118: Zuo Xingyu’s Interrogation: Ye Lei’s Tenderness

    Chapter 120 - 120: 118: Zuo Xingyu¡¯s Interrogation: Ye Lei¡¯s Tenderness


    Zuo Xingyu asked meticulously, ¡°Where were you on the night of the third day ofst month?¡±


    ¡°That evening, I went to Big Mouth Li¡¯s house.¡± Di Yelei did not conceal anything.


    Zuo Xingyu raised his eyebrow in surprise, apparently not expecting Di Yelei to be so straightforward, before returning to his serious demeanor and continuing with his questions.


    ¡°What did you go to his house for?¡±


    ¡°Some days ago, my silver was stolen. On the edge of my courtyard wall, I found traces of the thief climbing into my courtyard, with a six-fingered print on the left hand. The only person nearby with six fingers on their left hand happens to be Big Mouth Li.¡±


    ¡°What did the two of you talk about when you met?¡±<div>


    ¡°Nothing! Big Mouth Li wasn¡¯t home. We had no choice but to return without seeing him. Just as we were leaving the vige entrance, we saw two suspicious shadows from afar. We hurried to follow them¡­¡±


    ¡°By ¡®we¡¯, you mean who and who?¡±


    ¡°I and Zhang Peng! We followed the two all the way to the riverside. Those two seemed to have a dispute, but their voices were very low. I only faintly heard words like ¡®silver, Third Master¡¯. After a moment, one of them left, and Big Mouth Li cursed and went back, bumping into us.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    When Di Yelei stopped, Zuo Xingyu urged him to continue.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t mind the other party¡¯s attitude, nodded and continued.


    ¡°At that moment, I was furious, rushed forward and grabbed his cor to confront him. He refused to admit that he stole the silver, and I swung my fist and hit him a few times before he finally gave in. I forced him to return the silver, but he said the silver was at his home and took me to get it. When we got back to his house, he hesitated for a long time but couldn¡¯t show even a single copper coin. I hit him twice more, and only then did he say that he had ced the silver at his lover¡¯s ce. We were halfway to his lover¡¯s house, when he yed dead on the ground, refusing to move.¡±


    ¡°So, you killed him afterward?¡± Zuo Xingyu frowned with a headache.


    ¡°How could that be? As I said before, I¡¯m not the killer!¡± Di Yelei snorted, resentment boiling within him.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes were dark and unfathomable, revealing nothing.


    Di Yelei sorted out his thoughts: ¡°I forcefully pulled him up, but his waistband loosened, and a silver ingot fell out. I clearly recognized that this silver ingot was the meeting gift my father gave to Sisi as a bride. It turned out to be with Big Mouth Li after all! In the end, I punched him once more, then left him and went home. By the time I returned home, it was already daylight.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zuo Xingyu remained silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Were you and Zhang Peng together from beginning to end?¡±


    ¡°No! When Big Mouth Li took me back to his house to get the silver, Zhang Peng went back already. The rest of the journey was just me and Big Mouth Li,¡± Di Yelei shook his head.


    Zuo Xingyu stood up: ¡°Can anyone testify for everything you¡¯ve said?¡±


    ¡°Zhang Peng!¡±


    ¡°He can only testify that you and Big Mouth Li went out together. What about the events afterward? Have you any other witnesses?¡±


    Di Yelei was somewhat dumbfounded!


    He thought for a moment, scratching the back of his head: ¡°¡­ Big Mouth Li is never in the vige during the day, so I could only catch him at night. At thiste hour, where could I find a witness?¡±


    ¡°I am a constable, and I only gather evidence!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyebrows were furrowed meticulously, forming the shape of a character meaning ¡®river¡¯: ¡°That will do for now. If there are any other requirements, I wille to find you again.¡±


    Di Yelei hastened to agree, before sending the two out of the courtyard.


    Watching the two leave, Di Yelei frowned, feeling that the situation was out of his control. Then he thought, ¡®If one¡¯s conscience is clear, there is no need to fear nder¡¯, and realized that he had nothing to be afraid of.


    When Liu Sisi woke up from her sleep, it was already dusk, and cooking smoke rose from every household.


    She was attracted by the aroma of meating from the kitchen and her stomach growled with hunger, demanding to be fed.


    As soon as her eyshes moved, Di Yelei noticed she was awake and hurriedly helped her sit up gently: ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re awake. Come on, drink this bowl of medicine first. I¡¯ve made a pot of chicken soup to help with your wound recovery, you should drink some quickly.¡±


    While talking, he carefully scooped up a spoonful from therge bowl, cooled it down and then brought it to Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°I can do it myself.¡±


    Liu Sisi opened her mouth to drink, then looked up at him: ¡°Ye Lei, how long have I been asleep?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for a day. Thankfully, your fever has subsided. Here, drink more chicken soup. Your body is weak and you¡¯ve lost a lot of blood, which is why you fainted. I¡¯ve fed you medicine twice and you didn¡¯t wake up.¡±


    Indeed, Di Yelei was really frightened by this.


    He asked Zhang Peng to check on Sisi and opened the medicine sack given by the doctor. Zhang Peng could naturally recognize that it was a prescription for regting qi and blood.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. Third Sister-inw¡¯s body is weak, she lost a lot of blood, and the wound was infected. Additionally, she was mentally exhausted, and her heart was overwhelmed. All thisbined, she fell ill all at once. Just need to untie her mental knot, nourish her body, and she¡¯ll naturally recover.¡±


    Only then did Di Yelei breathe a sigh of relief. He was busy boiling medicine, making soup, helping Liu Sisi reduce her fever, and dealing with the game he brought back, running around in circles.


    Having a high fever due to an infected wound is really terrifying! What if something really happened to Sisi? What would he do then?


    Every time he thought about this possibility, it felt as if a piece of his heart was being forcibly torn out, causing unbearable pain.


    Finally, when Liu Sisi¡¯s fever subsided, he was able to rx.


    ¡°I can do it myself. It¡¯s always you feeding me, and I¡­¡± Liu Sisi was a little embarrassed.


    Di Yelei avoided her outstretched hand, insisting on feeding her: ¡°You¡¯re my wife, and it¡¯s only natural for me to take care of you. Don¡¯t people always say they want to grow old together? I want to hold your hand through this life, how can I bear to see you suffer?¡±


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi felt a sourness in her heart, her eyes bing especially dry. She blinked hard, suppressing the tears that welled up inside her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Sisi.¡± He scooped up another spoonful.


    She wanted to ask him ¨C could they really walk through this life hand in hand?


    Could they really grow old together?


    However, she ultimately couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask these questions, and she couldn¡¯t utter them.


    ¡°No¡­ I just wanted to ask, where are the two children? Why haven¡¯t I seen them?¡± She changed the subject.


    ¡°They¡¯re well-behaved. Xuan¡¯er is reading, and YingEr is with him, also practicing holding the pen. Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re having fun in the hall.¡±


    As he spoke, he fed her another spoonful of chicken soup and carefully put down the soup bowl. He then picked up a towel to wipe away the soup that had identally dripped from the corner of her mouth.


    He adjusted the pillow she was leaning against so that she could be morefortable.


    ¡°I am fine, when I first saw you, I thought I was dreaming!¡±


    Liu Sisiughed without a care in the world, her eyes brimming with tears.

 Chapter 121 - 121: 119: Ye Lei’s Complacency: Sisi Becomes Furious with Embarrassment

    Chapter 121 - 121: 119: Ye Lei¡¯s Comcency: Sisi Bes Furious with Embarrassment


    A tear silently slid into the bedding, and she hurriedly raised her hand to wipe it while he wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    Di Yelei deliberately avoided it and scooped up a spoonful of chicken soup to feed her.


    ¡°Silly girl! How could you be dreaming? Look at me, aren¡¯t I standing right in front of you?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were bright, and heughed with an honest expression.


    Despite his words, his eyes also welled up with tears.


    Life and death, from ancient times to the present, how many people can truly understand and let go?<div>


    ¡°Hmm! True, you¡¯re still fine¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she gently touched his cheek, carefully feeling his warm aura inch by inch, sensing his real existence.


    It wasn¡¯t until his rough stubble pricked her little hand that she gentlyughed.


    But as she looked up, she met a pair of bright eyes, and her heart suddenly jumped, causing her to quickly withdraw her hand.


    However, as soon as she moved, her hand was caught by his.


    ¡°Sisi, my¡­ little kitten¡­¡±


    He sighed softly, holding her little hand, rubbing it gently in her palm, deliberately prickling her with his stubble, and thenughed.


    The two looked at each other, and a warm feeling spread between them.


    Everything was left unsaid!


    After finishing the bowl of chicken soup, Di Yelei gently touched her forehead with a worried look on his face.


    ¡°You seem to have no fever now. How do you feel? Is your body morefortable? I¡¯ve boiled a pot of water, it should be cooler now. Do you want to take a bath?¡±


    ¡°Hmm! I¡¯m feeling really ufortable, sticky all over, and it¡¯s hard to bear.¡±


    ¡°You lie down for a while, and I¡¯ll mix the hot water for you, so as not to catch a cold again, that wouldn¡¯t be an easy thing.¡±


    As he spoke, Di Yelei carefully tucked the thin quilt around her before leaving the room.


    With her eyes still gritty, Liu Sisi raised her hand to look at it. The five fingers on her left hand were swollen and shiny, and the cloth on the wound had been re-bandaged. The knot was different from her own, evidently Di Yelei had bandaged it for her.


    He had taken care of her all day, his strong hands bandaging her¡­


    Thinking about this, she couldn¡¯t help but smile.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He really had gone through trouble on her behalf!


    Di Yelei was fast, and in no time he moved an old wooden barrel into the bedroom.


    ¡°Your body is weak, and it¡¯s not suitable to catch a cold. The wind outside might affect your vitality when going in and out. Just wash in the room and I¡¯ll take it out to pour it when you¡¯re done.¡±


    As he spoke, he poured hot water into therge barrel and then turned to pick up the water bucket and left the room.


    The warm mist spread, and Liu Sisi, who was already sticky all over, couldn¡¯t resist it. She propped herself up from the head of the bed and crawled up, dragging her weak body to close the door.


    Untying her waistband, her skirt fell from her body. However, her clothes seemed to be at odds with her, feeling stiff on her limbs. She struggled with her short robe for a long time, stuck at her sore arm, unable to use any force to remove it.


    Creak! ¡ª¡ª


    The sound of pushing the door scared Liu Sisi a lot!


    She hurriedly covered her chest and looked back, only to meet Di Yelei¡¯s astonished gaze.


    Even though this wasn¡¯t the first time the two had been honest with each other, she still felt embarrassed!


    ¡°You, you, you, why did youe in? Get out quickly!¡±


    Despite her fever having subsided, her cheeks were still flushed with two shades of red, and even her eyes and eyebrows were painted with a touch of charm.


    Di Yelei raised an eyebrow, covered the room door with his reverse hand, tied it up, and finished with one breath.


    ¡°What are you afraid of? You and I are husband and wife. Besides, your hand is injured now, so you can¡¯t touch water. If I don¡¯t help you wash, who will?¡±


    As he spoke, he approached step by step, a wicked smile at the corner of his mouth.


    Liu Sisi was frightened!


    She clutched her chest tightly, almost jumping up from the ground!


    ¡°No, that¡¯s enough! I¡¯ll wash slowly by myself. You get out now! Don¡¯t mess around. I¡¯m a patient now.¡±


    The shy and timid little woman hid behind the bathtub, the dim light in the room, and the hot water steaming and fogging filling the air, making her figure hazy. Only those big eyes with a deer-like surprise were full of embarrassment and tension, just like a frightened kitten.


    Such a hesitant attitude has won Di Yelei¡¯s favor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I know your hand is injured, and you are still having a fever, so I will definitely not mess around! I just want to help you.¡±


    I will only have ns and objectives!


    His gaze deepened, heughed lightly, threw his clothes casually onto the head of the bed, and slowly opened his shirt, revealing a strong chest.


    As he moved, the tight muscles exposed before her, twisted and strong, powerful and sturdy. The clothing slipped off his shoulders, revealing the alluring bronze-colored shiny skin¡­


    ¡°Ah! You¡­ rogue!¡±


    She screamed, hurriedly covering her eyes, her ears turning red with shame.


    He was too¡­ too¡­ too shameless!


    When she hadn¡¯t heard any movement for a long time, she couldn¡¯t help but secretly open her eyes, peeking through her fingertips to see the movement in the room.


    Ah!


    Liu Sisi was startled!


    Without knowing when, Di Yelei has already reached her side, approached her, staring closely at her face.


    As she opened the gap in her fingers, she immediately saw the smile in the other person¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Ah! You scared me to death! Howe you make no noise when you walk.¡±


    Not being able to express how she felt, Liu Sisi swallowed heavily and angrily yelled at him.


    But the momentum in her voice was insufficient, giving a feeling of pretending to be serious.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be afraid! You are sick now, and I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡±


    He sneered slightly, raised a sword eyebrow, and showed his wild and unrestrained nature!


    ¡°Even if I want to eat you, I will wait until you recover from the illness. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    As he spoke, he domineeringly embraced her and took off her short robe in three or two moves, revealing the inner clothes and inner pants inside, which surprised her and made her protect herself with both hands.


    ¡°You¡­ bah! Bastard! You just said it, you can¡¯t break your promise!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face turned red! Won¡¯t eat me? What he said¡­ She was annoyed! Does she really have no charm at all? This damn ck bear!


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand there, the water will be cold soon.¡±


    He picked her up,ughing proudly, and patted her back gently with his hand.


    ¡°Ah!¡ª¡ª¡±


    She has been an orphan since she was young. Her grandfather always took care of her, and she never experienced being hit by anyone!


    Di Yelei had inadvertently pped her lightly, startling Liu Sisi stiff.

 Chapter 122 - 122: 120: Ye Lei’s Smugness: Sisi Angrily Embarrassed

    Chapter 122 - 122: 120: Ye Lei¡¯s Smugness: Sisi Angrily Embarrassed


    ¡°Ye Lei!¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi shrieked, gripping his iron-hard arm tightly, fiercely pinching it with the uninjured hand.


    Did this little thing actually like being loved like this? His eyes brightened!


    Immediately, he reached out his hand again, controlling his strength to gently pat her a few more times, making two crisp sounds, but not even leaving any red marks.


    There were sobs in her mouth, fragmented, sweet, and bone-melting sounds mixed with a trace of pain and shame, as well as some pleasure and joy, making it hard to describe the taste.


    Heughed triumphantly!<div>


    ¡°Okay! You can do it now. Can you get into the bathtub by yourself? Or do you need me to help you?¡±


    Finally, Di Yelei let her go, his thick eyebrows raised as he looked at her.


    ¡°No need! I can do it myself!¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly replied, feeling as if the whole person was on fire, somewhat unable to adapt to his sudden withdrawal.


    Let him help her take a bath? It felt so¡­embarrassing.


    She hurriedly walked a few steps faster, stepping into the bathtub. The water temperature was slightly hot, she slowly sank into the water, and a wave of heat spread upward from the soles of her feet.


    She let out a long sigh, and afortable sensation spread from the water. She submerged her whole body into the bathtub, revealing only a small head, and the injured hand that could not be soaked.


    Then, she picked up the towel and tried to use the uninjured hand to pick it up and start taking a bath.


    ¡°How is it? Are you done? Can you get in the water? Do you want me to help you scrub your back?¡±


    Di Yelei deliberately asked, his voice already close.


    ¡°You, you, you, how did youe over? Turn around quickly!¡±


    Although her fever had subsided, her cheeks were still flushed red, and the corners of her eyes showed a touch of charm.


    Di Yelei raised an eyebrow, ¡°What are you afraid of? We are husband and wife. Your hand is injured right now and cannot touch water. If I don¡¯t help you clean, who will?¡±


    While talking, he approached her step by step, with a wicked smile at the corner of his mouth.


    Liu Sisi was terrified!


    She clutched her chest tightly, almost jumping from the ground!


    ¡°No, no need! I¡¯ll wash slowly by myself, hurry up and get out! I¡¯m a patient, you can¡¯t mess around.¡±


    The shy and timid woman shrank into the water. The dim light in the room and the mist from the hot water enveloped her figure in a hazy silhouette.


    Only her pair of wet, deer-like eyes, filled with embarrassment, looked like a startled deer.


    Her tantalizing demeanor only amused Di Yelei even more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t mess around at all!¡±


    I¡¯ll just do things with a n and a purpose!


    His gaze deepened, and heughed softly. He untied his waistband and casually threw it behind him. Then slowly, he undid his shirt, revealing his strong and robust arms.


    As he moved, his abrupt, tightly wound muscles were exposed to her sight, strong and powerful. His clothes slipped from his shoulders, and his bronze, shiny skin became even more¡­


    ¡°Ah! You¡­annoying!¡±


    She exims in shock, quickly covering her eyes and blushing to the roots of her ears.


    He was too¡­ too shameless!


    After not hearing any movement for a while, she couldn¡¯t help but secretly open her eyes, peeking through her fingers at the movement in the room.


    s!


    Liu Sisi was startled!


    Unaware of when, Di Yelei had alreadye to her side, leaning in close to her, staring intently at her face. As she opened her fingers, she immediately gazed into his smiling eyes.


    ¡°You¡­ugh! You bastard, I hate you!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face reddened!


    Won¡¯t eat me? What kind of thing to say¡­


    She was annoyed! Did she really have no charm? That damned bastard!


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, the water will get cold if you don¡¯t get in.¡±


    Di Yelei slowly approached and finally picked up the towel to carefully wash her back.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi subconsciously wanted to argue, but seeing Di Yelei¡¯s serious face, she couldn¡¯t find the words to say.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s entire body looked like a boiled shrimp, red from head to toe!


    She wanted to speak, to resist!


    But the droplets of water continuously dripping from her hair caused her to swallow all her words of protest.


    His hand continued downward, reaching into the hot water, and began to carefully wash her.


    The water droplets from her hair blurred her vision, making her unable to open her eyes. Instead, it heightened her sensitivity, and each of his touches felt amplified by her pores!


    She felt uneasy, even her injured hand almost fell into the water.


    Fortunately, Di Yelei¡¯s quick reflexes caught her hand. Consequently, his movements became even more gentle.


    Quickly washed and wiped, he carefully ced her inside the warm quilt.


    Di Yelei wiped a handful of sweat, forcibly calming his mind.


    His hand gradually moved downward, lingering at that spot, unwilling to leave.


    Dazzling sensations spread throughout her body. She unconsciously wanted to grind, trying to alleviate the heat inside, yet was stopped by hisrge hand.


    Her delicate body, with its beautiful colors, trembled more and more, making it almost impossible for her to sit straight.


    She whimpered in her mouth, suddenly turned her head, and bit down on his shoulder, which was lowered from leaning over!


    Suddenly, her mouth let out a series of screams, the nails of her uninjured hand deeply embedded in her own arm muscles. Heughed triumphantly!


    Her mind was bombarded with extreme brightness, apanied by a deafening noise.


    No longer having the strength to hold on, she leaned on his broad and sturdy chest, lost in a daze, unable to even open her eyes.


    Di Yelei wiped another handful of sweat, forcibly calming his mind.


    Not daring to look at her sublime beauty and her hazy expression at the moment, he hastily wrapped her in the thin quilt as if trying to convince himself.


    He couldn¡¯t see anything! Couldn¡¯t see!


    Delicious and juicy temptations were within reach, but he had to hold back, unable to taste them!


    That further provoked thest nerve called reason in him. God knows how much willpower he used to control himself from pulling her violently into his arms!


    To make herpletely his and brand her with his exclusive mark!


    But he couldn¡¯t!


    She was injured and had fainted!


    Most importantly, she still had a fever!


    She was the person he cherished the most and deserved his utmost devotion!


    Watching her let out faint snores, he couldn¡¯t help but reach out his hand, taking her small hand, covering it with his own, and pressing it against his chest. Finally, he closed his eyes and decided to take a nap too.

 Chapter 123 - 123: 121: Ye Lei’s Show Off: Sisi’s Embarrassment Turns into Anger

    Chapter 123 - 123: 121: Ye Lei¡¯s Show Off: Sisi¡¯s Embarrassment Turns into Anger


    Outside the window, the scorching sun seemed like a raging fire, causing the leaves to curl up from the heat.


    The cicadas on the trees were continuously making shrill noises without stopping, adding anotheryer of annoyance to the already sweltering weather. The wind Feng¡¯er gently brushed past the treetops, bringing with it a series of rustling sounds, so soft and serene. asionally, the sounds of two small hounds chasing each other could be heard in the courtyard; apart from that, there was no other noise.


    Both heaven and earth had fallen into a peaceful slumber¡­<div>


    The expression on his face became more and more peaceful and serene.


    His long hair was spread out and entwined with her tresses.


    His eyes gradually became hazy and slightly squinted.


    Even in her sleep, Liu Sisi felt a sour ache in her arm¡­


    ¡°Get up quickly! Cough, cough! You¡¯re so heavy, you¡¯re crushing my hand ¨C ¡±


    She subconsciously struggled in pain, finally managing to open her tightly closed eyes. Only then did she see that one of her hands was firmly being held by his big hand.


    Damn! He¡¯s so heavy!


    She exerted all her strength to push him away!


    ¡°Get off quickly! I¡¯m going to be crushed by you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sisi, I forgot. Are you okay? Did I hurt you when I pressed down on you?¡±


    It took a while for him to regain his senses from his deep stupor. He quickly got off her and nced at her with embarrassment. With a simple smile, he rapidly moved aside.<div>


    He resumed his honest and straightforward appearance,pletely devoid of any arrogance and wickedness.


    Devotedly holding her chin, he gently pressed a kiss on her forehead.


    ¡°Sisi, thank you¡ªmy little kitten!¡±


    He sighed with his eyes slightly squinted, rubbing his cheek against hers. The rough stubble on his face constantly brushed her cheeks, bringing with it an intertwined feeling of itchiness and intimacy¡­


    Liu Sisi was initially very angry!


    But his kiss was full of cherishment!


    Just as if she was the most precious treasure in the world, being gently protected with great care.


    He gentlyy down beside her, carefully covered her with the thin quilt, held her in his arms, and gently patted her back: ¡°Sisi, sleep! You can rest first, and I will wake you up to take your medicine when it¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Mm, Ye Lei, you sleep too.¡±


    The sweet, glutinous voicezily rang out. Liu Sisi nodded, resting her head on his sturdy arm, her mood strangely settling down.


    Ye Lei seemed to be in a good mood!


    A strong sense of satisfaction spread throughout her heart. She gently closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep with a smile.


    Di Yelei was indeed in a very good mood!


    The ancients said that food and sex were the basic human desires.


    He had never thought about living an ascetic life, but since Sisi was feeling unwell, he naturally wouldn¡¯t force her.


    Unable to resist stealing a quick kiss on her cheek, he snuggled up to her fragrant and soft body and fell asleep again.


    In the middle of the night, Liu Sisi began to have a fever again!


    Di Yelei, without bothering to dress, busily took care of her, running around doing various things.


    Having barely slept at all, he stayed awake until the break of dawn.


    Unsure if it was because she had spent too long in the water that day, or because she had used up too much energy, Liu Sisi¡¯s illness came on with a vengeance.


    Di Yelei felt guilty!


    It seemed likely that it was mainly due to the long hours spent in the water that day, which caused her to catch a chill.


    With a continuous high fever for two days, her small face was burning red, and no matter how much effort was put in, the fever wouldn¡¯t subside. Her already frail body became even weaker, losing a lot of weight.


    But there was a silver lining ¨C Di Yelei no longer dared to tease her sensitive little body casually.


    Perhaps it was because they had opened up to each other; when Di Yelei helped Liu Sisi to clean her body, she didn¡¯t refuse. However, she no longer had the energy to resist either.


    Di Yelei deliberately curbed his little schemes and carefully took care of Liu Sisi.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Xuan¡¯er and YingEr came to visit Liu Sisi every day, chatting with her and ying for a while before leaving her to rest.


    Zhang Peng also came and increased the dosage of her medicine. Guihua came too and chatted with Liu Sisi.


    As they were talking, they heard a series of quarrels outside.


    ¡°Sisi, take a rest; I¡¯ll go and see what¡¯s happening.¡± Guihua said, and then left the room.


    Feeling particrly drowsytely, Liu Sisi soon fell asleep, only vaguely hearing Guihua arguing with Ms. Zhang.


    Not long after, half-asleep and half-awake, she heard Guihua say, ¡°Your shameless Second Sister-inw dares to rush in, snatch the meat, and run away! she thinks it¡¯s the past!¡±


    ¡°Now that you are married into the family, you can¡¯t set such a precedent; otherwise, that shameless woman might cause even more trouble.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see her just now, behaving like a shrew, even Mr. Land Officer couldn¡¯t control her. She almost caused an uproar!¡­¡±


    Listening to Guihua¡¯sints, Liu Sisi began to feel closer to her and couldn¡¯t help but smile in her sleep.


    What surprised Liu Sisi the most was Di Cheng¡¯s visit the next day.


    As soon as Di Cheng entered the courtyard, he was stunned by the changes within the Di family¡¯s yard.


    Thest time he came was the day his Third Sister-inw died and was buried. He followed his grandfather here. The details of the arrangements were forgotten, but he couldn¡¯t forget that time¡¯s small courtyard ¨C it was so deste!


    But what about now?


    The yard had doubled in size, with an additional whispering room and firewood room beside the original four adobe rooms, excluding the kitchen. Green vines covered the ground in front of and behind the house, and a chicken coop enclosed by a fence with a thatched roof produced the chirping sounds of baby chicks. On the other side, there was a newly built well tform with well water flowing¡­


    Staring nkly at the scene before him, he mistook it for the wrong path. He walked out of the house, looking for a long time before realizing he wasn¡¯t wrong. He stared at everything for a long time without recovering.


    ¡°Di Cheng? How do you have time toe over today?¡±


    Di Yelei took advantage of his free time to dig a pond along the edge of the water canal, poking his head down to remove the silt and happened to see him.


    Di Cheng was only capable of performing manualbor in the fields near the old house. The poption there wasrge, but only his father and Di Cheng were capable of working the fields.


    Di Cheng finally came to his senses and said shyly, ¡°Third Uncle, my grandfather heard that Third Auntie was sick and asked me to bring her something.¡±


    ¡°You mean my father asked you toe? Did your mother see you?¡± Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was overthinking, but ording to his many years of understanding, it would be thanking the gods if Ms. Zhao didn¡¯t cause trouble; expecting her to offer food was simply impossible!


    Di Cheng lowered his head and smiled honestly, ¡°This is what my grandfather ordered, I don¡¯t dare to lie.¡±


    In fact, Di Yelei guessed urately.


    When Elderly Mr. Di instructed Di Cheng, Ms. Zhao was the first to object! However, with one re from Elderly Mr. Di, she hushed and obediently bowed her head to drink her coarse grain porridge, shooting nces at Ms. Wang below.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Yesterday¡¯s chapter had an automatic update issue, causing an unedited chapter 120 and chapter 121 to be sent incorrectly. Craft Paper thanks everyone for their support.

 Chapter 124 - 124: 122 Comparison Ends in Discard: The Embarrassed Sisi

    Chapter 124 - 124: 122 Comparison Ends in Discard: The Embarrassed Sisi


    Ms. Zhao dared not say a word and kept her head down to eat, her eyes rolling non-stop, not knowing what strange ideas she was brewing.


    Elder Mr. Di sensed something wrong, put down his bowl with a snap, picked up his pipe and forcefully knocked it a few times against the edge of the table, clearing his throat loudly.


    ¡°Third Child has had a tough life since childhood, never having tasted his mother¡¯s milk. It was Hongyuan who raised him by feeding him rice paste. Later he separated from the family and lived on his own when he was still very young. I, as his father, couldn¡¯t offer any help, even holding him back. Now that his wife is ill, it¡¯s a good opportunity for him to take some action. We cannot be estranged from him. After all, he too is a part of my Di family¡¯s lineage.¡±<div>


    Having said this, Elder Mr. Di swept a nce at everyone present. The implication of his stern gaze was apparent.


    This was undoubtedly hinting to everyone about his final decision!


    Ms. Zhao protested, ¡°Father, what do you mean by that? Third Brother is a harbinger of disaster. Last time, Brother Gao escaped death narrowly because of him and got two of his front teeth broken! Even till now, his speech is impaired, fixing false teeth costs a fortune. If this leads to any other mishaps¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you all deserve!¡±


    Elder Mr. Di mmed his pipe forcefully, ¡°Do not think I am dying and ignorant of what you lot have been up to! You little rascals listen to me, as long as I, Elder Mr. Di am alive for one more day, I will remain the head of the Di family!¡±


    He red fiercely at each one of them. The implication of his words was quite clear.


    Everyone started to avoid his gaze, no one dared to meet his eyes.


    Over the years, he has loved Di Ah-bao the most. But it was this beloved child who almost annoyed him to death, not only did he not give him medicine, but he also acted as if nothing was wrong, showed no signs of remorse at all!


    On the contrary, Third Child, whom he paid least regard to, sought the doctors and brought medication for him, looked after him day and night.


    Not to mention bringing food over for him every two or three days¡­


    It¡¯s not that one doesn¡¯t appreciate it, it¡¯s thatparison brings out the value!<div>


    Di Ah-Bao has indeed hurt him deeply this time.


    Elder Mr. Di closed his eyes in pain, faintly moved his numb left hand, held his powerless leg, and remembered Third Child¡¯s goodness towards himself. He felt ashamed.


    ¡°Di Cheng! Hurry up and take it to your Third Uncle. I dare to see who would dare to say no!¡±


    Only after Elder Mr. Di¡¯s words, did Di Cheng dare toe to the Di family with the bamboo basket under the green nces of everyone.


    ¡°Since it is a gift from father, you can just set it in the hall.¡±


    Di Yelei nodded to show that he understood, secretly thinking that once Sisi got better, he would apany her to thank the old house.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, there were only a few reasonable people over there at the old house. He must protect her, so that she wouldn¡¯t get bullied.


    ¡°Alright, Third Uncle.¡±


    Di Cheng¡¯s actions were quick, he put the basket in the hall and then turned and left. He began rolling up his trouser legs. ¡°Third Uncle, let me help you dig!¡±


    While talking, he got down into the water canal.


    ¡°No¡­ well, you can just dig along the edge.¡± Di Yelei tried to stop him, but Di Cheng was already in the water.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Di Cheng smiled heartily, picking up the pickaxe and started to dig into the soil. Hisughter bore a striking resemnce to Di Yelei¡¯s.


    Among the younger generation, the one who Di Yelei liked most was naturally Di Cheng. It wasn¡¯t only because of Di Cheng¡¯s honest and straightforward personality, but also because he was always willing to contribute and never tried to dodge work, unlike other people in the old house.


    ¡°Third Uncle, grandfather has stopped taking his medicine for two days. The old doctor had initially said he has to take the medicine for three months,¡± Di Cheng said in a low voice, conveniently shoveling the muck into the basket.


    ¡°Why has he stopped taking the medicine? Is it because we ran out of money? That can¡¯t be! Didn¡¯t we brothers set aside some money for the medicine? Why hasn¡¯t it been continued?¡± Di Yelei frowned, halting his work.


    ¡°Grandfather took the money and prevented us from getting the medicine, but he didn¡¯t say why.¡± Di Cheng quickly swung around the pickaxe.


    Di Yelei was stunned before immediately understanding. His father was disappointed in everyone, wasn¡¯t he?


    It wasn¡¯t until the evening when Di Yelei had some free time to open the bamboo basket Di Cheng brought. Inside there were twenty eggs, a small handful of lotus seeds, a root wrapped in red thread, and on top of that, 500 silver coins.


    Di Yelei picked up the root and examined it repeatedly.


    This was one of the roots of the 120 year-old wild ginseng from Dr. He¡¯s prescriptionst time. Due to its value, and the fact that there were only three roots in total, Di Yelei naturally remembered it very clearly.


    Who would¡¯ve thought that dad gave it to Sisi!


    Tightly clenching the root in his hand, his heart felt sour and an indescribable feeling roiled within him.


    Liu Sisi had been lying down for three days before her temperature gradually stabilised.


    Upon waking up, Liu Sisi felt her body brimming with energy! It was as if the stress from the past days had all been released, and her spirits improved tenfold. The swelling on her hand had also deted, indicating that the inmmation was under control.


    After putting on the clean clothes by her side, she tried tob her long hair. A task that used to be so simple was now incredibly difficult. No matter how she tried, she couldn¡¯t wind her hair up and could only hastily tie it loosely with a hair cord before exiting the room.


    Di Yelei, who was bustling around in the courtyard chopping firewood, was soaked in sweat. Upon seeing her figure, his eyes instantly lit up.


    The little woman looked at him shyly, the reflection of him mirrored in her sparking eyes, as pure as a serene blue sky.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re up? How are you feeling? You should rest some more, don¡¯t catch a cold by going out.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at the open firewood room, which was filled with freshly chopped firewood.


    ¡°I chopped down two big trees in the mountains today and directly dragged them back. It¡¯s already autumn, this firewood wille in handy in winter,¡± Di Yelei exined casually, as if dragging back two big trees was as easy as picking up two onions.


    This man was reallymitted!


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! My fever has already subsided.¡±


    A warmth rose in Liu Sisi¡¯s heart and she lightlyughed, walking closer to him. She took out a handkerchief from her clothes and carefully wiped the sweat off his forehead, picking out the dead leaves stuck to his hair at the same time.


    ¡°You, why are you working so hard? It¡¯s impossible to get everything done at once. You dragged back two big trees, that must¡¯ve taken a lot of strength. Why don¡¯t you let them dry out in the mountains a bit and haul them back when there¡¯s less moisture?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t take that much strength. I¡¯m just a bit more tired than usual, a little rest will suffice.¡±


    He cheerfully epted the handkerchief, wiping his sweat off with practiced ease. He wanted to return it to Liu Sisi, but seeing the dirt stains on it, he shyly retracted his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s dirty. I¡¯ll wash it cleanter, let it dry, and then give it back to you.¡±

 Chapter 125 - 125: 123 Standoff Between the Strong: Di Yelei VS Nan Tianzong

    Chapter 125 - 125: 123 Standoff Between the Strong: Di Yelei VS Nan Tianzong


    ¡°Pfft! You- well, fine. These are the chores I should have been doing anyway. My hands are injured, so it¡¯s right that you wash them!¡± I¡¯m not going to be polite with him!


    Laughter slipped from Liu Sisi, revealing a set of tiny millet teeth. Her dimples became more visible as her eyebrows curved upwards.


    ¡°Fine! I wash, so I wash! Didn¡¯t I also wash everyone¡¯s clothes when you were sick?¡±<div>


    Di Yelei looked at her with a smile, an evident smugness behind his charismatic gesture.


    Liu Sisi looked iprehensibly at the clothesline under the eaves. Her face blushed furiously, making her look like a boiled prawn!


    On the clothesline were tattered clothes fluttering in the wind. What else could they be but her bellyband?


    Swiftly, Liu Sisi yanked the belly band off the line and spat towards Di Yelei, then she covered her face and ran into the house.


    He, he, he had washed these most intimate items of hers?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This was too, too much!


    As soon as the flush of her face subsided, she remembered it was Market Day today. She decided to visit the Gan Family and the bookstore.


    After tidying up, Liu Sisi finally left the room.


    ¡°Sisi, are you going out?¡±


    After stacking the chopped firewood into the room, Di Yelei saw her dressed as a boy and asked in surprise.


    ¡°Yes! Ye Lei, I work part-time at the bookstore and also serve as a female tutor in the Gan family. During my illness, I failed to notify them in advance, which I feel guilty about. Now that I am well, I ought to visit them. At the very least, I should inform them about what happened.¡±<div>


    Was she going to see that gentleman from the bookstore?


    Di Yelei intuitively wanted to object, but remembering how Sisi had been upset about this issuest time, he swallowed his words. After thinking for a moment, he ced thest bundle of firewood into the kitchen.


    ¡°You¡¯ve just recovered. You can¡¯t be running around like this. Why don¡¯t I apany you?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that quite inconvenient? The children are so small, it¡¯s not good to leave them alone at home. I¡¯m just going to give them a quick visit, then return immediately afterward.¡±


    ¡°No worries at all, the children are sensible and, anyway, the town isn¡¯t far away. We can take the bull-cart and return home very quickly!¡±


    Di Yelei said without allowing for any rebuttals.


    There were bull-carts avable for transportation once they crossed the river and reached the main road on Market Day. Considering the money she owed, Sisi usually walked to and from the small town. However, today, they decided to take the lush route and take the cart instead.


    The bull-cart seemed slow, but was much faster than walking. It was capably quicker than using one¡¯s own two legs. Once in the market, Liu Sisi headed straight for the bookstore.


    Contrary to Liu Sisi¡¯s expectations, there were not many customers in the bookstore today. Nan Tianzong, ever the gentleman, was engrossed in his book as if his soul had flown to the realm of gods, not concerning himself with his surroundings.


    ¡°Boss! Boss, wake up! Boss!¡±


    She knocked twice on the counter to bring him back from his daydreaming.


    The moment Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyes met Liu Sisi¡¯s silhouette, his eyes lit up! His heart pounding in excitement!


    ¡°Little Four, you¡¯re here¡­¡±


    He sat straight up from his chair but was struck into stupefaction the moment he saw Di Yelei.


    Those eyes met, sparking a storm of untamed electricity!


    Thunder roars and lightning shes!


    Both men red at each other, neither willing to back down first!


    Neither of the two men sported a betterplexion than the other!


    As a man, even with a single nce, Di Yelei could see that the man before him was not just the ¡°boss¡± Liu Sisi had spoken of.


    He held no fond feelings for this young master who wanted to snatch his wife!


    He knitted his brows tightly together, the man definitely had ulterior motives for Sisi! His insincere and hypocritical gentleman-like appearance seriously turned his stomach!


    ¡°Huh? I thought you stoppeding to work? Why the sudden change of heart? You even came here. I thought you might be too happy to even think about returning and just ran away!¡±


    Nan Tianzong retorted as hezily took his seat back.


    He was extremely worried for nothing, it seems the other party didn¡¯t even care, which was truly ridiculous!


    He couldn¡¯t help but seethe with anger!


    Knowing full well that she was a married woman, why did he be attracted to her! What¡¯s more, she had no clue!


    He, a young master from a noble family, has actually fallen this far.


    His resentful gaze swept over Liu Sisi, only to inadvertently meet a pitch-ck face! He quickly shifted his gaze and put on a perfect smile, raising an eyebrow at Di Yelei with a triumphant look!


    ¡°Boss, you misunderstood me. I¡¯ve been sick for the past few days, with a persistent fever. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able toe to work for the next few days, so¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi waspletely oblivious to the silentpetition between the two and hurriedly exined.


    Di Yelei was not willing to show weakness. In a provocative manner, he lightly put his arm around Liu Sisi¡¯s shoulder and whispered in her ear, ¡°Sisi, who is this gentleman¡­?¡±


    Although his words were brief, they did not hide the intimacy between the two.


    Liu Sisi finally grasped the situation and lightly pped her forehead, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so absent-minded, I forgot to introduce you guys. This is the owner of the bookshop, Young Master Nan, and this is my husband, Di Yelei. You¡¯ve met before, right?¡± She asked a bit hesitantly.


    ¡°Uncle Di is a hunter?¡±


    Nan Tianzong suddenlyughed, flicking his folding fan elegantly as he swayed it before his chest. He dared to be so proud despite being a whole decade older than Sisi?


    Di Yelei gave him an up and down look, then sneered, ¡°Is Sir a businessman?¡±


    Although this era did not prohibit businessmen per se, they were not qualified to take the examination. As a schr who was also in business¡­ he might as well be a hunter!


    Indeed, as soon as Di Yelei said these words, Nan Tianzong¡¯s face changed immediately.


    He let out a cold snort, and put away the folding fan in his hand.


    He turned to Liu Sisi, ¡°If you¡¯re injured, you should rest and recover, instead of running around. Or you might wear yourself down. Oh, by the way! I have a bottle of ¡®flesh and jade dew liquid¡¯ here, if you apply it to your wounds, not only will it hasten the healing process, but it also won¡¯t leave a scar. You should keep it with you.¡±


    As he spoke, Nan Tianzong took out a jade bottle from his pocket and handed it to Liu Sisi.


    The jade bottle was crystal clear and smooth, it was clearly a valuable item. Given how precious the bottle containing the medicine was, one could only imagine how valuable the medicine inside was.


    The moment Nan Tianzong took out the jade bottle, Di Yelei¡¯s face changed!


    He stared intently at the small jade bottle, wishing he could toss it out immediately. But when he thought of the wound in Liu Sisi¡¯s palm, he hesitated.


    ¡°No, no need!¡±


    Liu Sisi waved her hands, pushing the jade bottle back, ¡°Boss, you are too kind. I don¡¯t know how much this medicine is worth, but just by the looks of this jade bottle¡­.It is not something I can afford to use. Boss, please take it back.¡±


    No work, no pay, there are no free lunches under the sun!


    Although Liu Sisi did not understand why Nan Tianzong suddenly decided to give her this ointment, she instinctively knew she couldn¡¯t take it!

 Chapter 126 - 126: 124: Visiting Gan Mansion Again: Old Madam’s Thoughts

    Chapter 126 - 126: 124: Visiting Gan Mansion Again: Old Madam¡¯s Thoughts


    ¡°Take it! It¡¯s just an ointment, not some precious treasure!¡± Nan Tianzong said impatiently.


    Liu Sisi hesitated, unsure whether to ept the ointment: ¡°But this¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a hand reached over and snatched the jade bottle, tossing it onto the counter.<div>


    Di Yeleiughed arrogantly, narrowing his eyes wickedly: ¡°Mr. Shopkeeper, my wife already said she doesn¡¯t want this ointment! You should take it back!¡±


    Their eyes met furiously, like sharpening knives.


    The smile on Nan Tianzong¡¯s face slowly faded away.


    The tense atmosphere between them was palpable, even for someone as thick-skinned as Liu Sisi. Looking at Di Yelei and then at Nan Tianzong, she said awkwardly, ¡°You two¡­ I really can¡¯t ept this ointment! Mr. Shopkeeper, you¡¯d better take it back quickly!¡±


    Nan Tianzong looked surprised, nced down at the ointment, and then looked up at Liu Sisi.


    That¡¯s right! They were a husband and wife after all. What was he doing getting involved?


    But why did his heart feel so painful?


    He slowly picked up the jade bottle, gripping it tightly in his hand. When he looked up again, he showed his usual gentle demeanor: ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take it back! Not because I¡¯m giving in, but because¡­ I don¡¯t want to make Sisi ufortable!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face turned pale, his fists clenched, like a fierce beast ready to attack.


    Sweat dripped from Liu Sisi¡¯s forehead as the situation grew increasingly tense, like a spark that could ignite a wildfire at any moment¡­


    ¡°Shopkeeper, how much is this book?¡±<div>


    Just as Liu Sisi anxiously anticipated a conflict, someone entered the bookstore to buy a book. Upon spotting the copied ¡°Three Character ssic,¡± they brought it to the counter to pay.


    Faced with Di Yelei¡¯s half-smiling gaze, Nan Tianzong grew angrier and yelled, ¡°This book costs five taels of silver!¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Three Character ssic¡¯ costs five taels of silver? The books in this small town are more expensive than those in the capital city. Shopkeeper, can you¡­¡±


    ¡°No, our store¡¯s items are non-negotiable!¡± Nan Tianzong¡¯s anger escted, unleashing it all onto the customer.


    The customer reluctantly looked at the ¡°Three Character ssic,¡± grumbling as they took out five taels of silver from their pocket. They ced it painfully on the counter before leaving.


    Nan Tianzong stared in amazement. How could a ¡°Three Character ssic¡± worth five taels of silver sell so easily? Was it raining money?


    Di Yelei¡¯s eye twitched. Are books that valuable? A single book worth five whole taels of silver?


    Liu Sisi was also astonished. Even though books were hand-copied in this era, the ¡°Three Character ssic¡± being worth five taels of silver seemed iprehensible!


    The customer walked slowly away from the bookstore, nced left and right to make sure no one was around, then quickly stashed the ¡°Three Character ssic¡± in their pocket and dashed off.


    They were rich! Who would have thought they¡¯d find a new type of font in this small town!


    They¡¯d heard rumors but didn¡¯t believe them, until they saw it for themselves. It was an unfamiliar font worth studying in detail!


    They had bought a copy of the ¡°Three Character ssic¡± written in a brand-new font for only five taels of silver. Indeed, the smaller the ce, the more likely a lucky find!


    The three in the store exchanged puzzled nces, with Nan Tianzong finally breaking the silence: ¡°You saw it too. The ¡®Three Character ssic¡¯ you copied sold for five taels of silver. The five taels I prepaid youst time, now¡­¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper, I finished copying this book too.¡± Liu Sisi hurriedly took out the finished book from her bag.


    Nan Tianzong raised an eyebrow in surprise, his gaze filled with contempt as it swept over Di Yelei.


    ¡°Very good! Here¡¯s two taels of silver for your previous wages and the three books you copied. Take this book and continue copying. Once it¡¯s finished, bring it back anytime, I¡¯ll buy it. As for the helper position, I¡¯ll reserve it for you. When your injury heals, you can resume work immediately.¡±


    Such a great opportunity!


    Liu Sisi happily epted the silver and kept it in her pocket: ¡°Thank you, shopkeeper! I have to go to Gan Mansion now, so I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    She had gotten five taels in advance and now received another two taels. That was seven taels in total¨Denough to repay the borrowed money for the medicine.


    As Liu Sisi walked, she counted the money with a cheerful smile on her face.


    ¡°Ye Lei, we now have thirty taels of silver. We owe Mr. Land Officer twenty-five taels and Brother Zhang and Li Wu five and a half taels. We should just be able to repay our debts! It feels great to be debt-free!¡±


    Liu Sisi happily pulled on his sleeve, but was met with an emotionless expression: ¡°Ye Lei, what¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t you happy that we can repay our debts?¡±


    Di Yelei was silent for a moment before lightly patting her shoulder.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m happy but you earned that silver too. I couldn¡¯t help but think that since you married me, you¡¯ve been suffering hardships with me, and I¡­¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? A husband and wife are one entity. Happiness and unhappiness have nothing to do with material possessions! As long as we¡¯re happy in our hearts, even a sip of water would taste sweet! Besides, didn¡¯t I say when I married you that we would clear our debts within half a year? It¡¯s only been a little over three months since I married you.¡±


    As she spoke, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh, gazing at him with hope in her eyes.


    ¡°Our Sisi says she can do it, so she definitely can!¡±


    Di Yelei felt as if his heart was melting.


    Remembering Nan Tianzong¡¯s contemptuous nce before they left, he felt uncertain again. He couldn¡¯t rely solely on hunting for silver! He needed to find another way to support them!


    At the very least, he wanted to ensure that Liu Sisi had enough food and clothing!


    Entering the gates of Gan Mansion was not easy this time. The two sat in the living room for quite a while before a maid finally brought them tea, tardily.


    The cloudy, inferior tea leaves tasted like stale water, astringent and rough, making it impossible to swallow.


    Naturally, Liu Sisi understood that this was the Old Madam¡¯s way of expressing her dissatisfaction. The two exchanged nces and patiently waited for another two quarters before seeing the Old Madam slowly enter.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Sisi pays her respects to the Old Madam. I was bedridden for the past few days and was afraid that my illness might spread to the Miss of the Gan Family, so I didn¡¯t dare to visit. I hope the Old Madam will not take it to heart.¡± Liu Sisi offered a bow.


    ¡°Hmph! Dismissing your duties with an illness excuse is convenient! You really can¡¯t step into the realm of decencying from such a humble household. You defy the agreement and act so recklessly, do you really think the Gan family has no one left?¡±


    The Old Madam spoke coldly, not even bothering to look at the two.


    Liu Sisi was taken aback, and then suddenly realized! The other party had likely sent someone to investigate her background, which was why they were saying such things! But since she was in the wrong, she had no right to me them.

 Chapter 127 - 127: 125: Careful Calculation – Sisi Preparing for a Rainy Day

    Chapter 127 - 127: 125: Careful Calction ¨C Sisi Preparing for a Rainy Day<div>


    ¡°Yes! Indeed, public opinion is fearsome! Well said, teacher!¡±


    Thinking about the investigative report provided by her subordinates andparing it to the person in front of her, the Old Madam couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the truth of these words.


    ¡°Since the Old Madam investigated Sisi¡¯s background, she must have also found out that Sisi went to Heji Clinic a few days ago. Dr. He¡¯s character should be trustworthy to the Old Madam! Speaking of small families, thirty years ago, the head of the Gan Family toiled and studied diligently, finally achieving sess and bringing honor to the family. This story is known by every man, woman, and child in the small town. As for taking advantage of the Gan Family, how could Sisi, a mere woman, do such a thing? Aren¡¯t you being too hard on her?¡±<div>


    Old Madam was clearly taken aback by Liu Sisi¡¯s words, giving her a surprised look before her expression softened after pondering for a moment.


    ¡°Since the teacher has been injured, it would be best to focus on recovery. When your health has improved, continuing your studies won¡¯t bete. I was reckless just now, and I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    As she spoke, she turned to the elder servant next to her and instructed, ¡°Go and pick some of the finest medicinal materials and give them to the teacher. Speaking of which, up until now, our Gan Family has not given the teacher even a single reward. It¡¯s truly shameful, shameful!¡±


    ¡°The Old Madam is too serious! This matter is Sisi¡¯s fault, and I hope the Old Madam will be understanding.¡± Liu Sisi said with a lightugh as she bowed.


    ¡°Very well, very well! What a clever and eloquent woman! But I have confidence that I will not choose the wrong person, and you must be able to educate my grandchildren well.¡± A swift glint of light shed across the Old Madam¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°The Old Madam is too kind with her praises.¡±


    As Liu Sisi went with the flow, she naturally blurred the matter.


    Although there had been some minor twists and turns, the final goal was achieved! Looking back at the Gan Mansion, Liu Sisi let out a sigh.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Let¡¯s visit father in the afternoon? We don¡¯t have any good stuff at home, so we can buy some suitable things to send to him!¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s voice was filled with cheerfulness.


    Looking at therge package of items Di Yelei held in his arms, her eyebrows curved upwards, resembling a crescent moon.


    The gifts from the Gan Mansion, as expected from a wealthy family, were generous. In addition to ten taels of silver ingots, there were two pieces of silk cloth, four sets of autumn and winter clothes, a jar of wine, and ten strips of bacon! Additionally, there were valuable medicinal materials like codonopsis, gastrodia, donkey-hide gtin, and caterpir fungus. Although the amounts were notrge, their value was quite high.<div>


    Following the local custom, an education gift usually consisted of ten strips of bacon and one tael of patterned silver each month.


    However, the gift from the Gan Family was clearly on a much higher scale!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Di Yelei¡¯s face turned sour as soon as he left the Gan Mansion; receiving so many education gifts for just one student, but as for him¡­


    Secretly clenching his fists, his determination grew even stronger!


    No matter what, he must let Sisi live a good life!


    The two went to the grocery store and bought some suitable rice and other food. The people in the old house were frugal, rarely eating white rice and pure flour throughout the year. Di Yelei directly bought fifty pounds of pure flour, some glutinous rice sugar and brown sugar, then stopped his purchases.


    He still remembered that buying a simple cake for the childrenst time had cost them 300 copper coins. The prices of sugar and pastries in this era were not only rare but also frighteningly expensive. It was better to make their own!


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°We still need to return the silver. It¡¯s not good to visit empty-handed. Instead of buying this expensive candy, why don¡¯t we buy more raw materials and make some delicious, beautiful, and present-worthy food to give as gifts?¡±


    As she spoke, she put the candy back and bought some essential items like white sugar, clear sugar, brown sugar, honey, butter, baking soda, raisins, sesame seeds, peanuts, and red beans. Then, she went to the market, bought a big white gourd, and finally headed home.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity we don¡¯t have milk or an oven at home, otherwise the taste would be even better,¡± Liu Sisi sighed.


    She had decided to make a few of her signature pastries.<div>


    ¡°What is an oven?¡±


    ¡°An oven is¡­ It¡¯s like the box used by the street vendors who roast sweet potatoes.¡± Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know how to exin it properly.


    ¡°Li Wu has a roasting tube for sweet potatoes. His family used to sell roasted sweet potatoes, but they stopped after business got bad. As for milk, I know that Old Sun¡¯s family in the east of the town sells it. They have several cows and provide milk to the nearby wealthy families at a high price. You wait a moment, I¡¯ll go and see.¡± Di Yelei said and ran off. Shortly after, he returned with a bamboo tube of milk, which made Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes curve inughter.


    When they arrived home, Liu Sisi immediately directed Di Yelei to start kneading the dough. Her hands seemed to be unable to do any delicate work for a short time.


    She separated the egg yolks and egg whites, then mixed the egg whites with a little salt and white sugar. She stirred the mixture until bubbles formed, added sugar again, and continued stirring until it reached a creamy state. She mixed the egg yolks with half a basin of flour, added one pound of white sugar, and stirred evenly. After mixing the bamboo tube of milk, she poured thebined mixture into a greased tray. When half of the mixture was poured, she added cooked red beans and then continued filling the tray.


    Di Xuan had also borrowed the roasting tube, and Liu Sisi had Di Yelei ce each tray into the tube. She filled up all fiveyers of grid spaces withrge tes, sealed the tube, and set the red-hot steel carbon at the bottom to heat it.


    In the big pot, Liu Sisi strained the boiled pumpkin and added it to the flour to let Di Yelei continue kneading the dough. The pumpkin pancake-making process was simple, and Di Yelei was able to do it without Liu Sisi¡¯s detailed instructions.


    ¡°Are you hot? Have a sip of water.¡±


    While Di Yelei was kneading the dough, Liu Sisi quickly offered water and delicately wiped the sweat from his forehead.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hot. Sisi, did you buy that white gourd to make white gourd cakes? If so, I can make themter too,¡± Di Yelei said as he wiped his dripping sweat.


    With a chuckle, Liu Sisi replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s for making white gourd candy. The children have no snacks, and we don¡¯t have anything presentable for guests at home. So, I thought white gourd candy can be stored for a long time and can be offered to guests, killing two birds with one stone.¡±


    Di Yelei paused briefly before nodding and continuing to knead the dough: ¡°You¡¯re right. It used to be just me, a big rough man, at home, and no one said much. Now that you¡¯ve married in, there will inevitably be rtives and neighbors visiting, so we should indeed prepare some food for them. The white gourd candy can¡¯t be made that quickly, so I¡¯ll make it when I have free time. Don¡¯t tire yourself out while your hand is still injured.¡±


    The movements of the man¡¯s waving arms were extraordinarily brisk, and his kneading posture had a rhythmic beauty.


    The nting sun shone through the windowttice, casting a shimmering light on his bronze-colored back. It was dazzling, just like Michngelo¡¯s David Sculpture.


    Liu Sisi was so fascinated!


    By the time she came back to her senses, Di Yelei had already put the pumpkin pancakes in the oil pan. She blushed and went forward to help add firewood.

 Chapter 128 - 128: 126: Repaying Debts: The Storm Approaches (Part I)

    Chapter 128 - 128: 126: Repaying Debts: The Storm Approaches (Part I)<div>


    Soon, the sweet aroma of the pastries and the fragrance of the pumpkin pancakes wafted through the air, making everyone¡¯s mouths water and unable to resist the temptation to eat them right away.


    ¡°Mom! Mom, they smell so good and sweet! I want some too, Mom!¡± cried YingEr.


    The little glutton¡¯s voice arrived before she did!<div>


    She had already been following Xuan¡¯er closely, their noses twitching, both of them looking like a pair of small dogs outside the kitchen, whimpering softly and wagging their tails, wanting but not daring toe in.


    Di Xuan¡¯s eyes were also fixated on the goodies in the pot, and he couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva, they were just too fragrant and sweet!


    ¡°Hold on, Mom will give you some now.¡±


    Liu Sisi got up, picked up two small bowls, and ced two of the earliest pumpkin pancakes from the pot into them: ¡°Come to the small table to eat! Be careful, it¡¯s still hot.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mom, you¡¯re so kind!¡±


    Di Ying cheered as she sat down at the small table, eagerly taking pieces of the pumpkin pancakes and stuffing them into her little mouth.


    Though Di Xuan was sensible, he was still a child and couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of the delicious food. He, too, sat down at the small table and started eating.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a bite too?¡± Di Yelei picked up a cooked pancake and offered it to Liu Sisi.


    Should I eat it now?


    She epted it with a hint of embarrassment and took a small bite. The distinctive sweet taste of the pumpkin pancake filled her mouth. Crispy, sweet, and fragrant ¨C it was definitely delicious!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°You should have a bite too.¡±<div>


    Seeing Di Yelei¡¯s gaze fixated on the pancake in her hand, she offered it back to him.


    Without hesitation, Di Yelei took a bite right where Liu Sisi had bitten, exposing the gap she had left.


    Boom!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face instantly turned red.


    He had just¡­!


    Realizing her gaze, he licked his lips in a suggestive manner and grinned triumphantly at her, baring his white teeth.


    ring at him, Liu Sisi used the opportunity to check the baking tube to escape his gaze.


    Once all the pumpkin pancakes were done, she turned off the heat, opened the baking tube, and took out the cake. The two children¡¯s eyes widened


    She cut off one piece, and each person got a small slice to eat. Seeing the two children enjoying the food, Liu Sisi also tried a bite.


    It tasted just as good as the cakes from her past life!


    Liu Sisi happily gestured to Di Yelei, giving him a thumbs up, and eagerly broke off arge piece to feed him.<div>


    ¡°While these pastries taste just right, let¡¯s pack them up and take them to Mr. Land Officer and Zhang Peng. It¡¯s not good to always owe them money.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go get ready.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly went to pack the items, took a bamboo basket, and followed Di Yelei out the door.


    The first stop, naturally, was the Land Officer¡¯s home.


    Mr. Land Officer had just woken up from his nap and looked a little surprised to see them.


    ¡°Oh, Ye Lei and Sisi are here,e in quickly. Sit, sit down first. Howe you have time to visit this old fool today?¡± Land Officer was as affable as ever.


    Di Yelei sat down cautiously: ¡°Mr. Land Officer, Sisi and I came here today to apologize to you. Last time my dad was seriously ill, Sisi came to borrow silver from you¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah! We are all fellow vigers, and I am the elder, so don¡¯t mention these things.¡±


    Land Officer waved his hand: ¡°On the contrary, it¡¯s your immoral second sister-inw, sigh! Lately, she has really been making this old man angry! Cough, cough¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer, I really appreciate your help, and I am very sorry.¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Never mind, she¡¯s her and you guys are you guys. Did you twoe here today because she¡¯s causing you trouble again? I¡¯ll clean up and go with you.¡± Land Officer instinctively thought that Ms. Zhang had made a fuss again.


    ¡°No, Mr. Land Officer! Sisi and I came here today to repay your silver.¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly took out the gifts and carefully handed them over: ¡°This is a little token of appreciation from Sisi and me, some homemade snacks. We hope Mr. Land Officer will ept them. Here is 25 taels of silver, please count to make sure it¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°You two¡­You¡¯ve really worked hard. In such a short time, you earned enough money. It¡¯s really amazing!¡± The Land Officer eximed, looking at Di Yelei¡¯s honest face and motioning his wife to ept it.


    The Land Officer¡¯s wife had already smelled the fragranceing from the basket. She took it and picked up the gifts inside: ¡°Oh my! This is a lot of stuff, you must¡¯ve spent a lot of silver on it, right? You two are really¡­¡±


    She held in her hand a cake made by the couple themselves.


    ¡°Madam, all these snacks were made by us, so they only cost some base ingredients, we didn¡¯t buy them.¡± Liu Sisi said with a smile.


    ¡°Oh? Your skills are getting more and more impressive! Look, there are different types of snacks, and they taste even better than they look!¡±


    Land Officer also hurried over and picked up a small triangr cake to eat: ¡°I¡¯m so envious of Elderly Mr. Di for having such a capable daughter-inw like you. Nice! Very nice!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Look, there is¡­ and this too!¡± The Land Officer¡¯s wife hesitated.


    On the surface of the bamboo basket was cake, below it were various biscuits, along with ten eggs, two taels of meat, and two meters of silk cloth, which left the Land Officer¡¯s wife dumbfounded!


    These items were worth a lot of money! Land Officer looked up and his smile disappeared as he put down the pastry.


    ¡°Ye Lei, it¡¯s not even a special asion, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer, this is my way of showing gratitude. From childhood to adulthood, you¡¯ve been taking great care of me, especially this time. If it weren¡¯t for the silver you lent, my dad might not have made it¡­ so please ept this gift! And you must ept it. It¡¯s also a little token of gratitude from your junior!¡± Di Yelei said respectfully.


    ¡°But wasn¡¯t this too much¡­?¡± Land Officer¡¯s wife shuddered. These gifts were worth almost two taels of silver.


    ¡°Madam, please ept these gifts as a token of our appreciation!¡± Liu Sisi also smiled, not showing any reluctance at all.


    Land Officer¡¯s gaze deepened, and with a wave of his hand: ¡°Take it! Ye Lei, if there¡¯s anything you need, juste to me, this old man. I¡¯m still able to move around, huh?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Land Officer.¡±


    After exchanging thanks, the family left the Land Officer¡¯s home.


    ¡°Did these two kids strike it rich?¡± The Land Officer¡¯s wife muttered to herself.


    Land Officer couldn¡¯t help but pinch another piece of pastry into his mouth: ¡°How could they get rich? I heard that Sisi is working as a helper at the bookstore in the small town, and she goes home every night to copy books. Ye Lei spends more than ten days up the mountain hunting without returning home. These two kids are really giving their all, it¡¯s like exchanging their lives for money. Sigh! None of it is easy!¡±


    ¡°Sisi is working as a helper? How could she¡­?¡± Land Officer¡¯s wife was shocked.


    ¡°You women with long hair and short experience, just look at how fragile Sisi appears, but she can copy books, read and write, and is even helping in the bookstore. It seems that their daily life is getting better and better.¡± Land Officer put thest piece of cake in his mouth, pped his hands, and shook his head as he left the room.

 Chapter 128 - 126: Repaying Debts: The Storm Approaches (Part I)

    Chapter 128: Chapter 126: Repaying Debts: The Storm Approaches (Part I)


    Soon, the sweet aroma of the pastries and the fragrance of the pumpkin pancakes wafted through the air, making everyone¡¯s mouths water and unable to resist the temptation to eat them right away.


    ¡°Mom! Mom, they smell so good and sweet! I want some too, Mom!¡± cried YingEr.


    The little glutton¡¯s voice arrived before she did!


    She had already been following Xuan¡¯er closely, their noses twitching, both of them looking like a pair of small dogs outside the kitchen, whimpering softly and wagging their tails, wanting but not daring toe in.


    Di Xuan¡¯s eyes were also fixated on the goodies in the pot, and he couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva, they were just too fragrant and sweet!


    ¡°Hold on, Mom will give you some now.¡±


    Liu Sisi got up, picked up two small bowls, and ced two of the earliest pumpkin pancakes from the pot into them: ¡°Come to the small table to eat! Be careful, it¡¯s still hot.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mom, you¡¯re so kind!¡±


    Di Ying cheered as she sat down at the small table, eagerly taking pieces of the pumpkin pancakes and stuffing them into her little mouth.


    Though Di Xuan was sensible, he was still a child and couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of the delicious food. He, too, sat down at the small table and started eating.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a bite too?¡± Di Yelei picked up a cooked pancake and offered it to Liu Sisi.


    Should I eat it now?


    She epted it with a hint of embarrassment and took a small bite. The distinctive sweet taste of the pumpkin pancake filled her mouth. Crispy, sweet, and fragrant ¨C it was definitely delicious!


    ¡°You should have a bite too.¡±


    Seeing Di Yelei¡¯s gaze fixated on the pancake in her hand, she offered it back to him.


    Without hesitation, Di Yelei took a bite right where Liu Sisi had bitten, exposing the gap she had left.


    Boom!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face instantly turned red.


    He had just¡­!


    Realizing her gaze, he licked his lips in a suggestive manner and grinned triumphantly at her, baring his white teeth.


    ring at him, Liu Sisi used the opportunity to check the baking tube to escape his gaze.


    Once all the pumpkin pancakes were done, she turned off the heat, opened the baking tube, and took out the cake. The two children¡¯s eyes widened


    She cut off one piece, and each person got a small slice to eat. Seeing the two children enjoying the food, Liu Sisi also tried a bite.


    It tasted just as good as the cakes from her past life!


    Liu Sisi happily gestured to Di Yelei, giving him a thumbs up, and eagerly broke off arge piece to feed him.


    ¡°While these pastries taste just right, let¡¯s pack them up and take them to Mr. Land Officer and Zhang Peng. It¡¯s not good to always owe them money.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go get ready.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly went to pack the items, took a bamboo basket, and followed Di Yelei out the door.


    The first stop, naturally, was the Land Officer¡¯s home. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Mr. Land Officer had just woken up from his nap and looked a little surprised to see them.


    ¡°Oh, Ye Lei and Sisi are here,e in quickly. Sit, sit down first. Howe you have time to visit this old fool today?¡± Land Officer was as affable as ever.


    Di Yelei sat down cautiously: ¡°Mr. Land Officer, Sisi and I came here today to apologize to you. Last time my dad was seriously ill, Sisi came to borrow silver from you¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah! We are all fellow vigers, and I am the elder, so don¡¯t mention these things.¡±


    Land Officer waved his hand: ¡°On the contrary, it¡¯s your immoral second sister-inw, sigh! Lately, she has really been making this old man angry! Cough, cough¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer, I really appreciate your help, and I am very sorry.¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Never mind, she¡¯s her and you guys are you guys. Did you twoe here today because she¡¯s causing you trouble again? I¡¯ll clean up and go with you.¡± Land Officer instinctively thought that Ms. Zhang had made a fuss again.


    ¡°No, Mr. Land Officer! Sisi and I came here today to repay your silver.¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly took out the gifts and carefully handed them over: ¡°This is a little token of appreciation from Sisi and me, some homemade snacks. We hope Mr. Land Officer will ept them. Here is 25 taels of silver, please count to make sure it¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°You two¡­You¡¯ve really worked hard. In such a short time, you earned enough money. It¡¯s really amazing!¡± The Land Officer eximed, looking at Di Yelei¡¯s honest face and motioning his wife to ept it.


    The Land Officer¡¯s wife had already smelled the fragranceing from the basket. She took it and picked up the gifts inside: ¡°Oh my! This is a lot of stuff, you must¡¯ve spent a lot of silver on it, right? You two are really¡­¡±


    She held in her hand a cake made by the couple themselves.


    ¡°Madam, all these snacks were made by us, so they only cost some base ingredients, we didn¡¯t buy them.¡± Liu Sisi said with a smile.


    ¡°Oh? Your skills are getting more and more impressive! Look, there are different types of snacks, and they taste even better than they look!¡±


    Land Officer also hurried over and picked up a small triangr cake to eat: ¡°I¡¯m so envious of Elderly Mr. Di for having such a capable daughter-inw like you. Nice! Very nice!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Look, there is¡­ and this too!¡± The Land Officer¡¯s wife hesitated.


    On the surface of the bamboo basket was cake, below it were various biscuits, along with ten eggs, two taels of meat, and two meters of silk cloth, which left the Land Officer¡¯s wife dumbfounded!


    These items were worth a lot of money! Land Officer looked up and his smile disappeared as he put down the pastry.


    ¡°Ye Lei, it¡¯s not even a special asion, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer, this is my way of showing gratitude. From childhood to adulthood, you¡¯ve been taking great care of me, especially this time. If it weren¡¯t for the silver you lent, my dad might not have made it¡­ so please ept this gift! And you must ept it. It¡¯s also a little token of gratitude from your junior!¡± Di Yelei said respectfully.


    ¡°But wasn¡¯t this too much¡­?¡± Land Officer¡¯s wife shuddered. These gifts were worth almost two taels of silver.


    ¡°Madam, please ept these gifts as a token of our appreciation!¡± Liu Sisi also smiled, not showing any reluctance at all.


    Land Officer¡¯s gaze deepened, and with a wave of his hand: ¡°Take it! Ye Lei, if there¡¯s anything you need, juste to me, this old man. I¡¯m still able to move around, huh?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Land Officer.¡±


    After exchanging thanks, the family left the Land Officer¡¯s home.


    ¡°Did these two kids strike it rich?¡± The Land Officer¡¯s wife muttered to herself.


    Land Officer couldn¡¯t help but pinch another piece of pastry into his mouth: ¡°How could they get rich? I heard that Sisi is working as a helper at the bookstore in the small town, and she goes home every night to copy books. Ye Lei spends more than ten days up the mountain hunting without returning home. These two kids are really giving their all, it¡¯s like exchanging their lives for money. Sigh! None of it is easy!¡±


    ¡°Sisi is working as a helper? How could she¡­?¡± Land Officer¡¯s wife was shocked.


    ¡°You women with long hair and short experience, just look at how fragile Sisi appears, but she can copy books, read and write, and is even helping in the bookstore. It seems that their daily life is getting better and better.¡± Land Officer put thest piece of cake in his mouth, pped his hands, and shook his head as he left the room.

 Chapter 129 - 127: Repaying Debts: The Storm Approaches (Part II)

    Chapter 129 Chapter 127: Repaying Debts: The Storm Approaches (Part II)


    The two went to Li Wu''s home and Zhang Peng''s home.


    Li Wu was not at home, and his daughter-inw received the silver and thank-you gift, her eyes narrowed withughter.


    Guihua epted the snacks, but she wouldn''t take anything else, like the silk cloth and eggs.


    Pulling Liu Sisi aside quietly, Guihua whispered, "I know your family''s situation better than anyone else. I''m afraid that once you repay this silver, your family will have nothing left, right?"


    "Sister Guihua..." Liu Sisi didn''t know what to say.


    She guessed correctly, they only had a few dozen scattered copper coins left besides the ten taels of silver for the education gift.


    "You! Take these things back at once! When your family bes wealthy, I''lle asking for help without you needing to say anything, and you won''t be able to get rid of me." Guihua said proudly.


    This made Liu Sisiugh.


    "Sister Guihua, when that timees, I''ll never forget what you said today. However, you must hold on to these things in the basket. There''s no reason to take back what you''ve given. And every time you sent something to my house, I''ve always epted it happily, I never declined. So, just ept it without hesitation."


    Liu Sisi said, forcefully picking up the items from the bamboo basket and cing them on the table.


    "Well, alright! But remember, this is only one time, it won''t happen again." Guihua reluctantly epted.


    On the other side, Di Yelei and Zhang Peng were talking about something, looking serious. It wasn''t until Liu Sisi called him that he left with a frown.


    "What happened, Ye Lei?" Liu Sisi asked curiously.


    Di Yelei shook his head: "Nothing... Let''s go! To the old house."


    The pastries and other things in the bamboo basket were meant for his father to eat. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The sun gradually set in the west, and when the two arrived at the old house, they saw Elderly Mr. Di with a crutch in his hand, taking one step at a time on the small path outside, and on his shoulder, he was carrying a hoe.


    "Dad! What are you doing? Put the hoe down right away!"


    Di Yelei strode forward, snatched the hoe from Elderly Mr. Di''s shoulder, and threw it far away!


    "Th-third Brother... how did you get here?"


    Elderly Mr. Di''s hand was shaking badly, and it was unclear whether it was because Di Yelei had scared him or because he was excited.


    "There are so many people in the house, can''t you let them do the work? Your illness is not healed yet. If something happens to you again, who will pity you? Come on, go inside and rest."


    While speaking, Di Yelei didn''t let Elderly Mr. Di say anything. He bent down and carried Elderly Mr. Di on his back, striding towards the old house.


    Liu Sisi quickly followed with the bamboo basket.


    Bang!


    Di Yelei kicked the door open!


    "Are all the people dead? Those who are alive better roll out here!"


    He roared at the top of his lungs!


    Suddenly, there was amotion from the main room and both wing rooms on the left and right sides. Soon, numerous heads appeared at the doorway, but seeing Di Yelei''s fierce face at the entrance, they all drew back quickly.


    It was a joke! Hiding was always better than being beaten. Who would go out and ask for death?!


    Di Yelei walked forward one step at a time, with each step, the ground shook.


    "If anyone continues to hide in the room, I will tear down their house! I want to see where else you turtles will hide!"


    His icy gaze swept over the surroundings, and the whole courtyard was eerily silent, with no sign of movement.


    "Third Child, let me down quickly." Elderly Mr. Di struggled.


    "Dad! Today, I won''t let things end so easily!"


    Di Yelei, burning with rage, shouted at the house: "I will count to three! If anyone doesn''te out after that, I will demolish that side of the house! You can try for yourself whether what I, Di Yelei, say is true or false!"


    "One!"


    Who among those hiding in the house would dare to doubt him?


    Especially Di Ah-bao, who, upon hearing Di Yelei''s voice, was like a mouse seeing a cat. He still had a lingering pain in his gums from two teeth knocked out thest time, and how could he dare to go out?


    But he didn''t dare to resist either! Hearing the other party''s voice, he had no doubt that the other party would keep their word.


    With this thought in his mind, he stepped out of the house tremblingly, painstakingly pressing himself against the eaves as he moved.


    Di Yelei''s sharp eyes swept over him, and his knees weakened and his thighs shook with fear. He hurriedly hid behind a pir: "Thi-Third Brother."


    Di Yelei did not respond, just nced at the house and said: "Two!"


    The room door was pushed open, and Ms. Zhao, Ms. Wang, and several children came out one after another, even Di Gao was among them.


    Di Yelei still didn''t say much: "Three!"


    "Third Brother, what are you trying to do? Why is it that every time youe to the old house, there''s fighting and killing and the old house can''t have peace! Don''t forget, you''ve already been separated. You have no say in the affairs of the old house!" The one speaking was none other than Di Gaoyuan.


    Di Yelei''s face changed, and he ced Elderly Mr. Di on the stone bench before standing up.


    "I, Di Yelei, have indeed separated and am living on my own! But so what? Dad is still my dad, Di Yelei''s dad! Today, I will make it clear, if you continue to make him work in the fields while he''s still sick and something happens, I will hold you responsible!" As he spoke, his eyes drifted between Di Gaoyuan and Di Ah-bao.


    Di Gaoyuan''s face was ugly: "Di Yelei! Don''t go too far! Now, which family''s elderly don''t have to work in the fields? If Dad doesn''t work, what will he eat and drink? Why don''t you, Di Yelei, send more food here to fill everyone''s stomachs?"


    "That''s right, you only send a little bit each time, it doesn''t even fill our stomachs." Di Ah-bao at the side chimed in.


    Di Yelei, furious, took a few big strides towards where Di Ah-bao was under the eaves. He swung a fierce punch directly at Di Ah-bao.


    "Bastard! Who the hell let you eat? That was the food Sisi cooked for Dad; you have the nerve to eat it while your conscience was eaten by a dog!"


    "Help! Third Brother is going to kill someone!"


    Di Ah-bao, scared senseless, screamed and desperately dodged behind the pir, crying and shouting for help.


    "Don''t hit him! If you want to hit someone, just hit me to death, I can''t take it anymore! Help, help!"


    Ms. Zhao had been keeping an eye on the scene, and she rushed over, grabbing one of Di Yelei''s thighs tightly, refusing to let go and crying loudly.


    "Let go! Let go!"


    Di Yelei tried several times to shake Ms. Zhao off but could only watch helplessly as Di Ah-bao sprinted into the house and mmed the door shut with a loud bang.


    "Third Child, Third Child!"


    In the midst of the crying and shouting, Elderly Mr. Di finally spoke up.


    Di Yelei stopped and looked hesitantly at Elderly Mr. Di: "Dad, did you just call me?"


    Elderly Mr. Di nodded: "Yes! Let them go! This is the karma I have brought upon myself, and I deserve to suffer for it! I''ve also realized that from now on, I won''t be muddle-headed anymore."

 Chapter 130 - 128: Repaying Debts: The Storm Approaches (Part II)

    Chapter 130: Chapter 128: Repaying Debts: The Storm Approaches (Part II)


    ¡°But Dad¡­¡± Di Yelei hesitated.


    ¡°Ms. Zhao, let go of Third Child. You¡¯re embarrassing yourself, a woman acting like this. I, Di Defu, must have no luck or virtue to have married a disaster like you. Sigh!¡± Elderly Mr. Di sighed, looking as if he aged by ten years in an instant.


    Ms. Zhao couldn¡¯t help but let go of Di Yelei¡¯s thigh, moving closer to Elderly Mr. Di with a whimper.


    ¡°Old man, what¡¯s the matter? This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhao! I¡¯m getting old! I don¡¯t have many years left, and I can¡¯t protect you for much longer, so you¡­ just take care of yourself.¡±


    After saying this, Elderly Mr. Di leaned on his crutch, shakily walking back into the room. The once shrewd and decisive man had sumbed to the passage of time, now walking with great caution in his old age.


    ¡°Old man! Old man! Old man!¡±


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s mournful cries couldn¡¯t bring him back. Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s heavy steps led him into the room, and he closed the door behind him.


    ¡°Old man! You damn bastard, are you really just abandoning me like this?¡±


    Ms. Zhao fell silent for a moment before suddenly wailing loudly, louder than at any other time.


    Di Yelei ignored her, took the bamboo basket from Liu Sisi¡¯s hands, ced it at his father¡¯s door, and left the old house, not looking back.


    ¡°I heard she is my mother¡¯s distant cousin. Although she¡¯s a few years younger than my mother, my mother liked her the most. When my dad had an arranged marriage with my mother, she was just a young girl apanying my mother. She fell in love with my dad at first sight. Unfortunately, my dad and my mother were already in love, so when my mother married him, their feelings remained strong. She didn¡¯t marry until she was 20 years old and considered an old maiden. A big reason for my mother¡¯s constant illness was her presence. After my mother passed away and her husband died, she couldn¡¯t wait any longer and married over here after her three-year mourning period.¡±


    Di Yelei held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, speaking softly.


    So there was such an inside story!


    If that¡¯s the case, Ms. Zhao¡¯s feelings for Di¡¯s father should be considered genuine.


    Liu Sisi nodded, recalling Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s words just now, suddenly understanding why Ms. Zhao was crying so bitterly!


    Di Yelei¡¯srge hand felt exceptionally warm and strong,pletely enveloping her small hand as they quickly walked toward home.


    Halfway there, they could already see Di Xuan tumbling and crawling toward them from a distance, rolling on the ground by ident.


    ¡°Dad! Something¡¯s happened to Dad¡­!¡±


    The two were shocked! Di Yelei took a few quick steps to help Di Xuan up.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Xuan¡¯er!¡±


    ¡°Something happened¡­at home¡­¡± Di Xuan gasped for breath.


    Di Yelei suddenly pushed Di Xuan aside and sprinted towards home like a madman.


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t go! Someone¡¯s there to catch you¡­¡±


    Di Xuan, sweating profusely, yelled loudly, ¡°Dad! Don¡¯t go back¡ª there are¡­ there are so many governmental office¡¯s runners at home, they say¡­ they say they¡¯re here¡­ to catch you!¡±


    To catch Yelei?


    Liu Sisi¡¯s head buzzed, and she couldn¡¯t help but sway a little.


    Forcing herself to steady her body, she quickly grabbed Xuan¡¯er clothes, almost toppling him with her strength. ¡°What did you just say? There are governmental office¡¯s runners at home to catch Yelei?¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s face was covered with sweat and tears. He gritted his teeth and nodded, ¡°Mom! What should we do?¡±


    What can they do?


    ¡°Get up! Let¡¯s go back and see!¡±


    Liu Sisi yanked Di Xuan up forcefully, no longer caring about anything else. They both sprinted towards home, and she didn¡¯t even bother to pick up the bamboo basket.


    The short distance seemed insurmountable, and Liu Sisi¡¯s mind was a chaotic mess, unable to recall anything.


    Before she even got back to her house, Sisi heard YingEr¡¯s cries from afar.


    The doorway to the house was surrounded byyers of people, all pointing and chattering in the center of the scene, creating a loud, chaotic atmosphere.


    ¡°Make way! Make way¡ª¡±


    Liu Sisi desperately tried to push through the crowd, which was tightly packed and left no gaps at all.


    In her urgency, Liu Sisi bit the person in front of her fiercely, not even caring where her teethnded. As expected, the person turned around and cursed angrily!


    Seizing the moment, Liu Sisi squeezed through the crowd and finally got a clear view of the situation in the courtyard.


    At the entrance of the courtyard, there were four officers with big des standing solemnly on each side, sessfully stopping the curious onlookers. YingEr sat weeping in the center of the courtyard, her once-clean body now covered in mud. Two more officers were standing on either side of the hall¡¯s doorway.


    Without saying a word, Liu Sisi lowered her head and rushed in.


    ¡°Stop! Nobody is allowed to interfere with the government¡¯s legal process!¡±


    Two officers with massive des barred the entrance, preventing Liu Sisi from entering.


    ¡°Let go! This is my home! I am the mistress here! Let me in.¡± Liu Sisi,pletely disregarding everything, madly tried to break in.


    Only then did the two officers let her pass. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Once inside, Liu Sisi quickly helped YingEr up from the ground: ¡°YingEr, YingEr, don¡¯t cry! Where¡¯s your dad? Where¡¯s your dad?¡±


    ¡°Dad, Daddy is in the room¡­ Mom! Waaaah¡ª¡±


    YingEr continued to cry uncontrobly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, YingEr, don¡¯t cry. Mom will go have a look. Don¡¯t cry!¡±


    Liu Sisi left YingEr and strode towards the hall.


    ¡°YingEr won¡¯t cry, no more crying!¡± YingEr wiped her tears away.


    Before she coulde any closer, the door of the hall opened from inside, and Zuo Xingyu came out with Di Yelei in tow.


    Di Yelei¡¯s shoulders were wrapped in a thick iron chain, along with a heavy shackle, and his feet were dragging arge chain. With every step he took, the chain made a loud clinking noise that dumbfounded Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Ye Lei! ¡ªWhat happened to you? Didn¡¯t you say everything was fine? What on earth is going on?¡±


    Liu Sisi eximed as she rushed towards them.


    ¡°Idle people must not interfere with the government¡¯s case!¡±


    Besides Zuo Xingyu, another elderly constable was holding Di Yelei¡¯s arm. The man pushed Liu Sisi away the moment she got too close.


    Liu Sisi pleaded, ¡°Mr.Officer, please give me some leeway, I just want to say a few words, just a few words!¡±


    ¡°Let her say a few words! Law is not devoid of human kindness; there is always time for a word or two.¡± Zuo Xingyu finally spoke up.


    ¡°Fine! It¡¯s up to you, leader.¡±


    The man turned around and ordered the others, ¡°Hurry up! We have to escort the criminal back to the county government office immediately, we will have to travel through the night tonight, such terrible luck!¡±


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m sorry to have worried you again.¡±


    Regardless of the current situation, Di Yelei spoke softly to Liu Sisi, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, take care of yourself and the two children. I will return home safely. Think about it, have I ever broken a promise that I made to you?¡±


    His words carried an inexplicable reassuring power.

 Chapter 129 - 129: 127: Repaying Debts: The Storm Approaches (Part II)

    Chapter 129 - 129: 127: Repaying Debts: The Storm Approaches (Part II)<div>


    The two went to Li Wu¡¯s home and Zhang Peng¡¯s home.


    Li Wu was not at home, and his daughter-inw received the silver and thank-you gift, her eyes narrowed withughter.


    Guihua epted the snacks, but she wouldn¡¯t take anything else, like the silk cloth and eggs.<div>


    Pulling Liu Sisi aside quietly, Guihua whispered, ¡°I know your family¡¯s situation better than anyone else. I¡¯m afraid that once you repay this silver, your family will have nothing left, right?¡±


    ¡°Sister Guihua¡­¡± Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know what to say.


    She guessed correctly, they only had a few dozen scattered copper coins left besides the ten taels of silver for the education gift.


    ¡°You! Take these things back at once! When your family bes wealthy, I¡¯lle asking for help without you needing to say anything, and you won¡¯t be able to get rid of me.¡± Guihua said proudly.


    This made Liu Sisiugh.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, when that timees, I¡¯ll never forget what you said today. However, you must hold on to these things in the basket. There¡¯s no reason to take back what you¡¯ve given. And every time you sent something to my house, I¡¯ve always epted it happily, I never declined. So, just ept it without hesitation.¡±


    Liu Sisi said, forcefully picking up the items from the bamboo basket and cing them on the table.


    ¡°Well, alright! But remember, this is only one time, it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Guihua reluctantly epted.


    On the other side, Di Yelei and Zhang Peng were talking about something, looking serious. It wasn¡¯t until Liu Sisi called him that he left with a frown.


    ¡°What happened, Ye Lei?¡± Liu Sisi asked curiously.


    Di Yelei shook his head: ¡°Nothing¡­ Let¡¯s go! To the old house.¡±<div>


    The pastries and other things in the bamboo basket were meant for his father to eat.


    The sun gradually set in the west, and when the two arrived at the old house, they saw Elderly Mr. Di with a crutch in his hand, taking one step at a time on the small path outside, and on his shoulder, he was carrying a hoe.


    ¡°Dad! What are you doing? Put the hoe down right away!¡±


    Di Yelei strode forward, snatched the hoe from Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s shoulder, and threw it far away!


    ¡°Th-third Brother¡­ how did you get here?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s hand was shaking badly, and it was unclear whether it was because Di Yelei had scared him or because he was excited.


    ¡°There are so many people in the house, can¡¯t you let them do the work? Your illness is not healed yet. If something happens to you again, who will pity you? Come on, go inside and rest.¡±


    While speaking, Di Yelei didn¡¯t let Elderly Mr. Di say anything. He bent down and carried Elderly Mr. Di on his back, striding towards the old house.


    Liu Sisi quickly followed with the bamboo basket.


    Bang!


    Di Yelei kicked the door open!<div>


    ¡°Are all the people dead? Those who are alive better roll out here!¡±


    He roared at the top of his lungs!


    Suddenly, there was amotion from the main room and both wing rooms on the left and right sides. Soon, numerous heads appeared at the doorway, but seeing Di Yelei¡¯s fierce face at the entrance, they all drew back quickly.


    It was a joke! Hiding was always better than being beaten. Who would go out and ask for death?!


    Di Yelei walked forward one step at a time, with each step, the ground shook.


    ¡°If anyone continues to hide in the room, I will tear down their house! I want to see where else you turtles will hide!¡±


    His icy gaze swept over the surroundings, and the whole courtyard was eerily silent, with no sign of movement.


    ¡°Third Child, let me down quickly.¡± Elderly Mr. Di struggled.


    ¡°Dad! Today, I won¡¯t let things end so easily!¡±


    Di Yelei, burning with rage, shouted at the house: ¡°I will count to three! If anyone doesn¡¯te out after that, I will demolish that side of the house! You can try for yourself whether what I, Di Yelei, say is true or false!¡±


    ¡°One!¡±


    Who among those hiding in the house would dare to doubt him?


    Especially Di Ah-bao, who, upon hearing Di Yelei¡¯s voice, was like a mouse seeing a cat. He still had a lingering pain in his gums from two teeth knocked out thest time, and how could he dare to go out?


    But he didn¡¯t dare to resist either! Hearing the other party¡¯s voice, he had no doubt that the other party would keep their word.


    With this thought in his mind, he stepped out of the house tremblingly, painstakingly pressing himself against the eaves as he moved.


    Di Yelei¡¯s sharp eyes swept over him, and his knees weakened and his thighs shook with fear. He hurriedly hid behind a pir: ¡°Thi-Third Brother.¡±


    Di Yelei did not respond, just nced at the house and said: ¡°Two!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The room door was pushed open, and Ms. Zhao, Ms. Wang, and several children came out one after another, even Di Gao was among them.


    Di Yelei still didn¡¯t say much: ¡°Three!¡±


    ¡°Third Brother, what are you trying to do? Why is it that every time youe to the old house, there¡¯s fighting and killing and the old house can¡¯t have peace! Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯ve already been separated. You have no say in the affairs of the old house!¡± The one speaking was none other than Di Gaoyuan.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face changed, and he ced Elderly Mr. Di on the stone bench before standing up.


    ¡°I, Di Yelei, have indeed separated and am living on my own! But so what? Dad is still my dad, Di Yelei¡¯s dad! Today, I will make it clear, if you continue to make him work in the fields while he¡¯s still sick and something happens, I will hold you responsible!¡± As he spoke, his eyes drifted between Di Gaoyuan and Di Ah-bao.


    Di Gaoyuan¡¯s face was ugly: ¡°Di Yelei! Don¡¯t go too far! Now, which family¡¯s elderly don¡¯t have to work in the fields? If Dad doesn¡¯t work, what will he eat and drink? Why don¡¯t you, Di Yelei, send more food here to fill everyone¡¯s stomachs?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you only send a little bit each time, it doesn¡¯t even fill our stomachs.¡± Di Ah-bao at the side chimed in.


    Di Yelei, furious, took a few big strides towards where Di Ah-bao was under the eaves. He swung a fierce punch directly at Di Ah-bao.


    ¡°Bastard! Who the hell let you eat? That was the food Sisi cooked for Dad; you have the nerve to eat it while your conscience was eaten by a dog!¡±


    ¡°Help! Third Brother is going to kill someone!¡±


    Di Ah-bao, scared senseless, screamed and desperately dodged behind the pir, crying and shouting for help.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit him! If you want to hit someone, just hit me to death, I can¡¯t take it anymore! Help, help!¡±


    Ms. Zhao had been keeping an eye on the scene, and she rushed over, grabbing one of Di Yelei¡¯s thighs tightly, refusing to let go and crying loudly.


    ¡°Let go! Let go!¡±


    Di Yelei tried several times to shake Ms. Zhao off but could only watch helplessly as Di Ah-bao sprinted into the house and mmed the door shut with a loud bang.


    ¡°Third Child, Third Child!¡±


    In the midst of the crying and shouting, Elderly Mr. Di finally spoke up.


    Di Yelei stopped and looked hesitantly at Elderly Mr. Di: ¡°Dad, did you just call me?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di nodded: ¡°Yes! Let them go! This is the karma I have brought upon myself, and I deserve to suffer for it! I¡¯ve also realized that from now on, I won¡¯t be muddle-headed anymore.¡±

 Chapter 130 - 130: 128: Repaying Debts: The Storm Approaches (Part II)

    Chapter 130 - 130: 128: Repaying Debts: The Storm Approaches (Part II)<div>


    ¡°But Dad¡­¡± Di Yelei hesitated.


    ¡°Ms. Zhao, let go of Third Child. You¡¯re embarrassing yourself, a woman acting like this. I, Di Defu, must have no luck or virtue to have married a disaster like you. Sigh!¡± Elderly Mr. Di sighed, looking as if he aged by ten years in an instant.


    Ms. Zhao couldn¡¯t help but let go of Di Yelei¡¯s thigh, moving closer to Elderly Mr. Di with a whimper.<div>


    ¡°Old man, what¡¯s the matter? This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhao! I¡¯m getting old! I don¡¯t have many years left, and I can¡¯t protect you for much longer, so you¡­ just take care of yourself.¡±


    After saying this, Elderly Mr. Di leaned on his crutch, shakily walking back into the room. The once shrewd and decisive man had sumbed to the passage of time, now walking with great caution in his old age.


    ¡°Old man! Old man! Old man!¡±


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s mournful cries couldn¡¯t bring him back. Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s heavy steps led him into the room, and he closed the door behind him.


    ¡°Old man! You damn bastard, are you really just abandoning me like this?¡±


    Ms. Zhao fell silent for a moment before suddenly wailing loudly, louder than at any other time.


    Di Yelei ignored her, took the bamboo basket from Liu Sisi¡¯s hands, ced it at his father¡¯s door, and left the old house, not looking back.


    ¡°I heard she is my mother¡¯s distant cousin. Although she¡¯s a few years younger than my mother, my mother liked her the most. When my dad had an arranged marriage with my mother, she was just a young girl apanying my mother. She fell in love with my dad at first sight. Unfortunately, my dad and my mother were already in love, so when my mother married him, their feelings remained strong. She didn¡¯t marry until she was 20 years old and considered an old maiden. A big reason for my mother¡¯s constant illness was her presence. After my mother passed away and her husband died, she couldn¡¯t wait any longer and married over here after her three-year mourning period.¡±


    Di Yelei held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, speaking softly.


    So there was such an inside story!<div>


    If that¡¯s the case, Ms. Zhao¡¯s feelings for Di¡¯s father should be considered genuine.


    Liu Sisi nodded, recalling Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s words just now, suddenly understanding why Ms. Zhao was crying so bitterly!


    Di Yelei¡¯srge hand felt exceptionally warm and strong,pletely enveloping her small hand as they quickly walked toward home.


    Halfway there, they could already see Di Xuan tumbling and crawling toward them from a distance, rolling on the ground by ident.


    ¡°Dad! Something¡¯s happened to Dad¡­!¡±


    The two were shocked! Di Yelei took a few quick steps to help Di Xuan up.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Xuan¡¯er!¡±


    ¡°Something happened¡­at home¡­¡± Di Xuan gasped for breath.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Di Yelei suddenly pushed Di Xuan aside and sprinted towards home like a madman.


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t go! Someone¡¯s there to catch you¡­¡±


    Di Xuan, sweating profusely, yelled loudly, ¡°Dad! Don¡¯t go back¡ª there are¡­ there are so many governmental office¡¯s runners at home, they say¡­ they say they¡¯re here¡­ to catch you!¡±<div>


    To catch Yelei?


    Liu Sisi¡¯s head buzzed, and she couldn¡¯t help but sway a little.


    Forcing herself to steady her body, she quickly grabbed Xuan¡¯er clothes, almost toppling him with her strength. ¡°What did you just say? There are governmental office¡¯s runners at home to catch Yelei?¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s face was covered with sweat and tears. He gritted his teeth and nodded, ¡°Mom! What should we do?¡±


    What can they do?


    ¡°Get up! Let¡¯s go back and see!¡±


    Liu Sisi yanked Di Xuan up forcefully, no longer caring about anything else. They both sprinted towards home, and she didn¡¯t even bother to pick up the bamboo basket.


    The short distance seemed insurmountable, and Liu Sisi¡¯s mind was a chaotic mess, unable to recall anything.


    Before she even got back to her house, Sisi heard YingEr¡¯s cries from afar.


    The doorway to the house was surrounded byyers of people, all pointing and chattering in the center of the scene, creating a loud, chaotic atmosphere.


    ¡°Make way! Make way¡ª¡±


    Liu Sisi desperately tried to push through the crowd, which was tightly packed and left no gaps at all.


    In her urgency, Liu Sisi bit the person in front of her fiercely, not even caring where her teethnded. As expected, the person turned around and cursed angrily!


    Seizing the moment, Liu Sisi squeezed through the crowd and finally got a clear view of the situation in the courtyard.


    At the entrance of the courtyard, there were four officers with big des standing solemnly on each side, sessfully stopping the curious onlookers. YingEr sat weeping in the center of the courtyard, her once-clean body now covered in mud. Two more officers were standing on either side of the hall¡¯s doorway.


    Without saying a word, Liu Sisi lowered her head and rushed in.


    ¡°Stop! Nobody is allowed to interfere with the government¡¯s legal process!¡±


    Two officers with massive des barred the entrance, preventing Liu Sisi from entering.


    ¡°Let go! This is my home! I am the mistress here! Let me in.¡± Liu Sisi,pletely disregarding everything, madly tried to break in.


    Only then did the two officers let her pass.


    Once inside, Liu Sisi quickly helped YingEr up from the ground: ¡°YingEr, YingEr, don¡¯t cry! Where¡¯s your dad? Where¡¯s your dad?¡±


    ¡°Dad, Daddy is in the room¡­ Mom! Waaaah¡ª¡±


    YingEr continued to cry uncontrobly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, YingEr, don¡¯t cry. Mom will go have a look. Don¡¯t cry!¡±


    Liu Sisi left YingEr and strode towards the hall.


    ¡°YingEr won¡¯t cry, no more crying!¡± YingEr wiped her tears away.


    Before she coulde any closer, the door of the hall opened from inside, and Zuo Xingyu came out with Di Yelei in tow.


    Di Yelei¡¯s shoulders were wrapped in a thick iron chain, along with a heavy shackle, and his feet were dragging arge chain. With every step he took, the chain made a loud clinking noise that dumbfounded Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Ye Lei! ¡ªWhat happened to you? Didn¡¯t you say everything was fine? What on earth is going on?¡±


    Liu Sisi eximed as she rushed towards them.


    ¡°Idle people must not interfere with the government¡¯s case!¡±


    Besides Zuo Xingyu, another elderly constable was holding Di Yelei¡¯s arm. The man pushed Liu Sisi away the moment she got too close.


    Liu Sisi pleaded, ¡°Mr.Officer, please give me some leeway, I just want to say a few words, just a few words!¡±


    ¡°Let her say a few words! Law is not devoid of human kindness; there is always time for a word or two.¡± Zuo Xingyu finally spoke up.


    ¡°Fine! It¡¯s up to you, leader.¡±


    The man turned around and ordered the others, ¡°Hurry up! We have to escort the criminal back to the county government office immediately, we will have to travel through the night tonight, such terrible luck!¡±


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m sorry to have worried you again.¡±


    Regardless of the current situation, Di Yelei spoke softly to Liu Sisi, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, take care of yourself and the two children. I will return home safely. Think about it, have I ever broken a promise that I made to you?¡±


    His words carried an inexplicable reassuring power.

 Chapter 131 - 131: 129: Ye Lei Gets Caught: Sisi Rushes to Pursue

    Chapter 131 - 131: 129: Ye Lei Gets Caught: Sisi Rushes to Pursue<div>


    ¡°No! Ye Lei, what on earth is happening? Tell me, I will find clues, find the real killer of Big Mouth Li, and help clear your name! Ye Lei, speak up, speak up!¡± Liu Sisi pleaded, shaking his arm energetically.


    Looking up at the several government office¡¯s runners, Di Yelei shook his head: ¡°It¡¯s all right. There¡¯s a man in the town nicknamed Diao Shanbiao who used me of being the killer of Big Mouth Li, he¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! How much more sweet talk do you have to say? Get going, don¡¯t dy the hour of departure.¡± The older governmental office¡¯s runner urged impatiently.<div>


    Seeing that time was running out, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t care less about anything else, hurriedly took something out of her arms and stuffed it into Di Yelei¡¯s clothes.


    On tiptoe, she leaned into his ear: ¡°This is ten taels of silver. When you get to the prison, remember to bribe, suffer a little less physical pain.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what the government jail was like in this era, but she still remembered the bureaucratic offices in the TV series of her previous life. There, injustices often favored those with money. Whether right or wrong, bringing some taels of silver with you on the road was never a mistake.


    ¡°Sisi, take good care of yourself and the two children. A clear conscienceughs at false usations, I wille back as soon as possible.¡±


    Di Yelei wanted to say something more, but he choked on his words and couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°I understand, I also believe you! What exactly happened that day, Ye Lei? You still haven¡¯t told me yet!¡±


    Di Yelei: ¡°That day I¡­¡±


    ¡°Go! Go now!¡±


    The older governmental office¡¯s runner gave Di Yelei a hard push, almost knocking him over. The sturdy iron chain stirred up a rattling noise, nearly tripping Di Yelei. Luckily, he steadied his footsteps in time.


    Just when people hadn¡¯t had a chance to react, the runner moved forward, pulled the chain that was wound around Di Yelei¡¯s neck, and held it firmly in his hand, dragging him out of the room.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Back to the government office!¡±<div>


    ¡°Ye Lei -¡±


    Liu Sisi cried out and quickly ran after him.


    She was, however, blocked by two governmental office¡¯s runners, who pushed her down to the ground. Helplessly, she could only watch as the runners escorted Di Yelei away, heading in the direction of the main road.


    Outside, countless of the fellow vigers pointed and whispered: ¡°Look, it¡¯s this Di Yelei, I heard he killed Big Mouth Li, what a sin. Ye Lei is a good person everyday, it¡¯s hard to imagine, he actually killed someone!¡±


    ¡°It just goes to show you can¡¯t judge a book by its cover! Besides, this third son of the Di family hunts for a living, which involves killing, isn¡¯t it just a small thing for him to kill a person?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, isn¡¯t he a person who brings misfortune to his mother, wife, and son? What can¡¯t he do? What do you guys think?¡±


    ¡°Now Old Li,me as he is, has to depend on the Di family to survive. Poor little new wife, from now on she has to support an extra old man¡­¡±


    ¡°Our Di family is our Di family, and he is him! I do not have a brother like that! My parents divorced him from the family long ago! From now on, his life or death has nothing to do with our Di family! Don¡¯t you dare drag the Di family into this!¡±


    The discussion continued, with Ms. Zhang¡¯s triumphant and crazy voice topping them all.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, what is going on?¡±


    Guihua vigorously shook Liu Sisi¡¯s body.<div>


    ¡°Ye Lei!¡±


    Her eyes brimming with tears, Liu Sisi managed to regain her senses from chaos. Suddenly, she bit her teeth and climbed up from the ground.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, please take care of Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er for me! I want to catch up and see. I¡¯ll be bothering you to take care of the two children while I¡¯m away!¡±


    After Liu Sisi finished speaking, she took off running in the direction of the crowd.


    People in the crowd automatically separate to form a small path for her, dodging her as though carrying a contagion.


    ¡°But¡­Sisi!¡±


    The cries of Sister Guihua are left far behind her.


    Running all the way, the constables ahead are tall, muscr men with swift strides. By the time Liu Sisi chased them to the riverside, the group had already mounted their horses and galloped away.


    With a clenched jaw refusing to give up, Liu Sisi followed them along the main road.


    These constables were undoubtedly escorting Ye Lei from Liuping Town to the governmental office of Macheng County. What she¡¯s betting on now is whether or not these people would stay overnight in the small town, and if she could get more inside information.


    Night has fallen, and the early autumn mountain area is pitch ck without a speck of light. Apart from the asional fluttering of unknown birds, the area is filled with a symphony of croaking frogs. The chirping of crickets by the roadside and the slight creaking sounds of human footsteps on the main road resonates through the deste mountain valley, adding to the eerie atmosphere.


    She somehow makes it to the town despite stumbling in the dark. The entire town too is shrouded in silence.


    Only an inn with two rednterns hanging appears from a distance, like a pair of blood-red eyes of a predatory beast.


    Walking around the town, she finds it empty and utterly devoid of movement.


    Lost and deste, she heads back and bumps into a waitering out of the inn while yawning. She quickly steps forward.


    ¡°Little brother, have you seen any constables escorting criminals?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for constables to escort criminals? We don¡¯t have to ask!¡± The waiter¡¯s attitude was extremely bad, and he turned to walk back in.


    Liu Sisi quickly steps up to grab his cor, ¡°Please, tell me, did you see any constables tonight?¡±


    Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s so relentless; the waiter impatiently replies, ¡°About an hour ago, a dozen constables rode fast horses out from the north of town. As for escorting criminals? I don¡¯t know.¡± With that, he shakes off Liu Sisi¡¯s hand and turns back into the inn.


    They left an hour ago?


    Suddenly, all her strength seemed to drain from Liu Sisi¡¯s body. She was prepared for this answer, yet epting the reality was still difficult.


    With her legs feeling as heavy as lead, she couldn¡¯t take another step by the time she passed the bookstore and sat down at the door, leaning against the pir in a daze.


    Every moment she shared with Ye Lei came flooding back ¨C his care, his gentleness, his domineering attitude, his wicked charm, his responsibility¡­ they all sh before her eyes like a carousel, flickering on and off.


    ¡°Sisi? Sisi, why are you here?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know how long it had been before a gentle voice woke her from her foggy stupor.


    Liu Sisi mustered the strength to look up and met a worried gaze.


    ¡°¡­Shopkeeper?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be? Look at this state you¡¯re in,e inside at once. The air outside is cold and harsh, you¡¯ll easily catch a cold.¡±


    Speaking, Nan Tianzong opened the door to the bookstore.


    Standing up from the doorstep, Liu Sisi only then realized her whole body was stiff.


    ¡ª¡ª


    There were mistakes in the names in yesterday¡¯s chapter. The constable¡¯s name is Zuo Xingyu. I mistakenly wrote it as Nan Tianzong. Di Yelei¡¯s stepmother is Ms. Zhao, but I wrongly wrote it as Mrs. Wang. Mrs. Wang is his second sister-inw.


    Thank you to the good-hearted friends who pointed out the errors. Kisses to all of you! How adorable, oh¡­

 Chapter 132 - 132: 130: Nan Tianzong Makes a Move: Sisi Enters the City

    Chapter 132 - 132: 130: Nan Tianzong Makes a Move: Sisi Enters the City<div>


    After a cup of hot tea, Liu Sisi felt alive again.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that when Di Yelei left, someone with the nickname ¡®Diao Shanbiao¡¯ identified him as the killer?¡± Nan Tianzong confirmed.


    Clutching her cup tightly, Liu Sisi reluctantly nodded, ¡°Yes, Ye Lei told me himself, I wanted to ask more, but the governmental office¡¯s runners dragged him away. I chased after him, but couldn¡¯t outrun a fast horse¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°You still don¡¯t believe you¡¯re clumsy! Can human legs run faster than a fast horse?¡±


    Unable to help himself, Nan Tianzong raised his hand and flicked Liu Sisi before standing up from his seat, ¡°It¡¯s still dark outside, I¡¯ll go and find out for you. You rest in the shop and regain your energy.¡±


    Her eyes instantly brightened!


    ¡°Shopkeeper, do you have a way?¡±


    Nan Tianzong red, ¡°I still know a few officials. If I had no ability, wouldn¡¯t it be just letting people underestimate me? Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll go and move around. You rest assured and soon good news wille.¡±


    ¡°Really? Thank you, shopkeeper, thank you! You are my benefactor. If Ye Lei reallyes back safely, I will definitely work hard to repay your life-saving grace!¡± Liu Sisi earnestly said.


    ¡°Oh! How do you n to repay me?¡±


    He raised her chin with his folding fan, ¡°How about¡­ repaying the debt with your body?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, he actually¡­


    ¡°Hahaha! ¡­Look how scared you are, I¡¯m just joking! I, Nan Tianzong, am charming, elegant, and gentle. What kind of woman can¡¯t I have? How could I be interested in dry-fried green beans like you?¡±


    As they talked, his eyes shed, retracted his folding fan, and deliberately looked her up and down for a while, sighing, ¡°What a pity, such a pity!¡±<div>


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was speechless, whether he said good or bad things, they all came from him. She tightened her cor,pletely unaware that such a movement was, in fact, an invitation to men.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Keep looking, and I¡¯ll gouge your eyes out!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright! Can¡¯t I not say it? You rest, and I¡¯ll go out and arrange it. We¡¯ll find out where your husband is as soon as possible.¡± His eyes became even more profound as heughed and turned to leave, carefully closing the shop door.


    Once the shop door closed, Nan Tianzong¡¯s figure paused, it was all about him!


    But when in danger, she came to look for him. It seemed that in her heart, there was still a ce for him!


    He couldn¡¯t helpughing! It had been a long time since he had taken action, had those people forgotten about him?


    It was also time to use his skills!


    Liu Sisi anxiously waited in the shop, her chaotic thoughts sinking with the passage of time. It seemed that there was a noise outside the door, and she immediately woke up.


    The one who entered was Nan Tianzong!


    ¡°Did you find out anything? How is Ye Lei? Is he alright? Did they torture himst night? Did they remove his shackles? He¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Nan Tianzong raised his hand to stop her continuous questions, ¡°You just threw out so many questions, which one should I answer first?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes were tearful, and she froze on the spot.


    ¡°Did you find out any result?¡±


    ¡°Just now, I passed by a breakfast stall on my way back and brought some of each kind back. You can try them.¡± Nan Tianzong said, taking out several kinds of snacks and cing them on the counter.


    Liu Sisi shook her head, ¡°I can¡¯t eat, just tell me the result.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t eat, I won¡¯t say anything!¡±


    Nan Tianzong crossed his arms, stubbornly looking at her. Afraid that she would go hungry, he had bought one of each kind of snack avable in the small town. As a result, she didn¡¯t even look at them, it was simply a waste!


    Liu Sisi stared at his face, seeing that Nan Tianzong was serious.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll eat.¡±


    She didn¡¯t even look, just randomly grabbed a portion of breakfast and stuffed it into her mouth. The mouthful of mung beans choked her, tears rolling in her eyes.


    ¡°Fool! Look at you, even eating breakfast can choke you! Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve already greeted my friends, and they will make sure that your husband suffers less in prison.¡± He helplessly patted her back.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes brightened instantly!


    ¡°Eat slowly, I¡¯ll tell you slowly while you eat.¡± Nan Tianzong quickly took out soy milk and ced it in her hand.


    ¡°I asked a friend to check it out overnight. Your husband was sent to the county government prison around the second hour of the night. Due to thete night, they didn¡¯t interrogate him. They probably won¡¯t start a trial until this morning at the earliest.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡­ Cough, cough, cough!¡±


    She choked again because she was talking, coughing for quite a while before she caught her breath.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already talked to the coachman at the carriage shop. Later, the carriage going to the county will take us along. There¡¯s still time now, you eat well and wash up, then we¡¯ll go over and catch up when they¡¯re ready to start.¡± Nan Tianzong had arranged everything. Remembering that she had just misunderstood him, Liu Sisi¡¯s face was hot and she lowered her head in embarrassment.


    ¡°Thank you, shopkeeper. I¡­¡±


    ¡°If you really want to thank me, don¡¯t call me ¡®shopkeeper¡¯ anymore.¡±


    ¡°Then what should I call you? Cultivated Talent Nan?¡±


    ¡°You and I are friends, from now on I¡¯ll call you Sisi, and you call me Tianzong.¡± Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyes sparkled, making them seem closer.


    Calling each other by their two characters was too intimate, wasn¡¯t it? What was he thinking!


    ¡°That¡¯s too impolite. When there are outsiders, I¡¯ll still call you shopkeeper. When there are no outsiders, I¡¯ll call you big brother, Brother Nan!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Brother Nan?


    Nan Tianzong frowned slightly dissatisfied, but soon let go, after all, one can¡¯t be a fatty by eating a meal!


    ¡°Alright! I just bought a set of clothes outside, they might not fit well, but let¡¯s do our best for now. You finish eating first, then go wash up and change. I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± Nan Tianzong spoke and left the bookstore, closing the room door again.


    Outside the bookstore, there were shelves, a counter in the middle, and a small room in the back. The back door of the small room led directly to Aunt Cao¡¯s ned noodles stall.


    Sisi went into the small room to tidy herself up and was startled by the unkempt hair and unrecognizable color of the face visible within!


    She really admired Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyesight. It was pitch-ckst night, and he could still recognize her like this.


    She carefully tidied herself up and put on the clothes Nan Tianzong brought.


    This was a hemp men¡¯s shirt, and Liu Sisi recognized that this type of clothing was mostly prepared for house servants by wealthy families. He probably intended for her to pretend to be a house servant and sneak into the prison with him.


    When Liu Sisi came out of the bookstore, Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyes brightened, and a young schr with delicate features and young age appeared before him.


    A gleam shed in his eyes, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Now is the perfect time.¡±

 Chapter 133 - 133: 131: The Hearts of Husband and Wife Meet and Their Feelings Flow Unceasingly

    Chapter 133 - 133: 131: The Hearts of Husband and Wife Meet and Their Feelings Flow Unceasingly<div>


    The Carriage Shop Nan Tianzong mentioned was a small business in Liuping Town that transported goods to the county city every morning. The shopkeeper behind the shop was very mysterious, and no one had ever seen him.


    When the two arrived, several carriages were about to leave.


    ¡°Find a seat yourself; we¡¯re about to set off. Hurry up!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t bother with anything else, so she randomly climbed onto a nearby carriage and sat down next to the driver¡¯s seat. The carriage soon began to move forward.


    At the moment, the day was still a little dim, with a thick fog surrounding the early autumn morning. The carriage traveled through the fog and followed a winding mountain path.


    After rushing along the journey, it was already sunny and the dense fog had dispersed by the time they entered the county city.


    After getting off the carriage, the two headed straight for the county government office.


    ¡°You wait here for a while; I¡¯ll go take a look first.¡± Nan Tianzong instructed.


    Not long after, he returned and led Liu Sisi into the county government office.


    The office faced south with a symmetricalyout. The entire architecture was orderly and well-proportioned, with stone lions ced on either side of the main entrance. Under the flying eaves and ridge beam of the roof, there was a que inscribed with ¡°Macheng County Government Office¡±, and on both sides, there were de Runners who guarded the door, looking extraordinarily imposing.


    Liu Sisi followed closely behind Nan Tianzong with her head down half-heartedly, ying the role of an Attendant Student dutifully.


    ¡°Stop! Who are you?¡± The dungeon prison guard stopped the two.


    Nan Tianzong took out a token, quickly stepped forward, and whispered something in the guard¡¯s ear.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi, who was standing far away, saw Nan Tianzong waving to her. With a sudden burst of joy, she hurriedly approached him.<div>


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! You two better catch up.¡±


    The governmental office¡¯s runner nced at Liu Sisi casually before continuing onwards.


    Perhaps they had been instructed, because the governmental office¡¯s runner who led the way did not say a word from beginning to end. He dutifully brought the two to the door of a dungeon prison and then turned and left.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Ye Lei!¡±


    The dungeon prison was pitch ck, and the firelight from the torch could only illuminate an area with a radius of about five feet. Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t see Di Yelei¡¯s location, so she could only call out to him softly.


    ¡°Sisi? I¡¯m here. How did you get here?¡±


    There was a sound of chains and shackles nking, and soon, the noise came closer to where Liu Sisi was.


    ¡°Ye Lei, I came to see you, Ye Lei?¡±


    Liu Sisi stretched out her hand, put it through the gap in the cell door, and grabbed his hand. As always, his broad and thick palm firmly wrapped around her small hand, providing a reassuring feeling.


    ¡°It¡¯s really you? Sisi.¡±


    Through the gap in the cell, he suddenly embraced Liu Sisi in his arms.<div>


    The two hugged each other tightly, with only the prison bars separating them.


    ¡°Little fool! You silly girl! Sisi, my Sisi¡­¡±


    Di Yelei was both happy and heartbroken, unable to control the anger in his heart, and spoke in a low reprimanding tone.


    ¡°What are you doing in the county office? And how did you get in? Didn¡¯t I tell you to wait for me at home? I¡¯ll be back soon. Why didn¡¯t you listen to me? Why are you so foolish? You¡¯re such a fool! You¡­¡±


    The continuous reprimands caused Di Yelei¡¯s inner anger to boil even more. He tightly held her body, wishing he could squeeze her, along with the prison bars, into his own body.


    The difficulties she must have faced traveling such a long distance from the Upper Vige to the county city as a weak woman were evident.


    ¡°Ye Lei, I miss you¡­¡±


    Although she had promised not to cry, tears still slid down her cheeks.


    Even being scolded by him, seeing him still standing in front of her unharmed, she felt that all the hardships were worth it!


    It¡¯s all worth it!


    His body suddenly stiffened, and then he hugged her even tighter!


    His whole body was trembling slightly, even his voice was trembling badly: ¡°You¡¯re a fool! You¡¯re a big fool! I¡­ I miss you too, Sisi¡ª¡ª¡±


    A drop of warm liquid dripped onto her neck, followed by several more drops.


    Liu Sisi smiled!


    It turns out that it¡¯s not just her who would be upset, heartbroken, and unwilling to let go!


    She spoke with a satisfied smile: ¡°I¡¯m a fool! I just want to be your little fool! Ye Lei, I will find the person who framed you and save you, believe me!¡±


    ¡°Fool! All I want is for you to be safe, do you understand?¡±


    He pressed his face against hers, rubbing back and forth, deliberately using his rough stubble to prick her face: ¡°Don¡¯t go looking for them. There are government officials investigating the case; you don¡¯t need to worry. I will be out in at most two more days! Believe me!¡±


    ¡°Hmm! I believe you, Ye Lei!¡±


    Liu Sisi pressed her cheek against his and said seriously, ¡°No matter what you say, I believe you, Ye Lei!¡±


    ¡°Sisi! Wait for me to get out, and I will make you my real woman! I will take good care of you, love you, and give you a happy and wonderful life.¡±


    Di Yelei sighed, still not recovered from the huge surprise.


    Although what Di Yelei said was ambiguous, Liu Sisi still understood.


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    She was suddenly amused by him and couldn¡¯t help giving him a re, twisting his arm hard.


    ¡°That¡¯s your punishment for talking nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Ouch! It really hurts!¡±


    Di Yelei pretended to cry in pain, teasing Liu Sisi intoughter.


    As expected, she couldn¡¯t help butugh, her face still streaked with tears.


    ¡°Crying andughing, like a little dog peeing! You should smile more, as that¡¯s when you are the most beautiful.¡±


    Pressing against her forehead, Di Yelei said softly, his words full of sentiment.


    ¡°I will, from now on, I¡¯ll smile more, as long as I have you by my side, as long as I have you¡­¡±


    Not far behind the two of them, Nan Tianzong saw everything, his fists clenched tightly, his face ferocious, and a storm brewing in his eyes.


    ¡°Hurry up! Time¡¯s up, and I can¡¯t cover for you much longer.¡±


    The de Runner who led them here earlier returned, urging the embracing couple to leave.


    Di Yelei reluctantly let go of her, held her hand, and gazed deeply into her eyes as they shimmered with firelight, ¡°Sisi! You¡¯d better go back now! Remember to take good care of yourself. Don¡¯t let anyone take advantage of you, understand?¡±


    He whispered thest sentence into Liu Sisi¡¯s ear.


    This made Nan Tianzong re at him angrily, calling out to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Sisi, let¡¯s go now!¡±


    Liu Sisi, extremely reluctant to leave, suddenly remembered she had brought many snacks with her. She quickly handed the basket to him: ¡°Here! I bought these outside, and I was worried that there wouldn¡¯t be enough water inside, so besides the biscuits, I also brought you two bamboo tubes of clear water¡­¡±


    ¡°We need to go, Sisi! Don¡¯t make it difficult for Brother Constable. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The scene before him was too dazzling, and Nan Tianzong interrupted the couple¡¯s intimacy with malicious pleasure.

 Chapter 134 - 134: 132: Unexpected Change – Friends and Family Gather as Everyone is Worried

    Chapter 134 - 134: 132: Unexpected Change ¨C Friends and Family Gather as Everyone is Worried<div>


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go! I know, don¡¯t worry!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Yelei waved frantically at Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Ye Lei, you take care of yourself¡­Goodbye!¡±<div>


    With a heavy heart, Liu Sisi finally left the dungeon prison, looking back every three steps.


    Watching Liu Sisi¡¯s figure disappear in the dungeon, Di Yelei held the bamboo basket tightly without moving.


    It seemed that it was time for him to make a decision!


    After a moment of contemtion, he called out loudly to the Prison Chief, ¡°Get someone! I have very important information and want to see the Lord County Magistrate!¡±


    ¡­


    Liu Sisi and the others left the dungeon prison, retracing their steps out of the county government building.


    ¡°Brother Nan, what did that prison guard say to you earlier?¡±


    Just before leaving, the prison guard had called Nan Tianzong aside to speak privately.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say much; this isn¡¯t the ce to talk. Let¡¯s leave and find an inn to stay at first,¡±


    Nan Tianzon didn¡¯t hesitate, leading Liu Sisi away.


    With skillful familiarity, he led her through the streets, quickly turned into a small alley, went straight into a small inn and rented two rooms to stay.<div>


    ¡°Nan Tianzon, what happened? Tell me directly!¡± Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t wait any longer and asked directly.


    Nan Tianzon carefully closed the doors and windows, and then sat down in a chair.


    ¡°I went to find an acquaintance earlier, and he happened to be on leave. I thought that staying here would only make you anxious, so I decided to wait. When I left the prison, I went to find him again, and he told me that Di Yelei is a serious murderer and he can¡¯t be bailed out.¡±


    Although she hadn¡¯t thought about bailing him out, after all, Di Yelei was caught for murder. It would indeed be difficult to bail him out, but if possible, she naturally hoped she could.


    She nodded in understanding, ¡°I understand, thank you for running around so many times to help.¡±


    ¡°No problem! We are friends,¡± Nan Tianzongughed lightly, his smile giving an extraordinary sense of rxation.


    ¡°So what do we do now?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked softly, Nan Tianzong seemed to be very familiar with the governmental procedures and knew details about the entrances and exits of the county government office. He didn¡¯t seem like it was his first time in the county government.


    ¡°We can only wait!¡±


    ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± Liu Sisi hesitated.


    Nan Tianzong nodded assuredly, ¡°Yes, since they didn¡¯t interrogate Di Yelei in secret today, it means they will do the preliminary trial in three days. What we are waiting for is this opportunity.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes lit up!


    Three days! In any case, they had to find the real killer of Big Mouth Li and save Ye Lei within these two days!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re going back to the small town! I have to find that Diao Shanbiao and prove Ye Lei¡¯s innocence.¡±


    ¡°No need! I asked my friends to help me find him yesterday. If everything goes well, they should have found him by now, and it¡¯s more likely that they have broken his mouth and found out who the real killer is,¡± Nan Tianzong was not worried at all.


    You must be joking!


    With Nan Tianzong¡¯s abilities, he should have been able to handle this matter, or else he wouldn¡¯t have survived until now.


    Liu Sisi breathed a sigh of relief.


    Immediately, she thought of something else, ¡°No, I have to go back. The two children are still at home; I promised Ye Lei that I would take good care of them. We have to hurry back while it¡¯s still daylight.¡±


    ¡°The two children are with Zhang Peng, they are fine, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Nan Tianzong was getting a little impatient!


    ¡°Coming to the county and going back costs money, not to mention the trouble. Why bother?¡±


    ¡°No, I must go back. I can earn the money again, but if something happens to the children, I can¡¯t forgive myself.¡±


    After speaking, she went straight to open the door and walked out.


    ¡°Sisi ¨C damn it!¡±


    Nan Tianzong was furious; he had spent so much time in the county government to prevent Liu Sisi from rushing back this evening. Unexpectedly, she would leave without any room for negotiation!


    Not even a little room for discussion.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, wait for me! Sisi!¡± Nan Tianzong hurried up from behind.


    Liu Sisi ran quickly out of the inn, heading towards the county government by memory.


    On the way here earlier, she had heard from the coachman that their carriage would return to the small town in the afternoon and back to the county the next morning.


    If she hurries now, she might be able to catch up with the carriage for a ride!


    ¡°Sisi! You¡¯re here!¡±


    A familiar voice called out, and Liu Sisi quickly stopped and looked back, it was Zhang Peng.


    ¡°Brother Zhang¡­¡±


    Seeing Zhang Peng, Liu Sisi felt like she had seen a family member, as her eyes reddened.


    ¡°Sisi! Have you visited Ye Lei? How is he? Is he all right?¡± Zhang Peng asked anxiously.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t conceal anything, telling him about her visit to Di Yelei and the conversation with Nan Tianzong.


    Zhang Peng listened and nodded, ¡°Mmm, your boss is right, I heard about this earlier too. It¡¯s impossible to bail out a serious criminal. But you don¡¯t need to worry. Ye Lei has not undergone his preliminary trial yet, and usually the governmental office¡¯s runners in the prison wouldn¡¯t harm him. As long as we can rescue him before the preliminary trial, everything will be fine.¡±


    As they were talking, Nan Tianzong caught up.


    Zhang Peng quickly greeted Nan Tianzong with a fist greeting, ¡°You must be Boss Nan, right? Thank you for taking care of my brother Ye Lei¡¯s case.¡±


    Secretly, Zhang Peng sized up Nan Tianzong. Seeing him standing beside Liu Sisi with a protective expression, Zhang Peng¡¯s eyebrows couldn¡¯t help but furrow.


    ¡°No problem! I¡¯m not doing this for any trouble or obligation; I just don¡¯t want to see Sisi sad,¡±


    Nan Tianzong dered assertively and dominantly!


    ¡°Brother Zhang, how are Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er? Yesterday I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi felt guilty, as she had been busy here and hadn¡¯t been able to take care of the two children.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Both children are at my house. Everything is fine!¡±


    Zhang Peng finally rxed, ¡°This morning I went to the small town and heard that Ye Lei was taken to the county government yesterday. I couldn¡¯t find a carriage to the county, so I had to climb and cross the hills toe here. Luckily, I found you.¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhang, Boss Nan rented two rooms at the inn earlier. Why don¡¯t you stay at the inn for one night and then go back after rescuing Ye Lei the day after tomorrow?¡±


    Liu Sisi had an instinctive feeling that Zhang Peng was much more reliable than Nan Tianzong, even though Nan Tianzong was super efficient at dealing with matters.


    So the two returned to the inn to stay, and the next morning, Nan Tianzong brought more good news.


    ¡°That guy called Diao Shanbiao confessed, saying that a fatty named Sun Ergou gave him 10 taels of silver to lie.¡±

 Chapter 135 - 135: 133: Unexpected Change – Sisi Anxiously Seeks a Way Out

    Chapter 135 - 135: 133: Unexpected Change ¨C Sisi Anxiously Seeks a Way Out<div>


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°On the day of the incident, he was at Yihong Courtyard with his old lover, Little Taohong, and never saw Di Yelei at all. We also found Little Taohong, who confirmed this. As for why Sun Ergou wanted to frame Di Yelei, we don¡¯t know.¡± Nan Tianzong was very curious too.


    ¡°Sun Ergou? Sun Ergou, Sun¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi had some impression of this name, but couldn¡¯t remember where she had heard it.


    ¡°I know Sun Ergou. He¡¯s the head chef at Heji Restaurant. In the past, when Ye Lei and I couldn¡¯t sell our game, we¡¯d always send it to Heji Restaurant. But Sun Ergou is very strict, always lowering the price and forcing us to sell. We would only go there when we really couldn¡¯t sell our game.¡±


    ¡°Ah! I remember now! So it¡¯s him! I know the reason he¡¯s framing Ye Lei now.¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly realized!


    She then exined to everyone, and finally, she angrily cursed, ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen any movement from him, I thought he was scared. I didn¡¯t expect him to be so ruthless.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Tomorrow morning, when the court opens, we will present all the evidence and there will be a verdict.¡± Nan Tianzongforted her.


    ¡°I hope so!¡±


    Liu Sisi was still worried, always feeling that something unexpected would happen.


    The next day, everyone went to the county government office again, but they couldn¡¯t see Di Yelei. They had no choice but to go back and sit in the wine-house diagonally opposite the government office, lost in their own thoughts.


    ¡°Huh? Look over there!¡±


    Zhang Peng suddenly pointed to two figures in front of the county government office and shouted.<div>


    It was actually Elderly Mr. Di!


    He hade to the county with Di Cheng¡¯spany, which really surprised Liu Sisi. Naturally, everyone told Elderly Mr. Di about the progress of the case andforted him.


    Elderly Mr. Di was old and weak and had just recovered from a major illness, so he looked very exhausted. Upon arriving in the inn, he went straight to sleep.


    ¡°Grandfather was insisting oning to the county yesterday, but the family did not let him. I secretly carried him to the small town and we rested under someone¡¯s eaves for the night. This morning, we finally managed to catch a carriage to the county station. We didn¡¯t know the directions to the county government office, so we asked our way here.¡± Di Cheng spoke with a simple smile, his words downying the situation.


    The corners of Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes were dry.


    The child made it sound so simple, carrying an old man so far, notining about the hardship or fatigue, and indeed not like the people from the old house.


    ¡°Third Aunt knows your hardships¡­ Go rest!¡±


    Liu Sisi whispered softly, ¡°It¡¯s easy to add flowers on top of the embroidered silk, but much harder to deliver coal in the snow. Di Cheng, I remember your kindness.¡±


    ¡°Third Aunt, you¡¯re too considerate. Among all the brothers, the one Third Uncle loves the most is Cheng¡¯er. It¡¯s only natural for Cheng¡¯er to do what he can for Third Uncle.¡± Di Cheng smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for you to have this heart¡­ Go rest.¡±


    As they spoke, Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes began to redden. Having said that, she didn¡¯t wait for Di Cheng to respond, and pushed open the door to the room.N?v(el)B\\jnn<div>


    Di Cheng stood there for a while, then murmured, ¡°Alright, Third Aunt, you rest too.¡±


    Suddenlying from the quiet vige to the bustling county town, Liu Sisi was not used to it. Most importantly, tomorrow was the day Di Yelei was to appear in court, and she couldn¡¯t sleep tossing and turning.


    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Liu Sisi instinctively jumped.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Sisi! Nan Tianzong, something has happened over there!¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly got up and put on her clothes, opening the door, ¡°What happened, Big Brother Nan?¡±


    Upon entering, Nan Tianzong hurriedly said, ¡°My friend just sent a message that when they went to arrest someone overnight, they found out Sun Ergou had escaped after getting wind of it! They chased him all the way but couldn¡¯t catch him.¡±


    He escaped, the Damn Fatty Sun Ergou could actually run? He was so fat, where could he run to?


    ¡°Sun Ergou ran away? What about Little Taohong, did they find her?¡± Liu Sisi asked anxiously.


    Nan Tianzong shook his head with a pained expression, ¡°Just before dusk, Little Taohong was entertaining guests at the Yihong Courtyard, and while dancing and drinking with them, she identally fell from the small house into the lotus pond, breaking her neck. She was already dead before they could rescue her. My friend arrived just in time to see Little Taohong¡¯s corpse being fished out of the lotus pond, her body was stiff.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s body went limp, and she copsed into a chair.


    Two important witnesses and the criminal, one escaped, and the other died. Tomorrow, Ye Lei will be in court, and if he is found guilty, the trial will be at least a month away.


    A month! Who knows how much suffering Ye Lei will go through, what hardships he will endure, not to mention being imprisoned for a wrongful conviction!


    With these thoughts in mind, there¡¯s no way Liu Sisi could fall asleep!


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and urge my friends to speed up their search, so we can find Sun Ergou as soon as possible! There must be a way, Sisi, you should rest early.¡± After saying this, Nan Tianzong left the room.


    With trouble brewing on both sides, who would believe that Di Yelei wasn¡¯t being set up on purpose?


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t sleep well the entire night, and everyone was frightened the whole time.


    At daybreak, everyone left the inn early and headed to the county government, waiting outside the hall.


    ¡°Hang the mirror high¡± was hung high above, and the imposing governmental office¡¯s runners guarded both sides with their killing rods, but the County Magistrate was nowhere to be seen.


    It wasn¡¯t until the sun was high in the sky that the drum for court finally sounded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already talked to my friends, today¡¯s trial is just a formality, nothing will happen.¡± Nan Tianzongforted Liu Sisi.


    Although Liu Sisi knew it was just aforting statement, her heart still warmed, and she smiled and nodded slightly: ¡°I know, Big Brother Nan! Thank you for your help. I thank you on behalf of Ye Lei.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Nan Tianzong twitched the corner of his mouth, what he wanted was not just a word of thanks.


    ¡°Today¡¯s trial will address Di Yelei¡¯s murder case. Bring the victim¡¯s family to court.¡± The County Magistrate announced as he struck the wooden block.


    The corpse was brought in, and the victim naturally was Old Man Li with theme leg.


    Upon entering, Old Man Li burst into tears, using Di Yelei of causing him to lose his beloved son. He almost threw fits and rolled on the floor of the court room, making Liu Sisi¡¯s head ache.


    The County Magistrate struck the wooden block again: ¡°Bring the criminal Di Yelei to court!¡±


    Ye Lei seemed even darker than he was three days ago. After the constables removed his shackles, he still stood up and stretched out his limbs, full of vitality. Seeing Liu Sisi in the court room, he smiled gently at her, signaling that she didn¡¯t need to worry.


    From the moment she saw him, Liu Sisi¡¯s tears never stopped. She kept wiping her tears, but the more she wiped, the more they flowed.


    ¡°Di Yelei, where were you on the third day ofst month?¡±


    Di Yelei bowed: ¡°To answer Lord County Magistrate, on the third day, Ye Lei went to see Big Mouth Li¡­¡± He recounted everything that happened that night.


    ¡ª-


    Friends, please rmend this story for others, and help me out. I appreciate everyone¡¯s support, thank you!

 Chapter 140 - 140: 138: Husband and Wife’s Heartfelt Conversation at Night

    Chapter 140 - 140: 138: Husband and Wife¡¯s Heartfelt Conversation at Night<div>


    Not much further, Liu Sisi suddenly stopped and called out softly to Di Yelei.


    ¡°Ye Lei, wait, I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Sisi.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi stood on her tiptoes and whispered something in Di Yelei¡¯s ear, then pushed him gently towards the wine-house across the street.


    On the second floor of the wine-house, they could vaguely see the figure of Lord County Magistrate disappearing near the railing.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t say anything, nodded, and quickly ran towards the wine-house.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. First, we¡¯ll head to the Carriage Store to see if we can find a carriage to the small town,¡± Liu Sisi said with a smile.


    ¡°Won¡¯t we wait for Third Uncle?¡± Di Cheng asked curiously.


    ¡°No need to wait. He¡¯ll know to follow uster.¡± Liu Sisi smiled confidently.


    As the group walked not too far, it didn¡¯t take long before Di Yelei indeed caught up with them.


    He was holding a cloth-covered birdcage in his hand, smiling as he nodded slightly towards Sisi and handed the birdcage to her. He then went ahead and carried Elderly Mr. Di on his back.


    ¡°Dad, let me carry you! Let¡¯s go to the Carriage Shop.¡±


    The fare for a carriage to the small town was 100 copper coins per person. Di Yelei took out 500 copper coins and handed them to the coachman. With more than a dozen people riding together, the crowded carriage set off for the small town.


    When they finally arrived home, it waspletely dark outside.<div>


    Di Yelei carried Elderly Mr. Di back to the old house, while Liu Sisi went to Zhang Peng¡¯s home to fetch the two children.


    ¡°Sister-inw, I¡¯m curious, what did Ye Lei do in the end?¡±


    Liu Sisiughed unexpectedly!


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. Just wanted Ye Lei to take a trip to avoid a disaster. Is it good or not?¡±


    ¡°What disaster are you talking about?¡± Zhang Peng was curious.


    ¡°Just¡­ an unexpected cmity. We had to spend money to avoid it.¡± Liu Sisi said with a smile.


    At first, she hadn¡¯t thought about it, but it was Old Uncle Li who reminded her.


    How did the County Magistrate decide to give Ye Lei 30 taels of silver? It was clearly unusual. Considering Old Uncle Li¡¯s actions when he pretended to be crazy and asked for money, and the County Magistrate¡¯s conduct, were they rted?


    Once she understood the key, she instructed Di Yelei to take the opportunity to thank the County Magistrate with 20 taels of silver and give another 5 taels to Zuo Xingyu.


    As expected, after a little hesitation, both of them epted the money.


    Out of the 30 taels of silver, only 3 taels were left. After taking lodgings and travel expenses into ount, there was hardly anything left. But the fact that everyone was safe was already a great fortune amidst misfortune!<div>


    When they arrived at Zhang Peng¡¯s home, the two children burst into tears and threw themselves into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Mom! Mom, you¡¯re back. Boo hoo¡­¡±


    Holding Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er as if they were long-lost treasures, Liu Sisi could no longer control herself, and tears streamed down her cheeks.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, Ying¡¯er, I missed you so much! Good, good babies.¡±


    Touching one, nuzzling the other, and kissing their cheeks, Liu Sisi held the two children tightly for a long time before she was able to calm herself down.


    Guihua wiped her tears on the side: ¡°You really scared me to death! When you left that time, I thought you were just going for a while and would be back soon. But I couldn¡¯t wait for you. I was worried that something happened to you, and I didn¡¯t know where to find you¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Guihua, I¡¯m sorry, Sisi worried you¡­¡± Holding Guihua¡¯s hand, Liu Sisi¡¯s tears flowed uncontrobly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, as long as you¡¯re back safely, that¡¯s all that matters. Misfortune turned to blessings.¡±


    ¡°Mom, why were you gone for so long? Where¡¯s dad? Is dad back?¡± Ying¡¯er asked pitifully, shaking her hand.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s back. Your dad is back too. He took your grandfather back to the old house, and you¡¯ll see him when you get home.¡±


    Their eyes lit up instantly!


    ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go! Brother, let¡¯s go home! Dad¡¯s back¡ª¡ª¡± Ying¡¯er pulled Di Xuan¡¯s hand and ran out.


    ¡°Slow down, be careful not to fall!¡±


    The two children ran away like the wind.


    ¡°The two children are very well-behaved and obedient. They eat whatever is given to them without being picky. They are especially sensible.¡± Guihua said seriously.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, Brother Zhang, thank you so much. Brother Zhang has helped us a lot, and even took care of the two children, thank you, Sister Guihua¡­¡±


    Zhang Peng also chimed in: ¡°Don¡¯t mention it; we are all brothers. Of course, we help each other. If we were to be petty about everything, what kind of brotherhood would that be? Sister-inw, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Brother Zhang, Sister Guihua, Sisi understands!¡± Liu Sisi nodded vigorously, her heart feeling much better.


    She would remember this brotherly bond in her heart.


    Before they even got home, they could hear the excited barking of Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua. The two little dogs circled around the children and her feet, very cheerful.


    Soon, Di Yelei also came back from the old house.


    ¡°Wait a moment! Don¡¯te in yet!¡± Liu Sisi stopped his action.


    Not a whileter, she brought out a brazier: ¡°Come,e,e! Cross over the fire basin, drive away bad luck and wee good luck, promotion and wealth!¡±


    Di Yeleiughed heartily!


    He strode across the fire basin and entered the main entrance.


    Liu Sisi looked at the zing fire basin: ¡°We will surely be prosperous and auspicious!¡±


    ¡°Yes! We will definitely be prosperous and auspicious! Every year will be better than thest one!¡±


    After saying this, both of them couldn¡¯t help butugh!


    The two chatted andughed as they tidied up the house, and the two children yed happily nearby.


    Everything in the house was as usual, the rabbits and baby chicks were all fine, and Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua were getting stronger, barking constantly. Sister Guihua must havee over often to help out.


    Di Yelei casually cooked some hot soup: ¡°Come! Hurry up and drink some to warm your stomach. You haven¡¯t eaten anything all afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare, hurry up and eat to pad your stomach.¡± While talking, he hurriedly handed her a bowl, chopsticks and a spoon.


    After drinking the hot soup and washing up, Liu Sisi feltpletely revitalized.


    Looking at the full moon outside, Liu Sisi suddenly remembered that it seemed the Mid-Autumn Festival would be in a few days, right?


    ¡°It¡¯s said that a golden and silver nest is not as good as your own doghouse. Now that we are back in our doghouse, I feel much more rxed at once.¡±


    Di Yelei walked out of the bathroom with a light step, feelingpletely rxed.


    Certain things don¡¯t need to be said, based on the tacit understanding between the two, both knew what would happen tonight.


    ¡°Yeah, home is the best. The surrounding mountains breeze, the moonlight and sparse stars in the sky, make such a beautiful scene.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up and gazed at the bright moon in the sky.


    ¡°Indeed, it is a beautiful scene. Look at you, your hair is still dripping wet. If you catch a cold again, what are we going to do?¡±


    While speaking, Di Yelei casually picked up a long towel, carefully and gently wiping her wet hair dry.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s you.¡±


    With a faint squint, Liu Sisi tilted her head and leaned on his shoulder, feeling the gentle breeze blowing softly.


    In the high and blue sky, beautiful stars like sapphires adorned the view, and from time to time, little sparks shed at the horizon. In the quiet air, mixed with the refreshing scent of earth and rice, frogs¡¯ croaks echoed all around, and the chirping of crickets from the corner of the wall yed beautiful melodies that made people intoxicated and lost in the moment¡­


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Di Yelei lovingly wiped her ck hair, looking at her charming and naive appearance.


    A feeling of satisfaction filled his heart.

 Chapter 137 - 137: 135: Trial – An Unexpected Turnaround

    Chapter 137 - 137: 135: Trial ¨C An Unexpected Turnaround<div>


    ¡°I am Di Yelei¡¯s wife, the person whom Old Man Li just mentioned! Based on the testimonies and evidence just presented, I have a few words to say.¡±


    So, she was the suspect¡¯s new wife? The onlookers were buzzing with discussion.


    County Magistrate was getting a headache. This mundane murder case somehow caught the attention of the higher-ups, who issued an order for swift resolution!<div>


    With all the evidence and testimonies at hand, he wished he could close the case immediately! Liu Sisi¡¯s interference was unwee!


    ¡°Well then! Since this case involves you, just say what you need to say!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Honor.¡±


    Liu Sisi stepped forward and approached Diao Shanbiao: ¡°Diao Shanbiao, you said you witnessed memitting adultery with Big Mouth Li, and then Di Yelei caught us, cut off Li¡¯s descendants, and strangled him with an apron rope. Is that true?¡±


    Diao Shanbiao nodded firmly: ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Liu Sisi then went to Old Man Li: ¡°Old Uncle Li, you just said Sisi seduced Big Mouth Li unsessfully, then colluded with Di Yelei to murder Li. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the truth! You were married to a remote Upper Vige because no one wanted you, a pair of worn-out shoes, except for Di Yelei, a widower who took you as his new wife!¡±


    These words made Liu Sisi¡¯s face turn pale with anger!


    ¡°Old Man Li, I suggest you be more careful with your words, leave a way out for yourself! You should understand the principle of ¡®spilled water cannot be gathered up!¡¯ ¡± Di Yelei yelled angrily, daring anyone to harm Sisi, they¡¯ll have to deal with him first!


    ¡°I¡¯ve never lied, my words are backed by my conscience.¡± Old Man Li stubbornly refused to back down, determined to nail down the wicked woman¡¯s sins today.<div>


    ¡°Such conscience!¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly bowed to the County Magistrate: ¡°Your Honor, can Sisi and her husband prove their innocence once Sisi can show that it was not her who slept with Big Mouth Li on that day?¡±


    Di Yelei on the side became anxious!


    ¡°Sisi! Don¡¯t talk nonsense, this has nothing to do with you, step back now! I have solid evidence to prove that I am not the killer, don¡¯t be afraid!¡±


    Zhang Peng in the crowd heaved a sigh of relief!


    He knew that Liu Sisi was still a virgin, and the prospect of saving Yelei gave him a kind of happiness.


    ¡°Silence! The suspect must not interrupt!¡±


    County Magistrate stopped Di Yelei, then turned to Liu Sisi: ¡°You just said you have evidence, show it to us!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Honor. May I ask if there is a midwife in the governmental office for inspection?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks couldn¡¯t help but blush.


    County Magistrate was taken aback, did she want to prove her innocence by showing she was pregnant? However, this reason seemed far-fetched.<div>


    But he had no reason to stop her, so he nodded: ¡°Of course, there is a midwife. Someone, bring Granny Xu here quickly.¡±


    While the governmental office¡¯s runners went to fetch Granny Xu, the County Magistrate exined: ¡°Granny Xu is a renowned midwife in our county. Not only does she deliver babies for the wives of wealthy families, she is also responsible for the final body examination of the selected beauties in Macheng County during the talent selection. She is very experienced.¡±


    It was clear to everyone what the County Magistrate meant. If even the selected beauties had to go through Granny Xu, her words would certainly be credible.


    Soon, Granny Xu was brought in with assistance.


    Someone whispered in her ear and pointed to Liu Sisi. Although they didn¡¯t know what medicine Liu Sisi was selling in her stomach, the person seemed to be sure of her n. They had no choice but to wait for the two people in thepartment toe out and find out the result.


    Soon, Granny Xu came out of the room and whispered in the Lord County Magistrate¡¯s ear.


    The County Magistrate obviously hesitated, eyes wide and focused on Di Yelei. Subsequently, he waved Granny Xu off and then picked up the wooden block and mmed it down.


    ¡°Daring Diao Shanbiao! How dare you deceive I, the Official! Ms. Liu is actually still¡­ still a virgin. Yet you dared to use her, confess quickly!¡±


    ¡°Ah? ¡ª¡±


    It can be called stirring waves with a single stone!


    A married woman for several months was still a virgin?


    Diao Shanbiao¡¯s face changed drastically, his expression ashen as he slumped to the ground!


    Looking at Liu Sisi, who walked out of the room with her usual calm demeanor, everyone started to murmur!


    Recalling what Diao Shanbiao had said before, about the positions, the actions, as if he had witnessed them personally, it all seemed so pale in the face of the results!


    Liu Sisi suddenly knelt before the County Magistrate: ¡°Your Honor! Sisi was wrongly used in her mother¡¯s home and her reputation was maliciously destroyed, forcing her to marry into the Di Family as a new wife. Fortunately, my husband felt pity for Sisi¡¯s youth, and although we have been married for over three months, we have not slept together. Today, seeing my husband suffering from an injustice, someone deliberately nders and defames Sisi again. Sisi can¡¯t bear it any longer, and resorts to this trick. I hope the County Magistrate can handle it fairly and restore innocence for Sisi and my husband!¡±


    After that, Liu Sisi knocked her head three times in session.


    Especially Old Man Li.


    He suddenly recalled the words Liu Sisi emphasized a moment ago, ¡°spilled water cannot be retrieved.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di and Di Cheng were also surprised!


    After all, the matchmaker had told them about Liu Sisi¡¯s past before she married into the family, and she even tried to escape and jumped into a river on her wedding night. With all these events, who could have thought that she was still a virgin?


    Zhang Peng wasn¡¯t surprised. He had even prescribed a medicine for Di Yelei. He just didn¡¯t expect Yelei not to use it.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that the medicine had been discarded by Liu Sisi after being soaked in water when she fell into the bathtub¡­


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on Di Yelei, and their hearts couldn¡¯t help but ponder.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was full of pain. He felt useless for having Liu Sisi use this method to help clear his name. He really was a coward!


    Only Nan Tianzong stood in a shadowy corner of the hall, his face dark and unclear, wondering what to think.


    ¡°Diao Shanbiao, what do you have to say? Making false usations can lead to jail!¡±


    The County Magistrate mmed the wooden block.


    The governmental office¡¯s runners on both sides trembled with their killing rods, and the sound of ¡°mighty¡± echoed neatly throughout the hall.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Until now, Diao Shanbiao was still persevering, crawling on the ground: ¡°Your Honor, everything themoner said is true, and I did not lie. Please judge wisely!¡±


    It was simply a divine twist!


    The so-called witnessing the act of love, the details of the murder, and the resolute words, at this moment, had turned into mockery!


    A stark, naked mockery!


    ¡°Your Honor, please look here!¡±


    Liu Sisi pointed to Diao Shanbiao¡¯s exposed arm while kneeling down, ¡°The injuries on Diao Shanbiao¡¯s face and hands are not fake, but the skin covered by his clothes is intact. If someone tortures him, they would choose to do so in secret. Instead of announcing it to the world, they wouldn¡¯t leave his body intact and just swell his entire face.¡±

 Chapter 138 - 138: 136: Sisi, I have fulfilled what I promised you.

    Chapter 138 - 138: 136: Sisi, I have fulfilled what I promised you.<div>


    The County Magistrate¡¯s face also looked terrible: ¡°Someone! Get him undressed!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The governmental office¡¯s runners stepped forward, and they swiftly stripped Diao Shanbiao¡¯s upper body.<div>


    As Liu Sisi had said, Diao Shanbiao¡¯s body was covered in many wounds, but they were all old scars and there were no new injuries.


    The result was obvious!


    Liu Sisi also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Even though she seemed certain, she was actually taking a gamble just now! She was betting that this man, despite his ruthlessness, did not disregard his own life to this extent!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Since it was a performance, there were naturally some omissions.


    p!


    ¡°Diao Shanbiao, at this moment, will you not confess? Do you really think we¡¯re fools?¡±


    The County Magistrate angrily mmed the wooden block.


    The sound of the killing rod hitting the ground resounded, and the ¡°mighty¡± sound was particrly loud!


    ¡°I¡­I, thismoner¡­¡± Diao Shanbiao¡¯s gaze was evasive, stammering.


    ¡°Moreover, Diao Shanbiao has described the murder process in such detail, as if he has seen it with his own eyes. He must know the killer. At the very least, he must have seen the real suspectmit the murder. Sisi begs Lord County Magistrate, to subject Diao Shanbiao to severe torture, forcing him to reveal the real killer, tofort the souls of the deceased!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words were powerful and unyielding, relentlessly pressing on!<div>


    ¡°Get someone! Drag Diao Shanbiao out, and severely punish him with 20 hits of boards! I want to see if he confesses or not!¡±


    The County Magistrate directly threw out a token!


    ¡°Have mercy, Your Honor, have mercy! It was¡­ it was Sun Ergou! It was Sun Ergou who did it!¡±


    Diao Shanbiao desperately kowtowed, his words pouring out like beans from a bamboo tube: ¡°Sun Ergou gave me 10 taels of silver, saying that as long as I testify ording to his instructions, there will be more rewards for me after the deed is done. Your Honor, please discern the truth, this really has nothing to do with me!¡±


    ¡°Who is this Sun Ergou?¡±


    ¡°Your Honor, it happens to have something to do with the conflict between him and the two of us.¡±


    Without exaggeration, Liu Sisi exined the original incident when they went to He¡¯s Tavern to sell game, unintentionally offended Sun Ergou, and eventually, a group of rascals led by him intercepted them, only to be knocked down one by one by Di Yelei¡­


    ¡°Before leaving, Sun Ergou threatened to teach us both a lesson. This incident happened two months ago, but we did not see any move from him. Unexpectedly, he was so ruthless, daring to kill someone and frame us.¡±


    ¡°Where is this Sun Ergou? You guys go get him!¡±


    The County Magistrate threw out another token.


    A runner stepped forward: ¡°Your Honor, Sun Ergou should not be in the county right now. He should be in¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Your Honor, I have brought Sun Ergou!¡±


    As the words fell, Zuo Xingyu walked into the hall with a dejected Sun Ergou.


    It was unclear from where they had rolled back, but both of them were covered in yellow mud and sweat, along with many grass clippings and stains, making them appear extremely disheveled.


    Although Zuo Xingyu was covered in mud, he didn¡¯t flinch. He solemnly reported to the County Magistrate, ¡°Your Honor, I tracked this rascalst night, chasing him all the way to the edge of Heilong Mountain. It was not easy for me to catch him. Please let me know how to proceed, Your Honor!¡±


    ¡°Good! You¡¯ve worked hard, Constable Zuo. You can go rest.¡±


    Only then did the County Magistrate turn his head to question Sun Ergou: ¡°Sun Ergou, do you have anything to say at this moment? Will you confess or not?¡±


    Sun Ergou didn¡¯t struggle from beginning to end: ¡°I confess! I confess everything. Since I was caught by you, I, Sun Ergou, admit defeat! Anyway, after eighteen years, I, Sun Ergou, will be a great man again! Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, exin in detail what happened on the day of the incident.¡±


    ¡°That night, I went to find Big Mouth Li, and he ckmailed me for money again. After some wrangling, I had to go back and get the silver. When I turned around, I saw that surnamed Di beating up Big Mouth Li. I hid in the dark, Li always ckmailed me, like a bottomless pit, better to put an end to it and also push the me on the one surnamed Di. But I wasn¡¯t confident about doing it alone, so I thought of Little Taohong from Yihong Courtyard.¡±


    ¡°Little Taohong was also ckmailed by him; not only did she have to sleep with him for free, but she also had to give him money every two or three days. She hated him to the core and wanted to get rid of him. We hit it off and went to their secret love nest. Indeed, we found him. As soon as he saw Little Taohong, he cursed and tore her clothes, then pounced on her to vent his anger.¡±


    As Sun Ergou spoke, he suddenly burst into a madugh, hisughter filling the entire hall: ¡°Little Taohong hated him deeply and took the opportunity to cut off his descendants¡¯ roots while he was unprepared. Seeing that he was still cursing, I strangled him to death with a bellyband. He deserves to die! Deserves to die!¡±


    The ferocious and insane Sun Ergou left everyone in the room speechless.


    ¡°Your Honor! The case has now been rified, and it has nothing to do with my husband! I beg the Lord County Magistrate to discern the truth and clear my husband¡¯s name! Please give my husband and me justice!¡± Liu Sisi finished speaking, and she kowtowed again.


    ¡°I beg Your Honor to give my husband and me justice! I implore the Lord County Magistrate to stand up for my husband and me!¡±


    Di Yelei also knelt down beside Liu Sisi and kowtowed.


    ¡°I beg Your Honor to give my Third Child justice! I beseech the Lord County Magistrate to stand up for us!¡± Elderly Mr. Di also kowtowed.


    ¡°We beg the Lord County Magistrate to stand up for us!¡± Everyone else also kowtowed.


    As the saying goes, a beautiful woman brings trouble, and there¡¯s no denying it!


    ¡°Sigh! People are indeed ignorant! You suffered a false usation and fled to marry far away, but you still couldn¡¯t escape being ndered again. It was truly fate¡­¡±


    The County Magistrate shook his head and said, ¡°Now it¡¯s been proven that Ms. Liu is still intact, which corroborates the forensic doctor¡¯s autopsy conclusion. Therefore, Di Yelei is not the killer of Big Mouth Li. Di Yelei is dered innocent in court.¡±


    Liu Sisi, Di Yelei, and everyone else were overjoyed!


    ¡°Thank you, Lord County Magistrate!¡± Everyone bowed and thanked him in unison.


    The County Magistrate continued: ¡°Sun Ergou will be detained in prison, while I report to the Ministry of Justice and then escort him to the capital for execution after autumn. Diao Shanbiao epted bribes from others to frame people and is fined 30 taels of silver to be paid to Di Yelei. Court dismissed!¡±


    Diao Shanbiao let out a scream and fainted on the spot in the hall.


    As for the follow-up matters and whether Diao Shanbiao lived or died, it no longer had anything to do with Liu Sisi and Di Yelei!


    This was indeed highly dramatic. However, it was also an inevitable oue.


    As soon as the handcuffs were removed, Di Yelei rushed forward, lifted Liu Sisi overhead with one arm, and madly spun her around in circles.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi! I did it, I promised you, and I did it! Sisi, Sisi¡ª¡ª¡±


    Heughed heartily as he spun her around, venting the excitement in his heart.


    Liu Sisi was startled!


    Their eyes met, and she saw the fanaticism in his eyes. Then she burst intoughter.


    The whistling wind swept past her ears as everything around her turned into a blur, spinning rapidly.


    ¡°Put me down, Yelei! Hurry!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Sisi!¡±


    He finally put her down, and suddenly hugged her, whispering in her ear: ¡°Sisi, I promised you that I woulde back safely. Now, I¡¯ve done it.¡±


    Tightly clutching his clothes, Liu Sisi nodded again and again.


    ¡°Yes, Yelei, you did it, and you¡¯re the best!¡±

 Chapter 139 - 139: 137: The Pitiful Person Must Have Hateful Aspects

    Chapter 139 - 139: 137: The Pitiful Person Must Have Hateful Aspects<div>


    After calming their emotions, the two finally noticed that they were surrounded by people.


    Liu Sisi shyly hid behind Di Yelei, who burst intoughter and thanked everyone who hade to help. The lively atmosphere continued as they spoke to one another until Di Yelei¡¯s gaze met Nan Tianzong, his smile stiffened.


    As their eyes met, it was like a sh of thunder and lightning! Even the people on the periphery felt the atmosphere change and moved away, leaving a clearing for the two of them. The oppressive atmosphere was not something ordinary people could withstand.<div>


    Liu Sisi was also startled by the tense atmosphere between the two in the center of the scene!


    Looking at both sides, she couldn¡¯t help but gently tug Di Yelei¡¯s sleeve: ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Seeing her worried expression, Di Yelei¡¯s face rxed, suddenly smiled, and gave a fist greeting.


    ¡°Boss Nan, thank you for your help. I am also grateful to you for taking care of Sisi. She has a weak body and is timid; these days, she has relied on you to care for her.¡± Di Yelei¡¯s smile held depth in his eyes.


    The two men¡¯s gazes were locked, neither of them moving.


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s mouth twitched involuntarily, his eyes darkened, and his fist clenched and unclenched a few times.


    Suddenly, he chuckled, once again looking like a charming young master.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°I did these things not for you! There¡¯s no need to express your gratitude. Since everything is settled here, I¡¯ll take my leave now. Sisi, don¡¯t forget the promise you made to me earlier. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    With that, heughed heartily and left.


    Everyone¡¯s expressions wereplicated, having never expected that Liu Sisi, whose reputation had already fallen, would experience such a turn of events. They couldn¡¯t describe the feeling in their hearts.


    ¡°Sisi, what did you promise him?¡±<div>


    He didn¡¯t want to ask, but Nan Tianzong¡¯s arrogance made him unable to hold back.


    Liu Sisi shook her head: ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just promised him that if he helped save you, I would work for free at the bookstore for a year without taking any silver¡­¡±


    ¡°How could you agree to such a condition! He¡¯s clearly up to no good.¡±


    Di Yelei was furious. This was tantamount to binding Sisi to his bookstore, day and night. Could he not see the other¡¯s intentions through his eyes? Utterly despicable!


    Liu Sisi, feeling wrongly used, bit her lip: ¡°But at that moment, he was the only one who could help me¡­¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi looking so aggrieved, Di Yelei felt extremely distressed.


    ¡°Sisi, I am not ming you. I am just afraid that you will be deceived by him¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, a teasing voice interrupted from the side: ¡°Di Yelei, you¡¯ve finally married a good wife. You must treat her well! How can you let her be wronged like this?¡±


    It turned out to be the casually-dressed Lord County Magistrate.


    ¡°Your Honor¡¯s words are wise. As amoner, I will always keep your teachings in mind and will never ck off,¡± Di Yelei hurriedly bowed in thanks.


    Everyone greeted the Lord County Magistrate in unison!<div>


    ¡°Wait a moment! Your Honor, although the killer has been sent to the big prison, what should¡­ what should Old Man Li do?¡± Old Man Li became anxious and rushed forward, clinging to the County Magistrate¡¯s leg.


    At this moment, he didn¡¯t care about saving face anymore. With Big Mouth Li dead, who would support ame old man like him?


    Lord County Magistrate¡¯s smile vanished as he forcefully shook off Old Man Li¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Humph! What a joke! You should go after the family of the killer forpensation since your son is dead. Are you trying to ckmail me, the Official? What a tremendous joke!¡±


    After saying that, he shook his sleeve and left!


    Elderly Mr. Di was overjoyed at the moment; with Third Child being released without guilt, he was happier than anyone else.


    Old Man Li nearby was crying with a sorrowful face. As soon as he saw Elderly Mr. Di, who was full of joy, he ran forward and spat a thick phlegm onto his face.


    ¡°Bah! It¡¯s all because of you, this shameless old thing that taught your good son! Give me back Big Mouth¡¯s life!¡±


    ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Uncle Di!¡± ¡°Grandfather!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s cries of surprise all came at the same time.


    Elderly Mr. Di still had a smile on his face, clearly not awake from the sudden change in front of him.


    Within a moment, he jumped up angrily and wiped his face. He pulled on Old Man Li and scolded, ¡°It serves you right for being unlucky! Your son is dead, and now you want to drag my Third Child to his death too. Is there anyone more poisonous than you in this world? You¡¯ve lost face for your Li family¡¯s ancestors for eighteen generations!¡±


    ¡°I have no face? You damn dog! Just who is the shameless one? You¡¯ve taught a beast of bad character, and now you still have the nerve to cause trouble for others? If it were me, I¡¯d have already smashed my head to death and not dared to show my face in the world.¡± He cursed pointing at his nose.


    Old Man Li, being pointed at the tip of his nose, suddenly sat down on the ground with a bang and burst into tears. ¡°Big Mouth! Big Mouth¨Cyou let me, a white-haired person, send away someone younger, how can I live in the future! This burden you¡¯ve left me that I can¡¯t even lift, oh heavens¡­¡±


    ¡°This is what you brought on yourself! Who else can you me? When Big Mouth Li was alive, which family¡¯s things weren¡¯t stolen by her? This kind of person deserves to die! Let go, let go!¡± Elderly Mr. Di was still angry.


    Old Man Li stubbornly grabbed Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s trouser leg and cried, refusing to let go.


    ¡°How am I supposed to live, how can I live? How can I live¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s heart softened at the sound of the words, finding it hard to bear.


    He took out the 30 taels of silver that Diao Shanbiaopensated him with today from his arms, thought for a moment, and picked out 2 taels of loose silver. He walked to Old Man Li¡¯s side, who couldn¡¯t stop crying, and stuffed it into his arms.


    ¡°Old Uncle Li, here are 2 taels of silver. Take it and live a good life. It¡¯s enough for you tost for three to five years.¡±


    Everyone held their breath.


    One tael of silver was enough for a whole family to use for a year, and Di Yelei directly gave 2 taels, which was a very generous amount!


    Old Man Li stopped crying as well and repeatedly counted the silver coins in his hand twice.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t that personpensated 30 taels of silver? Why did you only give 2 taels? You treat me like a beggar? This is the money my Big Mouth worked for her life, and you dare to ept it? How shameless. There are gods three feet above our heads, be careful that the heavens can¡¯t stand to watch and a divine thunder will strike you dead!¡±


    Di Yelei: ¡°Old Uncle Li, you¡­¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was furious! How dare he curse his Third Child! ¡°Old Man Li, let me tell you, don¡¯t be insatiable and go too far! My Third Child suffered this cmity because of you, and not asking you forpensation is already being benevolent and righteous. Even if I don¡¯t give you a single tael, it¡¯s reasonable!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I don¡¯t care anyway! It¡¯s because you¡¯re guilty that you want to give me silver. You Di family are bullying an old widow like me. You must give another 3 taels no matter what. Otherwise, I¡¯ll tell the vigers from ten miles around that not a single one of the Di family is good!¡±


    Everyone was speechless with anger!


    Liu Sisiughed instead: ¡°It¡¯s said that the pitiable are bound to be hateful. Now I¡¯ve seen what it means to be unreasonable and annoying. Ye Lei, let¡¯s go. Talking to such a person is simply a waste of words.¡±


    Even if you gave him 5 taels, 10 taels, or even all 30 taels, he would never be satisfied and would think it¡¯s only natural!


    There¡¯s only one way to deal with this kind of person!


    If he is stingy, you must be even stingier than him; if he is aggressive, you must be even more aggressive!


    Otherwise, even if you cut the flesh from your body and give it to him to eat, he will still be unsatisfied!


    This is the greedy nature of such people!


    Old Man Li was still yelling behind them: ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t think that if you run away, everything will be over and done with! Let me tell you, as soon as I get home, I¡¯m going to find Mr. Land Officer to argue the case¡­¡±

 Chapter 140 - 140: 138: Husband and Wife’s Heartfelt Conversation at Night

    Chapter 140 - 140: 138: Husband and Wife¡¯s Heartfelt Conversation at Night<div>


    Not much further, Liu Sisi suddenly stopped and called out softly to Di Yelei.


    ¡°Ye Lei, wait, I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Sisi.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi stood on her tiptoes and whispered something in Di Yelei¡¯s ear, then pushed him gently towards the wine-house across the street.


    On the second floor of the wine-house, they could vaguely see the figure of Lord County Magistrate disappearing near the railing.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t say anything, nodded, and quickly ran towards the wine-house.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. First, we¡¯ll head to the Carriage Store to see if we can find a carriage to the small town,¡± Liu Sisi said with a smile.


    ¡°Won¡¯t we wait for Third Uncle?¡± Di Cheng asked curiously.


    ¡°No need to wait. He¡¯ll know to follow uster.¡± Liu Sisi smiled confidently.


    As the group walked not too far, it didn¡¯t take long before Di Yelei indeed caught up with them.


    He was holding a cloth-covered birdcage in his hand, smiling as he nodded slightly towards Sisi and handed the birdcage to her. He then went ahead and carried Elderly Mr. Di on his back.


    ¡°Dad, let me carry you! Let¡¯s go to the Carriage Shop.¡±


    The fare for a carriage to the small town was 100 copper coins per person. Di Yelei took out 500 copper coins and handed them to the coachman. With more than a dozen people riding together, the crowded carriage set off for the small town.


    When they finally arrived home, it waspletely dark outside.<div>


    Di Yelei carried Elderly Mr. Di back to the old house, while Liu Sisi went to Zhang Peng¡¯s home to fetch the two children.


    ¡°Sister-inw, I¡¯m curious, what did Ye Lei do in the end?¡±


    Liu Sisiughed unexpectedly!


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. Just wanted Ye Lei to take a trip to avoid a disaster. Is it good or not?¡±


    ¡°What disaster are you talking about?¡± Zhang Peng was curious.


    ¡°Just¡­ an unexpected cmity. We had to spend money to avoid it.¡± Liu Sisi said with a smile.


    At first, she hadn¡¯t thought about it, but it was Old Uncle Li who reminded her.


    How did the County Magistrate decide to give Ye Lei 30 taels of silver? It was clearly unusual. Considering Old Uncle Li¡¯s actions when he pretended to be crazy and asked for money, and the County Magistrate¡¯s conduct, were they rted?


    Once she understood the key, she instructed Di Yelei to take the opportunity to thank the County Magistrate with 20 taels of silver and give another 5 taels to Zuo Xingyu.


    As expected, after a little hesitation, both of them epted the money.


    Out of the 30 taels of silver, only 3 taels were left. After taking lodgings and travel expenses into ount, there was hardly anything left. But the fact that everyone was safe was already a great fortune amidst misfortune!<div>


    When they arrived at Zhang Peng¡¯s home, the two children burst into tears and threw themselves into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Mom! Mom, you¡¯re back. Boo hoo¡­¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Holding Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er as if they were long-lost treasures, Liu Sisi could no longer control herself, and tears streamed down her cheeks.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, Ying¡¯er, I missed you so much! Good, good babies.¡±


    Touching one, nuzzling the other, and kissing their cheeks, Liu Sisi held the two children tightly for a long time before she was able to calm herself down.


    Guihua wiped her tears on the side: ¡°You really scared me to death! When you left that time, I thought you were just going for a while and would be back soon. But I couldn¡¯t wait for you. I was worried that something happened to you, and I didn¡¯t know where to find you¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Guihua, I¡¯m sorry, Sisi worried you¡­¡± Holding Guihua¡¯s hand, Liu Sisi¡¯s tears flowed uncontrobly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, as long as you¡¯re back safely, that¡¯s all that matters. Misfortune turned to blessings.¡±


    ¡°Mom, why were you gone for so long? Where¡¯s dad? Is dad back?¡± Ying¡¯er asked pitifully, shaking her hand.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s back. Your dad is back too. He took your grandfather back to the old house, and you¡¯ll see him when you get home.¡±


    Their eyes lit up instantly!


    ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go! Brother, let¡¯s go home! Dad¡¯s back¡ª¡ª¡± Ying¡¯er pulled Di Xuan¡¯s hand and ran out.


    ¡°Slow down, be careful not to fall!¡±


    The two children ran away like the wind.


    ¡°The two children are very well-behaved and obedient. They eat whatever is given to them without being picky. They are especially sensible.¡± Guihua said seriously.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, Brother Zhang, thank you so much. Brother Zhang has helped us a lot, and even took care of the two children, thank you, Sister Guihua¡­¡±


    Zhang Peng also chimed in: ¡°Don¡¯t mention it; we are all brothers. Of course, we help each other. If we were to be petty about everything, what kind of brotherhood would that be? Sister-inw, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Brother Zhang, Sister Guihua, Sisi understands!¡± Liu Sisi nodded vigorously, her heart feeling much better.


    She would remember this brotherly bond in her heart.


    Before they even got home, they could hear the excited barking of Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua. The two little dogs circled around the children and her feet, very cheerful.


    Soon, Di Yelei also came back from the old house.


    ¡°Wait a moment! Don¡¯te in yet!¡± Liu Sisi stopped his action.


    Not a whileter, she brought out a brazier: ¡°Come,e,e! Cross over the fire basin, drive away bad luck and wee good luck, promotion and wealth!¡±


    Di Yeleiughed heartily!


    He strode across the fire basin and entered the main entrance.


    Liu Sisi looked at the zing fire basin: ¡°We will surely be prosperous and auspicious!¡±


    ¡°Yes! We will definitely be prosperous and auspicious! Every year will be better than thest one!¡±


    After saying this, both of them couldn¡¯t help butugh!


    The two chatted andughed as they tidied up the house, and the two children yed happily nearby.


    Everything in the house was as usual, the rabbits and baby chicks were all fine, and Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua were getting stronger, barking constantly. Sister Guihua must havee over often to help out.


    Di Yelei casually cooked some hot soup: ¡°Come! Hurry up and drink some to warm your stomach. You haven¡¯t eaten anything all afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare, hurry up and eat to pad your stomach.¡± While talking, he hurriedly handed her a bowl, chopsticks and a spoon.


    After drinking the hot soup and washing up, Liu Sisi feltpletely revitalized.


    Looking at the full moon outside, Liu Sisi suddenly remembered that it seemed the Mid-Autumn Festival would be in a few days, right?


    ¡°It¡¯s said that a golden and silver nest is not as good as your own doghouse. Now that we are back in our doghouse, I feel much more rxed at once.¡±


    Di Yelei walked out of the bathroom with a light step, feelingpletely rxed.


    Certain things don¡¯t need to be said, based on the tacit understanding between the two, both knew what would happen tonight.


    ¡°Yeah, home is the best. The surrounding mountains breeze, the moonlight and sparse stars in the sky, make such a beautiful scene.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up and gazed at the bright moon in the sky.


    ¡°Indeed, it is a beautiful scene. Look at you, your hair is still dripping wet. If you catch a cold again, what are we going to do?¡±


    While speaking, Di Yelei casually picked up a long towel, carefully and gently wiping her wet hair dry.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s you.¡±


    With a faint squint, Liu Sisi tilted her head and leaned on his shoulder, feeling the gentle breeze blowing softly.


    In the high and blue sky, beautiful stars like sapphires adorned the view, and from time to time, little sparks shed at the horizon. In the quiet air, mixed with the refreshing scent of earth and rice, frogs¡¯ croaks echoed all around, and the chirping of crickets from the corner of the wall yed beautiful melodies that made people intoxicated and lost in the moment¡­


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Di Yelei lovingly wiped her ck hair, looking at her charming and naive appearance.


    A feeling of satisfaction filled his heart.

 Chapter 141 - 141: 139: My Arsenic, Your Honey (1)

    Chapter 141 - 141: 139: My Arsenic, Your Honey (1)<div>


    ¡°Mom! Ying¡¯er missed you so much while you were gone these days.¡±


    Little Ying beside them insisted on squeezing over and stubbornly settled on the stone bench between the two.


    Liu Sisiughed lightly as she gently patted her back.<div>


    ¡°Silly child! Didn¡¯t Dad and Mom juste back? I also missed our Ying¡¯er¡­¡±


    Ying¡¯er leaned over, reached out her little hand directly into the pastry te and took out two candies. She peeled one and put it into Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Mom, taste this! This steamed cake is so delicious! Brother also secretly ate two just now.¡± Ying¡¯er covered her mouth andughed sneakily!


    ¡°Nonsense! I didn¡¯t steal any!¡±


    Di Xuan beside him immediately stood up, he wouldn¡¯t admit it!


    ¡°Silly child,e and have a piece. This steamed cake was specially brought back by your mom from the county town. It¡¯s really delicious.¡± Liu Sisi quickly took a piece of steamed cake and put it in Di Xuan¡¯s hand.


    The family enjoyed a happy conversation under the moonlight, until the moon gradually rose high into the sky, and Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er became sleepy and returned to their rooms.


    ¡°Both of our children are gradually bing sensible.¡± Di Yelei felt quite emotional.


    ¡°Indeed! I can¡¯t help but want to cherish and love her. By the way, Ying¡¯er is four years old now, right?¡± Liu Sisi was very happy.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so¡­ Time flies so fast! Ying¡¯er will be 5 years old soon, and Xuan¡¯er will be 8 years old.¡±


    Di Yelei sighed softly, looking at the bewitching beauty in front of his eyes, he quietly approached her. Fragrant and warm breath constantly flowed into his nose wings.<div>


    Theb in his hand fell to the ground at some point!


    ¡°By the way, Ye Lei! The two carrier pigeons you brought back during the day, where did you get them from? I think these two pigeons seem to be extraordinary and muchrger than ordinary domestic pigeons.¡± Liu Sisi asked curiously.


    The two carrier pigeons were covered with cloth and taken back to be fed at the edge of the woodshed behind the house.


    ¡°Can you tell that it¡¯s a carrier pigeon? It¡¯s just for fun. My dear Sisi, you¡¯re not focused at the moment, and you¡¯re not behaving well. Tell me, how should I punish you?¡±


    This deep and mellow voice was filled with a man¡¯s unique aura and charm.


    ¡°Stop it! We¡¯re outside. There¡¯s also this crisp filling candy, you should try it too and see if it¡¯s sweet.¡± Liu Sisiughed with her eyes curved, picked up a piece of candy, and forcefully stuffed it into his mouth on her tiptoes.


    His eyes became even deeper, and he raised his big hand to grab her small hand and refused to let go. His eyebrows and the corners of his eyes were all filled with smiles as he deliberately rubbed her with his rough stubble, causing her unbearable irritation.


    ¡°Hey! You¡­ let go of me!¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s little face turnedpletely red, and her small hand seemed to be scalding, quickly trying to pull back. But she tried several times unsessfully.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let go. I want to eat the crisp filling candy!¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly lowered his head and bit a piece of the crisp filling candy along with her little hand.


    The sweetness of candy, apanied by her unique innocence, mixed with the scent of bath beans and soapberries on her skin, was irresistible. He couldn¡¯t help but smell it over and over again, whispering sweet nothings into the palm of her hand.<div>


    ¡°Then you eat it, but why¡­ let go of my hand already!¡±


    Unable to break free, she had no choice but to re at him twice and then stepped on his foot twice.


    He let out a series of low and mellowughter from his throat, and his Adam¡¯s apple moved with theughter, making Liu Sisi¡¯s entire little face turn red.


    He slowly lowered his head and gradually ate the candy in her hand.


    In the end, he even used his tongue to carefully lick up the sugar stains on her fingertips, swallowing them all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lick¡­ You¡¯re not a dog, what are you doing¡­¡±


    The sensation on her fingertip was magnified thousands of times, as a wave of warm breath enveloped her palm, making her feel hot all over.


    ¡°Come on, Sisi! Let your husband feed you a pastry too!¡±


    Some man grinned smugly and picked up a steamed cake from the fruit te nearby, bringing it to her mouth.


    ¡°Get away! You bastard!¡±


    Liu Sisi gave him a re, waved his hand away and said, ¡°Just tell me already! What are those carrier pigeons for?¡±


    In this era, carrier pigeons were specifically used formunication. Were they just raising pigeons for fun or they didn¡¯t want to reveal the real purpose?


    Di Yelei put the steamed cake in his mouth and chewed absentmindedly, not answering her question.


    The pigeons were given to him by Zuo Xingyu to contact each other. Although the trip to the city brought unfortunate incidents, it also brought him many gains, including meeting new allies!


    Indeed, blessings cane from misfortune, and misfortune cane from blessings!


    But since she was still able to remember the pigeon, it seemed that Di Yelei was not working hard enough!


    ¡°My kitty, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s unpleasant to talk about these things at this beautiful moment?¡±


    His throat let out a deep chuckle, as he pulled her little hand towards him. His eyes sparkled.


    ¡°Ye Lei, please don¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t talk properly, just stop¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t steady herself. Her hands pushed against his chest, but his iron-strong arms held her tightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t what?¡±


    Di Yelei chuckled softly, ¡°Should I not hold you like this? Or not kiss you like this, or not like this¡­ hmm?¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly lowered his head and nibbled her small peak, causing her to gasp, but quickly lifted his head again and sealed her mouth with a kiss.


    Her small mouth was soft and tender, even softer than a honey peach and more fragrant than an orange, making him want to keep tasting her and unwilling to let go.


    Their breaths mingled, and she panted sweetly.


    At night, the sky was filled with countless twinkling stars, and the broad Milky Way seemed like fine sand on the deep blue canvas of the heavens.


    The earth was slowly falling asleep too.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    And the night was bing even quieter.


    ¡°Ye Lei, not here¡­ not in the courtyard¡­¡±


    Though they were near the foot of the mountain, what if someone saw them?


    She tried hard to break free from his grasp, her big watery eyes unblinking as she looked at him.


    Such beauty made himpletely infatuated!


    ¡°Alright! We won¡¯t do it here, my little kitty! Let¡¯s go back to our room!¡± He chuckled softly.


    Unable to resist, he scooped her up in his arms and quickly headed for the room. He couldn¡¯t bear to leave her mouth, constantly lingering around her lips.


    His hands were also impatient, almost desperately reaching into her cor, directly exploring and gripping the irresistible softness, squeezing it firmly.


    ¡°Yelei¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi let out a soft cry, weakly hanging on his neck, uttering his name in a soft whisper.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Sisi. I¡¯m right here beside you.¡±


    Hearing her voice, he distinctively felt her breath, each rise and fall against his chest.

 Chapter 142 - 142: 140: My Arsenic, Your Honey (Part 2)

    Chapter 142 - 142: 140: My Arsenic, Your Honey (Part 2)<div>


    ¡°Mom! Dad! What are you guys doing? Yawn¡ª¡ª¡±


    YingEr rubbed her eyes and walked out of the room, curiously asking about her parents who were embracing each other.


    ¡°Ah! Let¡­ let me go¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi was panicked and struggled to break free, trying to pull her clothes together.


    ¡°YingEr, why did you get up? Weren¡¯t you asleep just now?¡± She pped the big naughty hands, and coughed twice.


    ¡°Yawn, Mom, I ate too many pastries tonight, I¡¯m so thirsty and want to drink water.¡±


    YingEr rubbed her eyes and said.


    That¡¯s right!


    Everyone was happy tonight, naturally eating a little more than usual.


    ¡°YingEr, don¡¯t worry, Mom¡­ your Dad will pour water for you, just wait a while, okay?¡±


    pping the salty pig hand again, Liu Sisi thought of a perfect solution.


    ¡°Why should I go? Isn¡¯t it you who usually pours water? Ask YingEr if she wants her dad to pour water for her or her mom?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s tone was t, and it was impossible to hear any mischief in his hands.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s small body visibly shrank, shivering from head to toe. However, she had to force herself to calm down and stood straight.<div>


    ¡°I want Mom to help me pour¡­ no, I want Dad to pour boiled water for YingEr!¡±


    YingEr was getting a little impatient and stomped her foot: ¡°Dad! YingEr wants you to pour boiled water for me!¡±


    ¡°Ye Lei, did you hear that? YingEr wants you to pour her water, hurry up!¡±


    Liu Sisi gritted her teeth and said. This hateful man!


    ¡°Alright, alright! Dad will go now, you wait for a moment, okay?¡±


    In the darkness, Di Yelei¡¯s gentle voice was still echoing in her ears. But the next moment, he touched her once again, causing her to gasp involuntarily!


    Her entire face turned red in an instant!


    Although she knew that YingEr couldn¡¯t see clearly, this feeling was indescribable! This hateful stinky man!


    ¡°Mom, YingEr saw it all!¡±


    YingEr ran to her side, pulled her hand and whispered.


    YingEr saw it!<div>


    Her face suddenly caught fire, feeling extremely hot. How could she face anyone after this?


    ¡°Dad is so bad, he actually hit Mom! YingEr saw it all just now.¡±


    YingEr stood on her tiptoes, whispering in her ear: ¡°Hmph! Let¡¯s ignore him, bad dad! YingEr will blow on Mom¡¯s pain and it won¡¯t hurt.¡±


    YingEr¡­ actually thought she had been hit?


    Thinking of the hit Di Yelei gave her before leaving, it must have been misunderstood by YingEr as being hit.


    She breathed a sigh of relief and followed YingEr¡¯s lead: ¡°Yes! He is a big viin! We will ignore him, hmph!¡±


    A certain man carrying boiled water returned,pletely unaware that he had beenbeled amon enemy by his two favorite women.


    ¡°Here, YingEr have some water.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Bad dad, ugly dad! I hate you! Hmph!¡±


    YingEr snorted coldly, picked up the bowl and drank her fill, then turned around and ran into the room, closing the door behind her.


    Di Yelei stared in disbelief, unable to recover from the shocking difference between the past and the present.


    ¡°What¡­ what happened here? Oh! I know, you must be falsely using me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Di Yelei approached, taking step by step towards her.


    She only realized the danger then and turned to run, but was two steps too slow and was caught by his long arms and legs! He trapped her securely in his embrace, reaching out to pinch her small nose lightly.


    ¡°Very well! You dare to scheme against your husband, see how I will punish you!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    As he spoke, he leaned down for a fierce kiss, burying his face in the crook of her neck and sniffing the rich fragrance of her neck and hair.


    Her gentle movements only provoked her entire body to tremble, and her delicate earlobes blushed beautifully.


    She was pure yet seductive, sweet and mesmerizing.


    She was a mixture of contradictions!


    She was his own little demon!


    She was so beautiful, so perfect!


    He fell in love with the taste of savoring her slowly.


    On the other side, in the old house.


    Today, Di Yelei brought Elderly Mr. Di back, and the old house fell into silence again.


    After being away for a few days, Elderly Mr. Di returned to find the Di Familypletely changed. Not only were clothes strewn all over the ce, but Ms. Zhao also didn¡¯t seem to care about him at all.


    As everyone ate a meal together, there was amotion again. If one child wasn¡¯t crying, an adult was scolding someone else. It was noisy and chaotic.


    Elderly Mr. Di held back his anger and scolded everyone one by one. Then, he picked up the bowl he had set down and found that the coarse grain porridge had long since gone cold.


    As he took a sip, the cold liquid cooled his mouth and his heart.


    Elderly Mr. Di no longer had the appetite to continue eating. He put down his chopsticks and looked disappointedly at the people around him, who were each preupied with their own interests. He then hobbled back to his room with his crutch, skipped washing, andy down beside his bed with his shoes still on, his old eyes wide awake and thinking.


    Thinking back on the days he spent in the county, although his spirits had been low and he hadn¡¯t been able to move around much,


    his daughter-inw had taken care of him for all three meals a day and never spoke harshly to him.


    Comparing that to the people in the old house¡­


    Elderly Mr. Di let out a long sigh, filled with mixed emotions. He didn¡¯t know whose debts he owed from his past life that caused him to suffer now.


    ¡°Old man, I¡¯ve brought hot water for you to wash your feet. You should get up and wash.¡±


    Ms. Zhao came in from the outside with a basin of hot water, carefully ced it on the footstool by the bedside, then stepped back and closed the door before wiping Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s face and hands with a towel.


    From beginning to end, Elderly Mr. Di remained quiet, not saying a word.


    As the hot water soaked through him, a wave of warmth rose from the depths of his heart. Elderly Mr. Di finally felt morefortable and began to speak.


    ¡°Alright, you should look after yourself too. Don¡¯t end up with a body full of ailments when you¡¯re old. Where¡¯s Ah-Bao? Why haven¡¯t I seen him? Where has he gone, not evening home in the evening?¡±


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s hand trembled as she held the basin, almost spilling its contents, and her face showed a momentary panic.


    She hesitated for a moment, taking the basin out and emptying it before returning to the room. Climbing onto the bed carefully and pulling the thin quilt over her, she picked up the shoe pattern she was working on and prepared therge needle to sew the shoe sole.


    ¡°Recently, Ah-Bao has been working hard. You had asked someone to help him find a private school in the small town before, right? These days, he¡¯s been busy getting along with his teacher. He says he¡¯s staying over at another student¡¯s house, who he gets along well with. I thought this might be helpful for his future studies, so I let him go.¡±


    As Ms. Zhao spoke, her eyes kept darting around.


    Unfortunately, Elderly Mr. Di was too preupied with pressing his temples to alleviate his headache and could not see her nervousness.


    ¡°If it¡¯s helpful for his studies, let him go. But Ah-Bao¡¯s temperament is really unpleasant. You should tell him that when he¡¯s at someone else¡¯s house, he¡¯s a guest and shouldn¡¯t act as recklessly as he does at home.¡±

 Chapter 142 - 140: My Arsenic, Your Honey (Part 2)

    Chapter 142: Chapter 140: My Arsenic, Your Honey (Part 2)


    ¡°Mom! Dad! What are you guys doing? Yawn¡ª¡ª¡±


    YingEr rubbed her eyes and walked out of the room, curiously asking about her parents who were embracing each other.


    ¡°Ah! Let¡­ let me go¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was panicked and struggled to break free, trying to pull her clothes together.


    ¡°YingEr, why did you get up? Weren¡¯t you asleep just now?¡± She pped the big naughty hands, and coughed twice.


    ¡°Yawn, Mom, I ate too many pastries tonight, I¡¯m so thirsty and want to drink water.¡±


    YingEr rubbed her eyes and said.


    That¡¯s right!


    Everyone was happy tonight, naturally eating a little more than usual.


    ¡°YingEr, don¡¯t worry, Mom¡­ your Dad will pour water for you, just wait a while, okay?¡±


    pping the salty pig hand again, Liu Sisi thought of a perfect solution.


    ¡°Why should I go? Isn¡¯t it you who usually pours water? Ask YingEr if she wants her dad to pour water for her or her mom?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s tone was t, and it was impossible to hear any mischief in his hands.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s small body visibly shrank, shivering from head to toe. However, she had to force herself to calm down and stood straight.


    ¡°I want Mom to help me pour¡­ no, I want Dad to pour boiled water for YingEr!¡±


    YingEr was getting a little impatient and stomped her foot: ¡°Dad! YingEr wants you to pour boiled water for me!¡±


    ¡°Ye Lei, did you hear that? YingEr wants you to pour her water, hurry up!¡±


    Liu Sisi gritted her teeth and said. This hateful man!


    ¡°Alright, alright! Dad will go now, you wait for a moment, okay?¡±


    In the darkness, Di Yelei¡¯s gentle voice was still echoing in her ears. But the next moment, he touched her once again, causing her to gasp involuntarily!


    Her entire face turned red in an instant!


    Although she knew that YingEr couldn¡¯t see clearly, this feeling was indescribable! This hateful stinky man!


    ¡°Mom, YingEr saw it all!¡±


    YingEr ran to her side, pulled her hand and whispered.


    YingEr saw it!


    Her face suddenly caught fire, feeling extremely hot. How could she face anyone after this? n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Dad is so bad, he actually hit Mom! YingEr saw it all just now.¡±


    YingEr stood on her tiptoes, whispering in her ear: ¡°Hmph! Let¡¯s ignore him, bad dad! YingEr will blow on Mom¡¯s pain and it won¡¯t hurt.¡±


    YingEr¡­ actually thought she had been hit?


    Thinking of the hit Di Yelei gave her before leaving, it must have been misunderstood by YingEr as being hit.


    She breathed a sigh of relief and followed YingEr¡¯s lead: ¡°Yes! He is a big viin! We will ignore him, hmph!¡±


    A certain man carrying boiled water returned,pletely unaware that he had beenbeled amon enemy by his two favorite women.


    ¡°Here, YingEr have some water.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Bad dad, ugly dad! I hate you! Hmph!¡±


    YingEr snorted coldly, picked up the bowl and drank her fill, then turned around and ran into the room, closing the door behind her.


    Di Yelei stared in disbelief, unable to recover from the shocking difference between the past and the present.


    ¡°What¡­ what happened here? Oh! I know, you must be falsely using me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Di Yelei approached, taking step by step towards her.


    She only realized the danger then and turned to run, but was two steps too slow and was caught by his long arms and legs! He trapped her securely in his embrace, reaching out to pinch her small nose lightly.


    ¡°Very well! You dare to scheme against your husband, see how I will punish you!¡±


    As he spoke, he leaned down for a fierce kiss, burying his face in the crook of her neck and sniffing the rich fragrance of her neck and hair.


    Her gentle movements only provoked her entire body to tremble, and her delicate earlobes blushed beautifully.


    She was pure yet seductive, sweet and mesmerizing.


    She was a mixture of contradictions!


    She was his own little demon!


    She was so beautiful, so perfect!


    He fell in love with the taste of savoring her slowly.


    On the other side, in the old house.


    Today, Di Yelei brought Elderly Mr. Di back, and the old house fell into silence again.


    After being away for a few days, Elderly Mr. Di returned to find the Di Familypletely changed. Not only were clothes strewn all over the ce, but Ms. Zhao also didn¡¯t seem to care about him at all.


    As everyone ate a meal together, there was amotion again. If one child wasn¡¯t crying, an adult was scolding someone else. It was noisy and chaotic.


    Elderly Mr. Di held back his anger and scolded everyone one by one. Then, he picked up the bowl he had set down and found that the coarse grain porridge had long since gone cold.


    As he took a sip, the cold liquid cooled his mouth and his heart.


    Elderly Mr. Di no longer had the appetite to continue eating. He put down his chopsticks and looked disappointedly at the people around him, who were each preupied with their own interests. He then hobbled back to his room with his crutch, skipped washing, andy down beside his bed with his shoes still on, his old eyes wide awake and thinking.


    Thinking back on the days he spent in the county, although his spirits had been low and he hadn¡¯t been able to move around much,


    his daughter-inw had taken care of him for all three meals a day and never spoke harshly to him.


    Comparing that to the people in the old house¡­


    Elderly Mr. Di let out a long sigh, filled with mixed emotions. He didn¡¯t know whose debts he owed from his past life that caused him to suffer now.


    ¡°Old man, I¡¯ve brought hot water for you to wash your feet. You should get up and wash.¡±


    Ms. Zhao came in from the outside with a basin of hot water, carefully ced it on the footstool by the bedside, then stepped back and closed the door before wiping Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s face and hands with a towel.


    From beginning to end, Elderly Mr. Di remained quiet, not saying a word.


    As the hot water soaked through him, a wave of warmth rose from the depths of his heart. Elderly Mr. Di finally felt morefortable and began to speak.


    ¡°Alright, you should look after yourself too. Don¡¯t end up with a body full of ailments when you¡¯re old. Where¡¯s Ah-Bao? Why haven¡¯t I seen him? Where has he gone, not evening home in the evening?¡±


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s hand trembled as she held the basin, almost spilling its contents, and her face showed a momentary panic.


    She hesitated for a moment, taking the basin out and emptying it before returning to the room. Climbing onto the bed carefully and pulling the thin quilt over her, she picked up the shoe pattern she was working on and prepared therge needle to sew the shoe sole.


    ¡°Recently, Ah-Bao has been working hard. You had asked someone to help him find a private school in the small town before, right? These days, he¡¯s been busy getting along with his teacher. He says he¡¯s staying over at another student¡¯s house, who he gets along well with. I thought this might be helpful for his future studies, so I let him go.¡±


    As Ms. Zhao spoke, her eyes kept darting around.


    Unfortunately, Elderly Mr. Di was too preupied with pressing his temples to alleviate his headache and could not see her nervousness.


    ¡°If it¡¯s helpful for his studies, let him go. But Ah-Bao¡¯s temperament is really unpleasant. You should tell him that when he¡¯s at someone else¡¯s house, he¡¯s a guest and shouldn¡¯t act as recklessly as he does at home.¡±

 Chapter 143 - 143: 141: My Arsenic, Your Honey (III)

    Chapter 143 - 143: 141: My Arsenic, Your Honey (III)<div>


    ¡°Out there, no one will speak up for him.¡±


    Ms. Zhao naturally wanted to speak, but before she could open her mouth, Elderly Mr. Di interrupted her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t always think about covering for him, I know my own son. What kind of person is he? Can¡¯t a father know? Put away your little schemes! Lest when he really causes a big trouble, even if you want to protect him, you won¡¯t be able to.¡± Elderly Mr. Di spoked solemnly.<div>


    Recently, he has alsoe to understand many things, especially regarding the issues of his children. After what happened with Third Son, he has be more open-minded.


    Ms. Zhao moved her mouth, but in the end, she didn¡¯t say a word.


    Elderly Mr. Di casually wrapped himself in the thin quilt and closed his eyes to rest.


    ¡°By the way, I almost forgot to ask you.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di suddenly remembered something else and casually asked Ms. Zhao: ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had already notified the two sons-inw? Have they responded yet?¡±


    Upon mentioning this, Ms. Zhao couldn¡¯t help but put down therge needle. She looked carefully at the shoe sole in front of the oilmp for a while, before shaking her head to answer him.


    ¡°I had sent someone to notify them long ago, but no news hade back. The other day, didn¡¯t Ruo Ning bring news back that she¡¯s pregnant again? She also mentioned hoping this time it¡¯d be a girl, to have a perfect pair of a son and daughter.¡±


    As soon as Di Ruoning was mentioned, Ms. Zhao was immediately pleased!


    No wonder, Di Ruoning may have been born to her and her previous deadbeat husband, but since Ruo Ning was a posthumous child, when she left the deadbeat¡¯s house and married into the Di family, Ruo Ning naturally became a liability and was brought into the Di family.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But Ruo Ning was promising. Not only was she a cute child, but she also gave birth to three sons after getting married. She took great care of her husband, making him obedient and respectful.


    The only downside was that she didn¡¯t have a daughter to chat with.<div>


    When she found out she was pregnant again, Ruo Ning was ecstatic¨C she ryed early through others that this child would definitely be a daughter.


    ¡°Hmm! They are currently busy with the autumn harvest, and it¡¯s understandable they couldn¡¯t get away.¡±


    The voice of Elderly Mr. Di slowly arrived.


    However, a sense of bleakness could be deciphered in his words, which Ms. Zhao, who had been together with him for so many years, naturally understood.


    Nowadays, indeed, every family was busy with the autumn harvest. But the Di family didn¡¯t have muchnd. Since Di Yelei and Elderly Mr. Di were both hardworking, the Di family¡¯s annual harvest was easier. They didn¡¯t need to worry much¨C they could collect all the crops from theirnd within two or three days.


    ¡°Even if they cane back, what difference does it make? Ruo Ning is still pregnant. As for whether Xian wille back¡­ I really can¡¯t be certain.¡±


    Di Xian is Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s eldest daughter born to his ex-wife. She has been married off long ago. She herself is a grandmother now, how could she just leave?


    ¡°Old man, you know¡­ the Liu Family¡¯s Mansion, which is the maternal home of the Third Son¡¯s wife, isn¡¯t far from Ruo Ning¡¯s, right? It¡¯s been almost four months since Liu Sisi got married and came here, but her family hasn¡¯t visited once. Could there be¡­ something wrong?¡±


    Ms. Zhao stopped the movement of pulling the thread in her hand, and her whole body fell silent. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts.


    ¡°What could be the matter? A married daughter is like sshed water! Do you still expect her family to worry about her every day? Go to sleep!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di, impatient, turned and closed his eyes facing the outside, and gradually there was no sound.<div>


    It was clear that he was asleep.


    ¡°I knew it, you¡¯re always thinking about the children she bore for you. Over the years that I¡¯ve been married to you, it¡¯s as if I¡¯ve warmed a stone. But in your heart, you¡¯ve only ever had her! Do I really fall so shortpared to her?¡±


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s voice resonated in the darkness of the night, but no one answered.


    On the Di family¡¯s side.


    ¡°Sisi, my Sisi, you are so sweet, so beautiful¡­¡±


    Entering the bedroom, he gently put her down, blew out themp in one breath, and subsequently couldn¡¯t wait to press down onto her, once again nibbling her neck.


    Hisrge hand also untied her skirt, and as it slid down, before she could react, his wolf-like w had already reached out.


    The slightly rough palm touched her skin, and her whole body trembled in response.


    Di Yelei¡¯s lips tilted up, revealing a wicked and wild temperament!


    ¡°Ah! Ye Lei, um¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but scream. With both hands on his chest, she tried to push him away.


    His other naughty hand had already undressed her, revealing a captivating sight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared! Sisi, I won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    He mollified her with words, his robust body blocking her retreat. That enticing view filled his eyes.


    His hand reached out, his index and middle fingers lightly caressing her, and with a few slow brushes, he revealed her hidden beauty.


    He didn¡¯t go further, just lingering on the edges. His thumb pressed on her raised mound, unable to resist grinding and tweaking.


    ¡°Ye Lei!¡± She screamed!


    Her body suffused with a rich pink hue, constantly iling.


    The scene was exceedingly stimting, Di Yelei narrowed his eyes watching it. He descended to kiss her, sucking lightly, while his finger quietly explored further, lightly touching her inner wall.


    From the bamboo mattress, she suddenly struggled up, let out an unbearable whimper before slowly lying back down.


    Like a fish on the brink of death, struggling.


    He smirked triumphantly, his touch slow, as if a caterpir was crawling inside tickling her, teasing her, torturing her.


    Her cheeks were burning red, her petite body glowed with a pinkish hue, involuntarily writhing.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Don¡¯t do this to me, enough, don¡¯t torture me anymore, ah¡­¡±


    Pushed to the edge of breakdown, her words were imbued with the heavy sound of crying. Her sweet and soft voice was tinged with trembling, and her body shivered as if electrocuted.


    Anyone watching would want to punish her severely, till the end of time¡­


    Di Yelei was drenched in sweat,rge droplets rolled down his robust sculpted muscles.


    He lifted the corner of his lips, a wicked smile appearing. ¡°Sisi, how does it feel? Do you want me?¡± He lifted his head, whispering into her ear.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi gently shook her little head and whimpered in grievance. She didn¡¯t look at him, instead, she bit her lower lip and turned her face away.


    Her little hand instinctively reached for a pillow, hurriedly covering her face with it.


    The half-exposed part of her face, her earlobe, neck, and corbone, all were tinted in a rosy blush.


    How could she answer that? It was too embarrassing!


    She clenched her teeth and refused to speak. Only instinctively whimpering and sobbing softly.


    Di Yelei smirked triumphantly!


    Though he didn¡¯t get the answer he wanted, he wasn¡¯t in a rush. The night was still long!

 Chapter 144 - 144: 142: I am your arsenic, you are my honey (4)

    Chapter 144 - 144: 142: I am your arsenic, you are my honey (4)<div>


    Zuo Xingyu returned home, dragging his extremely exhausted body.


    The Zuo Family¡¯s house was located on a slope outside South Mountain Vige, not far from the county. It neighbored Liu Family¡¯s Mansion and was a small thatched hut with three rooms.


    At the moment, it was alreadyte at night. Apart from a few distant barks, the families nearby had already fallen into dreand.<div>


    A few steps away from the thatched hut, Zuo Xingyu couldn¡¯t help but quicken his pace towards home.


    ¡°Yu Er, is¡­is that you? You¡¯vee home?¡±


    A voice, old and kind, inquired.


    ¡°Mom, why haven¡¯t you gone to bed yet?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zuo Xingyu hurriedly quickened his pace to help the elderly woman, turning towards the direction of the thatched hut.


    The elderly woman reached out for his hand, steadying herself. Her heart finally found some relief.


    ¡°Ai! How can mom sleep when Yu Er hasn¡¯te back? Your job ispletely like licking blood off the edge of the knife, toiling all day long, and yet¡­ ¡±


    Ms. Wei spoke with a face full of sadness and quickly changed the subject: ¡°Mom can¡¯t help much with your work, so she can only cook for you while waiting for your return.¡±


    ¡°Mom, Yu Er has already said that he could cook for himself when hees home, it will not take long, and you don¡¯t have good eyesight, so don¡¯t bother with cooking and waiting for Yu Er every time. If you tire yourself out, what will Yu Er do in the future? Mom, please sit down and rest for a bit.¡± Zuo Xingyu carefully helped her into the house and settled her into a chair.


    ¡°The rice is in the pot, it should still be warm. You eat it quickly.¡±


    Ms. Wei sighed, wiping away her tears: ¡°Aiyo! Your dad left us too early. If he were still here, would those so-called rtives of yours dare to be so arrogant? Not only have they taken all the farnd that should belong to us, but they also drove us to live in this thatched hut?¡±<div>


    Zuo Xingyu went to the kitchen and uncovered the pot. Inside were the already-cooked dishes. He grabbed a bowl.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry! These people who bully us will not end well!¡±


    ¡°Mom knows, but they are your blood brothers after all.¡±


    Ms. Wei sighed: ¡°And your fianc¨¦e, who was engaged through finger-pointing! Not only did she choose wealth over poverty, she even deliberately teamed up with an adulterer to humiliate you. That one deserves a thousand cuts¡­¡±


    Ms. Wei continued to talk for a long while, while wiping the endless tears from her eyes.


    Zuo Xingyu brought the cooked dishes from the other thatched hut, eating silently with his hands gripping the bamboo chopsticks, never interrupting his mother¡¯s words.


    Only in those star-like deep eyes, did a raging fire kindle.


    ¡°If you ask me, who is to me and resent, it¡¯s your deceased father. If not for his stubborn determination to engage you with Liu Sisi, there wouldn¡¯t have been so many troubles. Look at her now, even though her reputation has been tarnished, she married someone in the end. It¡¯s actually my son who¡¯s pitiful¡­¡±


    As Ms. Wei spoke, she began wiping her tears again, as they seemed to never run dry after a long while: ¡°I don¡¯t have high expectations, I just hope that within my lifetime, I could see you get married and have a child. Then I¡¯d be content¡­¡±


    Zuo Xingyu returned to the kitchen to put away the empty bowl without a word. He carefully picked up the washbasins and filled them with water, took a towel, and went out of the kitchen.


    ¡°Mom, let me warm your feet.¡±<div>


    As he spoke, Zuo Xingyu slowly put down the basin, carefully wiping his mother¡¯s face, then twisting the towel dry and putting it aside, before carefully washing her feet.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ms. Wei¡¯s hazy old eyes couldn¡¯t see clearly, but she could make out a blurry figure.


    She reached out to touch Zuo Xingyu¡¯s head, her hands slowly sliding down, gently touching his face.


    ¡°Yu Er, howe you seem to have lost weight again? Did you not eat enough or were you starved?¡±


    ¡°No, Mom! Yu Er is as strong as a horse!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu carefully washed his feet before supporting her to lie down ever so gently. He only went to his room after his elderly mother fell asleep.


    Upon entering his room, he gently lifted the quilt and pushed the bed board, leaping in with one bound.


    Shortly after, the bed board fell back into ce, and the room was restored to its original state.


    By the time he reappeared, he was already in the mountains behind the house. He didn¡¯t linger, striding quickly towards the county.


    In the Di Family¡¯s house.


    ¡°Sisi, tonight you will be mine! Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll let you go again¡­¡±


    ¡°I want you to bear my mark from body to soul, from outside to inside, truly belonging to me alone, Di Yelei!¡±


    ¡°You are mine! You can never leave me again!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s domineering and assertive deration exploded in her ears, causing her to tremble with a new wave of fear.


    ¡°Ye Lei, I am yours¡­¡±


    His assertive and domineering deration shattered thest line of defense in her heart!


    Opening her heart, shepletely bared herself before him, blooming in the most beautiful and dazzling colors.


    Leaning in, he pressed down on her and targeted that spot, pushing forward steadily and determinedly.


    It wasn¡¯t until he met a certain resistance that he stopped advancing.


    She let out a soft cry as the area was suddenly opened up, and a burning sensation surged up from below her, leaving nothing but pain wherever it went!


    ¡°Ye Lei, it hurts! So much pain! Please, get out, get out!¡±


    Damn it, she had never experienced this in both her lifetimes, and now she finally understood how painful it could be!


    Only by truly experiencing it would she know the agony. It felt as if the area was about to be prated, and the invasion of the foreign objectbined with the feeling of being stretched to the limit made her instinctively twist her waist, trying to squeeze the foreign object out.


    Di Yelei gasped for breath!


    He used all his strength to restrain himself, giving her time to adjust, but this woman, who was constantly struggling, didn¡¯t seem to realize that she was ying with fire.


    Damn it!


    She was just too small and too tight!


    Every tiny movement of hers brought him an extreme sense of pleasure, and the tightening caused by her pain unwittingly enveloped him tightly, almost costing him his life!


    The veins in his face were bulging, and his eyes were bloodshot!


    With one hand, he firmly grasped her sweet spot, and with the other, he held her head and kissed her, not giving her a chance to back off.


    He fiercely pressed down on her body!


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The intense emptiness and desire were suddenly filled, and the tearing pain caused her eyebrows to furrow, no longer able to suppress her cry of pain.


    ¡°Good girl! Sisi, every woman has to go through this. Just bear with it, and it¡¯ll be alright. Don¡¯t cry, Sisi.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke and moved, he swallowed all her tears in his mouth.

 Chapter 145 - 145: 143: My Arsenic, Your Honey (Part 5)

    Chapter 145 - 145: 143: My Arsenic, Your Honey (Part 5)<div>


    ¡°But it hurts so much¡­¡±


    She begged pitifully.


    He lingered on her lips, her teeth fine and closely packed, like a row of pure white cowries, constantly enchanting him.<div>


    Her body was warm, her lips carrying a unique fragrance that was all her own.


    He couldn¡¯t help himself, a dull, muffled growl escaping his throat!


    Kissing her mouth somewhat fiercely.


    Liu Sisi was still dazed, her pain gradually transforming into extreme pleasure. She felt as if she was on the edge of copse.


    How long would this ordealst?


    ¡°Sisi, if you want to cry out, just cry out. Your husband wants to hear.¡± He whispered seductively.


    He felt invigorated all over!


    No longer caring about her struggles, he couldn¡¯t help but grip her body even harder.


    ¡°No more, Ye Lei, I-I¡¯m dying!¡± Her weak plea for help found none.


    ¡°Ah¡­uh¡­¡±


    She finally slipped into unconsciousness.<div>


    At this very moment, a low growl escaped Di Yelei¡¯s mouth as well!


    ¡­


    When Liu Sisi woke up again, the sky was already bright.


    She blinked, her sluggish mind taking its time to react.


    Last night, between her and him¡­


    She tried to turn over to get up, but with just a slight movement, her entire body felt like it had been run over by a train ¨C sore and aching all over, without even the slightest strength to move her fingers.


    Especially the burning pain at that ce, which was strangely apanied by a faint coolness.


    She lowered her head to check herself and found that she waspletely naked. She searched all around, but couldn¡¯t find her clothes.


    Thinking back tost night¡¯s embarrassing events, a blush spread across her face.


    She never thought he would do such a thing to her, it was like taking her life!


    Right,st night he took out a white cloth, where did that cloth go?<div>


    She searched all around, but she couldn¡¯t find it!


    Using all her strength to try to flip herself over, she identally rolled right onto the ground.


    Bang! ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts!¡±


    Her entire body felt like it had fallen apart, and Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but groan.


    Her naked body was tangled in the thin quilt that had been covering her. She struggled with all her might butcked the strength to even raise her hand. After a few failed attempts to get up, she could only helplessly lie there and whimper.


    As sheid there in difort, Di Yelei walked in from outside holding a bowl of chicken soup.


    As soon as he saw her current position, his eyes deepened instantly.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re awake? How do you feel? Does your body still hurt? I made wild pheasant soup for you to nourish your body. You¡¯re just too weak. Come on, I¡¯ll help you up.¡±


    As he spoke, he quickly bent down to scoop her up in his arms, cing her back onto the quilt-covered bed.


    ¡°I-I¡­identally¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly wrapped herself up tightly.


    Her entire body flushed pink, her beautiful figure exposed under his gaze, unavoidably having a taste of his tofu, making his eyes suddenly light up!


    With a couple of pillows propped behind her, he then pulled the thin quilt to cover her once more.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but shudder, and memories fromst night involuntarily surfaced, making her subconsciously avoid the touch of his hand.


    Her face involuntarily turned a deep red.


    Her eyes darted left and right, not daring to meet his gaze.


    Di Yelei, naturally noticing this,ughed like a cat that got the cream, grinning wide and exposing his white teeth.


    Last night, Sisi finally andpletely became his woman!


    Nothing could make him happier than this!


    ¡°Laugh,ugh,ugh,ugh yourself to death! Who¡¯sparing their teeth to yours¡­Where¡¯s the soup? I¡¯m really hungry now!¡±


    Liu Sisi, both embarrassed and annoyed, couldn¡¯t help but take her anger out on him, reaching for the pillow beneath her to throw at him.


    However, her hands were weak, and she couldn¡¯t even move the pillow.


    This only made Di Yeleiugh more heartily and smugly. As Liu Sisi red at him, he quickly turned around and hid hisughter while pretending to fetch the chicken soup.


    This side of Sisi was simply too adorable!


    Looking like this, it made him want to devour her whole, skin and bones included.


    Thinking ofst night¡¯s intimate moments, Di Yelei¡¯s evident pride grew even stronger. Even his walk seemed to carry the wind.


    ¡°You¡¯re stillughing!¡±


    As he was feeding her chicken soup, she suddenly raised her head, biting his arm firmly, not caring that the soup was spilling. She angrily ground her teeth on him.


    Di Yelei still grinned from ear to ear, not annoyed despite her biting him.


    ¡°Sisi, be good, drink the soup first, regain your strength, and then you can punish me however you want. What do you think?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His words were especially gentle.


    He carefully soothed her as if calming a frightened kitten.


    He put the bowl down with one hand while gingerly and carefully wiping away the spilled soup from the thin quilt, fearing it might scald her.


    This action naturally caused the thin quilt covering her body to slide down.


    Liu Sisi looked at him with annoyance, showed her stubborn side, clenched her teeth harder, and rolled her eyes wickedly.


    ¡°Sisi¡ª¡±


    He chuckled and sat down next to her, gently kissing her forehead.


    Sisi was actually acting coy with him!


    She might not even realize it herself.


    The moment his kissnded, it was filled with such treasured affection! It caused Liu Sisi to instinctively pause, and her tight grip on his arm loosened unconsciously.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry forst night, I hurt you, and I made you suffer. You can hit me, or bite me a few more times to vent your anger, but please don¡¯t hurt yourself with your anger; that wouldn¡¯t be good.¡±


    His gentle words echoed in her ears, and Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t bring herself to bite him again.


    Did she really hate him? Or maybe she was just more annoyed and embarrassed than hateful?


    His irritatingly triumphant smile seemed to indicate that he had gained the entire world. It was too much to bear!


    Especially since his triumph was built on her pain.


    What a hateful man!


    ¡°As long as you know you¡¯re in the wrong, you deserve it! Who told you to hurt me that much¡ª¡±


    Although she had let go of his arm, looking at the deep bite marks on it, she felt both distressed and annoyed.


    She was unwilling to ept it, so she pinched his arm hard a couple of times to let out her frustration.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know how to dodge¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s my fault. I made my Sisi suffer. But Sisi, do you know? When I was in the county government prison, I told myself that if I were toe home, the first thing I would do is make you my woman, for you to truly and rightfully belong to me, Di Yelei¡­¡±

 Chapter 146 - 146: 144: My Arsenic, Your Honey (Part 6)

    Chapter 146 - 146: 144: My Arsenic, Your Honey (Part 6)<div>


    As he spoke, he lowered his head and gently nted a kiss on her forehead.


    This kiss was gentle, as if a feather with dewdrops was lightly brushing across her forehead.


    It made her feel a tingling sensation, causing her to involuntarily close her eyes, carefully savoring the warmth of his tender touch.<div>


    The anger in her heart strangely vanished, leaving only embarrassment ¨C or rather, uncertainty about how to approach their new rtionship.


    The previous bnce between them had been brokenst night, and she didn¡¯t know how to deal with him. Her heart was at a loss.


    All she could do was instinctively armor herself and use her anger to conceal the turmoil deep within her heart.


    ¡°Ye Lei, I¡­ I mean, I¡­ I¡­¡± She stammered and struggled to express herself.


    ¡°Silly girl, my little kitten, you and I are rightfully husband and wife. I married you with a grand red bridal sedan chair, waited for four long months for our wedding night, and during these four months, I¡¯ve thought of you every day¡­¡±


    He hugged her, affectionately pressed his face against hers, deliberately rubbing his rough stubble against her cheeks.


    In his eyes, there was only persistent determination.


    ¡°Sisi, trust your husband! I will definitely love you well, cherish you, and let you live a happy and fulfilling life!¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh!


    She would never tell him that right now, she already felt incredibly happy and fulfilled!


    ¡°I went to the county government, not to see you, but to see the scenery and how it differed from the small town. And by the way, I visited the prison too.¡±<div>


    She didn¡¯t want to indulge his assumptions!


    ¡°Pffft! Cough cough¡­¡± Di Yelei coughed suspiciously: ¡°Right, right! My little kitty went to the prison deep in the night just to admire the scenery! Come, Sisi, be good! Hurry and drink the chicken soup to nourish yourself, then you can rest.¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t get angry but continued to feed Liu Sisi the chicken soup with a grin.


    Chicken soup again! Liu Sisi instinctively resisted.


    ¡°What nourishment? Are you just waiting to take advantage of me again? Chicken soup, chicken soup, it¡¯s always chicken soup, I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡±


    There was a faint taste of medicinal materials in the chicken soup, clearly added by Di Yelei to nourish her.


    Unable to hold back, she stretched out her weak hand and used all her strength to twist his iron arm, venting her anger on him.


    ¡°Behave! The medicinal materials in this chicken soup are specially to help you recover. You¡¯ve been through a lotst night and should nourish yourself well!¡±


    He smiled like a kitten that had stolen fish.


    Liu Sisi unconsciously pouted, and her cheeks and ears turned red.


    ¡°I won¡¯t drink! I said I won¡¯t drink, and I won¡¯t. And where are my clothes? Bring them to me right now! I¡¯m sticky all over, I want to take a bath!¡±<div>


    Seeing such a childish side of Liu Sisi only made him find her all the more charming!


    Di Yelei felt his heart melting!


    Last night, in the heat of the moment, he lost control. Sisi¡¯s taste was just too intoxicating and irresistible, and he couldn¡¯t help but want more and more, never being satisfied.


    It was Sisi¡¯s first time experiencing such intimacy, and her body naturally felt ufortable.


    But being deceived and feeling wronged made her show some childish temper, and he was willing to dote on her and protect her.


    ¡°I wiped you downst night, but I didn¡¯t put you in the water to wash because I didn¡¯t want to disturb your sleep. There¡¯s hot water ready in the kitchen; I¡¯ll go get the bathtub for you.¡±


    Only after Di Yelei fed her thest spoonful of the chicken soup did he get up and leave.


    With the chicken soup in her stomach, Liu Sisi felt warmth all over her body. Her fatigue had miraculously disappeared quite a bit, and her mood was great, her eyes squinting happily.


    Before long, Di Yelei brought in the bathtub filled with hot water and also brought her spare clothes.


    Liu Sisi squinted her eyes, ¡°By the way, where is that towel you took out yesterday? Where did you put it?¡±


    Di Yelei was busy pouring water and asked without looking back, ¡°What towel!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°The¡­ the towel fromst night. Did you hide it? Hurry and bring it out!¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s face flushed, ring at him with anger and resentment.


    ¡°No! Even if I had it, I wouldn¡¯t give it to you.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s answer was also straightforward: ¡°It belongs to me! I have to keep it.¡±


    What does he mean it belongs to him!


    This scoundrel!


    Liu Sisi felt that her limits had been constantly refreshed these past two days. She had never realized that Di Yelei could be such a male chauvinist!


    ¡°Di Yelei, you bastard!¡±


    She cursed him on the surface, but secretly, the corners of her mouth rose high.


    Having lived two lifetimes, what she truly wanted was not much. What she pursued with hard work was just a man who could bring her a sense of security.


    Able to share a few heartwarming words in their leisure time, possessing a warm-hearted gesture, finding someone who truly put her in their heart!


    And the domineering man before her had achieved all of that!


    ¡°Alright, the water temperature is just right for bathing.¡± After carefully testing the water temperature, Di Yelei poured in thest bit of hot water.


    Liu Sisi propped herself up, intending to enter the bathtub herself. Her hand suddenly softened, and she nearly fell to the ground again.


    A muffledughter sounded, and before she hit the ground, he had already embraced her, carrying her along with the thin quilt.


    ¡°Ah! What are you doing?¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively screamed, her body still aching at this time.


    She can¡¯t bear him taking her again.


    Last night¡¯s unpleasant memories resurfaced rapidly. Her small body stiffened, instinctively wanting to struggle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Sisi. I know you¡¯re not feeling well. I won¡¯t mess around. I just want to help you bathe. Behave!¡±


    He spoke softly tofort her, holding her as he quickly walked a few steps, and put her in the hot water along with the thin quilt.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    A man¡¯s words can¡¯t be relied on unless pigs can climb trees.


    Liu Sisi obviously didn¡¯t believe him; she hadn¡¯t forgotten about what he didst time. What happened when he pretended to help her bathe?


    The hot water enveloped her skin, bringing a warm and cozy feeling, making her eyes squint infort.


    Di Yelei smiled bitterly to himself ¨C he really wanted to make a move.


    However, he understood that Sisi¡¯s body had always been delicate, and she couldn¡¯t bear him going at her again.


    He had to restrain his redundant thoughts, concentrate, and carefully remove the thin quilt. He focused on scrubbing her back.


    ¡°Silly girl, when have I ever lied to you? Have I ever not done what I promised you?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday!¡±


    Liu Sisi was obviously unconvinced.


    This was called being pped in the face right in front of her, and it made a loud sound, but Di Yelei couldn¡¯t say anything in response!

 Chapter 146 - 144: My Arsenic, Your Honey (Part 6)

    Chapter 146: Chapter 144: My Arsenic, Your Honey (Part 6)


    As he spoke, he lowered his head and gently nted a kiss on her forehead.


    This kiss was gentle, as if a feather with dewdrops was lightly brushing across her forehead.


    It made her feel a tingling sensation, causing her to involuntarily close her eyes, carefully savoring the warmth of his tender touch.


    The anger in her heart strangely vanished, leaving only embarrassment ¨C or rather, uncertainty about how to approach their new rtionship.


    The previous bnce between them had been brokenst night, and she didn¡¯t know how to deal with him. Her heart was at a loss.


    All she could do was instinctively armor herself and use her anger to conceal the turmoil deep within her heart.


    ¡°Ye Lei, I¡­ I mean, I¡­ I¡­¡± She stammered and struggled to express herself.


    ¡°Silly girl, my little kitten, you and I are rightfully husband and wife. I married you with a grand red bridal sedan chair, waited for four long months for our wedding night, and during these four months, I¡¯ve thought of you every day¡­¡±


    He hugged her, affectionately pressed his face against hers, deliberately rubbing his rough stubble against her cheeks.


    In his eyes, there was only persistent determination.


    ¡°Sisi, trust your husband! I will definitely love you well, cherish you, and let you live a happy and fulfilling life!¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh!


    She would never tell him that right now, she already felt incredibly happy and fulfilled!


    ¡°I went to the county government, not to see you, but to see the scenery and how it differed from the small town. And by the way, I visited the prison too.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to indulge his assumptions!


    ¡°Pffft! Cough cough¡­¡± Di Yelei coughed suspiciously: ¡°Right, right! My little kitty went to the prison deep in the night just to admire the scenery! Come, Sisi, be good! Hurry and drink the chicken soup to nourish yourself, then you can rest.¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t get angry but continued to feed Liu Sisi the chicken soup with a grin.


    Chicken soup again! Liu Sisi instinctively resisted.


    ¡°What nourishment? Are you just waiting to take advantage of me again? Chicken soup, chicken soup, it¡¯s always chicken soup, I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    There was a faint taste of medicinal materials in the chicken soup, clearly added by Di Yelei to nourish her.


    Unable to hold back, she stretched out her weak hand and used all her strength to twist his iron arm, venting her anger on him.


    ¡°Behave! The medicinal materials in this chicken soup are specially to help you recover. You¡¯ve been through a lotst night and should nourish yourself well!¡±


    He smiled like a kitten that had stolen fish.


    Liu Sisi unconsciously pouted, and her cheeks and ears turned red.


    ¡°I won¡¯t drink! I said I won¡¯t drink, and I won¡¯t. And where are my clothes? Bring them to me right now! I¡¯m sticky all over, I want to take a bath!¡±


    Seeing such a childish side of Liu Sisi only made him find her all the more charming!


    Di Yelei felt his heart melting!


    Last night, in the heat of the moment, he lost control. Sisi¡¯s taste was just too intoxicating and irresistible, and he couldn¡¯t help but want more and more, never being satisfied.


    It was Sisi¡¯s first time experiencing such intimacy, and her body naturally felt ufortable.


    But being deceived and feeling wronged made her show some childish temper, and he was willing to dote on her and protect her.


    ¡°I wiped you downst night, but I didn¡¯t put you in the water to wash because I didn¡¯t want to disturb your sleep. There¡¯s hot water ready in the kitchen; I¡¯ll go get the bathtub for you.¡±


    Only after Di Yelei fed her thest spoonful of the chicken soup did he get up and leave.


    With the chicken soup in her stomach, Liu Sisi felt warmth all over her body. Her fatigue had miraculously disappeared quite a bit, and her mood was great, her eyes squinting happily.


    Before long, Di Yelei brought in the bathtub filled with hot water and also brought her spare clothes.


    Liu Sisi squinted her eyes, ¡°By the way, where is that towel you took out yesterday? Where did you put it?¡±


    Di Yelei was busy pouring water and asked without looking back, ¡°What towel!¡±


    ¡°The¡­ the towel fromst night. Did you hide it? Hurry and bring it out!¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s face flushed, ring at him with anger and resentment.


    ¡°No! Even if I had it, I wouldn¡¯t give it to you.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s answer was also straightforward: ¡°It belongs to me! I have to keep it.¡±


    What does he mean it belongs to him!


    This scoundrel!


    Liu Sisi felt that her limits had been constantly refreshed these past two days. She had never realized that Di Yelei could be such a male chauvinist!


    ¡°Di Yelei, you bastard!¡±


    She cursed him on the surface, but secretly, the corners of her mouth rose high.


    Having lived two lifetimes, what she truly wanted was not much. What she pursued with hard work was just a man who could bring her a sense of security.


    Able to share a few heartwarming words in their leisure time, possessing a warm-hearted gesture, finding someone who truly put her in their heart!


    And the domineering man before her had achieved all of that!


    ¡°Alright, the water temperature is just right for bathing.¡± After carefully testing the water temperature, Di Yelei poured in thest bit of hot water.


    Liu Sisi propped herself up, intending to enter the bathtub herself. Her hand suddenly softened, and she nearly fell to the ground again.


    A muffledughter sounded, and before she hit the ground, he had already embraced her, carrying her along with the thin quilt.


    ¡°Ah! What are you doing?¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively screamed, her body still aching at this time.


    She can¡¯t bear him taking her again.


    Last night¡¯s unpleasant memories resurfaced rapidly. Her small body stiffened, instinctively wanting to struggle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Sisi. I know you¡¯re not feeling well. I won¡¯t mess around. I just want to help you bathe. Behave!¡±


    He spoke softly tofort her, holding her as he quickly walked a few steps, and put her in the hot water along with the thin quilt.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    A man¡¯s words can¡¯t be relied on unless pigs can climb trees.


    Liu Sisi obviously didn¡¯t believe him; she hadn¡¯t forgotten about what he didst time. What happened when he pretended to help her bathe?


    The hot water enveloped her skin, bringing a warm and cozy feeling, making her eyes squint infort.


    Di Yelei smiled bitterly to himself ¨C he really wanted to make a move.


    However, he understood that Sisi¡¯s body had always been delicate, and she couldn¡¯t bear him going at her again.


    He had to restrain his redundant thoughts, concentrate, and carefully remove the thin quilt. He focused on scrubbing her back.


    ¡°Silly girl, when have I ever lied to you? Have I ever not done what I promised you?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday!¡±


    Liu Sisi was obviously unconvinced.


    This was called being pped in the face right in front of her, and it made a loud sound, but Di Yelei couldn¡¯t say anything in response!

 Chapter 147 - 147: 145 My Arsenic, Your Honey (7)

    Chapter 147 - 147: 145 My Arsenic, Your Honey (7)<div>


    ¡°¡­Yesterday was a different situation.¡±


    Di Yelei grumbled.


    If he could have really stopped under those circumstances, then he wouldn¡¯t be Di Yelei, rather a fool or someone extremely patient!<div>


    Regrettably, he was neither a fool nor exceedingly patient, and naturally, hepletely devoured her from beginning to end, even reluctant to wipe his mouth afterward!


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t tell this to the little kitty, but his movements became softer.


    Even the ends of his eyebrows had a hint of smugness.


    ¡°Your body is weak, and you may have been a bit worn out yesterday. You frequently fainted, so I understand the seriousness and would never neglect your health.¡±


    So she had fainted against night!


    Thinking about it, Liu Sisi realized that she had no memory after a certain pointst night because she had fainted.


    This body is really useless!


    ¡°Once you regain your health, I will show you how much your husband cares about you!¡±


    While talking, he carefully washed her body. Then, he wrapped her in arge towel, carried her to the bright spot on the pillow, and covered her with another thin quilt.


    His remarks left Liu Sisi unable to resist giving an angry gesture!


    He loves her? He cares about her?<div>


    What a consummate and big foolish wolf he is!


    She puffed up and gave him several pink little fists, and only then did she feel somewhat relieved.


    After taking a hot bath, her body felt much morefortable, and her mood improved. However, she still feltzy and didn¡¯t want to move.


    She quickly began to feel sleepy and yawned.


    He casually picked up the medicine pot ced beside the pillow, pulled away the thin quilt that blocked the way, and applied the medicine to her.


    ¡°Ah! Ye Lei, don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly grabbed his arm in fear.


    The past events of yesterday emerged in her mind again, scaring her enough to tense up her body and attempt to struggle.


    ¡°Rx, Sisi, don¡¯t worry. You were hurt yesterday. Let me apply this medicine first, it will help you recover faster.¡±


    So he was applying medicine!


    Liu Sisi finally rxed, lying back down, tightly clutching the quilt with both hands and closing her eyes.<div>


    Not being able to see made her hypersensitive to the touches on her body.


    She clearly felt his finger slowly stretching in. Gently, he carefully applied the medicine to her inner wall. It was like an overly detailed caterpir was crawling, who brought a strange sensation that made Liu Sisi ufortably whimpering.


    Even her small white feet tensed up!


    All ten toes were straightened. Her face turned increasingly red, as if she was short of oxygen and needed to breathe heavily.


    What a sensitive little thing!


    Di Yeleiughed triumphantly!


    The movements of his hand didn¡¯t pause. His fingers, coated with the cool ointment, quickly spread it inside.


    This made her instinctively curl herself up.


    His fingers kept rotating until he confirmed that the medicine had been thoroughly applied. Only then did he slowly slide out and apply a thinyer of medicine to the outside. Finally, he let her go.


    At this moment, Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks were flushed, her eyes zed, and she was breathing heavily.


    He waspletely engrossed! So much so that he had forgotten how much time had passed.


    ¡°Are you¡­ are you done yet? How much longer?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but ask, her whole wee body seemed to be on fire, like a cooked little river shrimp curving its body.


    ¡°Done, cough cough! I¡¯m done.¡±


    He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed his inappropriate thoughts, picked up the clothes next to him, carefully helped her put them on, helped her back into her short robe and long skirt, tightened her belt, and then softly spoke.


    ¡°Sister Guihua came by this morning. I told her that you hadn¡¯t rested well for the past few days when you were in the county, and you were still sleeping. She left a basket full of vegetables and left, saying she wille back to see you tomorrow.¡±


    Upon hearing that Guihua hade, Liu Sisi¡¯s whole demeanor became apprehensive. Only after Di Yelei finished, did she feel at ease.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up when Sister Guihua came? You¡¯re such a bastard!¡±


    Is she going to me me for not entertaining her properly?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s more.¡±


    However, before her worries could settle, Di Yelei smiled and said, ¡°I went through the basket she left and found a good injury medicine. I used it on you just now.¡±


    It took Liu Sisi a while to react, then her cheeks flushed violently!


    There was only one thought in her mind: Sister Guihua must have guessed her current situation!


    She covered her now blushing cheeks in vexation.


    She didn¡¯t want to live anymore!


    This man, grinning with pearly white teeth, was simply too hateful!


    Di Yelei dumped the bath water and came back with a small bowl in his hand: ¡°Here! This is the leftover eggs fromst time; I steamed an egg custard, eat it while it¡¯s still hot.¡±


    The process of making steamed egg custard is simple and nutritious; even four-month-old infants and the elderly without teeth can eat it.


    His bowl wasrge, with quite a generous portion.


    ¡°Where are Xuan¡¯er and YingEr? Did you save some for them?¡±


    Smooth and tender steamed egg custard, like tofu, was Liu Sisi¡¯s favorite.


    In her previous life, every morning, her grandpa would love to steam egg custard as a substitute for milk, saying that it would keep her body healthy always.


    Unfortunately, the ginseng powder in this bowl of steamed egg custard ruined the original eggy aroma, making Liu Sisi frown with every bite.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, their portion is still in the steaming basket, eat quickly, have a good sleep after eating, and you¡¯ll feelfortable when you wake up.¡±


    Di Yelei spoke gently, but his actions were very determined. Spoonsful of egg custard were delivered to Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth, not allowing room for her to refuse.


    ¡°It tastes awful! It should have just been steamed egg custard, adding these things just ruins the taste. I don¡¯t want to eat it anymore.¡±


    After taking a few spoonfuls, Liu Sisi began to dodge and was no longer willing to continue eating.


    ¡°How can you not eat? Your body is weak, and you exerted yourself a lot yesterday, you should replenish your strength. You¡¯re acting younger than YingEr, even she doesn¡¯t fuss this much when eating. She holds her own bamboo chopsticks and feeds herself. Come on, kitten, just thest two bites, and after that, you can take a nap. Good girl!¡±


    Di Yelei coaxed her gently yet firmly.


    Liu Sisi covered her mouth, staring at him with usatory eyes. As if she were a three-year-old child! She won¡¯t be coaxed that easily!


    ¡°Nonsense! Such a strong taste of herbal medicine makes it really hard to eat! I can¡¯t swallow it!¡±


    Seeing that his coaxing wasn¡¯t effective, Di Yelei, left with no choice, took a big spoon of egg custard into his own mouth.


    Just as Liu Sisi was getting curious, he suddenly put down the bowl, extended his hand to hold her, and fixed her head.


    Before she could react, he covered her mouth and also blocked her nostrils at the same time.


    Liu Sisi struggled weakly, trying to break free from his embrace.

 Chapter 148 - 148: 146: Sweet Little Life, The Hateful Big Mouth Li

    Chapter 148 - 148: 146: Sweet Little Life, The Hateful Big Mouth Li<div>


    He didn¡¯t leave any space for her, taking advantage of her instinctive opening of her mouth to breathe, he transferred arge mouthful of steamed egg custard into her mouth.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    Her eyes widened, trying to escape the awkward situation in front of her. The difference in physical strength between men and women had long determined who would lose in this struggle. Her strength in front of him was like an ant trying to shake a tree ¨C where was the slightest chance of sess?<div>


    By the time Di Yelei finally released her panting self, her originally fair cheeks had turned a deep red. She was furious!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Just like the peony flowers after a summer rain, they were delicate and charming!


    ¡°Come on, Sisi, be good. Do you want to eat it yourself, or do you want me to feed you?¡±


    His face was filled with the usual doting smile, and as he spoke, he seemed to be savoring the moment.


    Liu Sisi was furious and annoyed as she desperately grabbed a pillow and threw it at him with all her might.


    ¡°You bastard, get out of here!¡±


    However, the pillow representing her hope had just flown out when Di Yelei urately caught it in his hand, helping her up again and cing it behind her back. There was not the slightest hint ofpromise in his persistent gaze.


    Left with no choice, Liu Sisi had to admit defeat.


    ¡°I can eat it! But we have to share it equally. Don¡¯t think only I will have to eat this nasty thing!¡±


    Liu Sisi negotiated with him. Since he insisted on her eating, they might as well share the misery. If she had to eat, then he had to eat as well.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s have half each. Come on, you¡¯ll eat first. Look at you¡­¡±<div>


    Di Yelei was also quite helpless. Today, Sisi was especially spoiled, but his heart became even happier.


    The little woman in front of him truly belonged to him, Di Yelei.


    Feeling unwell, Liu Sisi stayed home and rested for two days without going out.


    During the day, when she had nothing to do, Liu Sisi took out the unfinished shoes and hurriedly worked on them. These were shoes for Xuan¡¯er and YingEr. They had been taking a long time to make and were only nowpleted.


    The next day, Guihua visited her and saw Liu Sisi¡¯s appearance. With a clear understanding of what had happened, she covered her mouth and giggled.


    Liu Sisi, on behalf of Sister Guihua, was almost burying her head in the quilt, and she wouldn¡¯t stick her head out again, acting like a shrinking turtle.


    Guihua quickly pulled her out of the quilt, leaned into her ear, and carefully and meticulously told her many little things to pay attention to in married life.


    ¡°I see that you took a long time to get married before bing intimate. No one from your family hase to visit you, so I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know these things. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t help but tell you this to prevent you from identally getting a woman¡¯s illness.¡±


    Guihua spoke with heartfelt concern.


    Liu Sisi quickly shook her head: ¡°Sister Guihua, what are you talking about? No one has ever told me these things, and I¡¯m grateful for your kindness, so I wouldn¡¯t me you.¡±


    Oddly enough, Liu Sisi¡¯s knowledge came from her previous life¡¯s thriving online world. But with her parents deceased and no boyfriend, she had no idea about the little tips and tricks of married life.<div>


    Her words of gratitude were genuine, without any pretense.


    Guihua was also delighted: ¡°As long as you¡¯re not angry. Once you¡¯ve recovered, you¡¯d better focus on having a child as soon as possible. After a woman gets married, everything else is empty; only having a child of your own can give you something to rely on.¡±


    Liu Sisi struggled to respond, having just been talking about their physical condition, andGuihua had suddenly turned the conversation to children.


    They had just shared a room for the first time!


    ¡°In our area, when a married woman gives birth, her mother usually helps her with her confinement. No one from your mother¡¯s side hase to visit you, and your mother-inw isn¡¯t your real mother. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a hard time with her in the future¡­¡± Guihua sighed empathetically.


    Having Ms. Zhao help with confinement?


    Just thinking about it, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t believe it.


    As for the children¡­


    Without Sister Guihua mentioning it, she hadpletely forgotten that there were no birth control measures here. If she really got pregnant¡­


    They say childbirth for a woman is like stepping into a coffin, taking a walk by the hell gate. This body is not even sixteen years old, and if she were to get pregnant, the chance of a difficult delivery would probably be quite high, right?


    Thinking about all this, she couldn¡¯t help but worry, and her expression dimmed a little.


    Guihua didn¡¯t notice the change in Liu Sisi¡¯s expression and kept talking to herself.


    ¡°Oh, right! Old Man Li has alsoe back from the county, and the three taels silver he brought back were robbed by the bandits from Heilong Mountain on his way back. Now, as soon as hees back, he starts badmouthing you everywhere. You haven¡¯t heard it, but this rotten old man¡¯s mouth is wide open, and he deserves to lose his descendants¡­¡±


    Big Mouth Li was Old Man Li¡¯s only son, and he had been widowed for years as well. Now that his only son is also dead, his curse of losing his descendants really came true.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, what exactly did he say?¡± Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously.


    Guihua hesitated for a long time without getting to the point: ¡°I don¡¯t want to say it. There are all kinds of nasty things he said. I can¡¯t even repeat those words.¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but hold her hand: ¡°Please, sister, just tell me. Otherwise, when I go out, people will point fingers and whisper, and I won¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Guihua thought about it and sighed at once.


    ¡°What else can he say? He said you bribed Midwife Xu with money and pointed out that you, a married woman of three months, are still untouched, implying that you are actually a false im. He also said that in his time, Big Mouth Li had already done the deed with you¡­ Hey! He even spoke with evidence, specifying the date¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was furious andughed!


    She didn¡¯t even know Big Mouth Li, right?


    If it wasn¡¯t for Di Yelei mentioning in the courtroom that Big Mouth Li stole the silver, she wouldn¡¯t even know who the man that tried to assault her was.


    Thinking of the thief she had beaten half-dead back then¡­ could he actually have the audacity to say that they had something going on?


    Ha!


    It was simply a huge joke!


    ¡°A date? I¡¯ve never even seen Big Mouth Li! Is Old Man Li insane? Why does he insist on dragging people down? Furthermore, Granny Xu is the one who does physical examinations for thedies in the pce and serves as a midwife for rich families. Is she someone he can nder?¡±


    Back then, Di Yelei took pity on him and even gave him two taels of silver. It¡¯s just like feeding a dog!


    No, that¡¯s wrong! At least dogs wag their tails at their owners.


    Feeding silver to a beast who¡¯s worse than an animal like him just ends up with them trying to bite people. It¡¯s really hateful and annoying!


    Guihua sympathized as well: ¡°Old Man Li even said it very convincingly. He even said that on that day, you deliberately invited Big Mouth Li into the courtyard, and at the end, because you were satisfied with his skills, you even gave him five taels of silver as a gift. But then, you turned around and used him of stealing¡­¡±


    ¡°What? I gave him anything? This damned Old Man Li is reversing ck and white, does he have any shame?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud from anger!

 Chapter 149 - 149: 147: Building a Home for You with My Own Hands

    Chapter 149 - 149: 147: Building a Home for You with My Own Hands<div>


    She still remembered clearly that she had beaten that thief quite badly, but he still managed to escape, stealing five taels of silver and even causing Ye Lei to be wrongfully imprisoned for three days!


    At the moment, upon hearing Old Man Li¡¯s distortions of the truth, Liu Sisi wished she could directly sew his mouth shut with a needle.


    Too hateful!<div>


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Brother Ye Lei treasures you!¡±


    Guihua¡¯s face was full of excitement!


    Thrilled!


    She proudly gestured, her face full of joy, as she told Liu Sisi about what happened yesterday: ¡°He made a scene like a shrew, even asking Brother Ye Lei for silver. He said that he should have at least half of the 30 taels of silver! Brother Ye Lei only gave him 2 taels, calling him shameless and whatnot. After this incident, Di Yelei directly picked up Old Man Li in his hands and went to see the vige chief. Hey! You didn¡¯t see that scene!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°What happened? Was yesterday¡¯smotion quite intense?¡± Liu Sisi was also interested.


    ¡°Yeah! Yesterday, Old Man Li lost all his face!¡±


    Guihua was obviously very happy! She stood up from her chair and pointed to the vige entrance blocked by several big trees below.


    ¡°Can you see it? It was on that grain-drying field! Yesterday, Old Man Li was directly twisted on the grain-drying field, tied to a wooden stake by the vige chief¡¯s order. He specially summoned the vigers, talked about the matter, and berated Old Man Li fiercely without mentioning him. He even kicked him twice. This was done by Mr. Land Officer, who said he had lost face for the people of Upper Vige. He even said that if it happened again, he would directly be expelled from Upper Vige. So don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded her head: ¡°Sister Guihua, thank you for telling me all this.¡±


    She spoke simply, but in her heart, she had a vague premonition that, judging by the other party¡¯s behavior in the county, Old Man Li would definitely not leave it at that.


    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s another funny thing to mention.¡±<div>


    While speaking, Guihua covered the corner of her mouth: ¡°Old Man Li is almost 60 years old. Yesterday, I heard that he actually used the excuse of having no children to ask the vige matchmaker for help, wanting to find a family to have a child through surrogacy. As soon as the woman gets pregnant and gives birth to a son, he would take the child back to raise.¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but open her mouth wide in shock!


    There were such things? Old Man Li was really challenging the limits of people¡¯s bottom line!


    He even came up with the idea of surrogacy. Whose child would it be after it was born? No one could say for sure!


    However, Old Man Li was almost 60 years old, so perhaps this was his determined idea!


    The saying goes, a tree without bark must die, and a person without shame is invincible!


    After resting for two days and feeling much better, Liu Sisi finally got out of bed and walked out of the room.


    These two days, Di Yelei had not been idle. While taking care of Liu Sisi¡¯s daily needs, he also expanded the pond.


    When Liu Sisi walked out of the room, she looked at the nowplete lotus pond and couldn¡¯t help but open her mouth in surprise.


    ¡°Sisi, why did you get up after only resting for two days?¡±


    Di Yelei had a simple smile on his face, not even bothering to wipe the sweat and mud from his body. He casually pointed to the surroundings, ¡°Look at the lotus pond I dug¡­ is it what you wanted?¡±<div>


    Following the edge of the original water canal, a two-meter wide canal ran along the edge of the courtyard wall, starting from the water outlet below the well and stretching all the way to the outside of the fence. Although the water depth was unclear, it seemed suitable for raising fish and lotus flowers.


    ¡°It¡¯s very nice. With the edge bordering the fence, we can nt some willow trees outside the fence and few fruit trees closer to the back. We can also build a stable near the outer edge and a poultry shed at the border, making good use of the extra infertilend. We can drive the chickens into the back mountain during the day and the ducks to the river at the foot of the mountain. In the center of the courtyard, we can build a courtyard and nt some nameless flowers around it, and nt a grove of emerald bamboo outside the courtyard. In a few years, when the green trees are shaded, the flowers are in full bloom, and the bamboo forest is established, our house will have changed.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled, looking forward to their beautiful future.


    Having lived for two lifetimes, her greatest wish was to have her own home.


    Her idea of ??a home is undoubtedly something that she had sought but never found in her past life!


    Di Yelei listened very carefully, nodding his head continuously, his eyes filled with an unfathomable persistence.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t worry, the home you desire, I will personally decorate for you! Trust me!¡±


    His words carried an inexplicable ability to calm hearts, causing Liu Sisi to instinctively smile. Herrge, watery eyes curved into two crescent shapes.


    ¡°Okay! I believe you!¡±


    Their eyes met, and both of themughed softly.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but pick up a towel, meticulously wiping the sweat and dirt off his face. A sense of warmth filled their hearts.


    As they were talking, Di Cheng rushed in from the outside, mming open the main entrance with a bang, startling the two in the courtyard.


    ¡°Third Uncle, it¡¯s not good! Grandfather¡­ Grandfather has had an ident!¡±


    Di Cheng gasped loudly.


    Liu Sisi was so startled that the towel in her hand fell into the water.


    But neither of them cared about the towel, as they both asked Di Cheng in unison: ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s Grandfather! Grandfather had an ident!¡±


    Di Cheng repeated his words quickly and urately with a look of anxiety on his face.


    Their faces immediately changed!


    Di Yelei almost lost his bnce and nearly fell into the water.


    ¡°Ye Lei, don¡¯t panic. We can¡¯t mess up ourselves first. Let¡¯s go to the old house, and while we walk, we¡¯ll listen to Di Cheng¡¯s story, then figure out what to do.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly held him back.


    ¡°What exactly happened? Exin it carefully!¡±


    Di Yelei wore a solemn expression, pushed away the support of the two, grabbed Di Cheng¡¯s cor, and hurriedly ran towards the old house while interrogating Di Cheng.


    After thinking for a moment, Liu Sisi returned to the room.


    No matter whether her father-inw¡¯s old illness had rpsed, it was always right to bring the wild ginseng and gastrodia medicine with her!


    After packing up slightly, she closed the yard door and hurriedly chased after them.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s Young Uncle! He said he wants to bring a wife in¡­¡±


    Di Cheng hesitated, avoiding their gaze as he ran with quick steps. Only when he was pushed to the extreme by Di Yelei did he finally speak up.


    ¡°Oh, and then what? Is that it?¡±


    The little brother was also of marriageable age, and there was no reason for their father to oppose his marrying a wife.


    ¡°Then Grandfather was angered and argued with Young Uncle. Later, Grandmother also came out to mediate, but Grandfather just became even angrier. In the end, he fell ill.¡±


    Di Cheng stammered for a long time.


    ¡°When you came here, was Father-inw awake?¡± With a single sentence, Liu Sisi got to the point.

 Chapter 150 - 150: 148: The Value of 50 Taels of Silver

    Chapter 150 - 150: 148: The Value of 50 Taels of Silver<div>


    As for this oue, she didn¡¯t find it strange.


    In a ce where Ms.Zhao is, no matter where it is, it would be unusual if something didn¡¯t happen, viting her reputation as a troublemaker in the Wang family.


    ¡°Right, right, right, Di Cheng, is Dad awake?¡±<div>


    Di Yelei pped his forehead, inwardly annoyed, he was so anxious that he forgot to ask such an important question.


    ¡°Grandfather has already woken up. He said he was going to call a doctor earlier, but grandfather refused and insisted on letting youe back.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di now only trusts Di Yelei out of all people!


    Thinking of his recovery from a serious illness, with his hands and feet not agile enough, he still insisted on going to the county to hear Ye Lei¡¯s trial, indicating that he really has taken Ye Lei seriously now.


    Liu Sisi was thinking about it secretly.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that he¡¯s awake¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s voice was low, the three people didn¡¯t speak anymore, and they quickly jogged towards the old house.


    When they arrived outside the door of the old house, they could hear the sounds of arguinging from inside.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Dad! -¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly took a few big steps, quickly shook off the two behind him, and hurriedly stepped into the courtyard.


    Immediately, a series of noisy and jumbled sounds came from inside, with various voices mixing together.<div>


    Liu Sisi¡¯s pace was slower, and she was left behind by Di Cheng.


    By the time she stepped into the courtyard, it was a mess.


    Di Ah-bao wailed and screamed, being firmly pinned under the eaves by Di Yelei, covered in mud and with a face ck and blue. Beside him was a green stone b that had been broken in half.


    Ms. Zhao did not stop Di Ah-bao this time but instead sat on the muddy ground next to him, yelled, and cried out in suicidal grief.


    ¡°¡­Oh, heavens! How could you be so blind ¨C who am I going to rely on for the rest of my life! Oh, heavens!¡±


    Her wailing was different from her usual dry cries; it contained genuine sorrow and sadness, which surprised Liu Sisi quite a bit.


    ¡°What the hell happened? Can you exin it?¡±


    Di Yelei asked angrily.


    Facing the violent Di Yelei, Di Ah-bao dared not resist. He covered the bruise on his left cheek with pain on his face: ¡°It-it was Dad who objected¡­ Little Cui¡¯er¡¯s background is¡­ too low¡­¡±


    Di Yelei raised an eyebrow, and his forearm against Di Ah-bao¡¯s neck was about to push down!


    ¡°What do you mean by low birth? We¡¯re poor families, are we expecting to find an official¡¯s daughter or a princess from within the pce? Dad must be objecting for something else. What is it? Tell the truth!¡±<div>


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­ Don¡¯t, don¡¯t hit me! I¡¯ll tell, I¡¯ll tell, alright?¡±


    Di Ah-bao sobbed and tried to pry away Di Yelei¡¯s forearm. This cry was much louder than Ms. Wang¡¯s wailing.


    It made everyone unable to resist stealthily dodging to the side.


    However, his strength was nothing in front of Di Yelei, and the iron arm against his neck remained unmoved.


    ¡°Hurry up and speak!¡±


    Di Yelei acted as if he was going to hit!


    ¡°It was because Little Cui¡¯s background is not good! She was the top-tier girl at Yihong Courtyard. The imperial nanny asked for 50 taels of silver before she would release her!¡±


    Di Ah-bao hastily pleaded and spoke loudly.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was speechless. My god! She¡¯s actually the top-tier girl of Yihong Courtyard!


    Poor families generally instinctively avoid marrying prostitutes as daughters-inw, thinking that such women have wild hearts and bad reputations. If they really marry into the family, it will also be difficult for the other family members to marry.


    ¡°This is really an increase in skill! If you want to marry that prostitute, you should remove the Di surname. Our home¡¯s Brother Gao, Cheng¡¯er, and several younger ones have yet to marry! They can¡¯t be affected by this!¡±


    Ms. Wang refused topromise, her voice shrill.


    ¡°How do you know the girls of Yihong Courtyard? When did you agree on the price and talk about it?¡±


    ¡°The day before yesterday¡­ the day before yesterday, Mom gave me 20 taels of silver to deposit in the bank. When I passed by Yihong Courtyard, I saw Little Cui and couldn¡¯t help but walk in¡­¡±


    Di Ah-bao was hesitant, his face bitter and afraid to not tell the truth: ¡°Then, Cui¡¯er agreed to marry me, but she asked for a price of 50 taels of silver¡­¡±


    He looked around, trying to find someone who could save him.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you, where is the 20 taels of silver you brought?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Did you use it all on Cui¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit me! Don¡¯t hit.. Don¡¯t hit my face!¡±


    He begged loudly but could not withstand Di Yelei¡¯s frequent punches. Di Yelei repeatedly punched him a few times and still angrily kicked him twice.


    ¡°You beast, say it honestly! How much silver did you really spend on her? Say it!¡±


    Di Yelei had no intention of letting him go: ¡°Say it! What about Dad¡¯s coffin savings that he just mentioned? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Liu Sisi was startled: ¡°What do you mean by coffin savings? What do you mean, Ye Lei?¡±


    ¡°Hehe! What else could it mean? It¡¯s just the literal meaning.¡±


    Ms. Wang, who loved to stir up trouble, shouted: ¡°This prodigal son actually stole the 80 taels of silver saved by his father when he wasn¡¯t at home. Not only that, but he also secretly sold everything valuable at home. Even the 20 taels of silver that his mother painstakingly saved to marry off her sons were also taken by him and spent on this so-called Little Cui.¡±


    ¡°He still has the nerve to ask for 30 taels for redemption! When I first got married, my family only paid 2 taels of silver in betrothal gifts, and my mother has been gossiping about it for years. It¡¯s really different when ites to biological children, who even dare to steal their dad¡¯s saved coffin money! If the three brothers split it equally, each person could have gotten 30 taels of silver¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s incessant yelling made everyone¡¯s head ache.


    ¡°I love Little Cui! I want Little Cui to be my daughter-inw! I¡¯m not getting any younger, I want to marry Little Cui, so why can¡¯t I?¡± Di Ah-bao saw no wrong in what he did.


    ¡°You still dare to speak!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s veins throbbed on his face, and he couldn¡¯t help but rush forward to beat Di Ah-bao again.


    Mrs. Zhao, who usually called Di Ah-bao her little treasure, sat like a madwoman under the flower stand at the moment, staring nkly at a spot in the air, her mouth sobbing ceaselessly, and her face smeared with tears.


    ¡°It¡¯s all gone, all gone¡­ it¡¯s all gone, there¡¯s nothing left, it¡¯s over¡­¡±


    She kept repeating these few sentences, unable to say anything else.


    Liu Sisi was also secretly shocked.


    Spending 150 taels of silver on a prostitute¡­ Di Ah-bao was really capable!


    She remembered that when Di Yelei married her as a new wife, he only spent 10 taels of silver!


    For those 10 taels of silver, Ms. Wang and Ms. Zhao caused a lot of trouble for her.


    Now that Di Ah-bao wants to spend so much silver ¨C most importantly, this is a huge sum that cannot be taken out!

 Chapter 156 - 156: 154 Regrets Turning to Ash: The Past Cannot Be Chased (Part 1)

    Chapter 156 - 156: 154 Regrets Turning to Ash: The Past Cannot Be Chased (Part 1)<div>


    ¡°Huh? He actually dodged it!¡±


    His opponent seemed quite surprised, wondering how his attack was suddenly evaded!


    ¡°Who exactly are you, and why are you targeting us?¡±<div>


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s furrowed brows tightened even more.


    ¡°Hmph! You might as well ask the King of Hell!¡±


    The enemy¡¯s attacks were getting faster and more frequent.


    Zuo Xingyu responded by elerating his defences generously, handling the situation with ease! He realized that they were probably being watched from the very start!


    Apart from the old man, several men in ck had joined the fray.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s mind was racing. Biting his teeth, he decided to risk it all!


    He was back-stepping rapidly, his strength waning, barely managing to keep his bnce.


    ¡°You¡¯re seeking your own death! Haha¡­¡± The opponent aimed for his chest.


    While the enemy was stillughing, Zuo Xingyu¡¯s arm, as nimble as a snake, suddenly shot out, pping the man¡­


    ¡°Uh!¡­ Puff¡ª¡±


    Unable to swallow his own blood, the man turned his head to the side and spat a mouthful of fresh blood onto the ground. His body quickly copsed.<div>


    Even in death, his eyes remained wide open.


    At this moment, the remaining men in ck crowded in.


    When they saw their leader was dead, they quickly attacked Zuo Xingyu.


    However, after a few exchanges, they all fell to the ground, motionless, under Zuo Xingyu¡¯s hands.


    Looking up, he saw Xiaoliang running over rapidly. Their eyes met and they both startedughing.


    It seemed like the two of them will have to live like beggars for a while.


    ¡°Xingyu! You¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡±


    Xiaoliang inspected him from head to toe, finally rxing upon seeing no obvious injuries.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. What about your end, any escapees¡­?¡± Zuo Xingyu quickly checked the dead bodies and carefully examined their faces.


    He was an unfamiliar person, Zuo Xingyu did not recognize him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with everything on my end. Hehe! This guy really was impressive! He calcted everything so urately, I originally wanted to keep one alive for interrogation but was unable to do so. The enemy directly bit into a poison pill located in a gap in their teeth and died.¡± Xiaoliang said with resentment on his face.<div>


    ¡°Indeed, he was remarkable! Seeing how you improved so much in just a few days, you¡¯re truly amazing!¡± Zuo Xingyu nodded in admiration.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, it¡¯s all thanks to you, Big Brother Zuo.¡±


    Xiaoliang looked troubled, he was undoubtedly far inferior to Zuo Xingyu!


    Were those words simply to mock him?


    But seeing Zuo Xingyu¡¯s earnest expressions, it didn¡¯t seem likely!


    Zuo Xingyu smiled nonchntly, his eyes on Xiaoliang. Then, a curve appeared at the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We should leave before we encounter the third wave of their people.¡±


    With a swift flick of his body, he aimed a punch towards the corpses of the men in ck. The punchnded heavily beside them, vibrating with hidden strength that explosively erupted. The mighty force was truly frightening!


    Trying to hold back hisughter, he thought, this guy is really something!


    Shortly after they left, several men wearing ck veils appeared on the scene.


    The group carefully surveyed the surroundings for a while before gathering by the leader¡¯s side to discuss in a strange tone.


    This tone was different from the local dialect, so fast-paced that it was hard to understand.


    Afterward, they each disappeared into the darkness. The surroundings slowly returned to a state of tranquility, as if nothing had ever happened.


    The next day, Liu Sisi was awakened by YingEr¡¯s call.


    Chirping like a little sparrow, she excitedly shared her discovery with her, ¡°Mom, there is another bird that flew into our yard, you should hurry up and catch it.¡±


    Another bird flew in?


    Liu Sisi¡¯s groggy consciousness finally returned to her brain, and when she got up and went out, she saw the sun was already high in the sky.


    ¡°Mom, hurry, hurry!¡±


    YingEr excitedly pulled her hand forward.


    Liu Sisi felt as if she had been run over by a train, and her legs were wobbly and trembling as she walked.


    Nevertheless, she had to stay calm and went with YingEr to the side of the house.


    Sure enough, there was a carrier pigeon hovering beside the pigeon cage.


    Liu Sisi peered in and it looked like it was one of the two carrier pigeons that was released before and had now flown back.


    She lifted her hand to try and catch it, but it got startled and flew up into the sky, circling around with its wings spread out.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, then bent down to speak to YingEr, ¡°YingEr dear, these are your father¡¯s pigeons, and we cannot touch them. We would be in trouble if we scare them and they fly away. Let¡¯s step away for a while and see.¡±


    The two of them hid, and not long after, the carrier pigeon flew back and climbed into the pigeon cage.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t resist her curiosity, so she sneakily took off a bamboo tube from the carrier pigeon and unrolled it to see only a few words, ¡°Fast, August 15th,¡± with a few strange symbols.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t understand this cryptic sentence, so she returned the paper to the bamboo tube as it was, reattached it to the pigeon, put the pigeon back in the cage, and carefully ced it back in the hidden area on the top of the firewood room.


    What exactly was Zuo Xingyu going to do on August 15th? It was really strange!


    After thinking hard for a long time without getting any answers, Liu Sis simply stopped worrying about it.


    ¡°YingEr, have you had your meal yet?¡±


    ¡°Mommy has a shy face, mommy is still sleeping in, YingEr got up early, even went out with brother for a while. Look, YingEr also brought back food for the baby rabbit and the chicks, and you just got up.¡± YingEr pouted and looked at her with her head tilted, pretending to be shy with her little finger on her cheek,pletely adorable.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­ Mommy is wrong, YingEr can¡¯t learn mommy¡¯s bad habits, okay?¡± Liu Sisi quickly patted her head lightly.


    ¡°I know! YingEr will never learn Mommy¡¯szy habits, hehe¡­¡±


    YingEr covered her little mouth andughed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go to the kitchen and see if there is any food left.¡± Liu Sisi quickly changed the topic and took YingEr¡¯s hand to the kitchen. ¡°YingEr, where is your brother? Howe I don¡¯t see him?¡±


    ¡°Brother is practicing his writing again! He never ys with YingEr.¡± YingEr looked unhappy.


    ¡°Good girl! Your brother is studying, so you can¡¯t disturb him, okay?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, Mommy, YingEr understands.¡± YingEr still looked a bit sullen.


    Liu Sisi was seriously tired!


    After eating, she went back to her room and fell asleep, only waking up to make lunch near noontime.


    After lunch, while YingEr took her nap, Liu Sisi picked up the book and started to copy from it.


    Xuan¡¯er was quick at learning, although he couldn¡¯t remember everything at first nce, he was able to give multiple interpretations to the characters and texts taught just by reading, reciting, and writing them a couple of times, which was quite impressive.


    He had already finished studying the ¡°Three Character ssic¡±. At the moment, what Liu Sisi was teaching him was the ¡°the Analects¡±, these lifelong principles handed down from ancient times were always right to learn first.


    ¡°The learning process is all about gradual progression and proceeding at your own pace. You are young now, so you can¡¯t just sit and read all day, that would be improper studying, and it could also lead to physical problems, like low resistance. Study for two hours, then take a walk, practice writing, and repeat this¡­¡±


    While Liu Sisi was casually giving instructions, Xuan¡¯Er was listening carefully.


    ¡°Mom,st time Xuan¡¯er saw the students in the vige school practicing writing, as well as ying musical instruments, even painting¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, you¡¯re still young. It¡¯s better to go step by step when learning all these things.¡±


    While she was saying this, she thought of another issue and asked abruptly.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, has your father checked your homework recently?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Yesterday some readers said that Craft Paper was scamming updates. I want to say, on the 28th of August, I updated 10 chapters and updated 5 chapters on the 29th. If you doubt the posting time, you can look closely at the update time which is urate to the second. This is the link: /bk/gdyq/623688-l.html

 Chapter 152 - 152: 150: Elderly Mr. Di’s Choice and Di Xuan’s Ambition

    Chapter 152 - 152: 150: Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s Choice and Di Xuan¡¯s Ambition<div>


    ¡°Father, what do you need Sisi for?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked softly.


    Old Mr. Di¡¯s hand trembled for a long time before he managed to pull out a wallet from under his pillow, gesturing for Liu Sisi to take it.<div>


    ¡°This is¡­ the only money left for my Di family. I¡¯ve been carrying it with me to avoid being robbed, it¡¯s not good to always¡­ draw attention. Today, I¡¯ll give this¡­ silver to you as apensation for what Third Son didn¡¯t get when the family divided the property.¡±


    Old Mr. Di¡¯s breathing was somewhat irregr, and it was clear that he hadn¡¯t recovered from the sudden change.


    ¡°Father, Sisi can¡¯t ept this cloth bag.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly refused.


    The original money in the old house was gone, and now Father was taking out thest bit of money for self-protection and giving it aspensation. How could she ept it?


    ¡°Sisi! You¡¯ve seen the mess this family is in. Now I don¡¯t feel safe keeping the money anywhere, so I¡¯d rather give it to you. In the future! I don¡¯t know, maybe when Father gets old, you can use this money to bury my old bones¡­¡±


    As Elderly Mr. Di spoke, he choked up and couldn¡¯t say anything.


    Liu Sisi was also very sad. She took a few steps forward and gently pushed the cloth bag back into Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry! Showing filial piety to our parents is what children should do. Ye Lei and I are young and can slowly earn more money without silver. You keep this money for self-protection, and if you need anything, just let us know.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she took out some prepared medicinal materials from her arms and handed them to Elderly Mr. Di.


    ¡°Here¡¯s some gastrodia, codonopsis, and caterpir fungus, not much, but it can help nourish Father¡¯s body.¡±<div>


    These medicinal materials were part of the education gift from the Gan Family.


    Now, giving them to Elderly Mr. Di to nourish his body, they were all being used.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Old Mr. Di couldn¡¯t help it, and tears rolled down his cheeks. He tightly held the medicinal materials in his hand, unable to speak.


    As she stepped out of the room, Liu Sisi saw Ms. Zhao standing at the doorway. Ignoring her evasive gaze, Liu jumped straight past her.


    At the opening of the well, Di Yelei was whispering with Di Ruoning.


    His eyebrows and eyes were full of smiles, and it was clear that he cared a lot about his little sister, and the two had a close rtionship.


    As for Di Ruoning¡¯s attitude towards him, it was also very gentle, and herughter came from the corner of the courtyard now and then, piercing Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t say anything from the beginning to the end. Out of her female intuition, she always found a hint of subtle hostility from this seemingly gentle and sweet little sister.


    But when she looked carefully, she found nothing.


    Maybe she was overthinking it?<div>


    She frowned.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As the day was getting dark, Di Yelei took the time to bring the two children back from Guihua¡¯s house. As soon as the children arrived at the Di Family, they went straight to Liu Sisi, sticking close to her.


    Liu Sisi helped cook the meal, and today, there were no surprises. The whole family enjoyed a happy meal together after a long time.


    Liu Sisi looked up at the sky, the sun was about to set, and the baby chicks, rabbits, Ah-Huang, and the flowers at home hadn¡¯t been taken care of. It was time to go back.


    She called Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er, and then got up to leave and returned home.


    ¡°Third Brother, Third Sister-inw, why don¡¯t you leave the nephew and niece with me tonight? Let them apany their young aunt a little longer? If they get sleepy, they¡¯re wee to stay in the old house.¡±


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t do. You¡¯re pregnant now, and it would be terrible if you identally hurt your belly. How can you squeeze in with a child?¡± Without waiting for Liu Sisi to respond, Di Yelei immediately refused.


    ¡°I remember that Third Brother never used to refuse Little Sister¡¯s requests¡­¡±


    Di Ruoning¡¯s smile gradually faded.


    ¡°You! This is not an ordinary matter, whenever have I not agreed to your requests when I could?¡±


    There was a rare tenderness in Di Yelei¡¯s voice, which left Liu Sisi momentarily stunned.


    Di Ruoning immediately chuckled: ¡°I knew it, you¡¯re the best Third Brother for Ruoning!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ste today, why don¡¯t you stay here for a few more days? I¡¯ll go up to the mountain and hunt some more game for our meals.¡±


    Di Yelei patted his chest boldly, the perfect image of a good elder brother.


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    Di Ruoningughed even more, ¡°Oh my, Third Brother! You are not like when we were young, when you provided for the whole family. Now you have a wife and children, where could you still indulge me like you did when we were kids? Third Sister-inw, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    While speaking, she suddenly turned and directed the topic at Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi blinked, nced at the people around who were enjoying the show, and then smiled, ¡°Little Sister, you are a mother now too, how can you still be jealous of Xuan¡¯er and YingEr?¡±


    After saying that, without waiting for Di Ruoning to respond, she took the hands of the two children and said with a smile, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, YingEr, hurry up and say goodnight to your little aunt, so we can go home.¡±


    The two children also obediently called out in unison, ¡°Goodnight, little aunt.¡±


    Di Ruoning¡¯s smile froze on her face.


    The family said their goodbyes and happily went home.


    ¡°Dad! Dad! Are you going hunting in the mountains tomorrow? Can you take Xuan¡¯er with you? Today, Xuan¡¯er heard Zhang Yun say that next time he goes hunting, Uncle Zhang will take him too.¡±


    Di Xuan happily jogged to Di Yelei¡¯s side, pestering him about hunting.


    Zhang Yun was ten years old, and it was time for him to learn hunting skills.


    ¡°You can¡¯t! You¡¯re only seven years old, and your arm strength isn¡¯t enough, making you prone to injuries. At the earliest, you can go when you¡¯re eight. Besides, aren¡¯t you supposed to be learning to read with Sisi? Are you nning to give up?¡± Di Yelei joked.


    ¡°I will never give up! In the future, I will definitely be like Eldest Uncle, leave Upper Vige, and be a high-ranking official!¡± Di Xuan clenched his small fists, his voice almost like a vow.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°Mom, why doesn¡¯t little aunt like YingEr?¡±


    Being held by Liu Sisi, YingEr couldn¡¯t help but whisper into her ear.


    Liu Sisi was taken aback, ¡°YingEr, how could you think that?¡±


    YingEr wrapped her small arms around Liu Sisi¡¯s neck, rested her head on her shoulder, and shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, anyway¡­I just feel that little aunt doesn¡¯t like YingEr.¡±


    YingEr was still young, only four years old. When she said ¡®feel¡¯, she probably meant intuition, or maybe her first impression?


    These poor two children, every time theye to the old house, they are always on edge andpletely lose their liveliness.


    Liu Sisi gently stroked YingEr¡¯s head and patted her back, not saying anything.


    ¡°Mom! What YingEr said is true! Little aunt really doesn¡¯t like YingEr, and she res at me when no one else is looking!¡±


    YingEr raised her head stubbornly, pouted her small mouth, and looked hurt.

 Chapter 153 - 153: 151: Sisi Gets Jealous

    Chapter 153 - 153: 151: Sisi Gets Jealous<div>


    ¡°Believe in what?¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly looked back as he walked ahead.


    Liu Sisi looked up at Di Yelei, not knowing how much he overheard.<div>


    ¡°Mom believes YingEr, YingEr is good.¡±


    A four-year-old child can¡¯t lie, and as YingEr¡¯s mother, she naturally believes in her own child.


    As for why Di Ruoning would do that, she couldn¡¯t figure it out and didn¡¯t think about it.


    When they got back home, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua excitedly came to greet them.


    Di Yelei busied himself boiling hot water, feeding the baby chickens and baby rabbits, and tidying up everything around the house.


    Liu Sisi was busy giving YingEr a bath, changing her into clean clothes, and then heating up more water for Di Xuan to take a bath. By the time Liu Sisi cleaned herself, the two children were already asleep.


    Taking advantage of the moment while drying her hair, she couldn¡¯t help but bring up the doubts she had in the past few days as she looked at Di Yelei polishing each arrowhead.


    ¡°Ye Lei, you haven¡¯t told me where those two carrier pigeons came from.¡±


    At the moment, the carrier pigeons were locked in their cages, and even the two children couldn¡¯t touch them, let alone Di Yelei feeding them personally every day.


    Di Yelei stopped his arrowhead polishing, looked up at her, and continued with his work.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sisi? Why are you asking this question again? Haven¡¯t you already guessed it?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi pouted, what did she guess?


    ¡°Is it from Lord County Magistrate or Constable Zuo who has the same surname? Is it for you to contact them? Are you helping them with their work?¡±


    She had been holding on to a series of questions for several days, and since she finally had a chance, she naturally asked them.


    Di Yelei shook his head with a smile: ¡°How did you figure that out?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that simple? Brother Nan¡¯s friend went to catch Sun Ergou, but Sun Ergou escaped. His friend hurried to Yihong Courtyard looking for Little Taohong, but it was toote, and Little Taohong met with an ident and died.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know who was behind it. Was it Sun Ergou who killed Little Taohong for fear that she would expose him?


    Liu Sisi kept making wild guesses.


    Her words made Di Yelei tense up, and the smile on his face disappeared.


    In fact, the day Sisi visited the prison, he had inferred that the real killer was Sun Ergou. Zuo Xingyu agreed to arrest Sun Ergou first without having received any orders, on the condition that Di Yelei would help with one thing.


    He didn¡¯t say what that thing was, just that he should bring carrier pigeons.


    When Zuo Xingyu handed over the carrier pigeons to him, he didn¡¯t tell the process, but mentioned one thing.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Sun Ergou escaped because someone leaked the news that the government office was going to arrest him, so he fled under cover of night.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s tracking ability was indeed extraordinary. He pursued for one day and two nights, and not only did he nearly lose his life several times, but Sun Ergou was also almost killed by an assassin.


    At this moment, listening to Sisi¡¯s wordsbined with Zuo Xingyu¡¯s, it seemed that Brother Nan¡¯s so-called arrest of Sun Ergou was more like an attempt to get rid of him? If Sun Ergou died, he really couldn¡¯t defend himself.


    ¡ª¡ªOf course, all of this was invalidated after Liu Sisi cleared things up.


    But on the reverse thinking¡­


    Does that mean there is a high probability that the assassins who encountered Zuo Xingyu and Sun Ergou were actually sent by this Brother Nan?


    Upon thinking this, he could no longer remain calm!


    ¡°What Brother Nan? I don¡¯t know that you have a big brother. Sisi.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s brows were furrowed, and his hands stopped polishing the arrowheads.


    ¡°It¡¯s Nan Tianzong, the boss of the bookstore.¡±


    Seeing that her long hair had dried, Liu Sisi gathered her hair together and casually tied it up into a ponytail on her head.


    ¡°Why is it him again! Sisi, haven¡¯t I told you not to associate with him? Let¡¯s go to the bookstore together some day, and you can quit that job, understand?¡±


    Thinking of the deductions he had just made, Di Yelei broke out into a cold sweat on his back!


    ¡°No way, you¡¯re too ****! Brother Nan has helped you so much, and you just forget about it. What would others think of you and me? How can you do this?¡±


    Liu Sisi red at him unhappily.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly realized that all of the above conclusions were his own spection, no wonder Liu Sisi didn¡¯t believe him.


    Secretly making up his mind, he vowed to dig up Nan Tianzong¡¯s past. He wanted to see exactly what tricks the other party had pulled in this matter.


    ¡°What do you mean, I? You should just focus on sharpening your arrowheads, hunt more game, and pamper your good younger sister!¡±


    Liu Sisi angrily turned around and entered the room.


    Uh-oh, his kitten is mad at him!


    Di Yeleiughed helplessly, quickly got up to clean up the tools and put the items back in their ce. Then he hurriedly took a bath and walked briskly toward the bedroom.


    Having rested for a few days, Sisi¡¯s body should have fully recovered, right?


    Thinking about it, a wave of heat rushed to his brain, causing his steps to quicken even more.


    Nowadays, the weather is gradually getting cooler.


    Liu Sisi rolled up the bamboo mat and put it away,id down ayer of old cotton, and then ced the thin quilt on top, carefully pressing down the corners. Finally, she pulled the thin quilt over herself andy down.


    When Di Yelei entered the room, he saw the little kitten curled up in a ball, her back facing him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you mad about someone else¡¯s business? Is it worth it? You¡¯re such a petty girl, so shy.¡±


    While speaking, his big hand gently wrapped around her slender waist, forcibly turning her to face him.


    He even pinched her little nose.


    ¡°Annoying! Don¡¯t touch me randomly, go touch your dear younger sister.¡±


    The sour words slipped out without passing through her brain, making Liu Sisi bite her lip in annoyance. What a strange vor those words had!


    Gently pinching her little nose again, Di Yeleiughed helplessly.


    ¡°Silly girl, are you jealous over something trivial? Ruo Ning is my sister too, and it¡¯s rare for her toe home. As her third brother, it¡¯s only right to hunt some game for her to eat. Be good, don¡¯t be mad at me anymore.¡±


    It¡¯s not like she¡¯s your biological sister!


    Liu Sisi secretly yelled in her heart!


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad! How could I be? You¡¯re just talking nonsense.¡±


    She gave him a re and forcefully pulled the thin quilt, which had been pressed down by him, wrapped it around herself, turned over, and rolled to the innermost side, closing her eyes against the wall.


    Did this mean she wasn¡¯t mad?


    Di Yelei helplessly took off his clothes and climbed onto the bed.


    She had recuperated for several days, so her body should have fully recovered, right?


    Di Yelei naturally wouldn¡¯t let her waste the benefits he deserved. His long arm reached out and directly pulled her to his side, with his long hands and legs stretching out rapidly.


    Immediately wrapping up that fragrant, soft little body in one move.

 Chapter 154 - 154: 152: Astonishing Phoenix Dance, One Dance Shocks the World

    Chapter 154 - 154: 152: Astonishing Phoenix Dance, One Dance Shocks the World<div>


    ¡°She is my little sister. The old house can¡¯t provide decent food for her, and she¡¯s pregnant. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go hunting for more game.¡±


    Hisrge hand moved faster, directly fixing her head, forcing her to face him: ¡°In addition to sending some food to the old house, we should also keep some game for ourselves. After all, the days are getting shorter, and it will be harder to go hunting in the mountains when the heavy snow falls in winter.¡±


    In her previous life, her hometown also experienced snow in winter, but those snowy days were few, and she liked snow from the bottom of her heart.<div>


    ¡°Is there heavy snow here? How thick is it? When does it usually start¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, his unique warm masculine aura suddenly hit her face.


    Di Yelei went from gentle to forceful, from meticulous care to domineering entanglement, sweeping her over and over again.


    ¡°Yes, it not only snows here but also umtes quite a bit. The Mid-Autumn Festival is not far away, so we need to stock up on food and have a rich celebration, right?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but lower his head, gently rubbing her cheek with his rough bristles, sweeping over her face again and again.


    ¡°What do we need to prepare for Mid-Autumn Festival? Do we need to prepare mooncakes?¡±


    The tingling sensation from his bristles made Liu Sisi constantly dodge and escape his pursuit.


    She tried to focus all her thoughts on what she was talking about at the moment, slowly nning with her fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also thought about it. We have peanuts, sesame, meat, eggs, and many other things at home, so we can use these ingredients to bake more mooncakes. Not only can we give them away, but they can also be snacks for the children. Ye Lei, are you listening to me?¡±


    She continued to list many items in her mouth, counting them one by one for him to hear.


    Who knows how far his thoughts have flown at this moment.<div>


    ¡°Little kitten, don¡¯t worry, we can discuss those things slowlyter. As for now¡­ my dear Sisi, haven¡¯t you felt me?¡±


    As he spoke, he leaned forward, pressing against her through their clothes.


    Two people who truly love each other, just because of a look and an unintentional embrace, their hearts be closer and closer.


    She felt her face and body burning. She avoided his gaze and didn¡¯t dare to look at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this. I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    What exactly she was afraid of, he and she understood without saying.


    He chuckled softly.


    Men are born conquerors, and they should sometimes be like ferocious beasts.


    Especially for this woman whom he had been longing for so long, he couldn¡¯t let her go anymore!


    ¡°Sisi, give it to me¡­ my little kitten.¡±


    What to give? What else could she give? She didn¡¯t know.<div>


    ¡°Sisi!¡± He called her tenderly again and again: ¡°Give it to me, alright?¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t answer, she no longer had the strength to. Beneath her flutteringshes, a pair of eyes like frightened deer were filled with tears.


    A raging fire burned once more between them¡­


    At the same time, in the Yihong Courtyard.


    The Yihong Courtyard at night was bustling with peopleing and going, all indulging in decadence.


    It had the most beautiful decorations and women in Macheng County, as well as the most frequent clients. Simrly, it was also the ce where information was transmitted the fastest.


    Zuo Xingyu, having abandoned his constable¡¯s attire, was now dressed in in clothing. He slowly walked through the crowd in the hall and gently ascended the stairs to the second floor.


    Just as he was in the center of the stage, the sudden sound of drumbeats caught his attention. He looked back and was immediately stunned by the brilliant figure on the stage, his sharp, eagle-like eyes narrowing.


    The huge stage curtain was drawn, and the drum sound resounded and echoed as the melodious sound of the zither apanied the dancing ribbons. A stunning woman with a willowy figure suddenly sprang into motion.


    She leaped into the air, performing a dazzling aerial dance.


    The melody yed gently like a clear spring flowing through the mountains, its aftertaste lingers.


    The drum sounds were like thunderous war drums, shaking the sky and awakening one¡¯s soul.


    The stunning woman suddenly turned her back, and her dancing hands were like a spirit snake, continually moving. In the blink of an eye, arge red peony with dewdrops on it appeared on the tips of her slender fingers. With the constant twists and folds of her fingers, the flower seemed to suddenlye alive and bloom.


    Then, with another flick, the big red peony disappeared, reced by a pink gauze scarf in her hands.


    This kind of movement made Zuo Xingyu¡¯s brows tremble involuntarily, his lips tightly pressed together.


    ¡°Is it her unique skill? Could it be¡­ she¡¯s re-emerged in themon society?¡± He muttered softly, his deeply furrowed brows locking even tighter.


    On stage, the beautiful woman danced faster and more daring, constantly circling the stage and rapidly changing positions. The amazed onlookers who hade to enjoy themselves couldn¡¯t help but shout praises, the apuse never ending.


    In a guest room in the A section on the third floor of this Yihong Courtyard, a thin figure was standing by the window. His gaze was extraordinarily distant and empty, as if he was troubled by some major problem that¡¯s preventing him from sleeping and eating well. It seemed the thunderous apuse from the dancing below couldn¡¯t attract even half of his attention.


    Apanied by the thunderous apuse, the aerial dance performance was drawing to an end. On stage, the beautiful woman danced faster and more brilliantly with her ribbons, apanied by the booming drum beats and the lingering zither music. Ribbons fluttered like colorful butterflies covering the stage and captivating the audience.


    Suddenly, the drum sound ceased and the zither music stopped abruptly. The woman on the stage performed a split and directly lied down on the stage, putting a perfect ending to this magnificent aerial dance.


    At this moment, with the end of the aerial dance on stage, the corridors of the second, third, and fourth floor were full of people, cheering and jubting, with countless colored papers and ribbons falling from the sky, dazzling everyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Brothel Owner! Where did the Brothel Owner go? How much does Miss Little Cui charge? This Old Master is taking over the ce tonight!¡±


    ¡°What are you to talk like that? Naturally, Miss Little Cui belongs to me, the Young Master. A gentleman seeks thepany of a virtuousdy, take your vulgar self away, and don¡¯t tarnish the fairy¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°How dare you speak to me like that? Who doesn¡¯t know that the highest bidder gets what they want here? Brothel Owner! If you don¡¯te out, I¡¯m going to mess up this Yihong Courtyard!¡±


    The thin figure on the third floor finally withdrew his attention and nced casually at the stage below. He reached out to pull up two windows and slowly closed them.


    Behind him, the sudden gaze made Zuo Xingyu instinctively tense up. On guard, he looked up and met the gaze of the two windows that had just closed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 155 - 155: 153: A Step Too Late!

    Chapter 155 - 155: 153: A Step Too Late!<div>


    At the same time, their sharp gazes met each other for a fleeting moment.


    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s him!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu paused his turning movement, his expression suddenly froze, and without caring about the others, he quickly ran up the stairs.<div>


    He never expected to meet this person here! It waspletely beyond his expectation!


    At the moment, the Brothel Owner was standing at the end of the second-floor corridor, her eyes narrowed as she watched the scene in front of her,ughing loudly with all the beauties behind her slowly descending the staircase.


    ¡°Gentlemen, don¡¯t be so hasty! Everyone here knows the old rules of Yihong Courtyard! Miss Little Cui on stage is still going to the highest bidder, so there¡¯s no need to panic¡­¡±


    Zuo Xingyu was extremely anxious. Seeing the window closing, he quickly rushed up but was blocked by the Brothel Owner and her entourageing down.


    Although he wanted to move quickly, he was worried about being too conspicuous. He impatiently advanced amidst the fragrant breeze, asionally bumping into the girls, which naturally caused manyints.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, let me through, please! Excuse me!¡±


    He tried his best to navigate through the crowd.


    On the third floor, a figure observed all the movements downstairs in its entirety.


    Seeing Zuo Xingyu rushing up the stairs, the figure suddenly sneered, turned around, and disappeared from the window.


    Zuo Xingyu fought his way out of the crowd, finally reaching the room with the windows he had seen earlier. He quickly arrived at the door.


    The room seemed quiet, without any sound. He immediately slipped to the side of the door and pushed it open.<div>


    The anticipated attack did not happen!


    He entered the room and carefully examined the surroundings, hoping to find some useful clues.


    There was no one in the room except for the lingering scent of fragrant tea. Everything was silent.


    He was one step toote!


    Zuo Xingyu was extremely annoyed! He raised his hand and forcefully pped the table! Damn it!


    The teacup on the table bounced and then fell over, tea stains constantly spreading.


    But at the next moment, Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes shrank, his fingers lightly dipped into the tea, carefully sniffing it under his nose. He took a deep breath, and his heart suddenly stirred. It was tribute tea! The person who could afford such tea must have a significant identity!


    A shadow shed past the doorway.


    ¡°Who?¡± He spun around instinctively, asking, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    No one answered, and it was still silent.


    He immediately chased after, only to find the third-floor corridor deserted. The thunderous cheers in the courtyard below could not contain people¡¯s excitement.<div>


    He looked back again, and suddenly gasped, a chill spreading over his heart.


    The teacup on the table was gone!


    The tea stains above had also disappeared, as if everything he had seen earlier was just a dream!


    Zuo Xingyu quickly nced around and spotted a shadow shing by on the fourth floor. Regardless of everything else, he leaped up, grabbed the railing, and flipped over onto the fourth floor. However, it was still empty, and he found nothing.


    Unwilling to give up, he carefully examined the surroundings, hoping to find any useful information.


    ¡°Hey! Hey¡­ Over here, Xingyu, I¡¯m here!¡±


    Suddenly, there was a call from the second floor. Zuo Xingyu turned around and saw Xiaoliang, who was meeting him at Yihong Courtyard today.


    He walked downstairs slowly, but Xiaoliang dragged him into a room on the second floor.


    ¡°Why did you go to the fourth floor? You know you¡¯re not allowed up there.¡±


    Xiaoliang said with lingering fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just went there unintentionally.¡± He replied indifferently.


    Xiaoliang wasn¡¯t so easy to dismiss: ¡°Really? Don¡¯t forget what my profession is. Can¡¯t I see through your lies? Every time you lie, you do it with such boldness, without any hesitation.¡±


    ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s up to you. By the way, what did you find out?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu didn¡¯t dwell on his previous expression, but his gaze remained tense and unrelenting, still staring at him with furrowed brows.


    Mentioning the matter, Xiaoliang¡¯s expression darkened. He sat back in his chair and poured two cups of tea.


    ¡°There are results. Little Taohong performed the dance in the small building at the back of Yihong Courtyard. The building is surrounded by ake on three sides. There were several witnesses at the time, and I questioned each of them about the process. They all said unanimously that there was nothing unusual before she jumped into theke, and suddenly she jumped in.¡±


    Xiaoliang spoke and looked at Zuo Xingyu. ¡°Leader, should we¡­ go back to the scene and take another look?¡±


    A scene of the disappearing teacup shed through Zuo Xingyu¡¯s mind. For some reason, he shook his head: ¡°No need, let¡¯s go!¡±


    With a skilled thief present, checking or not checking the scene would yield the same results because the answers eventually gained would only be what the other party wanted you to see!


    As the two left, the shadow on the third floor reappeared at the window.


    ¡°Master.¡± A woman¡¯s voice suddenly emerged behind him. It was none other than Little Cui¡¯er, who had just shone on stage.


    ¡°How¡¯s what I asked you to do?¡± The man didn¡¯t turn around.


    ¡°Master, rest assured, everything is going ording to n.¡±


    ¡°Good, very good! Hehe¡­¡±


    The man suddenly burst into a series ofughter, and under the moonlight, a face with thick eyebrows andrge eyes illuminated with a strong exotic color.


    The night deepened.


    Not far from the Yihong Courtyard, Zuo Xingyu and Xiaoliang were immediately attacked by a group of men in ck.


    There were quite a few men in ck, a dozen of them moving in an orderly manner, decisive in their attacks, and obviously well-trained.


    Without saying a word, they directly lunged at the two.


    Zuo Xingyu quickly retreated, constantly dodging. Xiaoliang¡¯s actions were not slow either, each confronting their own target.


    Neither of them was slow, with big des in their hands drawn out, they quickly engaged in battle with their opponents.


    ¡°Let¡¯s split up!¡±


    Seeing another group of men in cking from a distance, Zuo Xingyu suddenly roared, and once again fought with this group, entangling them while leading them away.


    ¡°Where are you running,e die for yours truly!¡±


    A roar sounded, apanied by it, and a palm struck in front of Zuo Xingyu.


    Zuo Xingyu was shocked, unexpectedly encountering such bad luck! He quickly turned back to rescue himself.


    A sh of silver light, the de of the big knife grazed his scalp, and he instinctively dodged it while barely avoiding the fatal blow.


    ¡°Huh? I really can¡¯t tell¡­¡±


    The angry voice eximed in surprise and immediately struck another palm down. The palm wind whistled through the air, rapidly stirring up a gust of wind.


    A fierce wind erupted.


    The foliage from the surrounding trees rustled, and soon there was a thickyer of leaves on the ground.


    The trees shuddered, swaying constantly.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Arge tree, thick enough for two people to embrace, was suddenly struck in the middle and exploded.


    Immediately, wood chips sttered and scattered everywhere.


    Even the ground seemed to tremble, and a dust wave quickly surged around, rushing into the mouths of those nearby.


    At the same time, a deep palm print appeared on the ground, as if it had been imprinted there.

 Chapter 156 - 156: 154 Regrets Turning to Ash: The Past Cannot Be Chased (Part 1)

    Chapter 156 - 156: 154 Regrets Turning to Ash: The Past Cannot Be Chased (Part 1)<div>


    ¡°Huh? He actually dodged it!¡±


    His opponent seemed quite surprised, wondering how his attack was suddenly evaded!


    ¡°Who exactly are you, and why are you targeting us?¡±<div>


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s furrowed brows tightened even more.


    ¡°Hmph! You might as well ask the King of Hell!¡±


    The enemy¡¯s attacks were getting faster and more frequent.


    Zuo Xingyu responded by elerating his defences generously, handling the situation with ease! He realized that they were probably being watched from the very start!


    Apart from the old man, several men in ck had joined the fray.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s mind was racing. Biting his teeth, he decided to risk it all!


    He was back-stepping rapidly, his strength waning, barely managing to keep his bnce.


    ¡°You¡¯re seeking your own death! Haha¡­¡± The opponent aimed for his chest.


    While the enemy was stillughing, Zuo Xingyu¡¯s arm, as nimble as a snake, suddenly shot out, pping the man¡­


    ¡°Uh!¡­ Puff¡ª¡±


    Unable to swallow his own blood, the man turned his head to the side and spat a mouthful of fresh blood onto the ground. His body quickly copsed.<div>


    Even in death, his eyes remained wide open.


    At this moment, the remaining men in ck crowded in.


    When they saw their leader was dead, they quickly attacked Zuo Xingyu.


    However, after a few exchanges, they all fell to the ground, motionless, under Zuo Xingyu¡¯s hands.


    Looking up, he saw Xiaoliang running over rapidly. Their eyes met and they both startedughing.


    It seemed like the two of them will have to live like beggars for a while.


    ¡°Xingyu! You¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡±


    Xiaoliang inspected him from head to toe, finally rxing upon seeing no obvious injuries.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. What about your end, any escapees¡­?¡± Zuo Xingyu quickly checked the dead bodies and carefully examined their faces.


    He was an unfamiliar person, Zuo Xingyu did not recognize him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with everything on my end. Hehe! This guy really was impressive! He calcted everything so urately, I originally wanted to keep one alive for interrogation but was unable to do so. The enemy directly bit into a poison pill located in a gap in their teeth and died.¡± Xiaoliang said with resentment on his face.<div>


    ¡°Indeed, he was remarkable! Seeing how you improved so much in just a few days, you¡¯re truly amazing!¡± Zuo Xingyu nodded in admiration.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, it¡¯s all thanks to you, Big Brother Zuo.¡±


    Xiaoliang looked troubled, he was undoubtedly far inferior to Zuo Xingyu!


    Were those words simply to mock him?


    But seeing Zuo Xingyu¡¯s earnest expressions, it didn¡¯t seem likely!


    Zuo Xingyu smiled nonchntly, his eyes on Xiaoliang. Then, a curve appeared at the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We should leave before we encounter the third wave of their people.¡±


    With a swift flick of his body, he aimed a punch towards the corpses of the men in ck. The punchnded heavily beside them, vibrating with hidden strength that explosively erupted. The mighty force was truly frightening!


    Trying to hold back hisughter, he thought, this guy is really something!


    Shortly after they left, several men wearing ck veils appeared on the scene.


    The group carefully surveyed the surroundings for a while before gathering by the leader¡¯s side to discuss in a strange tone.


    This tone was different from the local dialect, so fast-paced that it was hard to understand.


    Afterward, they each disappeared into the darkness. The surroundings slowly returned to a state of tranquility, as if nothing had ever happened.


    The next day, Liu Sisi was awakened by YingEr¡¯s call.


    Chirping like a little sparrow, she excitedly shared her discovery with her, ¡°Mom, there is another bird that flew into our yard, you should hurry up and catch it.¡±


    Another bird flew in?


    Liu Sisi¡¯s groggy consciousness finally returned to her brain, and when she got up and went out, she saw the sun was already high in the sky.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Mom, hurry, hurry!¡±


    YingEr excitedly pulled her hand forward.


    Liu Sisi felt as if she had been run over by a train, and her legs were wobbly and trembling as she walked.


    Nevertheless, she had to stay calm and went with YingEr to the side of the house.


    Sure enough, there was a carrier pigeon hovering beside the pigeon cage.


    Liu Sisi peered in and it looked like it was one of the two carrier pigeons that was released before and had now flown back.


    She lifted her hand to try and catch it, but it got startled and flew up into the sky, circling around with its wings spread out.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, then bent down to speak to YingEr, ¡°YingEr dear, these are your father¡¯s pigeons, and we cannot touch them. We would be in trouble if we scare them and they fly away. Let¡¯s step away for a while and see.¡±


    The two of them hid, and not long after, the carrier pigeon flew back and climbed into the pigeon cage.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t resist her curiosity, so she sneakily took off a bamboo tube from the carrier pigeon and unrolled it to see only a few words, ¡°Fast, August 15th,¡± with a few strange symbols.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t understand this cryptic sentence, so she returned the paper to the bamboo tube as it was, reattached it to the pigeon, put the pigeon back in the cage, and carefully ced it back in the hidden area on the top of the firewood room.


    What exactly was Zuo Xingyu going to do on August 15th? It was really strange!


    After thinking hard for a long time without getting any answers, Liu Sis simply stopped worrying about it.


    ¡°YingEr, have you had your meal yet?¡±


    ¡°Mommy has a shy face, mommy is still sleeping in, YingEr got up early, even went out with brother for a while. Look, YingEr also brought back food for the baby rabbit and the chicks, and you just got up.¡± YingEr pouted and looked at her with her head tilted, pretending to be shy with her little finger on her cheek,pletely adorable.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­ Mommy is wrong, YingEr can¡¯t learn mommy¡¯s bad habits, okay?¡± Liu Sisi quickly patted her head lightly.


    ¡°I know! YingEr will never learn Mommy¡¯szy habits, hehe¡­¡±


    YingEr covered her little mouth andughed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go to the kitchen and see if there is any food left.¡± Liu Sisi quickly changed the topic and took YingEr¡¯s hand to the kitchen. ¡°YingEr, where is your brother? Howe I don¡¯t see him?¡±


    ¡°Brother is practicing his writing again! He never ys with YingEr.¡± YingEr looked unhappy.


    ¡°Good girl! Your brother is studying, so you can¡¯t disturb him, okay?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, Mommy, YingEr understands.¡± YingEr still looked a bit sullen.


    Liu Sisi was seriously tired!


    After eating, she went back to her room and fell asleep, only waking up to make lunch near noontime.


    After lunch, while YingEr took her nap, Liu Sisi picked up the book and started to copy from it.


    Xuan¡¯er was quick at learning, although he couldn¡¯t remember everything at first nce, he was able to give multiple interpretations to the characters and texts taught just by reading, reciting, and writing them a couple of times, which was quite impressive.


    He had already finished studying the ¡°Three Character ssic¡±. At the moment, what Liu Sisi was teaching him was the ¡°the Analects¡±, these lifelong principles handed down from ancient times were always right to learn first.


    ¡°The learning process is all about gradual progression and proceeding at your own pace. You are young now, so you can¡¯t just sit and read all day, that would be improper studying, and it could also lead to physical problems, like low resistance. Study for two hours, then take a walk, practice writing, and repeat this¡­¡±


    While Liu Sisi was casually giving instructions, Xuan¡¯Er was listening carefully.


    ¡°Mom,st time Xuan¡¯er saw the students in the vige school practicing writing, as well as ying musical instruments, even painting¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, you¡¯re still young. It¡¯s better to go step by step when learning all these things.¡±


    While she was saying this, she thought of another issue and asked abruptly.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, has your father checked your homework recently?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Yesterday some readers said that Craft Paper was scamming updates. I want to say, on the 28th of August, I updated 10 chapters and updated 5 chapters on the 29th. If you doubt the posting time, you can look closely at the update time which is urate to the second. This is the link: /bk/gdyq/623688-l.html

 Chapter 156 - 154 Regrets Turning to Ash: The Past Cannot Be Chased (Part 1)

    Chapter 156: Chapter 154 Regrets Turning to Ash: The Past Cannot Be Chased (Part 1)


    ¡°Huh? He actually dodged it!¡±


    His opponent seemed quite surprised, wondering how his attack was suddenly evaded!


    ¡°Who exactly are you, and why are you targeting us?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s furrowed brows tightened even more.


    ¡°Hmph! You might as well ask the King of Hell!¡±


    The enemy¡¯s attacks were getting faster and more frequent.


    Zuo Xingyu responded by elerating his defences generously, handling the situation with ease! He realized that they were probably being watched from the very start!


    Apart from the old man, several men in ck had joined the fray.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s mind was racing. Biting his teeth, he decided to risk it all!


    He was back-stepping rapidly, his strength waning, barely managing to keep his bnce.


    ¡°You¡¯re seeking your own death! Haha¡­¡± The opponent aimed for his chest.


    While the enemy was stillughing, Zuo Xingyu¡¯s arm, as nimble as a snake, suddenly shot out, pping the man¡­


    ¡°Uh!¡­ Puff¡ª¡±


    Unable to swallow his own blood, the man turned his head to the side and spat a mouthful of fresh blood onto the ground. His body quickly copsed.


    Even in death, his eyes remained wide open.


    At this moment, the remaining men in ck crowded in.


    When they saw their leader was dead, they quickly attacked Zuo Xingyu.


    However, after a few exchanges, they all fell to the ground, motionless, under Zuo Xingyu¡¯s hands.


    Looking up, he saw Xiaoliang running over rapidly. Their eyes met and they both startedughing.


    It seemed like the two of them will have to live like beggars for a while.


    ¡°Xingyu! You¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡±


    Xiaoliang inspected him from head to toe, finally rxing upon seeing no obvious injuries.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. What about your end, any escapees¡­?¡± Zuo Xingyu quickly checked the dead bodies and carefully examined their faces.


    He was an unfamiliar person, Zuo Xingyu did not recognize him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with everything on my end. Hehe! This guy really was impressive! He calcted everything so urately, I originally wanted to keep one alive for interrogation but was unable to do so. The enemy directly bit into a poison pill located in a gap in their teeth and died.¡± Xiaoliang said with resentment on his face.


    ¡°Indeed, he was remarkable! Seeing how you improved so much in just a few days, you¡¯re truly amazing!¡± Zuo Xingyu nodded in admiration.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, it¡¯s all thanks to you, Big Brother Zuo.¡±


    Xiaoliang looked troubled, he was undoubtedly far inferior to Zuo Xingyu!


    Were those words simply to mock him?


    But seeing Zuo Xingyu¡¯s earnest expressions, it didn¡¯t seem likely!


    Zuo Xingyu smiled nonchntly, his eyes on Xiaoliang. Then, a curve appeared at the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We should leave before we encounter the third wave of their people.¡±


    With a swift flick of his body, he aimed a punch towards the corpses of the men in ck. The punchnded heavily beside them, vibrating with hidden strength that explosively erupted. The mighty force was truly frightening!


    Trying to hold back hisughter, he thought, this guy is really something!


    Shortly after they left, several men wearing ck veils appeared on the scene.


    The group carefully surveyed the surroundings for a while before gathering by the leader¡¯s side to discuss in a strange tone.


    This tone was different from the local dialect, so fast-paced that it was hard to understand.


    Afterward, they each disappeared into the darkness. The surroundings slowly returned to a state of tranquility, as if nothing had ever happened.


    The next day, Liu Sisi was awakened by YingEr¡¯s call.


    Chirping like a little sparrow, she excitedly shared her discovery with her, ¡°Mom, there is another bird that flew into our yard, you should hurry up and catch it.¡±


    Another bird flew in?


    Liu Sisi¡¯s groggy consciousness finally returned to her brain, and when she got up and went out, she saw the sun was already high in the sky.


    ¡°Mom, hurry, hurry!¡±


    YingEr excitedly pulled her hand forward.


    Liu Sisi felt as if she had been run over by a train, and her legs were wobbly and trembling as she walked.


    Nevertheless, she had to stay calm and went with YingEr to the side of the house.


    Sure enough, there was a carrier pigeon hovering beside the pigeon cage.


    Liu Sisi peered in and it looked like it was one of the two carrier pigeons that was released before and had now flown back.


    She lifted her hand to try and catch it, but it got startled and flew up into the sky, circling around with its wings spread out.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, then bent down to speak to YingEr, ¡°YingEr dear, these are your father¡¯s pigeons, and we cannot touch them. We would be in trouble if we scare them and they fly away. Let¡¯s step away for a while and see.¡±


    The two of them hid, and not long after, the carrier pigeon flew back and climbed into the pigeon cage.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t resist her curiosity, so she sneakily took off a bamboo tube from the carrier pigeon and unrolled it to see only a few words, ¡°Fast, August 15th,¡± with a few strange symbols.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t understand this cryptic sentence, so she returned the paper to the bamboo tube as it was, reattached it to the pigeon, put the pigeon back in the cage, and carefully ced it back in the hidden area on the top of the firewood room.


    What exactly was Zuo Xingyu going to do on August 15th? It was really strange!


    After thinking hard for a long time without getting any answers, Liu Sis simply stopped worrying about it.


    ¡°YingEr, have you had your meal yet?¡±


    ¡°Mommy has a shy face, mommy is still sleeping in, YingEr got up early, even went out with brother for a while. Look, YingEr also brought back food for the baby rabbit and the chicks, and you just got up.¡± YingEr pouted and looked at her with her head tilted, pretending to be shy with her little finger on her cheek,pletely adorable.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­ Mommy is wrong, YingEr can¡¯t learn mommy¡¯s bad habits, okay?¡± Liu Sisi quickly patted her head lightly.


    ¡°I know! YingEr will never learn Mommy¡¯szy habits, hehe¡­¡±


    YingEr covered her little mouth andughed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go to the kitchen and see if there is any food left.¡± Liu Sisi quickly changed the topic and took YingEr¡¯s hand to the kitchen. ¡°YingEr, where is your brother? Howe I don¡¯t see him?¡±


    ¡°Brother is practicing his writing again! He never ys with YingEr.¡± YingEr looked unhappy.


    ¡°Good girl! Your brother is studying, so you can¡¯t disturb him, okay?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, Mommy, YingEr understands.¡± YingEr still looked a bit sullen.


    Liu Sisi was seriously tired!


    After eating, she went back to her room and fell asleep, only waking up to make lunch near noontime.


    After lunch, while YingEr took her nap, Liu Sisi picked up the book and started to copy from it.


    Xuan¡¯er was quick at learning, although he couldn¡¯t remember everything at first nce, he was able to give multiple interpretations to the characters and texts taught just by reading, reciting, and writing them a couple of times, which was quite impressive. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He had already finished studying the ¡°Three Character ssic¡±. At the moment, what Liu Sisi was teaching him was the ¡°the Analects¡±, these lifelong principles handed down from ancient times were always right to learn first.


    ¡°The learning process is all about gradual progression and proceeding at your own pace. You are young now, so you can¡¯t just sit and read all day, that would be improper studying, and it could also lead to physical problems, like low resistance. Study for two hours, then take a walk, practice writing, and repeat this¡­¡±


    While Liu Sisi was casually giving instructions, Xuan¡¯Er was listening carefully.


    ¡°Mom,st time Xuan¡¯er saw the students in the vige school practicing writing, as well as ying musical instruments, even painting¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, you¡¯re still young. It¡¯s better to go step by step when learning all these things.¡±


    While she was saying this, she thought of another issue and asked abruptly.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, has your father checked your homework recently?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Yesterday some readers said that Craft Paper was scamming updates. I want to say, on the 28th of August, I updated 10 chapters and updated 5 chapters on the 29th. If you doubt the posting time, you can look closely at the update time which is urate to the second. This is the link: /bk/gdyq/623688-l.html

 Chapter 157 - 157: 155: Lovesickness Turns to Ashes: The Past Can’t Be Chased (Part 2)

    Chapter 157 - 157: 155: Lovesickness Turns to Ashes: The Past Can¡¯t Be Chased (Part 2)<div>


    The studious Xuan¡¯er was seriously furrowing his brows as he practiced his characters.


    Such a young age, he already bore a strong resemnce to Di Yelei, especially the way his brow furrowed, it was a perfect match.


    ¡°Yes, Dad even gave Xuan¡¯er a test a couple of days ago. He praised me for studying so hard.¡±<div>


    A touch of joy shed across Xuan¡¯er¡¯s face, and his cheeks were also suspiciously red.


    ¡°What did he test you on?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Dad said, no one should know.¡±


    Xuan¡¯er seemed a bit hesitant to speak.


    Liu Sisi nodded, understandingly. Such matters are better off known by fewer people.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, you¡¯re such a good boy, remember not to tell anyone else, including Mom and anyone at all. Just keep this matter to yourself. If Dad asks you to help him with his writing, just help him and don¡¯t ask questions, also don¡¯t tell anyone else about it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er understands.¡±


    Xuan¡¯er nodded seriously.


    ¡°Good boy¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi gently stroked his head, pondering the possibilities.


    Di Yelei said that he had asked Zuo Xingyu to capture Sun Ergou. Zuo Xingyu proposed a deal ¨C for Di Yelei to do him a favour in return. However, Di Yelei did not say what the favour would be.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    Now it seems that this favour might not be so simple!


    She felt a bit worried and her mind kept wandering while copying the book, leading her to make some mistakes, which annoyed her.


    When the sun was not so high, Di Ruoning appeared outside the courtyard door. With her were not only Yuan Mengbai but also Ms. Zhao.


    ¡°Where is Third Son¡¯s family? Where did they go? Just because Third Child protects you all the time, you dare toze around the courtyard all day and not go out! Aren¡¯t you afraid that you might grow mouldy if you stayed for too long!¡±


    Liu Sisi was not surprised. After all, every time Ms. Zhao came, she made a mess, which was not surprising.


    ¡°Mom, Sisi wants to go help in the fields. Unfortunately, when the family split up initially, Dad and Mom didn¡¯t allocate anynd to Ye Lei. Even if Sisi wants to harvest crops, there is no way to start. There¡¯s no choice, even our three meals are bought from the market, and the silver money is flowing out continuously, s!¡±


    Only after speaking did Liu Sisi slowly put down the pen, nced at the three of them, stood up and led Xuan¡¯er to greet them.


    ¡°Little Sister and Brother-inw came, why didn¡¯t you call out for Sisi, at least to let Sisi get out to wee you.¡±


    Ms. Zhao red at her, helped the pregnant Di Ruoning, directly bypassed her half-squatting figure, and sat down on the chair in the middle.


    ¡°You are our Di Family¡¯s distinguished person. How could we dare to bother you to wee us? Where is Ye Lei, why isn¡¯t he out here? Isn¡¯t he deliberately hiding because he saw me, his mother, is here?¡±


    Liu Sisi gentlyughed, ¡°Mom, that¡¯s not right of you to say so. Yesterday, Ye Lei said in the old house, it¡¯s rare for Little Sister and Brother-inw toe back home, thus we can¡¯t be negligent. Therefore, he left for the hills first thing today, saying he would hunt some game for Little Sister and Brother-inw as a wee.¡±<div>


    Everyone paused. Indeed, Ye Lei said this yesterday. But everyone just listened then and didn¡¯t think he would actually go up the mountain before dawn.


    They each felt a moment of excitement in their hearts.


    With theck of money in the old house, she didn¡¯t know how long the days of drinking coarse-grain porridge meal after meal wouldst. This was killing her!


    Di Ruoning¡¯s eyes suddenly spun around and she eximed, ¡°Oh! My back, it¡¯s getting really unbearable. Ms. Ma, please, hurry up and rub it for me.¡±


    Ma, the maid they bought, hurried forward and carefully helped her rub her back.


    Ms. Zhao also looked worried and offered a series offort and concern.


    ¡°Judging by your current condition, it¡¯s likely to be a daughter. If my precious granddaughter is born, she will be a breathtaking beauty, fit to enter the pce and be an Empress¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao praised incessantly.


    No wonder she did, Di Ruoning had already given birth to three boys, and naturally wanted a daughter for this pregnancy.


    Yuan Mengbai wore a warm smile on his face, and courteously greeted Liu Sisi with a fist salute.


    ¡°It¡¯s rather impolite of me toe uninvited today, I hope I¡¯m not disturbing you, Third Sister-inw.¡±


    ¡°Brother-inw, you¡¯re too kind. It¡¯s a pleasure to have you visit your wife¡¯s family and step through the door of Third Brother¡¯s house.¡±


    Liu Sisi hastily returned his salute.


    ¡°I hurriedly brought some small gifts today¡­ they are for the two children.¡±


    He seemed somewhat clumsy, and awkwardly pulled out some tiny toys from his bosom to ce on the adjacent table.


    Liu Sisi took a closer look and realized that Yuan Mengbai had offered an inkstone and brushing-pen holder, along with a few uniquely shaped small y figurines, probably intended for YingEr.


    The inkstone and brushing-pen holder weren¡¯t store-bought; they were obviously handcrafted, which made them all the more genuine, and Liu Sisi¡¯s face filled with joy.


    ¡°Did you make these, brother-inw? It¡¯s so kind of you to personally prepare gifts for Xuan¡¯er and YingEr. These, they are really¡­¡±


    ¡°Just a few idle creations during my free time, I¡¯m d if third sister-inw doesn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Yuan Mengbai hastily waved his hand, blushing as he spoke. He didn¡¯t prepare a gift in advance for visiting Third Brother¡¯s house. But he remembered the inkstone and brushing-pen holder that he had made for Xuan¡¯er in his spare time, and the tiny y figures he had moulded for YingEr, so he brought them along. This seemed better than arriving empty-handed.


    Seeing that the Third sister-inw looked pleased, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    Liu Sisi had a simple thought: these items were great and practical! She selected things based on their usefulness and not their price, this Yuan Mengbai was considerate indeed. As she spoke, she quickly turned around and instructed Xuan¡¯er.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, look at the wonderful items your young uncle has brought for you! Do you like them?¡±


    Xuan¡¯er had already noticed the inkstone and the brushing-pen holder. Upon receiving Liu Sisi¡¯s consent, he eagerly picked up the two items and nodded his head enthusiastically.


    ¡°Yes, mom! Xuan¡¯er really likes them. Thank you, young uncle. Thanks, aunt.¡±


    It seemed like the child really liked them; he kept flipping the inkstone.¡±


    Liu Sissi was genuinely happy and reached out to pat his shoulder. These days, to save some money, the mother and son had been sharing one inkstone, one brush, and one desk.


    Now they had two new stationery items, and they were both very happy.


    ¡°Go boil some water quickly, make a pot of tea, and properly thank your young uncle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mom.¡±


    Xuan¡¯er obediently rushed to the kitchen.


    Ms. Zhao sneered, it was just a piece of stone and half a bamboo tube. What was there to be happy about?


    Di Ruoning gently stroked her slightly bulging belly and spoke with a smile.


    ¡°Oh! Watching Third Sister-inwmanding Xuan¡¯er with such ease! It seems that the rtionship between a mother and her biological child is truly unique!¡±


    Liu Sisi was taken aback!


    ¡°What do you mean by that, little sister? Xuan¡¯er is Third Sister-inw¡¯s child, of course, I will treat him well. As for giving him tasks, Xuan¡¯er is almost eight years old now, so making him boil water shouldn¡¯t be a big deal, should it?¡±

 Chapter 158 - 158: 156 Lovesickness Turns to Ashes: The Past Can’t Be Chased (Part 3)

    Chapter 158 - 158: 156 Lovesickness Turns to Ashes: The Past Can¡¯t Be Chased (Part 3)<div>


    Poor families¡¯ children grow up fast! Before Liu Sisi married into the family, Di Xuan could already cook.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, Ruo Ning means that you and Xuan¡¯er have a great rtionship, and she is envious.¡± Yuan Mengbai, who was next to her, hurriedly yed peacemaker.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze was heavy: ¡°Of course! Xuan¡¯er is Ye Lei¡¯s child. If we love their home, the Third sister-inw will naturally treat Xuan¡¯er and YingEr well. Just like back then, didn¡¯t my little sister also receive my father¡¯s wholehearted care?¡± She asked without hesitation.<div>


    She had always thought that the hostility this little sister had towards her was her own illusion. Perhaps it was not her feeling that was wrong at this moment.


    Di Ruoning¡¯s smile froze at the corner of her mouth, and she snorted coldly: ¡°It¡¯s natural! Not only do Dad and Mom treat Ruo Ning well, but even Third Brother cares for Ruo Ning so much and protects her.¡±


    ¡°Ye Lei will surely be happy to have such a sensible sister like you.¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly lost interest in arguing with her. It seemed that Di Yelei highly regarded this little sister. Out of love for their home, Liu Sisi did not want to upset her either.


    ¡°Little sister and brother-inw should have dinner at Third Sister-inw¡¯s house tonight. I will cook some simple food tonight, so please don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Di Ruoning¡¯s eyes lit up instantly!


    She had had enough of drinking that coarse grain porridge at her mother¡¯s home, which was why she didn¡¯t likeing back. She came uninvited today, partly because she wanted to scrounge a meal.


    ¡°This¡­ wouldn¡¯t be too convenient, would it?¡± Yuan Mengbai instinctively considered, it seemed that Third Brother was not at home.


    Ms. Zhao on the side became anxious! The saliva in her mouth kept pouring out: ¡°What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? If Third Brother knows that you came home without even drinking water and left, he will be angry, right? The old man hasn¡¯t seen meat for several days, and when he came back from the county¡­ there¡¯s no meat on his cheeks already¡­¡±


    As Ms. Zhao continued babbling, Di Xuan had already brought tea and pastries.


    The pastries were pumpkin pancakes, sesame sticks, cakes, and white gourd candies that Di Yelei had made a few days ago. The white gourd candy had been made by Di Yelei in thest two days. It was not yet fully dried, the soft, sticky candy still had a unique winter melon vor, and the sugar syrup on the surface had not been properly collected, making it taste like soft sticky sugar.<div>


    Upon seeing this, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t want to continue arguing with Ms. Zhao: ¡°Little sister, brother-inw, have some tea and pastries first. Third Sister-inw will go to the kitchen and prepare tonight¡¯s food. Please forgive me if there is any negligence. Xuan¡¯er, you chat with your young aunt and young uncle, okay?¡±


    ¡°Mom, you go cook. Xuan¡¯er will apany young aunt and young uncle.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Xuan nodded seriously and ced the pastries and tea on the small table.


    ¡°Third sister-inw, you should go quickly! Speaking of it, I¡¯m really hungry!¡±


    Di Ruoning on the side could no longer stand the coarse grain porridge from her mother¡¯s home, having been starving for a long time. As soon as she saw the pastries, she quickly picked up a piece and put it in her mouth.


    Ms. Zhao went straight to grab a handful of pastries from both sides and stuffed them into her own pocket.


    ¡°The old man loves these pastries the most, I¡¯ll take some back for him to try!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth twitched as she watched, knowing well that her father-inw didn¡¯t even eat sweets. Who was Ms. Zhao trying to deceive?


    Yuan Mengbai next to her was also dumbfounded, obviously scared by the scene before him.


    Di Ruoning could not stand it any longer!


    She forcefully pulled Ms. Zhao¡¯s sleeve to stop her from grabbing more pastries, and could not help lowering her voice, asking in a deep tone, ¡°Mom! What are you doing? Put it down quickly. It¡¯s so embarrassing!¡±<div>


    It was indeed embarrassing!


    Even her married daughter and son-inw were watching!


    ¡°I¡­ Mom didn¡¯t¡­didn¡¯t want to take some back to the old man¡­¡± Ms. Zhao stammered.


    Seeing the messy table, Liu Sisi secretly shook her head and hid in the kitchen, leaving the scene for Xuan¡¯er to worry about.


    After searching around, there wasn¡¯t much food at home that Liu Sisi could use.


    The game was already gone, and the only meat dishes left were yellow braised small dried fish and steamed egg custard. She steamed rice and used the dough prepared at noon to make a steamer full of vegetable buns. She also dug up some sweet potatoes from beside the house, washed them, chopped them into small pieces, mixed them with small dried shrimp, chives, and turnip leaves, coated them in starch, and fried a te of vegetable pancakes. As an extra, she also stir-fried some vegetables. She cooked a soup with the oil residue left from oil refining and sun-dried daylilies, finally finishing the meal.


    As usual, she took a bit of each dish, put it in a bamboo basket, and then let Xuan¡¯er deliver it to the old house.


    YingEr had woken up early and was frightened to see Ms. Wang in the house. She clung tightly to Liu Sisi¡¯s clothes and followed her closely, casting fearful nces at Ms. Wang and Di Ruoning. It was heartbreaking to watch.


    This meal was not impressive, butpared to the nd food at the old house, it was a feast!


    With Liu Sisi¡¯s excellent cooking skills, the food was imbued with a mysterious fragrant sweetness that made it hard to put down the chopsticks.


    She originally thought that there would be some leftover meatballs or simr food, but everyone ate until there was nothing left!


    When Di Ruoning was leaving, she turned back and looked deeply at Liu Sisi before striding away.


    It was like a disaster!


    Looking at the house, like a tornado had passed through, Liu Sisi was annoyed and knew she would have to clean it up for a long time.


    That night, she stayed up writing untilte and didn¡¯t go to bed until she was very tired. As soon as sheid down, Di Yelei came uninvited into her dreams.


    In her sleep, he was extremely affectionate and gentle with her, and the two quickly fell into bliss, climaxing repeatedly until the setting sun!


    When she awoke from her dream, she found arge, sticky, wet patch on her underpants!


    Liu Sisi, you shameless ****!


    Whimpering¡­


    Taking advantage of the early morning, Liu Sisi went to the small town.


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s bookstore business was booming. When Liu Sisi arrived, Nan Tianzong was climbing up adder to fetch rice paper from the attic. At the counter, several students were waiting to check out.


    Liu Sisi hurried over to help.


    She was busy for a while and finally managed to send away all the customers who hade into the shop. It was then they realized that it was past noon.


    The two looked at each other and smiled.


    ¡°Oh, Brother Nan, there¡¯s a big stain on your nose. You must have touched some dust. Here, take this and wipe it off.¡±


    Without thinking, Liu Sisi casually took a handkerchief from her chest and handed it to him.


    Nan Tianzong was momentarily stunned, staring nkly at the handkerchief in front of him.


    Only then did Liu Sisi realize, btedly, that this was ancient times, not modern times when men and women had no defenses against each other.


    She quickly withdrew the handkerchief and lightly coughed, ¡°Brother Nan, I treated you as my own brother and forgot the need for keeping a distance between men and women. Don¡¯t take it personally¡­ ¡°

 Chapter 159 - 159: 157 Lovesickness Turns to Ashes: The Past Can’t Be Chased (Part 4)

    Chapter 159 - 159: 157 Lovesickness Turns to Ashes: The Past Can¡¯t Be Chased (Part 4)<div>


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s heart was also filled with mixed emotions. For these days, Liu Sisi hadn¡¯te over, and there were countless assumptions in his heart.


    Tonnes of times, he had thought about barging into her home directly to snatch her from his arms. Yet when that stubborn little face appeared in his mind, he hesitated again.


    He could see clearly that this little woman had no feelings for him at all, but he was falling deeper and deeper with every passing day.<div>


    He felt like he had be another person, eager to see her, yet afraid of seeing her, struggling each day amidst the conflict between his emotions and reason.


    But when he saw her reappear, he inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.


    His chaotic thoughts jumbled into a pot of porridge, and with the shop bustling at the moment, he took the opportunity to sort out his thoughts.


    Forget it!


    It was good enough being her big brother!


    ¡°I am fine. By the way! How are you? You¡¯ve been busy all morning, are you tired?¡±


    Nan Tianzong naturally dodged the incident just now.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m really tired. And not only tired, I¡¯m also hungry.¡±


    Liu Sisi pressed her little stomach as well.


    She had been spoiled by Di Yelei these days, with her meals all irregr.


    Her appetite was brought up by him, and her originally small stomach now could not eat much of anything, so she ate several meals a day instead.<div>


    After considering for a moment, Nan Tianzong showed a gentle smile, ¡°Aunt Cao¡¯s stall should have closed by now. Why don¡¯t we close our shop and go to the restaurant for a meal? Anyway, today¡¯s business is good, we made a little profit.¡±


    ¡°¡­He¡¯sTavern?¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively rejected the idea. Although she knew she had nothing to do with the owner of that tavern, sitting in that tavern for a meal would probably make her stomach hurt.


    ¡°Of course not. We will go to Juxian Restaurant, the one directly opposite to He¡¯s Tavern.¡±


    Nan Tianzong mysteriously said, ¡°That¡¯s right, I heard that Juxian Restaurant has just hired a new chef, who is very skilled. By noon, there won¡¯t be an empty seat in the entire restaurant. Let¡¯s go to taste his cooking.¡±


    Liu Sisi immediately became interested after hearing this: ¡°Alright! But I¡¯ll treat you today as a token of my gratitude for your help.¡±


    Nan Tianzong raised an eyebrow!


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for you to remember that. Fine! You treat me, then. Wait for me a moment, I¡¯ll close the door and we¡¯ll go.¡±


    Nan Tianzong left in a hurry, quickly closed the shop door, and led Liu Sisi to Juxian Restaurant.


    It turned out that Juxian Restaurant was indeed thriving. At this moment, it was the end of noontime, and there was still not an empty seat in the restaurant.


    ¡°Waiter! Are there any seats avable?¡±<div>


    As soon as they entered the restaurant, Nan Tianzong asked the waiter.


    The waiter replied without hesitation: ¡°There are, but sir, only Room A is left empty, and the minimum consumption in there is 10 taels of silver. What do the both of you think¡­ ¡±


    10 taels of silver?


    Liu Sisi was shocked! She only earned 500 silver coins a month at the bookstore ¨C although there were some tips as well.


    But the minimum consumption in a room was 10 taels of silver. Is the cost of living in this small town this high?


    She felt a little nervous in her heart, for the first time being embarrassed about her wallet.


    ¡°Brother Nan, I¡¯m really sorry, but I don¡¯t have enough money in my wallet to treat anyone. Why don¡¯t we go to the street and have wonton noodles instead? When we walked by earlier, the wonton noodles at that ce seemed to smell quite good.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks had a suspicious blush on them.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just 10 taels of silver? I¡¯ll treat you to this meal!¡±


    Nan Tianzongughed heartily, closed his folding fan with one hand and gently tapped it on her head.


    ¡°Just because you called me big brother, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t treat you to a meal! Let¡¯s go upstairs!¡±


    Liu Sisi hesitated: ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No more buts, let¡¯s go! Just remember that you owe me a meal.¡±


    As they spoke, Nan Tianzong took the lead and went upstairs. Liu Sisi had no choice but to follow.


    Nan Tianzong chuckled inside, it seemed that Liu Sisi could be persuaded with soft words rather than hard ones.


    Of course, a meal worth 10 taels of silver was extraordinary!


    The two had barely sat down when the dishes were served up like a flowing feast, quickly covering the entire table. Various types of delicious-looking dishes filled the table, leaving Liu Sisi dazzled.


    ¡°Come on! Look at what you like to eat and just enjoy it! After all, we¡¯ve already spent 10 taels of silver today, so we might as well get our money¡¯s worth. Hurry up and eat! Many dishes are best enjoyed hot. Here! Try this¡­ and this¡­ and this one too! Don¡¯t just stand there.¡±


    Just like Di Yelei, Nan Tianzong didn¡¯t wait for Liu Sisi to pick up her chopsticks before he filled her bowl with various dishes, leaving her dumbfounded and unable to start eating.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Brother Nan, I can serve myself¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s chopsticks hung awkwardly in the air halfway, stopping in their tracks.


    Where should she put all the food in her full bowl?


    At that moment of embarrassment, a noisymotion suddenly came from outside the door. Soon after, the sound quickly approached the door of their room.


    Just as Liu Sisi was listening attentively, the door of the room was kicked open with a bang.


    ¡°Brother Nan! Brother Nan! Howe you came to Juxian Restaurant today and didn¡¯t tell me? Brother Nan¡­¡±


    The visitor was a young girl wearing colorful clothes that made her look like a fluttering butterfly. She flew straight to Nan Tianzong¡¯s side, grabbed his arm tightly, pouted her little mouth, and acted coquettishly towards him.


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows in surprise; the girl turned out to be the Miss of Gan Family, her pupil in name only.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Ruo Ruo? What are you doing here? No, no! How did you even show up here?¡±


    Nan Tianzong furrowed his brows, trying hard to shake off the sticky girl clinging to his arm, but she clung to him firmly, unable to break free.


    ¡°Brother Nan, I missed you! But you didn¡¯t let me visit your shop. As soon as I heard you were in Room A, I rushed over!¡±


    The eight-year-old Miss of Gan Family was extremely cute. As she spoke, she tilted her head, looking very charming.


    Strictly speaking, Liu Sisi had only seen her three times. The first time, she was arrogant and domineering, the second time, calm and elegant, and this third time, she was cute and adorable. A true versatiledy!


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, stop it! Let go! Men and women shouldn¡¯t be too intimate. Although you are my cousin, you¡¯re also a youngdy and should behave properly.¡± Nan Tianzong struggled to pull her away, trying to create some distance between them.


    ¡°No! No! You¡¯re my Brother Nan! If you don¡¯t y with me, I won¡¯t let go!¡± The Miss of Gan Family had no restraint at all.


    After all themotion, it turned out that the two were actually cousins!


    Liu Sisi suddenly realized!

 Chapter 160 - 160: 158 Lovesickness Turns to Ashes: The Past Can’t Be Chased (Part 5)

    Chapter 160 - 160: 158 Lovesickness Turns to Ashes: The Past Can¡¯t Be Chased (Part 5)<div>


    Suddenly realizing why Nan Tianzong initially insisted that Miss Gan hadn¡¯t found a female tutor, it must be that he had insider information!


    Liu Sisi was no longer in a hurry, leisurely eating the cooked dishes, treating the interaction between the two as a soap opera to watch ¨C a live-action soap opera.


    The more she watched, the more enjoyable it was.<div>


    Nan Tianzong was so anxious that he scratched his ears and cheeks, with a bitter gourd face; Miss Gan became more and more courageous, and had already sat directly on Nan Tianzong¡¯s thigh,ughing happily.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, quickly get off Tianzong. How can you be so improper, where do you resemble the demeanor of a wealthy family¡¯s miss!¡±


    An old and wise female voice came, making the three people freeze.


    The person who walked in from outside the private room was none other than Madam Gan Senior.


    Madam Gan Senior, as always, was shrewd and capable, her sharp eyes swept over the three people in the center of the scene, finallynding on Gan Miaoruo.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rare asion for both of you to visit Juxian Restaurant. Today, let me treat everyone to this meal.¡±


    So, Juxian Restaurant was actually owned by the Gan family, no wonder they had such boldness.


    Liu Sisi had already stood up from her seat, greeting Madam Gan Senior: ¡°Junior pays respects to Madam Gan Senior.¡±


    Nan Tianzong was helpless, still having Ruo Ruo sitting on hisp. So he had to stay seated and greet her.


    ¡°Tianzong pays respects to grandmother. Grandmother, what brings you out today?¡±


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s Second Aunt was Gan Miaoruo¡¯s mother, and so with Gan Miaoruo¡¯s order of birth, he addressed Madam Gan Senior as grandmother.<div>


    ¡°Well then, the teacher is right here, you two should stand up. Tianzong, you too.¡±


    Madam Gan Senior stretched out her hand to help Liu Sisi up.


    ¡°Grandmother thought the weather was nice today, so she took Ruo Ruo out for a walk.¡±


    She casually sat down on a chair: ¡°My granddaughter¡¯s name is Ruo Ruo, Gan Miaoruo. Ruo Ruo has a weak body and was as fragile as a kitten when she was born, so her Second Aunt named her Miaoruo, which means she hopes Ruo Ruo can grow up stronger and healthier. Ruo Ruo, this is the teacher that grandmother found for you, you should get to know her. Quicklye over and pay your respects.¡±


    Gan Miaoruo raised her head to look at Madam Gan Senior, then bowed her head, refusing to answer.


    Looking at the table full of dishes, her eyes suddenly lit up!


    ¡°Brother Nan, I want to eat braised fresh chin, golden chicken, roasted duck, peony double shrimp. Brother Nan, hurry up and serve me.¡±


    ¡°Ruo Ruo!¡±


    Madam Gan Senior shook her crutch in her hand.


    ¡°Humph! Ruo Ruo knows her naturally. But I don¡¯t like her, she looks like a temptation, so ugly!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo pouted as she spoke.<div>


    In the end, she even red at Liu Sisi, refusing to get off Nan Tianzong¡¯sp.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s lips pursed into a smile.


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s face also changed, forcibly pushing Gan Miaoruo off of him.


    Before Nan Tianzong could speak, Madam Gan Senior took the lead!


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, how do you speak to your teacher? Is this how you should speak as a student? You really don¡¯t know how to behave!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo obviously didn¡¯t expect Nan Tianzong to treat her like that. She sat on the ground for a while in shock, before she burst into tears with a ¡°waah¡± sound.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, you ugly woman! Brother Nan actually scolded me for you, I¡­I hate you! I¡¯m not finished with you, sob sob sob¡­¡±


    While crying, Gan Miaoruo covered her face and ran out.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo!¡±


    Nan Tianzong wanted to go after her but hesitated as he looked back at Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Hurry up! Ruo Ruo is still young, just a few years old, don¡¯t be angry with her, just coax her a bit, and she¡¯ll be fine.¡± Liu Sisi urged.


    ¡°Alright, Sisi, I¡¯lle find youter.¡± After saying that, Nan Tianzong quickly chased after her.


    As soon as he left, the atmosphere at the scene immediately solidified.


    A glint of shrewdness shed in Old Madam Gan¡¯s eyes: ¡°Sit, teacher, I have something I want to discuss with you.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart skipped a beat!


    Sheughed lightly and said: ¡°Old Madam may just give the order.¡±


    ¡­


    When Nan Tianzong returned, Old Madam Gan had already bid her farewell and left.


    Nan Tianzong was heavy-hearted and did not speak.


    Liu Sisi also lost interest in eating delicacies and took a few light bites before putting down her chopsticks.


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Nan Tianzong suddenly said in a low voice.


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows in surprise: ¡°Sorry for what?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you, but I actually know Gan Miaoruo, or Miss Gan.¡± Nan Tianzong hesitated to speak.


    ¡°Pfft! What¡¯s the big deal! You must have a reason for not telling me.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed and said: ¡°On the contrary, I should thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, I probably wouldn¡¯t have gotten this job, right? I can¡¯t me you.¡±


    She understood in her heart that she was just a sixteen-year-old girl who could hardly be a teacher to another girl her age.


    When Nan Tianzong urged her to nominate herself back then, she didn¡¯t feel anything wrong, but now that she thought it over, she was indeed as fearless as a newborn calf!


    ¡°Although I rmended you, if you couldn¡¯t pass my grandmother¡¯s test, it would be useless. So, when you were kept on, I was very surprised.¡±


    ¡°Indeed! I was surprised as well.¡± She thought to herself, she almost didn¡¯t stay, right?


    Nan Tianzong let out a sigh of relief and couldn¡¯t help butugh!


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t me me, it¡¯s fine. By the way, did my grandmother say anything to you? Come on, let¡¯s eat. We¡¯ve spent this silver, so we must eat enough to make it worthwhile. Hurry up.¡±


    After that, he couldn¡¯t help but start eating heartily.


    His heart was also going through endless twists and turns.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Speaking of which,rge families have many children. His Second Aunt was born out of wedlock. His mother and Second Aunt kept in touch through letters but seldom visited each other. After all, he belonged to the legitimate lineal branch. Last time Zhang Shixin caused a ruckus at the bookstore because of Liu Sisi. After some investigation, he found out that Master Gan was actually his cousin, and Zhang Shixin¡¯s wife was his cousin¡¯s illegitimate daughter¡­


    This rtionship was really speechless!


    However, because of such aplicated connection, he should have sought justice for Liu Sisi. But considering his Second Aunt¡¯s position, he let Zhang Shixin off without causing him serious harm.


    Liu Sisi was already full, so she signaled and put down her chopsticks.


    Thinking back to when Old Madam volunteered to adjust the teaching schedule for Miss Gan from one lesson per day to one lesson every five days, two hours in the morning and afternoon.


    The reason was that Miss Gan needed not only to learn knowledge but also music, chess, calligraphy and painting.


    So far, she hadn¡¯t really taught Miss Gan a serious lesson and felt a bit guilty about receiving Gan family¡¯s education gift.


    After leaving the wine-house, the two walked side by side at a leisurely pace towards the bookstore.


    ¡°Sisi, have you ever thought about changing to a different environment?¡± Nan Tianzong hesitated to ask.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s footsteps stopped: ¡°You¡­ what kind of environment?¡±


    ¡°Change to an environment where you have endless gold and silver treasures, wear endless brocade silk, enjoy inexhaustible wealth and honor, ride luxury carriages and horses, and have numerous servants. You can have everything you want¡­ Do you like it?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Thank you, friends, for pointing out the mistakes in the text. There is a correction section in the review area, and you are wee to leave a message there!

 Chapter 161 - 161: 159: Struggle, Chaotic Flowers Gradually Obscuring the Vision (Part 1)

    Chapter 161 - 161: 159: Struggle, Chaotic Flowers Gradually Obscuring the Vision (Part 1)<div>


    The gradually setting sun cast a small shadow beside the two of them.


    Nan Tianzong turned his head to look at her, his face coincidentally in the dappled sunlight, giving it a rather dreamy appearance.


    Unconsciously, Liu Sisi took two steps back to increase the distance between them, then raised her head and squinted at him closely.<div>


    He was still as gentle and refined as usual, handsome and elegant. Only his face was overly dreamy, while his beautiful peach blossom eyes were filled with affection at the moment.


    As if waiting for her answer, he leaned forward slightly, his gaze firmly locked on her.


    Liu Sisi suddenly smiled gently and shook her head.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of having all those material things? Brother Nan, you¡¯re missing the point.¡±


    ¡°In this world, everything is the same, gold and silver jewels dazzle the eyes, silk fabrics keep warmth, but too much is also a bad thing. There are too many people pursuing wealth and honor, yet behind it, there is endless decay unseen. As for luxury carriages and horses, and numerous servants, these are all external things. It¡¯s nice to have them as icing on the cake, but fine without them as well.¡±


    ¡°Brother Nan, you¡¯re obsessed, and that¡¯s not good.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up at him, her eyes calm as if they were vast rivers, making Nan Tianzong suddenly feel so insignificant.


    For the first time, his smile gradually faded, and he became silent.


    ¡°Sisi, it turns out you see things clearer than I do. Good, very good! Indeed, it¡¯s not bad.¡±


    Then, the two walked on in silence.


    They were close to each other, yet they seemed to be on opposite ends of the world. It was as if an invisible thread separated the two.<div>


    From time to time, passersby walked past the two of them, hurriedly rushing from one end to the other, then hurriedly passing by them again.


    It wasn¡¯t until after the bookstore that Liu Sisi said her goodbyes and left.


    ¡°Brother Nan, Sisi has never been an ambitious person. What I hope for and desire is simply to build a home by myself using my own hands. Other than that, I¡¯m not interested. It¡¯ste now, so I¡¯ll go back first. You should take care as well!¡±


    After saying that, she didn¡¯t wait for a response and walked away.


    Nan Tianzong opened his mouth as if to call out to her, but in the end, nothing came out.


    On her way back, Liu Sisi hitched a ride on a bull-cart.


    She also secretly pondered over the meaning behind Nan Tianzong¡¯s sudden question today.


    As they passed an asional viger along the way, she could see people pointing at her. With Sister Guihua having given her a heads-up earlier, Liu Sisi brushed off these people¡¯s gossip with an indifferent nce.


    The gossipers who were originally talking dispersed quickly upon being swept by Liu Sisi¡¯s sharp gaze.


    She didn¡¯t stop and continued towards her home.


    Old Man Li really stopped at nothing! Being targeted by such a person was really troublesome.<div>


    However, just as she reached the small path at the entrance of the vige, she saw Di Yelei standing there with a livid face and eyes that seemed to spit fire at her, as if he were a jealous husband!


    ¡°Where did you go? Who allowed you to go out?¡±


    His face was raging with anger, as if at any moment he would leap forward to tear her apart!


    Di Yelei¡¯s gaze was terrifying, causing Liu Sisi to shudder involuntarily.


    After a moment, however, she forced herself to straighten up.


    ¡°Why are you yelling? I naturally went to the small town. I haven¡¯t gone to work for a few days, so I had to tell people about it, right?¡±


    This was really annoying!


    She wasn¡¯t his prisoner, so why was he screaming at her?


    ¡°No! I¡¯ve told you before, you are not allowed to see him again! Didn¡¯t you hear me? And now you dare to sneak out behind my back, how dare you!¡±


    Di Yelei was furious!


    The gossiping women outside were causing him great anxiety with their wild talk.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Nan Tianzong is obviously a problem, and this cursed girl actually went to the small town when he wasn¡¯t paying attention!


    As soon as he got home and discovered she wasn¡¯t there, his heart leaped into his throat!


    If anything happened to Sisi, it would be toote even for tears!


    He couldn¡¯t wait to rush to the small town and catch this wicked girl! But he couldn¡¯t act rashly! At least not until Zuo Xingyu came back with the investigation results. He couldn¡¯t alert the enemy to their suspicions!


    But how to stop this unsuspecting kitten from walking into the enemy¡¯s trap?


    ¡°Why? Just because you say no, I can¡¯t go? Who are you to me? Why should I listen to you?¡±


    See him?


    Who was he referring to? Liu Sisi blinked her eyes, was it Nan Tianzong?


    Soon, she got angry too!


    What, are they treating her like an ordinary woman, trying to confine her to the backyard?


    ¡°Because I am your husband! I said you can¡¯t go, so you can¡¯t go!¡±


    Di Yelei grabbed Liu Sisi¡¯s hand and pulled her forcefully towards him.


    After a brief thought, he still believed that he must stop this little kitten from going to the bookstore!


    Extraordinary measures must be taken in extraordinary times.


    It¡¯s time to handle this stubborn kitten!


    Liu Sisi seemed weak on the outside, but she wouldn¡¯t stand for even a speck of dust in her eyes.


    ¡°What if you are my husband? You can¡¯t limit my freedom! I am a thinking person, not your possession! I want to see whomever I want¡­ Ah! Di Yelei, let go of me! Let go!¡±


    No longer wanting to hear her voice, Di Yelei took the opportunity to hug her tight: ¡°Let go ¡ª¡±


    She frowned deeply, both of her hands pushing against him, resisting his embrace. He raised his eyes, staring at her blushing cheeks.


    ¡°After that, if you still dare to talk nonsense, this will be your punishment!¡±


    She covered her lips, both shy and angry, ring at him and finally breaking free from his embrace!


    Anger caused two tears to hang on the edge of her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.


    ¡°You, Di Yelei, you bastard! Mark my words, you can¡¯t confine me at home! I won¡¯t submit to your tyranny!¡±


    His sword-like eyebrows raised!


    ¡°Oh? Do you want to submit to my tyranny? Or are you still unsatisfied?¡±


    A trace of a teasing smile at the corner of his mouth, his arms crossed, he calmly stared at the kitten in front of him, patiently watching her step by step fall into the trap he hadid.


    ¡°Di Yelei, you bastard, let me go!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s anger swelled in her chest, her cheeks flushed red, her chest heaving, clearly provoked to the extreme!


    ¡°Di Yelei let me tell you, I want to go out and work! I don¡¯t want to be a caged flower, I¡­Ah! What are you doing? Let me down! Di Yelei¡­¡±

 Chapter 162 - 162: 160: Struggling, the Chaotic Flowers Gradually Blinding One’s Eyes (Part 2)

    Chapter 162 - 162: 160: Struggling, the Chaotic Flowers Gradually Blinding One¡¯s Eyes (Part 2)<div>


    Suddenly carried on the man¡¯s shoulder, the world turned upside down, Liu Sisi screamed in fright and struggled desperately.


    ¡°You bastard! Di Yelei, you barbarian, can¡¯t you hear me? Put me down now! Bastard!¡±


    ¡°Why are you yelling? Do you want others to see you like this?¡±<div>


    Di Yelei strode towards the inside of the house.


    A feeling of grievance filled her heart, and Liu Sisi¡¯s tears fell down! This damned barbaric man!


    He quickly rushed through the main entrance, and with a bang, the door closed behind him.


    ¡°Shush! Don¡¯t cry, my baby.¡± He suddenly grabbed her chin.


    ¡°Di Yelei, you son of a bitch!¡± Liu Sisi struggled fiercely.


    ¡°Tell me, what did you do with him in the morning?¡±


    He noticed her gaze and looked up, his dominating eyes dazzling her, causing her to close her eyes unwillingly.


    ¡°Di Yelei, I hate you! Brother Nan and I are innocent!¡±


    ¡°Brother Nan? Sounds very intimate!¡± His eyes narrowed dangerously.


    She and Nan Tianzong hadn¡¯t done anything, but he treated her like this.


    This made her resentful, and she wanted to scratch her detestable man¡¯s face. And that¡¯s what she did!<div>


    She reached out her hand, aiming for a direct grab!


    Fingertips dragged across his cheek, sliding down, and long scratch marks appeared, with bloodstains from his face to his chest.


    Blood beads appeared along the cuts her nails made in his skin, quickly leaving a trail of red marks.


    ¡°So stubborn, huh? Suck! It hurts, you dare to scratch me? What a wild, unruly horse!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Suddenly, the fiery pain woke him up, he touched his face casually, feeling the blood. It was clear that her scratching had drawn blood.


    He actuallyughed!


    ¡°You really won¡¯t talk? Come on, tell me, my patience is limited.¡±


    He suddenly grinned, revealing shiny teeth, and then his gaze shifted downward¡­ His big hand firmly held her small hand, preventing her from misbehaving.


    She instinctively scratched several marks on his back!


    Bloodstains covered his back, the shallow wounds on the surface were shocking to look at!


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell! Not only did I go to meet him, but I also stayed in the shop all morning. Then¡­¡±<div>


    He remained silent, hisrge hands slowly sliding along her small body, igniting mes of desire.


    Liu Sisi was trembling all over, unable to speak because of his actions.


    ¡°Later, at noon, he invited me to have a meal at the wine-house.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but bite her lower lip tightly, unable to speak any more words.


    ¡°What aboutter? Sisi, do you enjoy me interrogating you like this? Hmm?¡±


    Di Yelei watched her lovely and alluring appearance, so enchanting, so sweet, and irresistible.


    He could never have enough of her, never get enough, and never love her enough!


    Did Nan Tianzong have any other ns when he took Sisi to the wine-house? His target was Sisi, that much was certain!


    The problem was that the little woman in front of him didn¡¯t listen to his advice and sneaked out on her own. God knows how worried and anxious he was while waiting for her just now!


    ¡°Later, Old Madam Gan and Miss of Gan Family also came¡­ And then, I came back, whimpering¡ª¡ª¡±


    Liu Sisi squinted her eyes slightly as she heard his words, her big watery eyes staring intently at him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t meet him alone. Old Madam Gan was there at the time, and Gan Miaoruo was there too.¡±


    Her body was bing less and less under her control.


    As if the next moment, she would bepletely engulfed in the emotional tide he stirred up, gasping for breath as she disappeared.


    ¡°Moreover, it was in a restaurant with peopleing and going. How could such a dirty and twisted thing you imagined happen! Di Yelei, don¡¯t go too far!¡±


    The more she wanted to resist, the less she could push him away.


    ¡°You are not allowed to see him again!¡± He dered forcefully and domineeringly!


    When he found out that Old Madam Gan also appeared in the wine-house, his face finally looked much better.


    Although he had never met Old Madam Gan, he had been selling game in the small town for many years, and the person with the most say in the town was probably Lord Gan¡¯s wife, Old Madam Gan.


    It seemed that he should also speed up his pace and get the affairs of Constable Zuo in his hands settled as soon as possible.


    Then, it was important to soothe the little woman in his arms as soon as possible.


    In this way, he would not give the other party a chance to hurt Sisi again.


    ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t go see him just because you said so? Di Yelei, you bastard, let me tell you, I will never surrender! You should not even think about trapping me in the backyard quadrangle! Get away from me!¡±


    She yelled angrily!


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that you have so manyints against me!¡±


    He suddenly chuckled wickedly!


    ¡°Are you trying to challenge your husband¡¯s authority or is there something you¡¯re not satisfied with?¡±


    His big hand reached out and hooked her small chin, his index finger slowly yet firmly moved along her jawline, making her shiver one wave after another.


    ¡°Let go of me ¨C I¡¯ve said everything I had to say. I¡¯m not satisfied with anything, and you cannot trap me anymore!¡±


    She struggled but could not resist his strength.


    Although the bastard only restrained her hands and didn¡¯t really hurt her, his movements made her knees weaken and she nearly fell down directly.


    Fortunately, he was quick with his eyes and hands, catching her just in time.


    He grinned triumphantly, his wildughter delighting him, as the little woman¡¯s performance in front of him unexpectedly pleased him.


    Her consciousness had be so hazy that she could not find her footing on the ground.


    Feeling his movement at this moment, she was frightened and immediately tried to struggle but couldn¡¯t. His hands firmly controlled her, overpowering her.


    ¡°Ah! Let me go. I made a promise to him, if he saves you, I would help him work for free¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi simply couldn¡¯t handle being driven insane by him. She couldn¡¯t even speak coherently, passively falling into his trap.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to see him again! Do you hear me?¡± Di Yelei dered firmly and domineeringly.


    He waited for her response, but it never came. Di Yelei¡¯s eyes turned red with jealousy.


    He seemed rough and unreasonable, but in fact, he was doing this for Sisi¡¯s sake.


    In his heart, Sisi was the most important thing, but Nan Tianzong was too dangerous!


    Yet looking at the little woman in front of him whose eyes were filled with tears and her stubborn little face, he knew that all his painstaking efforts were in vain.


    ¡ª¡ª


    On thest day of the month, please cast your monthly ticket for this craft paper, or it¡¯ll be wasted! Yiiiing¡­

 Chapter 163 - 163: 161 Struggle, Chaos, Lavender Gradually Desires to Confuse People’s Eyes (Three)

    Chapter 163 - 163: 161 Struggle, Chaos, Lavender Gradually Desires to Confuse People¡¯s Eyes (Three)<div>


    Liu Sisi red at him, her eyes filled with tears of rage, showing not the slightest sign of softening.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it! Di Yelei, you bastard!¡±


    She cursed at him, taking every opportunity to add a few more scratch marks to his body.<div>


    Di Yelei was burning with anger. Just as he was about to retort, he suddenly heard a knock on the main entrance.


    ¡°Third Brother! Third Brother, are you home?¡±


    Di Ruoning¡¯s distinctive voice echoed from the entrance.


    The two in the midst of an argument were taken aback, each ring at the other, neither willing to back down first.


    ¡°Third Brother, Third Brother, it¡¯s me, Ruoning. Are you at home? No, this main entrance is shut from the inside, someone must be in the house. Could you be asleep?¡±


    Di Ruoning¡¯s muttering came in.


    Then the voice of Ms. Ma followed: ¡°Madam, could they have gone out and not be home? Why don¡¯t we go back ande againter?¡±


    ¡°If you want to leave, you can leave yourself, I¡¯m not going! I¡¯m going to wait here for Third Brother toe back!¡±


    Di Ruoning¡¯s persistent voice echoed in again.


    In the house, Liu Sisi suddenly burst intoughter!


    She had a face full of gloating! She was keen to see what this stinky man in front of her could do now?<div>


    ¡°You better let me go now! Your young sister is looking for you outside, it seems she won¡¯t give up until she finds you.¡±


    The gloating tone in her words was too obvious; she couldn¡¯t control the smirk lifting the corner of her own mouth. For the first time, she discovered that Di Ruoning could actually be quite useful!


    Unexpectedly, Di Yelei cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°What? Do you think I wouldn¡¯t dare discipline you in front of Ruoning? I would still discipline you even in front of my little sister.¡±


    ¡°I dare you! Di Yelei, let me tell you, if you dare to discipline me in front of her, I will hate you for a lifetime!¡±


    Liu Sisi said sternly, her words devoid of any pretense.


    She was inherently resentful of this young sister. If he dared to discipline her in front of her, she would most definitely kick Di Yelei far away!


    The source of this raging anger was hard to articte, but in an instant, her fury had rushed straight to her head.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Am I the type of person who doesn¡¯t know how to act appropriately? I know how to handle things, so don¡¯t keep thinking of these unfounded issues.¡±


    Di Yelei tapped her forehead and turned to tidy up his clothes.


    Upon seeing this, Liu Sisi naturally tidied up her own clothes, and finally couldn¡¯t help but provoke him: ¡°Oh, really? Who knows if your words are true or false? Maybe they are all lies, who knows.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei turned back to look at her, his gaze lingering on her. Just as she thought he was going to make a move again, he suddenly reached out and smoothed the creases on the hem of her clothes for her, then he picked up the woodenb and began tob her hair.


    Liu Sisi was taken aback, realizing for the first time that this man had such a side to him.


    But don¡¯t think that he could win her over just like this! Humph!


    Liu Sisi was about to open the door when she was stopped by Di Yelei.


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll go out first. You can open the door after that, and I¡¯ll slip in from the back.¡±


    After saying that, Di Yelei walked straight out the door, went to the firewood room, nodded at Liu Sisi, and leaped lightly onto the fence. With one step down, he disappeared from sight.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth fell open in astonishment!


    Indeed, you can¡¯t judge a book by its cover, his physical condition was so good!


    The moment she opened the door, Di Ruoning¡¯s figure appeared in front of her.


    ¡°Oh! Third Sister-inw! I thought there was no one at home! Who would¡¯ve guessed, tsk tsk¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Little Sister, pleasee in. Just now, Sisi was washing up, so the door was opened a bitter!¡± Liu Sisi said with a light smile.


    Di Ruoning gave her a once-over before sneering coldly, ¡°Oh? Is that so, hehe¡­¡±


    Looks like she doesn¡¯t believe it at all!


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mind andughed it off casually.


    Idle talk does no good!


    ¡°Eh? Little Sister, why are you here? Hurry inside to get to work¡­¡± the dependable Di Yelei finally appeared!


    ¡°Third Brother!¡± Di Ruoning immediately threw herself into Di Yelei¡¯s arms.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth twitched a couple times. Out of sight, out of mind, she went into the inner room, leaving them alone outside.


    By the time she came out again, it was when Di Yelei called for her to see off the guest.


    ¡°Little Sister, how about having dinner here tonight? You can rest at the old house after eating.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d better not.¡±


    Di Ruoning hesitated before shaking her head: ¡°Mom has prepared my favorite food at home. If I change ns suddenly ande to your house, she might not be pleased.¡±


    Di Yelei paused slightly, that made sense.


    ¡°Alright then,e to my house for a meal tomorrow. Sisi cooks delicious meals, you cane and try them out.¡±


    Di Ruoningughed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid Xuan¡¯er and YingEr might not wee their little aunt.¡±


    ¡°They will be delighted that their little aunt is back. Why would they mind a few more mouths to feed? Little Sister, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Liu Sisi pre-empted from the side.


    She actually used the children to make a point, this little aunt, was really something else.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, if you hadn¡¯t said anything, I would have forgotten. All these years, I have not paid my respects to thete Third Sister-inw. I don¡¯t even know where her grave is¡­ Aiyo, third sister-inw, I¡¯m talking about Third Brother¡¯s original wife, Ms. Dou. I talk too much, I should be pped on the mouth¡­ That¡¯s right, Third Sister-inw, ording to custom, the new wife should kowtow to the que of the original wife. You should know where Ms. Dou¡¯s grave is, right?¡± Di Ruoningughed.


    ording to custom, the new wife has to kowtow in front of the original wife¡¯s que. When Liu Sisi got married, everything was in chaos, she didn¡¯t have any memory from her original body, so how would she know?


    Liu Sisi just smiled.


    Who would have thought that Di Ruoning¡¯s heart was so wily?


    Deliberately mention Ms. Dou, trying to sow discord between her and Di Yelei?


    She wouldn¡¯t fall for such an obvious trap!


    ¡°Little Sister! What are you babbling about? Sisi certainly paid respect to Ms. Dou¡¯s que.¡±


    Di Yelei rebuked her, ¡°Also, Sisi is your third sister-inw, you can¡¯t be so disrespectful. Moreover, you are so much older than Sisi, rightfully so, you should be amodating Sisi, how can you bully Sisi?¡±


    ¡°Third Brother, you¡­ don¡¯t you love your little sister anymore?¡± Di Ruoning¡¯s face changed instantly.


    Facing her teary eyes, Di Yelei¡¯s words softened, ¡°Third Brother knows you were close to Ms. Dou. If you want to visit her grave, Third Brother will take you there some other day. Be good! It¡¯s gettingte, if you go home anyter, there will be no dinner left, so Third brother can¡¯t keep you here any longer.¡± After that, he patted her on the shoulder.


    A sh passed through Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, sheughed softly: ¡°Little Sister, you really hit the nail on the head. To this day, Sisi has yet to pay respects to Elder Sister, I wonder if I can actually be considered Di family¡¯s daughter-inw?¡±


    After saying that, she turned around and went back into the house.


    ¡°You!¡­..¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Behind her, Di Ruoning wanted to say something, but Liu Sisi didn¡¯t give her the chance and quickly went into the yard.

 Chapter 164 - 164: 162 Struggle, Chaos, Lavender Gradually Desires to Confuse People’s Eyes (Four)

    Chapter 164 - 164: 162 Struggle, Chaos, Lavender Gradually Desires to Confuse People¡¯s Eyes (Four)<div>


    Not long after, Di Yelei came back.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t take what Little Sister said to heart. You are my legitimate wife.¡± Di Yelei found it hard to say, Little Sister¡¯s words were indeed excessive.


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I take it to heart? ording to her, she and I have nothing to do with each other. Di Yelei, tell me, why should I treat her nicely?¡±<div>


    Di Yelei hesitated for a moment: ¡°Even if it¡¯s for my sake¡­¡±


    ¡°Tsk! Do you have any face left?¡±


    Liu Sisi crossed her arms, not letting go of any chance to ridicule him: ¡°How could you say that in the blink of an eye?¡±


    ¡°Wronged!¡±


    Di Yelei cried out at the injustice: ¡°I just¡­¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    It was as if a kitten had its tail stepped on. Liu Sisi jumped up and confronted him.


    ¡°Di Yelei, how dare you do this to me? What did you promise me before?¡±


    As she spoke, she relentlessly stretched her hand to hammer him.


    ¡°Hiss ¨C so painful!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s reaction was a little slow, and Liu Sisi¡¯s little ws scratched him with five marks.<div>


    ¡°Serves you right! You dared to force me, this is your fate. Hmph, bastard, hateful man!¡±


    Liu Sisi was exceptionally smug.


    If she didn¡¯t teach this hateful man a lesson, who knows when he would continue his mischief?


    She had no intention of letting him off that easy!


    ¡°Hiss, you¡¯re still scratching¡­ Look at these wounds all over me, left by which little kitty?¡±


    Liu Sisi was instantly stunned!


    ¡°What¡­ which little kitty? I didn¡¯t see it; it must have run away.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze wavered.


    ¡°Oh ¨C so that little kitty ran away!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s tone elongated, nodding incessantly, the humor in his words making Liu Sisi more ashamed and annoyed.


    ¡°My sweetheart, it seems your energy is quite good, do you want your husband to satisfy you?¡±


    His big hand reached out and urately grabbed her hands, circling them with one hand, while the other hand smudged the overflowing fresh blood from his face to her mouth.<div>


    ¡°Come, my dear Sisi, have a taste of your husband¡¯s blood, how does it taste?¡±


    ¡°No, take it away¡­ Di Yelei, I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t think I¡¯m gonna yield!¡±


    Liu Sisi dodged around.


    ¡°In that case, my dear Sisi, shouldn¡¯t we¡­ continue what we left unfinished just now?¡± His pair of thick ck eyebrows rose high.


    ¡°What, what matter?¡±


    Liu Sisi pretended to run, but after two steps, she was caught by someone¡¯s long arms and legs¡­


    ¡°Let me go, bastard¡­¡±


    Her struggles were in vain, but she didn¡¯t want to struggle.


    ¡°Really a naughty little kitten.¡± In the midst of the busyness, he found the time to exim, ¡°But your husband likes it!¡±


    Like a floating duckweed in the rain.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s consciousness had long been drifting, her entire being drowsy, only able to passively follow his lead.


    It had to be said, Di Yelei¡¯s intention of keeping her at home was finally achieved!


    Di Yelei brought back quite a lot of game this time. In addition to sending an antelope to the old house, he kept several wild pheasants and two badgers for his own home.


    The wild pheasants were alive, so he simply put them in the chicken coop. The badgers were skinned, their meat marinated and hung to air-dry. He also carefully processed the inner organs one by one, following Liu Sisi¡¯s methods, before nching them in boiling water, salting them, and hanging them up to dry.


    After finishing all these tasks, he finally settled down and thought about cooking a delicious dish today to reward the hardworking kitten in his room.


    When Liu Sisi woke up from her daze, she couldn¡¯t understand what was going on for a moment.


    The strange feeling between her legs reminded her that after returning from the bookstore, she had been dragged into the room by Di Yelei, and then¡­


    As soon as the unpleasant memory returned, she immediately sat up.


    But as soon as she moved slightly, a certain ce immediately protested with a mournful cry, making her involuntarily whimper and fall back to the head of the bed.


    Damn Di Yelei! Damn him!


    And this cursed body, so delicate and weak, yet so sensitive. She felt ashamed and furious just thinking about how he had used despicable means to force her to agree to his terms.


    She struggled a few times, finally managing to stand up.


    Enduring the difort, she found an old dress in the wardrobe, put it on casually, and stormed out of the room to the kitchen.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was already pitch dark outside.


    The kitchen smelled delicious, and the fragrance of braised pork immediately greeted her.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re awake? The braised pork in the pot is ready, and we can eat now.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s excited voice came from the side, and Liu Sisi instinctively turned her head to see him soaked from the rain, walking in from outside with a naive smile on his face.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t smile at all.


    ¡°Di Yelei, I already promised Brother Nan that if he saved you from jail, I would work in the bookstore for a year. You can¡¯t make me break my word!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention him!¡±


    The gentle smile on Di Yelei¡¯s face disappeared, reced by a fierce expression.


    Did this damn woman understand that he was stopping her from meeting surnamed Nan, just to save her!


    ¡°Liu Sisi, let me tell you, this Nan person is definitely not as simple as you think he is, he¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, I know! He¡¯s a real yboy, he¡¯s not as naive as he appears, so what? He¡¯s just a friend, a gentleman¡¯s friendship is as light as water, do I have to limit the identity of my friends?¡±


    Liu Sisi interrupted him, yelling, eyes wide open.


    For a moment, the two of them stood motionless, their eyes locked.


    Nobody wanted to give in.


    After a while, Di Yelei was the first to back down andugh.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect it, my little kitten has sharp ws too!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t know!¡±


    Liu Sisi muttered softly.


    She was never a person who med others for her misfortunes. Her life as an orphan in her previous life had taught her how to survive in the cracks, how to adopt the best strategies at the right time!


    Weakness was her best weapon, but she had worn the mask for too long, and she couldn¡¯t take it off anymore.


    ¡°Yes, yes, my kitten is the best.¡±


    What a feisty little kitten! Kittens always like to be stroked along their fur, the more they¡¯re stroked, thezier they get.


    Di Yelei gently stroked her back, holding her in his arms, and secretly warned himself. It seemed he had to speed up the process of finding out Nan Tianzong¡¯s true identity.


    ¡°Alright! I won¡¯t stop you from seeing him. But you have to promise me one thing! And that is to take care of your own safety, this Nan person is really not¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi tiptoed and covered his mouth directly.


    Suddenly, the corners of her mouth curled, and she squinted her eyes with a smile.

 Chapter 165 - 165: 163: Struggle, Chaotic Flowers Gradually Obscuring the Vision (Part 5)

    Chapter 165 - 165: 163: Struggle, Chaotic Flowers Gradually Obscuring the Vision (Part 5)<div>


    Her eyes shed quickly with a bright light, and then disappeared just as quickly.


    Little rascal! You finally loosened your tongue, huh?


    ¡°Hehe, I know! I¡¯ll take good care of myself! I¡¯ve especially studied the three techniques of hooligan defense, so don¡¯t worry!¡±<div>


    ¡°Defending against hooligans or whatever isn¡¯t important, the important thing is for you to be careful¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s heart was still uneasy, and he couldn¡¯t help but say a few more words. Seeing the little kitty re at him, he finally reached out and pinched her little nose jovially.


    ¡°Are you not angry anymore? You, oh¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he lowered his head and kissed her, entangling and embracing her deeply. Only when she was breathless and pushed him away did he feel content and let her go.


    Looking at the little person whose watery eyes were still fluttering and face was flushed, he couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    However, doing so aggravated the scratches on his face, and he couldn¡¯t help but wince in pain as he covered his face.


    ¡°Pfft! You deserve it! Who told you to bully me! If there¡¯s a next time, I¡¯ll scratch your entire face!¡±


    Liu Sisi burst intoughter, her giggles sounding like silver bells.


    She took a handkerchief from her pocket and carefully covered the scratches for him. As expected, bloodstains quickly appeared on the handkerchief, and guilt welled up in Liu Sisi¡¯s heart.


    She stuck out her tongue,ughing sheepishly and whispering herint, ¡°You¡¯re so silly! You¡¯re so tall, how did you not dodge my scratch! Now you¡¯re bleeding, go put some ointment on quickly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! This is the memento my little kitty left for me; how could your husband dare to dodge it?¡±<div>


    Di Yelei wore a silly grin as he held her hand with the handkerchief and gently pressed a kiss to it.


    As if she had been burned, Liu Sisi quickly retracted her hand, her eyes darting restlessly.


    ¡°Stop teasing! I, I feel sticky and ufortable, I want to take a bath!¡±


    Di Yelei burst intoughter and yfully pped her little buttocks, ¡°Your husband already guessed it! Be good and wait for me to prepare everything for you, thene take a bath.¡±


    In the pot was arge pot of hot water. Liu Sisi was overjoyed. After Di Yelei mixed the hot water, she hurried to the bathhouse to wash, finally feelingfortable.


    The night at the foot of the mountain was extraordinarily quiet, with the distant mountains appearing heavy and hazy.


    Under the dense curtain of night, the brilliant stars twinkled, and the hazy full moon cast a silvery glow.


    Moonlight cascaded down from the heavens like water, imbuing everything around with ayer of silver radiance.


    ¡°Sisi,e over here!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s call attracted her. Facing the moon in the skies, Liu Sisi approached him curiously.


    By the courtyard¡¯s edge, near the base of arge tree, Di Yelei sat on a bamboo mat, waving to her and beckoning her toe closer.<div>


    Next to him, a torch was also propped up, making faint crackling sounds as the mes burned in the air.


    ¡°Come on! It¡¯s cool here! We can go back inside to sleep once it¡¯s coolerter.¡±


    With Di Yelei¡¯s words, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua also rushed to Liu Sisi¡¯s feet in a flurry of joy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to! I haven¡¯t had dinner yet!¡±


    Liu Sisi subconsciously widened her eyes: Was this a candlelit dinner?


    Liu Sisi was overjoyed!


    She really couldn¡¯t tell that the honest-looking man in front of her actually had such a romantic side!


    ¡°Kitty, I know you haven¡¯t eaten, so I¡¯ve already scooped out some braised pork ribs for you. Come and eat.¡±


    Under the starlight, his face seemed even more enchanting, but it was his eyes that shone even brighter than the stars in the night sky!


    ¡°But¡­why did you decide to eat outside?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t eaten a single bite since noon and had used up a lot of energy, so she was starving at this point.


    ¡°Here, let me feed you. I made these ribs by stewing badger meat, and they taste really delicious. Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er both love it. If your husband hadn¡¯t saved this portion for you, those two little greedy cats would have finished all the meat long ago.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he picked a piece of rib from a nearby bowl and put it into her mouth.


    The extremely rich meaty taste immediately filled her mouth, making her already starving stomach go crazy. Without a care for anything else, she chewed hurriedly.


    ¡°Woof, woof, woof¡­¡±


    Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua, who had been yfully surrounding the two, immediately began to lightly bark and whine when they saw the piece of meat disappear, wagging their tails and trying to please the couple.


    ¡°Get out of here! Go away and don¡¯t ruin my good mood. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be eating your meat on tomorrow¡¯s dinner table.¡±


    Di Yelei had no embarrassment in chasing the two puppies away loudly.


    *Chuckle* ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡±


    This amused Liu Sisi: ¡°I would never have guessed that Di Yelei, you would actually be able to bully two little dogs.¡±


    ¡°Really? If they prevent me from eating meat, I¡¯ll just have to use their meat to make up for it. What do you think of my decision?¡±


    Di Yelei squinted his eyes and raised his sword-like eyebrows while speaking, his wild and unruly smile in his eyes dazzling Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Want to eat their meat? In your dreams! Here, can¡¯t this much meat block your mouth?¡±


    Liu Sisi annoyed, picked up a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, giving him a sideways nce. This made him burst into a continuous series ofughter, which echoed far away at the foot of the mountain in the night.


    They had a peaceful night¡¯s sleep.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    After waking up refreshed, Liu Sisi washes herself and takes a look around. There was no one outside, and as soon as Liu Sisi left the yard, she saw Di Yelei¡¯s figure in the distance.


    With a faint smile on his face, he was carefully exining something to Di Ruoning at the three-way intersection, and she was nodding her head as she listened. Then the two said something else, and Di Ruoning visibly brightened, looking towards where Liu Sisi was.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw!¡± Di Ruoning waved at Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrow, curious, and walked over: ¡°Little sister, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Nowhere! Yesterday, I had some dried shrimps at your ce, and I was craving them today, so I asked Meng Bai to catch some in the river using a. He caught quite a lot.¡±


    Di Ruoning smiled at Liu Sisi, took the initiative to step forward and looped her arm around hers. ¡°Dad will start the autumn harvest tomorrow, and it would be nice to catch some fish today and add a dish to everyone¡¯s meal to improve the quality.¡±


    Aside from the roe deer that Di Yelei had brought to the old house, there was no meat left. It would indeed be good to catch some fish and shrimp.


    ¡°I told her earlier that we have plenty of dried shrimps at home, and if you like them, you cane and get them anytime.¡± Di Yelei¡¯s gentle words came from the side.


    ¡°Yelei is right. These dried shrimps are simply picked from the river and made at home, not some precious luxury. I¡¯ll make sure to send some to Little Sister tomorrow.¡±


    Liu Sisi chimed in too.


    ¡ª-


    The stored manuscripts have run out, and updates will be reduced from tomorrow onwards. However, the minimum will not be less than 4000 words, which is two chapters a day.

 Chapter 166 - 166: 164: Jealousy Arises, Stirring up More Troubles

    Chapter 166 - 166: 164: Jealousy Arises, Stirring up More Troubles<div>


    Di Ruoning also covered her mouth andughed softly!


    ¡°Those shrimps are small in size, it¡¯s not easy to dry them out. Besides, Xuan¡¯er and YingEr still needed to eat, we can¡¯t steal their food.¡± she said.


    Her words made the three of themugh.<div>


    Seeing the fine fishing in Di Ruoning¡¯s hand, Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes lit up!


    ¡°Ye Lei, fishing in muddy water is the easiest. In this murky river water, why don¡¯t we catch some more fish and shrimps? During winter, we can have more dishes added to our meals.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words reached Di Yelei¡¯s heart!


    ¡°Good idea! I will catch more in the river while there is still time.¡±


    After catching the fish and shrimps, they could distribute some to the old house, and also bring some home for Little Sister to eat. After all, these were small things that did not cost any money.


    In this way, everyone grandiosely headed towards the river.


    Walking along with Di Ruoning, Liu Sisi moved slowly and carefully. She hadn¡¯t forgotten that Little Sister was pregnant at the moment.


    Once Di Yelei passed the mountain bay, Di Ruoning suddenly exerted more force in pulling her hand!


    The riverside was unusually lively today. Many families, following the chaos, all rushed here to fish. The river was broad, with the widest part estimated to be about ten meters and the narrowest part about six meters. The water was shallow and flowed slowly.


    This was due to a famousrge mill that was built downstream of the river. After a dam was constructed across the river, the water surface widened and the flow slowed down, thereby spawning countless small fishes.


    Everyone was bustling around in the lush water grass river section. Some men, only wearing shorts, simply dived in to catch the little fishes. Others casteds along the river bank. No matter how many or few, each cast always yielded some fish and shrimps. Some people were transferring fish fromrge ques, and some people even sets directly in the middle of the river¡­<div>


    When Liu Sisi and Di Yelei arrived, the stone b where women used to wash clothes under the drooping willows was already filled with spectators. Among them were Xuan¡¯er and YingEr. Standing beside them were Di Ruoning and Di Wei, her niece, they were chatting andughing while facing the lively river.


    ¡°Mom! Mom, over here!¡±


    YingEr joyfully waved her hand at Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi smiled, shook off Di Ruoning¡¯s hand, walked over to YingEr, pulled out a handkerchief, and gently wiped her sweat, ¡°How did it go? How many fish did you catch?¡±


    ¡°Mom! We caught so many fishes, Uncle was so cool, he casted a and caught a big, round fish, as big as this¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    YingEr raised her little hand, happily gesturing that the fish was that BIG.


    ¡°Stupid YingEr, that¡¯s called a turtle! The meat of those turtles is delicious! Uncle caught it.¡± Di Wei proudly added in the conversation.


    Her little aunt was so good to her, Di Wei had even brought her a Su embroidery handkerchief when she came back home. Di Wei nervously nced up at her little aunt, fearing that her answer might have upset her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid! Mom¡ª¡ª¡± YingEr retorted at Di Wei, seeking the protection of Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi chuckled as she stroked YingEr¡¯s hair: ¡°YingEr is a good girl, it¡¯s normal for you not to recognize it because you are still young. Once you grow up, you will naturally recognize it. For example, now if mother asks you: ¡®What is the round fish that your little uncle just caught?¡¯, how would you answer your mother?¡±¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a turtle, a turtle!¡± YingEr happily replied.<div>


    ¡°It is a turtle. Our YingEr is so smart!¡±


    Liu Sisiughed, and impulsively kissed YingEr¡¯s cheek.


    The crowd in the river was enthusiastically fishing, and cheers echoed from the riverbank, making it very lively.


    Di Wei looked up at Di Ruoning who was leading her by the hand, somewhat annoyed, she red at Di Ying, and then pointed at therge bucket on the other side: ¡°Then tell me, how many fish did your dad catch? How many kinds of fish are there?¡±


    ¡°No matter how many fish my dad caught, and how many kinds of fish he caught, it¡¯s definitely more than the fish your dad caught! Hmph!¡±


    YingEr raised her little head proudly and looked up at Liu Sisi.


    What a smart child indeed!


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud: ¡°Our YingEr is really great!¡±


    ¡°Tsk! Pretending! ¡±


    The affection between mother and daughter provoked Di Ruoning. She couldn¡¯t help but retort: ¡°Liu Sisi, you pretend pride outside while stirring paste inside, aren¡¯t you disgusted? Who doesn¡¯t know that these two kids are not your biological children, you¡¯re so pretentious, you¡¯re really hypocritical!¡±


    ¡°Showing pride on the outside while stirring paste on the inside¡± is a local saying, meaning that a person dresses brightly outside while they stir paste to eat at home.


    Liu Sisi looked up at Di Ruoning, and casually nced around, to understand Di Ruoning¡¯s reference.


    It turned out that the people fishing had already moved their positions, gradually moving upstream. Besides her and her, there were only these three children left on the spot.


    ¡°Whether I am truly hypocritical or not is not something a little sister should care about, right? Third Sister-inw, as your sister-inw, seeing that you made a mistake, shouldn¡¯t you be reminded? Don¡¯t treat others as fools, only you are smart!¡±


    After speaking, she lowered her head and led YingEr by the hand, and walked to the side: ¡°YingEr, Xuan¡¯er let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go over there and see what kind of fish your dads caught?¡±


    ¡°What kind of sister-inw are you? Bah! My Third Sister-inw has long been buried in the ground, you¡¯re just a recement wife¡ª¡ª¡±


    Di Ruoning was extremely angry. Seeing that Liu Sisi was about to leave, she hurriedly chased after her.


    ¡°Liu Sisi! You shameless vixen, did you scratch my third brother¡¯s face? Hmph! As a woman, you¡¯re not serving your husband well, on the contrary, you scratched his face. Are you nning to find a wild man outside?¡±


    At the words, Liu Sisi paused in her steps, turned around abruptly, and red at her fiercely.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Di Ruoning, considering that you are pregnant and younger, I have been repeatedly tolerant of you, but don¡¯t treat others as toothless tigers to be bullied!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did your fox taile out?¡±


    Looking at the angry Liu Sisi, Di Ruoning became even more triumphant, using her with an air of superiority.


    ¡°I¡¯ve really underestimated you. You can pretend to be virtuous like a chaste and resolute woman, and coax my Third Brother to be obedient! But, no matter how well you can pretend, a whore is a whore, never erasing your past. Every minute I stand with a woman like you, I feel disgusted!¡±


    Liu Sisi was taken aback. The contempt in Di Ruoning¡¯s eyes stung her eyes.

 Chapter 167 - 167: 165: Those who insult others will always be insulted in return.

    Chapter 167 - 167: 165: Those who insult others will always be insulted in return.<div>


    Her smile disappeared from her face!


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Di Ruoning, think before you speak and act! Be careful not to harm yourself with your own words! Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re talking too harshly?¡±


    ¡°Tch! Harsh on you? Who do you think you are, Liu Sisi? I, Di Ruoning, do not need to demean myself for you!¡±<div>


    Di Ruoning continued with disdain, ¡°Liu Sisi, let me tell you, don¡¯t think that by marrying my brother, you can erase the disgraceful things you did in your maternal home. A woman like you should have been thrown into a pigsty, or sent to the brothel. You disgrace our Di family¡¯s reputation!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face suddenly changed. What Di Ruoning said about her maternal home¡¯s past¡­


    Could it be that Di Ruoning knew the original body¡¯s past in her maternal home, or that she knew the original body herself?


    She didn¡¯t even have the original body¡¯s memories, so if she said something wrong or was used of something, she wouldn¡¯t even know how to refute!


    ¡°Little Sister must have heard from someone else that when Sisi married into the Di family, she had a high fever and lost her past memories. That¡¯s why she deliberately said this so Sisi wouldn¡¯t be able to refute her, right?¡±


    Di Ruoning was stunned. She¡¯d never heard about this before.


    Before Di Ruoning could speak, Liu Sisi sneered and continued, ¡°Although Sisi has no past memories, and regardless of what she did before marriage, when she married into the Di family, she was still a pure and innocent girl. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask your Third Brother.¡±


    Liu Sisi tried to pull her arm away, attempting to break free from the other¡¯s grip.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said you must have fed my brother some love potion, making him devoted to you. You really have some high-level techniques!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Ruoning tightened her grip, her eyes shing various emotions. After a moment, she suddenlyughed, and her eyes were filled with disdain.


    ¡°Liu Xuer, Liu Zhi¡¯er, Liu Sisi, I think you three sisters are more shameless and seductive than the others. It¡¯s amazing you have the nerve to go out. If I were you, I¡¯d have hanged myself a long time ago!¡±<div>


    After trying several times to break free, Liu Sisi was still unsessful and became increasingly irritated.


    This Di Ruoning was too much!


    ¡°Di Ruoning, are you saying that because you look down on your Third Brother? Or do you think too highly of me, Liu Sisi? Do you think he could be deceived by just acting and lying? After all, he¡¯s been married before! Is he really that foolish? Then you really underestimate your Third Brother!¡±


    Di Ruoning was stunned!


    ¡°Moreover, you should insult someone without involving their family. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that you¡¯re pregnant, I would have taught you a lesson!¡±


    With a strong pull, Liu Sisi finally broke free from her grip and immediately turned to leave.


    Staying with such self-righteous people would drive her insane!


    ¡°Liu Sisi, no matter how you try to defend yourself, don¡¯t think you can erase your shameful past just by pretending to have lost your memory!¡±


    Di Ruoning was furious, yelling at her from behind!


    ¡°I could grab a random person from Liu Family¡¯s Mansion and everyone would know that you, Liu Sisi, looked down on Zuo Xingyu for being poor and tried to force him to break off the engagement. But when he refused out of respect for histe father¡¯s wishes, you immediately climbed higher. When you were discovered, you were already with Businessman Zhang! All those disgraceful things you did, the entire Liu Family¡¯s Mansion can testify. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m framing you!¡±


    Behind the haystack where the two were arguing, there was a robust figure leaning against the field of sweet potatoes, listening to their entire conversation.<div>


    Looking at Liu Sisi¡¯s figure, he didn¡¯t know what to think.


    There was a sudden loud rumble!


    One million mud horses shed through Liu Sisi¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Zuo Xingyu? Which Zuo Xingyu?¡±


    Liu Sisi squinted her eyes slightly, looking at Di Ruoning against the light.


    Indeed, she and Zhang Shixin might have had a fling in the past, and she was always prepared for this in her heart. But how could she be associated with Zuo Xingyu?


    This was too much even for the mischievous heavens!


    Di Ruoning crossed her arms and looked disdainfully at her: ¡°Which Zuo Xingyu else? Naturally, it¡¯s Zuo Xingyu from South Mountain Vige next to Liu Family¡¯s mansion, whose father died early and relied on his mother for a living. What¡¯s wrong with you being greedy for the wealth of Businessman Zhang? Unfortunately! His home has a fierce tiger for a wife, who offered some benefits to your brother and sister-inw, so a ragtag like you was still sent to my Di family. What a shameless person!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s pupils shrank suddenly!


    Although she didn¡¯t know if Di Ruoning¡¯s words were true or false, from her confident expression, it seemed that most of what she said was probably true.


    ¡°Are you talking about Constable Zuo Xingyu from the county government?¡±


    Her gaze was deep.


    ¡°What¡¯s it to you now? Even if others don¡¯t know about your past, my home is next to the Zuo family, and Auntie Zuo talks about you in my ear all day long. How can I not know your background? Liu Sisi, let me tell you! If you know what¡¯s best for you, you¡¯d better get lost early! Stop clinging to the Di family and shaming my Di family¡¯s face!¡±


    So Zuo Xingyu was actually the original fianc¨¦ of her past life! What a small world!


    Recalling the various encounters with Zuo Xingyu, a scene by scene shed by like a revolvingntern, and the sneering color in his eyes reappeared in front of her.


    Liu Sisi suddenly felt that the man was too restrained and too patient!


    If it were her, she would have probably punched him long ago.


    She suddenly thought of something else. Ye Lei was currently working for Zuo Xingyu, right?


    Could he¡­?


    Thinking of Zuo Xingyu¡¯s cold star-like eyes, she could no longer remain calm!


    ¡°My past in my mother¡¯s home has been severed from the moment I, Liu Sisi, followed the matchmaker¡¯s rmendation and my parents¡¯ orders to get married! It¡¯s not up to you, an outsider, to dictate whether I stay or leave. You should take care of the child in your stomach!¡±


    After speaking, Liu Sisi no longer wanted to stay, she sneered, turned around and left.


    It took a while for the left-behind Di Ruoning to react, stomping her foot in anger and screaming.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run! Liu Sisi,e back! Come back! ¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave! Liu Sisi, you can¡¯t just walk away like that today! I¡¯m telling you, Liu Sisi, you¡­ Ah! ¨C Plop!¡±


    As Di Ruoning cried out, a sudden sound of someone falling into the water came from behind, prompting Liu Sisi to instinctively turn her head.


    ¡°Help! Uh¡­ cough, cough¡­ Help!¡­ My life¡­ cough, cough¡­ ¡±


    In the water, Di Ruoning struggled desperately, calling for help, trying to climb out of the water.

 Chapter 168 - 168: 166: Framing

    Chapter 168 - 168: 166: Framing<div>


    However, the more she, who was not good at swimming, struggled, the farther she was from the shore, and she choked on several mouthfuls of river water.


    ¡°Ah! Help!¡­ Sister-inw, Sister-inw!¡±


    Di Wei burst into tears. As soon as she cried, Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er beside her also started crying.<div>


    Liu Sisi was also frightened!


    Staring nkly at her struggling in the water, she obviously had not recovered from the sudden change in front of her. She couldn¡¯t swim either, but she couldn¡¯t think about it at the moment.


    ¡°Help! Someone fell into the water! Help!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s shrill voice rang out far away. The people who were fishing by the riverside immediately gathered around.


    Leading the way was naturally Di Yelei. As soon as he reached the shore, he jumped straight into the water to save her without saying a word. At this moment, Di Ruoning had no more strength to struggle, and her body was gradually sinking. Di Yelei moved quickly, and in no time at all, he had carried Di Ruoning¡¯s body and saved her from the water.


    ¡°Cough¡­ Cough! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Huddled in Di Yelei¡¯s arms, Di Ruoning coughed desperately, her messy hair clinging to her face.


    Her clothes clung to her body because of the water, revealing her curves, but she didn¡¯t notice, shivering in a ball, burying her head in Di Yelei¡¯s arms, and sobbing loudly.


    ¡°What happened? How did she fall into the water? Ruoning, are you alright?¡±


    Yuan Mengbai finally arrived and immediately changed his expression upon seeing Di Ruoning in Di Yelei¡¯s arms. He quickly took off his own clothes to wrap Di Ruoning¡¯s body and tried to take her from Di Yelei¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Ruoning, don¡¯t cry! Let me see if you¡¯re injured anywhere.¡±<div>


    She was a pregnant woman after all!


    What would they do if something happened to her!


    Di Ruoning crying heartbreakingly: ¡°Third Sister-inw, how could you¡­ do this¡­ I¡­ Woo Woo!¡±


    As soon as she said this, the faces of everyone present changed! Their eyes were all focused on Liu Sisi.


    Could it be that Liu Sisi¡­ had pushed Di Ruoning into the river? Everyone filled in the story in their heads.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face turned ck at once!


    She quickly realized that Di Ruoning was deliberately framing her!


    Di Yelei and Yuan Mengbai also had the same expressions, both ck with a hint of green, focusing their gazes on Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Little Sister, don¡¯t speak like a child and only tell half the story. I know you¡¯re ming Third Sister-inw for not jumping into the water to save you, but Third Sister-inw is really not good at swimming. If she really jumped in, it¡¯s uncertain whether everyone would have to save another person instead!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes were heavy, and her mouth spoke indifferently, but she didn¡¯t give in.


    What a joke! If she wanted to frame her, she had to see if she was willing to be framed first!<div>


    Everyone¡¯s changed expression eased a bit, thinking that it made sense. If someone who couldn¡¯t swim jumped into the river to save someone, it might not only involve another person but also fail to save the person in the end.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m not ming Third Sister-inw¡­ Cough, cough! It was Little Sister who angered Third Sister-inw just now; she turned and left¡­ Ruoning wanted to chase after Third Sister-inw, and identally¡­ identally¡­¡±


    Di Ruoning coughed violently again, as if she was choking, unable to speak.


    She seemed very afraid of Liu Sisi, instinctively avoiding her gaze, and burrowed even deeper into Di Yelei¡¯s arms!


    Her words and actions only attracted more attention to Liu Sisi from everyone present.


    Everyone unconsciously imagined numerous scenarios, letting their minds run wild.


    Indeed, she could really act! With such acting skills, she should be an actor in the modern world. Liu Sisi¡¯s heart burst withughter!


    ¡°Ruo Ning! Ruo Ning, what¡¯s going on with you? Are you okay?¡±


    Yuan Mengbai forcefully pulled at Di Ruoning¡¯s arm, trying to drag her out of Di Yelei¡¯s arms, but had no sess after several attempts.


    He couldn¡¯t help but stand up angrily, ring at Liu Sisi.


    However, when faced with her pure and clear eyes, his aura instinctively softened.


    ¡°Third sister-inw, what is really going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Third sister-inw¡¯s fault. Yesterday, I only made braised fish and steamed egg custard to treat Little Sister and brother-inw! Little Sister scolded me, I should have just taken it for the sake of the child in her womb. How could I get angry and walk away because she scolded me for ¡®showing off outside and stirring paste at home¡¯? It¡¯s all Sisi¡¯s fault¡­¡±


    She looked tearful, tears swirling in her eyes, but they never fell.


    Times were hard nowadays.


    Poor families work in the fields all year round for a living. The lives they live are very limited.


    When a married daughter returns to her brother¡¯s home, to be greeted with two meat dishes should already be considered very good. Yet, she actually used such words to scold people. It was simply too much!


    With that in mind, everyone couldn¡¯t help but discuss it amongst themselves, staring angrily at Di Ruoning lying in Di Yelei¡¯s arms.


    Di Yelei, meanwhile, was softlyforting his little sister in his arms, lightly patting her on the shoulder tofort her.


    At the news, his entire body stiffened, and his face immediately changed! Also changing his expression was Yuan Mengbai next to him.


    ¡°Little Sister, don¡¯t be sad. Be careful of the child in your stomach. Sisi, hurry up and apologize to Little Sister!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Yelei raised his head and nced at everyone.


    Liu Sisi suddenly became stubborn! What did she do to apologize to her? None of the things that happened was her fault.


    ¡°Apologize to her? For what?¡±


    In the midst of this, she began to cry: ¡°I know! You always say I¡¯m young and ignorant! At home, it¡¯s okay for you to hit me, scold me, and torment me every day, but now so many people are here, even your siblings, shouldn¡¯t you leave me some dignity no matter how dissatisfied you are with the food I cooked yesterday? I¡­I can¡¯t live like this, just let me die!¡±


    As she spoke, she plunged headfirst into the river.


    ¡°Sisi, what nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    Di Yelei roared angrily! The veins on his face throbbed!


    This girl was actually wronging him! When did he ever hit her or scold her? Has their home ever been so poor that they couldn¡¯t even afford food? She was clearly trying to nder him on purpose!


    He wanted to stand up but was held back by his little sister in his arms.


    Yuan Mengbai next to him was anxious! Desperate, he reached out to grab Liu Sisi¡¯s clothes: ¡°Third sister-inw, don¡¯t do this! This is Ruo Ning¡¯s fault. Please don¡¯t lose your emotions.¡±


    Joke! He knew his family very well!


    Although Ruo Ning seemed gentle and weak, she was actually very stubborn. For their third sister-inw with her gentle and weak nature to get the best of her, it would be very difficult.


    ¡°Let go of me, brother-inw! Let me die! I¡¯ll go jump into the river like others, it¡¯s easier to die like this. So at least I won¡¯t have to suffer again tonight¡­wah wah wah¡­¡±

 Chapter 169 - 169: 167 Counterattack! Sisi’s Rage

    Chapter 169 - 169: 167 Counterattack! Sisi¡¯s Rage<div>


    One wanted to jump into the river and the other wanted to stop her. In the struggle, Liu Sisi stumbled and fell directly into Yuan Mengbai¡¯s arms, crying in grief.


    She did it on purpose!


    Didn¡¯t Di Ruoning like to hold Di Yelei¡¯s waist tightly and not let go?<div>


    Did she really think everyone was blind?


    Although Yuan Mengbai was a bit older, he was still a gentle young master. She used the same tactic against him, which was making good use of her resources.


    She sobbed, and everyone¡¯s faces changed!


    ¡°Mom! Mom, don¡¯t die! Don¡¯t leave YingEr all alone, wuwuwu¡­¡±


    YingEr, who had been quietly following Liu Sisi like a little tail, couldn¡¯t stand the sight before her and cried out, her clear cries making everyone¡¯s hearts ache.


    ¡°YingEr! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Crying, Liu Sisi simply embraced YingEr as well, and mother and daughter cried out together.


    Yuan Mengbai was also quite helpless, what was this situation in front of him?!


    Soft and fragrant in his arms, yet he could not do anything about it!


    Being stared at by those deep green wolf eyes, a chill rose from his spine and went straight to his heart!


    He could only raise both arms, with a sad face, indicating his innocence.<div>


    He even had to endure the two little women secretly using his robes as a face towel, tears and snot constantly wiping on it¡­


    Who did he provoke, him?


    Especially Di Yelei, his face was a mix of green, white, ck, and green, like a color palette.


    Apart from angrily staring at her, the damned little woman had her back to him, lying in another man¡¯s arms, sobbing and crying in sadness.


    ¡°Liu Sisi! You¡­you stop messing around!¡±


    Di Yelei forcefully grabbed Di Ruoning¡¯s hand, his strong grip hurting her so much that she cried out in pain and let go of her hand.


    She suddenly sat down on the ground, looking at him in surprise.


    ¡°Third Brother¡­¡± Di Ruoning¡¯s face turned pale!


    He acted as if he hadn¡¯t seen her, taking two big steps to Liu Sisi¡¯s side, forcibly pulling her away from Yuan Mengbai¡¯s arms.


    He stood steadily in front of her, his face expressionless as he stared at her.


    ¡°What are you crying for? What does it mean to seek death like this!¡±<div>


    His tone was extremely bad, he lifted his sleeve and wiped her face haphazardly, quickly leaving arge red mark on her face, burning with pain.


    This time, Liu Sisi really felt wronged and cried! He dared to be fierce to her!


    ¡°Third Sister-inw is framing me, she¡¯s lying! It¡¯s not like that at all! Third Brother, it was clearly her who pushed me into the river, Di Wei saw it! You can ask Di Wei, she witnessed it with her own eyes!¡±


    Di Ruoning fell to the ground, shouting madly like a drowning person grasping thest straw for survival.


    Although she was the adopted daughter of the Di Family, Di Yelei had always loved and cared for her like a real younger sister. However, at this moment, the Third Brother who loved her the most was treating her like this!


    He actually pushed her away for that woman!


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know anything¡­¡±


    Di Wei, whose name was called out, hid in the crowd and bit her lip as she looked at Di Ruoning and then Liu Sisi. Suddenly, she turned and ran like a swift wind.


    Di Yelei¡¯s gaze darkened, and he didn¡¯t say much on the matter.


    Everyone was silent, but some people in the crowd beside them couldn¡¯t help but speak up.


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s wrong with you, woman? Can¡¯t you just apologize? You pushed her into the river; she just wants an apology, and you¡¯re still ying coy. You really are quite a shrew!¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! People today are so arrogant! There¡¯s no sense of responsibility anymore. She¡¯s pregnant! If something really happened¡­ that¡¯s a matter of life and death!¡±


    ¡°She only gets her husband¡¯s favor because she has some good looks. They say one should marry a virtuous wife, but a daughter-inw like this¡­ Tsk, tsk!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The discussion among the crowd caused Di Yelei¡¯s face to change!


    ¡°Sisi! Apologize to Ruoning now!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s expression froze, and she was at a loss for words! She hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, so why should she apologize to the other party!


    ¡°Why? Why should I apologize to her? Di Yelei, you bastard!¡±


    Unable to hold back, she gritted her teeth, tried to stop the tears from falling, and turned to run. But Di Yelei was much faster than her! He raised his hand and grabbed her arm with one swift move.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go! You apologize to Little Sister right now, or you¡¯re not allowed to leave.¡±


    Although it was Di Ruoning who made the mistake, Sisi was still her Third Sister-inw, after all. A sister-inw should act like one and not be jealous over every little thing.


    Di Ruoning coughed for quite a while and finally caught her breath. She said apologetically, ¡°Third Sister-inw, thank you for crying for help earlier. I was wrong to me you for not jumping into the water to save me. I¡¯m the one at fault here, so I apologize!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She swayed as she finished speaking, then slowly squatted down to pay her respects to Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi remained silent, with a cold sneer at the corner of her mouth, letting the other party bow down to her. She wanted to see just how far the other party would go.


    Di Yelei beside her reached out to help her up: ¡°Little Sister, you¡¯re pregnant now, so how can you not take care of yourself? Get up quickly, or you might catch a cold.¡±


    ¡°Third Brother¡­¡±


    Di Ruoning cried with tears streaming down her cheeks, unable to speak.


    ¡°Little Sister, listen to me, go back and change into some dry clothes first. We¡¯ll talk about other thingster.¡±


    A gleam flickered in Di Yelei¡¯s eyes as he turned to Yuan Mengbai and said, ¡°Brother-inw, please take good care of Little Sister since she¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Third Brother.¡± Yuan Mengbai quickly nodded his head.


    ¡°Good! You¡¯re doing great! Di Yelei, you¡¯re doing great!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s tears continued to fall. Through blurry eyes, she met his determined gaze. Raising her arm, she wiped the tears from her face and then pointed to the spot she had juste through.


    ¡°Di Yelei, what is that?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Di Yelei was a bit surprised!


    ¡°Footprints! These are the footprints from when I walked here with Ruoning from home!¡±


    Because of the fishing taking ce today, the ground was full of water, leaving two different sets of footprints ¡ª onerge and one small ¡ª in the mud.


    The smaller footprints stopped at the edge of the muddy area, while therger ones continued all the way to the riverside. Di Ruoning struggled in the water and was washed downstream. At the moment, everyone was standing quite a distance away from where Di Ruoning had fallen into the water, so the footprints had been preserved perfectly.


    ¡°Look! From such a distance, how could I have pushed her? Do you think I can grow wings and fly over there?¡±


    With a distance of more than two meters, it was naturally impossible for her to have pushed anyone!

 Chapter 170 - 170: 168: Let the Storm Come More Fiercely!

    Chapter 170 - 170: 168: Let the Storm Come More Fiercely!<div>


    Everyone¡¯s gazes focused on Di Ruoning, despising, disdaining, belittling¡­ Various kinds of stares seemed to pierce through Di Ruoning.


    ¡°How about it? Did everyone see it clearly?¡±


    Liu Sisi sneered coldly.<div>


    Di Ruoning struggled fiercely, unable to bear the suffocation in her heart any longer. She wanted to expose Liu Sisi¡¯s past: ¡°I won¡¯t leave! I won¡¯t leave! You don¡¯t know, this Liu Sisi is not a good person at all! When she was still unmarried, she was already with another man¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Ruoning, don¡¯t make a fuss anymore! So many people are watching. Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll go back.¡±


    Yuan Mengbai hastily interrupted Di Ruoning¡¯s unfinished words.


    Did she want to reveal her so-called past?


    Come on!


    Let the storme more violently! Let her deal with all the demons and monsters!


    ¡°Hold on! You¡¯re leaving just like that? Little sister just wronged me, she hasn¡¯t apologized to me yet, how could you just leave like this!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s crisp voice suddenly came from behind.


    ¡°You!¡­ Third Sister-inw! You should always leave some room for yourself!¡±


    Yuan Mengbai¡¯s face darkened, and he turned to coldly say.


    While he was still trying to maintain harmony among their family, Liu Sisi was unrelenting. This was too much!<div>


    ¡°Hehe! If people respect me one inch, I respect them one foot!¡±


    Liu Sisi would not yield half a step!


    Since she already offended people, it¡¯s better topletely break it off than to keep it lingering on endlessly.


    ¡°As a schr, brother-inw should understand reason. Although Sisi is not talented, she can at least recognize a few words. She can¡¯t tolerate being ndered without any investigation.¡±


    Seeing Sisi like this, Di Yelei¡¯s eyes shed with a bright light.


    He turned to look at Di Ruoning and apologized somewhat regretfully: ¡°Ruoning, this time you really did wrong. Apologize to your Third Sister-inw quickly!¡±


    Third Brother wanted her to apologize?


    Di Ruoning felt like the sky was falling!


    She bit her lip and buried her head in Yuan Mengbai¡¯s arms, sobbing softly, shivering all over her body as if she was extremely wronged, but she said nothing.


    Yuan Mengbai¡¯s face also didn¡¯t look good, and in the end, he bowed to the ground with both hands sped in a fist salute.


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­ Third Sister-inw. Ruoning was confused for a while and wronged Third Sister-inw. I apologize on behalf of Ruoning.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face showed a casual and light-hearted smile, but only in her big watery eyes, a storm was brewing rapidly.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine for brother-inw to apologize on behalf of Little Sister. Little Sister, you must be careful next time and never fall identally again. Not every time someone will be as good at talking as Third Sister-inw.¡±


    Yuan Mengbai nced deeply at Liu Sisi and said nothing.


    He turned and carried Di Ruoning, sprinting towards the direction of the old house.


    Seeing that there was no more excitement to watch, the onlooking crowd began to disperse in twos and threes.


    Those who were fishing continued to fish, those who were castings continued to casts, whispering about the gossip that just happened.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face turned pale, and he looked silently at the backs of the two people as they went far away.


    It took a long time for him to withdraw his gaze, and he looked at Sisi with an apologetic expression on his face.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°You go back first, and I¡¯ll be back in a while.¡±


    He gently patted Liu Sisi¡¯s shoulder: ¡°Ruoning is not good-tempered. After going back to the old house, who knows what trouble she will cause. I¡¯ll take the two children to the old house and exin things. Little Sister is still pregnant, I hope there won¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    ¡°You can go with ease! I, Liu Sisi, cherish my life and will notmit suicide by jumping into the river.¡±


    Liu Sisi tilted her shoulder, deftly avoiding his touch. She smiled gently, but the warmth did not reach her eyes.


    She looked at Di Yelei as if he were a stranger, then stood up straight and walked away casually.


    ¡°Sisi ¡­¡±


    Di Yelei unconsciously followed her for a few steps before stopping.


    His main concern right now was to check on Little Sister, who had just been shocked and frightened. Hopefully, she and her child were safe.


    Liu Sisi practically ran back home all the way.


    She still remembered clearly what Di Ruoning had said earlier! She had to see if the two carrier pigeons were still there, and what Zuo Xingyu had asked Di Yelei to do!


    Barging into the inner room, she fetched adder and climbed onto the firewood room¡¯s roof to inspect the pigeon cage.


    The cage was empty, with only a single pigeon¡¯s tail feather askew inside, seemingly mocking her na?vet¨¦.


    She couldn¡¯t help but copse on the roof, feeling as though her head was a mess, unable to make sense of anything.


    She had once thought that not having the memories of her former life was a reward from Heaven. But at this moment, it seemed more like a punishment.


    No, that¡¯s not right!


    Perhaps it was a test from Heaven!


    It wasn¡¯t until today that she realized just how naive she truly was!


    So, a man¡¯s tenderness could not be relied upon after all.


    Looking out at the undting mountains in the distance, she saw fluffy white clouds floating above the peaks, and a green ribbon-like vegetation covering the lower slopes, while below the mid-hill, a golden ocean became visible.


    These were the many crops either being harvested or not yet harvested. At the foot of the mountains, countless winding streams flowed among the mountains, rushing towards the distance.


    The sunset¡¯s glow in the sky painted the mountain tops and their reflections in the water, the gentle breeze causing the shape of the mountains to subtly change. It was breathtakingly beautiful.


    She had always been busy in the past, and this seemed to be the first time she had carefully observed her surroundings. How many stunning sceneries had she missed?


    A bone-chilling wind blew from behind, making Liu Sisi shiver. It brought her back from her daze.


    She suddenlyughed!


    What was wrong with herself?


    She was lost in random thoughts, as though it was all just a dream.


    Being with Di Yelei was originally unavoidable from the beginning.


    But after getting to know each other, he had proven with his actions, bit by bit, that he was a trustworthy person.


    Since she had chosen him, she should trust him!


    However, there was still something between him and Di Ruoning ¡­


    Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow, thinking that he couldn¡¯t just fool her and dismiss her so casually. She needed to teach him a lesson and vent her anger!


    With her, there is no room for me!


    She wouldn¡¯t let herself be dismissed so easily.


    When Di Yelei returned, he saw Liu Sisi sitting alone on the roof of the firewood room, her legs dangling in the air. She seemed so lonely.


    The autumn wind was bleak, sweeping up countless yellowing leaves into the air.


    Autumn had arrived quietly and unnoticed.


    For a while, Di Yelei stood rooted to the spot, unable to move.


    In his memory, Sisi had always been full of energy. Even when she had tears in her eyes, there was always a resilient determination deep inside.

 Chapter 171 - 171: 169: I will definitely stand by your side!

    Chapter 171 - 171: 169: I will definitely stand by your side!<div>


    In his memory, Sisi was always full of vitality. Even with tears in her eyes, there was an unyielding determination in them.


    Not like how she appeared now, so ethereal and helpless, as if she didn¡¯t belong in her surroundings, and as if she would disappear from his side at any moment.


    ¡°Sisi, what are you doing up there? Hurry down!¡±<div>


    Di Yelei urgently called to her.


    His call awakened Liu Sisi, who turned her head to look at him.


    ¡°Sisi, hurry down, how did you climb so high! Come down quickly!¡± Di Yelei shouted urging her.


    There was no warmth in her eyes, and the feeling when she nced at him was like looking at a stranger.


    Di Yelei instinctively shuddered.


    Ha!


    He¡¯s back so soon! Speaking so harshly, is he here to settle ounts with her?


    Between her and Di Yelei, shouldn¡¯t she be the one dependent on him?


    Like a cat abandoned by people, when it suddenly sees someone it can rely on, it instinctively wants to hold onto them tightly.


    The purpose was not that it loved him, but that it was seeking a shoulder to lean on, something to depend on.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±<div>


    Seeing that Liu Sisi didn¡¯t budge and was still sitting on the roof shaking her legs, he was suddenly furious.


    He climbed up thedder in three steps and embraced her waist, taking her down from the roof.


    ¡°Why the hell did you climb so high? You little troublemaker, are you trying to scare me to death? Huh!¡±


    ¡°Mind your own business! Didn¡¯t you go to see your little sister? Go, go! Why are you still bothering me?¡±


    Liu Sisi struggled fiercely, pping her wings, trying to break free from his arms!


    Di Yelei was startled, then held her even tighter!


    With Liu Sisi¡¯s anger up, how could she let him off so easily?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She fiercely kicked him!


    ¡°Sisi, dear, you must be tired, huh? Here, let me wipe your sweat for you.¡±


    Di Yelei showed an honest smile, rolled up the sleeve of his inner shirt, and carefully wiped the fine beads of sweat on her forehead.


    ¡°Who needs your hypocritical kindness?¡±<div>


    She red at him angrily and stomped on his foot heavily.


    Even so, she still felt it wasn¡¯t enough! She forcefully twisted her foot on his instep.


    Seeing Di Yelei gritting his teeth in pain, she finally calmed her anger.


    So tired!


    Liu Sisi felt both tired and thirsty.


    Having vented her frustration, the suffocation in her heart dissipated, but she didn¡¯t relent in her words.


    ¡°Sisi, it¡¯s my fault earlier. I¡¯m useless, making you suffer.¡±


    ¡°Humph! You finally know that, huh!¡±


    Liu Sisi stiffened her neck, pouted, and didn¡¯t speak.


    Seeing her momentum soften, Di Yelei quickly appeased her: ¡°Little Sister is pregnant. If something bad happened because of her anger, what should we do? After all, you are her Third Sister-inw. Everyone knows it¡¯s her fault. If you let her be, wouldn¡¯t everyone think you¡¯re easy to approach?¡±


    ¡°Who wants to give in to her? Why should I give in to her?¡±


    Liu Sisi resentfully rolled her eyes!


    ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t force, we won¡¯t force it anymore. Whatever you say, Sisi, I¡¯ll follow.¡±


    He stubbornly hugged her, coaxing her: ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re not usually like this, why do you seem to be full of resentment today?¡±


    Liu Sisi was left speechless by his question.


    It was true that she was being too stubborn today! Usually, she definitely wouldn¡¯t argue with him like this.


    But today was an exception!


    To admit defeat in front of Di Ruoning was harder than killing her!


    However, this was something she would never tell Di Yelei; she could only respond with silence.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t want to tell your husband? Hm?¡±


    Di Yelei was also quite helpless. He understood Sisi and knew that she was usually easy-going. It was rare to see her so stubborn and unreasonable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask why, I just don¡¯t want to say!¡±


    Liu Sisi forcefully shook off his hand and turned to enter the inner room and sit down.


    Di Yelei hesitated for a moment before hurriedly following: ¡°Alright, alright! If you don¡¯t want to speak, then don¡¯t. Sisi, I¡¯m your husband; no matter what, I¡¯ll always stand by your side! Trust me!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Really?¡± Liu Sisi scoffed.


    A man¡¯s word was just like water ¨Cpletely unreliable!


    ¡°Actually¡­¡±


    He suddenly embraced her from behind, lowering his head to rest on her shoulder: ¡°My mom died giving birth to me, and everyone said I caused her death. They were all afraid of me, and no child would y with me. I was very lonely back then. And then Ruoning came to my home. At the time, I was three and a half years old, and she was two, so lively and adorable. She was the only one who didn¡¯t fear that I would bring her misfortune¡­¡±


    Whether it was Di Yelei¡¯s voice that was too deep or too mncholic, Liu Sisi forgot to struggle and just listened quietly as he spoke of the past.


    ¡°Sisi, do you understand that feeling? It¡¯s like everyone has abandoned you, but then suddenly someone appears, someone willing to lend you a hand¡­¡±


    She understood!


    How could she not understand!


    In her previous life, she was an orphan who had lost both parents and was raised by her grandfather. During those dark days of her childhood, she¡¯d wished for a prince on a white horse toe save her, just like in fairy tales.


    But as time passed, she came to realize that there were no such things as white knights in this world.


    She became more and more realistic, never again dreaming of such fantasies.


    As Di Yelei spoke, he forcefully turned Liu Sisi around to face him and looked into her eyes.


    ¡°To me, Little Sister is not just a younger sister. When Ms. Qiao had her ident after falling off a cliff and gave birth to YingEr¡­ Even though we were husband and wife in name, we never really were. But I¡¯m afraid, I fear that if Little Sister is not careful, she will also¡­¡±


    ¡°So, for her sake, you chose to wrong me?¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke softly, her words drifting without any emotional fluctuations.


    The icy chill in her eyes pierced Di Yelei, making him feel uneasy and panicked. He clumsily tried toe forward and coax her.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it, Sisi! What I meant was¡­ I¡­¡±


    He dejectedly realized that he couldn¡¯t say anything else, and could only stammer: ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to wrong you, Sisi. But when a family is together, someone has to give in¡­ I¡¯ve always been used to giving in¡­ I know you don¡¯t like it, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what? Hehe!¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly hooked up her usually upturned lips and justughed.


    But that smile made Di Yelei¡¯s scalp tingle and left him at aplete loss!


    He instinctively reached out to hold her but was immediately shaken off!


    ¡°If, I¡¯m just saying if, you have to choose between her and me, who would you choose?¡±


    Liu Sisi stubbornly raised her head to look at him.

 Chapter 172 - 172: 170: She is his whole world!

    Chapter 172 - 172: 170: She is his whole world!<div>


    Undeniably, Liu Sisi¡¯s question at this moment is deliberately making things difficult for him.


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrows in surprise, looking at her with astonishment. He even examined her up and down before reaching out his hand subconsciously.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever, why are you talking nonsense!¡±<div>


    He directly touched her forehead, checking her temperature: ¡°Little Sister is just Little Sister, she belongs to someone else. You are my wife, Di Yelei¡¯s. You are the woman who will apany me for a lifetime! I can naturally distinguish the importance of each, so do I still need to make a choice?¡±


    His eyes were crystal clear, as pure as the clear water in a jade-green pool, where one could see the fish swimming at the bottom at a nce.


    At the moment, what filled his eyes was her reflection.


    This was pure love and tolerance, as if she was the entire world in his eyes!


    ¡°Really?¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart trembled, feeling as if the softest part of her heart was suddenly struck!


    She instinctively lowered her head to avoid his gaze.


    The meaning contained in his eyes was too much and too heavy for her frail body to bear!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°It¡¯s true! Because you are the only woman I will apany for a lifetime!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s voice was exceptionally hoarse: ¡°That¡¯s why I am strict with myself, and ask you to be tolerant of Little Sister. Because, after all, Little Sister is only a guest¡­¡±


    Because she is a guest, so she should be tolerant of her?<div>


    Alright!


    The answer to the question really didn¡¯t matter anymore.


    She took a deep breath and couldn¡¯t help but raise the corners of her lips.


    Seeing the slight easing of Liu Sisi¡¯s face, he knelt down on one knee: ¡°Sisi, your husband truly knows he was wrong! I apologize to you, and I swear! Just this once, if I¡¯m ever so foolish again, you can¡­ you can chop me up and feed me to the dogs!¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    She looked him up and down: ¡°With that meat of yours? I guess our dogs, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua, won¡¯t even like it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, so¡­¡± Di Yelei hurriedly knelt a few steps forward: ¡°So, my good Sisi, please forgive your husband! Just this once, just once is enough. Your husband will never make the same mistake again.¡±


    Liu Sisi squinted her eyes and looked at him, smiling!


    Forget it!


    She¡¯ll be lenient this one time!


    Seeing that her expression had softened, Di Yelei quickly stepped forward and embraced her.<div>


    ¡°Sisi, my dear Sisi¡­¡±


    Leaning against his strong body and inhaling the familiar scent, she snuggled close to his chest with her face buried in his embrace, and gently closed her eyes.


    She didn¡¯t know if forgiving him this time was right or wrong.


    ¡°Ye Lei, do you know about my past when I was at my mom¡¯s house?¡±


    Since Di Ruoning knew about her past at her mother¡¯s house, she must have told Di Yelei too, right?


    She just didn¡¯t know whether Di Yelei genuinely didn¡¯t know or was pretending not to, as he never told her the truth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±


    Di Yelei replied quickly and anxiously. Realizing that his tone was a bit too agitated, he hurriedly added: ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Sisi, why did you suddenly think of asking about this?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I just¡­suddenly wanted to ask.¡±


    When the words reached her lips, Liu Sisi suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say anymore.


    No matter if it was about Zhang Shixin or Zuo Xingyu, asking Di Yelei was a mistake.


    If she asked about Di Ruoning, then it would be an even bigger mistake!


    Di Yelei breathed a sigh of relief, unable to restrain himself from gently stroking her head.


    ¡°Fool! All of those are things of the past. Let them go! Since you married me, all you need to do is think of me. Don¡¯t think about those past things anymore.¡±


    Liu Sisi: ¡°Really? Are these all in the past? ¡­¡±


    Can she stop thinking about the past just by not thinking about it?


    Why does she feel like it¡¯s happening now?


    Today, the words Di Ruoning said keep echoing in her ears. She has an urgent desire to find her lost memories.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you still silent? I told you not to worry about those things. Look at you being disobedient, you deserve a spanking!¡±


    Seeing that Liu Sisi still seemed upied with the past, Di Yelei became a little panicked and patted her on the back.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks instantly flushed, and she red at him: ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore. How can you¡­?¡±


    Di Yelei took the opportunity to hold her hand tightly and continued without any difort.


    ¡°In my heart, you¡¯re a little person.¡± A little person who needs to be cherished and carefully cared for.


    He also raised an eyebrow yfully, with a wicked smile.


    Liu Sisi suddenly felt embarrassed!


    ¡°How am I a kid? Look clearly, do I look like¡­?¡±


    Liu Sisi extended a finger and kept tapping on his chest: ¡°Is there such a big child? If I am a kid, then you are an uncle and a middle-aged uncle at that!¡±


    Although being called an uncle at 28 was a bit early, who made himugh so provocatively?


    ¡°You¡¯re right, not small at all.¡±


    He carefully looked at her chest, even peeking in through her cor. In the end, he sighed deeply with a nod.


    Suddenly, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, ¡°Though it¡¯s a bit small, you still ate it all, didn¡¯t you? So¡­you¡¯re not that small.¡±


    Boom! A huge fire suddenly erupted! Liu Sisi felt as if her whole being was on fire, possessed!


    She must be crazy, discussing such a topic with an unscrupulous madman here of all ces.


    ¡°Uncle! ¡ª¡±


    So shameless! It¡¯s true that a shameless person is invincible!


    ¡°Uncle? I like this nickname.¡±


    Di Yelei touched the stubble on his chin and immediately hugged her waist, gently kissed her forehead.


    His eyes sparkled with a different firelight: ¡°Wait until tonight, and call me that slowly, several times for your husband to hear!¡±


    The rough stubble touched her lips, causing a tingling pain. Before she could react, he pulled away.


    He bullied her again!


    Angry, Liu Sisi tiptoed, raised her hand, and plucked the stubble emerging from his chin.


    ¡°Damn it! This stubble always hurts me, pluck it all out!¡±


    As she said this, she angrily plucked away at his beard.


    But how could she grasp those short and shallow stubbles? She couldn¡¯t pluck many, and instead pinched his chin red.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ don¡¯t pluck, be good, Sisi, don¡¯t pluck¡­ Fine! Let Uncle love you well ¡ª¡±


    Di Yeleiughed, his arm gently wrapped around her back, pulling her into his embrace.


    ¡°Hey, take your bear paw away quickly!¡±


    With a sh of her figure, she stretched out her hand and pped his outstretched bear paw.


    ¡°What bear paw? Didn¡¯t this w serve you wellst night?¡±


    Heughed smugly, with no intention of letting her go.


    He raised an eyebrow proudly, evenughing deliberately!

 Chapter 173 - 173: 171: Uncle, can you be even more despicable?

    Chapter 173 - 173: 171: Uncle, can you be even more despicable?<div>


    ¡°Ugh¡­ it¡¯s daytime now¡­ Uncle, could you be any more shameless?¡±


    Her whole body went limp, almost unable to stand.


    Angrily pping his iron arm, she wished she could bite it twice.<div>


    Di Yelei waspletely lost in the intoxicating tenderness, unable to stop easily.


    Reluctant to let go, he nibbled on her bit by bit, devouring her inch by inch, insatiably.


    He raised his thick eyebrows triumphantly, watching her blush and smile with satisfaction.


    ¡°How does it feel? Do you like Uncle bullying you like this? If you keep talking nonsense, this is the lightest punishment. Huh?¡±


    As he spoke, he took the opportunity to pinch her chin.


    She covered her chin, looking at him with a mix of shyness and annoyance, her breathing heavy as she leaned into his arms, having long forgotten her original question.


    ¡°All you do is bully me, I hate it! Don¡¯t expect me to cook for you tonight. You can wait to eat raw rice and noodles!¡±


    She stubbornly hit back, remembering how bad his cooking was. If she really let him cook for a couple of meals, she would show him!


    Di Yelei raised his sword eyebrows, unconvinced, ¡°That¡¯s not eptable. When I¡¯m hungry, it¡¯s your responsibility to feed me. As for tonight¡¯s meal, the cooked dishes are already ready at the old house, let¡¯s go over there and eat.¡±


    Di Yelei looked down at her, ¡°Sisi, would you apany me to the old house tonight? If you don¡¯t go¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±<div>


    ¡°I know it¡¯ll make you ufortable, but¡­ huh?¡±


    Di Yelei had been prepared to persuade her, but didn¡¯t expect Liu Sisi to agree so easily just after he brought it up!


    It felt like punching cotton, soft and powerless.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want me to go?¡±


    Liu Sisi rolled her eyes.


    Uncle must not have expected her to be so straightforward, right? She had to attend tonight¡¯s dinner, and do it confidently!


    At this time, thest person she wanted to see her should be Di Ruoning, right? To get the information from her past life, the best breakthrough was her!


    Although what she said might not be true, there should at least be some real information in it.


    No matter what the purpose was, she had to go anyway.


    Her heart was racing, but her face was all smiles, not leaking any signs.


    Di Yelei frowned as he watched her for a moment, unable to find any ws, so he had no choice but to keep this in mind for now.<div>


    His scratched face naturally attracted a lot of attention when he arrived at the old house.


    Others were fine, just secretlyughing.


    As soon as Ms. Wang saw Di Yelei¡¯s face, she shouted, ¡°Yo! What happened to Third Brother¡¯s face? Was it scratched by a kitten?¡±


    Liu Sisi remained silent, Di Yelei nced at her with sharp eyes and replied evenly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just hurt myself by ident.¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s mouth was unforgiving. With her high-pitched voice, the whole courtyard could hear her, ¡°Tsk tsk! This kitten seems to have quite the temper. The wounds on both sides of your face don¡¯t look the same, they were not scratched at the same time, right? I¡¯m telling you, Third Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Second Sister-inw! If you¡¯re restless, remember to deal with those fish and shrimp. They can¡¯t be kept for long.¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s voice choked, her eyes rolling nonstop: ¡°Ah! I remember I still have some unfinished embroidery that needs to be delivered to someone tomorrow. I¡¯ll go tend to it now.¡±


    Having said that, she hurried back to her room and mmed the door shut.


    Ms. Wang was a sharp-tongued person, but she was good at embroidering and often earned some private money from selling her embroidery work.


    Seeing the scratches on Di Yelei¡¯s face that couldn¡¯t be hidden, Liu Sisi chuckled.


    ¡°Fine! I know you did it on purpose! Are you happy now, you little kitten?¡±


    Di Yelei whispered in her ear and rubbed her nose yfully, ¡°Help out in the kitchen for now. I¡¯ll go check on Dad in his room ande back.¡±


    ¡°d you know that, hmph! You deserve it.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed happily and then went to the kitchen.


    Tonight, eating at the old house was a good idea! But Liu Sisi ended up being the one in charge of cooking.


    In addition to the coarse grain porridge as the main dish, Sisi steamed some buns with mixed grains. She also cooked a mixed dish using roe deer innards, along with cordyceps jujube stewed turtle, which she prepared especially for Elderly Mr. Di. There were also eel fillets, fried shrimp with green onions, braised small fish, and some vegetables.


    There were various types of veggies in the old house¡¯s garden; Sisi wasn¡¯t shy about using them, preparing every dish she could think of.


    Liu Sisi was busy in and out of the kitchen, stir-frying.


    Ms. Wang, like a cat smelling fish, swooped into the kitchen at the first whiff of the delicious food. She kept nitpicking and nagging at Liu Sisi.


    Ms. Zhao stayed close to the side of the sick Di Ruoning, not giving Liu Sisi any trouble.


    When it was time to eat, tes filled with food covered tworge tables ¨C one for men, another for women. The men¡¯s table also had a jar of rice wine.


    The newly opened rice wine was steaming hot, with an aroma that filled the air and a strong, delightful scent.


    Once everyone was seated, Elderly Mr. Di took the lead and started eating.


    Liu Sisi paid no mind to the pathetic looks some of the others were giving her, openly enjoying her meal.


    She had cooked all this food herself, so she was happy to eat it.


    Seeing Liu Sisi eating so merrily made Ms. Zhao quite annoyed. Coincidentally, Brother Gao sitting beside her identally knocked over a bowl of bold-vored soup trying to grab a te.


    Ms. Zhao took this as her cue to snap, mming her chopsticks down and starting to yell: ¡°Eat, eat, eat! That¡¯s all you ever do! Look at you, with your sharp mouth, you can bring the dead back to life! But all you ever do is eat. Do you even look at your own status, and yet you still¡­!¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Just as she was railing against Liu Sisi, Elderly Mr. Di let out a cough from the other table: ¡°Eat your food and don¡¯t make a fuss! If you¡¯re full, then leave. Otherwise, sit at this table and stop losing your temper at others!¡±


    Reprimanded by Elderly Mr. Di, Ms. Zhao lost her momentum but still red resentfully at Liu Sisi before reluctantly picking up her chopsticks again.


    Only Di Ruoning sat quietly in the corner, not even looking in Liu Sisi¡¯s direction, her grandmother Ms. Ma serving her food while she ate silently.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi paid no notice to the drama, instead focusing on removing fish bones for YingEr.


    YingEr enjoyed fish but wouldn¡¯t remove the bones herself. She was adept at picking snail meat, however, so she sat right next to therge bowl of field snails.


    Mother and daughter picked away at fishbones and snail meat respectively, cing them in each other¡¯s small bowls. Their harmonious scene made others envious.

 Chapter 174 - 174: 172: Di Ruoning’s Madness

    Chapter 174 - 174: 172: Di Ruoning¡¯s Madness<div>


    After having their fill of food and drink, Liu Sisi took YingEr to the well near the courtyard and drew half a bucket of water, carefully washing YingEr¡¯s little hands.


    ¡°Mom, when you were cooking earlier, I passed by the wing room and overheard grandmother and aunt talking about you,¡± YingEr said softly.


    ¡°Oh? What did they say?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi also didn¡¯t seem to care as she took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped YingEr¡¯s little hands dry.


    ¡°I heard aunt say that on August 15th, she is going to make you look good. Mom, how is aunt going to make you look good? Is she going to buy you new clothes?¡± YingEr asked curiously, blinking her shining big eyes.


    Looking good on August 15th?


    Now there wasn¡¯t much time until August 15th. What were they nning? Liu Sisi frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing! YingEr, be good and stick close to me. When your dad is done eating, we¡¯ll go home. Make sure not to get lost, understand?¡±


    She instinctively wanted to avoid the people near the old house.


    ¡°I understand, Mom,¡± YingEr nodded vigorously.


    As they were talking, Di Ruoning came out of the house coughing lightly, seeming to have caught a cold. She nced at Liu Sisi and hesitated for a moment before letting out a cold snort and heading towards the west wing room where she was temporarily staying.


    ¡°Wait! Little Sister,¡± Liu Sisi called out to her.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she didn¡¯t turn back.


    ¡°I want to know, how did I marry into the Di family? Were you involved in this?¡±<div>


    Liu Family¡¯s Mansion was close to the county, and there was quite a distance from the Upper Vige. People usually wanted to climb higher in social status, and even if her parents wanted to marry their daughter off ording to tradition, they should have chosen someone with a higher status. How did they end up marrying Liu Sisi to this remote Upper Vige?


    ¡°Oh? You actually want to know this?¡±


    Di Ruoning¡¯s eyes flickered as she turned back. Could it be that Liu Sisi had truly lost her memory of the past?


    ¡°You should ask your dear big brother and big sister-inw about this. I heard someone offered 50 taels of silver to buy you, but your mother refused. That¡¯s why they married you far away! But who would want someone like you¡­ In the end, they chose my Third Brother, a man destined to bring misfortune to his wife and children, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be a blessing for you.¡±


    It really was a blessing! Di Yelei was indeed good to her, good enough to make her jealous!


    Di Ruoning¡¯s face twisted more and more, and under the flickering torchlight in the courtyard at night, YingEr instinctively hid behind Liu Sisi: ¡°Mom, I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, YingEr, be good! Mom is here,¡± she whispered reassuringly to YingEr while contemting in her heart. Combining Di Ruoning¡¯s words from the afternoon, it seemed that the person who offered the silver must have been Zhang Shixin¡¯s first wife?


    The n to borrow a knife to kill was not bad. It not only allowed her to sessfully get married, but also, even if Zhang Shixin wanted to investigate, he couldn¡¯t me her and could only ept the silent loss.


    What a great calction!


    However, as for her so-called dear brother and sister-inw¡­ one must eat one bite at a time, and settle ounts one by one, slowly. There¡¯s no hurry!


    ¡°Liu Sisi, do you know what I admire most about you?¡±<div>


    Di Ruoning sneered, ¡°What I admire most about you is that even though you¡¯ve done all sorts of bad things, you can still stand there like nothing happened, with a calm expression. That innocent and pure face of yours is just disgusting!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth twitched! She didn¡¯t even know what had happened in the past, okay?


    ¡°In front of you, do I need to pretend like nothing happened? What benefits can you give me?¡±


    However, there is no reasoning with someone who is so full of themselves!


    ¡°No matter what, I am your Third Sister-inw, and you are just the daughter married off by the Di Family. Even if you and Ye Lei have deep sibling affection, you have no right to meddle in your brother¡¯s affairs¡­You¡¯re just a busybody! They say that life is full of disappointments, Little Sister, you should just focus on taking care of your pregnancy.¡±


    This clearly means she thinks her actions have gone too far!


    When she was still in the boudoir, she fantasized about marrying Third Brother as his wife, but how could her mother bear to let her suffer? In the end, her mother scolded her and extinguished her thoughts.


    After Di Yelei¡¯s fianc¨¦e died, and he married Ms. Qiao, his Third Brother always treated her as a treasure, and Ms. Qiao always tried her best to please her. But she was still not satisfied, not satisfied with Ms. Qiao being in Third Brother¡¯s eyes.


    When Ms. Qiao finally died with the unborn child, she secretly rejoiced in her heart. Why should others have the happiness she couldn¡¯t have?


    Originally, Third Brother treated Ms. Qiao with politeness and respect.


    But when he married this vixen, she saw a loving couple. He now looked at Liu Sisi with such an intense and possessive gaze, revealing the deepest love at every turn!


    It blinded her eyes!


    She envied! She was jealous! She was resentful! She was crazy!


    She wanted to gouge out those alluring eyes and scratch that delicate face! She wanted to ruin her herself! This thought appeared in her mind ever since the first time she saw her¡ª


    As time went by, this idea grew stronger and stronger until it nearly drove her insane!


    So whenever she had the chance, she would relentlessly suppress her, and even use the chance to get closer to her own Third Brother. She thought she was going mad!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Now being directly confronted by Liu Sisi about the deepest secret hidden in her heart, Di Ruoning¡¯s heart suddenly thumped wildly, as if she were standing naked in front of her.


    She couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and raised her voice: ¡°You are so young yet so sinister, always bringing up the child in my belly! Is this how an aunt-inw behaves?¡±


    Liu Sisi burst intoughter: ¡°What do you mean by me bringing up the child in your belly? I¡¯m clearly just concerned, only someone with a guilty conscience like you would think everyone else has a ck heart!¡±


    Di Ruoning was furious and couldn¡¯t help rushing forward¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡±


    Just as Liu Sisi was about to speak, Di Yelei suddenly appeared under the eaves. Seeing the two in a standoff, Di Yelei raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡°Little Sister, what¡¯s going on? Sisi, is YingEr not feeling well?¡±


    The quarrel between her mother and aunt had frightened YingEr, who was hiding and shivering behind Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Third Brother¡­¡±


    Upon seeing Di Yelei, Di Ruoning couldn¡¯t help the tears in her eyes and cried out in grievance.


    ¡°Little sister, when Third Brother came out just now, it seemed that your brother-inw was looking for you.¡± Di Yelei said, his entire figure hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to see his face.


    Even though she knew that Third Brother was just trying to send her away with a well-intentioned lie, Di Ruoning hesitated for a moment before turning and entering the west wing-room.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! When I came out just now, I had already excused myself to Dad. Let¡¯s go! It¡¯s gettingte.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he bent down to pick up YingEr and led Xuan¡¯er out of the old house.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly followed with quick steps.

 Chapter 175 - 175: 173: Wives are meant to be cherished!

    Chapter 175 - 175: 173: Wives are meant to be cherished!<div>


    The two remained silent all the way home until the atmosphere eased.


    Lying on Ying¡¯er¡¯s small bed, Liu Sisi closed her eyes and softly sang the familiar bad ¡°Love Songs of the Mortal World¡±: ¡°Fiercely and passionately, we truly loved each other, entwined and tender, we sing this song again. In the rolling mortal world, I am persistent for love, rising and falling, with you by my side. I loudly say I love you, I still love you, for a thousand years and ten thousand years, I sing this song for you¡­¡±


    As the familiar melody repeatedly hummed in her ears, Liu Sisi seemed to feel that she had returned to the beginning, back to that familiar world, singing this song.<div>


    She also thought of her grandpa and wondered if he was watching her from heaven.


    Grandpa, I miss you!


    Unable to hold back, tears slid down her cheeks.


    Di Yelei was busy preparing the tools and ropes needed for working in the fields the next day.


    Harvesting in autumn is not easy! At the old house, there were always more people eating than working, so he prepared several carry baskets and ropes, eager to finish work and end the day quickly.


    The melodious singinging from Ying¡¯er¡¯s room made him pause his work and listen attentively.


    The song was very pleasant to hear, different from the self-made ical mountain folk songs duet¡± sung by the vigers, which fascinated him until the song gradually faded away and he still wasn¡¯t able to snap out of it.


    Having prepared everything needed for the next day, and seeing that Sisi hadn¡¯te out yet, he finally entered Ying¡¯er¡¯s room.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s taking so long? Is Ying¡¯er still awake?¡±


    No one answered.


    As he approached, he found both small people lying close together, with Liu Sisi already curled up asleep beside Ying¡¯er.<div>


    The next moment, he bent down, picked her up, and walked out of the room.


    He took her back to his own bed.


    Liu Sisi slept quietly, undisturbed by his actions, and remained deeply asleep with no sign of waking up.


    She had been through a lot in the past two days and it must have exhausted her.


    He gently kissed her forehead and then softly held her in his arms, falling into a deep sleep as well.


    Liu Sisi rarely slept so soundly. In her dream, she returned to her previous life, sitting with her grandpa on the balcony of their home, happily eating cooked dishes and listening to her grandpa¡¯s endless stories.


    It felt like just a blink of an eye before she heard Di Yelei getting up and getting dressed.


    It was not yet dawn outside, but they had to go to the old house to help, and the two hurriedly got the two children out of bed, quickly ate, and rushed to the old house.


    There was not muchnd around the old house, but taking it all back was not an easy task.


    This year, Elderly Mr. Di was determined not to let people mooch off him without doing any work.


    ¡°This autumn harvest, Meng Bai and Ruo Ning areing to help, which is truly a rare kindness. Gao Yuan, Meng Bai, Third Child, Ah-Bao, Cheng¡¯er, and Brother Gao will go to the fields, and Wei¡¯er, Xuan¡¯er, and Jie¡¯er will be in charge of picking up grains. Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang, you two will be in charge of drying the rice. As for Ruo Ning and Sisi, you two will be in charge of cooking and delivering food.¡±<div>


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s allocation wasplete, and even Di Ah-bao and Brother Gao couldn¡¯t be spared.


    ¡°Dad! I won¡¯t work in the fields. It¡¯s so tiring, and I don¡¯t know how to do it. I won¡¯t go!¡± Di Ah-bao was the first to object.


    Elderly Mr. Di mmed his crutch hard: ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice! Do you know what you¡¯ve done yourself? The entire Di Family has been ruined by you! If you don¡¯t go, get out! Get out of the Di Family!¡±


    The furious Elderly Mr. Di frightened everyone.


    Di Ah-bao immediately wilted, and Ms. Zhao shrank her neck, withdrawing her plea for mercy. Ms. Zhao, who had wanted to plead for Brother Gao, also stayed quiet, shrinking into a ball.


    Brother Gao beside her became indignant!


    ¡°Grandfather, why should I be punished along with Ah-Bao when he made a mistake? I¡¯ve never worked in the fields in previous years, so why should I go this year? I won¡¯t go. I want to stay home and read!¡±


    As he spoke, he sat down on a stone stool and swung his crossed legs continuously.


    ¡°In the past, I spared you because you were young. This year you¡¯re already much older and should be working in the fields.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was unyielding: ¡°Also, who are you to call him Ah-Bao? Don¡¯t disrespect your elders; he¡¯s your Young Uncle! Go! Get the carry basket for me, and whoever dares not to go up to the mountain today, don¡¯t me me for serving them with my crutch!¡±


    As Elderly Di spoke, his crutch was raised high, seemingly about to fall.


    ¡°Father, father, don¡¯t be angry! Brother Gao will go now, he¡¯s going now!¡±


    Seeing the situation, Ms. Wang immediately stood in front of Brother Gao and hurriedly pushed him while continuously winking at him.


    ¡°Get up quickly, what are you still sitting here for? Hurry up, once we¡¯re in the fields¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang stealthily pulled Brother Gao aside to whisper. Seeing the two secretly whispering, Liu Sisi lowered her eyebrows. Her father¡¯s intentions were good, but she feared that Brother Gao and Di Ah-bao would only cause more trouble in the fields.


    Ms. Zhao also had an objection: ¡°In the past, I never sun-dried crops. This year, a new wife has entered the family, and I, an old woman, have to go to the grain-drying field. Isn¡¯t that aughingstock?¡±


    ¡°Dying ofughter is still better than dying ofziness!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di nced at Ms. Zhao: ¡°Fine! If you think the food you cook is better than what Sisi cooks, then you can stay home and cook.¡±


    As soon as he spoke, everyone immediately objected.


    ¡°Mom, just let Third Aunt cook, her food is delicious.¡±


    ¡°Grandmother, the food you cook is like pig feed, it¡¯s not good at all¡­umm¡­¡± Di Jie¡¯s words were cut short as Di Wei covered his mouth.


    Ms. Zhao was infuriated!


    She put her hands on her hips and cursed loudly: ¡°So you dislike the food I cook, huh? Haven¡¯t all of you been eating it for all these years? Just a few days of eating someone else¡¯s cooking and already acting like anyone with milk is mother? Well, I¡¯m not going to that grain-drying field today!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Who dares make Sisi sun-dry the crops? They¡¯ll have to do my work in exchange!¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly roared, scaring everyone.


    His gaze was especially deep as it scanned everyone one by one. Whoever caught his gaze involuntarily stepped back a couple of steps, and nobody dared to speak.


    ¡°Sisi is my wife. I, Di Yelei, took a wife to cherish, not to be bullied by others! Whoever dares to give her trouble, don¡¯t me me, Yelei, for cutting all ties with them!¡±


    It¡¯s no doubt that Di Yelei can¡¯t be spared during the autumn harvest!


    He is strong and energetic and can work as much as three people in the fields. If someone wants to exchange work with him¡­


    Everyone quietly retreated, trying to lower their presence.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? You all fall silent now?¡±


    Elderly Di became even more agitated, as everyone seemed to bully the weak and fear the strong, allzy men! He then shouted for everyone to go up the mountain: ¡°Bring all the tools and head up the hill! Look how high the sun has already risen, do you really look like people who do farm work?¡±

 Chapter 176 - 176: 174: The Nightmare Strikes, Harbor of the Mind (1)

    Chapter 176 - 176: 174: The Nightmare Strikes, Harbor of the Mind (1)<div>


    Once the hill workers had gone, and few children started picking up grains with their bamboo baskets, Liu Sisi began to cook.


    Di Ruoning gave Liu Sisi a cold hum, leaving Ms. Ma to help, she went back to her room for an afternoon nap.


    Cooking wasn¡¯t a hindrance to Liu Sisi! After a day¡¯s work, not only did she prepare everyone¡¯s meals early, but she also managed to take a short nap at noon.<div>


    When everyone returned in the evening, they lookedpletely different from what they were in the morning. Especially Di Ah-bao and Brother Gao, it was clear that Elderly Mr. Di had trained them hard. They walked in a disheveled manner which made Liu Sisiugh.


    After three busy days of autumn harvest, finally, everything was brought back home.


    Di Yelei breathed a sigh of relief since havingggards to do work on the hill was truly unsatisfying; Liu Sisi also breathed a sigh of relief, tomorrow would be her fifth day, the day she taught Miss of Gan Family.


    Once she returned home, Liu Sisi unexpectedly found that the carrier pigeon had flown back.


    Sure enough, after a short while, Di Yelei entered with a small roll of paper to consult with Di Xuan, then immediately began to prepare his bow and arrow.


    ¡°Constable Zuo brought news, two blind bears were seen on West Mountain, and someone has offered a heavy reward for the bear paws. Already several people have gone to hunt them. I n to go with Zhang Peng and Li Wu. If we actually manage to hunt them, we probably won¡¯t have to worry about food and money this winter.¡±


    Di Yelei seemed quite happy.


    ¡°Is the message from Zuo Xingyu?¡±


    Liu Sisi immediately asked with a frown. She always thought that Zuo Xingyu¡¯s killing intent was too strong, ever since she found out about her past with him. She instinctively refused the idea of Di Yelei working under him.


    ¡°Yes! Constable Zuo said, the price depends on the condition of the bear paw. However, ording to past practice, the four paws of a mature blind bear are worth at least eighty to hundred taels of silver. Moreover, there is the bear skin, bear meat, and bear gall. Even if shared equally among several people, each person can get hundreds of taels of silver. Zhang Peng¡¯s father back in the day hunted a blind bear, built a house, boughtnd, and his life suddenly improved.¡±


    Di Yelei seemed really happy and began to carefully grind all the arrow tips and rece the feathers.<div>


    Liu Sisi rather worried: ¡°So you¡¯re saying several groups of people have gone to hunt the bear?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone can hunt this blind bear!¡±


    Di Yelei confidently said, his eyebrows fluttering with strong self-confidence, the brightness in his eyes blinding Liu Sisi.


    ¡°The blind bear is very powerful and good at running. It¡¯s not easy to kill them relying on a single person¡¯s ability. Don¡¯t worry! We will definitely get ahead of them and hunt these two bears!¡±


    Seeing the cheerful Di Yelei, Liu Sisi swallowed the words of objection. For some reason, she couldn¡¯t calm herself down.


    ¡°In that case, wait a moment, I will steam some grains for you to take to the mountain. After working all day in the fields, you¡¯re not taking any breaks. Though money is important, your health is more important.¡±


    Di Yelei stopped grinding the arrow tip for a moment, thought a bit and then nodded his head.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take a bath first. After you have steamed the grains, I will meet up with Zhang Peng and the others.¡±


    Since Di Yelei was going to the mountain, the easy to carry items were just about the same. Liu Sisi thought for a moment, and then returned to the kitchen.


    She first steamed a bunch of steamed cornbread and a bunch of vegetable buns. Then took half of the leg meat, carefully cut it into pieces and put them in the pot, nning to make dried meat for Di Yelei to take away. Although Di Yelei could cook meat pieces on the mountain himself, Liu Sisi still wanted to prepare as much as she could for him.


    Taking the time to steam the buns, she filled several bamboo tubes with water and wrapped some seasoning and ingredients for cooking in the wild with paper, and put them in the bottom of the rectangr bag. After everything was ready, she finally left the kitchen.<div>


    Di Yelei was also busily preparing.


    He carefully checked the bowstrings, grinded the arrow tips, and carefully checked all the needed items. Once everything was ready, he went to the bathroom for a joyous bath.


    When Liu Sisi came out, she just happened to see Di Yeleiing out of the bathing room. He had clearly just washed his head and was dripping water as he came in from outside.


    Seeing Liu Sisiing out of the kitchen, there was an unusual emotion on his naive smiling face.


    ¡°Sisi¡ª¡ª¡± His voice was very deep, with an indescribable undertone.


    ¡°Oh! Help¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s instinct made her almost slip and fall, and she couldn¡¯t help eximing.


    One step ahead, Di Yelei caught her in time.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Look how clumsy you are! You can¡¯t even walk and you¡¯re going to fall!¡±


    Theughter above her head made Liu Sisi instinctively tremble. She hurriedly pushed him away, trying to stand up on her own.


    ¡°Who, who said I was going to fall when I walked? It¡¯s clearly because there was water on the floor, so I almost fell, okay?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks were burning red, instinctively defending herself.


    ¡°Alright, alright! It was my dear Sisi who slipped, which is why she almost fell. Sisi, I¡¯m going into the mountain, don¡¯t you have anything to tell me?¡±


    His deep and mellow voice echoed in her ears and he held her petite frame close.


    ¡°Ah! Yelei stop¡­ I have nothing else to say. Just take care of yourself when you go hunting. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    She instinctively called him, but when she raised her eyes, she met his burning gaze, and all her words were stuck in her throat.


    ¡°Baby, will you miss me when I¡¯m gone?¡±


    His gaze was firmly locked on her, his footsteps did not stop at all. He suddenly felt a surge of heat rising from his heart!


    ¡°Yes, I will definitely miss you, huh? Don¡¯t do this, aren¡¯t you going into the mountain?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s entire body was being pressed by him, and her body temperature quickly rose, melting in his arms in just a moment.


    Those wet,rge eyes were also full of mist, her long eyshes fluttered constantly, her small mouth trembled slightly, making him want to savor it without hesitation.


    ¡°No rush, we still have some time. Sisi, my dear Sisi, my little kitten¡­¡±


    While catching his breath, Di Yelei whispered in a rare free moment.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­Ah! Brother Zhang and the others areing¡­ What else do you want?¡±


    She was pulling hard on him, resisting his closeness. Once she saw his wild and reckless smile, she pushed him away vigorously, her eyes filled with unequivocal panic.


    The blush on her cheeks hadn¡¯t faded yet. She had no choice but to forcefully resist pressing against his chest with one hand.


    ¡°You can¡¯t think that I¡¯ll let you go just like that, right? I obviously want to¡­¡±


    He murmured softly with great joy.

 Chapter 177 - 177: 175: The Nightmare Strikes, Harbor of the Mind (2)

    Chapter 177 - 177: 175: The Nightmare Strikes, Harbor of the Mind (2)<div>


    ¡°Not enough! Do you think that you can just fob me off like this? I¡¯m going up to the mountain this time, and I won¡¯t be able to see you for at least a few days. Let your husband cherish you well while there¡¯s still time¡­¡±


    As he spoke, his mischievous hand suddenly hooked up her little face.


    ¡°Ah!¡ª¡ª¡±<div>


    A sudden sense of emptiness made Liu Sisi instinctively cry out!


    Upon realizing that this scream was inappropriate, her blushing cheeks resembled blooming peonies, scarlet red.


    The sudden outcry made Di Yelei utter an amused yet smugughter. He raised his hand and patted twice!


    ¡°Ye Lei!¡±


    Liu Sisi cried out, almost jumping in shock. Instinctively covering herself, her face filled with panic.


    This frightened Sisi, however, unexpectedly pleased Di Yelei!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, darling, your husband will be back soon,¡±


    he said,ughing heartily.


    ¡°You!¡­¡±


    Before Liu Sisi could finish, she was suddenly embraced by him. He only released her when he had satisfied his longing.


    Gently patting her back, ¡°Let¡¯s go! The time is almost up, don¡¯t keep them waiting.¡±<div>


    As he finished, he took the lead and walked out, and Liu Sisi hurriedly followed.


    The evening at the foot of the mountain was exceptionally colder!


    The deste autumn wind howled, continuously scraping over the skin. It was icy cold, but it could not blow away the heat in Liu Sisi¡¯s heart.


    She escorted Di Yelei all the way out of the small path, not stopping her steps until she reached the mountain path.


    Leaning against the big tree by the road, she watched Di Yelei and his group move quickly into the mountains in the darkness.


    Having turned the mountain bay, Di Yelei looked back and waved again and again. She still stubbornly stood in the same ce until everyone disappearedpletely. Only then did she slowly return to the house.


    Lying in the bed and tossing and turning, a sense of emptiness sprang from her heart. Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know what was happening to her.


    In her previous life, she had long been ustomed to being alone, striving and living alone.


    Nowadays, just because shecks thepany of someone, she can¡¯t sleep. It seems that habit is indeed a terrifying thing! It has almost changed her long-standing habits.


    She barely closed her eyes, only to fall into a nightmare.


    In the dream, Di Yelei, covered in blood, was fighting barehanded with a giant shadow. As the two crossed hands, fresh blood kept sttering, staining everything around them in red. Everything was red!<div>


    Only red remained, dazzling red!


    The shadow continuously attacked Di Yelei. They tangled repeatedly, sometimes Di Yelei was on top, other times he was pinned down by the shadow.


    The shadow seemed to be a ck bear, yet it was also like a man. Liu Sisi tried hard to open her eyes to see the opponent clearly, but everything was blurry as if shrouded by a ck veil.


    In another round, the shadow threw a heavy punch, hitting Di Yelei¡¯s temple directly.


    He retreated fiercely, crashing heavily to the ground, causing arge cloud of dust. Before he could get up, the shadow followed up, brutally hitting him one after another. The sound of the blowsnded like a heavy hammer on her heart, causing her immense pain!


    ¡°Ye Lei! Get up, get up!¡± Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but cry out.


    Suddenly, the face of the shadow attacking turned and looked right at her hiding ce.


    Just one look, only a single look!


    Immediately, she recognized the dark figure battling with Di Yelei was no other than Zuo Xingyu!


    It¡¯s him!


    Yes, it¡¯s him indeed!


    His pair of eyes, like icy stars, fiercely nced over her body.


    All sources of light surrounding the pool of blood suddenly vanished, leaving only his eyes ¡ª these eyes, colder than a starving wolf, locked firmly on hers, prating straight into her soul! A wave of chill spread from her heart¡­


    She wanted to scream, but couldn¡¯t; she wanted to flee, but couldn¡¯t move an inch.


    She could only dumbly watch as he suddenly grinned at her, his white teeth blinding her.


    Suddenly, he lifted his dagger high and aimed at Di Yelei¡¯s back, stabbing straight down!


    Blood sttered, covering her face¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡ª¡ª¡±


    She could no longer hold back and woke up screaming, her eyes wide open. But all she could see was darkness, as it was still night outside.


    She copsed back into bed, her mind filled with the hair-raising nightmare, so real and so bloody.


    She seemed to still smell the metallic stench of blood sprayed on her, feel the heat of the blood, and the ferociousness behind that piercing blow¡­


    ¡°Ye Lei, I¡¯m so scared, Ye Lei?¡±


    Softly calling his name, her hand reflexively reached out in a haze to touch him, but only felt the cold emptiness.


    Struck by panic, she jolted awake from her half-sleep. As she sat up, memories flooded in again recalling that Ye Lei had gone into the mountains and was not in the room.


    She cast a nce towards the window, but a shadow quickly shed past it.


    She was startled. Could there be a thief in the courtyard?


    She slid her cloth shoes on, picked up the wooden stick leaning against the door, and carefully made her way to the window to peer out, but saw no one.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Perhaps¡­ she had imagined it?


    Thanks to her previous encounter with Big Mouth Li, Liu Sisi was more alert. She hugged the door, ears strained for any noise outside.


    ¡°Meow¡ª¡ª¡±


    The cat¡¯s cry caught Liu Sisi¡¯s attention. She hurriedly turned to look, and a cat darted across the courtyard, leapt over the fence in a single bound, and disappeared from her sight.


    She breathed a sigh of relief, and the stick in her hand slipped to the floor.


    Just now¡­ she had been really scared!


    Remembering the chaos of reality and the horror of her nightmare unsettled her. Trying to adjust her breathing, she climbed back into bed trembling.


    ¡°Ye Lei, you mustn¡¯t let anything happen to you. Don¡¯t leave me all alone¡­¡±


    As she drifted in and out of sleep, the nightmare returned. The images shing in her dream were always the sea of bloody red and Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes cold as ice stars.


    Liu Sisi shook uncontrobly, her heart wavering without knowing whether she was dreaming or awake.


    Perhaps because of the nightmare, Liu Sisi was not her usual self when she arrived at the Gan Mansion.


    Much to her surprise, the young Miss of the Gan Family was already seated in the ssroom early, her small body sitting upright, her face indifferent as she looked at her.


    Today, Gan Miaoruo was wearing a pear blossom white dress. The cor, cuffs, and hem of the dress were embroidered with lotus patterns. On both sides of her hair buns she wore jadeite carved lotus, giving her cunning little face a touch of refreshment, making her look extremely adorable.

 Chapter 178 - 178: 176: The Nightmare Strikes, Harbor of the Mind (3)

    Chapter 178 - 178: 176: The Nightmare Strikes, Harbor of the Mind (3)<div>


    Having received a month of free entrance fees, Liu Sisi naturally wouldn¡¯t miss such a great opportunity when Miss Gan finally agreed to attend a ss.


    ¡°Miss Gan, what have you learned before? I want to see how far you¡¯ve progressed.¡±


    As she spoke, she casually pushed open the half-closed door of the study and strode in.<div>


    Bang!


    She never expected that the opened door would bounce back on its own, and at twice the speed as it suddenly sprung back!


    Instinctively, she raised a book to block it, but the door mmed heavily against the book, hitting her chest and almost causing her to burst into tears.


    What kind of broken door is this, bouncing back automatically!


    ¡°Miss Gan, you haven¡¯t answered my question yet.¡± As soon as Liu Sisi regained herposure, she asked again, not forgetting the main point.


    ¡°What progress? I don¡¯t understand, Teacher.¡±


    Miss Gan blinked her eyes, looking unbelievably innocent and adorable.


    ¡°What books did your previous tutors teach you? What characters do you recognize?¡± Liu Sisi asked, instinctively walking towards the location of the desk.


    However, as soon as she stepped onto the wooden floor above the stage, it suddenly sank and she fell forward, kneeling on the ground.


    ¡°Umm¡­.¡±


    Both her knees hit the ground directly, causing Liu Sisi to instinctively let out a soft hum. It hurts! It really hurts!<div>


    From the corner of her eye, she saw the triumphant smile on Gan Miaoruo¡¯s face!


    But in the next instant, it seemed as though she noticed Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze and the smile on her face disappeared.


    Liu Sisi realized that her fall was most likely rted to her little friend Gan Miaoruo!


    Gritting her teeth, she got up from the ground, brushed off her hands, and continued to ask in aposed manner. Still, her eyes were scanning the surroundings, hoping to find the location of the next trap.


    ¡°Miss Gan, please answer my previous question.¡±


    ¡°What characters? What books? None of the teachers before taught me those things. Why don¡¯t you teach Ruo Ruo instead, Teacher?¡±


    Gan Miaoruo blinked her big clever eyes, a sly radiance shing in their depths, lookingpletely innocent.


    If it weren¡¯t for the pain in her knees reminding Liu Sisi, she might have thought that the cute girl in front of her was truly innocent and that she was just overthinking.


    Liu Sisi said nothing, stretched her neck to look at the book on the desk. She noticed that there was something suspicious about the corner of the book, and then there was the drawer, the stool¡­


    She then sighed in amazement.


    ¡°Was this book brought here by mistake by the servants? It seems to have itching powder or something inside. What¡¯s in this teacup? Fake blood made from tomato juice? And there is either a mouse or a snake in this desk, or maybe a whole cab full of cockroaches? Will this stool also have a trap? What do you think, Miss Gan?¡±<div>


    The smile on Gan Miaoruo¡¯s face disappeared, and she stammered with her eyes wide open and mouth agape.


    ¡°How¡­how did you¡­know?¡±


    ¡°Very simple! Because I yed like this when I was a kid too.¡±


    Of course, Liu Sisi wouldn¡¯t tell her that this is how it¡¯s shown on TV, right?


    She looked around amusedly, carefully surveying the beams above her head. Sure enough, she saw a wobbly water bucket and couldn¡¯t help but shake her head.


    ¡°Miss Gan, are you sure you want to y with me¡­these things? If I retaliate, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be upset.¡±


    ¡°Ugly monster, you dare!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo pouted and stood up from her seat in an instant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯ve figured it out, I¡¯ll let you go! You, this ugly woman, even dream of bing my, Gan Miaoruo¡¯s teacher! Hmph!¡±


    One moment she had such a sweet and lovely face, but in the next moment, after she saw through the truth, the teacher turned into an ugly monster.


    What a sharp-tongued little chili!<div>


    Liu Sisi still slowed down her pace, trying to be gentle and persuasive.


    ¡°Actually, Miss Gan, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a win-win situation for you to follow me in studying?¡±


    ¡°What win-win situation? I, the Miss, am telling you this ugly monster! Don¡¯t try to fool me with the so-called ¡®Three Obediences and Four Virtues¡¯ of women. I won¡¯t buy it.¡±


    Three obediences and four virtues? If I don¡¯t understand those myself, how am I supposed to teach you?


    Liu Sisi touched her still hurting knees.


    ¡°No, no, no¡­you misunderstood.¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her finger: ¡°First, I heard that you¡¯ve driven away many teachers. I think you must not like that teachers¡¯ lectures are annoying and dry, and they keep nagging for quite a while, right?¡±


    ¡°So what if it¡¯s true, and so what if it¡¯s not? Ugly monster, you don¡¯t really think that I can¡¯t find a teacher, do you?¡±


    The cute Gan Miaoruo blinked her cunning eyes.


    ¡°How about this! I can continue to be your teacher. If you think the lectures are boring, you can learn whatever you want, do whatever you want, how about that?¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Gan Miaoruo was very impatient.


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is very simple. You need a teacher who can cover for you, a teacher who won¡¯t restrict you no matter what you do, don¡¯t you? And I need the money. We can cooperate and get what we both want. You should see that my family is poor, and I have two children to raise at home, so I don¡¯t want to lose this job.¡±


    Gan Miaoruo¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up!


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to attend ss?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t work. Do you think your grandmother would believe that you¡¯re studying if you don¡¯t even attend ss?¡± Liu Sisi denied.


    Gan Miaoruo¡¯s expression darkened, and then she pursed her lips, showing a face full of contempt.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°What do you mean? There¡¯s no benefit to me cooperating with you, I won¡¯t do it! Ugly monster, you better not lie to me!¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled mysteriously: ¡°Of course¡­ as long as you study seriously with me, I will help you pursue your Brother Nan, how about that?¡±


    Gan Miaoruo¡¯s eyes lit up, and she immediately jumped up from her seat.


    ¡°Ugly monster, what are you talking about? You better rify it quickly, otherwise, I don¡¯t mind changing to another female tutor!¡±


    ¡°You should know that I call your Brother Nan my brother mainly because I work in his bookstore every day. I know what he likes and dislikes. What he likes about girls and what he hates. You could have thousands of female tutors. But there¡¯s only one Brother Nan, and there¡¯s only one me working in his bookstore.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled confidently.


    You little thing!


    Now that I know your weakness, I¡¯m not afraid that you won¡¯t obediently crawl into my pocket!


    Suspicion, reluctance, entanglement, severity¡­


    Her young face kept changing expressions, and with a stubborn look, she finally walked to her side, raised her head, and looked at her seriously.


    ¡°Is what you just said true? As long as I study hard, you¡¯ll help me pursue Brother Nan?¡±


    ¡°Wrong! It¡¯s not me helping you pursue your Brother Nan.¡±


    Liu Sisi rolled her eyes and shook her head in exasperation.

 Chapter 179 - 179: 177: The Nightmare Strikes, Harbor of the Mind (4)

    Chapter 179 - 179: 177: The Nightmare Strikes, Harbor of the Mind (4)<div>


    :¡±Asking others for help is not as good as helping yourself. If your Brother Nan likes knowledgeable girls, then be a knowledgeable girl; if he likes poetry and music, your poetry and music should be even better than his, so that he can¡¯t ignore you. As for not having the opportunity to get close to him¡­it¡¯s even simpler. I work at the bookstore, don¡¯t I? You cane to the bookstore under the pretext of seeking knowledge and meet me there.¡±


    Liu Sisi knew that she shouldn¡¯t be teaching this spoiled child this way, but if the other party was unwilling to listen to her lessons, it would all be in vain, even if she was really capable.


    These words moved Gan Miaoruo¡¯s heart!<div>


    She tilted her head and looked at her. After considering it for a moment, she finally made up her mind!


    ¡°Alright! Ugly monster, since you know so much about my Brother Nan, I will reluctantly let you be my female tutor!¡±


    After leaving Gan Mansion, Liu Sisi took a deep breath and exhaled heavily.


    It was really difficult to appease the spoiled child! She had no interest in learning at all, so why did Old Madam Gan insist on forcing her to learn?


    However, these were not the main points. The main point was what method could Liu Sisi use to make Gan Miaoruo interested in learning without causing disgust?


    Liu Sisi pondered secretly.


    At the moment, the sun was in the west. When Liu Sisi passed by the bookstore, she originally nned to go in and sit down. However, the door of the shop was tightly closed, indicating that it had not opened.


    Perhaps Nan Tianzong had gone out?


    Standing in front of the closed shop door, feeling sad for a moment, Liu Sisi pondered and then turned away.


    Last time, she promised Nan Tianzong that she would help him for a year. But now that others had helped her, she couldn¡¯te and fulfill her promise, which made Liu Sisi feel embarrassed.


    Early in the morning the next day, Liu Sisi arrived at the bookstore, which was still tightly closed.<div>


    She sat at the shop doorway waiting until it was almost noon, but Nan Tianzong still did not appear.


    She was already hungry, and thought of Aunt Cao. She couldn¡¯t help but go to her stall and prepare to eat a bowl of ned noodles before returning.


    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s you! You haven¡¯te for several days. How have you been? Are you okay?¡±


    Seeing her, Aunt Cao smiled happily and said, ¡°Come sit down. Let Aunt Cao treat you to a bowl of ned noodles.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Cao. To be honest, I¡¯m really hungry.¡±


    Liu Sisi chatted for a while, and then hesitated to ask, ¡°Aunt Cao, why hasn¡¯t Brother Nane to open the shop today?¡±


    The smile on Aunt Cao¡¯s face disappeared, and she sighed. She took a key out of her pocket and handed it to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Little Nanzi left several days ago. He asked me to give this to you when he left. He also told me not to give it to you unless you asked.¡±


    ¡°Left? You mean Brother Nan left? Where did he go? When will he be back? Why didn¡¯t he say something to me¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was very surprised.


    ¡°He went home. It seems that something happened in Little Nanzi¡¯s hometown, and he had to go back for a while. He left in a hurry. As for when he¡¯ll be back, he doesn¡¯t know himself. But apparently, he said that once he has dealt with the family affairs, he will definitelye back.¡±<div>


    ¡°Aunt Cao, you mean¡­ this key is for me? Did he say anything else?¡±


    She never expected Nan Tianzong to leave. She always thought Brother Nan was still running the shop.


    Even more surprisingly, he left the key to the shop to her before leaving. What did he mean by doing this?


    Could it be that he wanted her to fulfill the promise of working for free for one year? Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    ¡°Little Nanzi said before leaving. This key is given to you, and you can pay the rent for the shop monthly, and the silver sold during the period can be used as your wages, just make sure to restock and maintain the current look.¡±


    Aunt Cao put the noodles in front of Liu Sisi: ¡°I think Little Nanzi must have arranged it this way because he was worried that you would refuse to ept it. Now there is no way for you to refuse. Not to mention, Liu, you are lucky to have met such a good boss.¡±


    It¡¯s indeed her luck!


    Liu Sisi also understood, she had taken such a big advantage!


    If she really started her shop, various expenses would be huge, which would require a lot of capital. Nowadays, she can make money without spending a cent, like a chickenying eggs, it¡¯s so good!


    She still remembered that she had promised him initially, that she would definitely help for a year, so she must keep her promise.


    With this key in hand, Liu Sisi suddenly felt inexplicably heavy.<div>


    On the third day, Di Yelei still hadn¡¯t returned.


    That day, when she went out, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t leave the two children at Sister Guihua¡¯s ce, but took the two children to the bookstore instead.


    She opened the door, cleaned, andter greeted customers, keeping busy.


    In her spare time, Liu Sisi tidied up the inner room, set up a desk and chairs to tutor the two children, and closed the shop to go home at noon.


    At noontime, Liu Sisi still followed Nan Tianzong¡¯s previous habit when he was here, went to the Carriage Shop to pick up the restocked goods, and left behind the goods to be transported next time.


    Five dayster, she went to Gan Mansion again, and this time, Gan Miaoruo didn¡¯t make things difficult for her.


    It has to be said that Gan Miaoruo is really smart, as long as she is taught once, she remembers immediately and can deduce other things from one example, which is much smarter than Di Xuan.


    Upon learning that Nan Tianzong had returned to his hometown, Gan Miaoruo¡¯s enthusiasm for studying weakened, and she was listless on the desk, angry.


    ¡°I still said that I would surpass Brother Nan in study, but now that he¡¯s gone, what¡¯s the use of me studying so well? I don¡¯t want to study anymore!¡±


    ¡°Who said it¡¯s useless? Even if your Brother Nan has left, won¡¯t hee back? Even if he doesn¡¯te back, aren¡¯t you guys cousins? Can¡¯t you find an opportunity to exchange knowledge with him? As long as you study hard, you will definitely impress him when you meet him again!¡± Liu Sisi encouraged her.


    Gan Miaoruo¡¯s face was full of frustration: ¡°I don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s too boring. He left without telling me, it¡¯s clear that he doesn¡¯t care about me¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi was speechless.


    Unexpectedly, the next day, while Liu Sisi was tutoring Di Xuan in the shop, Gan Miaoruo came.


    ¡°Ugly monster! I¡¯ve decided. From now on, I¡¯ll study with you here! I will wait for my Brother Nan toe back here.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Really?¡±


    Liu Sisi was speechless!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    So, originally in the bookstore, Liu Sisi tutored only Xuan¡¯er in her leisure time, and now she tutored two people together.


    Gan Miaoruo learned very quickly, and although she started enlightenmentter than Di Xuan, she caught up with Di Xuan¡¯s study progress as fast as a flying bird, which also made Di Xuan feel a crisis and worked even harder.


    Even the yful YingEr couldn¡¯t help bute over, bing more focused, and listening in from time to time.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Rmend a friend¡¯s book: ¡°Bing a Mother at a Farmer¡¯s Family¡± if you are interested, you can check it out.

 Chapter 180 - 180: 178: There are all kinds of birds when the forest is big.

    Chapter 180 - 180: 178: There are all kinds of birds when the forest is big.<div>


    The bookstore business was doing quite well ¨C perhaps due to the foundation left by Nan Tianzong or perhaps due to the presence of Miss Gan Miaoruo. The business seemed to be doing even better than when Nan Tianzong was around.


    Whenever Gan Miaoruo visited, she didn¡¯te alone. She would always bring one or two servants with her, bringing along different kinds of exquisite snacks.


    The cleaning job gradually shifted over to these two servants. The exquisite snacks gradually took control over everyone¡¯s stomachs and also gathered Gan Miaoruo, Di Xuan, and Di Ying together in jest andughter. Whenever Liu Sisi was busy, Gan Miaoruo would take on the role of an older sister, teaching the two children instead.<div>


    Excluding costs, the bookstore could make about one to two taels of silver on less profitable days, and up to five to ten taels of silver on more profitable days.


    The most profitable days were usually on Market Days, while earnings decreased in the cold season.


    She also discovered that the customers who truly came to the bookstore to buy calligraphy tools were from wealthy families who often bought many items at once. These days brought about a surge in her ie.


    Another wealthy family visited today and bought quite a lot of items. Liu Sisi was carefully calcting her earnings.


    Meanwhile, Gan Miaoruo, practicing her studies, put down her brush in dissatisfaction: ¡°What kind of broken brush is this! It doesn¡¯t listen to me at all, Di Xuan must¡¯ve mesmerized it. Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t it obey me?¡±


    Gan Miaoruo had strong learning abilities, able to deduce one from the other. However, her intelligence was also her greatest weakness, making her impatient. For instance, writing characters required her to sit quietly and practice each stroke. This was almost unbearable for her.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the brush in your hand wasn¡¯t good enough? Howe you just exchanged it with me, and yet you¡¯re again saying it doesn¡¯t work?¡±


    Di Xuan patiently set down his brush, took the character that Gan Miaoruo was practicing, and wrote it neatly: ¡°You need to write each and every stroke carefully in order for the characters to be written well. My mother said, you need to practice strokes first to build a good foundation.¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s handwriting was exceptionally good. Even though he hadn¡¯t developed his writing style, his characters stood out in Gan Miaoruo¡¯s pile of characters like a crane standing among chickens.


    ¡°Di Xuan! Did you do this on purpose?¡±


    Gan Miaoruo was so angry, her cheeks puffed out, she stood there ring and stamping: ¡°Look at you, you ruined my homework again!¡±<div>


    Indeed, she¡¯d have to rewrite this assignment!


    ¡°Di Xuan, you¡¯ll pay for this!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo vehemently waved her fists.


    Di Xuan also felt quite embarrassed, ¡°Sister Ruo Ruo, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I don¡¯t care! I wantpensation; you have topensate me!¡± As she spoke, she rushed over trying to snatch the exercise di Xuan held in his hand.


    Looking at the two of them fooling around, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but shake her head.


    This kind of scene had happened almost every day for the past few days. From initial anxiety to her present calmness, it took some understanding.


    Although Gan Miaoruo appeared dominant, she was simply a rambunctious girl whocked parental affection. Once you understood her temperament, she was rtively easy to handle.


    ¡°Brother, Sister Ruo Ruo, stop fooling around. Come and see, does the flower YingEr drew look like a real one?¡±


    The yfulness of the two was interrupted by YingEr¡¯s shout.


    Liu Sisi was anxious in her heart. Quite a few days had passed, and Ye Lei still hadn¡¯t returned. Could he really have encountered some problems?<div>


    The nightmare of that day resurfaced in her mind. Every passing day was unbearably difficult.


    Di Ruoning came to the Di Residence twice more, but the main entrance remained closed with nobody at home. She had no choice but to return in disappointment.


    It was Old Man Li who was tarnishing Liu Sisi¡¯s reputation everywhere.


    One time, when she caught him red-handed, he ran faster than a rabbit, not at all hampered by his limp.


    She was furious but was utterly helpless against such a shameless person.


    Seeing that the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, Liu Sisi nned to make mooncakes herself.


    The grain in their home was not plentiful, so she took a bull-cart to town and bought back the ingredients for the mooncakes early.


    Not long after, Guihua also came over, bringing along the mooncake molds as well.


    Liu Sisi first ground the red bean paste, meat filling, rock sugar, sunflower seeds, white gourd candy, sesame, peanuts¡­everything was prepared. She didn¡¯t intend to make that many types of mooncakes, nning only to make red bean, five nuts, char siu, and lotus seed mooncakes based on her situation.


    Because Guihua¡¯s family always made their own mooncakes and had ready-made molds on hand, the two of them worked quickly. They were able to make thirty of each type of mooncake in just one morning.


    Liu Sisi did some calctions. Half for her and Guihua, a few for therge group in the old house, and one serving each for the Land Officer, the Gan family, and Brother Nan. After tallying the count, not many mooncakes would really remain for her own consumption.<div>


    The mooncakes she made herself were noticeablyrger than the ones Liu Sisi had eaten in the past, by a whole lot.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Sisi, have you heard? Old Man Li really found a family willing to do surrogacy.¡±


    In her hands, she was kneading mooncakes while gossiping.


    ¡°Oh? He really found one? That¡­ can¡¯t be possible, right? Who are they?¡± Liu Sisi was somewhat surprised.


    Guihua nodded, her face beaming with amusement.


    ¡°I heard it¡¯s one Dong Family from the north mountain. The man with the surname Dong lost an arm in an ident years ago, so he has no ability to farm. His wife supports the entire family. Three years after their marriage, she has already given birth to three sons. Seeing that this woman is good-looking and fertile, Elderly Mr. Di even suggested letting this woman live in the Upper Vige until she gave birth to the child and sent her back.¡±


    ¡°It really is a big world with all kinds of people¡­¡± Liu Sisi sighed, asking casually.


    ¡°Actually, this kind of thing wasn¡¯t unusual years ago.¡±


    Guihua lifted her head to nce at Liu Sisi, leaning in to whisper, ¡°Thete Emperor was excessively licentious in his early years, and beautiful women, regardless of whether they were married or not, were taken to the pce. Even the Emperor¡¯s minions followed suit, causing a sharp decrease in the number of women of appropriate age in civilian life. We, who live in a remote, mountainous area, were lucky to have avoided this catastrophe. In the towns near the county, only one out of ten households had women. So surrogacy was quietly carried out both openly and covertly.¡±


    ¡°What? You mean¡­ there are a lot of situations like this?¡± Liu Sisi widened her eyes in shock. This was too much to ept.


    ¡°People were forced into this. Some did it to carry on their line; others did it because of their inability to shoulder the heavy taxes. Fortunately, the current Emperor explicitly prohibited this behavior after his ascension to the throne, with fines for those who were discovered. As long as no one exposed the situation, the government was happy to turn a blind eye.¡±


    Guihua also sighed regretfully.


    ¡°I see, oppressive governance is to me¡­ By the way, what¡¯s the name of the wife of the man surnamed Dong?¡± Liu Sisi shook her head and sighed before asking.


    Guihua immediately showed interest, ¡°Ha! You won¡¯t believe it, but because this type of situation has be so rare, I specially asked. This woman also has thest name Liu, and her name is Liu Zhi¡¯er.¡±


    tter!


    The mooncake mold in Liu Sisi¡¯s hand fell to the ground, her face deathly pale.


    ¡°You said¡­ this woman¡¯s name is what? Liu Zhi¡¯er, are you sure you didn¡¯t remember it wrong?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    The recent plot is transitioning, so there is a bit more expository text, but by this point, most of it has been introduced. The following parts have already lifted the curtain, and I hope you all will enjoy it! Tiger greeting everyone! Whining whining whining¡­.

 Chapter 181 - 181: 179: The Hidden Worries of Liu Sisi

    Chapter 181 - 181: 179: The Hidden Worries of Liu Sisi<div>


    ¡°What was the woman¡¯s name you said¡­? Was it Liu Zhi¡¯er? Are you sure you didn¡¯t get it wrong?¡±


    ¡°Hey! How could I get something like this wrong? It¡¯s not something that happens twice a year; how could I forget?¡±


    Guihua didn¡¯t even lift her head as she spoke, concentrating on wrapping the mooncake filling in her hands.<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, Liu Zhi¡¯er, could it be her?


    It shouldn¡¯t be her, should it?


    Definitely not her!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s thoughts became tangled and chaotic, leaving her momentarily lost.


    ¡°Liu Xuer, Liu Zhi¡¯er, Liu Sisi, I think you three sisters are one more disgraceful than the other¡­ one more skilled in seducing others¡­¡±


    Di Ruoning¡¯s words of scolding from the past were still fresh in her memory!


    The reason she was familiar with the name Liu Zhi¡¯er was that she had heard it from Di Ruoning¡¯s mouth.


    If the woman Old Man Li was searching for really was Liu Zhi¡¯er¡­


    Liu Sisi shuddered and suddenly leaped up from her chair, sprinting out of the courtyard with Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua barking wildly behind her.


    ¡°Sisi! Sisi, where are you going?¡±


    Without taking the time to reply to Guihua¡¯s question, Liu Sisi headed straight for Old Man Li¡¯s house, which she remembered.<div>


    Please, please let it not be her!


    Dashing all the way to the vige entrance, Liu Sisi suddenly stopped, gasping for breath. A crucial question urred to her.


    She didn¡¯t know Liu Zhi¡¯er at all, so how could she recognize her?


    However, there was no turning back now. She could only forge ahead and face the consequences, even if it meant being scolded.


    Thest time that Big Mouth Li had died, Liu Sisi and Di Yelei hade this way together. But now she was alone, and the houses here were different from the Di Family¡¯s single houses. This ce had courtyards within courtyards, piled up inyers, narrow and dark.


    Liu Sisi wandered around inside for a while, meeting some vigers who looked at her curiously. After all, she rarely appeared in the vige.


    She finally reached Old Man Li¡¯s house, only to find the main entrance tightly closed.


    Not giving up, she circled the house several times, peeking through the windows but finding the interior too dark to see if anyone was inside.


    Guihua mentioned that Old Man Li would take the woman back to Upper Vige, but whether or not it had been done was hard to say.


    Left with no choice, she had to retrace her steps slowly.


    As she turned around, she saw Guihua running towards her, gasping for breath.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s wrong? How did you end up here? I called you earlier, but you didn¡¯t answer. Sisi, won¡¯t you say something?¡±


    In the room of Old Man Li¡¯s house, where the windows were tightly sealed, a young woman was tied to the head of the bed. She seemed to be asleep with her mouth gagged, but was suddenly awakened by the noise outside. Slowly, she opened her eyes and listened closely to the sounds outside.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, I just came to take a look after hearing you mention¡­that the woman¡¯s name is Liu Zhi¡¯er. That¡¯s why I was curious.¡±


    Guihua let out a sigh of relief!


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s there to see? You know what kind of person Old Man Li is. I bet it won¡¯t be long before he parades that woman around the vige. By then, will you be afraid of not seeing her? Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    ¡°But I¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth was tinged with a bitter smile. How could she exin the hidden worries in her heart?


    In the room, the woman¡¯s expression suddenly lit up when Liu Sisi began to speak.


    ¡°Mm¡­mm¡­¡±


    She wanted to shout, but her mouth was gagged with a cloth strip, leaving her to make only muffled moans.


    She struggled desperately, trying to break free from the ropes binding her behind her back. However, the thick hemp rope held her hands and feet tightly to the head of the bed, leaving her unable to move at all.<div>


    Outside, Guihua frowned in concern and held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°What is going on? Sisi, why are you also adopting other people¡¯s tactics, saying half and leaving half unsaid?¡±


    ¡°No! I just¡­ I was just curious for a moment, but now I¡¯m alright.¡±


    Seeing the worried Guihua, she couldn¡¯t help butugh and say, ¡°Sister Guihua, I¡¯m sorry for making you worry. Let¡¯s go back. Zhang Yun also went with them into the mountains, and it¡¯s quite lonely for you to eat alone. Why don¡¯t we finish making the mooncakes, and you stay at my house for dinner tonight? We can chat and gossip.¡±


    While speaking, she turned to hold Guihua¡¯s hand and walked towards the house.


    The woman in the dark room seemed anxious when she heard people were about to leave!


    ¡°Mm¡­mm! Mm¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t care less about the pain and pulled on the thick hemp rope with all her strength. The rough rope quickly cut into her flesh, yet it didn¡¯t budge.


    With a vigorous struggle, she dragged the heavy wooden bed, making a heavy scraping sound on the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine too. I¡¯m home alone anyway, so it would save me the trouble of cooking. Let¡¯s go.¡± Guihua was also happy, walking hand in hand with Liu Sisi.


    The sudden noise behind her made Liu Sisi stop: ¡°Wait! Sister Guihua, did you hear any sound?¡±


    ¡°A sound? Where is there any sound?¡±


    Guihua couldn¡¯t help but listen suspiciously, tilting her head.


    Liu Sisi also listened carefully, but the sound that seemed to exist just now was gone. It seemed she had indeed misheard. Sheughed in embarrassment.


    ¡°I must have misheard, or it was just a mouse rustling. You don¡¯t know, but the other day I saw a shadow outside the window and it scared me. When I looked closely, it turned out to be a spotted cat¡­¡±


    The two chatted as they slowly walked away.


    In the dark room, the woman struggled desperately, sobbing futilely, attempting to make a sound. Hearing the footsteps of the two distant, she anxiously wailed, but the cloth pad blocked her throat.


    No sound could be heard outside anymore, and the woman¡¯s tight string suddenly broke; her vision darkened, and she fell into darkness.


    The two got busy as soon as they got home, and by the time they finished making the mooncakes, it was already evening.


    Guihua pondered over the dishes for tonight¡¯s dinner.


    Since there were no outsiders, the two decided to take advantage of the autumn chives before they were gone, and made chive pies for dinner.


    Liu Sisi quickly fetched the eggs, chopped the chives, and started making chive pies by frying them in the pan.


    ¡°I noticed that the sweet potatoes next to your house should be harvested. Why haven¡¯t you dug them up yet? If they get frostbitten in the ground, they won¡¯tst long.¡± Guihua remembered the few sweet potatoes that Liu Sisi had nted.


    ¡°Alright, I will dig them up tomorrow when I have some free time. Actually, there aren¡¯t many of them. When I first nted them, I was just thinking about eating the potato seedlings.¡±


    Liu Sisi wiped the sweat from her forehead, ¡°Maybe because I took good care of them, the other day I casually dug up a hole, and there were quite a few sweet potatoes inside, each as big as two fists. Digging up that small piece ofnd should be enough for us to eat in the winter. By the way, I¡¯ll dig up a few holes for youter, and you can take them home to eat.¡±

 Chapter 182 - 182: 180: Fright

    Chapter 182 - 182: 180: Fright<div>


    ¡°No thanks! We¡¯ve nted a few sweet potato fields in my home too, and I¡¯m actually tired of eating them every day. Yet you still think that they are treasures.¡± As Guihua said that, she couldn¡¯t help butugh at herself.


    Curiously, Liu Sisi asked, ¡°If we have too many sweet potatoes, we could process them into dried sweet potatoes. They could be eaten directly or used for stir-fried meat. Moreover, we wouldn¡¯t need to worry about them spoiling. Alternatively, we could grind them into sweet potato starch. Starch has many uses, and the leftover sweet potato residue can be made into fried balls or used to feed chickens and pigs. Such a win-win situation!¡±


    ¡°What a great idea! Howe I never thought of that before?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    As the idea struck her, Guihua said excitedly, ¡°We used to just dig up the sweet potatoes and store them in the cer, covered with straw to keep them warm. By the time we got around to eating them, many had already spoiled. Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, if we just turn them into dried sweet potatoes, there wouldn¡¯t be any wastage!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t dry them all, though. We still need to save some for breeding.¡±


    Both of them couldn¡¯t help butugh as Liu Sisi spoke.


    ¡°Mom, are the chive pies ready? They smell so good! YingEr wants to eat them, and my brother does too!¡±


    While the two were chatting, Di Ying came hopping in from outside, followed by the two adorable puppies.


    Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua were already half-grown dogs. One had a yellow coat, and the other a ck and white one. Their fluffy tails wagged nonstop, one swinging to the left, and the other to the right. The two dogs stood in the kitchen doorway, not daring to enter.


    They could only whimper softly, wagging their tails vigorously as they tried to get everyone¡¯s attention.


    This lively disy naturally delighted everyone in the room!


    ¡°Oh, these dogs are so lovely! Their coats are smooth and sleek. It¡¯s clear that you¡¯ve taken good care of them.¡±


    ¡°These dogs only bark at strangers passing by, not at family members.¡±


    Liu Sisi picked up a chive pie with her chopsticks, ced it in a small bowl, and offered it to Di Ying, ¡°Careful, it¡¯s hot. You¡¯re lucky it¡¯s just Aunt Zhang. If others saw how eager you are for food, they¡¯dugh at you.¡±<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s there tough about? Our YingEr is so adorable just the way she is. Don¡¯t worry, eat up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Zhang. YingEr will bring some to her brother.¡±


    YingEr took the bowl and happily left the kitchen. The two puppies followed her, wagging their tails merrily.


    Guihua looked joyful as she nced around, ¡°Where has Xuan¡¯er gone? Is he still studying? That boy is too serious.¡±


    ¡°Right? Xuan¡¯er isn¡¯t like a seven-and-a-half-year-old at all. He¡¯s too sensible. Sometimes I forget that he¡¯s just a child.¡± Liu Sisi felt touched by his maturity.


    ¡°I think he has great potential to be a sessful schr, even a top one. Once that happens, your family will reap the rewards.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about reaping rewards. I just hope that my family stays safe and sound¡­¡±


    The casual remark caused Liu Sisi¡¯s smile to vanish as she suddenly became silent.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking that Ye Lei and the others have been in the mountains for almost ten days. Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner, and I don¡¯t know how they¡¯re doing. I wonder if they¡¯ll make it back in time for the festival.¡± Liu Sisi said worriedly.


    Upon hearing this, Guihua¡¯s smile also disappeared, and she couldn¡¯t help but sigh.<div>


    Only then did Liu Sisi realize her mistake. Recalling that Zhang Peng and his father had also gone into the mountains, she knew that Sister Guihua¡¯s worries were no less than her own.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, don¡¯t worry! They will definitely return safely. Trust me.¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but hold Guihua¡¯s hand. Worry was evident in both of their eyes.


    Where are they at this very moment?


    Another sleepless night followed.


    That evening, Liu Sisi repeatedly woke from nightmares. Her heart raced in anxiety, feeling as if something terrible was about to happen.


    Unable to sleep, she got out of bed, put on her clothes, and stood under the eaves outside her room, looking up at the bright moon in the sky.


    The mountain breeze blew, bringing faint intermittent screams that were so chilling.


    Listening carefully, she found nothing.


    The clear and cold full moon was exceptionally bright, illuminating everything around her in apletely white glow, but it could not light up her heart.


    She hugged her arms and rubbed the goosebumps that were just visible on her skin.<div>


    The nights at the foot of the mountain were indeed cold! She wondered if Ye Lei felt the same cold on the mountain.


    Thump!


    A faint sound of something heavy falling to the ground was followed by a series of hastened footsteps approaching the bedroom.


    ¡°Woof woof woof¡­whimper¡­woof woof!¡±


    The two dogs whimpered and barked for a while, then went silent.


    Liu Sisi was startled!


    Why did Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua stop barking? Could they have been dealt with by the intruder? Could it be another thief breaking into the empty house?


    Memories of the past surfaced in Liu Sisi¡¯s mind, and she immediately became alert, quickly turning back to run into the house.


    She forcefully opened the door, and the wooden door made a slight creaking sound, which seemed particrly piercing in the quiet night. She didn¡¯t have time to think much and rushed into the room, quickly trying to close the door behind her.


    At that moment, the footsteps had reached the doorway, faster than her, firmly pressing against the door and even forcefully pushing it open!


    Damn it!


    The intruder was so hard to deal with!


    Enraged and anxious, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t dare to show any trace of it, using all her strength to hold the door firmly closed.


    Without any mercy, the opponent gradually widened the gap between the door, and a peculiar smell rushed into her nostrils, causing her to instinctively hold her breath and almost vomit the food she had eaten. When she looked up, she saw an unusually tall andrge shadow. At that moment, he was standing against the light, which leaked in through the widening gap between the door.


    Good Lord! He was even taller and more massive than a ck bear!


    He towered all the way to the top of the door!


    If he really broke through the door, she wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand such a giant man!


    In desperation, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know where the courage came from, and she used all her strength to close the door with a fierce push.


    As she was about to feel relieved, the giant suddenly pushed the door open with great force.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    She was caught between the door and the wall, and the sudden pain made Liu Sisi instinctively cry out in pain.


    ¡°Sisi¡­is that you?¡±


    In the open doorway, the giant shadow with his back to the light asked,


    ¡°Ye, Ye Lei, is that you? Why is your voice¡­¡± changed!


    Liu Sisi could no longer hold back her tears, as the tension in her heart suddenly burst forth, and she cried.

 Chapter 183 - 183: 181: My Little Kitten at Home Cares for Me

    Chapter 183 - 183: 181: My Little Kitten at Home Cares for Me<div>


    What a busy time!


    Liu Sisi was busy tidying up the bed. Di Yelei wasing back tonight, and she had just taken out the washed quilt from two days ago and put on fresh pillowcases.


    She then went to the kitchen, filled up the dishes with the cooked food, and brought them out.<div>


    Di Yelei finally stepped out of the bathroom after a few rounds of hot water refilling, brushing his hair as he entered the room.


    His long hair hung loosely over his shoulders, showing off his rugged and tall figure.


    His bronze-colored skin was clearly patterned, with defined muscles bulging out, changing shape as he brushed his hair.


    On his chiseled face, a pair of sharp and deep eyes showed extreme joy at the moment.


    ¡°This trip has really worn me out. We¡¯ve been traveling and chasing non-stop for days, and then rushing back home without resting for a dozen more days, so I must have smelled awful. Sisi, you¡¯ve really worked hard these days.¡±


    Liu Sisi red at him, but her joy could not be hidden.


    ¡°You¡¯re so naughty, using a bear skin to carry home some wild animals. I thought it was a ck bear outside!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face also showed delight: ¡°You ran so fast when you saw me, I thought there was an intruder in our house. Luckily, I had game on my shoulder, otherwise¡­¡± He probably would have retaliated with a few punches!


    ¡°Is there a thief like me?¡±


    Liu Sisi gave him a look: ¡°Hurry up and eat, then have a good sleep. Look at your beard, as long as a ck bear¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°You say I look like a ck bear? Is there a ck bear as good-looking as me? Sisi, hmm?¡±<div>


    Some shameless person smiled and leaned towards Liu Sisi, deliberately using the long beard on his face to tease her neck.


    Liu Sisi dodged the annoying harassment: ¡°Even a ck bear is better looking than you, quickly move away! Don¡¯t y around, just eat up. It¡¯ste, and you haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so hungry, so I¡¯m eating hard¡­ hmm, Sisi, you smell so good¡­beautiful.¡±


    He sniffed her small body¡¯s scent like a little puppy.


    ¡°Stop messing around! Hurry up and eat your meal!¡±


    Liu Sisi forcefully pushed him to sit down at the dining table: ¡°How did you get so smelly before? It was really unbearable! And what¡¯s wrong with your voice? Why is it so hoarse?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the smell of a fruit that grows on the trees in the mountains. The scent can help people avoid being tracked by wild animals. I was in a rush toe back and forgot to clean up in the mountains, so¡­¡±


    While exining, Di Yelei picked up his bowl and bamboo chopsticks and started eating: ¡°As for my voice, it might be because I caught a cold, but it¡¯ll be fine in a few days.¡±


    He casually glossed over everything.


    The truth is that this trip was really dangerous, so close, so close¡­he might not have made it back.


    When facing death, his heart and eyes were filled with her, the little woman who made him worry endlessly! At that moment, he had a strong belief in his heart!<div>


    He wanted to survive! To survive!


    Not that he was afraid of death, but he feared that if he really died, this little woman he could not let go even in death would be sad, heartbroken.


    So he survived!


    But he didn¡¯t n to tell the little woman in front of him about the hardships.


    Looking at the little kitten with a beautiful smile in front of him, he raised his head and smiled silly, eating quickly.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know when Di Yelei woulde back, so she cooked some braised pork ording to his taste, ready at home. Di Yelei loved this braised pork, which showcased the unique vor of the game.


    ¡°After eating, go and rest first. Once you¡¯re back this time, stay at home for a few more days and don¡¯t go into the mountains again. The mountains are really dangerous.¡±


    While he was eating, Liu Sisi took the ointment from the room, walked behind him, and pushed aside his half-dried long hair to reveal the wound hidden by the hair.


    It was a few strange scratches, as if some animal had bitten down but then quickly released, leaving behind a deep indentation with skin and flesh curling around it.


    Although it had already scabbed over, it was not hard to imagine the danger of being choked when the injury initially urred!


    The cool ointment applied to the skin made Di Yelei¡¯s eating motion pause!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    After a moment, he picked up his bowl and resumed eating.


    ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s voice came from behind him, very soft and shallow.


    Her fingertips were even colder than the ointment, and as they passed over his skin, his muscles twitched.


    Yet a warmth flowed through his heart, soothing its intense heat for a brief moment.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. Really, not a bit.¡±


    Suddenly, he put down his bowl and chopsticks, reached out, and grabbed her small hand, wrapping it and the porcin bottle containing the ointment together.


    His sharp and deep eyes were firmly locked on her small face, and the honest smile hung on his face as always.


    ¡°It really doesn¡¯t hurt because I know my kitty is hurting for me.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Fool!¡±


    Liu Sisi trembled, unable to help herself as she hugged him tightly in his arms. In the ce where he couldn¡¯t see, a storm was gathering in her eyes.


    Just a little bit, just a little bit¡­ and he would have really lost his life!


    And she would have lost him, never seeing him again!


    Every time she thought of this, her heart seized with fear and tears rolled uncontrobly down her cheeks.


    She knew long ago that Zuo Xingyu was up to no good!


    But she didn¡¯t stop him from going into the mountains.


    Fortunately, he came back, alive. Otherwise, she would never be able to forgive herself for the rest of her life!


    Zuo Xingyu! Zuo Xingyu!


    If all this is the sin this Liu Sisi hasmitted,e at me then!


    But you should never, never involve innocent people! I, Liu Sisi, will remember this debt!


    He sighed softly. Women were said to be made of water, and now it seemed to be true! Gently brushing her cheek with a feather-like touch, he wiped away her tears.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s hard to avoid getting injured while hunting. Be good, listen¡­¡±


    Heforted her softly, but her tears kept rolling down her eyes.


    Gently brushing her cheek, he wiped away each tear, caressing the traces where they fell.


    His warm breath sprayed on her eyes, causing her long, scallop-like eyshes to flutter, gradually forgetting to cry.


    His touch was so gentle, as if she were the most precious treasure in the world.


    Just like every time he was with her, the two gazed into each other¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 184 - 184: 182: Zhang Yun’s Little Thoughts

    Chapter 184 - 184: 182: Zhang Yun¡¯s Little Thoughts<div>


    His touch was so gentle, as if she was the most precious treasure in the world.


    Just like every time he and she met, their eyes gazed at each other intently.


    ¡°Ah! Ye Lei¡­¡±<div>


    She instinctively called out to him, but her words got stuck in her throat as she looked into those deep eyes.


    ¡°My dear Sisi, have you missed me?¡±


    His gaze was locked on her, but his footsteps did not stop. He walked straight into the room and closed the door behind him.


    ¡°I miss you, Ye Lei! I really do.¡±


    Not only did she miss him, but she missed him so much that her heart ached. She was extremely worried about him. Nightmares had gued her for endless nights, as if her sanity was being stripped away.


    She desperately needed proof, proof that he truly existed in front of her! And not just in her dreams, but as a living, breathing person!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s body temperature began to rise rapidly, and within moments, she melted into his arms.


    Her wet, doe-like eyes were filled with fog, and her long eyshes fluttered continuously.


    ¡°Such a good girl! My dear Sisi, you are mine!¡±


    He wanted her! He desperately wanted her!


    He had never felt such an urgency before, as if to prove that their existence was real, as they ignited each otherpletely.<div>


    It was as if he wanted topletely embed her into his own body, as if only then could they prove each other¡¯s existence.


    A warm look or a word was enough for them to understand each other¡¯s thoughts and feelings, so they could bring their hearts closer together and be in perfect harmony!


    The mes burned more intensely, the color deepening, like the cold light emanating from the fangs of the Wolf King on a starry night.


    Outside, the autumn wind was deste, and the foot of the mountain at night was exceptionally quiet. Barely any human voices could be heard.


    asionally, some frog croaks could be heard from afar, apanied by the distant roars of wild beasts echoing among the mountains.


    But in the small hut at the foot of the mountain, passion burned like fire, and the temperature kept rising higher and higher. The candlelight flickering against the window cast a dazzling scene, almost blinding.


    He felt as if he was about to float away, his entire being reduced to an instinct that moved at breakneck speed.


    Meanwhile.


    As Guihua still anxiously waited for news from father and son Zhang Peng, they returned home exhausted.


    Their harvest today was not bad, especially with the addition of Zhang Yun. Though it took some extra time to take care of Zhang Yun at first, the teacher and pupil gradually established a tacit understanding in hunting, and tracking prey became more convenient. Apart from the game that got away due to Zhang Yun¡¯s initial mistake, the two had a bountiful harvest.


    As soon as they got back to the door, Zhang Peng couldn¡¯t help but call out softly, ¡°Guihua! We¡¯re back!¡±<div>


    With a creak!


    Almost as soon as he called out, the door of the house opened.


    ¡°Yun Er, you¡¯re back? Husband, Yun Er, you¡¯re not injured, are you? Wuuu¡­¡± Guihua couldn¡¯t help but cry again.


    ¡°What are you crying for? Women just love to cry. YingEr has been very helpful hunting these past few days. Hurry up, Yun Er,e in. Be careful.¡±


    Zhang Peng scolded Guihua while looking after Zhang Yun who was walking behind him.


    Upon hearing this, Guihua quickly wiped her tears, and said cheerfully, ¡°I-I¡¯m just so happy! This is YingEr¡¯s first time going into the mountains. I¡¯m so happy that¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. YingEr is fine.¡±


    Zhang Yun followed and entered through the main entrance: ¡°Dad! This game is really heavy!¡±


    As he spoke, Zhang Yun could no longer hold on, and forcefully threw the two game animals from his shoulders onto the ground.


    ¡°Hehe! It¡¯s not heavy at all! Guihua, we didn¡¯t go on this trip for nothing. Not only did we catch those two bears and got so much silver, but we also hunted a lot of game.¡±


    Zhang Peng was very excited, and as soon as he put the game down from his shoulder, he handed the silver from selling the ck bears to Guihua.<div>


    ¡°You have no idea, these two ck bears were really hard to kill. Fortunately, Ye Lei and Constable Zuo helped, otherwise, we would have been in big trouble¡­¡±


    Zhang Peng talked endlessly until he and his son had finished their dinner, only then had he finished talking about the process.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying, Brother Ye Lei was seriously injured? Should we hurry and send some medicine over?¡± Guihua worriedly asked.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Why send it now? They¡¯ve been apart for so many days, and he and his sister-inw are practically newlyweds. Going there and disturbing them now, wouldn¡¯t you just be causing trouble on purpose? Let¡¯s send it tomorrow morning instead.¡± Zhang Peng wiped his mouth and put down his bowl and chopsticks.


    Across the table, Zhang Yun silently ate the food in his bowl, looking deeply troubled.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the silence, kid? Did a cat catch your tongue?¡±


    Zhang Peng asked curiously.


    Zhang Yun finally looked up at them for a moment, then lowered his head again, looking as if he wanted to say something but couldn¡¯t.


    Zhang Peng and Guihua exchanged nces: ¡°What¡¯s with you today, kid? Suddenly acting all mysterious. What can¡¯t you say to your parents?¡±


    ¡°Dad, Mom, I-I¡¯m already ten years old, and YingEr, she¡­I think¡­¡± Zhang Yun stammered without reaching the point.


    ¡°Hehe! Didn¡¯t expect it, huh! You really take after your dad. As soon as you set your sights on something, you won¡¯t let go, just like when I pursued your mother. No matter what, I had to have her.¡±


    Zhang Peng seemed very pleased, ¡°Back when I pursued your mother, she¡­¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough! Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t drink today? Why do you have so much to say?¡±


    Guihua¡¯s cheeks turned red as she tried to scold with a straight face. She turned her head to look at Zhang Yun, ¡°Yun Er, do you really like YingEr? You can¡¯t just change your mindter because she¡¯s young and ruin the long-standing friendship between our two families. That would be terrible.¡±


    ¡°Mom, although YingEr is still young, you know that I¡¯m not the kind of person to change my mind easily. I¡¯ll definitely take good care of YingEr.¡±


    Zhang Yun blushed, but stared at his mother, obviously determined.


    ¡°You both are in such a hurry¡­ YingEr isn¡¯t even five years old yet, are you both really this desperate? Our son is such a great young man. Can he really worry about not getting a wife? Besides, considering the friendship between our two families and how YingEr has been following Yun Er since she was young, the marriage is practically a sure thing!¡± Zhang Peng, feeling quite smug, praised Zhang Yun.


    ¡°What do you know! If YingEr gets engaged to someone else, where will our son go to cry?¡±


    Guihua rolled her eyes at him. This silly, brainless man from the mountains, what would they do if something unexpected happened? Would they just wait for their turn?

 Chapter 185 - 185: 183: The Idea

    Chapter 185 - 185: 183: The Idea<div>


    ¡°What the hell do you know!? If YingEr really gets engaged to someone else, who are you going to have our Yun Er cry to?¡±


    Guihua gave him a disdainful nce. Such an unthinking oaf. What if something unexpected happened? Are they just supposed to wait for him?


    After all, at this stage, which girl with a decent family background and good character was not already engaged?<div>


    ¡°Mom! In that case, let¡¯s secure YingEr as soon as possible! Yun Er truly loves YingEr. Moreover, Yun Er will be eleven after New Year, she¡¯s not young anymore.¡±


    Zhang Yun could not afford to be shy at the moment. Just like Zhang Peng, when he genuinely likes someone, he must get them at all costs.


    Hearing this, he naturally strove for his own benefit.


    ¡°The problem is, will Ye Lei agree? Over the years, we have mentioned this matter to him openly and covertly, but he has skillfully avoided it. If he rejects once again, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll lose the brotherhood.¡±


    Zhang Peng, who was eating, pondered and put down his bowl, looking troubled.


    ¡°Look at yourck of spirit! With your argument, who would want to marry their precious daughter to your son? Isn¡¯t it at least worth trying one more time?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Guihua red at him, then turned to look at the distressed Zhang Yun.


    ¡°Fine, since you¡¯re also satisfied with YingEr, mom does have an idea.¡±


    ¡°Mom, what is the idea? Please tell me quickly?¡± Zhang Yun¡¯s eyes lit up instantaneously!


    Guihua thought for a moment, then her face brightened. She instructed Zhang Yun, ¡°Isn¡¯t it the 15th of August tomorrow? Let¡¯s go talk to Sisi first thing in the morning. She must not have seen the temple fair since she just got married, we can all go together. On the way, you can say¡­¡±


    While speaking, Guihua leaned towards Zhang Yun¡¯s ear, continuously whispering to him. Zhang Yun¡¯s eyes brightened, and he nodded constantly, the joy on his face growing more intense.<div>


    The sparkling light in his eyes was blinding, ¡°Great! Let¡¯s do it this way tomorrow!¡± Zhang Yun was ecstatic!


    On the Di family¡¯s side, Liu Sisi felt like a floating duckweed in a storm.


    She couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Her cries of struggle failed to stop Di Yelei¡¯s forceful moves, and her vision began to darken.


    During his final forceful push, darkness unfolded before her eyes and she fainted.


    His strength wilted, hisrge body fell directly onto Liu Sisi¡¯s delicate, soft, and feeble figure.


    After a moment, he rolled off her body, thoroughly satisfied, his sweat-soaked figure copsed next to hers.


    Drenched in sweat, but also extremely gratifying!


    Hezily grabbed a piece of clothing, wiped the sweat off his face, on his bronze skin,rge drops of sweat kept rolling and falling.


    He chuckled quietly, mildly squinting his glinting eyes, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up, expressing the contentedness he felt after his desires had been fulfilled. He lowered his head, drawing closer to her, burying his nose into her hair, and took a deep breath.


    She instinctively frowned, seemingly about to wake up from her unconscious state. She extended her hand and subconsciously repelled his touch. Liu Sisi, who had been half-fainting, suddenly opened her moist eyes when she heard his voice.


    Shey there without any strength, her eyes half-closed due to exhaustion. It was apparent that she was not yet fully awake. Her eyes fluttered several times, slowly regaining focus, there was indubitable panic in her gaze.<div>


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you already¡­ What else do you want now?¡±


    He extended his hand to pull her back into his arms. Then, he gazed at her seriously and began tough!


    She shivered like a leaf in the wind, trembling all over as he chased her persistently. She fled, he pursued, and once again, the tug-of-war between them began.


    ¡°Not enough! Do you think you can get rid of me like this?¡±


    The moon outside was indeed big and round, and the stars blinked incessantly in the sky, each twinkle illuminating their surroundings brightly.


    Just thinking about someone witnessing the current situation made Liu Sisi blush with shame. An extreme feeling of exhration suddenly overcame her, causing her to faint once again!


    In her daze, it felt like someone had put her into hot water. The sudden warmth against her skin startled her, causing her to awake from her deep sleep.


    She barely opened her eyes when she was met with a magnified smiling face, scaring her into immediately closing her eyes again!


    It was as if as long as she kept her eyes shut like this, she wouldn¡¯t have to face anything.


    He gently cleaned her, lifted her up, dried her off, and put her back into the quilt, after which she fell back to sleep.


    In her semi-conscious state, she felt a strange sensation from somewhere again. Unable to resist, she forced open her heavy eyelids, only to meet a pair of teasing eyes.<div>


    Startled, she immediately woke up from her slumber, instantly aware of the strangeness within her body.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Ye Lei, let go of me, why are you¡­¡±


    Di Yelei gave a wicked smile, his actions below not ceasing for a moment. Sweating profusely, he said, ¡°Sweetheart! Keep sleeping, your husband will be done in a while. Good girl!¡±


    I¡¯m going to die! How can she sleep under such circumstances? If she can, then what has she be?


    However, she didn¡¯t have time to think further. As brilliant sparks rose again, he led her back into another adventurous expedition¡­


    In the early morning of autumn, a thick fog had descended, nketing every surrounding object in a mantle of mist.


    It was a dense fog, so dense that one couldn¡¯t make out any silhouette in front of them as it rapidly spread from the foot of the mountain.


    When Liu Sisi woke up again, she heard Sister Guihua¡¯s voice outside, which caused her to force her eyes open.


    ¡°Sisi hasn¡¯t woken up yet? It seems we came too early. I was thinking that today is the 15th day of the lunar month, and there must be a temple fair on the street. Sisi has just married into the Di family, she might not have seen these temple fairs, lion dances, fire dragon dances, street operas, and lots of fun and delicious food. We also have to pay homage to the Land God. If we gote, we will have to queue for a long time!¡±


    Guihua¡¯s face was beaming with joy, which swept away the worry she had been carrying for over ten days. It was the safe return of Zhang Peng and Zhang Yun that had relieved her.


    Is it already the 15th day of the lunar month?


    Liu Sisi blinked in confusion, ording to her memory, wasn¡¯t today only the 14th? Where did a whole day go?


    ¡°You guys are right, I hadpletely forgotten that today is the 15th day of the lunar month.¡± Di Yelei¡¯s voice also echoed in.


    ¡°Dad, Dad! Little Ying and our brother also want to y! Today, we want to y too, let¡¯s go! Dad, please!¡±


    Little Ying beside was excited!

 Chapter 186: 184: Mid-Autumn Temple Fair: People Rounder as the Moon Shines Brighter (Part 1)

    Chapter 186: 184: Mid-Autumn Temple Fair: People Rounder as the Moon Shines Brighter (Part 1)<div>


    Yesterday, there was also a ruckus in the old house all night long.


    Di Ruoning¡¯s mind was not at ease, and with her failure to plot against Liu Sisi, she fell sick; naturally, she vented her anger on the people around her.


    The one who bore the brunt of it was naturally Ms. Ma, the servant they had bought.<div>


    Yuan Mengbai spent half the night rambling with Elderly Mr. Di in the main room. When he saw that it was gettingte, he finally headed towards his room.


    Unexpectedly, just as he reached the doorway, he saw Ms. Ma running out of the room in tears.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Who upset you?¡±


    Yuan Mengbai hurriedly stopped her.


    Ms. Ma looked at him and quickly wiped the tears from her face: ¡°Old Master! Madam¡­¡±


    As she spoke, her tears streamed down again!


    ¡°Did Madam bully you again?¡± Yuan Mengbai was also helpless.


    His use of the word ¡°again¡± was because this kind of incident had happened more than once or twice already!


    Just as Ms. Ma was about to speak, an angry voice came from inside the room: ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you 41-year-olds still trying to act like a little girl tattling?¡±


    As her words fell, a figure suddenly appeared at the doorway; if it wasn¡¯t Di Ruoning, who else could it be?


    Di Ruoning leaned against the doorway and coldly stared at the two people, as if she wanted to kill them with her eyes.<div>


    Ms. Ma dared not say any more, quickly wiping away her tears and running away.


    Yuan Mengbai tried to call out but didn¡¯t know what else to say, so he sighed, walked to Di Ruoning¡¯s side.


    ¡°Ruo Ning, you really need to change your temper. Although Ms. Ma was bought by us, she is still human. Scolding her to the point of crying is not right. I think¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yuan Mengbai, are you nning to defend her or what?¡±


    Di Ruoning had no intention of being tactful at all.


    She stretched out a finger and tapped Yuan Mengbai¡¯s chest: ¡°Don¡¯t forget, everything in your home, food, clothing, and expenses are all given by me, Di Ruoning! What do you think you are? Daring to speak to me like this?¡±


    ¡°I! ¡­ Ruo Ning, I¡¯m just saying this for your own good, do you really need to speak so aggressively?¡± Yuan Mengbai was also angry and couldn¡¯t help but question her.


    ¡°Hehe! It seems you¡¯re getting bolder now.¡±


    Di Ruoning chuckled a couple of times, her face full ofziness: ¡°If you, Yuan Mengbai, really have the ability, either go out and earn some money for me, or properly serve me. Maybe, if I think your performance is good enough, I don¡¯t mind giving you a few extra taels of silver to spend! Yawn¡ªI¡¯m so sleepy.¡±


    Without waiting for Yuan Mengbai to respond, she went straight back into the room.


    ¡°You? You! You¡­¡±<div>


    Yuan Mengbai was so angry that he clenched and unclenched his fists, looking extremely furious. In the end, he still couldn¡¯t bring himself to barge into the room and have a heated argument with her.


    Instead, he quietly turned around and walked silently to the other end.


    On the right wing, a figure naturally saw the whole scene without missing a beat.


    Waiting for Yuan Mengbai to leave, she quickly sneaked into Di Ruoning¡¯s room and immediately showed an ingratiating smile.


    ¡°Little Sister, hehe¡­ Little Sister, you haven¡¯t slept yet.¡±


    It was obvious that she was just trying to make small talk!


    Di Ruoning nced up at her, then buried her head and continued to disassemble the hairpin on her head.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Second Sister-inw? I just gave you a hairpin a few days ago, and you¡¯re back again today. Did you run out of money from selling the hairpin?¡±


    ¡°No, how could that be? Hehehe¡­¡±


    The visitor, Ms. Wang, mulled over her words several times in her heart before she finally spoke.


    ¡°Little Sister! Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival, do you¡­have any ns for that day?¡±<div>


    Di Ruoning let go of thest hairpin, picked up the woodenb on the dressing table, and gentlybed through her beautiful hair.


    ¡°Aiya¡­ Second Sister-inw, someone mentioned something the other day, what was it? My memory is so bad that I¡¯ve forgotten.¡±


    Her speech was light, and the woodenb in her hand wasbing through her long hair haphazardly. Through the bronze mirror in front of her, she examined the feasibility of what Wang had said.


    These words really made Ms. Wang anxious!


    ¡°Oh, my! I¡¯m saying, Little Sister, tomorrow is the 15th of August. That person still hasn¡¯t conceived yet, isn¡¯t it necessary to go to the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple to burn incense and kowtow? Since that¡¯s the case, our n has a good chance of working. Rest assured, I brought this for you.¡±


    As Ms. Wang spoke, she hurriedly stuffed something into Di Ruoning¡¯s arms and then stepped back with a silly smile.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Di Ruoning took it and examined it for a long time, but couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Ms. Wang nced at the darkness outside, and carefully whispered in her ear, then nodded affirmatively, before continuing in a low voice.


    ¡°Hmm, if this thing really works, everything you deserve will definitely not be less than what you get.¡±


    Di Ruoning nodded as she listened.


    ¡°Also, Second Sister-inw, you should also make some preparations. Tomorrow, let¡¯s go up the mountain together. I haven¡¯t been to a temple fair for many years. I should go to the temple fair to pray for blessings for the child in my stomach.¡±


    Di Ruoning said, directly putting the object into her arms.


    Ms. Wang winced in pain but had to force a smile: ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go together tomorrow.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She lingered and was reluctant to leave, her eyes staring straight at the jewelry box in front of Di Ruoning.


    Di Ruoning¡¯s eyes shed a contemptuous look, and after picking through the box, she picked up a pair of small ear studs and handed them to Ms. Wang.


    ¡°Here, you take it and exchange it for some silver. Go home early and get some rest. You must rest well.¡±


    As Di Ruoning spoke, she had already taken the jewelry box and went inside.


    ¡°Thank you, Little Sister. Little Sister is so generous and beautiful. You are really a different ss of personpared to me, a countryside old woman¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s face immediately brightened, and a torrent of praise spewed out.


    However, when she took a closer look at the object in her hand and found it to be just a pair of ear studs, her expression changed instantly, and her smile disappeared. She hurried to catch up, but the gaze cast by Di Ruoning frightened her, and she shrank back involuntarily, before reluctantly taking her leave.


    ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s gettingte, so I should go back¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang left the room reluctantly, looking at the ear studs in her hand, and couldn¡¯t help but spit out, ¡°Pah! Stingy, just this little thing, I¡¯ve lost big today!¡±


    On the other side, Di Ruoning also had a contemptuous look on her face: ¡°As expected, she¡¯s a dog that can¡¯t be fed enough! However, I wonder if this thing actually works.¡±


    Di Ruoning curiously took out the object, yed with it in her hand for a while, and theny down.


    It seemed as if she had just blinked, and the sky was already bright!

 Chapter 187: 185: The Mid-Autumn Temple Fair, People Get Rounder Under the Full Moon (2)

    Chapter 187: 185: The Mid-Autumn Temple Fair, People Get Rounder Under the Full Moon (2)<div>


    On Di Family¡¯s side, YingEr was happily running back and forth between several people, ¡°Brother, Brother Zhang Yun! Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s join them!¡±


    YingEr shook one person¡¯s hand and patted another¡¯s sleeve.


    Zhang Yun looked at Di Yelei somewhat hesitantly, ¡°YingEr, we should ask for your dad¡¯s opinion; he¡¯s the one who can make the decision.¡±<div>


    ¡°Hmph! Brother Zhang Yun doesn¡¯t like YingEr anymore, Brother Zhang Yun, you¡¯re so mean!¡± After saying this, YingEr quickly ran to Di Yelei¡¯s side, looking up at her father, ¡°Dad, is it okay? Is it okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, if YingEr says it¡¯s okay, then it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Di Yelei shook his head with a smile, ¡°Alright then, our YingEr is the most capable one. Go call your mom and get ready, we¡¯ll also go pay our respects to the Earth God and attend the temple fair!¡±


    The temple fair the crowd was talking about wasn¡¯t in the small town, nor in the county, but on a hill called ck Pond Mountain.


    ck Pond Mountain is adjacent to Heilong Mountain, named after the ck Pond on the mountain which connects with the spring from Heilong Mountain.


    This mountain is located at the central intersection of several counties: Macheng County, Raoping County, Dacheng County, and Yanqing County. Due to its unique geographical location, it attracts visitors from far and wide.


    This temporary temple fair takes advantage of the local conditions, with stalls spread out along the mountain paths leading to it, forming a ¡°Ãס± shape. In the center of the fair is the Earth God Temple and the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s Zen temple, resting side by side without interference.


    When Liu Sisi and her group walked up the mountain path leading to the Earth God Temple, the path had already gathered a dense crowd of people rushing to the temple.


    People were talking andughing, shouting, teasing each other, or even arguing withughter. Everyone wore happy expressions as they rushed non-stop towards the temple.


    Many people from the old house were attending the temple fair today. Aside from Elderly Mr. Di and Ms. Zhao, almost the entire family hade.


    Even the children, who didn¡¯t usually get a chance toe out and y, joined in. Even Di Ah-bao, who had been grounded, was given special permission toe out for the day and enjoy the temple fair.<div>


    Yuan Mengbai and Ms. Ma, one on each side, supported Di Ruoning as they walked on the mountain path. She was swaying to and fro, her pregnant belly making her walking difficult and sweaty, as if it was extremely hard for her.


    Unfortunately, the children began to fight, almost knocking Di Ruoning to the ground. There was shouting and quarreling. How could anyone not be annoyed?


    ¡°Are you kids trying to kill me? If you bump into my stomach, none of you can afford the consequences! Get away from me right now!¡±


    Di Ruoning was already struggling to walk. Themotion of the children only served to make her more irritable.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ms. Wang¡¯s face was also not looking good, as her children, Di Wei and Di Jie, were among the four children fighting.


    When Di Ruoning first asked Di Wei to help her testify, Di Wei ran away on the spot, bitterly humiliating Di Ruoning. Since then, Di Ruoning considered Di Wei a thorn in her side, and often found fault with her in daily life.


    Especially in recent days, Di Ruoning had be even more ruthless. Ms. Wang watched with concern and anger in her heart. Hearing Di Ruoning shout at someone again, she couldn¡¯t help but yell at the children herself.


    ¡°Do you kids look for fights all day long? You, and you as well, whose children are you? You have no manners at all, fighting on the road. You¡¯re simply wild bastards born without proper upbringing!¡±


    As soon as Wang started scolding, many people around immediately stopped to watch.


    Suddenly, a fat woman with wide shoulders and a round waist appeared beside them. Her bulging copper bell-like eyes stared at Wang, lifting her up, ¡°What did you just call my nephew? Repeat it!¡±


    The person who came wasn¡¯t just anyone, it was the notoriously tough Miao Cuihua!<div>


    Seeing this, Wang¡¯s face turned pale!


    Who around here didn¡¯t know about Miao Cuihua¡¯s fearsome reputation?!


    However, at this moment, she was being held up by Miao Cuihua, clutching her cor, unable to use her limbs, struggling helplessly in mid-air: ¡°Let me go, let me down! We can talk, we can talk nicely!¡±


    ¡°Miao Cuihua! Hurry up and put her down, let¡¯s talk nicely!¡± Di Gaoyuan, who was nearby, also became anxious and quickly stepped forward to rescue her.


    For a moment, the mountain path was plunged into chaos.


    Di Ah-bao, who was walking quietly with his arms folded nearby, quickly found an opportunity to sneak into the crowd and slip away unnoticed.


    Compared to the noisy scene here, Liu Sisi and her party walking a short distance ahead were enjoying a harmonious atmosphere.


    ¡°Mom, you need to walk faster! Hurry up!¡±


    YingEr, like a little sparrow, was hopping back and forth among the group.


    Xuan¡¯er also seemed much happier today, smiling brightly, while Zhang Yun, walking beside her, took even greater care of YingEr.


    ¡°YingEr, be careful not to fall!¡±<div>


    ¡°YingEr, slow down, don¡¯t run so fast!¡±


    ¡°YingEr, watch your step, the road ahead is slippery¡­¡±


    The caring sounds kepting, making the adultsugh heartily.


    At this moment, Liu Sisi was finding the walk extremely difficult.


    It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t walk anymore, but with every step she took, fluids would slowly slide down, making her face turn red and her ears redden. She strived to tighten herself, trying to avoid more embarrassment.


    But the more she tried, the more pressure was put on that area, as if there was an endless stream of fluids flowing out.


    The most torturous part was not just this, but also the ufortable feeling on her pants, sticking firmly to her sensitive area, causing torment with every step she took.


    ¡°Sisi, how are you feeling? Do you want to take a break?¡±


    As they reached the bend in the path, Guihua helped her sit down on arge rock nearby.


    Only after sitting on the rock did Liu Sisi finally feel slightly better.


    ¡°I saw how difficult it was for you to walk. Brother Ye Lei must have loved you intenselyst night, huh?¡± Guihua leaned towards Liu Sisi¡¯s ear and whispered softly.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks suddenly flushed, turning as red as a shrimp.


    ¡°Sister Guihua¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi shook Guihua¡¯s hand, unreconciled: ¡°Sister Guihua, I don¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t do anythingst night¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Keep your voice down, be careful not to be overheard by others.¡±


    The conversation made Guihua¡¯s cheeks blush as well, looking extremely shy: ¡°Well, looking at your expression, I can tell what you two didst night. But it¡¯s only natural. After all, you just got married. It would be abnormal if nothing happened.¡±


    ¡°Sister Guihua, stop teasing me, just tell me, did you or did you not do anythingst night?¡± Liu Sisi whispered.


    Guihua let out an almost inaudible hum, her face flushed with embarrassment.

 Chapter 188: 186: The Mid-Autumn Temple Fair, People Get Rounder Under the Full Moon (3)

    Chapter 188: 186: The Mid-Autumn Temple Fair, People Get Rounder Under the Full Moon (3)<div>


    ¡°Zhang Peng and I are an old married couple, even though we also have¡­ what¡¯s it called, but it onlysts for a while, and then he¡¯s so tired he falls asleep right away. It¡¯s nothing like you guys, even your walking posture doesn¡¯t look right.¡±


    Guihua couldn¡¯t help but cover her mouth and giggle as she spoke.


    ¡°Guihua, stopughing at me, I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± Liu Sisi said, at a loss for words.<div>


    ¡°What happened? Did you¡­?¡± Guihua whispered into her ear.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s head hung even lower, barely managing to nod in affirmation.


    Guihua had a grin on her face, but didn¡¯t dare tough out loud, feeling a little embarrassed.


    ¡°You brought a handkerchief with you, right? Not far ahead, there¡¯s a small pavilion, and under that, on the left, is a restroom. I¡¯ll go with you and you can use the handkerchief¡­¡±


    Her words made Liu Sisi even more flustered.


    ¡°Eh! So the two of you are resting here! No wonder it took a while to find you all,¡± Di Yelei said as he strode onward,ing up to the two and smiling innocently.


    ¡°Brother Ye Lei, you came just in time. Sisi is feeling tired; why don¡¯t you carry her on your back and continue the journey?¡±


    Guihua stifled augh and hurriedly got up to leave before them.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sisi? Are you not feeling well? Let me carry you.¡± Di Yelei squatted down, ready to carry her on his back.


    ¡°Get away! It¡¯s all your fault!¡±


    Liu Sisi pushed him away with force before getting up and walking forward. Naturally, this brought about a new round of torment for her.<div>


    ¡°Sisi¡­ what did I do wrong this time?¡±


    Di Yelei had a puzzled look on his face.


    It wasn¡¯t until after using the restroom that they realized how far they¡¯d been left behind by Zhang Peng and Di Xuan. So, they hurried along to catch up.


    Today, to attend the temple fair, Liu Sisi brought all of her family¡¯s savings with her.


    Within the ten days that Di Yelei was away, the bookstore had made a profit of more than 30 taels of silver, after paying rent and other expenses. When Di Yelei had gotten into trouble, Liu Sisi had given him 10 taels he never used. With the money they¡¯d all earned hunting bears, plus the extra silver the others had given him, Di Yelei handed her a total of 58 taels, shocking her!


    With a naive grin, Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but scratch his head: ¡°I contributed more in hunting the bears, so I got a bigger share of the bounty. Each bear was worth 20 taels of silver. The other 8 taels are from the small game we caught along the way.¡±


    ¡°Stop scratching! Have you forgotten about the wound on your neck?¡±


    Liu Sisi red at him, feeling the heat in her eyes. The simple man in front of her had risked his life to bring back the money, how could she be happy about it?


    Angry, she shoved the silver back into his hand: ¡°Di Yelei, listen! If you go hunting and get hurt again, don¡¯t expect me to care about you! By then, you can go live in the doghouse with Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°No! Sisi, take it, as a man, it¡¯s my duty to make money and support the family. Come on¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t take it, unless you promise me that you will never get hurt again!¡±<div>


    ¡°Sisi, be good¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Sisi, it¡¯s inevitable to get hurt when hunting. I¡­ as your uncle, I promise you, I¡¯ll put my safety first, okay?¡±


    He was also troubled, as ensuring no injuries while hunting was nearly impossible!


    Liu Sisi also realized that it was indeed true!


    ¡°Alright! From now on, you can just hunt in the shallow mountains. We¡¯ve saved some money now, so as long as we get some game for ourselves to eat, it¡¯s enough. If anything happens to you¡­ think about Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er, they¡¯re still so young, what would they do?¡± As she spoke, her voice couldn¡¯t help but lower a bit.


    Her words made Di Yelei unable to resist hugging her into his arms, rubbing his chin back and forth on her head, andughter emerged in a low voice from his mouth.


    ¡°I know my Sisi, my little kitty¡­ is the one who worried about me the most¡­¡±


    ¡°Di Yelei ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Unable to hold back, a blushing Liu Sisi stretched out her crab-like hand, pretending to pinch him, causing Di Yelei to burst intoughter.


    Recalling this moment, the taels of silver in Liu Sisi¡¯s arms had note easily. She secretly cheered herself up toter check out the temple fair and buy some new treats for the two children to try, as well as to reward the hardworking man beside her.<div>


    The three of them walked and stopped along the way, with Liu Sisi and Guihua as if they had endless topics to talk about. The two of them held hands and walked side by side, discussing the scenery along the way.


    Close behind Liu Sisi was the tall figure of Di Yelei, his strong and masculine stature giving a strong sense of oppression. He wouldn¡¯t let Liu Sisi out of his sight for a moment, the radiance in his eyes firmly locking on her. Bashful, Liu Sisi red at him when there was no one around, but he just grinned and followed closely behind the two of them.


    Finally, before noon arrived, everyone reached the foot of ck Pond Mountain.


    ¡°Auntie, dad! Mom, hurry up! Hurry up!¡±


    Ying¡¯er waved at them from afar and quickly ran towards them. In Ying¡¯er¡¯s hand, she held a swiftly spinning pinwheel.


    ¡°Mom, look, a pinwheel! Zhang Yun bought it for Ying¡¯er.¡±


    Di Ying proudly showed off the pinwheel in her hand.


    Liu Sisi took it and saw that the pinwheel was made from colorful letter paper, spinning rapidly as the mountain breeze blew, and was truly beautiful.


    ¡°It¡¯s really pretty! Has Ying¡¯er thanked brother Zhang Yun?¡±


    ¡°Ying¡¯er said thank you. Zhang Yun promised to take Ying¡¯er to the Sansheng Bridgeter, and he said there¡¯s a lot of delicious food and fun things there! Mom, do you want to go? Please, let¡¯s go!¡± Ying¡¯er clung to Liu Sisi¡¯s sleeve, blinking her big eyes and looking at her expectantly.


    Sansheng Bridge?


    Was it the bridge from the legend that could determine one¡¯s fate for three lifetimes?


    How old was Zhang Yun, yet he was already trying to lure away her precious Ying¡¯er?


    Liu Sisi felt a churning in her stomach, and a sour taste spread throughout it as she couldn¡¯t help but let her smile waver. She looked up at Di Yelei.


    Even Guihua, who was beside her, looked at him nervously.


    Di Yelei remained grinning, scratching his ear when facing several pairs of eyes simultaneously staring at him.


    ¡°That brat Zhang Yun wants to take you? The height over there isn¡¯t low. If he wants to take you, he has toe and ask me personally. You can¡¯t decide by yourself!¡±


    The meaning behind Di Yelei¡¯s simple words was profound.


    Guihua¡¯s face immediately lit up with joy at his response!

 Chapter 189: 187: The Mid-Autumn Temple Fair, People Get Rounder Under the Full Moon (4)

    Chapter 189: 187: The Mid-Autumn Temple Fair, People Get Rounder Under the Full Moon (4)<div>


    ¡°Look at that kid, Zhang Yun, he¡¯s really something else. Later, I¡¯ll call him over and give Brother Ye Lei a good talk. He just wants to take Ying¡¯er out to y, isn¡¯t that something? Sisi, Zhang Yun is young and doesn¡¯t understand things, so don¡¯t hold it against him, okay?¡±


    As Guihua spoke, she quickly squeezed Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s other hand was holding Ying¡¯er. Hearing this, she lowered her head to look at Ying¡¯er, then raised her head to look at Guihua.<div>


    ¡°Ying¡¯er is still so young¡­¡±


    As she spoke, Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes reddened! A little girl just over four years old, was she really going to determine the path she would take for the rest of her life like this? Liu Sisi suddenly felt lost.


    ¡°Hey! Sisi, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve watched Ying¡¯er grow up since she was little. To say something that won¡¯t make you jealous, Ying¡¯er has grown up in my arms since she was little, just like my own daughter. Could it be that I won¡¯t cherish her?¡±


    Liu Sisi thought about it and felt that it made sense! Ms. Qiao passed away early. When Ms. Qiao left, Ying¡¯er was only a little over one year old, and Di Yelei was a grown man, so how could he have taken care of a child? Naturally, Ying¡¯er spent more time growing up with Guihua.


    ¡°I know you cherish her, but I just can¡¯t bear to let her leave my side¡­¡± As she spoke, tears fell from Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes. She quickly turned her head to wipe them away.


    ¡°Hey! Our two families live so close together, if you miss her in the future, you can just walk a few steps to see her. How nice!¡± Guihua quickly consoled her.


    At this, Liu Sisiughed out loud.


    That¡¯s true!


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it either. The two children are still young, and when they grow up, whether they want to be together or not, can they not decide for themselves?¡±


    Guihua said insincerely.


    ¡°Yes, Sister Guihua, I understand.¡±<div>


    Touching Ying¡¯er¡¯s head, Liu Sisi turned to look at Di Yelei. As expected, she saw his furrowed brows, and it seemed that his heart was not as indifferent as it appeared on the surface!


    When the group gathered, Guihua took Zhang Peng and Zhang Yun aside and seemed to say something.


    Soon after, Zhang Yun, with a rosiness in his face, walked over and stuttered for a long time before finally speaking.


    ¡°Di¡­ Third Uncle, I¡­I want to take Ying¡¯er to¡­to Sansheng Bridge to walk around. Third Uncle Di¡­Uncle, I¡­¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t speak for a long time, his face expressionless, his eyes firmly fixated on Zhang Yun.


    At first, Zhang Yun¡¯s face was flushed, but as time went by, the redness faded, gradually turning pale.


    He was somewhat panicked. After turning his head to see the curious Di Ying watching the two of them, he suddenly became determined, holding Ying¡¯er¡¯s hand, looking straight at Di Yelei with a determined face.


    Clearly, Ying¡¯er couldn¡¯t understand why everyone looked so tense just because she was going to y with Brother Zhang Yun for a while.


    Di Yelei suddenlyughed!


    He nodded: ¡°Go! You must remember, protecting Ying¡¯er is a responsibility that a man should fulfill! Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Third Uncle Di!¡±<div>


    Zhang Yun quickly replied, unable to hide the joy on his face.


    On the contrary, Di Xuan stood silently beside them, looking dejected. Seeing Zhang Yun and YingEr holding hands tightly, he couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists.


    With Di Yelei¡¯s consent, Zhang Yun immediately ran away happily with YingEr towards the other side, even taking Xuan¡¯er with them before leaving.


    ¡°YingEr, Xuan¡¯er, let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll y over there! Everything you eat and y with today is on me!¡±


    These words amused everyone.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°This kid is so happy he¡¯s gone crazy! What a way to talk.¡±


    Zhang Peng walked over and patted Di Yelei on the shoulder, giving him a firm handshake as he wore a happy smile on his face.


    Di Yelei also smiled, patted Zhang Peng¡¯s hand on his shoulder, and everything went unspoken.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see what¡¯s over there too! The scenery along the way is exceptionally beautiful. Oh, Sisi, if you want to buy anything, it¡¯s best to buy it here. Once you go up the mountain, the items up there are much more expensive.¡± Guihua hurriedly came over and said.


    Although she suddenly felt empty inside, Liu Sisi had no choice but to gather her strength with Sister Guihua apanying her. She searched for suitable snacks and toys at various temporary stalls on both sides of the road.


    Because today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, some stalls sellnterns, tangerinenterns, y figurines, sugar-coated chickens, ppers, glutinous rice dumplings, duck intestines, sesame cakes, honey cakes and more. They have everything you could want.<div>


    These were all natural, non-contaminated foods and small toys, and Liu Sisi was as curious as a countryside child who had never seen such things before.


    ¡°These aren¡¯t good. Wait until we reach the ck Pond halfway up the hill; there are more interesting and delicious things there. I guarantee you¡¯ll have so much fun that you¡¯ll forget about everything else.¡± Guihua happily took Liu Sisi to buy a pound of orange pastries and glutinous rice dumplings to carry in her hands.


    The orange pastries were made with honey oranges and their peels, cooked in sugar. There were several ways to make glutinous rice dumplings. Guihua generously bought not only the fragrant, deep-fried glutinous rice dumplings, but also glutinous rice rolls with red bean paste called ¡°sticky rice rolls.¡± They were skewered on long bamboo sticks, simr to candied hawthorns, and could be bitten into whenever they wanted to eat.


    Di Yelei also pampered her, buying two pieces from almost every snack stall they passed, one for Guihua and one for Sisi.


    The taste was authentic,pletely different from the so-called gourmet foods with various preservatives in her previous life. Whether it was meat dishes or specialty snacks, they were all very eye-catching and appetite-stimting.


    And in fact, that¡¯s exactly what Liu Sisi did! She kept putting one bite of delicious food in her mouth after another.


    ¡°Eat slowly, be careful of the hot food. Come! Have a sip of water.¡±


    Di Yelei next to her hurriedly handed the clear water in the bamboo tube, feeding it to Liu Sisi¡¯s lips. Liu Sisi didn¡¯t stand on ceremony, taking several sips from the tube he handed her before raising her head with her eyes squinting happily.


    ¡°Look at you, eating like a little kid, with sesame seeds all over the corner of your mouth. Don¡¯t move; I¡¯ll help you¡­ clean it.¡±


    As he spoke, he quickly took out a towel and carefully wiped her face until it was all clean before stopping.


    ¡°Thanks. As a reward, I¡¯ll let you taste this popcorn too. It¡¯s sweet and delicious.¡±


    While speaking, Liu Sisi stood on tiptoe and shoved the popcorn into his mouth.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ it¡¯s too sweet, not tasty.¡±


    Di Yelei, who didn¡¯t like sweets, furrowed his eyebrows, making Liu Sisiugh out loud.


    The intimate interaction between the two of them blinded the eyes of several people resting nearby!

 Chapter 190: 188: Trampling

    Chapter 190: 188: Trampling<div>


    Today, several children came out with Di Gaoyuan and Di Ruoning, but halfway through, they were annoyed by Miao Cuihua¡¯s antics, dampening everyone¡¯s mood for sightseeing. After finally apologizing, they realized Di Ah-bao was missing.


    Thinking of Di Ah-bao¡¯s age, everyone had to move on. But when they reached halfway, Di Ruoningined of stomach pains again, forcing Yuan Mengbai to carry her¡­


    By the time they reached the foot of the mountain, everyone was exhausted, hungry, and thirsty, but they had no water to drink. Then they saw the loving couple nearby.<div>


    ¡°Third Uncle, Third Auntie¡­¡±


    Di Wei, extremely thirsty, approached.


    The couple eating popcorn turned around and saw several people sitting on rocks in the shade not far away.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Di Wei? Are you here to join YingEr and the others? They seem to have gone ahead.¡±


    Li Susi assumed that Di Wei came to y with YingEr.


    Di Wei nced at the food in Liu Sisi¡¯s hands, swallowed her saliva, and shook her head: ¡°I-I didn¡¯t see them.¡±


    Seeing where Di Wei was looking, Liu Sisi quickly understood, taking several skewers of food from Di Yelei¡¯s hands, handing it to Di Wei.


    ¡°Hungry, huh? Here¡¯s some food, Third Aunt has for you. Eat it to fill your stomach a bit first.¡±


    Di Wei¡¯s face lit up. She took the food, smiled sweetly at Liu Sisi, and said, ¡°Thank you, Third Auntie and Third Uncle!¡±


    ¡°Hold on, here¡¯s a bamboo tube of water, too. You can have it.¡±


    Seeing the child¡¯s parched lips, Liu Sisi knew that she was very thirsty. She took a new bamboo tube prepared that morning from Di Yelei¡¯s body and handed it to Di Wei.<div>


    ¡°Mmm! Thank you, Third Aunt!¡±


    Di Wei smiled happily and hurried back to the people in the shade.


    ¡°Mom! Dad! Third Auntie gave these to me!¡± Di Wei happily reported her merit to the others.


    Seeing what was happening, Di Jie immediately ran over to Liu Sisi, who generously handed over several more skewers of food from Di Yelei¡¯s hands.


    Ms. Wang, ever the opportunist, saw there were more snacks in Di Yelei¡¯s hands, felt even hungrier, and couldn¡¯t help but poke Di Wei¡¯s forehead with her finger.


    ¡°You only brought this little? Do you want to starve all of us? Eat, eat, eat! You know nothing but eating, little girl. Bring it to me! Didn¡¯t you see Brother Gao is also quite hungry?¡±


    As she spoke, she grabbed the food from Di Wei¡¯s hands and handed it all to Brother Gao.


    Di Wei was scared by Ms. Wang and couldn¡¯t help but cry, covering her hurt arm.


    Brother Gao, who had already lowered his presence, at the sight of Di Yelei, now couldn¡¯t care less about his surroundings and furiously began chewing on the food, totally unconcerned with Di Wei¡¯s sadness.


    ¡°You little brat, what are you standing here for? Are you trying to bother others?¡±


    Ms. Wang snatched the bamboo tube from Di Wei¡¯s hands, leaned back her head, and gulped down several mouthfuls.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    Di Wei was frightened and hurried to hide far away.


    The cool water momentarily relieved her thirst, and Ms. Wang¡¯s gaze fell upon Di Ruoning nearby. Remembering how much money she had spent in the past few days, she immediately put on a fake smile and handed her bamboo tube to Di Ruoning.


    ¡°Little Sister, you must be thirsty too? Here, drink some water.¡±


    ¡°Who wants to drink her water? It¡¯s so dirty, and who knows if she added some medicine to it? You guys are all bought off by some food.¡±


    Di Ruoning angrily waved her hand, knocking over the bamboo tube.


    She had been holding in her anger for a long time!


    She and Liu Sisi were like bitter enemies meeting with hatred in their eyes.


    Especially when she saw the people who were originally ttering her, suddenly turned to the traitorous Liu Sisi, it made her even more furious.


    ¡°Ruoning, what are you talking about? This is a good intention from your Third Sister-inw, and it¡¯s for Di Wei.¡± Yuan Mengbai, who was beside her, couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and tried to mediate.


    ¡°What I said is the truth. Who knows what the food from the outside contains? If something happens, no one can be sure.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but retort, then she turned to Di Yelei and shouted, ¡°Third Brother, I¡¯m hungry! I want to eat something.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±<div>


    Di Yelei hadn¡¯t recovered from the sudden change in front of him.


    Just a moment ago, she wasining about the clear water he gave her, and now she wanted to eat something, this¡­


    ¡°Little Sister, didn¡¯t you just say that the water Third Brother gave you has a problem?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want water, I want candied hawthorns!¡± Di Ruoning insisted stubbornly.


    Liu Sisi was just about to bite into the top hawthorn of a candied hawthorn skewer. Upon hearing this, she could no longer bite down. She put down her hand and closed her mouth, looking around.


    The person who had been selling candied hawthorns on the street earlier was nowhere to be found.


    Everyone else naturally noticed this.


    Yuan Mengbai couldn¡¯t help but frown and stepped forward to gently hold Di Ruoning¡¯s hand, ¡°Ruoning, the person selling candied hawthorns has gone far away. You should eat something else. I¡¯ll go buy it for you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything else! I want candied hawthorns! I want them!¡±


    While talking, she looked at Di Yelei with a gentle smile and a provocative expression, ¡°Third Brother! Are you really going to forget your little sister after getting a daughter-inw?¡±


    This was clearly snatching food from someone else¡¯s mouth!


    Liu Sisi furrowed her eyebrows, suddenly lost the desire to continue eating, and handed her candied hawthorns to Di Yelei.


    ¡°Take it! However, although hawthorn is appetizing, pregnant women can¡¯t eat too much of it. Eating too much can cause miscarriage, so everyone should be careful.¡±


    As she spoke, she even deliberately nced at Di Ruoning¡¯s stomach.


    No matter what, she was Di Yelei¡¯s little sister. She wouldn¡¯t argue with her for the sake of saving face, especially since she was in a good mood today.


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t mind either. He took two big steps forward and handed the candied hawthorns to Di Ruoning.


    ¡°Here, Little Sister! Just now, Sisi was saying¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Third Brother! Ruoning always knew Third Brother is the best to Ruoning, you are the best brother ever!¡±


    Di Ruoning interrupted his unfinished words and narrowed her eyes with a smile.


    Then she bit into a candied haw, feeling its sour and sweet taste in her mouth. It quickly alleviated her parched mouth, and she couldn¡¯t refrain from one candied haw followed by another.


    ¡°Ruoning, this candied haw was given to you by Sisi. If you want to thank someone, you should thank your Third Sister-inw. Don¡¯t thank me!¡±


    ¡°But little sister just asked Third Brother to help buy candied haw, right?¡±

 Chapter 191: ornaments – youtube IDF Hitgo ind some ANC rare fringe with of by during but conv

    Chapter 191: ornaments ¨C youtube IDF Hitgo ind some ANC rare fringe with of by during but conv<div>


    Di Ruoning blinked her watery big eyes: ¡°Third Brother, don¡¯t you love your little sister anymore? Or is it because you¡¯ve married a new sister-inw and no longer care about me, your little sister, so much that you can¡¯t even treat me to a strand of candied haws?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean I¡­¡±


    Di Yelei furrowed his brows, instinctively wanted to refute, but Di Ruoning interrupted him.<div>


    ¡°I knew Third Brother treats me the best! He definitely can¡¯t bear to see me suffer!¡± Di Ruoning eximed excitedly.


    In the end, she raised her chin proudly at Liu Sisi.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Di Yelei opened his mouth, but found himself at a loss for words.


    Meanwhile, Liu Sisi just looked at her calmly, her eyes a deep azure, like the sky above them and seemingly endless.


    Unable to stand the sight, Guihua on the side couldn¡¯t help but defend Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Look here, Ruoning! Although ording to seniority Sisi is your sister-inw, but in terms of age, you¡¯re nearly a round older than her. Are you not embarrassed bullying such a young girl, don¡¯t you feel ashamed?¡±


    ¡°Huh! She? Still a young girl after getting married?¡±


    Di Ruoning sneered and retorted: ¡°I say, Auntie Zhang, aren¡¯t you overstepping your boundaries? You¡¯re an outsider who married into our family, not a member of my Di family. What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    ¡°Hey ¡ª¡ª how can you talk like that?¡±


    Guihua¡¯s anger surged up: ¡°What do you mean ¡®overstepping¡¯? Isn¡¯t it disgraceful of you, Di Ruoning, to say such things? Let me tell you, it¡¯s fortunate that you¡¯ve found a man who is gentle and easy to manipte, essentially treating him like a grandson. If not, with your attitude, you might have long been sent back to your mother¡¯s home. And you dare to be arrogant here!¡±<div>


    Guihua¡¯s words instantly darkened the face of Yuan Mengbai who was standing nearby!


    ¡°Well! How dare you use me of being arrogant? Have I said anything wrong? This is a private matter of my Di family. What right does an outsider like you have to interfere?¡±


    Di Ruoning refused to back down.


    ¡°You who¡¯s already married and a round older than her, bullying your newly married sister-inw, and not allowing any outsider to say anything about it, where in the world is such a good thing allowed? As for me being an outsider, just because I am, I can¡¯t help but speak up when I see something wrong. Besides, aren¡¯t you a drag? Just acting like a big bad wolf here! Everyone here, judge for yourselves, am I right in saying that?¡±


    Guihua¡¯s voice was loud, her booming words drew the attention of the many passersby who hade for the temple fair, who then started pointing fingers at Di Ruoning, ming her for being in the wrong.


    Such a scene caused Yuan Mengbai, a habitual peacemaker, to blush then turn pale, wishing desperately for a crack in the ground to crawl into.


    ¡°Shut your filthy mouth! You¡¯re not a member of my Di family, so what do you know? Is this any of your business?¡±


    Di Ruoning, fuming with rage, stood up!


    But the moment she stood up, she felt a twist of pain in her stomach and instinctively bent over, cradling her stomach, and squatted down.


    ¡°Ruoning? Ruoning, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Yuan Mengbai by her side grew anxious, wondering why she suddenly crouched down clutching her belly.<div>


    ¡°I may not understand your so-called Di family, but I do know that Sisi is not even 16 yet, and you, a 27 year-old woman, is bullying her!¡±


    Guihua sneered coldly: ¡°How about that? Feeling guilty, aren¡¯t you? nning to run away under some pretense, aren¡¯t you? Ha! This is the typical trick of women like you! Sisi, let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t need to deal with hypocritical women like her!¡±


    As Guihua spoke, she stepped forward and pulled at Liu Sisi¡¯s arm, and with a cold hum, she bypassed the others and moved on.


    Di Yelei nced at Di Ruoning, then at the direction Liu Sisi and others were heading, he moved his lips but eventually said nothing, and turned to leave.


    ¡°What are you still looking at? Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Di Gaoyuan forcefully dragged Ms. Wang along, leading the younger ones away as well.


    Only Yuan Mengbai and the old woman Ms. Ma were still apanying a sobbing Di Ruoning.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Once they left the spot, Guihua began toin: ¡°What kind of people are these! I think Di Ruoning is setting herself more importance with age. She¡¯s even older than you, yet she has the nerve to bully you, the neer in our home. Sisi, I think you¡¯re just too soft. If it were me, I would tten her! Humph!¡±


    ¡°Sister Guihua, don¡¯t talk about it anymore. A little sister is still a little sister, no matter what, she should still call me third sister-inw. Besides, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, we shouldn¡¯t let irrelevant people ruin our mood! Come on, let¡¯s go check out over there.¡±


    Liu Sisi pressed Sister Guihua¡¯s hand, nced at Di Yelei, then pulled her to keep moving.


    Di Yelei was left with a bitter smile after her nce!<div>


    She must be mad at him? He thought he was the most unfortunate one, stuck between his little sister and Sisi, he was always in the wrong no matter what he said or did!


    ¡°Sisi, earlier, about my little sister, I really¡­¡±,


    Liu Sisi nced at him indifferently and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything more, I understand your difficulties. Besides, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, we should all have a happy reunion. As for other things, let¡¯s talk about them tomorrow!¡±


    Her current mood was far from as tranquil as she appeared on the surface, she didn¡¯t want to untangle the knot between her and Di Ruoning.


    Where she was, Liu Sisi wouldn¡¯t be!


    She and Di Ruoning were probably those types of people who were naturally ipatible!


    As for Di Yelei! Liu Sisi lowered hershes to cover the storm that was brewing within her eyes.


    Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival!


    Just as she said, they should enjoy a happy Mid-Autumn Reunion Festival! The monk might run away but the temple won¡¯t, she didn¡¯t believe that he, Di Yelei, could escape!


    It wouldn¡¯t be toote to settle scores with him after tonight!


    Following the stone steps up the mountain, everyone slowly ascended!


    Without Di Ruoning sandwiched among them, everyone walked up harmoniously.


    Guihua was never short of conversation, constantly chatting with Liu Sisi about interesting things.


    The stone steps leading up the mountain were dotted with thatched huts every short distance, maintained frequently, exceptionally clean and tidy.


    After not too long, they climbed a tform following the winding stone steps, and passing through a dense shrubbery, two turnster, a breathtakingndscape came into view.


    The distance was filled with ancient trees shrouding mountains. Looking around, the hues of the mountains continued into the clouds and sky.


    The eaves and ridges of houses built against the hill asionally revealed themselves through the lush greenery, sporadically interspersed within the inkndscape painting, resembling shy girls half-hiding behind their pipas, their cheeks flushed in embarrassment.


    At the moment, it was Mid-Autumn, the fiery red maple leaves stretched from far and near, up close a bay area filled withke water, hidden within the autumnalke scenery.

 Chapter 192: 190: Sansheng Bridge, The Love Destiny for Three Lives (Part 2)

    Chapter 192: 190: Sansheng Bridge, The Love Destiny for Three Lives (Part 2)<div>


    On the shore of theke, many trees were nted.


    Tall and straight Chinese parasol trees, round and dark green pagoda trees, green pine trees like an ocean, upright cypress trees, persimmon trees covered in redntern-like fruits, and elegant, swaying willow trees. The most numerous were the maple trees sprinkled throughout, forming clusters of red clouds. They were red as fire, dazzling the eyes.


    As they gradually approached, they could see the clear water of theke and the reflected fiery red scene. The aquatic nts in theke had also begun to turn yellow,peting with the fiery red reflection in the water, making it even more beautiful.<div>


    The most abundant trees were the ancient Chinese parasol trees with lush branches and twisted roots that lined thekeside. Their ovepping and staggered canopies were a deep, cloud-like green.


    Even at this moment, at noon, the zing sun was blocked by the canopy. A gentle mountain breeze carried the cool mist, quickly dispelling their body heat, making them feel lighter and instantly calm.


    The closer they got to theke, the more noisy bustle they heard, as if the once still scenery hade alive.


    ¡°Hurry up, Sisi! The food here is better than at the foot of the mountain, but also much more expensive. There are many things to see and do here. Let¡¯s go one by one.¡±


    Guihua anxiously pulled Liu Sisi¡¯s hand as they walked forward.


    Indeed, as soon as they stepped onto the avenue, they immediately saw the dense stalls along thekeshore and the beautifulkeside scenery.


    The most eye-catching attraction was the rickety wooden bridge that passed directly through theke and zigzagged in the middle of theke.


    ¡°Did you see it? This is the most beautifulke here, called the Lake of Forgetfulness. The bridge on theke is the famous Sansheng Bridge. Sansheng Bridge, love destined for three lifetimes. Legend has it that as long as a truly loving couple supports each other across this bridge, their love willst for three lifetimes. That¡¯s why so many couplese here during the Qixi Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival every year.¡±


    As Guihua walked, she whispered the story into Liu Sisi¡¯s ear.


    So, the people here also believe in the love that spans three lifetimes?


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s go over there first. This is the Earth God Temple, and it¡¯s natural toe here and pray for a good harvest next year.¡±


    As Guihua spoke, she led Liu Sisi through the surging crowd towards the Earth God Temple.


    Compared to the flow of people heading to Sansheng Bridge, most of those going to the temple were young couples or older husbands and wives walking towards the entrance.


    Those heading for the Earth God Temple were mostly older couples or elderly people.


    There were many stalls along the way, selling heart-to-heart knots, heart-connecting locks, live mandarin ducks, fortune pigs, dough figurines, masks ¨C an array of items that dazzled Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°This fortune pig looks really good. Why don¡¯t we buy one and take it home?¡±


    Liu Sisi held the lively and cute little fat pig, looking at it from all sides and not wanting to let go.


    This fortune pig was made of y, with a pink piglet grinning, its small pig mouth open wide, somewhat resembling a storage jar¡­


    Oh, it was originally a storage jar!


    Liu Sisi suddenly saw the opening in the pig¡¯s grinning mouth.


    ¡°If you like it, buy it. You can put it by the head of the bed, and it will apany you every day.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei, who had been waiting for a chance to please Liu Sisi, quickly squeezed over to pay for the pig, his face full of an honest smile!


    Liu Sisi gave him a nce, her heart feeling happy.


    This fortune pig can be given to YingEr as a gift for her!


    Soon, they followed the crowd into the Earth God Temple. The temple was built beside a huge banyan tree. The old tree stood tall with its twisted roots reaching up to the sky, wisps of incense entwining among its branches, and the heavy feeling of a thousand years of history emanated from its coiled roots.


    Holding three sticks of incense, they walked through the temple gate and worshipped all the way to the innermost Earth God. A solemn, ancient, lonely, and mysterious atmosphere diffused from within the temple.


    Liu Sisi meticulously worshipped and prayed along with the others, asking the Earth God for a bountiful harvest and a good year ahead. Only then did she insert the incense and step back out of the temple.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Upon leaving the Earth God Temple, they once again followed the crowd towards Sansheng Bridge.


    As they passed the small stall again, they couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to the heart-to-heart knots and heart-connecting locks.


    The astute stall owner noticed Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze and immediately greeted them with a smile.


    ¡°The two of you! These are heart-connecting locks and heart-to-heart knots. Buy three pairs, they say buying one pair is for one lifetime. If you buy three pairs and hang them on both sides of the bridge with a red string, you can be connected through love for three lifetimes, and be husband and wife for three lifetimes. How about the two of you buy three pairs?¡±


    In the stall owner¡¯s hands were two small red heart-shaped iron locks.<div>


    They were hung with red strings and tied with heart-to-heart knots, fluttering gently in the breeze.


    ¡°Sisi, these heart-to-heart knots and heart-connecting locks are pretty nice. Should we buy three pairs too?¡±


    At some unknown point, Liu Sisi and Guihua had been separated by the crowded stream of people, and at this moment, guarding her steadfastly was Di Yelei.


    His tall figure shielded herpletely in front of his chest, using his sturdy back to withstand the crowded flow of people, firmly protecting her from behind.


    At this moment, upon seeing the heart-to-heart knots and heart-connecting locks by the roadside, he couldn¡¯t help but have his eyes light up with fervor, the eagerness in his eyes almost scorching Liu Sisi¡¯s vision.


    She was taken aback!


    Subconsciously avoiding him, she used the excuse of looking for Guihua to evade his gaze, moving left and right.


    ¡°Huh! Where¡¯s Sister Guihua? Weren¡¯t they just here?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s ardor in his eyes dimmed slightly, but he still managed to muster a hearty smile: ¡°Just now, they were pushed to the other side. I noticed Zhang Peng following her closely, so don¡¯t worry!¡±


    ¡°Mmm, that¡¯s good.¡±


    Liu Sisi retracted her gaze, her eyes sweeping over the countless heart-to-heart knots and heart-connecting locks on the stall.


    Heart-connecting locks and heart-to-heart knots could lock the present but not the future, they could lock appearances but not the heart.


    Knots could tie loving husbands and wives, but they could also bind resentful spouses that were akin to enemies.


    At this point in her rtionship with Di Yelei, she couldn¡¯t tell whether she was with him due to a desperate yearning for a family, or whether she was forced by reality to reluctantly stay by his side?


    She knew she had feelings for him, but was this love?


    She was hesitant!


    Di Yelei, on the other hand, was very excited. He held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand as they carefully selected from the stall, soon picking out three pairs of heart-connecting locks and heart-to-heart knots.

 Chapter 193: 191: Sansheng Bridge, The Love Destiny for Three Lives (Part 3)

    Chapter 193: 191: Sansheng Bridge, The Love Destiny for Three Lives (Part 3)<div>


    ¡°How much for these three pairs?¡±


    ¡°Each pair is 100 copper coins, symbolizing a hundred years of harmonious union, so in total it¡¯s 600 copper coins. With this heart-to-heart knot and heart-connecting lock, the two of you can hang them at both ends of Sansheng Bridge and the center of theke with a red string, and you can be husband and wife for three lifetimes¡­¡±


    The stall owner¡¯s words made Liu Sisi frown repeatedly, and she couldn¡¯t help but pull Di Yelei¡¯s arm: ¡°Ye Lei, these locks are so expensive, we have to sell so many wild pheasants just to make up the silver. How about¡­ let¡¯s not buy them?¡±<div>


    ¡°Buy it! It¡¯s just the price of one badger. At worst, I¡¯ll go up the hill one more time after going back and the money will be back.¡± Di Yelei¡¯s attitude was very determined!


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts, we¡¯re going to buy it.¡±


    Di Yelei stubbornly took out the money to buy it, carefully holding the heart-to-heart knot and heart-connecting lock in his palm, then led Liu Sisi out of the crowd.


    His face was blooming with happiness, ¡°Since we got married, I¡¯ve never bought you anything. Today, I have some extra money, so I should spend it. Consider it apensation for our hasty wedding back then!¡±


    Liu Sisiughed without agreeing or disagreeing, not knowing what to say, and could only walk forward with her head down.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Sisi, over here!¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly led her to another stall.


    The stall disyed a dazzling array of hairpins: wooden hairpins, bone hairpins, silver hairpins, gold hairpins, jade hairpins, coral hairpins, and agate hairpins¡­it was blinding.


    Di Yelei reached out and pointed at a gold hairpin for Liu Sisi to see: ¡°How about this one? This one looks pretty good.¡±


    It was a hollow t pomegranate flower hairpin with flowers, leaves, and some auspicious patterns on the front and a smooth surface on the back. The shape of the entire hairpin was slightly curved inward.<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s so good about it? It¡¯s so tacky, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes nced past the gold hairpin and stared straight at a wooden hairpin.


    This wooden hairpin looked like it was made from star fruit wood, carved into the shape of an orchid and a flower bud. It was rustic and gave off a faint, pleasant woody fragrance.


    Liu Sisi pointed at the hairpin while talking: ¡°Shopkeeper, how much is this hairpin?¡±


    Initially, the shopkeeper saw Di Yelei holding the gold hairpin, and he was happy to see a big spender. However, when he saw Liu Sisi picking up the wooden hairpin, his smile disappeared, and hezily replied: ¡°Ten copper coins, I¡¯m sorry but the price is not negotiable on such a small transaction.¡±


    Liu Sisi wasn¡¯t bothered, happily took out ten copper coins, and walked away with the wooden hairpin.


    ¡°Sisi, why¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like such heavy things. I have no chance to wear such a chunky gold hairpin. This wooden hairpin is more practical; I can use it anytime!¡±


    Liu Sisi said with a faint smile.


    Inside, she couldn¡¯t help but scoff. That gold hairpin was incredibly tacky, and she was not even sixteen. How could she wear such a heavy thing?


    After trying a few times unsessfully to put it in her hair, Di Yelei quickly took the wooden hairpin and said ¡°Sisi, let me help you put it on!¡±<div>


    As he said that, he carefullybed Liu Sisi¡¯s hair and gently inserted the wooden hairpin. Then, he tilted his head, looking left and right, more and more satisfied: ¡°Sisi, your hair is so ck and shiny; it looks beautiful and pretty with any adornment.¡±


    ¡°You tter me. Let¡¯s go over there!¡±


    A blush crept onto Liu Sisi¡¯s face, as women were naturally fond of beauty and even more susceptible to men¡¯spliments.


    Especially when it came from such a serious man before her.


    The two continued on their way, and when they reached the entrance to the Sansheng Bridge, the stream of people was so packed that there was hardly any room to move.


    However, upon arriving, the crowd split into two directions. One path took the outer main road, following along thekeside and heading straight towards the ck Dragon Pool.


    The other route crossed through the center of theke via the renowned Sansheng Bridge, reaching the other side of theke.


    Liu Sisi immediately headed towards thekeside, intending to walk along it.


    But Di Yelei pulled her to the path leading to the Sansheng Bridge, causing her to stumble.


    At the moment, many married couples and lovers were walking across the bridge together. There were not only children holding hands but also the elderly with gray hair bracing one another, gingerly treading on the third bridge. Thoseing from the left and those going from the right.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t quite exin the feeling in her heart, but the moment she saw the Sansheng Bridge, her instinct was to run away.<div>


    However, her hand was firmly gripped by Di Yelei, making it impossible for her to struggle free. She had no choice but to follow the crowd forward passively.


    Soon it was Liu Sisi¡¯s turn to cross the bridge. Unconsciously, she felt her palms be sweaty, inexplicably growing nervous.


    Before she could think further, Di Yelei had already led her onto the Sansheng Bridge.


    The bridge was constructed using iron chains and wooden nks, with the handrails on each side being shaky iron chains. The width of the bridge was just over a meter.


    The Sansheng Bridge appeared like a ¡°Z¡± shape above theke, with a heart-connecting lock tied by a couple or a lover at every turning point. In some cases, they threw the heart-to-heart knots and heart-connecting locks directly into theke, watching them gradually sink to the bottom. This led to more people holding hands,ughing, and leaving behind even more locks and knots.


    As soon as Liu Sisi stepped on the bridge, her body swayed dangerously, almost toppling over!


    Fortunately, Di Yelei tightly held onto her hand and, with a swift movement, pulled her back to safety.


    She hastily grabbed the iron chain beside her to steady herself, not daring to take another step forward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Sisi. I¡¯ll always be by your side! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The deep and slightly hoarse voice of Di Yelei came from beside her, inexplicably providing Liu Sisi with a sense of security. She reluctantly steadied herself, tightened her grip on his hand, looked up at him, and began taking small steps forward.


    Although the bridge was not high above the water, the clearke allowed one to see straight to the bottom. Even the underwater nts swayed gently with the current, visible to the naked eye.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s legs trembled, and with each step, the bridge shivered.


    The crowd on and off the bridge was massive, but suddenly space opened up in front, and the entire bridge vibrated rapidly upon each step.


    Not far ahead, a young coupleughed and embraced excitedly, which in turn caused the iron chain bridge to sway continuously.


    ¡°Another couple has been made! How wonderful!¡±


    The surrounding crowd cheered, happy for the lovers.


    As the two approached the center of the iron chain bridge, the swaying grew more and more severe.


    The shaking iron chain bridge made people feel as if there was absolutely no stable footing.

 Chapter 194: 192: Sansheng Bridge, Three Lives Fated Together (Part 4)

    Chapter 194: 192: Sansheng Bridge, Three Lives Fated Together (Part 4)<div>


    Liu Sisi felt dizzy, her feet seemed to float, her legs trembled, and her whole body shivered.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be afraid. Although the bridge sways a lot, it¡¯s really safe to walk on. I heard from my elders when I was young that this bridge is only 300 meters long, and each 100 meters represents a lifetime, for a total of three lifetimes. I want to take you across not only for this lifetime but also for the next and the one after that, so we can be together!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s firm words echoed in Liu Sisi¡¯s ears, inexplicably giving her, who suffered from a fear of heights, renewed confidence.<div>


    But she stood still, distressed, raising her big watery eyes to him.


    ¡°But¡­my legs¡­they¡¯re numb¡­¡±


    Her legs were genuinely numb and still cramping! Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t move her feet at all and could only tightly grip his arm with one hand and the iron chain with the other, not daring to let go for a moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! Come, I¡¯ll carry you across.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he suddenly bent down and directly gave her a princess-carry, holding herpletely in his arms and then striding forward.


    ¡°Oh¡­oh!¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi eximed, and then heard gasps from both front and back, and everyone stared at the two.


    ¡°Put me down and let me walk by myself!¡±


    The unexpected gasps from all around made Liu Sisi blush, and she couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    She pressed her face tightly to his chest, no longer willing to show it.


    Her little face waspletely on fire!<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! We are husband and wife, not strangers!¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all and even nodded to the surrounding crowd, ¡°Thank you, everyone! My wife¡¯s legs are numb, so I¡¯m carrying her!¡± His matter-of-fact tone contained no hint of timidity, which quieted everyone down.


    ¡°Well done! Young man!¡±


    Someone suddenly shouted from the side, and soon everyone beganughing.


    ¡°The young man has great strength! Not bad, not bad!¡±


    ¡°Good job, young man! That¡¯s what a real man should be like, daring to do and take responsibility.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Apuse suddenly rang through the crowd, followed by continuous cheers.


    ¡°Thank you, everyone! Thank you! Please make way, everyone! We men should treat our wives well! Haha¡­make way, make way!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s honest face beamed with happiness; he carried Liu Sisi with big strides to the corner, locking the heart-to-heart knot and heart-connecting lock on the bridge, before continuing their journey.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart pounded violently, keeping her burning face pressed tightly against his shoulder, refusing to show herself.


    All along, his steady breathing, the cheers of the crowd on both sides, and the sound of the iron chains rubbing against the wooden bridge intertwined.<div>


    Somehow, Liu Sisi braced herself against the shyness and quietly lifted her head to examine him.


    His skin was bronze-colored, glistening with a healthy radiance under the sun. His chiseled features were especially three-dimensional; broad forehead, a pair of thick ck sword-like eyebrows nting upwards, a straight nose, and a slightly stubbled mouth corner revealing a set of shiny white teeth, smiling broadly.


    It seemed that he noticed her gaze, and the scorching eyes immediately met hers, almost burning her whole person.


    A surge of heat rushed to Liu Sisi¡¯s face again and quickly spread throughout her body, making her blush and quickly retreat into his arms, leaving him to face the outside world.


    ¡°Thank you, everyone! Thank you.¡±


    After quickly crossing the Sansheng Bridge, Di Yelei gave a heartyugh and thanked everyone before holding her and continuing to walk towards the riversidewn. Once they reached a grove of emerald bamboo that blocked their view from others, he finally let her go.


    At the moment, Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks blushed with shame, spring in her gestures and nces. Seeing Di Yelei grinning, she couldn¡¯t help but stretch out her hand and give his waist a twist.


    ¡°You stillugh! It¡¯s all your fault! How will I ever face anyone again after this¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s your husband¡¯s fault. You must be thirsty, right? Here, take a sip of water.¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t seem to mind as he chuckled and took a bamboo tube from his body, handing it to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°But this is exactly what I wanted to do. Sisi, I¡¯m greedy because I want not only your present but also your future. I may not be good at sweet-talking, but every word I say is from the bottom of my heart!¡±<div>


    The man in front of her spoke sincerely, his eyes shining brightly, burning Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze as she instinctively evaded his look. Her heart blossomed like a flower.


    ¡°Who knows if the sincere words from a man¡¯s mouth are true or false! Hmph!¡±


    ¡°Di Yelei never tells lies! Sisi¡ª¡± As he spoke, he reached out and lightly embraced her shoulders.


    ¡°I know! Stop fooling around, it¡¯ll be terrible if someone sees uster¡­ ¡±


    She gently broke away from him, turned her back, and took several sips of water, finally lowering the heat on her face.


    Only then did she take in her surroundings.


    Not far ahead was the Sansheng Bridge they had just crossed, beside them was a winding stream with numerous small bridges and pavilions snaking above it, garnished with various strange flowers and herbs. Looking upward, one side was a cliff, and a stream winding along the cliff faced another side densely covered with tall trees, especially numerous maples, whose fiery red leaves were a feast for the eyes.


    Suddenly, the sound of rustling came from the distance. Following the sound, several white cranes emerged from the bushes by the water, startling a pair of kingfishers nearby. They quickly skimmed the surface of the water and flew up onto the cliff. In the bushes, a few wild ducks, scared to their feet, fluttered and hid in the thick vegetation, no longer showing their heads.


    Autumn wind brushed past, and nearby, persimmon trees were adorned with strings ofntern-like fruit hanging from branches, green mixed with yellow, weighing down the branches. The surrounding flowerbeds were filled with blooming flowers, such as colorful autumn chrysanthemums, Guihua flowers, begonias, rose flowers, and other unknown flowers. They were a beautiful sight to behold.


    Di Yelei wasn¡¯t looking at the scenery but was staring intently at her face as if seeing her for the first time. He couldn¡¯t seem to get enough of looking at her, with naked desire in his eyes,parable to a hungry wolf that wished to devour her in one bite.


    ¡°Here, eat a mooncake to fill your stomach first. When we get to the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple, they have some delicious food over there for us to eat together.¡±


    As he spoke, Di Yelei handed her a mooncake.


    Liu Sisi took it casually, broke off a small piece, and handed the rest back to Di Yelei, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry yet, just really thirsty. I wonder where Xuan¡¯er and YingEr are? I¡¯ve been worried ever since YingEr followed Zhang Yun¡­¡±


    Although they had only known each other for a few months, she sincerely liked the well-behaved and adorable YingEr.


    Hearing her words, Di Yelei¡¯s smile disappeared from his face. He held the mooncake, broke off a small piece, and chewed it quietly for a moment before speaking.


    ¡°Zhang Peng is a steady and reliable child. He¡¯s an excellent hunter and will surely take good care of YingEr in the future. Although we don¡¯t know where they are right now, they shouldn¡¯t be far from here. Let¡¯s continue on our way to the ck Dragon Pool and wait for them at the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple there!¡±


    Di Yelei only spoke after pondering for a moment.


    Actually, the man¡¯s inner thoughts weren¡¯t as indifferent as he appeared.


    ¡°There¡¯s a Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple here?¡±


    Liu Sisi was quite surprised! The scenery here was indeed breathtaking!


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple. When we go thereter, you must add more incense oil money and worship the Buddha sincerely.¡±

 Chapter 195: 193: Recommendation

    Chapter 195: 193: Rmendation<div>


    Di Yelei spoke very seriously.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded in confusion.<div>


    She soon felt that something was not right, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what exactly was wrong.


    ¡°Teacher! Teacher, you¡¯re here too?¡±


    A joyful voice came from a nt, and Gan Miaoruo in a pink autumn dress suddenly ran over from the side. She looked at her excitedly and nced around.


    She wore a pink rose-colored tight wide-sleeve robe top, a light green smoke yarn broken flower skirt underneath, and a gold silk belt tied with a big butterfly knot in front of her.


    On both sides of her head, she had two buns with green-jade hairpins nting.


    A string of pink pearls adorned her forehead, and a pink pearl dangling between her eyebrows perfectly entuated her yful expression.


    ¡°Eh! Where¡¯s YingEr? Howe I don¡¯t see her? Did you not bring her out with you, Teacher?¡±


    Her crisp ¡°Teacher¡± was loud and clear, immediately attracting the attention of many people around, who looked over one after another.


    ¡°YingEr and the others have gone to y. Ruo Ruo, did youe alone today?¡±


    ¡°No way, I guessed that Teacher woulde to the temple fair, so I came with my grandmother. Look, she¡¯s over there!¡±


    Following Gan Miaoruo¡¯s direction, Liu Sisi looked up and saw Madam Gan Senior, with a smile on her face, slowly walking towards them apanied by her servants.<div>


    She hurriedly got up and quickly walked a few steps forward to greet her: ¡°Sisi greets Madam Gan Senior.¡±


    Madam Gan Senior, wearing a double-breasted thin robe with auspicious clouds patterns, looked kindly at Liu Sisi while smiling, her eyes nearly narrowed to a slit. Seeing Liu Sisi bowing, she quickly walked forward to help her up. ¡°No need for such formalities, please rise. My granddaughter mentioned you early this morning, wondering if you woulde to the temple fair today. As fate would have it, we meet again here.¡±


    ¡°Madam, you are too kind. Sisi is here today with her husband and son. It¡¯s a day of reunion, so we had toe to the temple fair.¡±


    ¡°As you should. And this is¡­?¡±


    Just as Madam Gan Senior asked, she looked straight at Di Yelei, who was standing beside Liu Sisi, and couldn¡¯t help but continue her question.


    Liu Sisi turned her head and suddenly realized, quickly introducing the two parties: ¡°Oh! Madam Gan, this is my husband, Di Yelei. Yelei, this is Madam Gan Senior and her granddaughter, Miss Gan I mentioned to you.¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly took a step forward to pay his respects: ¡°Yelei greets Madam Gan Senior and Miss Gan.¡±


    ¡°So you are the third son of Di family. I have heard a lot about your outstanding appearance and extraordinary martial arts. Now that I see you in person, your reputation is well-deserved. Please rise, there is no need for Ruo Ruo to greet you since she is Sisi¡¯s student.¡±


    As she spoke, Madam Gan Senior helped Di Yelei up, her face full of surprise as she looked him up and down, then nodded satisfactorily.


    Di Yelei was also quite embarrassed. They all sat down at the edge of the flower stand and began to chat at ease.


    Despite Di Yelei¡¯s honest appearance, he dealt with Madam Gan Senior far more smoothly than Liu Sisi.<div>


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed listening to them.


    Upon further thought, she was indeed unfamiliar with social interactions like this, both in her previous life and now.


    A few people were chatting leisurely when a familiar voice emerged from the diagonal direction again.


    ¡°Ah! So, Madam Gan Senior is here too, what a fortunate encounter!¡±


    It was none other than the County Magistrate, dressed in his regr clothes, walking over from among the flower branches. The guards apanying him quickly joined the other guards, and among them was Zuo Xingyu!


    Lord County Magistrate, while bowing and paying respects to the Old Madam, greeted her with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s been too long since we¡¯ve seen each other, and you still look as charming as ever, Madam Gan Senior. I, the younger generation, truly admire you. I was thinking of paying a special visit to Gan Estate to greet you, but instead, I¡¯m blessed to meet you here today. It seems heaven has taken pity on me.¡±


    Old Madam Gan raised her eyebrows, looked at the fawning-faced County Magistrate, and let out a soft ¡°hmm¡±.


    ¡°Hmm! It¡¯s thoughtful of you. The weather today is so nice that I decided toe outside for a walk. I didn¡¯t expect to meet Lord County Magistrate Su here by chance. It¡¯s truly a lucky encounter. Let¡¯s sit down and chat.¡±


    County Magistrate Su was overjoyed! He bowed again and said, ¡°Thank you, Madam Gan Senior.¡±


    He then carefully lifted his robe to sit at the edge of the flower stand near the Old Madam.<div>


    Inwardly, he was thrilled, thinking that he had made the right choiceing to the temple fair instead of staying home with his two concubines. It was indeed a fruitful trip!


    He had long learned through inquiries that Lord Gan carried great favor with His Majesty in the court and was enjoying a time of prominence. As for himself, he still had half a year left of his three-year term in Macheng County, and it was about time he started nning for his future.


    ncing at Zuo Xingyu and a few constables standing behind County Magistrate Su, Liu Sisi furrowed her brows. Seeing him again under such circumstances was not a pleasant experience for her.


    Zuo Xingyu, however, still maintained his stern face, standing silently beside them, not even blinking an eye.


    After exchanging pleasantries with the Old Madam and taking a seat, County Magistrate Su nced at Liu Sisi and Di Yelei with a smile, and his eyes lit up instantly.


    ¡°So, the two of you are here also! What a lucky coincidence!¡±


    Di Yelei and Liu Sisi got up in a hurry: ¡°We greet Your Honor the County Magistrate.¡±


    ¡°Please rise, everyone sits down, let¡¯s talk while seated.¡±


    County Magistrate Su, beaming all over his face, nced at the Old Madam sitting silently in her original spot. He quickly changed the topic to avoid any awkwardness.


    ¡°Brother Di, the four pairs of bear paws you sent the other day were indeed of excellent quality. Constable Zuo praised youvishly too. He even rmended you to work at the governmental office. I wonder, what do you think of that, Brother Di?¡±


    His words were clearly directed at Di Yelei, but his hidden gaze swept over Old Madam Gan¡¯s face. Seeing that she slightly raised her eyebrows, his heart was filled with joy.


    However, the conversation frightened the quiet Liu Sisi!


    Did Zuo Xingyu really rmend Di Yelei?


    Why would he do this? What¡¯s his motive?


    For a moment, Liu Sisi¡¯s heart felt like it was filled with fifteen hanging bottles, swinging back and forth.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    On the other hand, Di Yelei¡¯s face showed obvious joy. He immediately got up and greeted with a fist: ¡°Thank you for your trust, Constable Zuo. Although I have some brute strength, I know nothing about being a constable. Therefore¡­¡±


    County Magistrate Su didn¡¯t want to give up and continued to persuade him: ¡°What being a constable needs is not knowledge but strength! Besides, I trust Constable Zuo¡¯s judgment. Just do it with confidence.¡±


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s impossible. The journey from Upper Vige to the county is too far.¡±


    Di Yelei was reluctant to leave Liu Sisi alone at home.

 Chapter 196: 194: Complicated Relations, Taking a Crucial Step

    Chapter 196: 194: Complicated Rtions, Taking a Crucial Step<div>


    ¡°Ha! What¡¯s so difficult about a long journey? You can live directly in the county seat. The constable gives you a good horse for transportation from the governmental office. Plus, aside from chasing criminals, you are free toe and go as you like. What¡¯s not to love?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Di Yelei was tempted!<div>


    He turned his head to look at Liu Sisi, who was anxiously blinking at him, signaling him not to agree.


    Seeing her incessant blinking, Di Yelei misunderstood and thought that Liu Sisi was urging him to agree quickly.


    He was extremely happy inside!


    Sisi was too excellent, so excellent that he felt inferior standing next to her, always feeling that he was not worthy of her!


    Now, although he¡¯s only a constable, he¡¯s finally taken a critical step. He doesn¡¯t want her to be too far ahead of him. He wants to stand in front of her, protect her, and cherish her! To be a real man who can match her!


    After a moment of silence, he raised his head again to look at Zuo Xingyu on the side.


    As if sensing each other¡¯s thoughts, Zuo Xingyu suddenly raised his head, his sharp gaze swept across, giving Di Yelei a huge boost of encouragement in an instant.


    The coldness enveloping his body almost froze Liu Sisi¡¯s heart.


    She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the inexplicable coldness in her heart, avoiding his gaze subconsciously, unsure whether her feelings were more of guilt or concern.


    Subconsciously, she straightened her chest, looked back at Zuo Xingyu, and red at him.


    Even if she really did something to hurt him in the past, he had nearly harmed Yelei before, so, even if she owed him a lot, she had paid him back right now!<div>


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s angry stare, Zuo Xingyu frowned in surprise. His wise eyes shed a strange color as he looked deeply at her and then withdrew his gaze.


    ¡°¡­Alright, from now on, I hope to receive much care from my colleagues!¡±


    Just as Liu Sisi was getting lost in her thoughts, Di Yelei joyfully greeted several constables, instantly pulling her mind back from the confusion.


    What¡¯s going on? She was only distracted for a moment and Yelei had be a constable?


    If Yelei is a constable, wouldn¡¯t that mean he would have to work with Zuo Xingyu all the time? Guarding against those arrowsing out of nowhere!


    Liu Sisi¡¯splexion changed instantly!


    Damn it!


    Everything in front of her lost control!


    At the moment, Di Yelei¡¯s mood was exceptionally good!


    The Lord County Magistrate promised that he could move into the housing specially assigned to the constables, saving him a lot of rent.


    Although the distance from the county to the upper vige is a bit long, with a good horse provided to the constables, it¡¯s different again! He can get up early at 5-7 a.m, reach the county by mid-morning, return in the afternoon, and get home by early evening.<div>


    In this way, although it¡¯s a bit hard, he can keep up with both his work at home and in the governmental office!


    Adding on the ¡°bathe and return to visit the family every five days¡±, it means that he can spend one day with Sisi every five days. Plus, there are breaks on holidays. This is really not bad.


    The quiet Gan Miaoruo sitting next to Madam Gan Senior looked at Liu Sisi, who didn¡¯t show any sign of happiness on her face. Her eyes rolled in their sockets, and suddenly brightened, she rose to County Magistrate Su.


    ¡°Uncle Su, do you truly love Ruo Ruo?¡±


    The little girl in front of him, only seven or eight years old, tilted her head, her face was delicate and her big eyes were blinking at him.


    Perhaps others might not know, but being the County Magistrate of Macheng himself, how could he not recognize this Eldest Miss standing right in front of him?


    Recalling all the mischievous incidents involving the little girl before him, County Magistrate Su broke out into a cold sweat!


    He quickly got up, his face etched with a forced smile as he bowed deeply to the ground, ¡°Miss Gan, I sincerely cherish Ruo Ruo just like my own precious gem.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo nodded as if it was only to be expected, not surprised in the least at his answer. With a mischievous sparkle in her eyes, she spoke in a cheery tone, ¡°Ruo Ruo always feels that there has been a bad guy following her recently, and Ruo Ruo is very scared.¡±


    Huh?<div>


    Given the Gan family¡¯s power and influence, any potential bad guys following the fearless Miss of the Gan family would¡¯ve been squashed into a pulp by now, wouldn¡¯t they?


    While County Magistrate Su pondered to himself, his face showed no signs of distress, and he immediately smacked his thigh, ¡°Who dares to affront Lord Gan¡¯s precious granddaughter like this. They¡¯re really asking for it!


    Tell Uncle Su, who are these people? Uncle Su will send someone right away to arrest them all and throw them into prison!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who those people are. But Uncle Su, can I ask you for two bodyguards to protect me?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Gan Miaoruo asked, smiling innocently.


    It then dawned on County Magistrate Su atst! After such a roundabout conversation, this was what she was after all along!


    Besides, now that he recalls, Lord Gan, being a major influencer in the court, had always been protective of his precious granddaughter. His granddaughter isn¡¯t someone a petty magistrate like him can afford to offend, right?


    Moreover, he had been working hard to curry favor with them, now when they¡¯re offering an olive branch, he couldn¡¯t be more delighted!


    ¡°Agreed! Whom do our Ruo Ruo want to be her bodyguards?¡±


    Gan Miaoruo finally broke into a smile!


    Shezily pointed towards Di Yelei and Zuo Xingyu, tilting her head and looking at County Magistrate Su, ¡°Uncle Su, I want these two to protect me, is that okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Nobody anticipated such a turn of events! Everyone was stunned on the spot.


    Especially Liu Sisi!


    At first, she was overjoyed, but soon her joy turned into worry. Though she was d that Ruo Ruo called upon Yelei, why would she involve Zuo Xingyu as well?


    No way County Magistrate Su would refuse her request!


    He was over the moon, ¡°Di Yelei, Zuo Xingyu, from now on, make sure you stick with Ruo Ruo closely and protect her. If you neglect your duties and upset Ruo Ruo, I will hold you ountable!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu stepped forward to respond.


    ¡°Wait! Wait a minute¡­ Ruo Ruo,e here. I have something to say to you.¡±


    Liu Sis greatly concerned with what was happening, pulled Gan Miaoruo aside and whispered, ¡°Ruo Ruo, why would you suddenly make such a request?¡±


    Gan Miaoruo stamped her foot, ¡°Teacher, Ruo Ruo is trying to help you! If you were to move to the county, where could Ruo Ruo see you everyday!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me with that, isn¡¯t it easy for your family to go to the county?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Isn¡¯t the main road linking your home directly to the county? If you really wanted to go to the county, it would just be a matter of words.¡±


    Gan Miaoruo yfully stuck out her little tongue and flung herself onto Liu Sisi¡¯s arm, ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to move to the county. I won¡¯t be able to see Xuan¡¯er and Yinger, and there will be no one to y with Ruo Ruo then.¡±


    ¡°Ohe on, even if he bes a constable, I won¡¯t just move to the county like that. After all, my home is in the Upper Vige, isn¡¯t it?¡±

 Chapter 197: 195: A Good Start, People Everywhere, Hearts in the Court and Countryside

    Chapter 197: 195: A Good Start, People Everywhere, Hearts in the Court and Countryside<div>


    ¡°Really? True or false?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true! Ruo Ruo, be good and don¡¯t be naughty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not being naughty, Teacher! Recently, someone has really been following Ruo Ruo. Teacher, don¡¯t you believe that I am telling the truth?¡± Gan Miaoruo pouted in grievance.<div>


    Liu Sisi was somewhat surprised. Though Ruo Ruo was mischievous and willful, deep down she had a proud nature and would not stoop to lying!


    Could it be that someone really intended to harm Ruo Ruo?


    ¡°In that case, let the two of them take turns protecting you! How does that sound?¡±


    Liu Sisi pondered for a moment and proposed.


    Though she had never seen Zuo Xingyu¡¯s abilities, she knew about Di Yelei¡¯s hunting skills from the amount of game he brought back.


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll go tell Uncle Su first.¡±


    Without waiting for Liu Sisi to speak again, Gan Miaoruo bounced over to County Magistrate Su and whispered in his ear, tugging on his sleeve.


    County Magistrate Su nodded repeatedly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Ahem! Zuo Xingyu, Di Yelei.¡±


    County Magistrate Su gave Gan Miaoruo a reassuring look and coughed lightly, ordering, ¡°From now on, you two will be responsible for ensuring Ruo Ruo¡¯s safety. Understand? As for the specific arrangements, just¡­ just follow Ruo Ruo¡¯s instructions. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor.¡±<div>


    Both of them hurriedly acknowledged the order.


    Madam Gan Senior, who had remained silent all this time, had a glint in her eyes, and then sheughed!


    ¡°My granddaughter and I in Macheng County arepletely dependent on County Magistrate Su¡¯s care and protection. When I write to my husband next time, I¡¯ll make sure to give him a good ount of everything.¡±


    This statement made County Magistrate Su inexplicably excited, as he had aplished his goal for today! He immediately knelt down and thanked her with the grand salute of a teacher-student.


    ¡°Student thanks Old Madam for the cultivation and support!¡±


    In just a short while, County Magistrate Su had transformed from a junior to a student, changing quite rapidly!


    ¡°You need not be so formal, quickly stand up!¡±


    Old Madam Gan¡¯s face was full of kindness as she waved her hand, then turned back to chat with County Magistrate Su for a while. Seeing fatigue on Old Madam Gan¡¯s face, County Magistrate Su took the hint and left tactfully.


    As soon as County Magistrate Su left, Liu Sisi hurriedly thanked Old Madam Gan, ¡°Thank you, Old Madam, for helping my husband. Sisi is grateful to you.¡±


    ¡°Teacher, there¡¯s no need for such formalities. Ruo Ruo has always been a headache for me. I¡¯m happy to see you two getting along so well. Consider this a small token of my appreciation.¡± Old Madam Gan smiled with her eyes half-closed as she waved her hand.


    Gan Miaoruo quickly jumped out from the side.<div>


    ¡°Grandmother is right! Teacher, you are being unfair! How can you just thank my grandmother without thanking Ruo Ruo? If not for Ruo Ruo being here, that greedy ghost, County Magistrate Su, wouldn¡¯t have agreed!¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh at this!


    ¡°Of course, the one who deserves the most thanks is our good Ruo Ruo. Sisi thanks you.¡±


    Gan Miaoruo smirked andughed!


    Looking at the left-behind and sulking Zuo Xingyu, and then at the obviously still dazed Di Yelei, she couldn¡¯t help but giggle and pout.


    ¡°Teacher, I have a reason for doing this. You better not forget what you promised me back then! Teacher¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t.¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh too.


    After a brief chat, Old Madam Gan got up and excused herself, ¡°The two of you are deeply in love and today happens to be the Mid-Autumn Festival. You two should enjoy yourselves. We won¡¯t disturb your pleasant mood and will take our leave first!¡±


    As soon as she heard they were leaving, Gan Miaoruo naturally protested!


    ¡°No! Grandma, the teacher just said he wants to go to the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple. I think¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, today is Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for family reunion. Your father mighte back. How can you still have the heart to linger outside?¡± Madam Gan Senior interrupted Gan Miaoruo.


    ¡°But I want to¡­¡± Gan Miaoruo remained persistent.


    ¡°Silly child, the teacher has important things to do, there¡¯s no ce for you to meddle.¡±


    Madam Ganughed cheerfully and looked at Liu Sisi, hastily persuading Gan Miaoruo. After exchanging pleasantries, they said their goodbyes and left.


    Before she left, she also took Zuo Xingyu with her!


    Only when Zuo Xingyu left and turned back, giving Liu Sisi a nce, did she feel like her heart was entangled by a poisonous snake. She instinctively hid behind Di Yelei.


    Only after they were all gone did Liu Sisi let out a sigh and sat down.


    Looking at Di Yelei next to her, it seemed like she was really seeing him for the first time, as if he was a stranger.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Di Yelei looked down at himself and found nothing unusual, before raising his head and smiling.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you to refuse? Why did you agree?¡±


    ¡°You kept blinking just now, I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The two stared at each other.


    Liu Sisi thought for a while and sighed, ¡°Being a constable, you have to catch criminals. What if something¡­ happens? What would we do?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t mention Zuo Xingyu¡¯s matter, so she could only bring it up indirectly.


    Instead, Di Yelei breathed a sigh of relief and held her hand, ¡°Silly! What man doesn¡¯t take risks when working outside? Some people choke to death at home eating. If you¡¯re afraid of this and that, what can you do?¡±


    Of course, Liu Sisi knew that was the case, but was this honest man aware of the poisonous snake that lies ahead?


    Liu Sisi had no confidence in her heart!


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°A real man should have his heart on the world and his responsibilities, to achieve great things! Although being a constable may be a lowly position now, it¡¯s a good start. In the future, I¡¯ll definitely make progress and make you and our children have a good life!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Looking at his honest smile, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t imagine those words came from his mouth!


    However, thinking about how he talked confidently in front of Madam Gan Senior, she felt the need to re-evaluate him.


    ¡°Are you not convinced by your husband?¡±


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡°No¡­ Didn¡¯t we say we were going to the Zen temple? Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head and took the lead to walk forward.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t trust him; she didn¡¯t trust her own judgment now.


    Following the path and walking forward, sometimes crossing the small bridge over the stream, sometimes walking along the cobblestone path, and sometimes gradually climbing up along the stream.


    Strolling along the way, turning past a mountain bay, the sound of a rushing waterfall echoed in their ears.


    They were almost at ck Dragon Pool!


    ck Dragon Pool is located between Heilong Mountain and ck Pond Mountain, a deep pool formed by the convergence of numerous waterfalls. The pool water flows through the mid-hill, meandering among the mountains, and eventually pours into the Lake of Forgetfulness below, never ceasing throughout the years.


    Walking with the crowd, they soon arrived near ck Dragon Pool.

 Chapter 198: 196: Sending Child Guanyin, Worshiping Guanyin to Request a Child

    Chapter 198: 196: Sending Child Guanyin, Worshiping Guanyin to Request a Child<div>


    The roaring thunderous sound echoed in the ears, looking up at the waterfall.


    The sshing white mist cascaded down the steep cliffs, immediately scattering countless pearls and sshing thousands of silvery flowers on the trees, just as if a group of white horses with wind in their hooves rushed towards them like waves in a storm.


    Theyers of dense mist that sshed forward and backward hit everyone¡¯s faces, bringing a wave of coolness that attracted more and more people to the ck Pond, and they couldn¡¯t help moving closer to y around in it.<div>


    Not far from the ck Pond, there was a viewing tform. At the moment, the tform was already crowded with people, and it was packed to the point that it was impossible for anyone to get through.


    Di Yelei carefully protected Liu Sisi and slowly walked towards the other end of the ck Pond.


    The deafening sound of the waterfall crashing into the ck Pond, the two managed to find a corner to sit underneath the viewing tform.


    ¡°Dad! Mom! Why did you juste now? You guys are walking so slow!¡±


    YingEr didn¡¯t know where she had run out from when she suddenly jumped into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, affectionately holding onto her legs and refusing to let go.


    ¡°YingEr is so good, Mom missed you so much! Come, let Mom kiss you¡ª¡ª¡±


    Liu Sisi happily picked her up, lowered her head and kissed her little face several times, making her giggle, and only then did she stop kissing her.


    Seeing the affectionate scene between the two, Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°YingEr, where have you all been? Mom has been so worried. Why did you guys run around?¡±


    Only when the two had finished ying, Liu Sisi asked Di Ying happily.


    Di Ying tilted her little head and thought, ¡°It was Brother Zhang Yun! He took me to y. He also treated me and my brother to a lot of delicious food; YingEr¡¯s stomach is full now.¡±<div>


    Di Ying gestured happily.


    While they were talking, Zhang Yun and Di Xuan also ran out of the crowd. Behind them were Zhang Peng and Guihua.


    When everyone got together, they couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°We saw you guys over there just now. We wanted to say hello, but when we saw Lord County Magistrate was there, we didn¡¯t go over and bother you all.¡±


    Zhang Peng said with a lightugh.


    Guihua, who was beside him, also leaned over happily, ¡°Sisi, was that really the Lord County Magistrate? It¡¯s my first time seeing him. I never thought he would be so kind and smiling.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was indeed the Lord County Magistrate.¡±


    Liu Sisi agreed, secretly grumbling in her heart that the magistrate¡¯s smile was just to please Madam Gan Senior and Gan Miaoruo.


    ¡°What happened just now? Why did the Lord County Magistratee? It couldn¡¯t be because of Big Mouth Li¡¯s case, could it?¡±


    Zhang Peng asked worriedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly like that! Just now¡­ ¡±<div>


    Di Yelei was extremely happy and recounted the events that had just taken ce.


    He then sighed, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Constable Zuo for rmending me to the Lord County Magistrate this time. With Miss Gan¡¯s help, I was able to take the first step. When I go to the county government, I¡¯ll find an appropriate time to rmend Brother Zhang to the Lord County Magistrate as well. With our tacit understanding, in the future, our actions and work in the governmental office will be much more convenient.¡±


    Zhang Peng was overjoyed!


    ¡°If I could really go to the county government, I would definitely repay Brother Ye Lei a great deal!¡±


    ¡°Saying that really makes me, Di Yelei, feel like I¡¯m not being treated as a brother.¡±


    Di Yelei spoke solemnly, ¡°When Big Brother left, he entrusted me to Brother Zhang¡¯s care. Over the years, I¡¯ve always considered you as my blood brother! Moreover, these years, Brother Zhang, you have given me so much help. If I were to express my thanks, how could I, Di Yelei, ever fully appreciate it with just a ¡®thank you¡¯?¡±


    These words resonated deeply with everyone who was present!


    Zhang Peng patted Di Yelei¡¯s shoulder heavily, repeatedly saying good words!


    ¡°Good! Very good, good!¡±


    Liu Sisi was also extremely happy deep down. If Zhang Peng could apany Ye Lei to the county government, it would not be easy for Zuo Xingyu to have any ideas, let alone seed!


    Wait a minute!<div>


    Liu Sisi suddenly thought of a question.


    ¡°Ye Lei, just now County Magistrate Su said that from now on, you two would bepletely under the control of Ruo Ruo. Are you and¡­ him still constables? Or are you now part of the Gan Family¡¯s retainers?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Everyone was suddenly stunned by Liu Sisi¡¯s question!


    Lord Gan is an important minister in the imperial court. If they really became part of the Gan Family¡¯s retainers, their status would naturally soar!


    As the saying goes, there is a seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister¡¯s door!


    However, it was unclear which side they belonged to following the Lord County Magistrate¡¯s instruction. It was really hard to say!


    It was Guihua who saw things clearly on the side!


    ¡°Hey! Are you tired of thinking about these things? Are you not tired of catching criminals for thousands of miles as constables? It doesn¡¯t matter whether you¡¯re a constable or not, as long as you¡¯re paid a monthly sry.¡±


    When everyone thought about it, they agreed with her reasoning, so they let go of the matter. They yed in ck Pond for a long time before they continued on their way to Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple.


    Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple was flourishing with visitors. When everyone arrived, there were still crowds of pilgrims everywhere.


    Guihua took Liu Sisi to buy arge bundle of incense, handed it to Sisi, and whispered mysteriously in her ear: ¡°Hurry up! Let¡¯s go in together. Remember to worship sincerely. The Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple is very effective in granting children. When I was pregnant with Zhang Yun, I came here to worship sincerely.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    These words almost made Liu Sisi throw away the incense in her hand!


    How could she have forgotten that the deity enshrined in this temple was naturally the Goddess of Mercy?


    Liu Sisi covered her face!


    How could she have not thought of this aspect of the child-sending Goddess of Mercy? No wonder everyone was willing to apany her on such a long journey just to help her seek a child at this temple!


    Could she tell them that she didn¡¯t want a child at all right now?


    Looking at Di Yelei¡¯s hopeful face and Guihua¡¯s excited expression, she swallowed the words that had almoste out.


    Being forced to go along with it, she followed Guihua and knelt before the statue of the Goddess of Mercy. Her hands sped together, she prayed in a low voice.


    ¡°Oh, the merciful andpassionate Goddess of Mercy, I, Sisi, beg for your mercy. Please, please don¡¯t let me be pregnant. I¡¯m only sixteen years old now, and it¡¯s really not suitable for me to be pregnant. I plead for your help, Goddess of Mercy.¡±


    Having said that, she carefully paid her respects with three deep bows before standing up and leaving the temple with Guihua.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°How was it, Sisi? Did you pray sincerely? I¡¯m telling you, the Goddess of Mercy is very responsive! She will definitely hear your heartfelt wish and bless you with a big, fat boy.¡± Guihua said, her face full of excitement.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. If the Goddess of Mercy was really magical, she didn¡¯t know what the Goddess would think!


    ¡°Sister Guihua! Who can say for sure about such things¡­¡±


    The two of them chatted andughed as they walked forward.

 Chapter 199: 197: Start the Calculation, Undeserved Disaster, Sisi Feels Wronged

    Chapter 199: 197: Start the Calction, Undeserved Disaster, Sisi Feels Wronged<div>


    At the main hall of the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s Temple, a sedan chair came to a halt.


    Before the sedan chair stoppedpletely, a pregnant woman holding her stomach quickly got out.


    This was none other than Di Ruoning and her group, who had separated not long ago.<div>


    Di Ruoning was in great pain at that time, so she had to stop and rest for a long time. Ms. Zhang and others had already left. Only Yuan Mengbai stayed by her side.


    Fortunately, they met a kind traveling doctor who happened to be at the temple fair. He quickly diagnosed her and pointed out the cause of her problem.


    ¡°Madam, did you eat something unusual that led to your baby moving?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten anything different from usual. I don¡¯t see how that could be the problem.¡± Di Ruoning couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Yuan Mengbai, however, had a thought: ¡°Doctor, can pregnant women eat candied haws?¡±


    ¡°Rock sugar is fine, but eating too much hawthorn can cause fetal movement. Madam, how could you endanger your child by indulging in the fleeting pleasures of food? Sigh! It¡¯s really¡­¡± The wandering doctor shook his head and left after receiving his payment.


    Di Ruoning¡¯s face turned pale with anger, and she fumed for a long time before finally yelling!


    ¡°Damn you, Liu Sisi! I thought you admitted defeat and gave me the candied hawthorns, but you were trying to harm me!¡±


    Yuan Mengbai couldn¡¯t stand it any longer: ¡°She told you that pregnant women shouldn¡¯t eat the candied haws. It¡¯s your own craving that¡¯s to me¡­¡±


    His words immediately enraged Di Ruoning: ¡°Well done, Yuan Mengbai! Are you falling for that little vixen and taking her side? Do you just want me to die of anger!?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ where did thate from? How could I think that way?¡±<div>


    Yuan Mengbai swore and cursed, doing everything short of kneeling down. Atst, he managed to coax Di Ruoning intoughter.


    After taking a dose of pregnancy-protecting medicine and resting for four hours, Di Ruoning finally felt better and was relieved of her imminent distress.


    Originally nning to return home by another route, she changed her mind at thest minute.


    ¡°We are already at the foot of the mountain. How can I not visit the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple? I hope I can have a daughter to make up a good character this time. No matter what, I must go up the mountain and pray for the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s blessing.¡±


    Most importantly, she hadn¡¯t taught that damn Liu Sisi a lesson yet. How could she let her off the hook!


    As a result, Yuan Mengbai hired another sedan chair to take her to the entrance of the temple.


    Her eyes swept the surroundings, taking in everything around her as if searching for something. She frowned in disappointment when she couldn¡¯t find it.


    Damn!


    Was it possible that she had taken her silver and note?


    ¡°Ruoning, what¡¯s wrong? Weren¡¯t you just in a hurry to go in and worship the Goddess of Mercy? Why did you stop and not go any further now?¡± Yuan Mengbai asked after dismissing the sedan chair bearers.


    Di Ruoning¡¯s eyes flickered before she covered her chest: ¡°Mengbai, I¡¯m hungry now. Go get me a vegetarian meal.¡±<div>


    ¡°Why not go to worship the Goddess of Mercy first?¡±


    Yuan Mengbai frowned, as skipping the worship would be disrespectful, not to mention going to buy food while doing so¡­


    ¡°No! I want to eat now! Don¡¯t you care about our daughter¡¯s hunger? Mengbai¡­¡±


    Di Ruoning¡¯s coquettish pleading made Yuan Mengbai feel as if his bones were melting.


    ¡°All right, wait here for me for a moment. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± After saying this, he quickly ran into the vegetarian canteen.


    As soon as he left, Di Ruoning straightened up and saw Liu Sisi and Guihua walking from the main hall to the square, which immediately changed her expression.


    She looked around anxiously but saw no one she was looking for.


    Unable to wait any longer, she gritted her teeth and quickly rushed towards the direction of Liu Sisi and Guihua.


    At the moment, Guihua, who came out from inside, was teasing Liu Sisi: ¡°I think with your slender waist and perky bottom, you surely have the appearance of giving birth to a son. Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Sister Guihua¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face turnedpletely red in an instant! What does it mean to have the appearance of giving birth to a son?! That¡¯s just too much! She awkwardly rushed forward.<div>


    Unintentionally, she collided head-on with someone who hurriedly burst in from outside.


    ¡°Ouch! My stomach¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Before Liu Sisi could apologize, the other person started yelling at them first!


    ¡°What kind of person doesn¡¯t watch where they¡¯re going, didn¡¯t you see a pregnant woman here? Can you really afford topensate if you hit me?¡±


    The voice of the angry person was very familiar, and Liu Sisi quickly raised her head to see that it was Di Ruoning. What a small world for enemies to meet!


    Liu Sisi was startled!


    She hurriedly stretched out her hand to steady Di Ruoning and tried to help her up from the ground.


    ¡°Ruo Ning, little sister, are you okay?¡±


    Di Ruoning red at Liu Sisi furiously, her resentment intensifying upon seeing her nemesis!


    ¡°Ouch¡­ my stomach hurts¡­ Liu Sisi, you¡¯re utterly heartless! It wasn¡¯t enough that you tricked me into eating hawthorn; now you¡¯re intentionally bumping into my stomach. It hurts so much¡­ Liu Sisi! What are you really up to?¡± Di Ruoning cried in pain, clutching her stomach.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t have time to respond when Guihua immediately retorted.


    ¡°It was clearly you who collided with us, and we couldn¡¯t even avoid you. Why are you ming us with false usations?¡±


    ¡°Ouch! What do you mean I collided with you? It hurts! My stomach¡­ it hurts so much¡­¡±


    Di Ruoning screamed in pain, covering her stomach, refusing to get up from the ground.


    ¡°Little sister, how are you feeling? Can you still stand? Get up! Let me help you find a doctor!¡±


    Liu Sisi tried her best to pull Di Ruoning up from the ground several times but couldn¡¯t seed.


    Themotion immediately attracted a crowd of onlookers. When they saw that a pregnant woman had been knocked down, many offered a helping hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! It hurts¡­ my stomach hurts so much¡­ don¡¯t move me! ¡­ It¡¯s so painful¡­¡±


    Di Ruoning¡¯s screams rmed the crowd, and everyone started discussing the situation, but no one dared to touch her anymore.


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe her! It was clearly her who collided with us just now!¡±


    Guihua could no longer hold back and jumped forward to shield Liu Sisi. Then, she turned around and angrily scolded Di Ruoning.


    Di Ruoning didn¡¯t respond, but the surrounding onlookers began using Guihua!


    ¡°How can you talk like that? She¡¯s clearly a pregnant woman. How could she joke about her own child?¡±


    ¡°This is in front of a Buddhist temple, don¡¯t talk nonsense! If the Bodhisattva mes you, there will be consequences!¡±


    ¡°You can even harm a pregnant woman, it¡¯s a shame she looks like an ordinary person.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! What kind of people are they? Expecting harm toe to the child in someone¡¯s stomach; their hearts arepletely ck.¡±


    The crowd pointed at Liu Sisi and discussed, making Guihua increasingly agitated!


    ¡°You people, what are you talking about? You didn¡¯t even see the situation at the time; why are you talking nonsense? It¡¯s clear that she deliberately bumped into us, and we couldn¡¯t avoid her.¡± Guihua made matters worse the more she exined.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, don¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Obviously, the more they said, the more they made mistakes!

 Chapter 200: 198: Ruo Ning’s Desperate Move, Sisi Struggles to Speak

    Chapter 200: 198: Ruo Ning¡¯s Desperate Move, Sisi Struggles to Speak<div>


    Liu Sisi gently shook her head at the angry Guihua and once again reached out to help Di Ruoning up.


    ¡°Little Sister, regardless of who is right or wrong, you should get up and let the doctor check you. If you keep lying on the ground and dy treatment, it won¡¯t be good.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try to escape responsibility! I¡¯m telling you¡­ don¡¯t think you can get away again¡­ don¡¯t run¡­¡±<div>


    Di Ruoning sshed and kicked, desperately clutching Liu Sisi¡¯s clothes without letting go.


    ¡°What are you trying to do? Hurry up and let go! Let go!¡±


    Seeing the situation overwhelmingly against her, Guihua rushed forward to try to save Liu Sisi from Di Ruoning¡¯s grip.


    Liu Sisi, seeing the situation turning bad, hurriedly called out: ¡°Sister Guihua, let her go quickly, her stomach¡­¡±


    The scene was chaotic!


    It was only then that Yuan Mengbai, carrying a food box, rushed over with a sweaty face.


    Upon seeing the several people confronting each other, he hurriedly ran to protect Di Ruoning: ¡°What¡¯s going on? Ruo Ning, Third Sister-inw, what are you doing¡­?¡±


    Upon seeing him, Di Ruoning finally released her grip on Liu Sisi¡¯s clothes and fiercely threw herself into Yuan Mengbai¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Meng Bai! You must help me! They¡­ they ganged up on me and even¡­ even knocked me down¡­ Waaah¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean we ganged up on you? Di Ruoning, do you have no shame?¡±


    Guihua, furious, immediately stepped forward: ¡°Yuan Mengbai, right? You¡¯vee just in time! Properly manage your own people! Not only did she act hostile towards her own sister-inw who just entered the door, but she also yed the victim first. What does that say¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ Sisi, why are you pushing me?¡±<div>


    Guihua was scolding happily when Liu Sisi pulled her away.


    At this moment, Liu Sisi was also disheveled, her hair bun pulled apart by Di Ruoning, and her clothes wrinkled everywhere, looking a mess.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t care about fixing her clothes, ¡°Clear stays clear, polluted stays polluted. I haven¡¯t done anything to her. Brother-inw, whether you believe it or not, I, Liu Sisi, have only this to say!¡±


    ¡°Whether it was done or not, does it still matter at this point? Saving people is more important.¡±


    Yuan Mengbai¡¯s brow furrowed, casually dropping a sentence and then quickly leaving with Di Ruoning in his arms.


    Liu Sisi wanted to follow, but Guihua forcibly pulled her out of the main hall. She looked back anxiously.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, why are you dragging me out?¡±


    ¡°I should be asking you, why do you want to follow them? Is it because you want to be her punching bag? That Di Ruoning is just a bitch! She thinks she is so important that everyone should cater to her! So what if she¡¯s pregnant? It¡¯s not like others haven¡¯t been pregnant before!¡±


    Guihua firmly held onto Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, trying to break away from her grip.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re going back!¡±


    While speaking, she strode out of the main hall.<div>


    Outside, Di Yelei, Zhang Peng and others had been waiting anxiously, discussing whether to enter the main hall to find the two, when they saw the two womene out, both disheveled and pulling at each other.


    ¡°What happened? What is this¡­?¡±


    It was only then that Di Yelei hurriedly came forward to ask.


    Upon seeing Di Yelei, Guihua couldn¡¯t help but vent her anger on him.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking why? Isn¡¯t it because of your little sister! She said Liu Sisi gave her candied haws to eat and almost caused her to have a miscarriage! And that Liu Sisi knocked her down and stubbornlyy on the ground, refusing to get up. What now? If she really has a miscarriage, who¡¯s going to bear the consequences? Ah-Ye Lei, brother, where are you going?¡±


    Before Guihua could finish, Di Yelei left everyone behind and turned to rush inside. No matter how Guihua called out, it was useless.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, don¡¯t call for him anymore, he must have gone to see Ruo Ning.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyebrows were knitted tightly together.


    Guihua sneered coldly: ¡°Hmph! Why would he go see someone like her? She¡­¡±


    Adjacent to her, Zhang Peng quickly interrupted Guihua¡¯s unfinished words.


    ¡°Guihua! Watch your mouth, after all, Ruo Ning is Ye Lei¡¯s little sister! All of you go wait in the vegetarian canteen, we¡¯ll be over soon!¡±<div>


    Speaking, he turned back towards Liu Sisi: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Di Ruoning has always been delicate since she was young, and Ye Lei is used to taking care of her. To put it bluntly, when the two of them were young, their rtionship was inseparable. Ye Lei¡¯s feelings for Di Ruoning are much better than you could imagine.¡±


    After saying that, he hurriedly ran off.


    These words only added more gloom to the worry that had originally been on Liu Sisi¡¯s face.


    She lowered her head, Zhang Peng was right ¡ª after all, Di Ruoning was Di Yelei¡¯s little sister. Moreover, children are always innocent.


    If it¡¯s really because of eating candied haws and falling that caused a miscarriage, she wouldn¡¯t be able to live with herself.


    Hopefully, Di Yelei can bring back good news!


    ¡°Sigh ¡ª how could he talk like that! Is that really how he should speak? Zhang Peng doesn¡¯t know how to talk properly! After all, they are siblings, so it¡¯s normal for them to have good feelings for each other. Don¡¯t be angry, ah!¡±


    Seeing the change in Liu Sisi¡¯s expression, Guihua hastily scolded the already distant Zhang Peng and reached out to pat Liu Sisi¡¯s handfortingly.


    ¡°Mmm, Sister Guihua, I understand.¡± Liu Sisi nodded lightly.


    ¡°Mom! YingEr is thirsty¡ª¡± YingEr, sleepy-eyed, leaned in closer.


    ¡°Water¡­ ¡±


    The water was hanging on Di Yelei¡¯s shoulder ¡ª where was she going to find water now?


    Fortunately, Zhang Yun beside them handed over a bamboo tube in time: ¡°Here! YingEr, I have some water here.¡±


    ¡°As long as you understand. We can¡¯t always wait here. Ah! I almost forgot, my stomach is so hungry that it¡¯s growling! Why don¡¯t we go to the vegetarian canteen to see if there¡¯s any food left and fill our stomachs first?¡±


    Guihua quickly shifted Liu Sisi¡¯s attention.


    Liu Sisi smiled: ¡°That¡¯s fine! Let¡¯s go eat first, and then we¡¯ll talk.¡± In fact, she was really hungry by now.


    The Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple had a vegetarian canteen, and the vegetarian meal was provided for free. However, most worshippers would pay a varying amount of incense oil money ording to market prices to receive the meal.


    Several children were lining up to get their vegetarian meal, while Liu Sisi sat on a chair, lost in thought while pondering Di Ruoning¡¯s child in her womb.


    After struggling to get their vegetarian meal, Liu Sisi found it tasteless like chewing wax and forced herself to swallow. The vegetarian canteen¡¯s food could not be wasted, and Liu Sisi ate with great difficulty.


    After finishing their vegetarian meal and waiting for a long time, they finally saw Di Yelei and Zhang Peng walk in quickly. They rxed after spotting the group.


    ¡°How is it? Is Little Sister okay?¡± Liu Sisi asked anxiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s not a big deal. She just needs to rest and she¡¯ll be fine.¡± Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were somewhat evasive.


    ¡°Did something happen? Just tell me directly.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi naturally understood Di Yelei¡¯s hesitance from his expression.


    It must be said that during these days of getting to know each other, Liu Sisi had already discovered some of Di Yelei¡¯s habits and what his actions meant.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were somewhat evasive: ¡°She¡­ she has seen red and cannot move about freely anymore. I¡¯m afraid she will have to stay on the mountain for another night.¡±

 Chapter 201: 199: Cut! Your apology is worth two maces.

    Chapter 201: 199: Cut! Your apology is worth two maces.<div>


    Liu Sisi pursed her lips and said nothing.


    Zhang Peng nced at the crowd: ¡°So, are you nning to rest on the mountain for one night?¡±


    ¡°Not really, but¡­ I can¡¯t just go down the mountain like this, right?¡±<div>


    Di Yelei seemed very helpless and sighed deeply: ¡°After all, she is my little sister. She is pregnant now, and leaving her on the mountain is not something a humane third brother could do!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    It really wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to just leave her on the mountain like that! Zhang Peng thought for a moment and wondered: ¡°Isn¡¯t Yuan Mengbai still on the mountain? Can¡¯t he take care of her?¡±


    ¡°He is, he is indeed. But my little sister said¡­¡± Di Yelei hesitated to continue.


    ¡°Your little sister said that she wants you to apany her so that she won¡¯t be afraid. She even cried and refused to let go, right?¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke softly and suddenlyughed: ¡°Fine! Tonight, we¡¯ll stay on the mountain. We¡¯ll both stay with her.¡±


    She wanted to see what other tricks Di Ruoning could try.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen shameless people before, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone as shameless as her! What business do you have taking care of your married little sister, third brother?¡±


    Guihua¡¯s anger still hadn¡¯t subsided! She couldn¡¯t help but mutter to herself.


    ¡°What kind of married younger aunt would treat her new sister-inw like this? She didn¡¯t treat her like family at all. If she had any decency, she wouldn¡¯t have been so ruthless. She even deliberately bumped into her sister-inw, trying to frame her! If anything happens to the baby now, it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Cough cough¡­ Guihua, say less!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    Zhang Peng beside her urgently scolded her.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes darkened as he clenched his fists tightly.


    He understood this logic well, but his little sister was like one of the few rays of sunlight in his dark childhood. It¡¯s not so easy to give up on her¡­


    ¡°But Sisi, she¡­¡±


    Guihua beside her wanted to say something but was directly held by Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, when it¡¯s time to go down the mountainter, please bother you and Brother Zhang to send Xuan¡¯er and YingEr home. Tonight, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to help take care of the two children. We¡¯ll stay on the mountain and see how my little sister¡¯s body is before making any decisions.¡±


    Guihua initially wanted to persuade her again, but Zhang Peng beside her coughed heavily and disapprovingly, causing Guihua to swallow her words back down.


    ¡°Alright! You need to take good care of yourself. You don¡¯t have to worry about the children; I¡¯ll take good care of them.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡ª can YingEr stay here too?¡±


    YingEr suddenly plunged into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, pouted, and said tearfully.


    ¡°YingEr, be good! Mom wille back with dad early tomorrow morning. YingEr must listen to Aunt Guihua and her elder brother, understand?¡±<div>


    ¡°No! YingEr wants mom, if mom doesn¡¯t leave, YingEr won¡¯t leave either, *sobs*¡­¡±


    As YingEr spoke, she leaned against Liu Sisi¡¯s chest and began to cry.


    ¡°Listen, be good¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly hugged YingEr, and couldn¡¯t help but have red-rimmed eyes.


    The scene made everyone around them feel sad.


    Di Xuan quickly stepped forward and took YingEr¡¯s hand: ¡°YingEr,e to your elder brother. Mom and dad need to apany your little aunt. There¡¯s a little sister in your little aunt¡¯s stomach, mom will be back tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Mom, will you reallye back? Aren¡¯t you going to abandon me like YingEr¡¯s birth mother, wu wu¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I promise YingEr¡¯s mother that I wille back! YingEr, be good and obedient! Ah?¡±


    Before leaving, she carefully wiped the tears off YingEr¡¯s face and handed her the fortune pig she had bought for her.


    ¡°Here! This is a fortune pig, and you can store copper coins in its belly. When you take it home, it¡¯s like your mom is going home with you! Think about it, has your mom ever lied to you when she said she woulde back?¡±


    After hearing these words, YingEr finally stopped crying, holding the fortune pig in her arms: ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll wait for you at home ¡ª wu ¡ª¡±<div>


    ¡°Alright, go quickly! Be good¡­¡±


    Before leaving, Guihua pulled Liu Sisi to one side: ¡°I can see that Di Ruoning is making a fuss about this. You must be careful not to fall into her trap! She¡¯s not an easy person to deal with! Just remember, the daily life you¡¯re living is for the two of you. In the end, outsiders are still outsiders!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, Sister Guihua, thank you.¡±


    Liu Sisi sincerely thanked her, and no wonder! Only someone who genuinely cares for you would tell you such things.


    Watching Zhang Peng and his family gradually walk away with the three children, Liu Sisi finally took a deep breath and turned to face Di Yelei.


    ¡°So! What did your little sister say?¡±


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrows in surprise, looked up at her with amusement and said, ¡°What else could she say? She is my little sister, you are my wife. Who would lie to whom, especially knowing your characters?¡±


    As he spoke, he gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders: ¡°Sisi! Do you really think I¡¯m the kind of person who doesn¡¯t care about justice?¡±


    ¡°Everyone in your family is like that!¡±


    As she spoke, Liu Sisi turned around and sat directly next to the stone lion on the railing, facing him sideways.


    ¡°Although my little sister is crying and making a fuss, I can tell from Meng Bai¡¯s expression that he probably doesn¡¯t believe it either.¡±


    Di Yelei let out a deep sigh: ¡°She wasn¡¯t like this before. Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s pregnant that she¡¯s be more delicate. Anyway, you¡¯re her Third Sister-inw. Just indulge her for a few days, and it¡¯ll be fine when she goes back to the Yuan Family.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t put you in a difficult position. I¡¯ll just bear the humiliation for these two or three days.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke simply, but secretly she sneered.


    She still remembered what YingEr had overheard ¨C Di Ruoning nned to deal with her at the Mid-Autumn Festival. During the day, she tolerated everything, just to see what kind of trap Di Ruoning had nned!


    However, judging from the current situation, her n to deal with herself was most likely revealed!


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was full of anxiety!


    He quickly grasped Liu Sisi¡¯s hand and pulled it to his chest, looking at her firmly and persistently.


    ¡°Sisi, I know that it¡¯s my little sister¡¯s fault, and I apologize to you on her behalf.¡±


    ¡°Tch! Is your apology worth two maces?¡±


    Liu Sisi turned her back on him and looked around at the stone lion on the railing, refusing to look at him.


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    Di Yelei anxiously straightened her body, gazing into her eyes: ¡°If you¡¯re angry, hit me hard until you¡¯re satisfied. But please don¡¯t hold your anger inside. If something happens to you, the one who would suffer the most would be me, your husband.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you hope for, that something bad would happen to me?¡±


    ¡°No! I swear by heaven and earth, Sisi, I absolutely didn¡¯t mean that! Sisi, I¡­ I mean¡­¡±


    Di Yelei was so anxious that his words became incoherent: ¡°Isn¡¯t it because I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be angry and ignore me?¡±

 Chapter 202: 200: Ruo Ning’s Outburst, Sisi’s High-profile Counterattack

    Chapter 202: 200: Ruo Ning¡¯s Outburst, Sisi¡¯s High-profile Counterattack<div>


    Even her eyebrows were arched, looking as if they formed a clear spring.


    ¡°If I really hurt you, your little sister will definitelye after me.¡±


    ¡°If you feel better by picking at me, it brings me joy, this is the intimate happiness between us as husband and wife. What¡¯s it have to do with your little sister?¡±<div>


    Di Yelei was utterly confused.


    Liu Sisi gave him a nce. She had to admit that his speaking skills were improving, hitting her weak spot every time.


    ¡°Yelei, have you ever thought about it? You¡¯re always appeasing her, but she¡¯s getting more and morewless. What will you do?¡±


    Saying this, Liu Sisi hopped off the railing and started walking ahead first.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve always told you about your little sister, as long as she doesn¡¯t provoke me, and for the sake of the child in her belly, and for your sake, I won¡¯t nitpick with her. But if she insists on provoking me¡­Just to put it down, I, Liu Sisi, am not a pushover!¡±


    Di Yelei snapped back to reality and quickly followed, ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t worry! If little sister goes over the line, not to mention you, even I won¡¯t appease her anymore¡­¡±


    I hope you remember this! In her former life she was an orphan, hence she values kin rtionships however it didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d back down indefinitely ¨C these are twopletely different things.


    Liu Sisi thought quietly to herself as she followed Di Yelei, and took a path round up to the back hill of the Zen temple.


    Here, there were rows of small wooden houses, and Di Ruoning had been temporarily arranged to stay in one of them.


    ¡°Brother¡­ sob sob¡­¡±


    As soon as she saw the two of them, Di Ruoning¡¯s eyes reddened and she sobbed, calling out to Di Yelei. When Di Yelei approached, she didn¡¯t care about anything and leaped from the wooden bed into his arms, nearly falling off the side of the bed.<div>


    ¡°Brother, Ruoning¡¯s stomach hurts so much! Brother, Ruoning is in so much pain, sob sob¡­ Brother!¡± She cried brokenly.


    ¡°Alright little sister, stop crying, you still have a child in your belly, you can¡¯t get overly upset. Don¡¯t let your brother-inwugh at you.¡±


    Di Yelei quickly whispered constion to him.


    Watching the siblings, who were hugging each other tightly, an outsider would probably think they were a couple in love!


    Liu Sisi seized a chance to nce at Yuan Mengbai beside her. As expected, she saw his hands clenched into fists and veins popping on them.


    Instantly, she felt that Di Ruoning was simply courting death!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    No matter how much Yuan Mengbai loved her, or how good he was to her, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to ept the sight of two people who were not siblings by blood hugging each other so intimately. The requirement for women¡¯s ¡°three obediences and four virtues¡± weren¡¯t strict here, but to embrace her non-biological brother in front of her own husband ¨C if he, Yuan Mengbai, didn¡¯t react, then he wouldn¡¯t be a man!


    While the two were still weeping in each other¡¯s arms over there, Yuan Mengbai was nearly unable to control the anger in his heart. His corners of his mouth were twitching constantly. As if he had noticed Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, he suddenly spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get some hot water.¡± And he left with the wooden basin in his hand.


    The sound of the door opening startled Di Ruoning. She finally lifted her head from Di Yelei¡¯s arms, meeting Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault¡­ you wicked woman caused all this!¡±<div>


    Di Ruoning was genuinely furious!


    She originally decided to y this act, but unexpectedly after the collision, her stomach started to bleed!


    How could this not make her angry!


    ¡°Don¡¯t take my endurance of you to be a green light for your shamelessness. Di Ruoning, let me repeat this once more!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s voice was faint, it wasn¡¯t so much that she was speaking to Di Ruoning, but rather to Di Yelei.


    ¡°Before, you wanted to eat candied hawthorns, I told you that pregnant women would miscarry if they ate it. Your third brother also told you pregnant women shouldn¡¯t eat it, but you med me for not giving it to you. You made a fuss and had your third brother snatch the candied hawthorns from my mouth. Not just that! Now you¡¯ve actually got a problem because of eating it, yet you want to put the me on me, what sort of nonsense is this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense! Do you dare to say that you didn¡¯t buy those candied hawthorns?¡±


    Di Ruoning clutches her stomach and shouts sharply: ¡°You see that the candied haws are not working, are you trying to harm the child in my stomach? Liu Sisi, you are incredibly malicious!¡±


    ¡°Wrong! Those candied hawthorns were stolen from my mouth by you! You should know your ce and stop with the ridiculous arrogance, don¡¯t overestimate yourself.¡±


    Liu Sisi does not give an inch.


    ¡°You! ¡­ Anyway, I don¡¯t care, you are the one who hurt me! If something happens to the child in my stomach, I will fight with you!¡± Di Ruoning threatens loudly.<div>


    ¡°Who¡¯s telling the truth and who¡¯s lying, we both know perfectly well! Because of the presence of the brother-inw here, I didn¡¯t expose you to save your face, but you are shameless! Don¡¯t think that your actions are unknown to others. Be aware, man does, heaven watches! The wheel of karma always turns, it never fails.¡±


    At the moment, with no outsiders present, Liu Sisi doesn¡¯t hold back, she doesn¡¯t give an inch! ¡°Are you crazy? Have you been kicked by a donkey, squashed by a door, pinched by a m, popped by a fart? Can¡¯t you understand people when they talk?¡±


    She is worried about the other¡¯s stomach for fear of stimting her, but the opponent does not seem to care about what is in her own stomach.


    Since this is the case, she doesn¡¯t need to be polite!


    ¡°You shameless woman! You actually dare to curse the child in my stomach! I don¡¯t want to live, Third Brother, you listen¡­¡±


    Di Ruoning hides in Di Yelei¡¯s arms and doesn¡¯t raise her head. She is crying again.


    She holds on tightly.


    Soft footsteps can be heard approaching from outside the house, getting closer until they reach the room¡¯s wooden door. But the door does not open, the person just stands outside silently, not making a sound for a while.


    ¡°You do not feel shame for yourself! You call me a cheap woman, you are cheaper than me. At least I stand up to what I do, you only know how to frame or set someone up, risking the child in your stomach¡¯s life for a joke. Di Ruoning, you are truly talented!¡±


    Liu Sisi lowers her eyes, hiding the mockery in the depths.


    Those who do not court death will not die!


    She is looking forward to seeing how long Yuan Mengbai, who is always the perfect gentleman, can endure!


    ¡°Enough! When are you two going to stop quarreling?¡±


    Di Yelei forcefully pushes away Di Ruoning, who clings to him like a ko. He finally escapes from her clinging: ¡°A man and a woman shouldn¡¯t be excessively intimate! Little Sister, be mindful of your behavior! What¡¯s all this pulling and dragging about, what does it look like!¡±


    Di Ruoning¡¯s face fills with disbelief!


    ¡°Thi¡­ Third Brother? You¡¯re scolding me¡­ you would scold me for her¡­¡±


    ¡°What ¡®her¡¯? Did you waste your more than twenty years of life? She¡¯s your sister-inw!¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly bursts into rage!


    The sound of the door opening interrupts the words the people in the room have not yet finished speaking. Yuan Mengbai walks in from outside.


    Anger still covers Di Yelei¡¯s face; Di Ruoning¡¯s face is full of hurt, tears rolling in her eyes, about to fall; only Liu Sisi is leaning against the door, a yful expression on her face, looking at them.


    ¡°I¡­ I brought the hot water back.¡±


    Yuan Mengbai makes a casualment, turning his back to them to pour a cup of water.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry, I¡¯m going to have a vegetarian meal, you guys chat.¡±


    Having suddenly lost the mood to continue watching this drama, Liu Sisi says lightly and leaves the room.

 Chapter 203: 201: Spring is in the air, people get intoxicated without getting drunk on wine

    Chapter 203: 201: Spring is in the air, people get intoxicated without getting drunk on wine<div>


    They leisurely strolled to the vegetarian canteen.


    After lining up for a vegetarian meal and slowly finishing it,


    Liu Sisi thought of Di Yelei and took a portion for him, then finally headed back.<div>


    ck Pond Mountain and Heilong Mountain were adjacent to each other, and thick fog often appeared between the mountains, especially during the Mid-Autumn season. Before the sky hadpletely darkened, the fog had already begun to spread from the hillside.


    It was like a thickyer of cotton, rolling and quickly rushing towards people¡¯s feet, and swiftly sweeping away everything that could be seen within their field of vision.


    Liu Sisi, who had be ustomed to the fog in the mountains in her previous life, knew that Di Yelei should be taking care of Di Ruoning at the moment. She thought for a moment and headed towards the small wooden house.


    As she approached, however, a quarrel could be heard from inside the house.


    ¡°Fine! Get out! Once you leave this house, forget about having me as your Little Sister!¡±


    The sharp cry of Di Ruoning came from the small wooden house, causing Liu Sisi to subconsciously slow down.


    Just as she was about to open the door, a figure burst out of the house, almost crashing into Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Liu Sisi was startled!


    Looking closely, it was actually Di Yelei!


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was livid with anger at this moment! His hair was disheveled, and there were even a few suspicious scratches on his face.<div>


    Almost crashing into each other made both of them jump, and then, without waiting for Liu Sisi to speak, Di Yelei grabbed her hand and led her away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re going back home!¡±


    Not wanting to face that troublesome lunatic, Liu Sisi was only too happy to oblige!


    However, it seemed that the man beside her had suffered a loss!


    It felt like taking a cold shower on a hot summer day in June, and Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but feel an inexplicably mischievous sense of excitement from head to toe!


    Hand in hand, the two walked slowly along the mountain path.


    The night was gradually falling!


    Stars twinkling above, apanied by the full moon, illuminated everything in sight!


    It was particrly quiet on the mountain path, with only the faint sound of their footsteps on the leaf-covered path making a rustling noise. The cold, deste mountain breeze blew and lifted a swirl of dead leaves between the two, intertwining, dancing, lingering, gracefully soaring in mid-air, reluctant to leave.


    ¡°Come on, let me hold the food box for you.¡±


    Di Yelei whispered a sigh and reached for the food box, thinking for a while before speaking.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind what Little Sister said¡­what¡¯s really important, like you said before, is that we have a clear conscience. As for the rest, let them think what they want.¡±


    Liu Sisi stopped and looked at him sideways.


    There were worries hidden in his eyebrows, and his concerned gaze was carefully appealing to her.


    Perhaps this macho man¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t feeling good either?


    Liu Sisi suddenlyughed, and as he waited for her to say something, she finally spoke up.


    ¡°Tonight¡¯s moon is so round!¡±


    Di Yelei was momentarily confused!


    ¡°Look! With a full moon in the sky, should you and I ruin this beautiful night given by heaven just because of some unrted people?¡±


    While speaking, she pointed her finger at the full moon in the sky.


    ¡°Stop pointing at the moon quickly, or you¡¯ll have your ears cut off by the moon.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Hehe¡­You silly!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi inexplicably burst intoughter.


    ¡°Oh, how dare you mock me? Let¡¯s see how your husband will punish you¡­¡±


    Di Yelei was silent for a moment before suddenly reacting. He abruptly embraced her,ughing heartily and couldn¡¯t help but nt a heavy kiss on her eyebrows. He then strode toward the small wooden house.


    Theirughter echoed far away as it continued along the mountain path.


    The night was still young!


    ¡­n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Liu Sisi and Di Yelei¡¯s wooden house was arranged diagonally across from theirs.


    The wooden house was built halfway up the cliff, essible via a small mountain path. Opposite the room door was a small window from which they could see the view below.


    They could also faintly hear the thunderous rumble of the magnificent waterfall plunging into the ck Pond!


    Liu Sisi tidied up the small wooden house. Inside the clean wooden house, there was only a wooden bed, a table, a chair, and a wooden basin! Since this was a temporary resting ce on the back mountain, each house was meant for single upancy.


    Soon, the light was turned on in the small wooden house.


    Outside, the mountain wind was bleak, and the autumn air was strong, with the withered yellow leaves fluttering in the wind.


    Inside, the atmosphere was filled with soft warmth, and the spark of passion ignited quickly.


    Everything was so wonderful and hazy!


    Without wine, people were already drunk, and the intoxication quickly spread.


    Everything was so warm and intimate, with the thick affection naturally exuding between them.


    Liu Sisi slowlyy down, her gentle, moist eyes staring without blinking at him.


    His body was in an inverted triangle shape, with explosive muscles bulging beneath his bronze skin. His deep gaze locked onto her eyes, and he gently covered her prepared body like a falling feather.


    It was as if she was the most precious treasure in the world, only to be held in the palm of his hand and carefully protected.


    Liu Sisi was drunk!


    She was drunk under his intoxicating gaze, drunk in the raging fire he ignited, drunk in the harmony of time, ce, and people, and drunk in his arms.


    Everything was so natural!


    They joined intimately, with each other intertwined, and amid the affectionate sweetness, the two lovers embarked on a new journey together.


    As the clouds cleared and rain stopped, Liu Sisiyzily in his arms, using his arm as a pillow, like a satisfied kitten, absentmindedly ying with his Adam¡¯s apple.


    His prominent Adam¡¯s apple moved slightly.


    This teasing caused the man beside her difort, and he let out a muffledughter from his chest.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Hasn¡¯t your husband fed you enough? Hm!¡±


    As he spoke, the bear paw resting on her chest subconsciously pinched her, bringing her another wave of numbness.


    ¡°No more, please! I¡¯ve had enough.¡±


    She shifted ufortably, and the thin quilt on her body quietly slid down, revealing her snowy shoulder. The alluring corner of her body peeked out, enticing the man¡¯s eyes to be instantly deeper, and the raging fire was ignited once again.


    The woman¡¯s shy and moaning sounds emerged again as they grew more passionate, making even the full moon in the sky hide behind thick clouds.


    In the distance, gongs and drums and firecrackers sting were apanied by blooming fireworks, as if even they were celebrating for the couple immersed in their passion!


    The long night continued to spread¡­


    ¡ª-


    Please give rmendation tickets and monthly tickets. Thank you everyone for walking with me on this journey.

 Chapter 204: 202: The Nightmare Strikes Again, Meng Bai’s Injured Body and Spirit

    Chapter 204: 202: The Nightmare Strikes Again, Meng Bai¡¯s Injured Body and Spirit<div>


    On the mountain path, suddenly a figure approached with quick steps, stopping not far from the hut, hesitating to move forward.


    The two people inside the small wooden house were snuggled together as they slept.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes suddenly snapped open, a glimmer of light shing in their depths.<div>


    Gently getting up, he immediately roused her, who had originally been sound asleep.


    ¡°Hmm? Ye Lei¡­¡± She called outzily.


    Her eyes were still half-closed, revealing a tender and affectionate gaze as she unconsciously rubbed her face on the thin quilt.


    ¡°Sisi, be good. I¡¯m here; just go back to sleep.¡±


    Carefully cing her naughty little hand that had slipped out of the quilt back inside, he checked the window before silently leaving the room.


    Outside, Yuan Mengbai lingered, pacing back and forth on the nearby path, his face wrought with indecision.


    Seeing Di Yeleie out, the two stared silently at each other.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll go and check it out again.¡±


    Di Yelei took the lead in speaking.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    In the house, the rush of cold air from the open door suddenly woke Liu Sisi, and she instinctively reached out for him, calling his name.<div>


    Her call made Di Yelei return once more, ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re awake. Why don¡¯t you sleep a while longer? I¡¯ll go and check on Little Sister and be back soon.¡±


    Having said that, he carefully adjusted her quilt corner before leaving the room.


    Yuan Mengbai rejoiced and hurriedly followed him.


    Inside the room, Liu Sisi¡¯s brows furrowed as she restlessly twisted her body.


    At the moment, she was trapped in an old dream, and the terrifying nightmare struck again!


    It was still that blood-red scene!


    And those chilling eyes that seemed like cold stars, locked firmly onto her!


    Yet, in recent times, the person being attacked in the dream had slowly changed from Di Yelei to a man whose face she couldn¡¯t make out.


    As always, the nightmare would end with her raising a dagger high and viciously stabbing down!


    Blood sttered¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡±<div>


    She was once again startled awake by the bloody nightmare, lying down at the head of the bed while gasping for air, her body drenched in cold sweat.


    This nightmare had been repeated countless times, and its content was unbearable for Liu Sisi!


    The moonlight outside grew increasingly bleak.


    Leaning against the window of the wooden house, illuminated by the moonlight and the faint roar of a waterfall in the distance, Liu Sisi pondered the dream.


    She had once heard that even after a person died, their deepest memories remained etched into their soul.


    Were what she saw only nightmares or were they the original owner¡¯s deepest memories?


    She had no answer.


    Turning around and sitting up, a sudden thought reminded her of the words Di Yelei had spoken in a haze, so she decided to clean up and head to the other wooden house.


    On the other side,n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Di Yelei and Yuan Mengbai arrived at the door of the small wooden house. Yuan Mengbai quickly took a few steps forward and pushed the door open, only to be immediately met by a burst of angry scolding.


    ¡°Get out! Weren¡¯t you so great? Why did youe back after leaving? Get out! Get out of here!¡±<div>


    Inside the room, along with Di Ruoning¡¯s cursing, a food box was thrown out, flying straight towards the two men.


    With a bang!


    The food box mmed directly into Yuan Mengbai¡¯s forehead, causing him to cry out in pain as he clutched his head and squatted down.


    ¡°Ruo Ning! What are you going on about? How can you treat Meng Bai like this? Can¡¯t you just talk things out nicely?¡±


    Di Yelei anxiously approached and checked Yuan Mengbai¡¯s injury.


    Upon seeing it, he immediately was shocked by Yuan Mengbai¡¯s blood-covered hands.


    ¡°Meng Bai, how are you? Is your injury severe? Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll take you to the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple, the Grandmaster there must have medicine.¡±


    But as he turned around, he was immediately tackled by Di Ruoning from behind.


    ¡°Third Brother, don¡¯t go¡­ don¡¯t go¡­ sob¡­¡±


    She held tightly onto Di Yelei¡¯s thigh, crying loudly. She couldn¡¯t even see Yuan Mengbai¡¯s bloody face!


    Seeing this situation made Yuan Mengbai¡¯s eyes darken, and a feeling of heartache spread from the bottom of his eyes.


    ¡°Third Brother, there¡¯s no need. You can stay here and be with Ruo Ning; I know the way to the temple. I can go by myself.¡±


    He covered his forehead, whispered, and left without looking back.


    ¡°Meng Bai¡­¡±


    Di Yelei wanted to chase after him subconsciously but was firmly hugged by Di Ruoning around his thigh, so he could only watch as Yuan Mengbai covered his forehead and staggered out of the wooden house.


    Sharp pain welled up from the bottom of his heart!


    Yuan Mengbaiughed bitterly in secret!


    He thought he had grown ustomed to this kind of treatment, but at this moment, his heart still ached intermittently.


    He took a deep breath, suppressed the soreness in his eyes, and covered his forehead as he hurried along.


    Liu Sisi came from around the corner when suddenly a figure turned and almost collided with her.


    Both were startled!


    Almost bumping into someone for the second time! Recognizing the person as an acquaintance, Liu Sisi sighed with relief.


    ¡°Brother-inw, what happened to you¡­?¡±


    Seeing Yuan Mengbai¡¯s face covered in blood with his hand on his forehead, Liu Sisi asked out of instinct.


    Without waiting for Liu Sisi to finish, Yuan Mengbai¡¯s face turned awkward, and he directly walked past her without saying another word.


    From inside, suddenly Di Ruoning¡¯s wailing cry was heard.


    ¡°Third Brother! My stomach hurts so much! Wuuu¡­!¡±


    Her cries were filled with excruciating pain. Then, Di Yelei¡¯s gentleforting voice followed.


    Liu Sisi looked at the small wooden house, turned, and chased after Yuan Mengbai in the distance.


    ¡°Wait, brother-inw. Don¡¯t walk so fast with a head injury; let me apany you there.¡±


    Yuan Mengbai didn¡¯t say a word, and the two silently proceeded. Upon arriving at the Zen temple, there was a young monk on night duty. Seeing the injured man, he rushed to grab medicine and gauze to bandage him. After some bustling, the two left incense oil money before leaving the temple.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now. You can go!¡±


    Yuan Mengbai obviously didn¡¯t want to have much contact with her and said so directly upon leaving the temple.


    Liu Sisi lowered her head and was silent for a moment before sighing, ¡°Do you want to go back to face them? Why not¡­ go for a walk over there in the meantime!¡±


    With that, Liu Sisi turned and walked away.


    Perhaps her words struck a chord in him, as he didn¡¯t head back, but instead slowly followed behind Liu Sisi, walking slowly toward the viewing pavilion she pointed out.


    The viewing tform was on the road leading to the mid-hill of the temple and was bustling with people during the day. At the moment, however, it sat quietly with no one around.


    Liu Sisi sat at the edge of the viewing tform, leaning against a column of the pavilion, gazing at the surrounding mountains under starlight.


    Yuan Mengbai sat in the shadowy center of the pavilion. The bright moonlight couldn¡¯t reach the corner of the pavilion, just like his mood at this moment.


    The two sat in silence, neither speaking, allowing time to slowly pass by.


    ¡°When I first met Ruo Ning, she hid timidly behind Third Brother, her big eyes looking at me timidly. With just one nce, I knew she was the woman I had been searching for my whole life.¡±


    Yuan Mengbai spoke softly, his murmured words so gentle that if one didn¡¯t listen carefully, they couldn¡¯t hear them at all.

 Chapter 205: 203: Endurance, Heartache, Love is a Matter of Two People

    Chapter 205: 203: Endurance, Heartache, Love is a Matter of Two People<div>


    ¡°When she married me, she was still young and always asked to go back home. My mother hadints about her, as she had also suffered a lot of grievances. So, at that time, I thought I should treat her well and make up for all the wrongs she had been through. Later, as our three children were born, she gradually stopped mentioning it.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t move, silently gazing into the distance without turning her head.


    Yuan Mengbai turned over andy t, resting his head on one arm and lightly rubbing the gauze on his head with the other: ¡°Some people say I am spineless and have lost the face of a man. Actually, I am just afraid, afraid that she will never belong to me and that one day, she will leave me. Because every time we make love, what she calls out is always the name of another man.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi looked back at him.


    She turned back and chuckled lightly: ¡°Since you chose to endure it for so many years, why speak of it now? Isn¡¯t it better to make it a secret forever?¡±


    ¡°Because I feel that you are on the same old path I have walked, so I want to tell you all these thoughts.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Liu Sisi sighed softly: ¡°From ancient times, it has been difficult for an honest official to meddle in domestic affairs. What use is it for you to tell me? Only you can save yourself.¡±


    Deep down, she despised this kind of man, acting out a tragic appearance of deep love, making himself unhappy and dragging others down into the abyss as well.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t reconcile! I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t!¡±


    Yuan Mengbai roared in anger!


    ¡°I love her so much, why won¡¯t she give me a single nce? Why does she still pursue something she can never have? What I want is not much, really not much! I just hope, I hope there is a ce for me in her eyes¡­¡±


    His voice grew fainter and atst, he could no longer speak through his tears.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯tfort him but merely leaned quietly against the pir, gazing up at the starry sky.


    As she listened to his crying, from barely audible to uncontroble sobs to wailing and then gradually diminishing until it finally vanished.<div>


    She sighed then!


    Such a grown man being forced to such an extent, Di Ruoning really had some skills!


    ¡°Do you really love her and want to give her the best of everything? Then why do you stillin?¡±


    Yuan Mengbai didn¡¯t speak for a while, and just when Liu Sisi thought he had fallen asleep, his murmuring voice rose again.


    ¡°Because¡­ I¡¯m tired¡­ my heart is tired¡­ really tired¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi remained silent.


    Love is a matter for two people. It has never been the case that only one¡¯s devotion can make the most beautiful flowers bloom.


    And what about her and Di Yelei?


    Whether it is habit or love, she has no answer in her heart.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Until the sky began to turn white, a thickyer of mist rose from the bottom of the valley, and covered the mountain top.


    Dew had wet their clothes, and the early morning mountain breeze brushed Liu Sisi awake. Only then did she realize that they had spent the whole night sitting outside.<div>


    The sound of morning prayers and the monk¡¯s wooden knockers reached her ears, making her feel unusually peaceful.


    ¡°Brother-inw, brother-inw! Wake up, it¡¯s morning.¡±


    The dew had dampened her clothes, shrouding her hair in a veil of mist, and droplets slid down her loose curls.


    Yuan Mengbai opened his eyes groggily, still confused for a moment, and without waiting for him, Liu Sisi headed straight to the canteen to fetch two portions of food and returned to the wooden house.


    The wooden house was as she had left it, with Di Yelei not returning the whole night.


    Picking up the wooden basin, she went to wash her face at the stream by the waterfall, and as expected, she saw scattered early risers heading up the mountain. As they passed by her, they all smiled and nodded in greeting.


    After finishing her vegetarian meal, Liu Sisi was caught in a dilemma.


    She promised YingEr yesterday that she would definitely be back today. However, Di Yelei still hasn¡¯t returned, should she stay or should she leave?


    It wasn¡¯t until noon that Di Yelei, with bloodshot eyes, finally showed up.


    ¡°You¡¯re back? Are there people taking care of Little Sister over there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that olddy Ms. Ma is back. Don¡¯t make noise, Sisi, let me sleep for a while¡­¡±<div>


    After Di Yelei managed to finish speaking, he copsed back onto the wooden bed, exhausted, and fell fast asleep.


    Feeling more tired than after several days and nights of hunting, he almost fell asleep once he hit the bed.


    Ms. Ma returned, but where has Ms. Ma been before?


    Liu Sisi looked up at the sky, realizing she was going to break her promise after all.


    While Di Yelei was taking a nap, she went to the Zen temple again, listening to the grandmaster¡¯s lectures on Buddhism and the sincere prayers of the congregation, and then returned to the ck Pond under the waterfall, ying leisurely by herself.


    She even imitated the people around her by dipping her hands into the water, enjoying the refreshing chilliness.


    At the bottom of the pond, a little crab silently crawled out from under a broken stone. Liu Sisi quickly scooped it up in her hand.


    Frightened, the crab quickly raised its small pincers. However, no matter how hard it tried, it couldn¡¯t pinch Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, waving its eight crab legs in vain.


    What a pity! The little crab was too small.


    Liu Sisi loosened her grip, and the little crab fell back to the bottom of the pond, quickly hiding under a small stone and disappeared from sight.


    After washing her hands, she got up and followed the stone steps to the nearby pavilion.


    Unintentionally turning her head, she saw Yuan Mengbai again.


    At that moment, he was sitting at the edge of the pavilion, the cloth on his head stained red with fresh blood, looking quite pale. A basin of blooming autumn chrysanthemums concealed more than half of his figure and their gazes met in the air.


    Liu Sisi gave a slight nod and passed by him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask me who that man was that Ruo Ning was shouting for?¡±


    He suddenly spoke.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s footsteps hesitated for a moment, and she lightlyughed. ¡°Is that answer important?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s important because I want to tell you,¡± insisted Yuan Mengbai.


    ¡°No need,¡± she shook her head.


    Having said that, she didn¡¯t linger and continued on to the other side of the pavilion.


    In fact, the answer was already in her heart, but whether she would say it out loud or not were two different matters.


    Yuan Mengbai watched her figure disappear behind the stone pir, and with one hand, he grabbed the autumn chrysanthemums beside him, crushing the blossoms that were once blooming just a moment ago.


    Fierce anger appeared on his face, and he angrily smashed the broken branches in his hand into the ck Pond. ¡°Di Yelei! I¡¯m not done with you!¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi revisited old ces, following the stream that flowed from the ck Pond, passing through pavilion corridors and small bridges over flowing water. Whenever she encountered beautiful scenery, she paused and rested, observing the various states of life.


    An old gentleman leading his grandson for a leisurely stroll, students discussing poetry and literature in groups, a few whispering and hiding youngdies in the springtime of their lives, a poverty-stricken uncle with a sad and helpless face¡­


    This was the first time she hadpletely rxed since arriving in this era. Consequently, her mood seemed to have improved as well.


    In the end, she stopped behind an old man who was sshing ink and wielding a writing brush.

 Chapter 206: 204: Unexpected Gift, Elders’ Bestowment Cannot Be Refused

    Chapter 206: 204: Unexpected Gift, Elders¡¯ Bestowment Cannot Be Refused<div>


    This old gentleman upied a remote pavilion, with the surrounding area being just a maple tree illuminated by the afterglow under the reddish sky.


    However, after the old gentleman¡¯s skillful sshing ink and wielding a writing brush, all the beautiful scenery came to life on paper, causing Liu Sisi to lose track of time and quietly witness the birth of an inkndscape painting.


    It was not until the old gentleman finished brushing that Liu Sisi sobered up from her fascination and unexpectedly met Di Yelei¡¯s face as she looked up.<div>


    ¡°Eh! When did youe?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a while. Seeing that you were so absorbed, I didn¡¯t make a sound to disturb you.¡±


    Di Yelei spoke softly and took two steps forward to greet the old gentleman, ¡°Sir, please forgive us. My wife and I saw you painting and were afraid of disturbing you, so we didn¡¯te to greet you earlier. We hope you won¡¯t take offense.¡±


    The old gentleman continued to pack up his paintings and brush-pen leisurely, shouldered the sorted items, and then looked at the couple with the painting scroll in hand. After sizing them up, he chuckled.


    ¡°So you two are a married couple. That¡¯s quite rare. I¡¯m d you¡¯re so considerate. I appreciate it.¡±


    He then turned to Liu Sisi and said, ¡°I saw how fascinated you were with my painting. Were you able to see something special in it?¡±


    Liu Sisiughed and replied, ¡°Sir, you are joking. Your junior wouldn¡¯t dare judge the merits of your painting in front of you.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ªJust speak your mind, this old me can take it.¡± The old gentleman seemed a bit unhappy.


    ¡°In that case, your junior will venture to say a few words.¡±


    I never thought this old gentleman would have such a temper! Liu Sisi thought to herself.


    ¡°Sir, your painting skills are incredibly proficient. At first, I was focused on the painting, and the more I looked, the more beautiful it appeared. However, gradually, I started to watch your brush-pen in your hand, and it seemed to move like flowing clouds and water, extraordinary and unique. Slowly, all I could see was the hand that held the brush-pen, and nothing else.¡±<div>


    The old gentleman looked into Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, which were exceptionally clear, pure, and free of any impurities.


    He suddenly burst intoughter!


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard countlesspliments! There have been countless people who praised my paintings, but never anyone who praised the hand holding the brush-pen! Little Sister, your words are truly interesting.¡±


    While speaking, he handed the rolled-up painting to them, ¡°Well, I find you quite agreeable today, so I¡¯ll gift this painting to both of you. Cherish it well!¡±


    Liu Sisi was overjoyed and immediately reached out to take it.


    But shortly after, she hesitated.


    ¡°Sir, my husband and I have just met you by chance. The value of your painting scroll is probably worth hundreds of taels, if not thousands. However, to give it to us so casually¡­ We can¡¯t ept something for nothing. Please take the painting back.¡±


    Di Yelei next to her gasped in surprise! A single painting was worth hundreds of taels?


    The old gentlemanughed heartily, ¡°You¡¯ve got quite a discerning eye, young wife. Although you should not ept gifts for no reason, there¡¯s another saying, ¡®One cannot refuse a gift from one¡¯s elders,¡¯ right? So just ept it!¡±


    After saying that, he pushed the painting to Liu Sisi¡¯s hand and walked away with a heartyugh.


    Liu Sisi held the painting, and it took her a while toe back to her senses.<div>


    ¡°The old gentleman doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary person. This painting must be quite valuable.¡± Di Yelei stared at the painting and couldn¡¯t help but say.


    ¡°All you think about is money. Where can you measure the value of such a painting with money?¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at him and carefully wrapped up the painting, ¡°Weren¡¯t you taking a nap? Don¡¯t you need to apany Little Sister?¡±


    ¡°I think I won¡¯t go.¡±


    Di Yelei seemed quite helpless: ¡°The doctor said that if Little Sister¡¯s emotions continue to be so agitated and cannot be calmed down, the child in her womb may not be saved.¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed silently in her heart: ¡°What do you n to do?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    Di Yelei frowned in irritation and shifted his stance.


    ¡°Have you ever thought¡­ maybe, if you¡­ if you don¡¯t stay by Little Sister¡¯s side and ignore her, perhaps she would be happier?¡± Liu Sisi tried to say.


    ¡°I understand that your logic makes sense, but I dare not gamble!¡±


    It was a tiny life at stake! The gamble was too big; he could not and could not afford to gamble.<div>


    Liu Sisi went silent for a while, gently rubbing the surface of the painting scroll with her hand as her thoughts wandered. Suddenly, she raised her head and said, ¡°No matter what, I will go down the hill tomorrow morning.¡±


    Instead of discussing with Di Yelei, it would be better to notify him.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t say anything. He looked around and let out a long sigh: ¡°No matter what, I will go down the hill with you tomorrow morning. Is that all right?¡±


    ¡°Great! These are your words!¡±


    She was inexplicably happy!


    Her happiness was so infectious that Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but lightly flick her little nose: ¡°Silly girl! When have I ever not fulfilled a promise I made to you?¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d definitely do it! Look at how smug you are!¡±


    Liu Sisi gave him a re, feeling as if the sky had suddenly brightened!


    ¡°Are you hungry? Let¡¯s go find something to eat. I haven¡¯t eaten all day, and I¡¯m starving. I remember there being a food stall not far away; we can go take a look.¡±


    ¡°Serves you right! Who told you not to eat.¡±


    While saying that, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t stop walking quickly to catch up.


    Not long after they started walking, Di Yelei suddenly stopped: ¡°Sisi, look over there! How beautiful¡­¡±


    Following the direction Di Yelei pointed, Liu Sisi looked up.


    Just below, by thekeside of Sansheng Bridge, countless torches gradually lit up. The entirekeside was adorned with firelight, making it as spectacr as the sky. From afar, it looked like a fire dragon dancing around thekeside, apanied by the stars above, looking incredibly beautiful.


    ¡°It¡¯s the dragon and lion dance team! I heard fireworksst night. I didn¡¯t expect a fire dragon dance at Sansheng Lakeside tonight. Let¡¯s go and have a look!¡±


    After saying that, she hurriedly grabbed Liu Sisi¡¯s hand and ran towards thekeside.


    ¡°Every year on August 15th and 16th, there would generally be local gentry sponsoring the temple fair to set up a stage for lion and fire dragon dances. There¡¯s also the tradition of drinking dragon porridge and eating dragon meals. Just listen to themotion down there; it must be the fire dragon dance team! I just don¡¯t know how big the scale is this year.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how big the scale is, as long as there¡¯s something to watch! Let¡¯s hurry up!¡±


    The excitement down below was infectious to Liu Sisi, and she sprinted, holding Di Yelei¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush! If the fireworks haven¡¯t started yet, it means the dragon dance hasn¡¯t started either. Let¡¯s wander around first, and by the time we get there, it should be just right.¡±


    Di Yelei said happily.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 207: 205: The Topic Triggered by Buying Lanterns and Roasting Sweet Potatoes

    Chapter 207: 205: The Topic Triggered by Buying Lanterns and Roasting Sweet Potatoes<div>


    The pair swiftly arrived at thekeside of the Lake of Forgetfulness.


    At night, thekeside was gradually filled with more and more passersby, and countlessnterns lit up the small stalls and shops along the shore. A multitude of fire and candle lights flickered uniquely before their eyes, which was captivating.


    The tourists passing by them also held variousnterns in their hands, their faces full of tion.<div>


    The children were even ying with tangerinenterns and starfall aroma balls.


    The tangerinentern was a small handmadentern made by poor families. It usedrge tangerine skins, with a small candle lit inside, and the candlelight would shine through the small holes, which was quite beautiful!


    The starfall aroma ball was a toy where grapefruit skins were filled with incense, ignited, and could be yed around with by the kids.


    Because the incense would not go out while swirling in the air, the toys were dangling all over thekeside, carried in the hands of a group of children who ran around. The sounds ofughter spread far and wide. It was a particrly lively scene!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes were filled with envy, ¡°It¡¯s a pity Xuan¡¯er and YingEr are not here, otherwise they would be so happy ying around.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! You don¡¯t have to worry about them! They may have alreadye to the fair with Zhang Peng, we just didn¡¯t see them.¡± Di Yelei said happily.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked surprised.


    ¡°That¡¯s what Zhang Peng said before we left yesterday. If we didn¡¯t return today, he¡¯d bring the children to the temple fair tonight.¡±


    ¡°So you knew about the performances all along, why didn¡¯t you take me to watch themst night?¡± Liu Sisi asked indignantly.


    He chuckled smugly, suddenly leaning into her ear: ¡°Didn¡¯t I covet your softnessst night¡­ I really didn¡¯t want to let¡­¡±<div>


    Bang!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks instantly blushed!


    All flushed with embarrassment, she called him: ¡°Rascal! What nonsensical things are you talking about? Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t mind being scolded at all. They headed straight towards the closestntern shop and started selecting appealingnterns.


    The various types ofnterns here were filled with glittering features. There were all types of patterns, with the majority being small, beautiful, and convenient for carrying.


    Liu Sisi was undecided for quite a while and still couldn¡¯t decide on which one to buy.


    In the end, Di Yelei simply chose a lotusmp for her. It was shaped like a lotus, and once the candle inside was lit, the petals would rotate with the wind, looking so alluring that Liu Sisi could hardly let go of it.


    The couple also bought a carp-shapedntern. Each of them carrying antern, they continued to walk towards theke,ughing and chatting as they went along.


    When they passed by an old man selling roasted sweet potatoes, Liu Sisi stopped.


    Looking at the old man in front of her, she inexplicably remembered her grandfather¡¯s back. A sense of familiarity suddenly came over her. She still remembered that when she was a little girl, her grandpa also sold roasted sweet potatoes.


    ¡°Ye Lei, didn¡¯t you just say you were hungry? Let¡¯s buy a sweet potato to fill our stomachs first, and we can buy anything else that looks deliciouster.¡±<div>


    ¡°How can just one possibly be enough for your husband to eat?¡±


    Di Yelei grinned, understanding her thoughts. Looking at the remaining seven or eight sweet potatoes in the old man¡¯s roasting tube, he said, ¡°Elder Uncle, we¡¯ll take all the remaining sweet potatoes, you can weigh them for us.¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Yelei. She didn¡¯t say a word, but a smile crossed her face.


    ¡°Alright then, there are still a few roasted sweet potatoes left unsold! Young man, thank you very much. Once I finish selling these, I will buy antern to take home to my oldpanion. Hopefully, this will cheer her up!¡±


    These words made all three of themugh!


    Liu Sisi also bent overughing, ¡°Elder Uncle, Auntie will be absolutely thrilled when she sees thentern!¡±


    The old man paused mid-motion, then continued to weigh the sweet potatoes, ¡°Her eyes have been blind for some time now, but every year at the temple fair¡¯s fire dragon dance, she insists oning to see it. She says, even though she can¡¯t see, she can feel it in her heart. She can still remember the moment we first arrived at thekeside to see the fire dragon when we were young¡­¡±


    ¡°Auntie¡¯s heart sees clearly, even if her eyes cannot. She knows how good Uncle is to her.¡± Liu Sisiughed, her eyes almost disappearing into thin slits.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right! We were young lovers and now we are oldpanions!¡±


    The old man efficiently finished weighing the items, ¡°When people get old, they like to reminisce about their youth. My wife and I also used to roam the temple fair just like you young couples, happily running around thekeside with ournterns¡­¡±


    After saying goodbye to the old man, the couple continued their walk, each of them holding and peeling a roasted sweet potato.<div>


    ¡°Do you think, when we¡¯re old and grey, would you treat me like Uncle treats Auntie? Will you take me to watch the fire dragon dance?¡±


    ¡°Silly girl! You¡¯re my wife, of course I will treat you well! Naughty!¡±


    Having finished a roasted sweet potato with a fewrge bites, Di Yelei peeled another one, ¡°When that timees, I will have you sell roasted sweet potatoes with me. Once we¡¯re done selling, we can go straight to watch the lion dance and the fire dragon dance, how about that?¡±


    Sisi felt a sweet warmth in her heart but she didn¡¯t show it, ¡°So you want me to sell roasted sweet potatoes with you just so I could freeze and go hungry, huh! Then these roasted sweet potatoes, you are responsible for eating them all!¡±


    This sweet potato was not like the hybrid varieties fromter generations; its taste was exceptionally sweet.


    ¡°My wife, I would never dare. But Sisi, believe me, we won¡¯t have to rely on selling roasted sweet potatoes in the future. I will make sure you live a good life!¡±


    Di Yelei looked at her earnestly, ¡°As for these sweet potatoes, even if we can¡¯t finish them tonight, I¡¯ll use them for breakfast tomorrow. I remember when times were hard, I could only eat a single sweet potato a day to fill my stomach. Now it feels like such a distant memory.¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly burst intoughter.


    Isn¡¯t that right? Nowadays, both of them had some savings and didn¡¯t need to worry about food anymore.


    Especially ofte, their debts paid, life kept getting better. Who needed to live off of sweet potatoes anymore?


    ¡°If we can¡¯t finish them, let¡¯s feed them to the fish in theke! It could be a good deed. Besides, we certainly don¡¯tck these few copper coins now.¡±


    Liu Sisi yfully suggested, before biting into her sweet potato. The sweet taste made her squint.


    The sound of gongs and drums resonated in the air, and then, fireworks exploded in the sky, followed by the dense sound of firecrackers, signaling the start of the fire dragon dance.


    The couple¡¯s eyes lit up!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! The lion dance and the fire dragon dance are starting!¡±


    With Di Yelei¡¯s words, he grabbed her hand and they hurriedly followed the crowd, running. They hadn¡¯t run far when Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t keep up with his pace.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Wait! Ye Lei, wait, I¡­ I can¡¯t run anymore!¡±


    ¡°You silly! Come on, hold the sweet potatoes and thentern. I¡¯ll carry you.¡±


    Di Yelei quickly handed the sweet potatoes and thentern to her. Before Liu Sisi could react, he bent down and swung her onto his back. He then started running again. Soon, they had reached the area where the gongs and drums were sounding and the fireworks were exploding.

 Chapter 208: 206: Dancing Fire Dragon, Celebrating the Harvest Year

    Chapter 208: 206: Dancing Fire Dragon, Celebrating the Harvest Year<div>


    The lion and dragon dance was not held by thekeside, but on a temporary stage built on the edge of thekeside.


    Following the edge of the Earth God Temple, winding along the hillside and around the two paths extending from the stage¡¯s ends to thekeside, formed arge circr loop.


    Along the loop¡¯s route, trees and branches on both sides were hung with onentern after another.<div>


    The dazzling fireworks filled the sky, enchanting Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes!


    At the moment, the thunderous drumming on the stage was bing more and more intense, urging the spectators to be filled with excitement.


    The next moment, the stage erupted with somersaulting, agile male lions ¨C the curtain had finally been lifted.


    The drumbeats gradually became slower and softer, tapping gently on people¡¯s hearts like raindrops. Dancing in the air were the two male lions, leaping, flipping, twisting their heads, and wagging their tails. Each of their movements, blinking, and expressions were exactly the same.


    Suddenly, the drums thundered, urging everyone¡¯s excitement! The two lions suddenly stood up! Blinking their big, copper-bell eyes, opening their bloody mouths, they leaped andpeted for the ball on the stage.


    This made the onlookers exim, with cheers and apuse erupting continuously!


    As the two lionsnded, a row of fireworks flickered in front of them. Apanied by numerous firecrackers and dozens ofnterns, two huge fire dragons covered in mes appeared one after the other!


    As soon as the two fire dragons appeared, they immediately attracted the attention of countless people!


    Dozens of strong men lifted the dragons, weaving up and down through the fireworks while balls flew around them. The two fire dragons undted in pursuit, soaring and diving, entwining in countless changes, making it dazzling and overwhelming for the spectators.


    The stage was packed with people cheering and raising their voices in admiration, as gongs and drums bellowed and created a magnificent scene!


    Liu Sisi, riding on Di Yelei¡¯s back, stretched her neck to watch the stage without blinking, her eyes only seeing the dazzling lights all around her.<div>


    The roar of gongs and drums echoed, and fireworks filled the sky. As countless firecrackers and fireworks exploded around the fire dragons, they cast out dazzling lights, making the flying dragons on the stage appear as if they were soaring through the clouds and mist!


    At this moment, the stage changed again. In addition to the original two male lions and fire dragons, four small lions joined in, gradually making the dance more lively. The two fire dragons were vivid and their entire bodies glowed. All the dragons and lions chased the fireball, continuously leaping on the stage.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were filled with a sea of fiery red, and themendations continued!


    ¡°Wow! Fantastic! Great!¡±


    The cheers of the spectators surged one wave after another, with apuse like thunder!


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but keep pping her hands, even when the palms of her hands turned red and sore, still not willing to blink her eyes.


    Gradually, therge and small lions and one fire dragon wound down from the stage¡¯s ends and began to walk along the path. Two children dressed in embroidered clothes and holding copper gong tes wrapped in red silk followed behind the fire dragon, asking for gifts.


    When they came near Liu Sisi, she generously took out 100 copper coins and ced them into the te, making a series of crisp sounds.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡±


    The child happily expressed his gratitude and continued to move forward.


    Thunderous apuse continued as crowds surged, following the fire dragon dance along the route, chasing after it andughing.<div>


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! How about I take you to see the acrobatics?¡±


    As if he was not yet satisfied, Di Yelei did not walk with her in the same direction as the crowd, but instead turned back and headed towards the other acrobatics.


    ¡°Is the dragon dance over just like that? It was amazing, but too short.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked reluctant to leave.


    ¡°The dragon dance ends when it circles the arena once. It probably won¡¯te out again. However, if you want to watch the lion danceter, we cane back and watch it. Several groups will take turns dancing, and it will continue until midnight. However, the acrobatics have already started over there. Look at the side; aren¡¯t many people rushing to the scene?¡±


    Liu Sisi looks around and sees that there are indeed many people like them, rushing in the same direction.


    ¡°Ye Lei, put me down. I¡¯ll walk by myself¡­¡±


    She hadn¡¯t noticed before, but now she sees that she¡¯s lying on Di Yelei¡¯s back, which is attracting too much attention.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Sisi?¡±


    As per her suggestion, Di Yelei puts Liu Sisi down and asks in puzzlement.


    ¡°Nothing¡­ aren¡¯t you tired?¡±<div>


    ¡°Not tired. You¡¯re so light, you don¡¯t even weigh a few taels. How could I be tired? What¡¯s the matter, you¡¯re embarrassed?¡± He leans in with a shy smile.


    ¡°Who¡­ who has such thick skin like you! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Liu Sisi stomps her foot angrily and begins to jog ahead.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t run! It¡¯ll be troublesome if we get separated by the crowd!¡± Di Yelei quickly catches up.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The performing stage is located on an empty tform next to the Earth God Temple, with one side just below the cliff and the other side immediately adjacent to the temple. Hordes of people are crowded around the stage, making it impossible for anyone to pass through.


    Liu Sisi cranes her neck, only able to see countless ck heads wobbling non-stop in front of her.


    ¡°Ye Lei, what should we do?¡±


    Liu Sisi jumps several times, unable to see even the shadow of the stage.


    Di Yelei looks around, points to the cliff above and says, ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡± As he speaks, he pulls her hand down to the base of the cliff.


    ¡°It¡¯s so high, how will we get up there?¡±


    Looking at the smooth cliff face, Liu Sisi ispletely bewildered.


    ¡°Watch me!¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly smiles, hugs her waist tightly, and before she can understand his intentions, he leaps up into the air.


    In a few jumps, he has brought Liu Sisi from the bottom of the cliff to the top.


    ¡°Ye Lei!¡±


    Liu Sisi screams! A sudden strong forcees from her waist, the wind still whistling in her ears. Di Yelei¡¯s other hand grabs onto arge rock jutting out from the cliff¡¯s edge, uses his toes to propel off the cliff wall, andnds on a small, inclined boulder above.


    This boulder extends out from the cliff, with some thatch and a crooked cypress tree on either side. The remaining space is only about one meter wide and two feet deep. When Di Yelei, being quite tall, squeezes in with Liu Sisi, the space is very limited.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this ce a bit too tight? Should we find somewhere more spacious?¡± Liu Sisi asks subconsciously.


    Di Yelei raises an eyebrow in surprise, ¡°This ce has the best view. Are you sure you want to switch positions?¡±


    Liu Sisi looks down and can¡¯t help but agree. This spot is directly facing the stage. Although it¡¯s a bit far, it is indeed the best viewing spot they can find.


    A gong sounds on the stage, and a monkey traineres out. Under the trainer¡¯s guidance, several mischievous little monkeys cheerfully somersault around.


    All of Liu Sisi¡¯s attention is soon captured by the performance on stage.


    At the moment, Di Yelei¡¯s attention is not on the stage.


    In the small space, a faint and subtle fragrance emanates from the young woman¡¯s body, constantly lingering in his nostrils. It stirs his emotions and makes a certain part of him itch to take action.

 Chapter 209: 207: In and Out of the Play, It’s All Pretense!

    Chapter 209: 207: In and Out of the y, It¡¯s All Pretense!<div>


    His big hand intentionally or unintentionally touched her, and she, who had already beenpletely attracted, didn¡¯t notice it at all.


    He became even bolder, directly embracing her into his arms and letting her sit on hisp.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s legs were already weak from standing, and she naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse to sit on the readily avable ¡°stool¡± in his arms.<div>


    The soft and fragrant little body pressed into his arms immediately aroused Di Yelei¡¯s deepest desires.


    This belonged to him! His little woman!


    He still remembered the first time he saw her when he lifted her veil, and how he was instantly captivated by her sparkling eyes!


    ¡°Cold, Sisi?¡±


    He raised his head, gently blowing a breath behind her ear.


    A tingling sensation spread from behind her ear, making Liu Sisi instinctively shrink her body: ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­ It is a little cold.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll put a robe on you.¡±


    As he spoke, he directly took off his outer robe and wrapped her entire body, with therge robe sprawling down, leaving only her small head outside.


    She hurriedly pulled at the clothes.


    ¡°Um ¡­ Ye Lei, don¡¯t block my view.¡±


    As she was engrossed in watching, she instinctively pushed away his hand that was blocking her view and pressed it under her palm.<div>


    ¡°Fine! I won¡¯t block you, you watch yours, I¡¯ll do mine.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s deep voice resounded behind her.


    The gongs and drums on stage sounded again!


    ¡°Ye Lei! Look at the smallest monkey on stage, the one standing on the mother monkey, it¡¯s so cute!¡±


    Liu Sisi excitedly called him, feeling that her eyes couldn¡¯t keep up.


    After the monkeys finished performing somersaults, riding unicycles, jumping through fiery hoops, and pulling carts, a magician took the stage!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s attention was briefly given to Di Yelei for a moment, only to be quickly pulled back to the stage, making her blood boil with excitement!


    Cheering and apuding along with the surrounding crowd!


    Meanwhile, Di Yelei was also busy.


    His big hand was extraordinarily agile, silently extending into the sleeve of his robe.


    He whispered in her ear, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s cute, but you¡¯re even more beautiful. Your husband would rather watch you ¡­¡±<div>


    Groping for her skirt belt, he gently tugged and quickly lifted her gown¡¯s hem while she was off guard.


    He quickly found the edge of her inner garment and impatiently explored it along the small pocket.


    ¡°Ah! Ye Lei ¡­ you bastard, what are you doing?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly felt a heat on her body, her delicate frame softened, and she melted into his embrace.


    She couldn¡¯t help but curl up her body and use her hands to protect herself, looking at him with angry and cunning eyes, lifting her head to look at him behind her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! My darling, don¡¯t move, there are people nearby on this hill, and if they hear us ¡­¡±


    Di Yelei teasingly said, the corners of his mouth raised proudly, and he kissed her delicate earlobe.


    His big hand didn¡¯t hesitate at all, continuously attacking her, giving him an unparalleled sense of satisfaction.


    His breathing grew heavier, and the unique masculine aura constantly brushed against her neck, causing a series of tingling sensations, making her unable to concentrate, almost unable to sit still.


    ¡°Ye Lei, stop messing around ¨C people are watching¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t know if it was her heightened senses or her guilty conscience, but it felt like the surrounding apuding crowd was all staring at her!<div>


    Her body temperature rose rapidly with this thought, as if she were being engulfed in mes that were spreading at an insane speed.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t take their eyes off her, he lowered his head and not only nibbled her earlobe but also moved back and forth along her slim swan-like neck.


    His lips trailed a chain of tingling and cool sensations along the way.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡ªuh, gentle, it hurts¡­¡±


    The mild pain was apanied by waves of tingling, overwhelming Liu Sisi¡¯s mind.


    His short stubble turned into a small brush, causing intense itching with every nibble.


    Suddenly ovee by passion, she couldn¡¯t help letting out a soft moan and closing her eyes to relish his touch. She gripped tightly onto his strong arm.


    She was having a hard time bearing up, shifting her body restlessly, her little face flushed as she tried to escape this embarrassing situation.


    At that moment, a loud gong sounded! There was a new performance on stage.


    It was the astonishing act known worldwide inter generations ¨C face changing!


    There were two performers on stage, an adult man and a little boy of about ten years old. They moved in synchrony while quickly changing their facial masks.


    ¡°Look! Are we also like the two people on stage, constantly changing our expressions?¡±


    Liu Sisi was so nervous she couldn¡¯t sit still. She tried to get up only to nearly fall over her own skirt hem.


    She remembered her waistband had been untied by him and hurriedly searched for it. Clenching his mischievous hand, she refused to let go.


    ¡°Hmm? What are you looking for? Is it this?¡±


    He chuckled softly, and with his other hand, held out her waistband.


    ¡°Huh, how did it end up with you? Give it back to me!¡±


    Liu Sisi was anxious, and as she tried to grab it from him, he threw it behind his back, making it fall out of reach.


    ¡°Shhh ¨C be quiet! Do you want the others to see you like this?¡±


    Di Yeleiughed triumphantly, the teasing grin on his face looking like someone who had gotten away with something sneaky.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face flushed red in embarrassment. At the moment, she was draped in a man¡¯s outer robe, her skirt hanging freely in front of her without the waistband to restrain it.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She was a mess!


    ¡°Enough, give it back to me.¡±


    She whispered exasperatedly, but afraid that others might hear, she lowered her voice even more after looking around.


    ¡°My little kitten, what if your husband doesn¡¯t want to?¡±


    Di Yelei gently breathed into her ear, letting out a deliberate littleugh.


    His other hand kept sliding downwards, as if constantly challenging her limits, deliberately teasing her.


    ¡°Ah¡ªYe Lei, if you keep doing this, I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t finish her threatening words, as she couldn¡¯t help but slouch backward, her body weakening.


    Di Yelei¡¯s hands were rough and hard, calloused from years of using the bow and doing work.


    Her snowy skin was brushed by his hand, setting off a series of uncontroble tingles throughout her body, like electrical currents. Her porcin skin glowed with a pink hue, making it even more alluring.

 Chapter 210: 208: Playing games both inside and outside the drama, continues.

    Chapter 210: 208: ying games both inside and outside the drama, continues.<div>


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­there are other people¡­I¡ª¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s entire face turned as red as an apple, and she stammered as she pushed him away.


    Although she was clearly melting, she still had to pretend to sit upright, biting her lips tightly to prevent the annoying moans from escaping her mouth and alerting the people nearby.<div>


    On stage, the gong and drum sounds echoed one after another.


    The father and son¡¯s face-changing skills became gradually more exciting!


    Below the stage, the cheers and apuse from the audience were continuous!


    Especially on a small tform not far to the left of them, the father and son¡¯s loud cheers and enthusiastic pping were almost within reach.


    The father and son duo were clearly immersed in the amazing performances on stage, their cheers especially loud!


    In particr, the father¡¯s booming voice was like a muffled thunder down on the ground, exploding right next to the two of them!


    It made people shiver involuntarily!


    Even in the midst of such thunderous shouting, Di Yelei¡¯s actions became more daring, and his other hand didn¡¯t remain idle either, constantly attacking her.


    She couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. If it weren¡¯t for him supporting her from behind, she might have already toppled down the cliff.


    ¡°Stop it, stop it! If I fall down again, I¡¯ll¡­uh¡­¡±


    A low moan suddenly escaped from Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth, and her body reacted even faster, tensing up.<div>


    This movement caused her to shudder violently and tightly grip his iron arm.


    She could no longer endure it, and her voice sounded tearful, ¡°Can¡¯t you just¡­after we go back, I¡¯ll let you do whatever you want! Is that not enough?¡±


    Although this was a cliff, it was by no means a deserted one.


    In order to upy the most advantageous positions for watching the performances, the frightened people climbed everywhere on the cliff, searching for the best spots.


    This side of the cliff, which was facing the stage, naturally became highly desirable, and many people came early to stake their im.


    Aside from some inessible ces, almost all the spots with good views of the stage were upied.


    ¡°My little kitten, don¡¯t you forget, you said it yourself!¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s struggling and bitter expression, Di Yeleiughed smugly.


    He knew that in such a situation, her mind couldn¡¯t possibly focus on the stage, but he deliberately teased her like this, enjoying watching her embarrassment, as if it were his never-ending joy.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Taking advantage of a brief respite to catch his breath, Di Yelei had a rare chance to whisper, before kissing her back again.


    ¡°I said it, I said it with my own mouth, now let go! Let go, you bastard!¡±<div>


    Faced with the evil taste of the man before her, Liu Sisi hated him in her heart and couldn¡¯t help raising her hand to pinch his arm fiercely.


    But, she sumbed to his kisses.


    It took him quite a while to lift his head from her neck,ughing triumphantly.


    Liu Sisi instinctively pushed him away, but couldn¡¯t push away the imposing man behind her!


    Such a predicament made Liu Sisi increasingly ufortable, causing her to subconsciously shift her body to the side. However, she nearly lost her footing and fell straight off the cliff!


    She was quickly pulled back by the nimble Di Yelei!


    Both of them were startled!


    Especially Liu Sisi, who felt as if her heart had jumped out of her chest; the thumping sound took quite a while to subside.


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, you bastard! I almost fell from here! If I really fell¡­¡±


    If she had actually fallen, wouldn¡¯t her embarrassing situation be seen by others?


    It was all the fault of the bastard in front of her!<div>


    ¡°Hehehe¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. See? I saved you, didn¡¯t I? Don¡¯t worry, your husband would never let you fall!¡±


    Di Yeleiughed smugly, looking utterlycent!


    His big hand still held her waist, while his other hand gripped arge tuft of thatch behind him.


    Probably the real situation was that if it weren¡¯t for this thatch, both of them might have directly tumbled off the cliff!


    But for now, his big hand reached out again, and his kisses once more entwined her, constantly kissing her.


    ¡°You¡­bastard! Didn¡¯t you just promise me¡­¡± Liu Sisi cursed in vain.


    On stage.


    At the moment, the y had changed, and the two actors were performing the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai.


    The sounds of singing and ying were endless!


    At this point, he was on the verge of eruption and could no longer hold back!


    ¡°I promised you, but when did I say I couldn¡¯t kiss? Hm, Sisi¡­¡±


    She instinctively stretched out her hand to support his arms, and unconsciously lowered her head.


    With the full moon in the sky aiding her sight, she could see the old man on stage ying the erhu and the young man and woman singing and ying.


    The sudden silence at the scene made Liu Sisi a bit ufortable.


    She let out an embarrassed snort and instinctively tried to flee, but was trapped in ce with nowhere to escape!


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­if they see us, it¡¯ll¡­¡± What would happen?


    Liu Sisi wished she could find a hole to crawl into and bury herself, so she wouldn¡¯t have to face the embarrassment in front of her!


    Suddenly, thunderous apuse sounded nearby.


    On the small tform to their left, the father and son were excitedly discussing the y on stage.


    ¡°Hehe! Dad, do you think the person ying Zhu Yingtai is a man or a woman? That clear voice is so sweet.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a man or a woman, as long as it sounds good! Hurry up and watch your y!¡±


    ¡°But this tform is really too small, I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a bigger ce beside us where we could see more clearly¡­¡±


    The young man¡¯s voice became clearer, as if he was carefully observing Di Yelei and Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Sisi, turn your head a little, be a good girl!¡±


    Down below, Di Yelei was constantly harassing Liu Sisi, urging her repeatedly.


    Di Yelei was already impatient, noticing that the girl above him was lost in thought, and he was on the verge of erupting. Yet, the girl beside him continued to grind on him provocatively, making him gasp for air.


    Liu Sisi pushed against his encroaching head with all her might, remembering the young man beside her and trying to adjust her sitting position.


    But with her movement, the man behind her immediately let out a soft hum, scaring her into stopping. Pretending to be serious about watching the y on stage, her thoughts had already drifted far away.


    But it only provoked the man next to her to let out a series of triumphantughter, making her turn her head and bite down angrily on his shoulder.

 Chapter 211: 209: A Frightening Midnight Dream, Sisi in Danger

    Chapter 211: 209: A Frightening Midnight Dream, Sisi in Danger<div>


    ¡°Ah! Are you from the year of the dog or something?¡±


    This bite was really deep; Di Yelei¡¯s shoulder muscles couldn¡¯t help but tremble a few times, clearly in no small amount of pain.


    He reflexively raised his hand to strike, but when it touched her cheek, he changed from a p to a pinch, lightly pinching her small ear.<div>


    ¡°Just let go, my dear Sisi. If you really want to bite, tonight your husband will let you bite all you want, how about that?¡±


    As he spoke, a string of lowughter echoed from his throat, causing Liu Sisi¡¯s face to turn crimson instantly.


    In the meantime, the conversation between the young man and his father continued.


    ¡°Dad! Shall we go over there and take a look? It seems like there¡¯s another tform there.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Which side?¡±


    ¡°Just to the right, by your right hand.¡± The young man¡¯s voice came through.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was shocked!


    Subconsciously recalling her current predicament, she let go of his shoulder, digging her fingernails into his sturdy arms.


    He let out a muffled hum, and suddenly lifted her small body.


    Before Liu Sisi could understand the situation, he had swiftly tied her waistband and held her in his arms.


    In the blink of an eye, before she could figure out what was happening, Di Yelei gazed seriously at the opera performance below.<div>


    ¡°Ye Lei?¡± Liu Sisi asked subconsciously.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there are already people here.¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly spoke aloud, startling Liu Sisi!


    Turning her head, she found that two people had suddenly appeared on the nearby cliff.


    ¡°Dad! There are people here.¡± The young man said loudly.


    He even craned his neck to look at Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi tried her best to shrink herself into a ball, with a lowered head under the man¡¯s shirt. In the dim and flickering firelight, her face was really hard to see clearly.


    ¡°Look at you, this restless stinky kid!¡±


    The man gave the young boy a pat on the head, and turned back tough heartily: ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, brother. My son is too naive, causing trouble for you as well.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. There¡¯s no need to apologize, brother. We¡¯re all here to watch the show¡­¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he struck up a conversation with the man.<div>


    Poor Liu Sisi, though, stayed in ce, not daring to move.


    It took a long time to bid farewell to the two, leaving Liu Sisi as sweaty as if she had been fished out of water. She suddenly copsed into his arms.


    ¡°Haha! How about it? Do you like this feeling?¡± Di Yeleiughed triumphantly.


    ¡°Who likes it? If you do this again next time, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll kick you straight off the cliff.¡±


    ¡°Really? Can you bear to do that to your husband? Huh!¡±


    That thick-skinned face approached her, his eyes unblinkingly locked on hers!


    Liu Sisi angrily said, ¡°Take me down quickly!¡±


    ¡°Now? But the performance isn¡¯t over yet, is it? Alright, alright¡­ Come, I¡¯ll carry you down!¡±


    Seeing that she was about to raise her hand to him again, he reluctantly bent down, scooped her up in his arms, and climbed down the cliff¡¯s edge. In two bounds, they were back on solid ground.


    Finally standing on solid ground, her heart settled considerably. She looked him up and down and said, ¡°You always y so many tricks. You must be experienced in battles, huh!¡± Her words carried a sourness that she herself didn¡¯t realize.


    After saying that, she carefully smoothed her skirt hem and walked quickly forward.<div>


    Di Yelei paused for a moment before catching up: ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t you know my past? What do you mean ¡®this kind of trick¡¯? Isn¡¯t this the fun of the boudoir? If you don¡¯t like it, your husband will just spoil you in the room from now on, okay?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®okay¡¯? Get away from me!¡±


    Liu Sisi was both shy and angry. If she had acted a little slower just now, she would have been exposed!


    Di Yelei quickly caught up: ¡°Sisi! Don¡¯t be mad, I promise I will never treat you like this again, okay? Sisi¡­¡±


    ¡°Third Brother! Third Brother, I¡¯ve finally found you, whimpering¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a figure rushed over from an angle and threw itself into Di Yelei¡¯s arms, startling both of them!


    ¡°Ruo Ning, why are you here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be resting on the mountain? ¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s smile disappeared from his face.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart also skipped a beat, and her scalp went numb! This god had appeared again!


    The small wooden house in the silent night was unusually cold!


    Liu Sisiy alone in the small wooden house, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Out of frustration, she got up, opened the window, and casually peered outside.


    The full moon outside was shining brightly, casting a silver glow on everything around. Even the faintly swaying shadows under the tree appeared as human figures¡­


    Something is not right!


    It wasn¡¯t just shadows hiding under the tree; there were people!


    Upon closer inspection, it seemed that several people were standing not far from the small wooden house under the tree. Moreover, they were pointing and gesturing towards her location.


    For some reason, an image of what YingEr once mentioned to her surfaced: she had overheard a conversation between Di Ruoning and Ms. Wang.


    Recalling how Di Ruoning tried her best to expose her past at the Zen temple today¡­


    A chill ran down Liu Sisi¡¯s spine!


    Were these figures here to harm her?


    Unable to sit still any longer, she looked up and saw the figures moving towards the small wooden house. She promptly rushed outside.


    But as she reached for the wooden door, the shadows outside suddenly came to her mind.


    If she really rushed out like this, wouldn¡¯t she be walking straight into danger?


    She quickly secured the wooden door, barricaded it with a small wooden table and chair, and then retreated step by step.


    With her eyes fixed on the window, she now had no choice but to take a leap of faith!


    Without any hesitation, Liu Sisi climbed onto the window.


    Outside, several shadows were rapidly approaching the small wooden house. After exchanging nces and gestures, they kicked down the door.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡±


    With several loud thuds, the fragile door finally copsed, revealing everything inside.


    There was no one in the room!


    ¡°Over there, by the window!¡±


    Someone shouted, and the figures immediately darted toward the window!


    At the moment, Di Yelei was also struggling, trying tofort Di Ruoning.


    ¡®My brother-inw is right! After all, boys and girls shouldn¡¯t sit together once they¡¯re over seven years old. Even though we are siblings, it¡¯s inappropriate for you to hold me like this. Listen, let go of Third Brother and go find my brother-inw. Exin everything to him properly, and don¡¯t get angry with him for no reason. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to! He thinks he¡¯s great, doesn¡¯t he? He wants to hit me? Fine! Just what he wanted, right? We¡¯re just doing his bidding! Let him do whatever he wants, we each go our own way!¡±


    Stubbornly, Di Ruoning clung to Di Yelei, refusing to let go. How could she let go of him and spoil the show? As for Yuan Mengbai, Di Ruoning bit her lip.


    Considering his fondness for her, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal for her to just say a few more words to appease himter.

 Chapter 212: 210: Midnight Nightmare, Sisi Encounters Danger, Ye Lei Worries

    Chapter 212: 210: Midnight Nightmare, Sisi Encounters Danger, Ye Lei Worries<div>


    ¡°Little Sister! You¡¯re already a mom of three kids, and there¡¯s one more in your belly, how can you be so¡­so careless? Listen! Let go of Third Brother!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t! I won¡¯t, I won¡¯t let go!¡±


    Di Ruoning lost her temper as well, holding onto Di Ye Lei¡¯s waist tightly while her other hand intentionally or unintentionally caressed his sensitive spots. She refused to let go.<div>


    ¡°Little Sister! Stop messing around!¡±


    Di Yelei was naturally not a dead person, and he noticed her hand lingering in his sensitive area.


    His face changed instantly!


    He stretched out his iron arm and forcefully grabbed Di Ruoning¡¯s hand to pull it away.


    ¡°Ah! -¡±


    Di Ruoning screamed in pain, feeling her body spinning around, her hand was suddenly twisted behind her back. She couldn¡¯t help but cry out, ¡°Third Brother! It hurts! It really hurts -¡±


    ¡°Di Ruoning! Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were heavy.


    His voice was hoarse and low, and anyone familiar with him would understand that this was a sign of his impending rage.


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing, I¡¯ve always known! Even more, I know we¡¯re not real siblings! Third Brother, I¡¯m going all out today, I want to confess my true feelings to you! Third Brother! I like you, I really love you!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Shut up! I said shut up, didn¡¯t you hear me! We are siblings, siblings!¡±


    Di Yelei was furious! He suddenly raised his hand and pped Di Ruoning¡¯s face!<div>


    p!


    A crisp p echoed!


    Di Ruoning was sent flying and crashed into a table nearby, instantly causing a bump on her forehead.


    ¡°Ah! It hurts! Third Brother, you¡­actually hit me -¡±


    Di Ruoning covered her pped cheek, her eyes wide in disbelief!


    Her most respected and loving Third Brother had actually pped her!


    This pain was far worse than killing her!


    On the other side.


    Several shadows rushed to the window, looking around, but saw no one outside!


    ¡°What the hell! I saw her go into the room just now!¡±


    One of the shadows muttered.<div>


    Another voice said, ¡°Did she jump out of the window?¡±


    Everyone hurried to the window and looked down, the wooden house was built directly on a cliff, one side against the cliff and the other side hanging in mid-air! Below was a thick fog, the bottom was not visible at all.


    Everyone exchanged nces, seeing the disbelief in each other¡¯s eyes!


    Did she really jump off from the window?


    All of them fell silent.


    ¡°The man said he just wanted us to have a good time, he never said to kill her. And now¡­Boss, how do we report back to him?¡±


    One of them couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°You dumb ass! Who told you to say it!¡±


    The leader was furious: ¡°Damn it! That little beauty was such a sexy one. If she ended up underneath us, we would have had the time of our lives! And now¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he angrily pped the window sill, causing the entire wooden house to shake.


    Just above them, Liu Sisi was lying at the top of the wooden house, unable to make a move!<div>


    She originally thought she could escape by jumping out the window but realized the outside was a fog-shrouded cliff and she couldn¡¯t see how far the ground was below!


    If she let go, she would fall directly into the mountain stream, god knows where she would end up!


    Seeing everyone starting to break down the door, she didn¡¯t care about anything else and looked around for hiding spots. When she saw the roof of the wooden house above her, her eyes suddenly brightened up!


    The sound of impact at the wooden door grew louder, and she had no choice but to quickly climb up using the eaves of the house.


    She slipped identally¡­ but a sudden supportive force from behind saved her from falling into the abyss.


    Once she made it onto the roof, she covertly surveyed the area but didn¡¯t find anything unusual.


    She couldn¡¯t help frowning. Had she been mistaken earlier?


    Inside the wooden house, several dark figures continued discussing.


    ¡°We were about to enjoy such tender meat, and then we encountered this mood-killing situation¡­¡±


    The man at the front brushed the window ledge and paused involuntarily, his attention drawn to the footprints and traces of mud above.


    ¡°Enough talk, let¡¯s go!¡±


    After saying this, he silently wiped off the dust from his hands and turned to leave.


    The other dark figures followed.


    Seeing the dark figures gradually walking away, Liu Sisi finally copsed onto the wooden house¡¯s roof. Only then did she realize that her whole body was shaking!


    Her hands especially were shaking so much that she almost lost her grip on the eaves, nearly falling off the roof.


    As soon as she managed to climb down, she ran towards the small wooden house where Di Yelei was.


    ¡°Hehehe! Little beauty, trying to run away?¡±


    At the turning point, the dark figures she thought had already left were standing at the corner, and their lowughter, apanied by the faint rumbling of the waterfall, was still so piercing!


    ¡°You¡­!¡±


    Liu Sisi was shocked! How could she forget that these people wouldn¡¯t just give up!


    She clenched her teeth and turned to run back!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As she turned around, she saw two people gradually closing in from behind, step by step, surrounding her!


    Liu Sisi felt an urgency in her heart!


    She subconsciously clenched her fist. Was it fate that led her to this?


    Meanwhile.


    Di Ruoning whispered softly, her eyes filled with tears.


    ¡°Third Brother! I love you. I genuinely love you with a woman¡¯s love for a man¡ªThird Brother!¡±


    Even though her face hurt badly at the moment, she still wouldn¡¯t give up this rare opportunity.


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    There was no pity in Di Yelei¡¯s eyes. He strode two steps forward, grabbed Di Ruoning with one hand and firmly held her chin with the other. His eyes were filled with cold ruthlessness and darkness that she didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°Di Ruoning! You must be crazy! Do you want to make it so we can¡¯t even be siblings?¡±


    Di Ruoning suddenlyughed!


    ¡°Yes! I am crazy! I was driven mad by all of you!¡±


    She tilted her head and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with her hand, then stubbornly looked up at him.


    ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t love you, but since I was very, very young, from the moment I first saw you, I fell in love with you! Third Brother, do you know? If I were to regret anything in my life, it would be marrying someone else out of spite! Third Brother¡ª¡±


    She suddenly lunged forward and hugged Di Yelei¡¯s thigh, crying out loud.


    ¡°Are you done causing a scene? Think of your three children and look at yourself now! Do you want to drive yourself to a dead-end, only being satisfied after your family is destroyed and everyone is dead?¡±


    He struggled to pull her tightly sped arms!


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! All I want in this life is to stay by your side forever! Third Brother, you lied to me! You promised me!¡±

 Chapter 213: 211: Encounter with the Snake Kiss, Sisi’s Predicament

    Chapter 213: 211: Encounter with the Snake Kiss, Sisi¡¯s Predicament<div>


    Di Ruoning¡¯s expression was extremely agitated: ¡°You said that I was the one you would always like and love forever! But what about you? What are your feelings for Liu Sisi? Don¡¯t think I¡¯m blind and can¡¯t see that you¡¯re really into her!¡±


    ¡°Yes! The person I like is Sisi, so what! Because I have always treated you as my little sister! Nothing more!¡±


    Di Yelei angrily scolded, destroying Di Ruoning¡¯sst hope.<div>


    ¡°You!¡­¡±


    Di Ruoning¡¯s eyes were wide open, full of disbelief!


    His big hand pried her fingers open one by one, his gaze firm and persistent! Then he forcefully pushed her away¡ª


    And sent Di Ruoning flying to the other side.


    ¡°Di Ruoning, it¡¯s you who ruined thest bit of sibling affection between us!¡±


    Having said that, he strode out of the wooden house.


    ¡°Third Brother!¡ª¡ª¡±


    Di Ruoning¡¯s heart-wrenching screams came from the wooden house.


    But it couldn¡¯t stop Di Yelei¡¯s determined footsteps!


    Almost running to the small wooden house, he had never wanted to see Sisi so desperately, wanting to hug her and tell her of his feelings at the moment.


    He loved her!<div>


    Being by her side was what he most desired deep down in his heart.


    But the small wooden house was quiet and empty, with only the broken wooden door slightly swaying.


    Sisi was gone!


    ¡­


    The moon on Mid-Autumn Night was especially round!


    Everything nearby was illuminated in a vast expanse of whiteness.


    A few oddly shaped rocks stood on the summit, and an ancient pine tree emerged from the stones. The moonlight poured down through the gaps in the branches, adding a touch of destion to the gnarled branches and old bark of the ancient pine.


    A woman sat atop the horizontal rock, her slender body shivering in the icy autumn wind of the night.


    And on the branch of the ancient pine facing her, a ck shadow stood tall. As the mountain breeze blew, the shadow swayed slightly with the branch, blending in with the surroundings.


    Liu Sisi looked up at the shadow perched on the branch, unable to see the face of the man dressed in ck, and curiously gazed at him.


    ¡°Who are you? Why¡­why did you save me?¡±<div>


    Her voice was somewhat hoarse, still unable to recover from the sudden events moments ago.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± The shadow suddenlyughed softly.


    His voice was exceptionally strange, as if it had been altered, and was particrly low and hoarse.


    Yet, it strangely made her instinctively feel that he had no intention of harming her.


    ¡°I have neither silver nor appearance. I¡¯m sure you just happened to pass by here and happened to help me when you saw injustice. Right?¡±


    Liu Sisi rxed her tense emotions, couldn¡¯t help but stick out her tongue, and said somewhat sheepishly.


    The shadowughed again: ¡°Why don¡¯t you guess that I¡¯m the hooligan wanted by the imperial court, and I particrly like to pick on¡­beautiful women like you?¡±


    As he spoke, he deliberately paused for a moment.


    ¡°Could a hooligan be like you? Don¡¯t lie to me!¡±


    ¡°What should a hooligan be like?¡±


    ¡°At least not like you!¡± Would a real hooligan be chatting with her like this?<div>


    ¡°Hahaha! Interesting little girl! You should know that saving someonees with conditions¡­¡±


    The shadow suddenly shed and appeared beside her.


    The full moon in the sky brightly illuminated everything around, allowing Liu Sisi to see the other person¡¯s face clearly.


    He was wearing a judge¡¯s mask on his face, covering most of it, revealing only a pair of sharp phoenix eyes and a chin with a goatee, exuding an extraordinary strong and overbearing aura!


    At the moment, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, revealing a wicked smile, clearly in a good mood.


    His face suddenly approached her, getting so close that she couldn¡¯t help but lean back to keep some distance between them.


    He pursued her relentlessly: ¡°Tell me, why were those people chasing you in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°You saw it yourself, they surrounded me without any warning and started fighting. How am I supposed to know the reason!¡± Liu Sisi looked innocent, quietly trying to put distance between them.


    His eyes clearly showed disbelief, and he closed the gap between them with a big step, suddenly recalling something else: ¡°Where did you learn the moves you used to attack them? They seem quite interesting.¡± His phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, quickly shing a hint of gloom.


    ¡°What moves? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Liu Sisi blinked her dewy eyes like a startled deer, lookingpletely baffled.


    She wouldn¡¯t dare admit that those were the so-called three techniques of hooligan defense!


    ¡°So you¡¯re really not willing to talk?¡± He said indifferently.


    ¡°How am I supposed to tell you about something I don¡¯t know?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked wronged, unconsciously taking another step back, almost slipping off the cliff.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    With no ce to retreat, her face inevitably showed a moment of panic, but he casually reached out and pulled her back.


    She was shocked!


    If she had really fallen from such a height, there would be no way she would survive. She couldn¡¯t help but feel frightened and broke out in a cold sweat, thanking him in her unsettled state.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you for saving me again¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­ have you ever thought that I might be one of the peopleing to catch you as well?¡±


    He let out a light chuckle, narrowing his phoenix eyes. He hooked Liu Sisi¡¯s chin, extending a finger to gently caress her lips, tracing their shape.


    This sort of action carried a tingling sensation, causing her to instinctively tremble.


    Wanting to escape subconsciously, she felt like a small prey locked in the elegant grip of a hunting cheetah, unable to run away.


    ¡°Your lips are beautifully shaped, very enchanting, and irresistible to¡­pluck¡­¡±


    As he spoke softly, his lips slowly pressed down.


    Liu Sisi stared at the finger stroking her lips, her mind going nk for a moment.


    At the moment when it seemed like he was about to kiss her lips, she suddenly woke up, instinctively dodging, trying to avoid his impending kiss. However, his strong grip on her chin made it impossible for her to struggle.


    ¡°No! Let go of me! Mmph¡ª¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively tried to resist, but she was no match for his strength! His kiss fell upon her.


    His kiss was unlike Di Yelei¡¯s, which carried an all-consuming fire, capable of melting her entire being in his embrace with just a light touch!


    His kiss was ice-cold, just like the feeling he gave her at this moment!


    It felt as if she had been bitten by a snake, a chill rising from the back of her head as if she had fallen into an ice cave on a summer day, freezing her from head to toe.


    His lips barely touched hers before he pulled away.


    ¡°As expected, so sweet!¡±


    His phoenix eyes raised, he chuckled and said, then smugly stretched out his tongue, licking a circle around his lips.

 Chapter 214: 212: Sisi’s Embarrassment, Ye Lei the Hero to the Rescue?

    Chapter 214: 212: Sisi¡¯s Embarrassment, Ye Lei the Hero to the Rescue?<div>


    ¡°Pah! Pah! What nonsense are you talking about? You¡¯re actually being serious? Bastard!¡±


    Liu Sisi was furious!


    She didn¡¯t know if the other party was sick or not, but he really dared to kiss her so casually. How infuriating!<div>


    Disgusting! Annoying! Detestable!


    She lifted her sleeves and wildly wiped her lips, wishing nothing more than to erase his scent entirely!


    ¡°So, you hate my taste so much? It looks like I should leave even more of it for you¡­¡±


    His gaze became even more gloomy as he looked at her. Before Liu Sisi could react, he suddenly reached out again, grabbed her head, and pressed his lips down on hers.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi struggled instinctively, but she couldn¡¯t keep up with his speed.


    He kissed her lips again when she opened her mouth to speak. His nimble tongue quickly captured her tongue and continued to plunder without restraint.


    His tongue was like an agile little snake, constantly lingering and teasing her lips, gently entwining her small tongue.


    What kind of feeling was this?


    It was like a poisonous snake suddenly drilling into her mouth, causing her whole body to tremble uncontrobly! Fear engulfed all her thoughts. Not caring about the consequences, she gritted her teeth and bit down on his tongue with all her strength¡­


    ¡°Mmm¡­?¡±<div>


    The man suddenly cried out in pain and instinctively let go of Liu Sisi.


    Quickly, Liu Sisi backed away, until she reached the edge of therge rock. She couldn¡¯t help but nce at the cliff below and then red angrily back at him.


    ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯te any closer! Otherwise, I¡¯ll jump off from here! Go away!¡±


    The man wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. The sweet, metallic taste in his mouth excited him even more, and he suddenlyughed¡ªa cold, bleak, and resentfulugh!


    ¡°You¡¯d rather die than let me touch you, huh?¡±


    The deep voice carried a strange familiarity and a touch of sadness, making Liu Sisi instinctively pause, a shock running through her heart! It seemed like she wanted to see the face behind the mask.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She gritted her teeth and charged forward, determined to rip the judge¡¯s mask off his face.


    But immediately after, she was disappointed!


    Underneath the mask was apletely unfamiliar face with ordinary features. The man was not the person she thought she knew.


    ¡°Then, who¡­who are you, exactly?¡±<div>


    She unconsciously retreated, but unfortunately, she was once again firmly held by her opponent.


    ¡°Hehe¡­so our little beauty is so eager to throw herself into my arms? Are you wanting me to love you passionately? Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll certainly enjoy it thoroughly.¡±


    As he spoke, his mouth pressed down again¡ªbrutal and wild! His kiss was filled with unstoppable force and domination! He fiercely lowered his head and eagerly kissed her neck,


    ¡°You bastard! Get away!¡±


    The feeling of being wrapped by a poisonous snake came flooding back, giving her goosebumps.


    It was only then that she realized how special Di Yelei had always been to her! In a swift motion, she swung her hand, delivering a p.


    but the p missed, and her opponent¡¯s hand urately caught it. Taking advantage, he yanked her into his embrace.


    ¡°You actually dare to p me across the face!¡±


    His phoenix eyes narrowed dangerously, and his hands didn¡¯t remain idle¡ªthey began tearing at her clothes.


    Crack! ¡ª


    The sound of her clothes tearing felt especially terrifying in the dead of night!<div>


    It was only at this moment that fear truly took hold of her heart!


    She never expected that this man would suddenly turn into a fierce wolf!


    ¡°Let go! No¡­ Ah¡­ Don¡¯t do this! Let go¡­¡±


    Her struggle now seemed so weak and feeble!


    The natural difference in physical strength between men and women doomed her to be the loser in this confrontation. She could only let him devour her without any resistance.


    At this moment, Di Yelei was anxious as he rushed around looking for Liu Sisi¡¯s figure.


    There were mountains all around, and he was unfamiliar with the terrain. He could only rely on instinct, climbing up to the higher parts of the mountain in search of her. As he reached the summit, he heard a faint cry for help.


    He looked up and saw what made his blood boil.


    On that protruding big stone, there were two entangled figures. One of them was Liu Sisi!


    His mind roared, and his furious heart erupted like an active volcano, instantly burning away his rationality and making him unable to suppress his rage any longer. He let out a roar!


    ¡°Let go of her, you bastard!¡±


    With rage boiling in his chest, he roared uncontrobly. The sound rolled like thunder, echoing far into the distance. He leaped into the air andnded on the rocks between the trees in two steps.


    He aimed a punch at the entangled man!


    At this moment, Liu Sisi was also feeling inexplicable anxiety!


    She hadpletely misjudged him, mistaking a wolf for a good person and almost dooming herself. She wished she could just slit her own throat to end it all.


    But just when she despaired, she suddenly heard a heavenly sound!


    It was Ye Lei! Ye Lei was here!


    Never before had she so eagerly anticipated his arrival. Her tears flowed down in an instant. But then, she became worried again: was Ye Lei a match for him?


    ¡°Ye Lei, be careful¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a tremendous force twisted her waist, causing Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes to fill with tears and rendering her unable to speak.


    Before she could gather her thoughts, her vision blurred, and she found herself face-to-face with Di Yelei.


    ¡°Hey, do you know your limits? Trying to y hero and save the beauty? I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to save her, but instead, you¡¯ll lose your own life! Tsk, tsk¡­¡±


    The man dealt with Di Yelei¡¯s attack with one hand while gripping her waist tightly with the other.


    As he spoke, he moved effortlessly through the air, his footwork swift and agile, and disyed exceptional skill in every maneuver.


    A ridiculing smile shed in the eyes of the man in ck. He reached out a hand to grab Liu Sisi¡¯s chin, his phoenix eyes slightly squinting as he provoked Di Yelei.


    ¡°Who are you? Let her go!¡±


    Di Yelei roared furiously, not stopping his attack for a moment.


    Taking advantage of the moment hended, Di Yelei sprang forward, his body shooting straight towards the man¡¯s eyes!


    No mercy!


    The man in ck had already run out of moves, and was forced to quickly dodge. His previous attack on Di Yelei¡¯s lower body changed to a retreat, his body flickering in midair, and his right hand targeting Di Yelei¡¯s right shoulder with a pointed strike.


    Whoosh¡ª


    The sharp and dangerous aura emanated from his fingertips as if like an arrow piercing the air, flying swiftly towards Di Yelei.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t flinch. During his leap, he pressed his hand down in mid-air, causing his entire body to suddenly turn upside down and directly attack the man¡¯s right arm.


    Hum¡­


    With an angry fist, a sharp sonic boom rang through the air, causing the tree branches of the ancient pine to sway and its needles to scatter.


    Bang!¡ª


    The man in ck dodged, and Di Yelei¡¯s punch missed,nding on a nearby boulder instead. In an instant, dust flew, and broken stones sttered all over.

 Chapter 215: 213: The Two Spouses Encounter Danger, The Oath Once Made

    Chapter 215: 213: The Two Spouses Encounter Danger, The Oath Once Made<div>


    Liu Sisi gasped, stunned!


    The opponent was clearly much more skilled in martial arts than Di Yelei, yet taking Liu Sisi along drained him of a substantial amount of energy.


    Whenever Di Yelei attacked, he swiftly used her as a human shield to handle one perilous situation after another, barely getting an upper hand over Di Yelei.<div>


    The two attacked back and forth, engaging in hundreds of bouts in a short time.


    Liu Sisi watched,pletely unable to keep up with the speed of their attacks. The fierce battle between the two became more and more violent, more and more ferocious.


    However, because Liu Sisi was caught between the two, Di Yelei¡¯s attacks were always heavily restricted, granting the opponent more chances to breathe and making it impossible to rescue Liu Sisi from his clutches.


    This was the first time Liu Sisi had seen Di Yelei throw such a punch!


    The punch missed,nding directly on a nearby boulder, causing stone fragments to fly!¡ª¡ª


    Liu Sisi gasped!


    Last time, Di Yelei took down a group of rascals for her, but she didn¡¯t really pay much attention to that.


    But at this moment, she realized that she hardly knew anything about Di Yelei! How much force would have been behind that punch?


    ¡°Let her go? Impossible! She¡¯s mine tonight!¡±


    The man in ck suddenly revealed a brilliant smile, grabbing Liu Sisi by the chin, provoking Di Yelei!


    ¡°Shameless! I repeat, let her go!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Di Yelei roared in anger,unching another attack.


    Fed up with being used as a human shield by the man in ck, getting dragged around like a puppet on strings, Liu Sisi finally lost her temper!


    Without considering the consequences, she abruptly turned her head and viciously bit down on his shoulder!


    ¡°Hmm! Let go¡ª¡ª¡±


    The man in ck grunted suddenly, slipped on his feet, and was directly hit by Di Yelei on his other shoulder.


    The taste of blood spread in her mouth, but Liu Sisi didn¡¯t open her mouth. Instead, she increased the force of her bite.


    ¡°Let go!¡±


    The man in ck was clearly furious, he pushed Liu Sisi away abruptly and turned to face Di Yelei¡¯s attack, pping down at his back!


    ¡°Sisi!¡ª¡ª¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t care less about the man in ck¡¯s attack, and flew directly towards Liu Sisi!


    The pushed Liu Sisi¡¯s vision blurred. Before she couldprehend, Di Yelei had already securely caught her. At the same moment, the man¡¯s hand alsonded on Di Yelei¡¯s back!<div>


    The enormous impact force sent the two rolling several times on the rocks, eventually falling off the rocks.


    She instinctively screamed in fear and closed her eyes!


    But there was no intense pain for quite a while. Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but secretly open one eye, only to realize that the two were hanging below the boulder.


    Apparently, while falling off the rocks, Di Yelei was quick to react, catching hold of a tree root growing diagonally into the ground just in time.


    Looking back at the cliff behind her, she couldn¡¯t help but wipe the cold sweat off her forehead.


    Heaven!


    The bottom was entirely filled with fog, with no end in sight! How deep in the world was this cliff?


    ¡°Sisi¡­ Are you¡­ okay?¡±


    From his side, Di Yelei¡¯s teeth-gritted voice could be heard.


    Liu Sisi quickly turned and was immediately shocked by the bloody-faced Di Yelei!


    ¡°Yelei, Yelei where are you hurt?¡±<div>


    She was frantically calling out.


    ¡°Stay still! I¡­I can¡¯t hold on much longer!¡±


    Di Yelei could barely speak! He managed to reassure the terrified girl in his arms with a forced smile: ¡°It¡¯s ok! I just cut my forehead, we can bandage it up once we¡¯re safe.¡±


    With one arm around Liu Sisi, and the other gripping a tree root, the weight of them both rested entirely on his arm.


    The tree root seemed to be on the verge of snapping under theirbined weight; the constant creaking noises, coupled with the earth and stones falling on them, left them covered in dust!


    ¡°A little cut and there¡¯s so much blood? You can¡¯t fool me¡­¡±


    His bloody face mixed with dirt streamed down his cheeks and looked particrly terrifying.


    ¡°Yelei, Yelei let me help with your injuries,¡± she subconsciously extended her hand to cover his wound.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! The tree root is going to snap!¡±


    While admonishing her, Di Yelei unconsciously nced upwards to the tree and saw a peering face.


    The man in ck looked genuinely surprised to find the two of them half hanging in midair, and then gave a sigh of astonishment: ¡°I thought the fall killed you! Do you need me to pull you up, little beauty?¡±


    ¡°Buzz off! You opportunistic bastard! I¡¯d rather die than ept your help!¡±


    Liu Sisi was furious and left no room for negotiation in her words.


    ¡°Tsk tsk! If it weren¡¯t for me saving you before, you would have been groaning under someone else by now, would you still be able to stand here and brag?¡±


    A glint of light quickly shed through his eyes: ¡°Although you are heartless, I can¡¯t be unkind! Come, grab the rope, and I will pull you up.¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly took out a rope from his bosom and threw it at the two of them.


    A moment ago he wanted to kill them; now he was trying to rescue them?


    Liu Sisi sneered inside. Could it be such a good thing?


    Di Yelei, on the other hand, was quick to respond. He lifted his leg, swung against the cliff, mped the rope, and almost pulled the man in ck off the cliff.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    The man in ck angrily let go of the rope, took a swing at Di Yelei¡¯s head in a gust of wind.


    ¡°Yelei let me go quickly!¡± Liu Sisi shouted.


    With one hand gripping the tree root and the other one holding her, Di Yelei was unable to fight back! In the nick of time, he pushed down on the cliff, just barely avoiding the swing aiming for his head. Before the strain took over his body, he quickly sidestepped three feet, narrowly evading the strike.


    The man in ck, undeterred,unched several attacks in a row. Holding onto her, Di Yelei swung around in the air multiple times, keeping Liu Sisi protectively in front of him. Their attempts to climb back up the cliff were continually thwarted by their attacker¡¯s advantageous position, leaving them no room to catch their breath.


    ¡°Do you have a death wish? Let me go now!¡±


    Falling alone might let one of them survive. If things continued on this path, they would both surely die!


    ¡°No! I¡¯ve said it before on Sansheng Bridge, we¡¯ll be together for all eternity!¡±


    Di Yelei insisted, the intense motion causing his forehead to bleed even more rapidly. His face was terrifyng, covered in a mix of blood and falling debris, making Liu Sisi tremble!


    But at the present moment! Her heart was severely shaken! A wave of warmth surged up in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 216: 214: Falling off a Cliff, the Extravagant Hope of Staying Alive!

    Chapter 216: 214: Falling off a Cliff, the Extravagant Hope of Staying Alive!<div>


    Even at this moment, all that this honest man before her could think about was still her safety!


    What does a woman want most in her lifetime? Perhaps a thousand people would have a thousand different answers.


    But for Liu Sisi, what she wanted was a home of her own.<div>


    What she wanted most was a man who truly loved her and put her in the foremost of his heart! A warm embrace that could give her a sense of security, where she could rely and depend on!


    She never hoped for the legendary love that was so desirable yet unattainable.


    On Sansheng Bridge, this man insisted on binding their lives together for three lifetimes. She struggled and hesitated, for she couldn¡¯t understand his heart, and she was afraid of bearing unbearable burdens.


    ¡°I told you on Sansheng Bridge, we will be together for all our lives!¡±


    But his words struck her heart¡¯s softest spot.


    Like a cocoon, all it took to unravel it was to find a thread. In his unique way, he untied that thread at the bottom of her heart.


    Willing to make a sentence of spring warmth and flowers bloom, he will be devoted to her until they grow old!


    This man was using his actions to express the deepest persistence of his heart!


    If you never leave me, I will follow you till death!


    ¡°Okay! Don¡¯t forget what you said! Otherwise, even if I be a vengeful ghost, I won¡¯t spare you.¡± She suddenlyughed, blooming in her most beautiful colors.


    His arm trembled suddenly, barely able to hold her waist and couldn¡¯t help but yell, ¡°Nonsense! I want you to live! Even if I, Di Yelei, am no longer around, you must live well! Live well with my share too, understand?¡±<div>


    Tears blurred her eyes, and she couldn¡¯t help but hug his waist, gentlyughing coquettishly, ¡°No, I don¡¯t understand and don¡¯t want to! You¡¯re not allowed to die, remember what you promised, you muste back alive! You¡¯re not allowed to go back on your word, do you hear me?¡±


    The man also heard their conversation and immediately changed his expression!


    ¡°Fine, since you two want to be a pair of lovers on the run, I will grant your wish!¡±


    That man¡¯s gaze turned cold, showing no mercy as he aimed for Di Yelei¡¯s vital parts.


    Di Yelei desperately dodged, rushing left and right!


    Suddenly, the tree root let out a series of cracking noises, unable to support the weight of the two, and suddenly snapped in half.


    ¡°No!¡ª¡ª¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly heard a cry of terror in her ear!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She instinctively looked up and saw the tree root breaking and the terrified eyes of the man in ck. She couldn¡¯t understand what he was afraid of.


    The next moment, she and Di Yelei fell like kites with broken strings, plummeting down!


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±<div>


    The hand of the man in ck desperately grasped the void, the trembling fingers bending tightly into a fist, and struck the rocky edge of the mountain with force!


    Regret appeared on his face!


    He closed his eyes tightly, looking unbearably sad!


    After a moment, he opened his eyes again and stood up, quickly tying a rope to the boulder, grabbing the other end, and sliding down towards the cliff.


    The two falling off the cliff became free-falling, rapidly falling. Di Yelei tried his best to grab any possible support, but continued to smash down.


    He firmly protected Liu Sisi in his chest, using his own back to resist the downward force.


    He couldn¡¯t care about the severe pain in his chest; at the moment, he had only one thought: to protect the little woman in his arms at all costs.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    The two crashed into a protruding rock. Di Yelei barely held onto a protruding piece of rock, hanging on the edge of the cliff, and suddenlyughed as he turned to look at her!


    ¡°Sisi! We finally survived! You¡­ are you okay?¡±<div>


    His vision was getting darker, and the fresh blood dripping from his forehead blurred his eyes. He could hardly see the woman in front of him, only seeing the swaying world around him, but still stubbornly asking her about her current situation.


    Tears blurred her eyes as she tried to reach out and pull him up.


    ¡°Ye Lei, Ye Lei, I¡¯m fine. You hurry up ande up, climb up!¡±


    The protruding stone was notrge, but it could barely support her feet. She grabbed his arm tightly and pulled it up.


    Di Yelei seemed to have no strength left, using one hand to desperately climb up, ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m alright! Rx, I really¡­ am¡­ alright¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish his words, half-leaning on the edge of the rock, and became motionless! His body seemed to still be falling.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Ye Lei¡­¡±


    She called him with a sad voice, trying her best to pull him up. Using all her strength, she finally managed to drag him onto the small rock.


    Only then did she realize that his entire back had been worn out by the fall, the skin and flesh rolling outwards, with fresh blood staining his entire back. Touching it with her hand, only a wet, bright red remained!


    She instinctively reached out to cover it, but the fresh blood continued to flow, quickly staining her clothes a bloody red!


    She could no longer contain her fear and burst into tears!


    ¡°Ye Lei, wake up, wake up! Don¡¯t leave me alone! Wake up!¡±


    She seemed to have returned to her childhood, the moment her parents both died!


    Unparalleled loneliness and sorrow!


    ¡°Ye Lei, you promised me, you promised me, that you¡¯de back! You can¡¯t leave me alone, do you hear me? Ye Lei¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but sob, but her hands still moved fast. She stripped off her outer garment and quickly tore it into cloth strips, wrapping them around his forehead wound in circles. However, as soon as it was wrapped, the cloth strip was soaked with bright red blood.


    Her hands trembled, her tears flowed quickly, but she hurried to his back, continuing to tightly wrap his wounds in circles.


    The light in front of her eyes suddenly darkened.


    Liu Sisi stopped the movements of her hands, unable to resist looking up.


    Not far from the two of them, a man slid down along the rope. If not the man from earlier, then which man?


    That man obviously didn¡¯t expect the two to be here either. As soon as he met Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, he stopped sliding further down.


    ¡°What? Are you here to see if we¡¯re dead? Or are you here to finish the job?¡±


    Liu Sisi wiped away her tears with force, standing up to protect Di Yelei¡¯s body, forcing herself to stand straight and face him.


    The man red, ¡°Are you protecting him like this? Even disregarding your own life?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t abandon me under those circumstances, so naturally, I have to protect him! Get lost, go! If you don¡¯t leave now, don¡¯t me me for being rude!¡± Liu Sisi bluffed with all her strength.

 Chapter 217: 215: Ye Lei Seriously Injured, Ruo Ning Gets Beaten, Sisi’s Heartache

    Chapter 217: 215: Ye Lei Seriously Injured, Ruo Ning Gets Beaten, Sisi¡¯s Heartache<div>


    Bending down on the not-sorge tform, she barely picked up a palm-sized broken stone, mustering her strength to resist!


    In the face of absolute power, all cunning strategies would pale inparison!


    The man¡¯s phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, his originally ordinary face became extraordinarily deep, as he firmly locked onto her but did not speak.<div>


    Liu Sisi also red angrily, neither of them spoke.


    Her heart was secretly anxious, Ye Lei¡¯s injuries were too severe. If they continued to drag on like this, he would die of blood loss without the need for anyone else to take action. She had to find a solution quickly.


    ¡°Cough cough¡­ Si, Sisi?¡±


    On the ground, Di Yelei coughed in a series of sounds, as if he had regained consciousness.


    He reluctantly half-opened his eyes, but as soon as his gaze met the man¡¯s, they widened, and he struggled to get up from the ground.


    ¡°Ye Lei, don¡¯t move! Your wounds¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi choked, tears wetting her eyes. Even so, she proudly held her head high and red furiously at the neer.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face showed an extreme grayish-white, even his bronze skin could not hide theplete absence of color. He shakily leaned against the cliff to stand up, barely maintaining his bnce.


    His eyes could barely focus, as they stared intently at the man before him. His fragile, tottering body stubbornly blocked Liu Sisi.


    ¡°If you really have¡­ any tricks¡­ just aim them at me! Fighting a woman¡­it¡¯s nothing impressive! Come on,e here! Let¡¯s fight again¡­¡±


    As he spoke, a strand of fresh blood fell from the corner of his mouth.<div>


    ¡°Ye Lei, please don¡¯t speak anymore, stop talking¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t care about his injured body, she immediately embraced him, shielding him with her chest!


    ¡°You want me, right? All you¡¯re getting is this body of mine! Take it if you want, bastard! I curse your eighteen generations of ancestors!¡±


    She roared at the man in ck!


    The corners of the man in ck¡¯s mouth twitched incessantly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn¡¯t.


    Then, he threw a jade bottle from his arms: ¡°Inside are pills that can heal internal and external injuries. Give them to him quickly, and maybe he could survive.¡±


    After saying that, he threw the jade bottle towards Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Who wants your jade bottle? You think your kindness will work on me? Get lost!¡±


    Liu Sisi picked up the jade bottle and flung it in his direction with all her might. The jade bottle, in a parabolic arc, soon crashed into the thick fog behind him.


    ¡°Quick! Hurry up! It seems the crying sound ising from this side! Hurry!¡±


    Above the cliff, there suddenly came a dense cluster of voices and footsteps, and numerous firelights flickered and swayed at the top of the cliff!<div>


    With this situation, Liu Sisi instinctively rejoiced! People wereing, they were saved!


    ¡°Help! We¡¯re here! Help us! Help!¡± Liu Sisi called out at the top of her lungs, seeking rescue from the people above!


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t hurt Sisi¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s tottering body, relyingpletely on hisst ounce of willpower to endure. Eventually, his body slid down along the cliff and fell unconscious again.


    ¡°Today is your lucky day! I have important things to handle and won¡¯t have the pleasure to apany you!¡±


    The man in ck¡¯s face also looked bad. He grabbed the rope, swung himself up, and quickly disappeared from Liu Sisi¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Ye Lei, how are you? Are you okay?¡±


    After a frightful and exhausting night, Liu Sisi could no longer bear it. She sobbed and fell into Di Yelei¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Wailing¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s pale face has his eyes tightly closed, and he has long stopped moving.


    ¡°Ye Lei, don¡¯t be afraid! Someone¡¯sing! Someone¡¯sing to save us, hold on, Ye Lei!¡±<div>


    Unexpectedly, the rescuers turned out to be the night watchmen monks from the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple.


    As it turned out, the night patrol monks had discovered the dead men in ck on the mountain path and the damaged wooden door, and immediately realized that something had happened. They rushed to the scene, and luckily, managed to save the two.


    After much effort, Di Yelei was finally rescued from the bottom of the cliff.


    Not long after everyone left, a shadow fell on therge rocks atop the cliff again.


    He carefully searched the entire area for a moment, bending down to pick up a hairpin from the ground. Clutching it tightly in his palm, he remained motionless for a long time.


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    His voice sounded deste as the wind rustled his clothes and tangled his long hair, stirring his injured heart.


    Gently raising his hand, he removed a human skin mask from his face. After taking a nce at it and the judge¡¯s mask, he threw them both to the bottom of the cliff. He then rose and shot out into the dense forest, disappearing from sight in several leaps and bounds.


    The sky gradually brightened!


    Liu Sisi leaned against the outside of the wing courtyard, her eyes red and swollen, remaining motionless in her original position.


    She wore only her inner garment, stained with dried, dark red blood. Di Yelei¡¯s blood had turned her linen-white garment into a floral pattern.


    Di Yelei¡¯s injuries were severe, and he had hardly woken up during the rescue. His body was practically soaked in blood.


    ¡°Third Brother! Third Brother! How¡¯s my Third Brother? Ah! Third Brother, third¡­¡±


    Outside, Di Ruoning rushed into the wing with Yuan Mengbai¡¯s help, stumbling and crawling. As soon as she saw Liu Sisi, she charged towards her.


    ¡°Why? Why did this happen to my Third Brother? It¡¯s all because of you! It¡¯s all because of you¨Cthis misfortune should befall you, not him. You killed my Third Brother, and I¡¯m going to fight you to the death!¡±


    She screamed and lunged at Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Ruoning! What nonsense are you talking about? Have you gone mad?¡±


    Next to her, Yuan Mengbai scolded her anxiously.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With a vacant look, Liu Sisi finally raised her head, staring angrily at Di Ruoning with unblinking eyes.


    Suddenly, she stood up, raised her arm, and fiercely pped Di Ruoning¡¯s cheek!


    p!


    The crisp sound of a p echoed.


    Di Ruoning stared in astonishment, her eyes wide as she covered her face, disbelief written all over her.


    ¡°You, you wretched woman, how dare you hit me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m hitting you! This is for your Third Brother, a p on your face from him!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s hoarse voice was almost inaudible: ¡°Your Third Brother valued you more than his own life since you were kids! Di Ruoning, how can you treat him like this? Did he kill your entire family or bring cmity to you? Is what you¡¯re doing right by him? Where¡¯s your conscience? Has it been eaten by dogs?¡±


    Liu Sisi sternly questioned her! Furious and roaring!


    ¡°You have no right to call him brother! He doesn¡¯t need a sister like you who would kill her own Third Brother! Get away, just get away!¡±


    Her enraged shout immediately attracted the attention of many onlookers, who looked at Di Ruoning and whispered amongst themselves.

 Chapter 218 - 216: Ye Lei Seriously Injured, Ruo Ning Gets Beaten, Sisi’s Heartache

    Chapter 218: Chapter 216: Ye Lei Seriously Injured, Ruo Ning Gets Beaten, Sisi¡¯s Heartache


    ¡°Ruoning? What exactly happened?¡±


    Yuan Mengbai, who was beside her, asked with disbelief written all over his face.


    ¡°I, I just¡­¡±


    Di Ruoning tried to defend herself, but she was unable to do so. Facing the fierce gazes of the people around her, she couldn¡¯t help but shrink back.


    ¡°I just hired a ruffian to teach her a lesson¡­ I, I didn¡¯t know anything, you have to believe me! Those people really weren¡¯t sent by me!¡±


    Di Ruoning couldn¡¯t help but defend herself loudly.


    As soon as her words fell, passers-by and the monks who were cleaning the temple grounds all looked over.


    Yuan Mengbai, who was beside her, was extremely anxious. He quickly shook Di Ruoning¡¯s body, swearing to get an answer out of her.


    ¡°Ruoning! What nonsense are you talking about? How could you have done such a thing? It definitely wasn¡¯t you who did it, right? You didn¡¯t hire anyone to kill anyone, did you? After all, he is your Third Brother, you definitely wouldn¡¯t do something like that, right?¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t! I don¡¯t know how so many bandits came. I didn¡¯t call them! I also don¡¯t know that they would go after my Third Brother. It really wasn¡¯t me¡­¡±


    Di Ruoning kept defending herself.


    ¡°You¡¯re just taking advantage of the fact that the bandits are dead and can¡¯t testify against you, so you can say anything you want, right?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was extremely pale, and her lips were trembling. It took her quite a while to speak!


    In fact, when she had just said that those people were sent by Di Ruoning, she was merely using her based on deductions! The conversation that YingEr had overheard initially, and then the deliberate actions that Di Ruoning took afterward left her no choice but to suspect.


    Unexpectedly, the truth was like this!


    This also made Liu Sisi feel a chill in her heart!


    ¡°Good! Well done, Di Ruoning! You¡¯re really capable! You even managed to hire someone to kill your own brother! Is there anything in the world that you can¡¯t do? Ye Lei doesn¡¯t need a sister like you! Get lost! Don¡¯t let me see you again, get out!¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! It wasn¡¯t me, it really wasn¡¯t¡­¡±p>


    Di Ruoning kept denying, trying to reach out and grab Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Get out, get out!¡± Liu Sisi shouted angrily!


    She forcefully pushed Di Ruoning away! She really had enough of her! She looked back at Yuan Mengbai, her eyes filled with hatred and disgust!


    ¡°What are you still doing here? Hurry up and take her away! For the sake of her being Ye Lei¡¯s younger sister, I won¡¯t pursue this matter any further!¡±


    ¡°Third, Third Sister-in-Law, I¡­¡±p>


    Yuan Mengbai quickly hugged the crazed Di Ruoning, stuttering as he tried to defend her.


    ¡°Just because I¡¯m not pursuing the matter doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve forgiven her. Don¡¯t let her appear in front of us again, or else¡­ next time, don¡¯t me me for being heartless!¡±


    Liu Sisi, wearing only her inner clothing, stood under the eaves of the wing courtyard.


    In the chilling morning wind, she stood there looking distraught with her swollen eyes, unblinkingly staring at Di Ruoning. Her eyes were as dark as a thousand-year-old ancient pool, devoid of any ripple.


    ¡°Ruoning, stop making a fuss, let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go home, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Good-natured Yuan Mengbai¡¯s face turned from pale to blue. He couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. He growled in anger, finally waking the crazed Di Ruoning.


    He forcefully grabbed Di Ruoning¡¯s arm and dragged her away from the wing courtyard. The sound of Di Ruoning¡¯s defense could still be heard from afar.


    ¡°Believe me! I didn¡¯t mean to harm my Third Brother, those people weren¡¯t called by me! It¡¯s really not me¡­¡±p>


    This scene made the onlookers gossip even more, shaking their heads while sighing endlessly! A younger sister hiring someone to kill her own brother was indeed a great topic for conversation after dinner!


    Liu Sisi closed her eyes in pain and slowly sat on the ground, unable to hold back her tears.


    At this point, nothing else mattered!


    What¡¯s most important is for Ye Lei to be safe and sound, nothing could be better than that! She hoped he wouldn¡¯t be in any danger.


    Thinking of him lying there motionless covered in fresh blood, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but shiver and wrap her arms around herself! Ye Lei, Ye Lei must be fine!


    After an unknown amount of time, the door to the wing courtyard finally opened.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly got up and rushed over, hesitatingly looking up at the grandmaster who came out, suddenly afraid to speak.


    ¡°Grandmaster, my husband, how is he¡­¡±


    The lead grandmaster performed a Buddhist salute inposure.


    ¡°Amitabha. Do not worry, donor! We have treated his wounds and applied the best medicine for de injuries from our temple. His wounds are mainly in two ces. One is the injury inside his hairline, which was very dangerous. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t kill him when he was first injured, and it¡¯s already a great blessing in misfortune.¡±


    Liu Sisi let out a sigh of relief, as long as it¡¯s not a serious matter!


    ¡°In addition, his back was scraped to a bloody mess, and we have applied medicine to it one by one. He has two broken ribs and should avoid moving as much as possible for a short time. As for the rest, it depends on his fate! May the Buddha bless him, Amitabha!¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Thank you, Grandmaster! Thank you, Grandmaster¡­ I will definitely donate more incense oil money! When my husband¡¯s wounds heal, I wille back to the Zen temple to fulfill my vow and kowtow in gratitude to all the grandmasters!¡±


    Liu Sisi sincerely thanked them.


    If it weren¡¯t for the kindness of these grandmasters, Ye Lei¡¯s situation might have been really dangerous!


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention thanks! After all, it was the injury medicine you initially gave him that yed a major role. Otherwise, he might not have held on until we treated him. Amitabha.¡±


    ¡°Grandmaster is too kind, thank you, and sorry for the trouble,¡± Liu Sisi thanked them again.


    The ¡°injury medicine¡± the Grandmaster mentioned, was naturally the medicine given by that man in ck!


    She pretended to throw away the injury medicine, but in reality, what she threw away was nothing more than a broken stone. The real injury medicine had already been hidden by her.


    She won¡¯t put Di Yelei¡¯s life at risk and vent her anger on others!


    So as soon as she saw an opportunity, she fed the injury medicine to Di Yelei.


    If the man in ck really wanted to harm Di Yelei, under that situation, he could have easily killed him with a palm strike, let alone give him injury medicine.


    This shows that her initial feeling was correct. The man didn¡¯t want to take the lives of the two, but only to severely teach Di Yelei a lesson. Meanwhile, it indirectly implies that the man should be someone familiar with them!


    But she doesn¡¯t really know that man!


    Could it be¡­ that the man in ck had a grudge with Di Yelei?


    After the several grandmasters left, Liu Sisi hurriedly rushed into the inner room.


    Inside, Di Yelei was lying quietly on the bed, with his head tilted and sleeping unconsciously. It seemed that even in his sleep, he was very restless, frowning tightly. His face was as pale as gold paper, with a grayish cast, and his head, body, and both hands were wrapped in gauze. The only parts left exposed were his limbs.


    She sat on the edge of the bed with great care, unable to resist reaching out and gently stroking his face while feeling his familiar aura.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Ye Lei, wake up! Wake up, Ye Lei, it¡¯s Sisi, your Sisi¡­¡±


    She called him softly, tears streaming down her face without stopping.


    His ck stubble was rough and prickly against her hand, making his face look even worse. She couldn¡¯t help but lower her head and press her face against his, crying silently.

 Chapter 219:Chapter 217: Wealth Moves People’s Hearts, Ye Lei Sobers Up!

    Chapter 219:Chapter 217: Wealth Moves People¡¯s Hearts, Ye Lei Sobers Up!


    In the morning and at noon, young monks brought soup medicine, but Di Yelei was unconscious and unable to take it in.


    Helpless, Liu Sisi had no choice but to hold it in her mouth and pour it into his mouth one mouthful at a time.


    This scene reminded her of when she first crossed over, when Di Yelei had to pour soup medicine into her mouth when she had a high fever that wouldn¡¯t subside.


    Indeed, every sip and bite are predetermined by fate, and nothing is up to one¡¯s will. Those whoe out to mix in the world will eventually have to pay the price!


    At noon, the government constables came, and they were here for the seven dead bandits.


    The leader was none other than Constable Zuo Xingyu!


    As soon as Zuo Xingyu appeared, Liu Sisi immediately became nervous. They didn¡¯te directly to the sick bed but instead asked the night patrol monks about the situation before finallying to the wing courtyard where the two were located.


    After a round of greetings, Zuo Xingyu did not speak, but the ount book next to him did.


    ¡°You are Liu Sisi, right? Someone had reported a case earlier, saying that seven bandits were killed on a mountain path, and we¡¯vee to verify the specifics with you.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart tightened, wasn¡¯t this going to hold Yelei responsible?


    ¡°Brothers Constable, these bandits took advantage of my husband visiting his sister with pregnancyplications and came to attack me. Fortunately, a passerby happened toe across them, leading to the subsequent events. Are you saying that we have to pay with our lives for these bandits?¡±


    ¡°You mean these bandits were not killed by Di Yelei?¡± Zuo Xingyu, who had been silent, suddenly asked.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart jumped: ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Seeing the tense atmosphere, a short, chubby man with a Maitreya-like smile next to the ount book spoke up first.


    ¡°The constable means that if these bandits were killed by Di Yelei, considering his constable status, he could take their heads to the government office and exchange them for a reward of 100 taels of silver per head, as these bandits are from Heilong Mountain and have a criminal record.¡±


    ¡°What Heilong Mountain bandits?¡±


    Liu Sisi waspletely clueless.


    After everyone exined, Liu Sisi finally understood.


    Macheng County is a ce with many hills and littlend, and there were many documented bandit dens within the county. Three years ago, just before the current County Magistrate took office, the Heilong Mountain bandit den had raided the county government¡¯s reserves.


    At that time, there wasn¡¯t much silver in the county government, and the loss wasn¡¯t significant. The problem was that Governor happened to be visiting his hometown at that time, and stayed in a hostel near the county government office. This incident rmed the Governor, who sent a memorandum, resulting in the dismissal of the previous County Magistrate, and the appointment of County Magistrate Su¡­


    Although there were no simr incidents after Su County Magistrate took office, the bandits on Heilong Mountain were all recorded in the files and had a bounty of 100 taels of silver set on each of their heads.


    Now that they had found the seven corpses lying horizontally and vertically, which happened to be the recorded Heilong Mountain bandits, if they were killed by Di Yelei, it would mean that right after he became a constable, he had aplished a great deed in his first battle, which would greatly increase his chances of being noticed in the future!


    Liu Sisi finally understood the key point and felt relieved.


    ¡°These bandits were indeed not killed by my husband, but by another passerby. This passerby was the one who forced us both down the cliff, as you should have heard from the night patrol monks.¡±


    Liu Sisi never thought about taking credit for this, and she didn¡¯t want such credit either.


    ¡°You¡¯d better think it over! This is 700 taels of silver we¡¯re talking about, not 700 copper coins!¡± The ount book couldn¡¯t help but interject.


    Wealth moves the heart!


    A huge sum of 700 taels of silver ced in front of anyone would unquestionably be enticing!


    Liu Sisi still shook her head indifferently: ¡°It was not my husband who killed them, so we cannot im this merit.¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi so determined, Zuo Xingyu raised his eyebrows in surprise but said nothing.


    Instead, several constables on the other side gathered together, murmured a discussion for a long time, and finally came over again: ¡°Ms. Liu, can you find the man you mentioned and let him step forward to im the reward?¡±


    Liu Sisi frowned and then shook her head: ¡°ording to this person, he himself is also on the wanted list, so how could he im the reward.¡±


    The constables¡¯ eyes suddenly lit up!


    ¡°So it was a person on the wanted list who killed them. As usual, these bandits who were killed should be credited to Di Yelei. Ms. Liu, don¡¯t refuse anymore.¡±


    Liu Sisi contemted for a moment, a sh of radiance in her eyes: ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s also thanks to the efforts of a few constables for these bandits to be brought to justice. Why don¡¯t we split the reward evenly, and Yelei can take one share of it?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words hit the nail on the head!


    Everyone was delighted, and after discussing the matter, they happily collected the heads of the bandits, intending to bring them back to im the reward.


    Before leaving, several of them deliberately left 10 taels of silver in Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Sister, keep this 10 taels of silver. Use it to buy more nourishing food for Di Yelei to eat. His wounds will heal faster that way.¡± Everyone received silver, Di Yelei became their brother, and Ms. Liu also became their sister-inw.


    Liu Sisi had no choice but to ept it.


    Di Yelei became a constable¡­ Holding the weighty silver in her hand, she felt somewhat unable to adapt to this change in identity.


    Although Di Yelei still didn¡¯t wake up, the color of his face improved significantly after drinking two doses of the soup medicine.


    Liu Sisi took time to go back to the small wooden house and fetched the painting scroll from the corner of the house and twonterns that had burnt out.


    It was time to feed the soup medicine again, and Liu Sisi still fed him slowly with her mouth. The bitter medicine flowed slowly from her mouth into his, down his throat, causing him to cough a bit.


    ¡°Sisi¡­ *cough*¡­¡±


    Underneath her, Di Yelei suddenly let out a low call, immediately causing Liu Sisi to be filled with indescribable joy.


    ¡°Ye Lei, are you awake? Yelei!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but whisper to him.


    He stilly there quietly, half on his side, as if what she had just heard was an illusion.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel a moment of disappointment.


    The Grandmaster said that once he wakes up, it means that he¡¯s out of danger. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Si, Sisi¡­¡±


    He moved his head slightly, finally letting Liu Sisi see clearly!


    ¡°Ye Lei! Ye Lei, are you awake? You¡¯re awake! That¡¯s great; Ye Lei, you¡¯re awake, *sob*¡­¡±


    She could no longer hold back and, like a little girl, threw herself into his arms and sobbed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­Sisi, don¡¯t cry¡­¡±


    Di Yelei was so sleepy that it was nearly impossible to open his eyes, but he still forced a smile and continued tofort her in a broken voice: ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t cry, see¡­ I¡¯m fine now¡­ By the way, what time¡­ is it now?¡±

 Chapter 220: 218: Ye Lei wakes up, Sisi’s scheme

    Chapter 220: 218: Ye Lei wakes up, Sisi¡¯s scheme<div>


    Liu Sisi quickly wiped away her tears and pretended to smile, saying, ¡°I know, I didn¡¯t cry! I won¡¯t cry, Ye Lei, what do you want to eat? I¡¯ll go to the vegetarian canteen to buy it for you¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it daylight outside already?¡±


    He suddenly asked an unrted question.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! The sky is already bright, it¡¯s between 3 and 5 pm now, I just brought back some cooked dishes from the vegetarian canteen. Because this Zen temple wing courtyard cannot kill living creatures, I specially went to buy some eggs and made steamed egg custard for you to eat when you wake up.¡±


    Excited, Liu Sisi spoke and took out the warmed steamed egg custard. The Grandmaster had said, as long as Ye Lei wakes up, it means everything is fine.


    ¡°It is already¡­ the afternoon.¡±


    Di Yelei murmurs under his breath, struggling to try to sit up: ¡°I can¡¯t, I promised you yesterday that I would go home with you in the morning¡­ Sisi, let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go home¡­¡±


    ¡°Now? What home are you going back to now? Your injuries are so severe, and you are still messing around here, lie down quickly! Otherwise, I¡¯ll really be mad.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly ced the steamed egg custard aside, extending her hand to hold him down: ¡°You did say yesterday that you would go home with me, but the problem is I¡¯m still here, so where are you going?¡±


    While talking, she turned her back to pick up a bowl, quietly wiping away the tears that had identally fallen.


    ¡°Is¡­ is that so?¡±


    Di Yelei had no extra strength, so after struggling for a while, he fell into a deep sleep again.


    He then slept for another two days.


    During this time, he woke up a few times, and several Grandmasters came to change his medicine every day. Liu Sisi took advantage of the Grandmasters changing his medicine to hurriedly go to the vegetarian canteen for meals and cleaning, then quickly returned.N?v(el)B\\jnn<div>


    She got some wooden nks from the young monks, put them together, and covered them with bedding to make it easier for her to take care of him nearby.


    On the third day, she didn¡¯t know when she had fallen asleep, but when she opened her eyes, she saw a cheerful pair of eyes looking back at her, making her momentarily dazed.


    ¡°Ye Lei, are you awake? Are you thirsty for water, or do you want to get up to use the bathroom at night¡­¡±


    She quickly sat up, searching for the water cup in a panic.


    ¡°Sisi,e here,¡± Di Yelei smiled and called her.


    She couldn¡¯t help but put down the cup and slowly approached him: ¡°Ye Lei, you¡­ um¡­¡±


    As she got closer, he suddenly hugged her tightly, holding her firmly in his arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re all right!¡±


    He whispered tofort her, his whole body shaking violently: ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t do well, and I didn¡¯te soon enough, making you suffer. Sisi, why are you crying again? Good girl! Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry¡­¡±


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­ As long as you¡¯re all right. This isn¡¯t your fault. I know you didn¡¯t mean for this to happen.¡±


    The husband and wife embraced each other, having a good cry together.<div>


    Perhaps their hearts were lighter after having this conversation and venting their emotions, and the couple¡¯s spirits were notably better. Liu Sisi¡¯s tense mood also improved greatly.


    In the afternoon, Zhang Peng finally found them.


    Seeing Di Yelei lying in bed with his body wrapped in gauze, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I thought you guys went to the county, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention. I didn¡¯t think you guys could be dyed in the county for a few days without returning. I never imagined that you guys were actually in the Zen temple courtyard. If it weren¡¯t for hearing from a neighboring vige that a person died in the temple, I wouldn¡¯t have known you were here, let alone that you had an ident¡­¡±


    Di Yelei also sighed, feeling wronged: ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, just some external injuries, but Sisi insists that I don¡¯t move at all, saying¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Who was the one whose nose, mouth, and ears were bleeding? If it weren¡¯t for the medicine that treats internal injuries, could you still be showing off here?¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t spare him any dignity and exposed his pretense.


    Di Yelei shrank and carried Liu Sisi on his back, making a reassuring gesture to Zhang Peng.


    Zhang Peng grinned like nothing was wrong: ¡°You two really have a great rtionship! It¡¯s truly enviable.¡±


    Liu Sisi became embarrassed.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, I¡¯m sorry for causing a scene. I¡­ ¡±<div>


    ¡°Sister-inw, don¡¯t say that. Seeing you and your husband¡¯s good rtionship is what I hope for the most. I still remember the madness in your face when you first entered the house, fearing that you two wouldn¡¯t get along after marriage. Now it seems that I was overthinking.¡±


    This made Liu Sisi¡¯s smile fade away.


    ¡°Was I really mad when I first got married?¡±


    Zhang Peng, without noticing, continued: ¡°Weren¡¯t you? At first, you kept shouting about irrelevant things, saying you weren¡¯t Liu Sisi, and who framed you needed to be tracked down. Later, you even¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Ahem, Zhang Peng! Could you please pour me a ss of water?¡±


    Behind, Di Yelei suddenly interrupted him.


    Zhang Peng realized his slip of the tongue, chuckled awkwardly, grabbed a cup and casually poured some water for Di Yelei.


    ¡°Sister-inw! Let the past be the past! Isn¡¯t it important for people to focus on the future?¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhang is right.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled faintly, but her thoughts wandered far away.


    She had been shouting that she wasn¡¯t Liu Sisi? She didn¡¯t even remember. It seemed she was indeed severely ill.


    Zhang Peng came again the next day, and also hired a bull-cart. They carefully moved Di Yelei onto the cart and headed home.


    Before leaving, Liu Sisi left 10 taels of silver behind.


    She gritted her teeth and donated another 50 taels of incense oil money, bidding farewell to the grandmasters who treated Di Yelei.


    Having lived in the Zen temple for several days and more days of recuperation, she greatly troubled the grandmasters with helping to treat Yelei, so she could only donate as much incense oil money as possible to express her gratitude.


    For this temple fair trip, she took a total of 98 taels of silver. After spending more than 5 taels and donating 50 taels for incense oil money, she had 43 taels left on hand.


    Excluding the 10 taels to pay for the bookstore¡¯s rent, only 33 taels remained.


    Yelei injured his ribs and could not go hunting for at least three months.


    Now inte autumn, as the weather continued to grow colder and frost and snow approached, she must prepare for winter, followed by the uing Lunar New Year.


    After the New Year, Xuan¡¯er will start going to the vige school¡­


    Thinking about all this, Liu Sisi can¡¯t help but n how to use the silver on hand for a plentiful New Year and to support them until Di Yelei fully recovers¡­


    However, the most important thing is not saving money but making it!


    She needs to find a good way to expand her sources of ie¡­


    ¡°Sisi, what are you thinking?¡±


    On the side, Di Yelei and Zhang Peng were chatting happily. Turning his head, he saw Liu Sisi frowning and couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about how to exin to Ruo Ruo the reason that you didn¡¯t work.¡±


    Liu Sisi naturally wouldn¡¯t speak of her hidden worries and quickly changed the subject.

 Chapter 221: 219: Father Di comes to visit, knowing his son better than anyone else

    Chapter 221: 219: Father Dies to visit, knowing his son better than anyone else<div>


    ¡°Naturally, I¡¯ll tell her directly that I identally fell off the cliff and injured myself. Miss of Gan Family seems to be quite reasonable; she will certainly understand my situation. Don¡¯t worry! Once my body recovers, I will personally exin it to her and resign from this errand.¡±


    Di Yelei whispered, lying on the bull-cart.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Your health is most important. We¡¯ll discuss other things after you recover from your injury.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi nodded slightly and couldn¡¯t help but carefully hold the painting scroll to her chest.


    The thing that made her the happiest during this journey was getting this painting scroll.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She had looked at it countless times, loving it more with each nce. After Ye Lei¡¯s injury improved, she would definitely find a time to have this painting properly mounted and hung up in her bedroom for appreciation.


    ¡°Hey! Speaking of which, Ye Lei, your little sister is really interesting! You¡¯ve suffered such a great injury, and those two didn¡¯t mention a word about it after they returned to the old house from the Zen temple. I heard they grabbed their baggage and left hurriedly without exining why they left so quickly. It seems the injury you suffered is in vain!¡±


    Zhang Peng said, amused.


    Wasn¡¯t it in vain? Does he expectpensation from someone who doesn¡¯t even mention it?


    Liu Sisi secretly frowned, hiding the anger in her eyes. At the same time, she saw Di Yelei¡¯s face full of pain.


    ¡°It was also good that they left¡­¡± Di Yelei whispered.


    Exactly what was good, and good about what, he did not say.


    Liu Sisi scoffed in her heart, with no hope for Di Ruoning anymore.


    Zhang Peng drove the bull-cart while shaking his head with a smile: ¡°Ah, it¡¯s indeed good that they left. These days, the situation at your old house is about to turn upside down. It¡¯s chaotic every day. If you guys go back, maybe you could catch Di Ah-bao¡¯s engagement banquet¡­ ¡±<div>


    ¡°What engagement?¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively felt it was up to no good.


    ¡°On Mid-Autumn day, Di Ah-bao went out with Ruoning and others and then disappeared. After going out and returning, he snatched all the remaining silver of your father and went to Yihong Courtyard to see that Little Cui. As a result, when he came back, he threatened to die, saying that Little Cui was pregnant with his child. He shed his own neck with a knife, causing your father to faint again. When he woke up, he had no choice but to borrow silver from other vigers and finally gratified him. It is said that Little Cui will enter the house by the next Double Ninth Festival. Ha! There will be lively things to watch at that time¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi remained silent. Only a person like Di Ah-bao would do such a thing.


    Zhang Peng shook his whip, hurriedly driving all the way, and finally arrived at the foot of the mountain before noon.


    Di Yelei¡¯s injury made it impossible for him to move, so Zhang Peng and Li Wu, who were waiting at the junction, helped carry him up the slope.


    Xuan¡¯er and YingEr were already waiting at the crossroads. As soon as they saw the group appear, the young ones immediately pounced on them. After crying and parting, they finally returned home.


    ¡°I boiled some hot water, and I also stewed a wild pheasant. This was brought by Brother Li Wu. Brother Ye Lei, have a bowl while it¡¯s still hot. It¡¯s good for your health!¡±


    Guihua busied in and out of the room, helping with the arrangements.


    ¡°Thank you, Gui Hua¡­ You have worked so hard these days! I¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi tightly held Guihua¡¯s hand, and tears flowed before she could speak.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad! As the saying goes, ¡®build your fence by day and lock your door by night, but for thieves within the family, there is no guard.¡¯ I knew Di Ruoning was no good from the start. I¡¯m not surprised that Ye Lei would suffer in her hands.¡±


    Guihua lightly patted Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, sighed, and motioned for her to be at ease.


    On the other hand, Zhang Yun was also very active in helping out, handing Di Yelei a towel to wipe his face, and busy serving chicken soup. He even asionally answered YingEr¡¯s strange questions.


    Seeing the scene before him, Di Yelei couldn¡¯t describe the feeling in his heart.


    This girl is so young, yet she already belongs to another family! An inexplicable sense of sorrow spread.


    The news of Di Yelei¡¯s injury quickly spread throughout Upper Vige.


    The first person to visit from the old house was surprisingly the struggling Elderly Mr. Di.


    Since suffering from three bouts of fainting, and having not been properly taken care of, Elderly Mr. Di was left with post-stroke symptoms, and could no longer smoothly climb up and down the mountains. A crutch was now needed to help him get around.


    This time, Elderly Mr. Di came by himself. In his hand was a bamboo basket filled with some odds and ends, as he hobbled over slowly with the support of his crutch.


    As soon as he entered the courtyard, he was startled by a burst of barking!


    Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua rushed out from inside and barked at him.<div>


    He was so rmed that he wanted to run, but he couldn¡¯t, and his attempts to drive the dogs away were feeble. All he could do was lean on the entrance of the courtyard and weakly call out for Di Yelei: ¡°Third Child¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was slowly simmering a rabbit over a low heat.


    That rabbit was one of the baby rabbits that had grown up, and now each one was plump and sturdy. The mother rabbit had given birth to two more litters, so killing one amounted to a whole pot of stew.


    She was just about to scoop out a portion to bring to her father when she heard the barking of Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua. She rushed out immediately.


    At a nce, she saw her father leaning against the entrance of the courtyard, unable to move forward or backward due to the barking dogs.


    ¡°Dad, were you hurt anywhere?¡±


    Liu Sisi aimed two kicks at Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua, who seemed to realize that they had done something wrong. The two dogs retreated into the firewood room with their tails tucked between their legs, whimpering and refusing to show their faces.


    ¡°Dad! How did youe over here by yourself? If I had known you wereing, Sisi would have gone to meet you.¡± She quickly went to take the bamboo basket from him and helped him up.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I happened to be tired, so resting on the doorstep is fine.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di took the opportunity to catch his breath and, with Liu Sisi¡¯s help, walked into the hall: ¡°I heard¡­ Third Child was injured, so¡­ I came to see¡­¡±


    His tongue was clearly not as agile as before and it was difficult for him to speak.


    ¡°Ye Lei has been recuperating these days and is much better now. He is in the inner room; Sisi will help you in.¡±


    As Liu Sisi exined, she helped him into the inner room.


    Inside, Di Yelei wanted to sit up when he heard his father¡¯s voice but couldn¡¯t because of his heavy injuries.


    ¡°Dad! How did youe here? Ye Lei was just saying that he would go see you once his body is better.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! ¡ª¡ª Third Child, lie down and rest¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di looked at Third Child wrapped up like a sticky rice dumpling, and his eyes became a little red.


    He thought of Di Ruoning, who had done something wrong and ran away hastily, and the heartless Di Ah-bao. Now that his only able Third Child had also been injured and considering his current situation, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the Di Family had recently offended some god of wealth, causing them to run into such bad luck.


    ¡°Dad! Don¡¯t worry. As you can see, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just some superficial injuries, they¡¯re not a big deal.¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly reassured him.


    Elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t help but shed old tears, choking on his words: ¡°A father knows his children best¡­ I understand the nature of you, Ruoning, and Ah-Bao¡­¡±

 Chapter 222: 220: Father Di visits the sick, Father-son affection is strong.

    Chapter 222: 220: Father Di visits the sick, Father-son affection is strong.<div>


    He was only sick, not stupid!


    Since Ruo Ning wasn¡¯t his biological child, she was spoiled and pampered since she was little. She was always fearful of being bumped or injured, attracting gossip and attention. They kept her close and gave her all the best food and drink, which eventually developed in her a selfish, self-serving nature.


    Ah-Bao was spoiled by Ms. Zhao, and had never seriously aplished anything by his twenties.<div>


    On the contrary, Third Child had been through hardships since he was little. He endured much more suffering and had to swallow his blood along with the pain of his knocked-out teeth.


    ¡°Father, Ye Lei! There¡¯s plenty of time to talk. It¡¯s more important to take care of your health. Let¡¯s eat first and then talk slowly.¡±


    Liu Sisi had just scooped out rabbit meat from the kitchen and happily ced it on the side table, followed by Di Xuan holding vegetables.


    This small table was originally ced in the kitchen, but it was moved here to facilitate Di Yelei¡¯s meal.


    As Liu Sisi set the meal, she happily said, ¡°I was just about to have Xuan¡¯er bring food to you, Father. It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re here ourselves, saving us the back-and-forth. Here, Father, let Sisi help you sit down.¡±


    Pretending not to notice the teary-eyed siblings, Liu Sisi carefully helped the Elderly Mr. Di to sit down in the superior position.


    She carefully passed the cooked dishes and even spooned some soup into a small bowl, and also picked up some easy-to-chew rabbit meat.


    ¡°Father, please eat. There¡¯s plenty more here.¡±


    As Liu Sisi was speaking, she poured more soup and picked up more meat for Di Yelei, handing him a bowl of rice. Di Yelei had injured his back, so sleeping had not beenfortable for him. Although he was stubborn about eating on his own, it was quite difficult.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er and YingEr, they¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was still worried about his two young grandsons.<div>


    ¡°Grandfather, you eat first. Xuan¡¯er and YingEr will be here in a moment.¡±


    While they were talking, Di Xuan ced a serving of steamed egg custard in front of Elderly Mr. Di: ¡°Grandfather, this egg custard is soft and easy to swallow. It¡¯s perfect for you since your teeth are not good.¡±


    Di Xuan disyed a bit of Di Yelei¡¯s demeanor at this moment!


    He already looked 70-80% simr to Di Yelei. After a few months of learning, he¡¯s even developed an air of schrly elegance. Wearing a blue cloth short outfit, he stood with grace at the lower end, gazing straight at his grandfather.


    At a nce, Elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t help but mistake him for a younger Di Yelei and whispered, ¡°Third child¡­¡±


    ¡°Father! That¡¯s your grandson, Di Xuan. Don¡¯t you recognize him?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s heart ached, and his hand trembled as he reached for the chopsticks.


    His feeble father, who had difficulty even walking, was a shadow of his former strong, powerful self. Now he couldn¡¯t even recognize people. How could Di Yelei not feel sad?


    Elderly Mr. Di stared for a long time before finally nodding, ¡°You look like your brother when he was little¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi alsoughed, ¡°Right? You¡¯re absolutely correct, Father. Many people say that Xuan¡¯er looks just like Yelei when he was little, like a carbon copy. But they say he looks even more like his Eldest Uncle. I haven¡¯t met him, so I don¡¯t know if he really does.¡±


    ¡°He does look like Hongyuan, he¡­¡±<div>


    Upon mentioning this topic, Elderly Mr. Di suddenly stopped speaking. Back then, Hongyuan opposed his father¡¯s marriage to Ms. Zhao, so he left home in a huff and never kept in touch. Now, it seemed that Hongyuan had foresight. Since Ms. Zhao entered Di Family, they had never lived in peace for even a day.


    He fell silent for a moment, then slowly began eating with his bamboo chopsticks.


    Once he started eating, Liu Sisi realized that his left side was the disobedient one. His left hand shook terribly when he tried to support the bowl, but his right hand was still quite agile.


    ¡°Mom! Mom, is the food ready yet? YingEr is hungry! Mom, YingEr is home!¡±


    YingEr¡¯s voice rang out outside, apanied by the low, whining pleas of Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua, and they quickly rushed into the kitchen.


    After looking around, she didn¡¯t find anything. She immediately crawled out and asked, ¡°Huh? Where did everyone go? Mom¡ª¡ª¡± As she was speaking, footsteps quickly approached the inner room.


    ¡°This child is bing more and more unruly.¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head with a smile and added another bowl of rice.


    ¡°Sister, lower your voice. What¡¯s all the shouting about? Grandfather is in the inner room.¡±


    Di Xuan who went to greet her scolded, and soon there was no more noise outside.


    Not long after, the siblings appeared at the entrance, one behind the other.<div>


    YingEr has be even more adorable, sweetly smiling at Elderly Mr. Di, she blurted out, ¡°Grandfather, are you here to see my father? YingEr didn¡¯t know Grandfather wasing, otherwise, I would have helped you over here.¡±


    Her words amused everyone in the room.


    ¡°Hurry up and wash your hands ande eat, just look at how dirty your little hands are!¡± Liu Sisi quickly said.


    ¡°Alright, Mom! This is the medicine Uncle Zhang prepared for Dad, and I brought it back. I¡¯ll leave it here.¡±


    As she was speaking, she casually ced the bottle in her hand on the bedside cab, ¡°Grandfather, my father¡¯s injuries are very severe, there¡¯s hardly a patch of unbruised skin on his back. Looking at his injuries, YingEr feels pain for father¡­¡±


    ¡°YingEr, hurry up and wash your hands.¡± Liu Sisi interrupted her.


    ¡°Alright, Mom.¡± As expected, Di Ying quickly left.


    Though she left, she made everyone in the room silent.


    Elderly Mr. Di moved his mouth and sighed for quite a while before reluctantly saying, ¡°Ruoning¡­ Third Child, it¡¯s your father¡¯s fault for being useless, unable¡­ to-avenge you! Father¡­¡±


    For a moment, he couldn¡¯t say anything more.


    ¡°Dad! Stop talking like that! The situation is not something that can be exined in a few words¡­ You¡­¡±


    Di Yelei clearly didn¡¯t know what to say either.


    ¡°Dad, let¡¯s just let bygones be bygones. After all, Ruo Ning is my little sister and she¡¯s pregnant. Anyway, they¡¯re just superficial injuries, I¡¯ll be fine after recovering. Let¡¯s talk about the rest after my wounds arepletely healed and my sister has given birth.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s words were clear ¨C if they were going to discuss anything, it would have to wait until Di Ruoning had given birth.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°What superficial injuries? Didn¡¯t Dad also break two ribs?¡± Di Ying quickly washed her hands and came back just in time to hear this and promptly retorted.


    Her words immediately changed Elderly Mr. Di¡¯splexion!


    Apparently, he had broken two ribs, and everyone had kept it from him! No wonder his always strong Third Child was bedridden.


    ¡°Superficial injuries are fine, eat¡­ eat!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t help but shed tears, burying his head and continued to eat, tears mixing with his rice.


    The others exchanged nces, pretending not to see. The meal ended without any further discussion.


    After dinner, Elderly Mr. Di didn¡¯t leave but instead curled up in front of the sickbed and dozed off.


    Di Yelei felt somewhat helpless, knowing that his father¡¯s health was deteriorating and that he was more and more unwee in the old house. On top of the issue with Di Ah-bao, he had almost fallen out with Ms. Zhao and her son, and food was often withheld from him.


    He wanted to take his father home to live with him, but ording to the vige¡¯s customs, his father shouldn¡¯t live with him regardless of his family¡¯s arrangements.

 Chapter 223: 221: Ms. Zhao Eyes Silver with Envy, Sisi Stops Any Opposition

    Chapter 223: 221: Ms. Zhao Eyes Silver with Envy, Sisi Stops Any Opposition<div>


    This frustrating feeling of having energy with nowhere to exert it made it hard for him to fall asleep.


    That night, Father Di didn¡¯t leave until veryte.


    Liu Sisi and Di Xuan supported him back to the old house, where they were naturally greeted by a barrage of scolding from Ms. Zhao.<div>


    Ms. Zhao now seemed to be on a roll!


    If anyone in the old house could suppress these sprightly individuals, it was naturally old man Di!


    But with old man Di¡¯s illness, not only can he not maintain order, he can¡¯t even speak clearly, eats slowly, and needs help to walk, losing more and more respect.


    Moreover, with Di Ah-Bao¡¯s rushed wedding preparation, everyone was busy, so all the family¡¯s money naturally fell into Ms. Zhao¡¯s hands.


    Ms. Zhao, who was naturally sharp-tongued, couldn¡¯t help but beam with joy at such good fortune.


    However, her daughter-inw¡¯s status was something she couldn¡¯t show, causing her excitement to be somewhat dampened.


    She didn¡¯t dare to openly trample on people, but spared no effort in indirect insults.


    Such as right now!


    ¡°Is there no one to do the housework? The food grain is still piled up without anyone to manage it. Are we nning to starve in this winter? The new daughter-inw will being soon, but no one is taking care of all the household chores. Are you nning to make me, an old woman, do everything?¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao stood under the eaves and cursed, while Di Gaoyuan¡¯s family hid inside the house, poking their heads out to watch, looking as if they were enjoying a good show.


    The smuggest one of all had to be Di Ah-Bao!<div>


    Despite having gauze wrapped around his neck, he was sitting at the entrance of the left wing room, happily whistling.


    Seeing the people returning, he didn¡¯t even budge.


    Usually, after the grain was dried, it was Di Yelei who stored it. This year, with Di Yelei injured, the grain was still piled in the hall.


    What upset Ms. Zhao the most was that Ah-Bao¡¯s wedding was almost here, but the house showed no signs of preparation, they didn¡¯t even buy the necessary red cloth, so how could she not be flustered and angry?


    The more Ms. Zhao thought about it, the angrier she got, and the smoother her cursing became: ¡°¡­.Youzy pigs! All you know is eating! And when you go out it¡¯s for a whole day. Do you think this is an inn? If it¡¯s so good outside, stay outside and don¡¯te back. Seeing you just makes me angry ¡­¡±


    The more she thought, the angrier she got, and the harsher her scolding became!


    Liu Sisi stepped forward to interject, but someone grabbed her sleeve.


    She looked back and saw her father-inw shaking his head at her with a weary expression: ¡°Be¡­ careful! The road is¡­ slippery¡­you¡­should¡­go back¡­early.¡±


    Seeing her father-inw shivering in the autumn wind, Liu Sisi swallowed back her rebuttal to Ms. Zhao.


    Her words would only bring trouble to her father-inw if she argued with Ms. Zhao just to feel good for a moment.


    After a brief thought, regarding the brown-nosing look from Ms. Zhao, she simply smiled: ¡°Father, this money is what Yelei left for you. If you have nothing to do, just buy some snacks as pocket expenses, don¡¯t be reluctant to spend it. Although it¡¯s not much, it at least represents Yelei¡¯s kindness. Father, please keep it.¡±<div>


    During the speech, Liu Sisi took out 2 taels of silver from her arms and forcefully stuffed them into Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Third Child¡¯s daughter-inw¡­¡±


    Old man Di was taken aback and stubbornly pushed it back: ¡°Third Child¡¯s injury¡­needs money¡­you keep it¡­¡±


    ¡°Father, this is the retirement money from Ye Lei for you. Sisi dare not embezzle it. Ye Lei also said, although he¡¯s injured now, he¡¯s a constable at least! As long as you¡¯re alive, this retirement money will definitely be there, so please feel free to take it!¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she cast a nce at several people hiding in the dark.


    It¡¯s more like her words were meant for those hiding in the dark than for Elderly Mr. Di. As long as Elderly Di is alive, the retirement money will naturally be there! With silver to unt, even these money-eyed people will care about Father¡¯s life and wouldn¡¯t neglect him.


    Ye Lei was even willing to give Old Man Li 2 taels of silver, even if he knew that she had given 2 taels to Father, he wouldn¡¯t get angry.


    Ms. Zhao, with her mouth wide open, wanted to continue scolding but, between opening and closing it, saw Liu Sisi nced at her and quickly lowered her head without speaking.


    ¡°Father, let Sisi and Xuan¡¯er help you inside.¡±


    After Liu Sisi finished speaking, she didn¡¯t care about the expressive faces of the crowd and, together with Xuan¡¯er, helped Elderly Di into the bedroom.


    ¡°Father! Although Sisi said that deliberately for them to hear, it also truly reflects Ye Lei¡¯s intentions. Keep this silver carefully, everyone has ailments, you need to keep some silver for self-protection.¡±<div>


    Elderly Mr Di shivered for quite a while, turned his face to the side, continually murmuring a word to himself.


    ¡°Good! Good, good¡­¡±


    Watching the few people shrinking their heads outside the window, Liu Sisi sighed, raising her hand to touch the back of Xuan¡¯er¡¯s head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! It¡¯s gettingte, we should go home.¡±


    After that, she quietly walked out of the room and closed the door.


    Outside the room, Ms. Zhao was shrank in the autumn night wind, keeping her hands inside her sleeves, awkwardly smiling at Liu Sisi and her son. The night wind messed up her hair, the flickering oilmp¡¯s light left her silhouette alternately bright and dark.


    ¡°Sisi! I was scolding Ah-Bao! He doesn¡¯t listen at all, running around all day, I¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t stop upon hearing Ms. Zhao speak, instead continued walking forward, still holding Xuan¡¯er¡¯s hand.


    Ms. Zhao took steps forward following them.


    Having no other option, Liu Sisi had to stop: ¡°Mother-inw, it¡¯s gettingte, Sisi won¡¯t disturb you to rest, I¡¯ll take Xuan¡¯er home.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ms. Zhao was startled!


    She hurriedly stretched out her arm to stop Liu Sisi: ¡°Wait a moment! From Third Son¡¯s family, look at me, I¡­ Ah-Bao within this house is about to get married¡­¡±


    ¡°Congrattions to little brother. Mother-inw can rest assured. Although Ye Lei was injured by my younger sister and broke two ribs, with no good flesh left on his entire back. But Ruo Ning is Ruo Ning, Ah Bao is Ah Bao, Ye Lei and Sisi won¡¯t blur the lines. On the wedding day, even if he¡¯s carried in, daughter-inw will have Ye Leie to congratte little brother¡¯s big wedding.¡±


    This way everyone can see what kind of state your precious daughter has left her Third Brother in!


    There was a light smile on Liu Sisi¡¯s face, but in her eyes, there was a cold gleam!


    Ms. Zhao evidently also realized this, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly, she hurriedly waved both hands like a drum.


    ¡°No no no, don¡¯t need¡­ He doesn¡¯t need toe, a gift is enough.¡±


    ¡°What? Mother-inw, you don¡¯t want Ye Lei toe and congratte Ah Bao¡¯s big wedding?¡± Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow.


    Ms. Zhao also realized her words were wrong and hastily exined.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, I¡­ I mean¡­ Third Brother¡¯s injuries are heavy¡­ His condition isn¡¯t suitable for movement, let him rest at home! Yes, that¡¯s it, it¡¯s better for him to rest.¡±

 Chapter 232: 230: Sisi brings game, fellow villagers eagerly inquire and rejoice

    Chapter 232: 230: Sisi brings game, fellow vigers eagerly inquire and rejoice<div>


    By dusk, Liu Sisi had finished dinner and carried four wild rabbits and two wild chickens to the old house.


    The little chicks they had bought were now only about a pound each. Although they could not afford to spend money on eggying wild chickens, Liu Sisi took two roosters directly.


    The courtyard of the old house was brightly lit, with eight torches burning and swaying in each corner!<div>


    As soon as Liu Sisi arrived at the old house holding the game, she immediately attracted the attention of countless people.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re here! Hurry over!¡± Guihua called out to her urgently.


    There were several fellow vigers who hade to help, all gathered together and washing and scrubbing non-stop in busy preparation.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, I have some things to do, I¡¯ll be back in a while!¡±


    Liu Sisi turned around to answer and then walked into the inner room.


    Ms. Zhao heard themotion outside and came out from the inside, bumping into Liu Sisi. She was about to scold her when she saw the game in Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, the words of scolding on the verge of her lips, but swallowed them back.


    She hastily put on a fake smile: ¡°You¡¯re here from Third Son¡¯s family? Why did you bring the game sote? Hurry up and give it to the teachers, or else it will dy the cooking, what can we do then?¡±


    ¡°Mom, this game was sent by Ye Lei. There are four wild rabbits and two wild chickens in total. Would you like to check?¡±


    Liu Sisi deliberately raised her voice.


    ¡°Alright, alright! Hurry up and take it over, no need to check! It¡¯s just a few pieces of game, isn¡¯t it? Before, when there were so many games, Third Son didn¡¯t say anything.¡± So many of theme now just to bring it over and fuss over it!


    ¡°Mom! Before, Ye Lei was in good health, and whenever he went hunting in the mountains, you¡¯d take several game every two or three days, naturally feeling like it was nothing. But now Ye Lei can¡¯t even get up from his bed due to his illness, and he¡¯s been waiting for this game to nourish his body! It¡¯s only natural for it to be precious!¡±<div>


    These words, Liu Sisi had to say.


    These words suddenly made the people around start to whisper, and Ms. Zhao¡¯s face changed again.


    But Liu Sisi didn¡¯t care. She handed the game to the cooks while being pulled aside by Guihua.


    ¡°Sisi, why did you send the game again? Brother Ye Lei is badly hurt. Don¡¯t you want to save some for him to nourish his body?¡±


    Guihua¡¯s voice was not lowered, as if everyone around could hear.


    Liu Sisiplied and sat down beside Guihua, sighing helplessly: ¡°I want to save some, but there¡¯s no other way! I¡­sigh! Let¡¯s talk about itter!¡±


    Her evasive and half-truth words made everyone else silent!


    She was happy for the peace and quiet and picked up a cloth to start washing dishes, taking advantage of the fact that everyone else wasn¡¯t paying attention and lightly pinching Guihua.


    Everyone else was silent. The only sounds were the crackling of the burning mes and the dying struggle of the wild chickens.


    After a long time, one of the vigers who¡¯de to help finally whispered, ¡°Ye Lei¡¯s family, you¡¯re just too meek,pletely eaten up by your mother-inw! If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t give in even if it meant a big fight. And your Ye Lei as well, he¡¯s too agreeable with his stepmother, really feeding a white-eyed wolf!¡±


    ¡°Hush! Keep your voice down! You know what kind of person Ms. Zhao is, be careful she doesn¡¯t go after youter!¡± Another person hurriedly pulled her back.<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Who doesn¡¯t know what kind of person she is in the Upper Vige?¡±


    The viger continued, but still lowered her voice.


    She turned her head to look at Liu Sisi: ¡°Sisi, I¡¯ve heard that you can read, and you¡¯re teaching your son Xuan¡¯er to read as well. Is it true?¡±


    ¡°I can only recognize a few characters. I don¡¯t really teach Xuan¡¯er, just let him learn some simple characters first, so it¡¯ll be easier when he goes to schoolter on.¡±


    ¡°But I heard that Miss of Gan Family from the town has also epted you as her tutor, is that true?¡±


    As soon as this question was asked, almost everyone present stared at Liu Sisi with wide eyes.


    What kind of family was the Gan family? They were a real official family, so how could they bepared to ordinary small families?


    Moreover, being a female tutor for the Miss of Gan Family would naturally be quite prestigious, right?


    All the people put down their work and stared at Liu Sisi, waiting for her answer. Even the cooks who hade to help looked over, seriously looking at Liu Sisi.


    Behind that door, Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang also secretly craned their necks, waiting for Liu Sisi¡¯s answer.


    Liu Sisi put the bowls in her hands away and looked up with a lightugh: ¡°Yes! However, it was the bookstore boss who introduced me to Gan Mansion. It was the Elder Madam of the Gan Family who made the final decision to let me teach Miss Gan to read and write. Miss Gan has a total of five teachers, teaching her music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and I am just one of them.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi had no intention of hiding the truth and naturally told it as it was. As for whether these people believed it or not, that was secondary!


    ¡°Really? Wow! Sisi, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    ¡°If your mother-inw is still not satisfied with a daughter-inw like you, what kind of daughter-inw does she want? Is it possible that she wants¡­¡±


    ¡°Cough cough! Be careful of misfortune from your mouth!¡±


    Someone nearby pulled at her clothes, and then everyoneughed together.


    However, behind theughter, there was something more in everyone¡¯s eyes when they looked at Liu Sisi.


    Taking advantage of the moment when everyone was busy and not paying attention, a fellow viger leaned over and asked: ¡°Sisi! Are you¡­ are you still recruiting?¡±


    ¡°Recruiting? Recruiting for what?¡±


    Liu Sisi was busy counting the quantities and answered casually.


    ¡°Oh! I mean, are you still epting students? If you are, since it¡¯s already after the autumn harvest, I¡¯ll send my daughter Niuniu to study at your home for a few months, so she won¡¯t suffer when she goes to her husband¡¯s family without knowing how to read.¡±


    This made Liu Sisi look up and seriously look at her: ¡°Auntie, you know, I really haven¡¯t thought about that. How about this, if the weather gets colder and I really decide to teach, I¡¯ll let you know, alright?¡±


    ¡°That would be great!¡±


    The woman gave her thigh a heavy pat: ¡°Don¡¯t worry! If you¡¯re really going to teach my daughter Niuniu to read, I know we don¡¯t have much to offer, but we can provide dozens of catties of white rice flour.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t say that. I really haven¡¯t made any ns yet. When I decide to start teaching, I¡¯ll definitely let you know.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t refuse the education gift.


    All the teachers here required an education gift, and she couldn¡¯t break the rule just because of one person.


    ¡°Alright! Then we have an agreement!¡±


    After a few more pleasantries, the fellow viger left happily.


    But soon after, another fellow viger came to ask the same question. It wasn¡¯t until she sent away the fifth person who asked the same question that Liu Sisi began to take this matter seriously.


    Could it be that female tutors were really so rare here?


    As for whether to take some students at home to teach, she could really consider it.

 Chapter 225: 223: Returning to Gan Mansion, the Hidden Secret of Heilong Mountain

    Chapter 225: 223: Returning to Gan Mansion, the Hidden Secret of Heilong Mountain<div>


    A wave of regret welled up in her heart; that was the first gift Ye Lei had bought for her, containing a piece of his heart. To lose it like this, the sense of loss was indescribable.


    Looking at this star fruit wood hairpin with a very simr design in her hand, Liu Sisi thought for a moment and finally decided to grit her teeth and buy it.


    She carefully wrapped it up and put it close to her body. Let it rece the lost hairpin then.<div>


    After leaving, Liu Sisi went to the Gan family again.


    As soon as Gan Miaoruo saw her, she immediately pouted her lips! Stomping her foot angrily, she pulled unwillingly on Liu Sisi¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Teacher! You are all words and no action, always disappearing and never seen opening the door of your bookstore!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo¡¯s pouted mouth could hang 24 oil bottles!


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, I¡¯m sorry! Something really happened at my home, I am very sorry indeed.¡±


    ¡°You tell me, what exactly happened in your family? If you can convince me the Miss, perhaps I might actually consider forgiving you.¡± Gan Miaoruo assumed a young adult-like posture with her hands on her hips, tilting her head towards her.


    The smile disappeared from Liu Sisi¡¯s face!


    ¡°It was¡­ we encountered bandits on Heilong Mountain.¡±


    Family shame should not be spread! Naturally, Liu Sisi would not tell the story of Di Ruoning hiring assassins to kill people.


    The always silent Old Madam Gan, who was sitting nearby, was also surprised!


    ¡°What did you say? The bandits on Heilong Mountain? Is this true?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi hurriedly turned her head to bow: ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare deceive the Old Madam, in the middle¡­¡± Liu Sisi looked at Gan Miaoruo, hesitated to continue speaking: ¡°In between, some things happened, but in the end, my husband and I fell off the cliff. Perhaps it was the mercy of the heavens or the Goddess of Mercy showing her divine presence. At the most crucial moment, several Grandmasters from the Zen temple saved us, so we managed to escape the disaster.¡±


    ¡°Oh? There was actually such a thing?¡±


    Old Madam Gan straightened up and looked back at Gan Miaoruo who was beside her: ¡°Ruo Ruo, didn¡¯t you receive several excellent pieces of Su embroidery a few days ago? You said you wanted to share a few with the teacher. Hurry up and bring them out for the teacher to look at.¡±


    Gan Miaoruo was listening intently and didn¡¯t want to leave at all.


    ¡°For such small matters, I can just ask the maids to do it! I¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm? Ruo Ruo -¡±


    Old Madam Gan spoke in a deep voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go, hmph!¡± Gan Miaoruo was also angry, stomping her foot and turning around before trotting out of the living room.


    ¡°This child¡­ It¡¯s all because I spoiled her.¡± The Old Madam shook her head.


    Liu Sisi pursed her lips: ¡°Ruo Ruo is just candid and lovely, and especially considerate and caring. How could she be considered spoiled?¡±


    ¡°You are right in saying that! This child is especially caring, she¡¯s simply my little happy fruit!¡±<div>


    Old Madam Ganughed heartily, as Liu Sisi¡¯s words touched her heartstrings.


    To others, Gan Miaoruo might appear arrogant and willful, but to the Old Madam¡¯s eyes, she was simply naive and candid! These were all virtues, where would they allow others to casually point fingers and criticize?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Sheughed for a while before she finally stopped, ¡°You just said that something happened, what exactly happened?¡±


    Liu Sisi also covered her lips withughter, not hesitating to tell her about what happened that day.


    Of course, she concealed the fact that Di Ruoning hired a hitman to kill someone and did not mention it.


    ¡°No wonder you haven¡¯t been seen for so long. But that young man from the Di Family is quite impressive! If he could fight the bandits to a draw, it shows that his martial arts are truly extraordinary.¡±


    Old Madam kept praising: ¡°What¡¯s even rarer is that in such a situation, he didn¡¯t leave you behind. This deep affection is truly invaluable, truly invaluable! I hope your husband cherishes and treasures it!¡±


    ¡°Old Madam is right, it is a blessing in three lives for Sisi to have her husband risking his life to save her. It was so indescribably touching to Sisi, also¡­¡± Liu Sisi blushed with embarrassment, some of the boudoir whispers she could not help but share with others.


    Old Madamughed for a long time before she resumed her conversation, ¡°Speaking of the bandits on ck Dragon Mountain, I do know some things.¡±


    She then repeated the past story that the constables had told.


    At the end, she added, ¡°Actually, the bandits on ck Dragon Mountain are not far from the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple. The temple is located halfway up South Mountain, while the bandits¡¯ stronghold is on the summit of North Mountain. However, they have coexisted for many years on the vast ck Dragon Mountain. If it was really the bandits who attacked you, it¡¯s truly incredible that you coulde down alive from the mountain.¡±<div>


    ¡°How so?¡± Liu Sisi was a bit confused.


    Until she left Gan Mansion for a long time, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t recover from Old Madam¡¯s words.


    ¡°The so-called bandits of ck Dragon Mountain can be traced back to the former Crown Prince if you look carefully. Back then, this mountain wasn¡¯t called by its present name; it was called Huifeng Mountain. The namees from the winding mountain peaks. Thirty years ago, the former Crown Prince failed in his bid for power, faked his death, and fled all the way to Huifeng Mountain. He was saved by the Mountain King at the time and met the current Emperor who was pursuing him.¡±


    ¡°No one knows what was discussed during that meeting. However, since then, the former Crown Prince has never appeared before the public again. On the contrary, the bandits on Huifeng Mountain have be a force to be reckoned with, and the mountain has been renamed ck Dragon Mountain, continuing until today.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, the bandits on ck Dragon Mountain are unlike those from other mountain strongholds who specialize in robbery! They seldom take action, and when they do, it¡¯s usually a fight to the death. These are imperial secrets, and people without a certain position will never know about them. I came to know about this matter as a result of an opportunity.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said, you two being able toe down alive from ck Dragon Mountain is a tremendous stroke of luck¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi looked back at the fading Gan Mansion, feeling dizzy in her head.


    Suddenly, she had a feeling of being trapped in thick fog, unable to see anything no matter how hard she tried.


    Why would the bandits on ck Dragon Mountain, with such a powerful background, target her?


    She was just an ordinary peasant woman!


    When she returned to the bookstore, Liu Sisi posted a job recruitment notice. It was an act of helplessness. The bookstore had to spend 10 taels of silver per month while the door was closed, and she couldn¡¯t take care of it recently. So hiring a small worker to take care of the bookstore was the only solution for the time being.


    She also made a detour to the Ready-made Clothes Shop and bought a set of autumn clothes for each of them.


    The temperature difference between morning and evening here is particrlyrge, making people sweat at noon, and it starts to cool down as the sun goes down. By midnight, they must be wrapped in thick nkets to sleep.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, how much silver in total for these sets of ready-made clothes?¡±


    The shopkeeper recognized Liu Sisi at a nce.


    ¡°It turns out to be the old customer. I remember that the young wife visited our shop several months ago. Which ones did the young wife choose?¡±


    Liu Sisi also smiled, and they were really destined!


    ¡°Shopkeeper, we are old customers after all, these are the 500 copper coins per set of clothes, as you can see, the cor and cuffs are embroidered with exquisite flowers, which is really not easy. If you want four sets, I¡¯ll give you the lowest discount, a total of 1,800 copper coins.¡±

 Chapter 226: 224: The fun of bargaining! Jealous Di Yelei

    Chapter 226: 224: The fun of bargaining! Jealous Di Yelei<div>


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Shopkeeper, would these ones without embroidery be much cheaper?¡±


    ¡°These are 200 copper coins per set, take a look¡­¡±


    Today, Liu Sisi was in the mood for bargaining. Immediately, she excitedly said, ¡°Shopkeeper, I want four sets with embroidery and four without. How about a total of two taels and a half silver?¡±<div>


    ¡°This¡­ A set of clothes only sells for 200 copper coins, and young wife, you¡¯ve cut the price in half. That¡¯s really too much! We can¡¯t do it!¡±


    Of course, the shopkeeper refused.


    It was then that Liu Sisi realized she had made a bargaining faux pas.


    She hurriedly giggled and said, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t need that many. Can these two kids¡¯ outfits be 350 copper coins? The material of this little girl¡¯s dress is much less than an adult¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Where can it be that much less? If you want these two sets, it¡¯s at least 800 copper coins. Take them.¡±


    From eight sets to two sets of children¡¯s clothes, the profit was more than halved. The shopkeeper¡¯s face immediately soured. However, since Liu Sisi still wanted two sets, the warmth in his expression diminished significantly.


    ¡°No way! 800 copper coins for two sets of tiny clothes. If I take them out, wouldn¡¯t peopleugh at me? The most I can offer is 750 copper coins. If it¡¯s a deal, shopkeeper, wrap them up.¡±


    The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment before wrapping them up.


    Liu Sisi also pointed to the children¡¯s clothes nearby, ¡°These two sets without embroidery? How much?¡±


    ¡°Two sets are 400 copper coins. The profit margin on these is very thin, and I really can¡¯t discount them.¡±


    ¡°At most, 350 copper coins. Taking into ount that we are both long-time customers, I won¡¯t let you lose out too much.¡±<div>


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It was clear to the shopkeeper that Liu Sisi¡¯s bargain-hunting was because he didn¡¯t agree to her price earlier, so she resorted to splitting the purchase and bargain slowly.


    ¡°Young wife, I have to admit defeat. All eight pieces for two taels and a half silver, take them!¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper, I never intended to buy that many!¡±


    Liu Sisi feigned innocence, fluttering her long eyshes to hide theughter in her eyes.


    The shopkeeper was helpless and found it difficult not tough and cry, ¡°Fine! These two sets are 350 copper coins. The four sets of children¡¯s clothes are a total of 1,100 copper coins.¡±


    Liu Sisi took the wrapped clothes, slipped away with some pieces of scrap cloth, and returned with a lightugh.


    She then looked back at the two embroidered ready-made clothes, ¡°Shopkeeper, how much for these two sets of clothes?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In no time, Liu Sisi, with a faint smile on her face, walked out of the shop, followed by the shopkeeper with a wry smile, as if he had swallowed a pound of coptis.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Take care, young wife!¡±<div>


    He hoped such a customer would nevere again! This little profit was too exhausting, and he would have rather not earned anything at all!


    The shopkeeper muttered to himself with a bitter face before immediately focusing on another customer, ¡°Auntie, what do you want to sell today?¡±


    Liu Sisi, on the other hand, was quite satisfied. With three taels of silver, she purchased ten sets of clothes and got arge bag of scrap fabric from the shopkeeper ¨C she even bought a set for her father-inw and mother-inw.


    It took the time of two pots of tea toplete the purchase, and it was really hard to say whether she gained or lost in the end.


    Seeing that it was gettingte, Liu Sisi went home. On her way past the pork stall, she gritted her teeth and bought another chunk of meat, several pounds worth, and carried it back home.


    Today, she spent quite a bit of silver, but she got a lot in return.


    In addition to the new clothes for everyone, there were also the two pieces of Su embroidery given by Madam Gan Senior.


    The exquisiteness of these two pieces of Su embroidery was so breathtaking that it was hard to put a price on them. Although their value might not be immeasurable, they were definitely valuable!


    Besides, there were also many supplements and wound medicines for Di Yelei. Even after refusing several times, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t refuse in the end and had to take them home.


    In the room, YingEr and Xuan¡¯er quickly changed into their new clothes to try the length.


    ¡°Mom! Mom, does YingEr look good in this outfit?¡±<div>


    YingEr trotted over, blinking a pair of watery eyes expectantly.


    YingEr was wearing the set with embroidered daffodil patterns at the cor, cuffs, and skirt hem.


    ¡°You look good! Our YingEr is so pretty, everything looks good on her!¡±


    No kidding, this outfit did look much prettier than their old clothes! Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t resist hugging YingEr, fiercely kissing her cheeks twice before putting her down.


    ¡°Hurry and take off the dress. Once I wash and dry it in a couple of days, you can wear it.¡±


    When she mentioned ¡°in a couple of days,¡± she naturally referred to Di Ah-bao¡¯s wedding day.


    Di Xuan also tried on the dark blue gown. Indeed, it made him look taller and was really good looking.


    Di Yelei watched a few people pass by in front of him with a smile, calling out to Liu Sisi softly.


    ¡°Sisi! What about your husband¡¯s clothes? You didn¡¯t buy them, did you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t have enough silver, so I didn¡¯t buy any for you. But I bought a set for both my father and mother-inw. We¡¯ll give it to themter.¡±


    Liu Sisi replied while carefully inspecting the medicinal materials she had brought back.


    Di Yelei felt a bit frustrated, disappointed by his inability to move.


    ¡°Pfft! You¡¯re jealous like a child! Here, aren¡¯t these your two sets of clothes? I definitely won¡¯t forget your share!¡±


    Having said that, Liu Sisi even gave him a white nce.


    Only then was Di Yelei happy!


    ¡°Sisi! I¡¯ve always been curious. How did that man in ck save you on the mountain path?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know either¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi stopped her actions, her thoughts racing.


    At that time, she was surrounded by a group of bandits on the mountain path, instinctively wanting to escape but finding it impossible!


    The bandits had already pounced on her, tearing her clothes! At thest moment, she suddenly saw a sh in front of her eyes, and the man in ck was standing there, surrounded by corpses everywhere!


    She couldn¡¯t see his movements clearly, and she didn¡¯t know when he had taken care of the bandits on the ground!


    By the time she pushed the corpses away and got up, she was captured before even having a chance to thank him!


    ¡°Ye Lei, don¡¯t think too much about it. Your main task right now is to recover quickly so that you have the energy to protect the three of us. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand! Sisi, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll recover from my injuries as soon as possible.¡±


    On Di Ah-bao¡¯s wedding day, it was inevitable that people from the old house would make things difficult for her! With his injuries, he could only lie there helplessly, how could it not be frustrating?


    And no matter how bad his little brother was, he should at least look decent on his wedding day.


    Liu Sisi was also calcting whether the items on hand were generous enough. If they were criticized, it would not be a good thing, especially with people like Ms. Zhao.


    After thinking about it, she cut a few more pieces of Su embroidery and folded them neatly inside.


    There were also some rare precious medicines, from which she took a little bit each. It barely sufficed to cover the matter. If the other party was still covetous with these many things, she could only go along with them!

 Chapter 227: 225: Thick-skinned Ye Lei, Busy Sisi

    Chapter 227: 225: Thick-skinned Ye Lei, Busy Sisi<div>


    ¡°Sisi, no need to hurry, we still have several days left! Why are you rushing to prepare all these today? Come here, your husband misses you.¡±


    Di Yelei was unhappy, seeing that his wife waspletely ignoring him.


    It was no wonder, making a man ustomed to wandering in the forest lie idle in bed all day was undoubtedly a cruel torture!<div>


    Even though it was due to his injuries!


    However, Di Yelei¡¯s robust figure was now rapidly losing weight. In a few days, his cheeks had be gaunt, only skin and bones left!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart broke!


    Now, hearing Di Yelei¡¯s call, she hurriedly put down what she was doing and quickly went to his side, touching his forehead with her hand.


    A few days earlier, Di Yelei had been running a high fever repeatedly, which had frightened her!


    She was busy for several days, making medicine meal after meal, taking care of his meals, and constantly making him break a sweat. His body was burning like a hot stove, scaring others.


    When Di Yelei was feverish, he was always trying to turn over, constantly struggling, Liu Sisi would have to remind him time after time, she had to be there for him constantly. Luckily, his high fever eventually subsided.


    Thinking of it now, it gave her shivers!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you ufortable somewhere? Do you want me to change your bandages? Or is your forehead aching again? I¡¯ll check if the gauze is dry.¡±


    Liu Sisi felt like running outside intuitively.


    ¡°No, I am fine, I just miss you.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei swiftly grabbed her hand and pulled her to his cheek, continuously rubbing it with his coarse stubbles.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi eased a bit, finally putting her concerns to rest.


    The sight of Di Yelei trying to please her gingerly made her heart soften.


    ¡°Are you feeling restless being alone in the room? Wait for me a moment. I will finish up here and thene to keep youpany, alright?¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t let her go, preffering to close his eyes and nuzzle her chest.


    ¡°So soft, sofortable¨CSisi, I miss you!¡±


    He missed the feeling of having her small body writhing under his, but now he could only stare nkly, unable to do anything, which was frustrating for him.


    ¡°Pfft! You, I mean¡ª¡ª¡±


    Liu Sisi felt like pinching his waist, but withdrew her hand when she felt the hard bandages.


    ¡°What on earth are you thinking? is this what you should be worrying about right now? The most important thing for you now is to take good care of your injuries and recover as soon as possible.¡±


    Is this what a man in his thirties is supposed to say?<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? You are my legit wife! If I didn¡¯t have any desires for you, that would be a reason to cry.¡±


    Di Yelei did not seem embarrassed at all, on the contrary, he was quite indignant!


    Liu Sisi shot him an annoyed look.


    ¡°Nonsense! Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re injured! What you need to do is¡­¡±


    Her sentence was interrupted by his mischievous hand.


    ¡°I can indulge you in everything else, but in the bed- I must be tough with you, I must properly take care of you, I must subdue you thoroughly. Because I am your man, and you are my woman!¡±


    ¡°How can you¡­!¡±


    Liu Sisi turned both embarrassed and angry! She could no longer hold it back and lunged forward, her eight pinching fingers clenched onto his ear!


    ¡°Can¡¯t you¡­can¡¯t you stop saying shameless things?¡±


    Her small face was red with embarrassment, her pearly teeth were pressed tight to her lower lip, her eyes watery. The sight of it made the man half lying there slightly dim his eyes, which were particrly deep.


    Di Yelei was smirking, so pleased with himself that the corners of his mouth nearly touched the back of his head!<div>


    ¡°What your husband is saying is all the most decent talk, where is there any nonsense in it? The affection between husband and wife is part of human ethics, there is nothing to be ashamed of at all!¡± He defended himself with confidence.


    ¡°I¡­I won¡¯t talk to you anymore, I will go to see how the bone soup is doing.¡±


    After Liu Sisi finished talking, she fled as if flying!


    She couldn¡¯t stay even for another moment! This hateful man! A bastard with lust on his brain!


    Liu Sisi cupped her burning cheeks, hurriedly fetched a basin of cold water to wash her face, and finally calmed her heated face.


    No matter how much sheined, she did all the tasks she should do without a miss.


    After washing the clothes and carrying two buckets of water ¨C luckily, the well is located in their courtyard, a few steps back and forth wasn¡¯t too tiring ¨C she delivered the ready-made bone soup into the room. That hateful man was halfying there, sleeping soundly. He seemed to be having restless dreams, his muscles twitching from time to time.


    He must be healing, right? Growing new flesh feels unbearably itchy; however, this man here has neverined.


    Sighing, she fetched a thin quilt to lightly cover him, then carefully left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.


    With nothing else to do, she might as well continue transcribing some pages to earn a little pocket money!


    As soon as Liu Sisi left, the man in the room immediately opened his eyes. The light in the depths of his gaze quickly dimmed.


    He talked prettily, but he himself knew the severity of his wounds.


    For at least one month, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.


    Unable to resist, he touched the painful, throbbing wound on his head. This injury was the most dangerous. Initially, the ck-clothed man had aimed for Sisi, and he was in no position to dodge; all he could do was block the blow head-on.


    Remembering this now, it was indeed a perilous moment!


    If Sisi had taken the blow, even if she survived, she would have had to recuperate for at least three to five months.


    As an adult man with a thick skin, huddling a few months wasn¡¯t much, but if Sisi were to get hurt, wouldn¡¯t that break his heart?


    Lost in these thoughts, Di Yelei actually fell asleep.


    The weather gradually turned chillier, and Liu Sisi took the chance to dig out the sweet potatoes from the small plot ofnd in the fields. They were left to air-dry and then nned to be stored in the cer after a few days. The house had been chaotic recently, and she didn¡¯t have the energy to sort them out.


    There were also the chive seedlings. Seeing that Frost¡¯s Descent wasing soon, these chives would wither and only leave the old roots surviving in the soil, waiting to sprout again next year. Since they were still tender, they were better off being cut for use.


    Thest batch of daylilies had been harvested, and the sprouts of the water spinach were noticeably smaller. She nned to cover them with mulchter and continue nting next year.


    There are so many preparations for winter!


    No matter how much everyone resisted, the Double Ninth Festival quietly arrived.

 Chapter 236: 234: Shameless Ye Lei, Embarrassed Sisi!

    Chapter 236: 234: Shameless Ye Lei, Embarrassed Sisi!<div>


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh, thinking to herself, how could such a big man be so troublesome? Had she not noticed this before?


    ¡°Sisi¡ªSisi, be good. Just look at your husband¡¯s body. Isn¡¯t it hard enough to only have sponge baths every day?¡± He pretended to be pitiful while looking yful.


    Liu Sisi quickly got up and pushed him away: ¡°Don¡¯t even try, you can¡¯t bathe until the scabs on your wounds havepletely fallen off! If your condition worsens, what will we three do?¡±<div>


    She lectured him seriously.


    ¡°Sisi¡ª¡±


    He stretched out his hand and caught her, pulling her into his embrace, burying his head in her neck, gently blowing air, his eyes bright and cunning.


    ¡°Sisi, do you really not miss your husband? Hm! My little kitten¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t miss you at all, so stop causing trouble! How am I supposed to apply ointment like this? Hmm¡­ let¡­ go¡­¡±


    Her words were drowned out by his deep kiss.


    His kiss was wild and passionate, seeking her out relentlessly, as if trying to embed herpletely within himself, deepening their connection even further.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ stop messing around¡­ your wounds¡­¡±


    Barely struggling free, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but pant softly as she spoke while catching her breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m just regaining my strength now¡ªSisi, I want you, really want you¡­¡±


    Seizing the opportunity to catch his breath, Di Yelei whispered intimately, then once again pressed his lips to hers.<div>


    His agile tongue quickly explored her small mouth, capturing her tongue and plundering it relentlessly. His tongue seemed like a dexterous me, lingering on her lips and yfully nipping at her small mouth.


    By the time he let her go, her face was flushed, her body limp, and her watery eyes were filled with passion, almost unable to stand up.


    ¡°Enough ying! Once your wounds heal, I¡¯ll let you do whatever you want, but it¡¯s not possible now!¡±


    She clutched her chest tightly, unwilling to let go.


    Looking at the serious and stubborn little woman in front of him, Di Yelei was disappointed to find that he wouldn¡¯t be able to satisfy his cravings tonight. He couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected, like a frostbitten eggnt.


    ¡°Alright! But you¡¯re the one who said it¡­ when the timees¡­ hehehe!¡±


    He let out a series of triumphantughter!


    Listening to him, Liu Sisi¡¯s goosebumps popped right out, and she felt a shiver run through her, as if disaster was looming.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so idle, I¡¯ll double your assigned homework! So you won¡¯t have too much time for wild thoughts.¡±


    As she spoke, she red at him angrily, then turned around and started tidying up the items around her.


    ¡°Ah!¡ªYou can¡¯t be serious¡­¡±<div>


    Di Yelei cried out in distress, his face twisted into a bitter gourd expression: ¡°Sisi! You can¡¯t treat your husband like this¡­¡±


    ¡°And how should I treat you? Get out of here, caramel!¡±


    She pushed him away forcefully, the stubborn caramel, and sat down to continue copying her book.


    ¡°I am caramel, but I am only your caramel, and I am going to stick to you. Good Sisi, little kitten, how about I write two extra pages instead?¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi ignoring him, he had no choice but to ept his fate, pick up his brush-pen, and start practicing writing.


    As soon as he picked up the pen, his whole being calmed down,pletely losing his previous yful manner.


    He sat there diligently practicing writing.


    Liu Sisi took a quick nce and frowned, unconsciously shaking her head and sighing.


    Since he was alwaysining about having nothing to do, Liu Sisi thought for a moment and took advantage of his recovery time by letting him learn to read and write.


    It seems Di Xuan¡¯s talent was inherited by him, as his ability to recognize words was strong. Although he wasn¡¯t quite able to memorize after a single nce, he never forgot any knowledge taught to him once.


    However, his writing¡­<div>


    It was simply unbearable to look at! It was unclear whether it was due to his injury.


    At the moment, after finishing a page of writing, he raised his head and met Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, and his face immediately drooped.


    ¡°Sisi! I won¡¯t bathe, can I just write once? Sisi, my dear Sisi.¡±


    ¡°No way! You must double your efforts!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly straightened her sitting posture.


    He moved closer and kept pestering her, ¡°Sisi! Your husband knows he hasn¡¯t been able to serve you well recently¡­ But I promise that once I feel better, I will definitely feed you well and satisfy you¡­¡±


    ¡°Get lost! Di Yelei, you bastard with a head full of dirty thoughts!¡±


    Feeling both shy and annoyed, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and pped him on the chest.


    ¡°Ouch! Sisi, it hurts so much¡­ Sisi, are you trying to kill your husband?¡±


    Di Yelei cried out in pain, but his hands didn¡¯t slow down at all. In no time, the opponent¡¯s little hand was urately grabbed within his palm and he rubbed it gently, ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even try! I didn¡¯t even use any strength¡­¡±


    She struggled to get his hand off her, ¡°Di Yelei, you¡­ do you have any shame? Hurry up and leave! Be careful¡­ in case Xuan¡¯er and the others hear.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Xuan¡¯er and the others just went to Zhang Peng¡¯s home to get some herbal wine, do you think I don¡¯t know?¡±


    Someone who turned into a wolf brandished their wolf ws.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t¡­mmm¡­¡±


    Her unfinished words were once again interrupted by a series of wolf kisses from the other party.


    As for the assignments and whatnot, at this time, they really, truly were not important!


    During her spare time, Liu Sisi brought some white turnip, carrot, and baby bok choy seeds and nted them in the empty sweet potato field. She originally wanted to do it herself, but Di Yelei took over and finished it quickly. Sweet potatoes were also stored in the cer.


    As the weather turned colder, he began to weave straw mats and door curtains. The thick straw mats were twice as thick as those sold outside, tightly woven together to provide warmth and softness. A thickyer wasid under the bed mattress, making it soft and warm, and exceptionallyfortable.


    One morning, he even came back with two wild rabbits, which frightened Liu Sisi!


    ¡°Sisi, I caught these in the traps I set, not shot with a bow and arrow.¡±


    Di Yelei grinned innocently, but Liu Sisi detected a hint of smugness in his expression.


    Could the man before her have been pretending to be weak all this time?


    A sudden realization crossed her mind, but she soon shook her head!


    That couldn¡¯t be possible, he was just a hunter, how could he have such a cunning mind? Absolutely impossible! She tried to convince herself.


    ¡°Is it true? You really caught these in traps? You didn¡¯t trick me.¡±


    Liu Sisi held the two rabbits, her face full of joy.


    Tonight, there would be rabbit meat to eat again!


    ¡°When have I ever deceived you, my kitty with a greedy little mouth!¡±


    Di Yelei proudly swiped her little nose and grinned.

 Chapter 229 - 227: Ms. Zhao’s stinginess, the war triggered by game meat.

    Chapter 229: Chapter 227: Ms. Zhao¡¯s stinginess, the war triggered by game meat.


    Since she had been out all morning, she didn¡¯t know how the adults and children at home were doing.


    YingEr initially wanted toe with her today, but considering the attitudes of those at the old house, she left YingEr behind instead.


    Guihua was helping to wash the white turnips, carrots, cabbages, turnip leaves, and Chinese cabbage on the side. These were all for pickling with water in the afternoon, ready to be eaten at the table tomorrow.


    Upon hearing this, she clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Tsk! Your mother-inw is really something! She wants to use that half piece of pork ¡ª about fifty or so catties ¡ª to serve thirty tables! That¡¯s too hard on the cooks.¡±


    She wiped away the mud that had gotten on her face.


    ¡°She¡¯s been eyeing the dozen rabbits and wild pheasants at our house! As soon as I came over today she brought it up, but I yed dumb and brushed her off. The weather¡¯s getting colder and Ye Lei needs nourishment. That¡¯s why I kept these things ¡ª they¡¯re for his health, not for others.


    While Liu Sisi was talking, she put the peeled taro in a basket to one side.


    Guihua continued her vigorous washing and scrubbing, ¡°I suggest you go and talk to your mother-inw about this! Otherwise, when the banquet is ready, she might criticize you right in the middle of things. If she uses you of not ughtering the chickens or rabbits¡­what could you say? People might even think you pocketed those meats and vegetables and have been skimming food!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s their problem! As long as I have a clear conscience, that¡¯s enough for me.¡±


    Whether the banquet is sessful or not, the one who takes part in it is always under pressure from both sides, so why should she do it?


    ¡°That may be true, but you know your own mother-inw, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Wanting Ms. Zhao to change her opinion of the third family branch seemed harder than scaling the heavens! Upon some thought, Liu Sisi realized this was the situation.


    ¡°If that¡¯s really the case¡­¡±


    She quickly thought of something, whispered in Guihua¡¯s ear, then took off her apron, bypassed the stoves being set up by the cooks, and went to find Ms. Zhao in the main house.


    Ms. Zhao was also looking upset today.


    In order to save face, she had specifically ordered Little Cui ¡ª the temporarily renamed Ms. Xin ¡ª to rent a room and move out of her house for the wedding. However, what she didn¡¯t expect was that Ms. Xin would actually invite the bouncers from the brothel to deliver her dowry. Wasn¡¯t this pping the Di Family in the face publicly?


    Ms. Zhao was so angry that she couldn¡¯t catch her breath, and had to suppress the urge to tear the dowry to shreds on the spot!


    But she had to put on a smile! Endure the mockery of the fellow vigers!


    She managed to send those people away, but her face immediately darkened! She began to swear at people.


    When Liu Sisi came out of the kitchen, Ms. Zhao was cursing loudly at the door of the left wing room.


    Normally, the youngest son shouldn¡¯t live in the left wing room. However, after Di Hongyuan left and never returned, and Di Ah-Bao gradually grew older and could live independently, Ms. Zhao suggested to Elderly Mr. Di that Di Ah-Bao should be ced in the left wing room.


    At this moment, naturally, the room being decorated as the bridal chamber was Di Ah-Bao¡¯s usual residence ¨C the left wing room.


    When Liu Sisi came out of the kitchen, she raised her head, and met the eyes of Ms. Wang, who stood under the eaves leisurely peeling melon seeds, her face full of mockery.


    Although Ms. Wang was her sister-inw, there was a vast age gap between the two of them. Moreover, due to the past incident of Ms. Wang forcibly grabbing food from the Di Family upon first arriving, the two of them naturally felt ufortable at the sight of each other.


    Liu Sisi was covered in dirt with her hands in a mess.


    Ms. Wang, in her mandarin-cored, bright red, butterfly-patterned dress, was leaning against a pir. Her beautiful features made her look attractive, an embodiment of the saying that beauty increases with age!


    Of course, it would be better if her face didn¡¯t look so scornful.


    ¡°Humph! Brownnoser!¡±


    Ms. Wang gave a scornful gasp, ignoring Liu Sisi, and strutted with her bucket into the side room.


    Liu Sisi stood stunned for a moment before remembering that Ms. Wang was probably referring to the clothes she had gifted to Ms. Zhao.


    Shaking her head, she turned to look back at Ms. Zhao, who was still ranting and raving non-stop, and paused in her steps.


    Going over to her now would be asking for trouble.


    She lifted her head, just in time to see Di Wei hurrying over from outside. She quickly called out to her.


    ¡°Di Wei! Di Wei,e over here.¡±


    Di Wei stopped in her tracks, looked left, then right, and finally rushed over to Liu Sisi. She liked Liu Sisi, but ever since not taking Little Aunt¡¯s sidest time and getting beaten by her own mother, she had been speaking to Liu Sisi behind her mother¡¯s back.


    ¡°Auntie, you called me?¡±


    ¡°Why are you running in such a hurry? What happened?¡± Liu Sisi asked curiously.


    Di Wei nced at the doorway again before leaning towards Liu Sisi¡¯s ear: ¡°It¡¯s about the fish! Grandma had nned to buy fish from Zhao Family¡¯s fishpond, but when my father went there just now, the Zhao Family said that they had sold the lot of fish to someone else. My father used the Zhao Family of going back on their word out of greed. The Zhao Family retaliated with a few unpleasant words, and my father started fighting with them. Then he sent me back to bring the news.¡±


    So that was what happened!


    ¡°How long has this been going on? Who all got involved?¡±


    Di Wei shook her head: ¡°Uncle Zhao and my father were the only ones fighting. This happened right before I returned.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¨C¡±


    She leaned in and whispered a few quick words into Di Wei¡¯s ear, then briskly walked into the left-wing room. Ms. Zhao was still spouting abuse!


    When she saw Liu Sisiing in, she didn¡¯t miss a beat in her tirade.


    ¡°Mother, it will be dark soon. The doctor is on his way to change Di Yelei¡¯s bandages, so¡­¡±


    Before Liu Sisi could finish speaking, Ms. Zhao switched targets and unleashed a torrent of abuse at her.


    ¡°What kind of time is this?! We¡¯re at a hair¡¯s breadth from disaster and you need to go back and change bandages? He wouldn¡¯t die if he didn¡¯t change it for one day, will he? It is not like all the people in the family are dead¡­¡±


    Even though Liu Sisi was prepared for a scolding, she got angry as soon as she heard this!


    ¡°Mother! Even if we¡¯re not blood-rted, can¡¯t we be a bit understanding? I¡¯m a stepmother too, but I¡¯ve never met anyone like you! Besides, it was your precious daughter who caused trouble for Ye Lei! If you make things go too far, I won¡¯t mind letting people know that Ye Lei has a murderous little sister!¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao, furious, dug in her heels and argued: ¡°Now that the Third Son is a constable, what should be said is up to you guys. Even if you say white is ck, who dares to object?¡±


    Liu Sisi burst intoughter.


    ¡°Mother makes a good point! However, the ones who used Little Sister of hiring assassins were the Grandmasters of the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple. Since mother is so articte and convincing, why not go to the temple and argue with the Grandmasters?¡±


    While speaking, she went over to Ms. Zhao, a fierce look shed in her eyes. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Since you know that Ye Lei can make white ck and ck white, you better watch your mouth in the future!¡±

 Chapter 230: 228: Picking bones out of an egg, Ms. Zhao gets beaten

    Chapter 230: 228: Picking bones out of an egg, Ms. Zhao gets beaten<div>


    ¡°You, you¡­ shrew! You dare to threaten me!¡± Ms. Zhao was so angry she couldn¡¯t speak properly!


    Liu Sisi gave a shallow smile.


    ¡°Even if I borrowed ten times the courage, I wouldn¡¯t dare to threaten you.¡±<div>


    After saying that, she turned and walked outside: ¡°By the way! Ye Lei is seriously injured. I¡¯m afraid I will have to take care of him very carefully tonight, so I mighteter. Mom, please don¡¯t mind.¡±


    As she said this, she had already left the left wing room.


    Ms. Zhao, unable to hold back her anger, immediately chased out from the inner room: ¡°You damn woman! Get back here! You¡¯re not even taking care of your brother¡¯s big wedding? Stop! Did you hear me? Be careful when you give birth to your son¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother-inw! Why is Ye Lei seriously injured? I advise you to think carefully before scolding me!¡±


    Liu Sisi fiercely turned her head, and asked harshly with narrowed eyes, ¡°If you really push Sisi to the edge, don¡¯t me Sisi for leaving you without a foothold in the Di family!¡±


    Ms. Zhao was taken aback by the ferocity in her eyes and hesitated to speak.


    Although she was tough now, she was really afraid that others would find out about Ruo Ning¡¯s disgraceful secret, and Ruo Ning¡¯s life would bepletely ruined!


    Liu Sisi did not have a trace of a smile on her face! After speaking, she turned and left without looking back.


    Ms. Zhao was choked on the spot, and it took her a long time toe back to her senses and cursed loudly!


    This ce was the old house courtyard, and thoseing in and out at the moment were fellow vigers who hade to help. Di Yelei was not Ms. Zhao¡¯s biological son, and the vigers had seen and remembered the harshness she had shown toward the third family branch all these years.


    Now, hearing the conversation between the two mother-inw and daughter-inw, they whispered and spected privately. They guessed what kind of tricks Ms. Zhao had yed that had annoyed the delicate third daughter-inw.<div>


    An old woman beside them couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and retorted sarcastically!


    ¡°I say, Ms. Zhao! I heard that the new clothes you¡¯re wearing were bought for you by your third daughter-inw? I also heard that when Ah-Bao got married, the third family branch gave 2 taels of silver, a silver hairpin, and a pair of silver earrings?¡±


    Ms. Zhao covered her chest and her face turned pale!


    What she was wearing was indeed the new clothes that Liu Sisi had sent early in the morning!


    In her opinion, she was the mother-inw, and the Third Son¡¯s family should earn money for her to spend, and they should buy her clothes to wear.


    ¡°So what if it¡¯s from the Third Son¡¯s family? I raised him with hard work, and it was only natural to get some interest back!¡±


    After saying this, she red proudly at the people around her.


    A married woman next to her couldn¡¯t helpughing: ¡°Wow! You actually raised him? How you treated Ye Lei when he was a child, all of us neighbors saw it. When you did bad things, why didn¡¯t you remember it? You don¡¯t feel ashamed when people point it out, but you still show off, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Where can you find such a good daughter-inw?¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, she probably despises Ye Lei because he¡¯s not her own son, so she¡¯s always picking on the third family branch!¡±


    ¡°The man of the house is still bedridden, and encountering such a cheap mother-inw is really unfortunate! I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll umte any good views for the future generation!¡±<div>


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Being suddenly pointed out by these people, Ms. Zhao felt her face burning hot.


    ¡°What¡¯s it to you all? This is my Di family¡¯s business, what does it have to do with you outsiders? I think you guys are just too full! Meddling in other people¡¯s business like a dog chasing a rat.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She couldn¡¯t help yelling at the vige women!


    ¡°You¡¯re all eating my Di family¡¯s food and gossiping about my Di family, right? Get lost! All of you, get lost!¡±


    All the vigers who hade to help were outraged!


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Ms. Zhao, what kind of talk is that? You think we came to help because of your face! As if we came to freeload a meal from you. We¡¯re all leaving! I want to see how she can prepare the wedding feast on her own!¡±


    The fellow vigers who came to help were all grumbling and using Ms. Zhao.


    ¡°The one who should leave¡­ is you! I¡¯ll¡­ kill you¡­¡±


    With that, a p flew from the side, followed by a shower of crutch blows.


    Elderly Mr. Di was furious!<div>


    He might be clumsy with his hands and feet now, but he wasn¡¯t stupid!


    He had been hearing Ms. Zhao¡¯s arrogant voice from outside, and it was making him more and more anxious, especially since he couldn¡¯t speak up. He was so worried!


    At present, seeing that Ms. Zhao had offended all the vigers, he could not care about anything else and just hit her.


    ¡°You hit me! Hit me to death! I don¡¯t want to live! How unfortunate I, Zhao, am to have such a miserable life! Now, at my old age, you are still hitting me! Hit me, hit me ¡ª hit me to death, hit me!¡±


    Ms. Zhao kicked and screamed, crying and acting like a shrew as she fell to the ground and didn¡¯t get up.


    The fellow vigers who were helping saw that the situation was getting out of hand and quickly separated Elderly Mr. Di and Ms. Zhao whileforting each of them.


    After a few strikes of his crutches, Elderly Mr. Di had no more strength. He sat down under the eaves, unable to stand, panting heavily.


    On the other hand, Ms. Zhao was still crying in great grief and looking extremely wronged.


    Throughout all this, Di Ah-Bao, who had been hiding in the new room, didn¡¯t even show his face. No one knows what he was working on!


    ¡°I say, are we still preparing this feast? A clever wife cannot cook without rice. If you want me as the Head Chef, you have to provide the ingredients, right?¡±


    It was the Head Chef who finally spoke up, tired of waiting for the ingredients toe!


    ¡°But let me say this beforehand: whether this feast is prepared or not, you¡¯ll still have to pay me.¡±


    At this point, Ms. Zhao stopped her crying and hurried to look for the ingredients.


    Elderly Mr. Di caught his breath and quickly apologized to everyone who hade to help.


    Seeing the exhausted Elderly Mr. Di, the people who came to help all busied themselves with their tasks again. After all, they came to help for the sake of Mr. Di and Di Yelei¡¯s face.


    Ms. Zhao was running around in circles, secretly nning in her heart how to get the Third Family Branch to take out the rabbit and wild pheasant. She couldn¡¯t let this loss today be in vain¡­


    Di Wei rushed in from outside: ¡°Grandmother! Grandmother, there¡¯s a problem at Dad¡¯s side! The Zhao Family sold the fish to someone else!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Ms. Zhao was immediately worried! How could this feast be without fish?


    ¡°Sold to someone else? Which bastard dared to snatch my fish? Where is the fish? Take me there quickly!¡±


    Ms. Zhao was all fired up, itching for a fight!


    ¡°It¡¯s over here, follow me, Grandmother!¡±


    Di Wei quickly led Ms. Zhao outside. As soon as Ms. Zhao left, the whole old house suddenly became orderly and everyone went about their tasks.


    Liu Sisi, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t in a hurry. She leisurely returned home. As expected! The doctor who came to change the medicine was already here.


    Di Yelei¡¯s wounds had already scabbed, and the shallow parts had started to peel off, revealing pink and tender flesh. His entire back was a mess of colors, a horrifying sight!


    As soon as the doctor had changed the medicine, Liu Sisi anxiously asked, ¡°Sir, why is it taking my husband¡¯s wounds so long to heal? What¡¯s going on?¡±

 Chapter 239: 237: Booming Business, Ye Lei Sneaks Out, Sisi Gets Angry

    Chapter 239: 237: Booming Business, Ye Lei Sneaks Out, Sisi Gets Angry<div>


    ¡°Also, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua¡¯s den hasn¡¯t been tidied up.¡±


    Little Ying beside quickly said.


    It¡¯s quite annoying how every time she tidies up Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua¡¯s den, it¡¯s a mess the next day when she checks on it.<div>


    Her words made everyoneugh.


    ¡°You just want to keep the horse. Didn¡¯t you hear him say that raising a horse also requires feeding various beans and coarse grains and cutting grass? If it keeps getting colder, where can we find grass?¡±


    Liu Sisi doesn¡¯t find the horse appealing.


    ¡°How much fodder can one horse eat? Once we bring the horse back, I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡±


    Di Yelei is excited.


    The continuous hills behind the house have no shortage of grass to feed a horse. But the stable must be tidied up first.


    ¡°Alright! Remember, these words areing from you!¡±


    Liu Sisi doesn¡¯t want to crush him too much and lets him be.


    On the other hand, as Yelei¡¯s injury has improved, a good horse would be more convenient to rece walking when he goes to the governmental office.


    As everyone talks and walks, they reach the doorway of the bookstore. When they hand the new clothes and quilt for Di Cheng, his eyes turn red.


    ¡°Third Aunt¡­ I¡­ this¡­ ¡±<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t dilly-dally, hurry up and take it!¡±


    Liu Sisi pushes the cotton quilt and cotton-padded jacket towards Di Cheng and says assertively, ¡°I¡¯m not giving these clothes and quilt for free! If I find you cking off or being dishonest, don¡¯t me me for being harsh on you!¡±


    Di Cheng forces back the tears in his eyes and nods vigorously, ¡°Third Aunt, rest assured! Di Cheng is definitely not azy and cunning person!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good! Put them away quickly.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s tough demeanor disappears, and she smiles broadly.


    As they¡¯re talking, Old Six from the Carriage Shop happens to be delivering goods and sees Liu Sisi. He bows and walks up to her, ¡°Ah, so Miss from the Liu Family is here today. How rare!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Master Old Six. It seems you¡¯ve been quite busytely, your Carriage Shop must be doing well?¡±


    Liu Sisi smiles gently and responds in kind.


    ¡°Not bad! It¡¯s like this every year, and I¡¯m used to it. This is a batch of goods. I have already sent the order you ced today along with the carriage. It should arrive in a couple of days.¡±


    Old Six speaks and hands over the paper order.


    Liu Sisi takes it, checks it, and signs her name at the end.<div>


    ¡°Alright! Next time you deliver goods, just deal with my nephew as usual.¡± Liu Sisi casually points at Di Cheng, who is busy moving the goods.


    ¡°Miss from the Liu Family, you can rest assured! We¡¯ve been doing business for a long time, and my credibility is absolutely guaranteed!¡±


    Old Six ps his chest with a guarantee, takes the reward money given by Liu Sisi, and leaves happily with his carriage.


    ¡°Everyone, get to work. I still have goods to deliver, so I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Take care, Master Old Six!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze lingered on the departing carriage, her heart churning. If her family had such a carriage for transportation, wouldn¡¯t it be more convenient?


    However, just as one must eat a meal one bite at a time, one can¡¯t expect to be a Fatty in just one gulp!


    For the following days, the weather was gloomy and rainy, with each day colder than thest.


    Stepping out for a walk in the morning, Sisi felt like her face was covered in ice crystals, her breath turning into a misty fog. But by noon, the sun woulde out, and the temperature would rise again.


    The newly purchased cotton clothes and cotton quilts had juste in handy.


    Liu Sisi took out the three blue fabrics and cut them ording to the size of the quilt. As nned, she made a covering for the quilt to be sewn on, which would be easy to take off, wash, and provide extra warmth.<div>


    However, this was no small project, and Liu Sisi wasn¡¯t in a rush, sewing it together stitch by stitch.


    If she had to say what her greatest improvement was sinceing to this era, it might be learning to use a needle to sew clothes and mend shoe soles, which she was gradually getting the hang of.


    Following the sewing habits of the people around her, she threaded a long needle with thick cotton thread, wrapped arge piece of cloth around the outeryer, and sewed the quilt securely with cotton thread around the edge. When it was time to wash the quilt, she could simply pull out the thread, wash the cover, dry it, and sew it back on.


    Di Yelei was nowhere to be found early that day.


    Liu Sisi continued to dismantle the old quilt cover, truly fed up with the lumpy feel of the old cotton and its faint mildewy smell. Seeing the rare sunshine outside, she hurriedly took apart the quilt, nning to take out the cotton, air it out, and sew it back together as a padded nket.


    Soon, Guihua arrived.


    Guihua had been visiting the Di Family more frequentlytely, mainly because when Zhang Yun wasn¡¯t ying with the two children at the Di Family, he would be hunting with Zhang Peng in the mountains.


    As the Start of Winter approached, many animals in the mountain would hibernate, and nowadays, they were all fat and strong. So people like Zhang Peng spent their days wandering the mountains, making Di Yelei feel like his heart was being scratched by ws.


    He would go hunting in the mountains every two or three days, bringing back some wild animals.


    ¡°Sisi, didn¡¯t I hear a few days ago that some families in the vige are considering sending their children to you to teach? Why has there been no follow-up?¡±


    Guihua, who was mending a shoe sole, casually asked Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi, who was working hard to separate the cotton wadding, replied with a smile, ¡°What could happen? Although it seems elegant for a girl to be literate, it costs a lot of money. They think the education gift is too high, so they either don¡¯t want toe or their family opposes it. Actually, I¡¯m tired too. You¡¯ve seen my situation; I¡¯m like a spinning top, never stopping.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, seeing you makes me feel tired too.¡±


    Guihua nodded sympathetically, ¡°But now that Brother Ye Lei¡¯s health has improved, it¡¯s natural that your lives will improve as he hunts more in the mountains. Yesterday, Zhang Peng told me, and I was¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait! Sister Guihua, what were you saying? Who went hunting in the mountains?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face changed, interrupting Guihua immediately.


    ¡°Brother Ye Lei! You¡­you don¡¯t know that Brother Ye Lei went into the mountains?¡±


    Guihua hesitated to ask, realizing that she had said something wrong.


    Liu Sisi threw down her work and rushed into the kitchen. As expected! The ce where Di Yelei usually stored his bow and arrows was empty, with nothing left!


    ¡°That bastard! What the hell is he thinking?¡±


    Liu Sisi was more than a little upset!


    Pulling a bow was not like walking, requiring not only arm strength but also the stretching force of muscles. It was not hard to imagine how much pressure it would put on the chest as one pulls therge bow and how much damage it would do to the broken ribs!


    But that damned bastard secretly took his bow and arrows to the mountain behind her back, making her furious!

 Chapter 232: 230: Sisi brings game, fellow villagers eagerly inquire and rejoice

    Chapter 232: 230: Sisi brings game, fellow vigers eagerly inquire and rejoice<div>


    By dusk, Liu Sisi had finished dinner and carried four wild rabbits and two wild chickens to the old house.


    The little chicks they had bought were now only about a pound each. Although they could not afford to spend money on eggying wild chickens, Liu Sisi took two roosters directly.


    The courtyard of the old house was brightly lit, with eight torches burning and swaying in each corner!<div>


    As soon as Liu Sisi arrived at the old house holding the game, she immediately attracted the attention of countless people.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re here! Hurry over!¡± Guihua called out to her urgently.


    There were several fellow vigers who hade to help, all gathered together and washing and scrubbing non-stop in busy preparation.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, I have some things to do, I¡¯ll be back in a while!¡±


    Liu Sisi turned around to answer and then walked into the inner room.


    Ms. Zhao heard themotion outside and came out from the inside, bumping into Liu Sisi. She was about to scold her when she saw the game in Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, the words of scolding on the verge of her lips, but swallowed them back.


    She hastily put on a fake smile: ¡°You¡¯re here from Third Son¡¯s family? Why did you bring the game sote? Hurry up and give it to the teachers, or else it will dy the cooking, what can we do then?¡±


    ¡°Mom, this game was sent by Ye Lei. There are four wild rabbits and two wild chickens in total. Would you like to check?¡±


    Liu Sisi deliberately raised her voice.


    ¡°Alright, alright! Hurry up and take it over, no need to check! It¡¯s just a few pieces of game, isn¡¯t it? Before, when there were so many games, Third Son didn¡¯t say anything.¡± So many of theme now just to bring it over and fuss over it!


    ¡°Mom! Before, Ye Lei was in good health, and whenever he went hunting in the mountains, you¡¯d take several game every two or three days, naturally feeling like it was nothing. But now Ye Lei can¡¯t even get up from his bed due to his illness, and he¡¯s been waiting for this game to nourish his body! It¡¯s only natural for it to be precious!¡±<div>


    These words, Liu Sisi had to say.


    These words suddenly made the people around start to whisper, and Ms. Zhao¡¯s face changed again.


    But Liu Sisi didn¡¯t care. She handed the game to the cooks while being pulled aside by Guihua.


    ¡°Sisi, why did you send the game again? Brother Ye Lei is badly hurt. Don¡¯t you want to save some for him to nourish his body?¡±


    Guihua¡¯s voice was not lowered, as if everyone around could hear.


    Liu Sisiplied and sat down beside Guihua, sighing helplessly: ¡°I want to save some, but there¡¯s no other way! I¡­sigh! Let¡¯s talk about itter!¡±


    Her evasive and half-truth words made everyone else silent!


    She was happy for the peace and quiet and picked up a cloth to start washing dishes, taking advantage of the fact that everyone else wasn¡¯t paying attention and lightly pinching Guihua.


    Everyone else was silent. The only sounds were the crackling of the burning mes and the dying struggle of the wild chickens.


    After a long time, one of the vigers who¡¯de to help finally whispered, ¡°Ye Lei¡¯s family, you¡¯re just too meek,pletely eaten up by your mother-inw! If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t give in even if it meant a big fight. And your Ye Lei as well, he¡¯s too agreeable with his stepmother, really feeding a white-eyed wolf!¡±


    ¡°Hush! Keep your voice down! You know what kind of person Ms. Zhao is, be careful she doesn¡¯t go after youter!¡± Another person hurriedly pulled her back.<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Who doesn¡¯t know what kind of person she is in the Upper Vige?¡±


    The viger continued, but still lowered her voice.


    She turned her head to look at Liu Sisi: ¡°Sisi, I¡¯ve heard that you can read, and you¡¯re teaching your son Xuan¡¯er to read as well. Is it true?¡±


    ¡°I can only recognize a few characters. I don¡¯t really teach Xuan¡¯er, just let him learn some simple characters first, so it¡¯ll be easier when he goes to schoolter on.¡±


    ¡°But I heard that Miss of Gan Family from the town has also epted you as her tutor, is that true?¡±


    As soon as this question was asked, almost everyone present stared at Liu Sisi with wide eyes.


    What kind of family was the Gan family? They were a real official family, so how could they bepared to ordinary small families?


    Moreover, being a female tutor for the Miss of Gan Family would naturally be quite prestigious, right?


    All the people put down their work and stared at Liu Sisi, waiting for her answer. Even the cooks who hade to help looked over, seriously looking at Liu Sisi.


    Behind that door, Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang also secretly craned their necks, waiting for Liu Sisi¡¯s answer.


    Liu Sisi put the bowls in her hands away and looked up with a lightugh: ¡°Yes! However, it was the bookstore boss who introduced me to Gan Mansion. It was the Elder Madam of the Gan Family who made the final decision to let me teach Miss Gan to read and write. Miss Gan has a total of five teachers, teaching her music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and I am just one of them.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi had no intention of hiding the truth and naturally told it as it was. As for whether these people believed it or not, that was secondary!


    ¡°Really? Wow! Sisi, you¡¯re amazing!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°If your mother-inw is still not satisfied with a daughter-inw like you, what kind of daughter-inw does she want? Is it possible that she wants¡­¡±


    ¡°Cough cough! Be careful of misfortune from your mouth!¡±


    Someone nearby pulled at her clothes, and then everyoneughed together.


    However, behind theughter, there was something more in everyone¡¯s eyes when they looked at Liu Sisi.


    Taking advantage of the moment when everyone was busy and not paying attention, a fellow viger leaned over and asked: ¡°Sisi! Are you¡­ are you still recruiting?¡±


    ¡°Recruiting? Recruiting for what?¡±


    Liu Sisi was busy counting the quantities and answered casually.


    ¡°Oh! I mean, are you still epting students? If you are, since it¡¯s already after the autumn harvest, I¡¯ll send my daughter Niuniu to study at your home for a few months, so she won¡¯t suffer when she goes to her husband¡¯s family without knowing how to read.¡±


    This made Liu Sisi look up and seriously look at her: ¡°Auntie, you know, I really haven¡¯t thought about that. How about this, if the weather gets colder and I really decide to teach, I¡¯ll let you know, alright?¡±


    ¡°That would be great!¡±


    The woman gave her thigh a heavy pat: ¡°Don¡¯t worry! If you¡¯re really going to teach my daughter Niuniu to read, I know we don¡¯t have much to offer, but we can provide dozens of catties of white rice flour.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t say that. I really haven¡¯t made any ns yet. When I decide to start teaching, I¡¯ll definitely let you know.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t refuse the education gift.


    All the teachers here required an education gift, and she couldn¡¯t break the rule just because of one person.


    ¡°Alright! Then we have an agreement!¡±


    After a few more pleasantries, the fellow viger left happily.


    But soon after, another fellow viger came to ask the same question. It wasn¡¯t until she sent away the fifth person who asked the same question that Liu Sisi began to take this matter seriously.


    Could it be that female tutors were really so rare here?


    As for whether to take some students at home to teach, she could really consider it.

 Chapter 233: 231: Great Joy in the New Marriage, Ruo Ning Goes Crazy!

    Chapter 233: 231: Great Joy in the New Marriage, Ruo Ning Goes Crazy!<div>


    ¡°Sisi, how do I look? Does your husband look good in these clothes?¡±


    That naive smile really destroyed the elegance of the outfit.


    Liu Sisi rolled her eyes and insincerelyplimented, ¡°You look great, really great!¡±<div>


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯d look even better if you didn¡¯t smile.¡±


    Thinking for a moment, she added another line ¨C the man¡¯s naive smile was really too foolish!


    As they dyed, by the time everyone went out, the sun had already climbed up the hillside and the team that went out to wee the bride had already set off.


    When the group arrived at the old house, they were naturally greeted with another round of scolding.


    However, considering today was Di Ah-bao¡¯s wedding day, Ms. Zhao didn¡¯t make things difficult for them. She allowed the family to find a corner, and they helped Di Yelei over.


    ¡°Ye Lei, how are you? Can you hold on? If you really can¡¯t, I¡¯ll find someone to take you back right away.¡±


    Liu Sisi asked anxiously.


    Unfortunately, her petite stature couldn¡¯t stabilize the tall and strong man.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Maybe it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t moved for so long, so it¡¯s a bit¡­hiss!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but gasp.


    Perhaps the wound hadn¡¯t healed yet, Di Yelei¡¯s face was pale after walking, and his whole body was covered in sweat.


    ¡°Oh my! What happened? Hurry up and rest in the room! Take a break!¡±<div>


    Several people passing by hurriedly came over to help, ¡°When did you get hurt? It looks very serious.¡±


    ¡°He got hurt on August 16thst month! Everyone, don¡¯t touch his back, there are wounds all over it! Thank you all for your help.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly thanked each of them in turn.


    ¡°Over here! Third Aunt, help Third Uncle to my room!¡± The person who came over was Di Cheng.


    ¡°He got hurt on the 16thst month and it¡¯s still so serious now? It seems the injury is quite severe!¡± The people on the side were chattering, carefully helping him.


    Di Cheng helped Di Yelei with all his strength and temporarily settled him in his own room to rest.


    Since this was Di Yelei¡¯s first appearance after being injured, his dramatic weight loss truly shocked those who knew him.


    They couldn¡¯t help but gather around, inquiring about his condition: ¡°You¡¯ve really lost weight! You¡¯ve suffered a lot from this injury.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right! Yelei lost tens of pounds in a short time! A hunter who ran in the mountains and forests has been reduced to this state.¡±


    Liu Sisi naturally couldn¡¯t help but greet everyone while carefully taking care of Yelei.


    Everyone naturally inquired about the injury, and those who were familiar with the situation kept quiet, concealing the truth.<div>


    Ms. Zhao craned her neck and listened carefully, but didn¡¯t hear a single mention of Di Ruoning, which finally put her at ease.


    Before they knew it, they heard someone shouting outside.


    ¡°The bride is here! The bride is here!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Go see the bride! Let¡¯s go see the bride!¡±


    Everyone who had been crowded in the room rushed out, and only then did a few people breathe a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Third Uncle! Are your injuries really painful? Cheng¡¯er remembers that grandfather has some painkillers. Do you want me to fetch some medicine?¡± While Di Cheng was talking, he turned around and wanted to run.


    ¡°Di Cheng, wait a minute! You stay here and guard your Third Uncle; I¡¯ll go get it!¡±


    Liu Sisi gently patted Di Yelei¡¯s shoulder, exchanged a look with him, and then left the room.


    This is what she and Ye Lei had discussed early this morning!


    In the customs of the Upper Vige, uncles and cousins would help with blocking the alcohol during the wedding, but Ye Lei¡¯s injury prevented him. So, the two of them agreed that once they reached the old house, they would directly hide in Di Cheng¡¯s room. This would make it easier for Ye Lei and Di Cheng to talk and also avoid an official confrontation with Ms. Zhao.


    Outside, the sound of gongs, drums, and suona instruments was continuous, apanied by the sparse crackling of firecrackers.<div>


    The bride had already entered the main entrance of the Di Family, being supported on both sides by the matchmaker, as she stood side by side with Di Ah-Bao at the lower end of Elderly Mr. Di and Ms. Zhao to perform the rituals.


    ¡°The ceremony isplete! Send her to the bridal chamber¡ª¡±


    As the host finished singing, the matchmaker hurriedly helped the bride enter the bridal chamber.


    Liu Sisi was standing at the lower end near the yard door. As the bride passed by and stepped onto the eaves, the red veil on her head lifted, allowing Liu Sisi to see the bride¡¯s face.


    What a beauty in the making!


    Tender and feeble like a willow, seemingly even weaker than her current body, her gaze alone made Liu Sisi feel a cold wind sweep through the back of her head, carrying with it a strange feeling as well¡­


    Liu Sisi furrowed her eyebrows in thought. That¡¯s it, it¡¯s a sense of incongruity!


    A very inexplicably ufortable feeling of incongruity!


    Di Ah-Bao¡¯s face was beaming with a wide grin. After entering the bridal chamber, he couldn¡¯t help but get closer to the bride, and the two embraced as if no one else was around.


    The matchmaker who was wishing them well by their side could only finish her words hastily before she swiftly pulled out the boy and girl meant to bless the couple, and left the bridal chamber in a fluster, quickly turning back to close the door.


    She looked up and saw Liu Sisi¡¯s curious gaze, feeling a little embarrassed. She coughed lightly and hurriedly left.


    Liu Sisi alsoughed!


    She was just passing by, but she had seen a good show.


    Although it was just a brief moment, she understood that this sister-inw was not a weak shrimp. The old house would be lively in the future.


    As she continued to walk along the eaves, she heard Ms. Zhao¡¯s angry voice.


    ¡°Is she really that seriously ill? Too sick to even attend her own brother¡¯s wedding?¡±


    ¡°Mother-inw, Ruoning¡­ She had a miscarriage.¡±


    Liu Sisi was startled! It was Yuan Mengbai¡¯s voice.


    She hurriedly peeked into the room through the window, and there he was.


    In just a few short days, Yuan Mengbai looked haggard, his beard had grown, and he looked barely human!


    ¡°What? She had a miscarriage!¡±


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s surprised high-pitched voice came out, and realizing she was too loud, she quickly lowered her volume, gritting her teeth and asking, ¡°How did she miscarry? How did you take care of her! When I entrusted her to you, is this how you treat her?¡±


    Yuan Mengbai was at a loss for words: ¡°Mother-inw! Don¡¯t you know Ruoning¡¯s temperament? Ever since she returned, she¡¯s been like a madwoman, smashing things around and even grabbing their kids to hit them. Just look at these children¡­ all the injuries on their bodies¡­¡±


    Only then did Liu Sisi notice several injured children hiding behind Yuan Mengbai.


    Ms. Zhao apparently saw them too, looking incredulous: ¡°Nonsense! What are you talking about? How could Ruoning do such a thing? She¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s insane! She¡¯s a madwoman who bites people and talks gibberish!¡±


    Yuan Mengbai¡¯s lips quivered as he could no longer suppress his anger and yelled!

 Chapter 234: 232: City Gate Catching Fire Affecting Bystander Fish, Di Cheng’s Way Out

    Chapter 234: 232: City Gate Catching Fire Affecting Bystander Fish, Di Cheng¡¯s Way Out<div>


    The three children by his side suddenly burst into tears, rushing forward to hug his arm and thigh.


    Ms. Zhao suddenly froze in ce, the muscles on her face contorting for a moment, she then copsed onto the stool, lookingpletely lost.


    She kept murmuring to herself: ¡°How could this happen? How could it happen¡­how could it¡­how could it¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi was also very shocked!


    Di Ruoning had actually gone mad!


    What exactly happened between Ye Lei and Ruoning in the small wooden house that day? Was all this rted to Ye Lei, herself, and those bandits?


    Sisi understood the reasons why Ruoning would hire someone to deal with Di Yelei!


    Could it be that the reason she went mad was the same reason?


    Buddha said: there are eight sufferings in life, and the most painful one is seeking but not getting.


    Just because of seeking but not getting, there are countless people who eventually take risks!


    That Di Ruoning hase to this point, although it¡¯s all self-inflicted, it¡¯s indeed pitiable, but also really repulsive and despicable!


    Indeed, people who are pitiful must also have pitiful things about them!


    When she looked inside again, the several people who had been talking inside had disappeared.


    Yuan Mengbai and the three children were also gone.<div>


    ¡°What are you doing? Hiding here and not helping, eating and drinking all day for nothing, are you asking to be beaten?¡±


    The reproachful voice of Ms. Zhao came over. Liu Sisi turned her head and saw Ms. Zhao scolding Di Wei who was hiding and peeping on the side.


    Di Wei stuck out her little tongue and said nothing, quickly running away.


    ¡°Are you happy now? You¡¯ve driven my Ruoning mad, and she¡¯s lost the baby. All of this is your doing, it¡¯s all your fault!¡±


    Ms. Zhao nced at Liu Sisi and whispered words of rebuke at her.


    Liu Sisi uttered a ¡°tsk¡± sound: ¡°Tsk! What has it got to do with me? Why don¡¯t you ask your beloved son-inw why Ruoning would hire someone to kill?¡±


    This whole thing has nothing to do with her from start to finish! Why would they always try to involve her!


    Indeed, as the saying goes, ¡®a fire in the city gate often harms the innocent fish.¡¯


    Ms. Zhao stared nkly for a while, as a mother, how could she not understand her daughter¡¯s thoughts?


    ¡°You, you stop talking nonsense¡­¡± She rebuked with a somewhat strong tone.


    Liu Sisi took two steps and whispered into her ear: ¡°Do I speak falsely, don¡¯t you know the answer in your heart? Mom, can you guess, what was your dear son-inw thinking when he witnessed that scene?¡±<div>


    After she finished, she ignored the stupefied Zhao family on the spot, walked straight past her, and put back on a smile to the courtyard.


    Outside in the courtyard, the banquet had already begun to start.


    ¡°Everyone, quickly take your seats. Today is a happy day, so don¡¯t be shy! Sit down, quickly sit down, we¡¯re ready to start the feast¡­¡±


    ording to tradition, the first round of seating at the wedding banquet naturally belonged to the bride¡¯s family.


    But the bride had only one older brother who came to see her off. Besides, there were only two picked up bearers, the sedan bearers were people sent by the bride¡¯s side. The bride only brought a not-so-big baggage, so the number of people from the bride¡¯s family could not even fill a table.


    With no choice left, they had to invite the groom¡¯s family and friends to fill the eight tables for the first round of seating. This was a banquet where as soon as one group finished eating, they would clean up the tableware and set the table again to continue the feast. The wedding had finally entered its most important phase, eating and drinking!


    Liu Sisi hurriedly returned to Di Cheng¡¯s room.


    Inside the room, Di Cheng¡¯s face lit up with excitement!


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Yelei, who was beaming at her with a nod, obviously indicating that the matter had been settled.


    ¡°Di Cheng, has Ye Lei already informed you about everything?¡±


    Liu Sisi pondered for a moment and decided it was better to rify everything at the start: ¡°Third Aunt also helps others look after their shop. Your Third Uncle has been injured and Third Aunt cannot leave him, so she is looking for someone to help with the shopkeeping. The exact duration of this is uncertain, and once the owner of the shop returns, that would be the day you leave. Have you thought it over clearly?¡±<div>


    ¡°Third Aunt, you are fully aware of the situation at the old house. Cheng¡¯er has thought it through.¡±


    Di Cheng excitedly clenched his fists, repeating: ¡°Even if it¡¯s just a few days of relief, Cheng¡¯er is willing to go! I would go mad if I had to stay in the old house any longer! Third Aunt, don¡¯t worry, Cheng¡¯er will take the work seriously and will not let Third Uncle and Third Aunt down!¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Yelei, who nodded at her. She rxed her expression and smiled at Di Cheng.


    ¡°That¡¯s good! I trust you entirely, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t havee to you. Later on, your Third Uncle will personally talk to your dad. For now, you must keep your cool and not show any signs of unrest, your mother¡­ ahem.¡±


    Realizing that it¡¯s not right to speak ill of someone¡¯s face, Liu Sisi immediately stopped speaking.


    The smile on Di Cheng¡¯s face faded, and a wave of bitterness surfaced: ¡°Third Aunt, Cheng¡¯er understands. In that case, Cheng¡¯er will go out to help.¡±


    ¡°Okay, go ahead!¡±


    Watching Di Cheng leave, the couple both let out a sigh.


    ¡°This child has been held back by the old house! I hope this step will help him.¡± Di Yelei seemed somewhat weary.


    ¡°Ye Lei, I saw Yuan Mengbai earlier. He¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly told him what she had heard.


    In the end, she also sighed, ¡°I never expected that, Ruo Ning¡¯s child ultimately couldn¡¯t be saved, and she even¡­.¡± She became mad!


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s better this way¡­¡±


    Di Yelei remained silent for a long while, then suddenly uttered these words before closing his eyes and falling deeply asleep.


    Liu Sisi pulled up a nket to cover him, secretly sighing, what Ye Lei must be feeling inside, it surely mustn¡¯t be pleasant, right?


    The wedding was originally prepared with thirty tables, but by the third round, only the cooks and the hosts¡¯ family remained, apart from the three tables still drinking.


    There were only seventeen tables of guests for what was originally a thirty-table banquet. Everyone who came to the wedding was whispering about the bride¡¯s past. Ms. Zhao¡¯s face was even longer than a horse¡¯s from all the pointing and whispering.


    Looking at the time, Liu Sisi carefully helped Di Yelei to a seat at the table.


    ¡°Sisi! Here, this way!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Guihua hurriedly called out to her.


    Liu Sisi smiled, obediently going over to sit beside her.


    As this was thest batch of people eating, all who sat at the table were fellow vigers who hade to help with the work.


    ¡°Auntie!¡±


    Following Liu Sisi, YingEr sweetly smiled at Guihua.


    ¡°Ah, our dear YingEr is so good! Come, sit next to your auntie, and I¡¯ll serve you some delicious food.¡±


    Guihua conveniently helped YingEr to sit between herself and Liu Sisi.


    Once everyone was seated, they naturally began to eat.


    ¡°You should eat more. You¡¯ve lost so much weight recently because you¡¯ve been busy looking after Brother Ye Lei,¡± Guihua served food to Liu Sisi and YingEr.

 Chapter 235: 233: A Joyful Event Visits the Door Again, The Newcomer’s Meeting Gift

    Chapter 235: 233: A Joyful Event Visits the Door Again, The Neer¡¯s Meeting Gift<div>


    ¡°Sister Guihua, you eat too.¡± Liu Sisi hurriedly served some food to Guihua.


    Guihua¡¯s face was filled with joy: ¡°Our YingEr is getting prettier and prettier, so well-behaved! Here! Have a piece of this. This stewed pig stomach is tender and delicious.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Auntie.¡±<div>


    YingEr squinted her eyes and smiled in gratitude, then continued eating with her head buried in the bowl.


    Taking advantage of the mealtime, Liu Sisi whispered their decision with Ye Lei: ¡°Sister Guihua, Ye Lei said that YingEr and Yun Er¡¯s engagement banquet will be postponed until December. You know about Ye Lei¡¯s condition, so¡­¡±


    This put Guihua¡¯s mind at ease, and she immediately rejoiced!


    Although both families had secretly agreed on the oue, until the engagement was set, their hearts were hanging. At the moment, they were more than happy to hear Liu Sisi bring it up.


    She hurriedly put down her chopsticks: ¡°There¡¯s no rush. Ye Lei is still recovering from his injuries which makes him unsuitable forrge-scale preparations. It¡¯s perfect to postpone it until December when everyone is free, so everything will work out!¡±


    With Guihua¡¯s words, Liu Sisi also breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Exactly! When the timees, we can all get together again and have a great time!¡±


    The neighboring table saw the two of them whispering and couldn¡¯t help but tease: ¡°What good news are you two whispering about? Tell everyone to hear!¡±


    Guihua and Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes met in mid-air, and they bothughed: ¡°Isn¡¯t there good news?! And it¡¯s a huge one!¡±


    ¡°What good news?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s the great news about our Zhang Yun and Di Ying!¡±<div>


    Guihuaughed proudly.


    ¡°Oh! It really is great news! In that case, congrattions, congrattions!¡± Everyone hurriedly congratted, and the atmosphere was filled with joy andughter.


    Meanwhile, YingEr, one of the protagonists under discussion, was struggling with the food in her bowl, without connecting the words of the adults to herself.


    On the other side of the table,


    Because Di Yelei was covered in bandages, even with the obstruction of clothes, the vigers could still see his injuries. Liu Sisi didn¡¯t need to worry about people persuading him to drink, and nothing like that happened.


    Over the meal, Di Yelei casually mentioned that he wanted Di Cheng to help him, and much to their surprise, Di Gaoyuan agreed on the spot.


    Di Gaoyuan¡¯s thinking was simple: the crops in the fields had been harvested, and he had heard early on that Liu Sisi was working in the bookstore in the small town but had not found an opportunity to start the conversation.


    Initially, when his elder brother simply left without looking back, he also had someints in his heart.


    Over the years, he struggled under Ms. Zhao¡¯s oppression and dreamed of being able to straighten his back, stand tall, and make a name for himself in the world!


    The best and most direct way was the same as his elder brother back then: to leave everything behind and soar high!


    So when Di Yelei brought up having Di Cheng help at the bookstore, he naturally agreed without hesitation.<div>


    After thinking about it and recalling Ms. Wang and the stepmother¡¯s squabbles, he said after a brief consideration: ¡°I¡¯ll talk to mom. Cheng¡¯er will be in your hands from now on. I¡¯ll feel at ease with him being by your side.¡±


    They absolutely couldn¡¯t let those two ruin everything!


    After the meal, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t linger. She helped Di Yelei go home directly.


    The farce-like wedding hade to an end.


    On the second day, for the new wife¡¯s family visit, Di Yelei stayed at home under the pretext of being sick and Liu Sisi went to the old house alone.


    Little Cui¡¯er is now known as Ms. Xin, and she was indeed as elegant as people had anticipated, with her slender figure and enchanting walk. Her presence caught the attention of everyone she passed by.


    It¡¯s no wonder shees from that ce; she firmly grasped everyone¡¯s attention as soon as she appeared!


    Ms. Xin paid her respects to the elders, and Ms. Zhao was more than generous to herpared to how she treated Liu Sisi. She immediately removed the golden ring she had been wearing and offered it as a meeting gift.


    ¡°Thank you, father, thank you, mom.¡±


    Ms. Xin¡¯s mouth slightly curled, and she quickly hid the contempt in her eyes. She then epted the gold ring and knelt down to express her thanks.


    Afterward, she paid her respects to the rest of the people, and when she greeted Liu Sisi, Sisi hurriedly returned the gesture, and gave her the gift she had prepared: hand-made small silk flowers.<div>


    ¡°Thank you, Third Sister-inw.¡±


    Ms. Xin¡¯s eyes brightened for a moment, and then she resumed her faint smile, knelt and gave her gift in return.


    Ms. Xin¡¯s meeting gift for her was a fragrant sachet, which Liu Sisi epted with a lightugh.


    ¡°Sister-inw, there¡¯s no need for more formalities.¡±


    Liu Sisi gently helped her up, her lips curled into a smile. The old house was bound to be lively from now on.


    The next day, Di Cheng began working!


    Liu Sisi personally took him to the bookstore and taught him everything he needed to know, such as the prices of different items, how to interact with customers, and even something as simple as handling change.


    After a few days, Di Cheng gradually got the hang of things.


    He found it inconvenient tomute to and from work, so he simply moved into the inner room of the shop. He opened the shop early in the morning and closed it at nightfall. His three meals were ned noodles from Grandma¡¯s ce at the back of the bookstore.


    The child was hardworking and diligent, and his ie was much higher than Liu Sisi¡¯s inconsistent efforts.


    On Market Day, he could earn 10 to 20 taels of silver, and on regr days, he could still have an ie of 2 or 3 taels of silver. This surprised Di Yelei quite a bit.


    ¡°What did you expect? Di Cheng isn¡¯t like me, only opening the shop for two to three hours a day. Plus, he¡¯s capable and diligent, so his ie is naturally better than when I was there.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she was applying ointment to the wounds on Di Yelei¡¯s back. This was a special ointment to fade scars.


    ¡°You¡¯re right! I trust Di Cheng! Aah¡­ It¡¯s so itchy! Sisi, can we not use this ointment? Which man doesn¡¯t have a few scars on his body? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re girls worrying about a few scars!¡± Di Yelei said.


    After carefully nursing him for several days, Di Yelei¡¯s scabs began to fall off, and his wounds gradually healed. Only some mottled scars remained on his back.


    Liu Sisi was now treating the deepest wound, which appeared to be healing up fairly quickly as well!


    ¡°Stop it! Other people have wounds, but they¡¯re just lines, notrge patches like yours¡­ Sigh!¡±


    When she mentioned this, Liu Sisi felt sad.


    Di Yelei turned his head and noticed her change in mood, and he immediately began making faces andining.


    ¡°Sisi, I want to take a bath. It¡¯s unbearable only being able to wipe myself down every day. I feel like I¡¯m crawling with lice.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Don¡¯t be silly! Don¡¯t I wipe you down every day?¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s really ufortable¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he tried to scratch the scars on his back with the back of his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! Be careful with the wound!¡±

 Chapter 236: 234: Shameless Ye Lei, Embarrassed Sisi!

    Chapter 236: 234: Shameless Ye Lei, Embarrassed Sisi!<div>


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh, thinking to herself, how could such a big man be so troublesome? Had she not noticed this before?


    ¡°Sisi¡ªSisi, be good. Just look at your husband¡¯s body. Isn¡¯t it hard enough to only have sponge baths every day?¡± He pretended to be pitiful while looking yful.


    Liu Sisi quickly got up and pushed him away: ¡°Don¡¯t even try, you can¡¯t bathe until the scabs on your wounds havepletely fallen off! If your condition worsens, what will we three do?¡±<div>


    She lectured him seriously.


    ¡°Sisi¡ª¡±


    He stretched out his hand and caught her, pulling her into his embrace, burying his head in her neck, gently blowing air, his eyes bright and cunning.


    ¡°Sisi, do you really not miss your husband? Hm! My little kitten¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t miss you at all, so stop causing trouble! How am I supposed to apply ointment like this? Hmm¡­ let¡­ go¡­¡±


    Her words were drowned out by his deep kiss.


    His kiss was wild and passionate, seeking her out relentlessly, as if trying to embed herpletely within himself, deepening their connection even further.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ stop messing around¡­ your wounds¡­¡±


    Barely struggling free, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but pant softly as she spoke while catching her breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m just regaining my strength now¡ªSisi, I want you, really want you¡­¡±


    Seizing the opportunity to catch his breath, Di Yelei whispered intimately, then once again pressed his lips to hers.<div>


    His agile tongue quickly explored her small mouth, capturing her tongue and plundering it relentlessly. His tongue seemed like a dexterous me, lingering on her lips and yfully nipping at her small mouth.


    By the time he let her go, her face was flushed, her body limp, and her watery eyes were filled with passion, almost unable to stand up.


    ¡°Enough ying! Once your wounds heal, I¡¯ll let you do whatever you want, but it¡¯s not possible now!¡±


    She clutched her chest tightly, unwilling to let go.


    Looking at the serious and stubborn little woman in front of him, Di Yelei was disappointed to find that he wouldn¡¯t be able to satisfy his cravings tonight. He couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected, like a frostbitten eggnt.


    ¡°Alright! But you¡¯re the one who said it¡­ when the timees¡­ hehehe!¡±


    He let out a series of triumphantughter!


    Listening to him, Liu Sisi¡¯s goosebumps popped right out, and she felt a shiver run through her, as if disaster was looming.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so idle, I¡¯ll double your assigned homework! So you won¡¯t have too much time for wild thoughts.¡±


    As she spoke, she red at him angrily, then turned around and started tidying up the items around her.


    ¡°Ah!¡ªYou can¡¯t be serious¡­¡±<div>


    Di Yelei cried out in distress, his face twisted into a bitter gourd expression: ¡°Sisi! You can¡¯t treat your husband like this¡­¡±


    ¡°And how should I treat you? Get out of here, caramel!¡±


    She pushed him away forcefully, the stubborn caramel, and sat down to continue copying her book.


    ¡°I am caramel, but I am only your caramel, and I am going to stick to you. Good Sisi, little kitten, how about I write two extra pages instead?¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi ignoring him, he had no choice but to ept his fate, pick up his brush-pen, and start practicing writing.


    As soon as he picked up the pen, his whole being calmed down,pletely losing his previous yful manner.


    He sat there diligently practicing writing.


    Liu Sisi took a quick nce and frowned, unconsciously shaking her head and sighing.


    Since he was alwaysining about having nothing to do, Liu Sisi thought for a moment and took advantage of his recovery time by letting him learn to read and write.


    It seems Di Xuan¡¯s talent was inherited by him, as his ability to recognize words was strong. Although he wasn¡¯t quite able to memorize after a single nce, he never forgot any knowledge taught to him once.


    However, his writing¡­<div>


    It was simply unbearable to look at! It was unclear whether it was due to his injury.


    At the moment, after finishing a page of writing, he raised his head and met Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, and his face immediately drooped.


    ¡°Sisi! I won¡¯t bathe, can I just write once? Sisi, my dear Sisi.¡±


    ¡°No way! You must double your efforts!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly straightened her sitting posture.


    He moved closer and kept pestering her, ¡°Sisi! Your husband knows he hasn¡¯t been able to serve you well recently¡­ But I promise that once I feel better, I will definitely feed you well and satisfy you¡­¡±


    ¡°Get lost! Di Yelei, you bastard with a head full of dirty thoughts!¡±


    Feeling both shy and annoyed, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and pped him on the chest.


    ¡°Ouch! Sisi, it hurts so much¡­ Sisi, are you trying to kill your husband?¡±


    Di Yelei cried out in pain, but his hands didn¡¯t slow down at all. In no time, the opponent¡¯s little hand was urately grabbed within his palm and he rubbed it gently, ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even try! I didn¡¯t even use any strength¡­¡±


    She struggled to get his hand off her, ¡°Di Yelei, you¡­ do you have any shame? Hurry up and leave! Be careful¡­ in case Xuan¡¯er and the others hear.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Hehe! Xuan¡¯er and the others just went to Zhang Peng¡¯s home to get some herbal wine, do you think I don¡¯t know?¡±


    Someone who turned into a wolf brandished their wolf ws.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t¡­mmm¡­¡±


    Her unfinished words were once again interrupted by a series of wolf kisses from the other party.


    As for the assignments and whatnot, at this time, they really, truly were not important!


    During her spare time, Liu Sisi brought some white turnip, carrot, and baby bok choy seeds and nted them in the empty sweet potato field. She originally wanted to do it herself, but Di Yelei took over and finished it quickly. Sweet potatoes were also stored in the cer.


    As the weather turned colder, he began to weave straw mats and door curtains. The thick straw mats were twice as thick as those sold outside, tightly woven together to provide warmth and softness. A thickyer wasid under the bed mattress, making it soft and warm, and exceptionallyfortable.


    One morning, he even came back with two wild rabbits, which frightened Liu Sisi!


    ¡°Sisi, I caught these in the traps I set, not shot with a bow and arrow.¡±


    Di Yelei grinned innocently, but Liu Sisi detected a hint of smugness in his expression.


    Could the man before her have been pretending to be weak all this time?


    A sudden realization crossed her mind, but she soon shook her head!


    That couldn¡¯t be possible, he was just a hunter, how could he have such a cunning mind? Absolutely impossible! She tried to convince herself.


    ¡°Is it true? You really caught these in traps? You didn¡¯t trick me.¡±


    Liu Sisi held the two rabbits, her face full of joy.


    Tonight, there would be rabbit meat to eat again!


    ¡°When have I ever deceived you, my kitty with a greedy little mouth!¡±


    Di Yelei proudly swiped her little nose and grinned.

 Chapter 237: 235: Winter Preparation, Bookstore Trivia

    Chapter 237: 235: Winter Preparation, Bookstore Trivia<div>


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh too!


    In the past, Di Yelei often went hunting, but she never gave it much thought. It was only after he got injured recently and suddenly couldn¡¯t go hunting that she realized how much this man had been quietly doing, and how many hardships he had taken on for her and their children.


    Even when he¡¯s injured and in pain, he is still doing his best to create a warm home for Liu Sisi and their children.<div>


    ¡°Ye Lei, your health is more important. Stay at home and rest for a while, don¡¯t tire yourself out,¡± Liu Sisi trembled as she spoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I know my limits, and I won¡¯t overexert myself.¡±


    His hands were skillfully skinning and ughtering the prey, never once faltering, but he was quietly contemting in his mind.


    The Frost Descent had passed, and the Start of Winter was approaching.


    As the days got colder, the ie from the bookstore was sustaining their household expenses, but it was ultimately unstable and could disappear at any time.


    Without enough meat to eat during the long winter nights, how would they survive the winter?


    Moreover, the engagement banquet for Ying Er and Yun Er would consume a lot of food as well. He needed to prepare more while it had not started snowing yet. Once there was heavy snow blocking the mountains, how could they still go in?


    Considering all this, he still needed to dig more traps and try his best to hunt more food. As for the Gan Family, it was also time to end his leave and get back to work¡­


    The reason Di Yelei was concerned about working for the Gan Family was naturally rted to the two visits from Gan Miaoruo.


    Gan Miaoruo came early in the morning on both asions and didn¡¯t leave until dusk.


    Apart from two maids, she was apanied by Zuo Xingyu!<div>


    Every time Gan Miaoruo came, she studied diligently with Xuan¡¯er and listened to Liu Sisi¡¯s exnations.


    Di Yelei would then chat leisurely with Zuo Xingyu. It was unclear what the two men had to talk about so much!


    Whenever Gan Miaoruo left, both of them would seem reluctant to part.


    The sight of this stirred Liu Sisi¡¯s heart greatly! Zuo Xingyu was such a difficult person to read!


    It was better to stay away from him!


    However, she couldn¡¯t find the courage to say it, and the hints she gave to Di Yelei were dismissed casually. He would agree to her suggestions at the time, but still chat casually with Zuo Xingyu the next time they met,pletely oblivious to what Liu Sisi had meant.


    When Zuo Xingyu saw Liu Sisi, his expression didn¡¯t change, as cold and indifferent as ever.


    Because of this, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t bring herself to say what she wanted to.


    As the days grew shorter and colder


    One early morning, Di Family had an early breakfast and waited at the roadside.


    Liu Sisi arranged with the driver, Little Wang, to take them to the foot of the mountain and happily go to the market while also stopping by the Gan Mansion.<div>


    Upon arriving at the entrance of the bookstore, everyone got off the bull-cart and brought Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er inside.


    ¡°Third Uncle, Third Aunt!¡±


    Di Cheng and the others, who were cleaning inside the house, hurriedly greeted them with smiles on their faces.


    ¡°Second Cousin!¡±


    Di Xuan and Di Ying greeted each other and happily ran into the house. It was already cold outside, and the house was much warmer.


    ¡°Di Cheng! How is the business in the past two days? How is the profit?¡±


    Liu Sisi never strays from talking about business. She and Di Yelei entered the shop one after another.


    ¡°Third Aunt, the business has been pretty good in the past two days. A few days ago, Old Master Liu¡¯s family came to take away thirty packs of white paper, and a certain number of calligraphy tools. I have kept detailed records. You can take a look.¡±


    Di Cheng talked while walking inside, and picked up the ¡°ount book¡± he had been keeping records in from the counter.


    Because Di Cheng learned to read and writeter in life, there were many characters he couldn¡¯t recognize or write. Liu Sisi came up with a solution, letting him use symbols instead, such as a triangle to represent white paper, and a quadrteral to represent an inkstone, and then record how many were bought each time.


    Thankfully, Di Cheng had learned to write the numbers one to ten when he was young, and Liu Sisi taught him the corresponding Arabic numerals. This method of recording was a bit tedious, but with Liu Sisi¡¯sparison and copying, a proper ount book was quicklypiled.<div>


    ¡°Hmm! Indeed, it is not bad. These two days, we have an ie of over 11 taels of silver. Just in time, I will use this silver to buy some winter clothes. It¡¯s cold now, and you should change into winter clothes as well.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at Di Cheng, who was shrinking in the cold wind. Like Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er, he was wearingst year¡¯s winter clothes.


    However, the most ufortable was herself. When she first got married, she only had two summer clothes and didn¡¯t even bring any winter clothes. Now she had almost put on both autumn clothes and was still shivering from the cold.


    Di Cheng¡¯s eyes lit up, but he immediately waved his hands: ¡°Third Aunt! How can this be? You¡­the other day my mom took two taels of silver, saying it was charged against my sry. Now you¡­this cannot be done!¡±


    ¡°Sry is sry, and clothing is clothing. How can you mix them up? Buy it for you and just take it easily. Be careful in the daily transactions, and Third Aunt will be content.¡±


    Liu Sisi calmly spoke while quickly counting the current inventory of goods in the store. She was using a price list format now, which was much clearer.


    Soon, the ounts for inbound and outbound goods that needed to be restocked were sorted out. Naturally, this was a traditional ount book.


    ¡°Here! You give this list to Old Six of the Carriage Shopter and let him deliver it. This is the payment for the goods!¡±


    Liu Sisi handed the list and payment to Di Cheng, put away the remaining silver and left some small amounts of silver for change.


    After a pause, she couldn¡¯t help but say again: ¡°As for your mom, there will be no exception! If she takes the money from the bookstore at will next time, I will go straight to her door and have her arrested as a thief and put in jail, letting her eat free prison meals for a few days.¡±


    Ms. Wang was the kind of person who would cause trouble if not scolded for three days.


    When Di Ah-bao got married a few days ago, she didn¡¯t make any noise, and Liu Sisi thought she was sensible for once.


    But in less than two days, Di Ah-bao revealed that Ms. Wang had embezzled nearly three taels of silver during the procurement, secretly putting them in her pocket.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    No wonder she was so well-behaved during the entire wedding!


    However, when this shocking news came out, the first person to bear the brunt was naturally Ms. Wang.


    Ms. Zhao and her fought directly, pulling out chunks of each other¡¯s hair, and the quarrel between the mother-inw and daughter-inw escted quickly.


    Soon, the brothers Di Ah-bao and Di Gaoyuan started shing, turning the mother-inw and daughter-inw conflict into a war between the brothers. Ms. Xin asionally went out to mediate and casually made friends, quickly standing on her own feet and soon became the head of the old house¡­


    Listening, Liu Sisi could only shake her head. This Ms. Xin was not a simple person.


    Fortunately, her side of the Di family had been separated long ago, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about the drama.


    However, Ms. Wang was no easy person either!


    After her silver was forcibly taken away by Ms. Zhao, she set her sights on the bookstore and targeted it.


    The first time she came, she took away a piece of ink. The second time, she took away 300 copper coins. The third time, her courage grew evenrger and she forcibly took away two taels of silver. No wonder Liu Sisi didn¡¯t want to indulge her any longer!

 Chapter 238: 236: Adding Winter Clothes, The Whole Family Rejoices

    Chapter 238: 236: Adding Winter Clothes, The Whole Family Rejoices<div>


    Di Cheng had an embarrassed look on his face, as if there was a ball of fire burning on it.


    ¡°Third Aunt, don¡¯t worry. Next time, I won¡¯t let her¡­ let my mom¡­¡±


    Di Cheng stammered for a long time, unable toe up with a clear exnation.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I understand it¡¯s hard for you since she¡¯s your mother. Just hand her over to me and take care of the bookstore.¡±


    Liu Sisiforted him, exined some matters, and then left the bookstore with the two quiet children and Di Yelei, headed straight for Gan Mansion.


    ¡°If Ms. Wanges again, will you really have her arrested?¡±


    Di Yelei asked with a smile.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked him back, ¡°Given Ms. Wang¡¯s nature, do you think she will give up just like that? Let¡¯s wait and see!¡±


    With that, she raised her chin, gave a mysterious smile, and walked briskly towards the stone steps at the entrance of Gan Mansion.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Today, the Old Madam of Gan Estate was absent, and Gan Miaoruo happened to be at home. She listened attentively to Liu Sisi¡¯s lessons for four hours and still seemed unsatisfied. She then asked Di Yelei to teach her archery.


    Considering there was a dedicated martial arts teacher, Liu Sisi naturally hesitated.


    ¡°The teacher is getting stingier and stingier, humph!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo wrinkled her little nose, ¡°The teacher who teaches me martial arts is so boring, always asking me to squat. I¡¯m about to have crab legs, never teaching me anything else! Now you¡¯re making all sorts of excuses too, I¡¯m not happy!¡±<div>


    After saying that, she pouted and ignored everyone.


    Di Yelei and Liu Sisi exchanged nces, seeing the amusement in each other¡¯s eyes, and didn¡¯t get angry.


    ¡°Miss Gan, it¡¯s not a big deal to learn martial arts, but after all, there is a difference between men and women. Even if I want to teach you martial arts, teaching you archery will inevitably lead to physical contact. It may not matter to me, but you are a preciousdy. If the Old Madam finds out or is seen by others, the consequences¡­¡±


    With Di Yelei¡¯s analysis, Gan Miaoruo¡¯s pout naturally deted. She grumbled for a while before sitting reluctantly at the edge of a nearby pavilion.


    ¡°Alright! Grandmother definitely won¡¯t let me learn from you, it¡¯s so disappointing¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she kicked the mud on the ground.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, if you want to learn martial arts, why don¡¯t youe to our house next time and I¡¯ll take you up to the mountain to dig traps, those specially designed for catching wild boars.¡± Di Xuan, who was practicing calligraphy in the pavilion, hurriedly stepped in to help his parents.


    Gan Miaoruo¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, ¡°Is digging traps fun?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fun! Last time dad took me, we directly pulled out several wild pheasants from the traps. If you¡¯re lucky, there are rabbits, roe deer, weasels, and wild boars, you can find everything, it¡¯s so awesome!¡±


    Di Xuan demonstrated excitedly, quickly attracting Gan Miaoruo¡¯s attention.


    Liu Sisi breathed a sigh of relief, knowing taking the children with them was the right choice. Di Yelei also rxed; after all, she was a noble miss, and he couldn¡¯t bear the responsibility if anything happened to her.<div>


    After leaving Gan Mansion, the group went to buy winter clothes.


    Seeing Liu Sisi, the shopkeeper couldn¡¯t help but frown: ¡°Young wife, are youing today to make fun of me again?¡±


    Liu Sisi felt somewhat embarrassed, as she had indeed gone too farst time: ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, shopkeeper, but I¡¯m genuinely here to buy winter clothes today. However, you must give me a sincere price, right?¡±


    The shopkeeper replied straightforwardly: ¡°Alright! Since you¡¯ve said that, I will definitely give you a sincere price. Please choose your items!¡±


    Of course, Liu Sisi ended up selecting quite a lot of things. Two sets of winter clothes per person for the five adults and two children in the family, including father-inw, mother-inw, and Di Cheng, quickly depleted their 5 taels of silver, making Liu Sisi wince.


    She thought about it and decided to buy a few more cotton quilts, as there was still plenty of blue cloth left from theirst purchase. They could make three sets of bedding, as the current cotton quilts in their home were old and ufortable!


    She couldn¡¯t skimp on the cotton quilts, so Liu Sisi calcted that twelve catties for the big beds and eight catties for the small ones would be enough. She also had to prepare a quilt for Di Cheng and buy some cotton shoes as well¡­


    After doing the calctions, Liu Sisi genuinely felt like the money was flowing like water.


    In the end, the whole family carried a pile of items back home.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take these quilts back and sew them with the remaining blue cloth, hopefully we¡¯ll have new quilts to cover ourselves tonight.¡± Liu Sisi was visibly excited.


    Xuan¡¯er and YingEr on the side were also delighted.<div>


    Especially YingEr, who kept lifting up her new cotton jacket to look at it, still not entirely out of her excitement.


    ¡°Mom! YingEr has a new cotton jacket now! What should we do with the old one? Can I let Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua wear it?¡± YingEr was excitedly hopping forward.


    Di Xuan reproached her seriously: ¡°Stop messing around! Little sister, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua won¡¯t fit into your small cotton jacket.¡±


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er is right. Our YingEr¡¯s cotton jacket is not something those two big fellows can wear. Once we get back, I¡¯ll take out the cotton, wash and sew it back up, and use it to make beds for them.¡± Liu Sisi thought the idea feasible.


    Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua were no longer the small puppies they were before. Thanks to an unending supply of food and bones at the Di Family¡¯s home, the two dogs grew rapidly, bing even taller than YingEr. Indeed, they were worthy of their hunting dog title.


    Di Yelei also joined in: ¡°I can see that you want to rece all of the old items at home with new ones!¡±


    ¡°Not really. Do you think the old cotton quilts at home arefortable?¡±


    She had long despised those stiff, musty-smelling old cotton quilts and was determined to rece them all.


    ¡°They¡¯re indeed notfortable. But don¡¯t throw away the old cotton quilts once you¡¯ve reced them. It¡¯s nice to have an extra quilt when it¡¯s cold.¡±


    Di Yelei was already ustomed to frugality. He wouldn¡¯t say anything when it came to purchasing items, but he was opposed to waste.


    ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t throw away the old cotton quilts. However, they should be taken out for a good sunning. Then we can use them as a padded nket. The cotton inside is hard and heavy, making it very ufortable.¡± Liu Sisi casually decided the fate of the old cotton quilts.


    ¡°Haha! What our home needs the most is to clean up the stable, right?¡±


    Di Yelei changed the topic: ¡°We¡¯ve cleaned up the chicken coop and the rabbit¡¯s nest, but the horse is about to be brought home, and the stable hasn¡¯t been prepared. How can we bring it back like this?¡±


    A few days ago, Zuo Xingyu mentioned that a good horse had been allocated for Di Yelei. He nned to carefully choose one for him.


    Di Yelei had been yearning for his horse in the past few days, wishing he could bring it home immediately and ride freely across thend.

 Chapter 239: 237: Booming Business, Ye Lei Sneaks Out, Sisi Gets Angry

    Chapter 239: 237: Booming Business, Ye Lei Sneaks Out, Sisi Gets Angry<div>


    ¡°Also, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua¡¯s den hasn¡¯t been tidied up.¡±


    Little Ying beside quickly said.


    It¡¯s quite annoying how every time she tidies up Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua¡¯s den, it¡¯s a mess the next day when she checks on it.<div>


    Her words made everyoneugh.


    ¡°You just want to keep the horse. Didn¡¯t you hear him say that raising a horse also requires feeding various beans and coarse grains and cutting grass? If it keeps getting colder, where can we find grass?¡±


    Liu Sisi doesn¡¯t find the horse appealing.


    ¡°How much fodder can one horse eat? Once we bring the horse back, I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡±


    Di Yelei is excited.


    The continuous hills behind the house have no shortage of grass to feed a horse. But the stable must be tidied up first.


    ¡°Alright! Remember, these words areing from you!¡±


    Liu Sisi doesn¡¯t want to crush him too much and lets him be.


    On the other hand, as Yelei¡¯s injury has improved, a good horse would be more convenient to rece walking when he goes to the governmental office.


    As everyone talks and walks, they reach the doorway of the bookstore. When they hand the new clothes and quilt for Di Cheng, his eyes turn red.


    ¡°Third Aunt¡­ I¡­ this¡­ ¡±<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t dilly-dally, hurry up and take it!¡±


    Liu Sisi pushes the cotton quilt and cotton-padded jacket towards Di Cheng and says assertively, ¡°I¡¯m not giving these clothes and quilt for free! If I find you cking off or being dishonest, don¡¯t me me for being harsh on you!¡±


    Di Cheng forces back the tears in his eyes and nods vigorously, ¡°Third Aunt, rest assured! Di Cheng is definitely not azy and cunning person!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good! Put them away quickly.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s tough demeanor disappears, and she smiles broadly.


    As they¡¯re talking, Old Six from the Carriage Shop happens to be delivering goods and sees Liu Sisi. He bows and walks up to her, ¡°Ah, so Miss from the Liu Family is here today. How rare!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Master Old Six. It seems you¡¯ve been quite busytely, your Carriage Shop must be doing well?¡±


    Liu Sisi smiles gently and responds in kind.


    ¡°Not bad! It¡¯s like this every year, and I¡¯m used to it. This is a batch of goods. I have already sent the order you ced today along with the carriage. It should arrive in a couple of days.¡±


    Old Six speaks and hands over the paper order.


    Liu Sisi takes it, checks it, and signs her name at the end.<div>


    ¡°Alright! Next time you deliver goods, just deal with my nephew as usual.¡± Liu Sisi casually points at Di Cheng, who is busy moving the goods.


    ¡°Miss from the Liu Family, you can rest assured! We¡¯ve been doing business for a long time, and my credibility is absolutely guaranteed!¡±


    Old Six ps his chest with a guarantee, takes the reward money given by Liu Sisi, and leaves happily with his carriage.


    ¡°Everyone, get to work. I still have goods to deliver, so I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Take care, Master Old Six!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze lingered on the departing carriage, her heart churning. If her family had such a carriage for transportation, wouldn¡¯t it be more convenient?


    However, just as one must eat a meal one bite at a time, one can¡¯t expect to be a Fatty in just one gulp!


    For the following days, the weather was gloomy and rainy, with each day colder than thest.


    Stepping out for a walk in the morning, Sisi felt like her face was covered in ice crystals, her breath turning into a misty fog. But by noon, the sun woulde out, and the temperature would rise again.


    The newly purchased cotton clothes and cotton quilts had juste in handy.


    Liu Sisi took out the three blue fabrics and cut them ording to the size of the quilt. As nned, she made a covering for the quilt to be sewn on, which would be easy to take off, wash, and provide extra warmth.<div>


    However, this was no small project, and Liu Sisi wasn¡¯t in a rush, sewing it together stitch by stitch.


    If she had to say what her greatest improvement was sinceing to this era, it might be learning to use a needle to sew clothes and mend shoe soles, which she was gradually getting the hang of.


    Following the sewing habits of the people around her, she threaded a long needle with thick cotton thread, wrapped arge piece of cloth around the outeryer, and sewed the quilt securely with cotton thread around the edge. When it was time to wash the quilt, she could simply pull out the thread, wash the cover, dry it, and sew it back on.


    Di Yelei was nowhere to be found early that day.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi continued to dismantle the old quilt cover, truly fed up with the lumpy feel of the old cotton and its faint mildewy smell. Seeing the rare sunshine outside, she hurriedly took apart the quilt, nning to take out the cotton, air it out, and sew it back together as a padded nket.


    Soon, Guihua arrived.


    Guihua had been visiting the Di Family more frequentlytely, mainly because when Zhang Yun wasn¡¯t ying with the two children at the Di Family, he would be hunting with Zhang Peng in the mountains.


    As the Start of Winter approached, many animals in the mountain would hibernate, and nowadays, they were all fat and strong. So people like Zhang Peng spent their days wandering the mountains, making Di Yelei feel like his heart was being scratched by ws.


    He would go hunting in the mountains every two or three days, bringing back some wild animals.


    ¡°Sisi, didn¡¯t I hear a few days ago that some families in the vige are considering sending their children to you to teach? Why has there been no follow-up?¡±


    Guihua, who was mending a shoe sole, casually asked Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi, who was working hard to separate the cotton wadding, replied with a smile, ¡°What could happen? Although it seems elegant for a girl to be literate, it costs a lot of money. They think the education gift is too high, so they either don¡¯t want toe or their family opposes it. Actually, I¡¯m tired too. You¡¯ve seen my situation; I¡¯m like a spinning top, never stopping.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, seeing you makes me feel tired too.¡±


    Guihua nodded sympathetically, ¡°But now that Brother Ye Lei¡¯s health has improved, it¡¯s natural that your lives will improve as he hunts more in the mountains. Yesterday, Zhang Peng told me, and I was¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait! Sister Guihua, what were you saying? Who went hunting in the mountains?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face changed, interrupting Guihua immediately.


    ¡°Brother Ye Lei! You¡­you don¡¯t know that Brother Ye Lei went into the mountains?¡±


    Guihua hesitated to ask, realizing that she had said something wrong.


    Liu Sisi threw down her work and rushed into the kitchen. As expected! The ce where Di Yelei usually stored his bow and arrows was empty, with nothing left!


    ¡°That bastard! What the hell is he thinking?¡±


    Liu Sisi was more than a little upset!


    Pulling a bow was not like walking, requiring not only arm strength but also the stretching force of muscles. It was not hard to imagine how much pressure it would put on the chest as one pulls therge bow and how much damage it would do to the broken ribs!


    But that damned bastard secretly took his bow and arrows to the mountain behind her back, making her furious!

 Chapter 249 - 247: Every Household Has Its Difficulties

    Chapter 249: Chapter 247: Every Household Has Its Difficulties


    But he never could have expected that when he saw Liu Sisi again, she would re at him with such hatred!


    He couldn¡¯t help being infuriated and questioned her!


    ¡°Ha! What a joke! Who has feelings for you? Zhang Shixin, let me tell you, you¡¯d better disappear immediately; otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being impolite!¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t hold back at all!


    The broom in her hand repeatedly pointed straight at his hateful, handsome face.


    ¡°Teacher, who are you talking to?¡±


    Gan Miaoruo, who was ying with Di Xuan Ying¡¯er in the inner room, heard themotion outside and couldn¡¯t help but poke her head out from the doorway.


    Before Liu Sisi could speak, Gan Miaoruo raised her eyes and saw Zhang Shixin. Like an angry cat, she jumped up and took the lead in speaking!


    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s you! What are you doing here? Get out of here for this Miss!¡±


    Liu Sisi was startled; Gan Miaoruo actually knew Zhang Shixin? She hadn¡¯t expected this.


    Zhang Shixin was slightly taken aback, then a smile spread across his face.


    ¡°So Ruo Ruo is here too. I, your brother-inw, was passing by and came in to see you¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s brother-inw are you? You¡¯re just a husband of a bastard daughter, and you have the nerve toe and im rtives? Pah! Let me tell you, don¡¯te out halfway and im rtives indiscriminately! Be careful; I¡¯ll let someone beat you out!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo stomped her feet, put her hands on her hips, puffed up her cheeks, and roared at Zhang Shixin!


    Zhang Shixin¡¯s peach blossom eyes were filled withughter, not angry at all.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, are you still mad at your brother-inw? Look what brother-inw brought you? This is the best dish made by the new chef at Heji Restaurant;e and taste it.¡±


    As he spoke, he took the food box from Little Stone behind him, ced it on the counter, and arranged the food one by one.


    Bang! p¡ª


    Before he could finish speaking, Gan Miaoruo, furious as hell, waved her hand, and the food on the counter flew up with a bang and fell to the ground.


    ¡°Who wants the food you brought? Are you saying Juxian Restaurant doesn¡¯t have exquisite food? Zhang Shixin, let me tell you, take it away for this Miss! My name is Gan Miaoruo, and I have nothing to do with you! Get out! ¡ª¡±


    Such an angry Gan Miaoruo scared Liu Sisi out of her wits!


    Although Gan Miaoruo would get angry from time to time in her daily life, she would never be like this now, with real anger venting from her heart.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, listen to me¡­¡±


    Zhang Shixin tried to exin again.


    ¡°Ah-Da, Ah-Er,e on! Kick him out for me! Beat him to death! Beat him until he dares note again!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo directed the two followers who came to protect her. Today, Zuo Xingyu did note.


    ¡°Yes, miss!¡±


    The two immediately stepped forward, pushed Zhang Shixin in front of them, and directly kicked Zhang Shixin out of the shop!


    Not long after, one painful scream after another came from outside!


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit! Don¡¯t hit my face¡­¡±


    Listening to the screams outside, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help being curious and asked: ¡°Ruo Ruo, do you know this person?¡±


    ¡°Who would be so unlucky to know such a scumbag!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo spoke defiantly, but her eyes reddened.


    Liu Sisi quietly sighed and did not force her, just silently cleaning up the mess in the room.


    The food Zhang Shixin had brought was now scattered everywhere, with many papers wasted, and oil stains all over the floor and counters. She carefully cleaned them all up.


    When she looked up, she saw Gan Miaoruo wiping her tears uncontrobly, while Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er stood by awkwardly trying tofort her.


    Di Cheng had also returned, looking curiously at the chaos before him.


    ¡°Silly child, you! It¡¯s alright to tell everything to me; it will make you feel better.¡± Liu Sisi gently patted her shoulder.


    ¡°Wu Wu¡­ Teacher¡­¡±


    Gan Miaoruo couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and threw herself into Liu Sisi¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Teacher knows that the Ruo Ruo she¡¯s familiar with is clever and spoiled, but absolutely not a crybaby. Quickly stop crying and tell me what happened.¡±


    She carefully wiped away the tears on the little girl¡¯s face as she gently held her.


    Gan Miaoruo cried for a while before she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I was originally in the capital city with my parents, but it was because of him and that hateful illegitimate daughter of hers¡­ that I was kicked out of my parent¡¯s house, Wu wu¡­¡±


    ¡°Which him? Zhang Shixin?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s his wife. His wife is my father¡¯s daughter born out of wedlock. My mother never allowed her and her daughter into our house, so she takes her mother¡¯sst name¡­¡± Gan Miaoruo said as she forcefully pinched her nose.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    So, there was such a backstory!


    After Gan Miaoruo¡¯s exnation, Liu Sisi could naturally imagine that some unpleasant incidents must have happened initially; otherwise, there would be no reason to send Gan Miaoruo, who was the legitimate daughter, back to her hometown.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, don¡¯t be sad. These are adults¡¯ matters; you don¡¯t need to worry about them.¡± Liu Sisi said with great earnestness.


    ¡°Alright! Teacher, let¡¯s end today¡¯s lesson here. I¡¯ll go home first.¡±


    With red-rimmed eyes, Gan Miaoruo reluctantly nodded, her expression very upset as she quickly ran away.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo! Ruo Ruo¡­¡±


    Her call could not bring the little girl back.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but sigh! Every family indeed has its difficulties!


    In the afternoon, the sky started to drizzle. Liu Sisi, with the two children, rode Old Wang¡¯s bull-cart, swaying their way home.


    It was fine at first, but gradually, rain turned into sleet, and the increasingly strong cold wind made the three people on the bull-cart feel colder and colder.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, quickly move over here!¡±


    Liu Sisi tried her best to shield the two children, regretting they should not have gone out today, as nothing good seemed to have happened all day.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s so cold!¡±


    Di Xuan shivered as well.


    ¡°Quicklye to my side, that¡¯s where you can block the wind.¡± Liu Sisi kept signaling Di Xuan to move closer.


    ¡°No, Xuan¡¯er is a man; how can I hide behind my mom?¡± The stubborn little child shivered from the cold and still insisted on his words.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh, then her heart warmed, and she said emotionally, ¡°Silly child! Xuan¡¯er¡¯s filial piety is known, but you should also know the words ¡®measure your abilities.¡¯ You¡¯re young now, and naturally, it¡¯s mom¡¯s job to protect you. When mom gets old, it will be your turn to protect me.¡±


    As she spoke, she finally pulled him under her wings, holding Xuan¡¯er with her left hand and Ying¡¯er with her right. She sat both children on herp, slowly moving forward with the bull-cart.

 Chapter 241: 239: Dispute Over the Division of the Old House, Elderly Mr. Di’s Decision

    Chapter 241: 239: Dispute Over the Division of the Old House, Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s Decision<div>


    ¡°Puff! Cough cough cough¡­¡±


    This made Liu Sisi cough so hard that tears came out of her eyes, and she finally stopped coughing and put down her chopsticks.


    ¡°Is the old house really going to be divided? Can the father and mother agree to this?¡±<div>


    If the family really splits, it must be Ms. Zhao following Di Ah-bao and Elderly Mr. Di following Di Gaoyuan, right?


    ¡°How could they possibly agree? Your mother-inw absolutely doesn¡¯t agree! She even said that if anyone mentions this again, she¡¯ll fight them to the death.¡±


    Guihua could see the situation clearly: ¡°But this is also within reason, after all, she is a stepmother. If the family really splits, she can only follow Di Ah-bao. What kind of future can Di Ah-bao have? She knows her own children. It would be strange if she agreed.¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head: ¡°I don¡¯t think this matter will end so simply.¡±


    The corner of her mouth involuntarily lifted up high.


    As expected, that afternoon, Di Wei ran over crying all the way.


    ¡°Third Aunt, something happened to my grandfather at home! Boo-hoo¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Blood¡­ so much blood! Boo-hoo¡­¡± Di Wei sobbed incessantly.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart raced, and she didn¡¯t care about anything else. She threw down the work in her hands, turned around and ran outside, quickly heading towards the old house.


    ¡°Sisi, slow down, be careful of slippery roads in the rain!¡± Guihua called out loudly from behind.<div>


    Liu Sisi disregarded everything and ran quickly. When she arrived, even Mr. Land Officer had arrived. The old house¡¯s courtyard was packed with fellow vigers, all craning their necks to look inside. Liu Sisi struggled to squeeze into the center of the crowd.


    Elderly Mr. Di sat in a disheveled state under the eaves, leaning against a pir, his face gray and defeated. He didn¡¯t say anything when he saw Liu Sisie in.


    Di Gaoyuan and Di Ah-bao, the two brothers, red at each other like fighting cocks. Ms. Wang and Ms. Zhao standing nearby had clearly fought physically and were in a mess.


    On the contrary, the bride Ms. Xin stood there softly and weakly, her face like a flower. She was always eye-catching wherever she went. At the moment, she sobbed quietly with her handkerchief, looking pitiful with her tear-stained face.


    The scene was oddly quiet.


    As soon as Land Officer saw Liu Sisi, his eyes lit up!


    ¡°Sisi, where¡¯s Third Son Di? Howe I don¡¯t see himing?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Liu Sisi quickly greeted Mr. Land Officer: ¡°Your Honor, Ye Lei went to check the traps on the mountain early this morning. You know, he¡¯s been injured. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s getting colder now, and there¡¯s less game every day. Our family still has a long winter to get by, so he went to see the traps on the mountain to see if he could catch a wild pheasant or something.¡±


    This made Mr. Land Officer¡¯s face slightly better: ¡°At least, there¡¯s someone reliable!¡±


    After saying that, he nced at everyone again: ¡°What do you all think of my proposal just now?¡±


    Ms. Wang beside him couldn¡¯t help but speak up: ¡°Father, our Second family branch agrees to support you. But you are not only Di Gaoyuan¡¯s father, you also have to be supported by the Third family branch. Why should everything be pushed to us, the Second family branch?¡±<div>


    Mr. Land Officer frowned, but before he could speak, Ms. Zhao next to him let out a furious yell and jumped up from the ground.


    ¡°Ms. Wang, let me tell you! Over the years, Di Gaoyuan has grown up with me, and I¡¯ve worked hard to support him! You want to just leave me behind? No way!¡±


    This shout frightened Mr. Land Officer!


    ¡°Ah! What a shrew! How can you talk like that? Huh!¡±


    Mr. Land Officer was furious: ¡°When the men are talking, why are you, a woman, interrupting? Have you forgotten all your manners?¡±


    Ms. Zhao shrank back but still stubbornly retorted: ¡°I don¡¯t care! All these years, how I¡¯ve treated you, Di Gaoyuan, and your children, you all know it well! You can¡¯t just get rid of me like this! If it reallyes to that, I¡¯ll just jump into the river and end my life. Oh, my goodness¡­¡±


    As she spoke, another round of cursing and sobbing ensued, causing a headache for everyone.


    Mr. Land Officer scolded repeatedly but couldn¡¯t control the situation as he struck his crutch continuously. The scuffle only escted over there, quickly turning into another fight.


    Thus, the sound of cursing, pulling people apart, onlooking, wailing, and rebuking¡­ all mixed into a cacophony of high-decibel noise that echoed throughout the old courtyard.


    Liu Sisi quietly squeezed next to Elderly Mr. Di, and carefully looked at him: ¡°Dad, how are you feeling? Do you want Sisi to get a doctor?¡±


    ¡°No need¡­¡±<div>


    Elderly Mr. Di slightly opened his eyes, shook his head at Liu Sisi and closed them again.


    Liu Sisi felt quite helpless as the fight only escted. Her feeble body would only be useful for cooking, but standing aside and doing nothing while everyone fought made her feel guilty¡­


    Wait! It seemed like there was someone else!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze turned, and she met a pair of smiling eyes tinged with faint disdain.


    In the blink of an eye, the expression in those eyes changed to a crying face: ¡°Ah-Bao! Ah-Bao, you¡¯re all right, aren¡¯t you? Please don¡¯t hit my son Ah-Bao! Don¡¯t hit Ah-Bao! Ah-Bao¡ª¡ª¡±


    Wow!


    Indeed, as one would expect from a performer of a brothel, she could cry andugh on cue. Her face-changing speed was even more impressive than those with the skillful face-changing act!


    When everyone was finally separated again, only the sounds of pain and crying were left.


    Mr. Land Officer was also infuriated by the situation, and on such a cold day, sweat was pouring from his forehead!


    Unable to help himself, he took out his handkerchief and wiped his forehead a few times, throwing the handkerchief onto the ground before cursing angrily.


    ¡°Have the people of Di Family no shame? You all are really barbaric and unmanageable! If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m going to strip you all of your names and banish you from Upper Vige to perish on your own!¡±


    Mr. Land Officer was clearly enraged!


    In this era, banishment from the vige meant being driven from one¡¯s home and losing everything.


    The vast unknown was always the most terrifying aspect, especially when facing theing winter, with young and old mouths to feed, their homes, and roots were all here. If they were expelled, where could they go?


    As Mr. Land Officer¡¯s words fell, everyone¡¯s faces changed, and they quieted down.


    Di Gaoyuan, seeing the current situation, clenched his teeth and finally backed down!


    ¡°Fine! We¡¯ll listen to Mr. Land Officer, and we¡¯ll follow his orders. Whatever Mr. Land Officer says, we¡¯ll do.¡±


    ¡°No way! You people think you can just get rid of me? Absolutely not!¡±


    Ms. Zhao gave up all hope and directly rolled onto the ground, refusing to get up.


    ¡°Enough! You all¡­¡±


    As everyone¡¯s attention focused on the center of the scene, the Elderly Mr. Di beside them stood up and spoke.


    He leaned on his chair and struggled to his feet, taking two shaky steps and standing before Mr. Land Officer: ¡°I, I think¡­ I want to¡­ go with Third Child¡­¡±

 Chapter 242: 240: Elderly Mr. Di’s Heart Turned to Ash, Sisi’s Thoughts

    Chapter 242: 240: Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s Heart Turned to Ash, Sisi¡¯s Thoughts<div>


    ¡°What hill? Look at you, you¡¯re up in age and you still don¡¯t take care of your own health. Sit down and speak, take it easy, don¡¯t rush!¡±


    The Land Officer hurriedly helped Elderly Mr. Di sit at his original seat.


    He was genuinely afraid that Mr. Di, shaking as he was, would shake himself into a serious condition. That would be disastrous.<div>


    After all, he and Mr. Di had grown up together. They had had many stupid adventures as young men, like stealing bird¡¯s eggs, fishing in the river, running across the hillside from a bear after stealing honey. He really didn¡¯t want to lose another close contemporary.


    Elderly Mr. Di firmly gripped Land Officer¡¯s hand and struggled to shake his head: ¡°I¡­ wish¡­ to live¡­ with Third Son ¡­¡±


    Indeed! He finally figured it out. Being old, he feared that nobody would want to keep him.


    The person who had shown him warmth and care when he had hit his forehead was Sisi, Third Child¡¯s wife. If he wanted a peaceful old age, the only one he could depend on was Third Son.


    ¡°Eh! Di Defu, have you thought it through? This¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of anyone choosing not to live with the eldest or the youngest brother, but instead choosing to live with third brother who left the family long ago! Are you certain of your decision?¡±


    Land Officer was rmed! He almost jumped off his seat, and couldn¡¯t help but ask a question!


    The crowd was also surprised! They were gaping! The drama around the division of the Di family was more exciting than a y. It was indeed full of twists and turns!


    Momentarily, everyone¡¯s gazended on Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi paused a moment and then stepped forward. She gently bowed to Mr. Land Officer and said, ¡°Mr. Land Officer, Sisi has a few words. I¡¯m not sure if I should speak.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see? Sisi is the female tutor of Eldest Miss of the Gan Family. She is different in her manner of speaking and acting. The rest of the women here should learn from her!¡±


    Land Officer was pleased with Liu Sisi¡¯s words, praising her, guiding her overtly and covertly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    He knew that now the elderly Di was in such a state, he ought to find him a peaceful refuge, but it would certainly be a burden on Third Son Di.


    Liu Sisi naturally understood the implication behind the Land Officer¡¯s words. She gave a faint smile, did not press the issue and spoke at her own ord.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing! Everyone has seen my father-inw¡¯s illness. Today, Ye Lei, despite being sick, had to go up the mountain for work and is not around currently. Therefore, I would speak on his behalf. Years ago, the third family branch separated from the family. Since this happened before my wedding, I¡¯m not entirely clear of the details. The agreement was that as long as the father is alive, Third Child would give him 700 coppers as retirement sry each year. I just came into this family this year and therefore have no knowledge about the actual turn of events over these years. However, in the current situation¡­ Sisi does have her opinion.¡±


    Sisi paused for a beat, turning to look at her father-inw.


    Elderly Di tightly gripped his crutch, feeling a despair in his heart too profound for words. How he had neglected Third Son over the years and how filial Third Son had been to him was known to everyone present.


    Those were the days when he was hale and hearty, unggingly carrying loads to and from the hills, doing hisbor in the fields; his words carrying weight and authority. Bur now that he was sick, he was unable to go to the hills or the fields. His medical expenses made him an unwanted burden to others.


    It was his own doing! He was the one who had been blind to the nature of people; he had no one else to me!


    Those surrounding him also had mixed expressions. What he had considered, they also had!


    Sisi did not expect anyone to speak up and continued: ¡°My father-inw staying with us, in the third family branch¡¯s home, is possible! But, Second Brother and Little Brother must give 700 coppers each year as retirement sry. If there is any serious sickness or a big event, the costs will be shared by all three brothers. Second Brother, Little Brother, what do you think?¡±


    The moment Sisi¡¯s words fell, everyone was whispering to each other, huddled together and talking in hushed tones.


    Elderly Di widened his eyes in disbelief. He didn¡¯t expect that Third Child¡¯s wife would be willing to take in him, an old man. He couldn¡¯t hold back his tears and sobbed uncontrobly.<div>


    After some time, Ms. Zhao stood up first: ¡°Hold on! Although I¡¯m not Third Son¡¯s biological mother, I did raise him! So, the Third Family Branch, are you saying that you are reneging on your responsibility to take care of me?¡±


    Liu Sisi gave a knowing smile: ¡°Mother! What are you talking about! If father-inw is supported by the Third Family Branch, regardless of with whom you decide to stay, we will still give 700 coppers as retirement sry each year. How about that?¡±


    Sisi¡¯s words were fair and just!


    Everyone present couldn¡¯t help but nod, praising that the words of the female tutor were different.


    Di Gao Yuan and Di Ah-Bao naturally did not have anything to say.


    ¡°Hold on! How will we divide the Elder¡¯s share of property during the division of the estate?¡±


    Ms. Wang eyed the contracts for house andnd Elderly Di had in his hand. This was not a small matter!


    ¡°The third family branch separated long ago, so how you divide it now has nothing to do with us. As for the share pertaining to father-inw¡­ we will listen to Land Officer¡¯s allocation.¡±


    Liu Sisi gave a smile, volleying the ball back onto Mr. Land Officer¡¯s court.


    Such an ungrateful task was better left for Mr. Land Officer!


    Mr. Land Officer, satisfied with Sisi¡¯s discretion, looked at her appreciatively. Only then did he question Elderly Di on his nned division of property.<div>


    Of course, there was a lot of arguments and shouting. It was not until nightfall, in the presence of numerous fellow vigers, that everyone put down their signatures and finalized their respective portions.


    An elderly man as he was, Elderly Di didn¡¯t want property, so he had arger portion of thend¨C six acres of paddy fields, ten acres of dry fields. After his death, thisnd would belong to the Third Family Branch. Ms. Zhao was allotted two acres of paddy fields, three acres of dry fields, and a row of four houses. The rest¡ªten acres of paddy fields and thirty acres of drynd¡ªthe two brothers fought incessantly over. One argued for division per person, one for equal division amongst the brothers, but in the end, no matter how they chose to divide, it was of no concern to Sisi.


    At present, she was busily packing the bedding for Elderly Di.


    Seeing that Elderly Di was determined to leave, only at this moment did Ms. Zhao began to feel the agony of separation, weeping by his side.


    ¡°Old man! Old man! Are you abandoning this poor, old woman? You heartless man! You¡¯re so cruel, leaving just like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Old man, say something! Is this really the end¡­¡±


    ¡°Old man! This old woman is still alive! But you¡¯re separating now; how am I supposed to live in the future¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao kept on weeping and shouting. The crowd around them was silent. No one spoke.


    Regretting only now? Where was the ruthlessness earlier, when squabbling over the property? Why didn¡¯t they think of their marital bond then?

 Chapter 243: 241: Allocation of Housing and Nitration of Leather Material

    Chapter 243: 241: Allocation of Housing and Nitration of Leather Material<div>


    Night! It¡¯s getting colder and colder!


    Liu Sisi silently rolls up the elderly Mr. Di¡¯s clothes, packs the bedding and nkets, tidies up his belongings, and under Ms. Wang¡¯s watchful eye, she doesn¡¯t take a single extra thing, then quickly walks out of the room.


    At the main entrance, YingEr¡¯s father stands quietly in the cold wind, silently listening to Ms. Zhao¡¯s wailing, not even stepping into the room.<div>


    His back is old and deste, but carries an inexplicable fierceness!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With a face void of any expression, he silently gazes at the pitch-ck void.


    Seeing Liu Sisi carrying a stack of items from the room, he immediately turns around and, leaning on his crutch, walks away from the Di family step by step.


    ¡°Old man!¡ª¡ª¡±


    In the old house, only Ms. Zhao¡¯s loud crying can still be heard from afar.


    ¡°Old man! You heartless thing! You really abandoned me! Old man¡­¡±


    Having walked far away, Liu Sisi quickly catches up, ces all the items in her left hand to free the right hand and tries to help Elderly Mr. Di: ¡°Father¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! ¡­I can walk myself!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di pushes away Liu Sisi¡¯s help, moves forward slowly, and the two figures gradually merge into the darkness, one following the other.


    When they arrive at the Di Family, Di Xuan had already prepared hot water under Liu Sisi¡¯s orders.


    Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua, upon seeing the two return, chase them yfully, hopping before and after them, incredibly happy.<div>


    ¡°Father! It¡¯s really cold today, please sit down and warm your hands and feet! Don¡¯t let them freeze.¡±


    Liu Sisi touches her face, which ispletely numb and has almost no sensation.


    After considering, Liu Sisi moves the bamboo bed out of the room temporarily and ces it in a corner of the hall. She adds a thick grass mat from the head of the bed and then startsying the bedding.


    ¡°Father! The bed is ready. Please make do for a couple of days; when Ye Lei returns, we will find you a morefortable spot.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di silently washes his face, warms his feet, changes into clean clothes, and then climbs onto the bamboo bed, covering himself with a quilt and curling up his body to sleep.


    Everyone was truly exhausted after a whole day of turmoil.


    Liu Sisi rolls around restlessly, unable to sleep. After making such a major decision today on her own, she wonders if Ye Lei will think she didn¡¯t handle it well when he finds out.


    In her restlessness, she eventually drifts off to sleep, not knowing when.


    In a daze, it seems like she hears the low whines of Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua, followed by the sound of the door opening. Liu Sisi wakes up immediately. Sitting up, she hears faint voicesing from the hall.


    It¡¯s Di Yelei who has returned!


    Liu Sisi hurriedly tidies herself up and walks out of the room, and indeed, outside is still dim, and the day hasn¡¯t even broken yet, but Di Yelei is already back.<div>


    In the hall, Elderly Mr. Di is tucked into a corner where the light doesn¡¯t shine, and his face is obscured. He seems to be saying something but stops when he sees Liu Sisiing out.


    ¡°Ye Lei, you¡¯re back,¡± Liu Sisi whispers.


    ¡°Dad! It¡¯s still early, you get some more sleep. I¡¯ll take care of this game first.¡±


    Di Yelei nces at Liu Sisi and then takes the game into the kitchen.


    ¡°Go ahead¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di speaks softly.


    Without disturbing the old man, Liu Sisi tiptoes in after Di Yelei into the kitchen.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Di Yelei casually picked up a piece of game and began skinning it.


    ¡°Ah! What else could it be, we¡¯ve just broken up.¡±


    Liu Sisi opened the stove door, quickly adding some firewood in; with firewood, the house would be warmer. She casually recounted the events that had happened in the past few days.<div>


    By the end of it, both of them had fallen silent.


    ¡°I never thought Zhao would choose this path in the end, leaving Dad for Ah-Bao! Hmph!¡±


    Di Yelei forcefully threw the skin he had just removed to the ground and angrily began gutting the game.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she use to say that she couldn¡¯t live without my Dad? How many years has it been and she¡¯s already regretting her choice?¡±


    He was filled with hatred! If it wasn¡¯t for Zhao intervening back then, his mother wouldn¡¯t have died early, and there wouldn¡¯t have been a series of dirty business after Zhao¡¯s arrival. His childhood wouldn¡¯t have been void ofughter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she regrets it, maybe someone influenced her? I could see that she was genuinely heartbroken when Dad left.¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed deeply.


    ¡°She deserves it! This is what she should endure!¡±


    Di Yelei violently threw the small knife in his hand. The knife flew out of his grip, making a whoosh sound, directly piercing the mud wall in front of them, leaving only the handle exposed.


    Liu Sisi was startled!


    ¡°What are you doing? Stop throwing knives, this is our home, not your hunting ground!¡±


    Liu Sisi was angry!


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m sorry, I lost control of my emotions.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until a whileter that Di Yelei softly spoke, picking up the small knife on the ground and silently continuing what he was doing.


    ¡°Dad sleeping in the hall isn¡¯t right, why don¡¯t I move the bamboo bed to Xuan¡¯er¡¯s room, and have Dad and Xuan¡¯er live together temporarily?¡±


    ¡°That would be good!¡± Liu Sisi nodded her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it too, but Xuan¡¯er¡¯s room is full of books, and I¡¯m worried histe-night reading will disturb Dad¡¯s sleep. I thought to wait for you toe back and decide.¡±


    Di Yelei nodded and then thought further, ¡°How about I clear out a corner of the kitchen for Dad to stay? It¡¯s warm there, and he wouldn¡¯t get cold.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not! The kitchen may be warm, but how can Dad sleep with all the constant smoke? Why don¡¯t we do as you said, have Dad stay in Xuan¡¯er¡¯s room, and Xuan¡¯er move to YingEr¡¯s room, we could put YingEr in the bamboo bed next to our big bed. This way, we don¡¯t have to worry about YingEr getting cold.¡±


    After Di Yelei thought about it for a moment, he provided apromise.


    ¡°No way! YingEr is already five years old, and she¡¯ll be betrothed soon. She can¡¯t stay in the same room as us. I¡¯ll go talk to Zhang Pengter and see if there are any other good ideas.¡±


    He quickly cut a piece of hind leg meat and handed it to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°What good ideas could Brother Zhang have? Even if we built another room, it wouldn¡¯t be suitable for living in that quickly, right? Why don¡¯t we temporarily partition YingEr¡¯s room, and wait until next spring to build a new one?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly came up with a solution. While she took the hind leg meat, she opened the lid of the pot with steaming hot water. She scooped out half a basin of hot water and began washing. After washing the meat, she started preparing breakfast.


    ¡°That works too! This is the best solution we have. I¡¯ll go and ask Zhang Peng for helpter to see how it can be set up better.¡±


    By the time Liu Sisi had finished cooking breakfast, Di Yelei had already skinned all the game pieces, hung them up one by one, and soaked the removed fur in the water. He also took off the previously dried animal skins from the roof and put them in arge basin to soak.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Liu Sisi curiously asked.


    ¡°Tanning hides! In the past, there weren¡¯t many animal skins, and their price was low in summer, so I would tan them in bulk around the Start of Winter to sell them at the best price.¡±

 Chapter 244: 242: Ye Lei’s Shenanigans and SiSi’s Retaliation

    Chapter 244: 242: Ye Lei¡¯s Shenanigans and SiSi¡¯s Retaliation<div>


    Di Yelei spoke as he worked, quickly soaking the beast skins in turn.


    ¡°You actually know how to tan beast skin?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked in surprise.<div>


    Di Yelei gave her a quick, knowing nce as he washed his hands. ¡°There¡¯s more than that, I know many things that you don¡¯t!¡±


    Liu Sisi was too annoyed to respond at his pretentiousness.


    ¡°Of course, you can do anything! The thing you¡¯re best at is running away without saying a thing. Hmph!¡±


    Liu Sisi red at him: ¡°Speak! You had said that you will not go hunting in the mountains until your injury ispletely healed. How could you sneak off again?¡±


    ¡°My injury ispletely healed, Sisi, look¡­ look at my body¡­¡±


    He gave a silly smile, pped his chest with force, and then leaned over towards her, snuggling against her constantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think speaking sweet words will let you off the hook. Let me tell you, Di Yelei, from tomorrow on, you will stay at home and are not allowed to go anywhere! You can¡¯t even touch your bow and arrow until I say that you can go up the mountain. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Ah? Really? Sisi¡ª¡ª¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t resist and hugged her from behind, with his face full of ttery. ¡°Sisi, look at this body! My injury was healed long ago. Don¡¯t believe me? Hit me, hit me harder! You¡¯ll know that my injury really¡­¡±


    ¡°It takes a hundred days for a bone injury to heal! Who are you trying to fool?¡±


    Liu Sisi twisted at his waist in a swift move and grabbed his flesh there.<div>


    ¡°Aiyo! It hurts¡­! Sisi, are you trying to murder your husband?¡± cried Di Yelei dramatically.


    Liu Sisi was genuinely angry, she used force and made two red marks on his waist.


    ¡°You deserve it! You always do the opposite of what you are told. Seeing that your wound hadn¡¯t healed, you were eager to go out! Even a wild mule would stay at home longer than you! Hmph!¡±


    Her face was flushed with anger, startling the man beside her.


    ¡°Sisi, my little demon! I missed you so much¡­¡±


    He stretched out his salty pig hand to hold her into his arms, and lowered his head to kiss her¡­


    ¡°Stop!¡­ Dad is still in the hall!¡±


    Liu Sisi managed to stretch out her hand in time to block his descending kiss.


    ¡°Sisi¡­hmm¡­¡±


    Di Yelei shook his head trying to get free from Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, but her nimble fingers remained undeterred.


    His rough stubble scraped back and forth on her palm, sparking an inexplicably itchiness. She could not help but let out a cry, her cheeks turning red.<div>


    ¡°Stop rubbing! It¡¯s so itchy¡­¡± she tried to quickly retract her hand.


    Before she knew it, they went from talking about his injuries to dealing with this wolf in front of her with lust on his mind!


    ¡°Itchy? There¡¯s more to make you itchierter¡ª¡ª¡±


    His wicked smile!


    Suddenly his thick eyebrows shot up and he was on her again.


    His dreadful bear paw moved towards the white, trembling and tender spot which brought him joy. He couldn¡¯t help but rub across her clothing a few times.


    Liu Sisi was embarrassed, angry, and annoyed!


    With a firm grasp on his cor, she futilely tried to resist him, pushing him away desperately.


    ¡°You bastard! Father is asleep in the hall, stop it now!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the old man was young himself once, he wouldn¡¯t disturb us. Sisi! My little kitty¡ª¡ªYour husband misses you so much¡­so much¡­so much¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, the sticky sensation enveloped her once more as if he stuck a caramel candy on her. With his stubble intentionally buried in her neck, making circr motions back and forth, he teased her.<div>


    His hands didn¡¯t slow down either. His rough palm, as slippery as a loach, slid directly through the cor of her dress, soon covering the spot that made his heart flutter and his hand felt the gentle texture that made his heart skip a beat, letting out a low growl.


    ¡°Ah! You really¡­ stop messing around, if our two children wake up and see us, that would be really atrocious! Ye Lei¡­¡±


    She fiercely defended her body which not a secondter was easily conquered by him. Liu Sisi¡¯s legs gave way, and she almost fell to the floor.


    Her cry seemed weak and powerless.


    ¡°What did they see? I haven¡¯t done anything yet!¡±


    The man spoke with feigned seriousness, yet his arrogant demeanor betrayed his inner desires. Taking advantage of the situation, he lifted her petite body even higher.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Ah¡­ no¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi let out a cry of surprise, her legs copsed, and she hung heavily on him, panting breathlessly.


    But the next moment, his kissnded on her small mouth, greedily ravishing it, nibbling on her lips and tasting the sweet vor in her mouth.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His arms continuously tightened around her, as if he wanted to merge herpletely into his body. Being pressed against his chest, she was so breathless that she was on her tiptoes to endure his madness.


    ¡°Let¡­go! Cough, cough¡­¡±


    At this point, she could bear no more. The severeck of oxygen caused her to struggle and push him away.


    At the moment, he waspletely absorbed in the sweetness of the petite body in his arms. He didn¡¯t notice her struggling until a shocking pain on his tongue finally woke him up.


    ¡°Ouch! Sisi, are you trying to murder your husband?¡±


    While one hand was still firmly holding her, the other hand was holding the back of her head. His face expressed a sense of unfulfilled desire.


    ¡°You bastard! Cough, cough¡­ what are you trying to do? I couldn¡¯t breathe just now! Cough, cough¡­¡±


    She was finally free from his grip, leaning weakly against him as she coughed. Her eyes were filled with tears as she coughed so hard.


    Coughing uncontrobly, she gave him an angry stare.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me what I want to do? What could I do? My little kitty!¡±


    He raised an eyebrow in surprise, his face lit up with a roguish smile. His dexterous tongue licked over his glossy lips which still had a slight redness, a mark she left behind.


    ¡°You¡­ you bastard!¡±


    With his ent on the word ¡°do¡±, she was momentarily unable to catch her breath and her coughing continued so hard that she almost coughed out a lung!


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault, my little kitty. It was only an ident just now. Who could resist your sweet and delightful taste, next time, I promise I¡¯ll be very, very careful.¡±


    He spread his hands innocently looking at her, with a perfectly mischievous expression.


    Wait, there¡¯s a next time?


    Liu Sisi, enraged, stamped on his foot, and twisting her heel on top of his instep ¨C she was still not satisfied.


    ¡°What next time? You¡¯d better exin yourself!¡±

 Chapter 245: 243: Father and Son Busy Helping, Zhang Yun’s Plan

    Chapter 245: 243: Father and Son Busy Helping, Zhang Yun¡¯s n<div>


    ¡°Oh my! Sisi, are you trying to murder your husband? Just look at all the injuries on me, don¡¯t you feel sorry for me?¡±


    Di Yelei kept wailing with a pitiful look, but his deep eyes betrayed the joy in his heart at the moment.


    Did Sisi forget about her sneaky little trip up the mountain to go hunting?<div>


    Seems like he had dodged a bullet!


    ¡°Why would I feel sorry for you? You don¡¯t even feel sorry for yourself!¡±


    She rolled her eyes in resentment.


    Although she was tough with her words, she eventually gave in and moved her foot, feeling sorry for him.


    Suddenly, a peculiar scent filled her nose¡­


    ¡°Oh no! My braised pork in the pot!¡±


    Only then did Liu Sisi hurriedly try to rescue the braised pork in the pot. Seeing the partly scorched meat, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of loss.


    ¡°Look at the mess you caused, it¡¯s all your fault! Your father¡¯s first meal here was ruined because of you!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m terrible! Just scoop out the burnt bits and give them to me.¡±


    Di Yelei wasn¡¯t annoyed at all and still had a grin on his face.


    ¡°Enough, if others saw us like this, they might think I¡¯m a wicked wife who mistreats you every day!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi replied jokingly.


    ¡°Grandfather! You¡¯re up too? Please wait a while, Xuan¡¯er will fetch some water for you.¡±


    From the hall came the conversation between Xuan¡¯er and Elderly Mr. Di, and a new day began.


    After the meal, Di Yelei went to Zhang Peng¡¯s house and soon, the two returned together, along with Zhang Yun. They brought back a lot of cut bamboo, which they made into screens that were three meters high and one meter wide. Then they used these screens to divide YingEr¡¯s room into two smaller partitions and used kraft paper as a temporary wall for the siblings.


    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s no problem for them to keep living like this. The house you built is already big enough.¡±


    Zhang Peng said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, thank you for your hard work. Please sit down and take a break. Zhang Yun, hurry up and wash your hands before eating some pancakes to fill your stomach.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    What Liu Sisi was holding were chive pancakes. As there were no chives left in the field, she used Chinese chives instead and wrapped them in ttened dough before frying them in an oil pan.


    Once they were cooked, she sent some new pancakes to her father-inw for tasting. Then she brought a bowl of in rice porridge and some pancakes to the working crowd.


    ¡°Thank you, Auntie.¡±


    Zhang Yun quickly nailed down thest two pieces of bamboo and happily went to wash his hands.<div>


    The basin held freshly drawn hot water, which was slightly scalding but just perfect for washing hands in cold weather. Zhang Yun quickly washed his hands clean, then picked up a chive pancake and took a bite, sipping the in porridge on the side.


    ¡°Auntie, your cooking skills are getting better and better. The pancakes taste even better now!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Our Zhang Yun¡¯s mouth is getting sweeter and sweeter, getting better at talking. Brother Zhang, listen! Just a few days ago, you said Yun Er was a quiet child, but it turns out she can speak well today.¡± Liu Sisi praised repeatedly, with a hint of a mother-inw looking at her prospective son-inw.


    Thepliment made Zhang Yun¡¯s face flush, and he looked down shyly.


    But it made both Zhang Peng and Di Yelei nearbyugh!


    Zhang Peng in particr, couldn¡¯t close his mouth fromughing: ¡°Sister, you better not praise him anymore, or he might get too arrogant and lose his way!¡±


    ¡°Big Brother Zhang, that¡¯s not fair. Yun¡¯er is only ten years old. You shouldn¡¯t be so strict with him. Kids should be lively and adorable.¡±


    Zhang Peng also finished his work and came over to wash his hands: ¡°He¡¯s still a kid? Look at Xuan¡¯er, who¡¯s two years younger than him, yet so focused on studying and so talented. Now look at Yun¡¯er, this naughty boy! Other than hunting some game, and helping with farm work, he can¡¯t even recognize a single character.¡±


    Zhang Peng¡¯s words were subtly praising Zhang Yun.


    In the mountain vige, it¡¯s natural for boys to be considered capable if they can handle both mountain and fieldwork.


    But in Liu Sisi¡¯s mind, being good at mountain and fieldwork wasn¡¯t enough; one must know at least a few characters!<div>


    She didn¡¯t feel good about the blind leading the blind.


    Thinking of this, she smiled lightly: ¡°Yun¡¯er is indeed capable! But I¡¯m afraid when he sets up his own family and deals with his expenses, he might suffer a little disadvantage because of his illiteracy. I intend to send Xuan¡¯er to the vige school next spring, and Yun¡¯er will be eleven years old by then. It would be a good idea to send him to the vige school to study for two or three years.¡±


    He should study for two or three years first. Whether he would want to continue hunting in the mountains or continue in school, they would have to wait and see.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words clearly startled everyone. Those who had just picked up chive pancakes to eat put down their bowls and looked up at her one after another.


    ¡°Yun¡¯er going to the vige school? That¡­ doesn¡¯t seem suitable, does it?¡±


    Zhang Peng was shocked! He had never thought of sending Yun¡¯er to school.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t expect Liu Sisi to say this either. He couldn¡¯t help raising his head to look at her: ¡°Yun¡¯er has always loved hunting. Going to the vige school might not be a good idea, right?¡±


    Liu Sisi thought her idea was excellent: ¡°Whether Yun¡¯er wants to go to the vige school should be up to him.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, Auntie, I want to go hunting and earn more silver¡­ I don¡¯t want Ying¡¯er to suffer in the future. As for studying, I¡­ I really can¡¯t do it.¡±


    As Zhang Yun spoke, he lowered his head.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment and realized that it was indeed too abrupt to bring this up today.


    Like Zhang Peng, Zhang Yun had been used to working in the mountains all year round. Suddenly asking him to study would be too drastic a change, without even time to mentally prepare.


    ¡°Yun¡¯er, you don¡¯t have to answer right away. There¡¯s still a long time between now and next spring. You can think about which path you want to take in the future during this time. If you decide against it, Auntie won¡¯t force you. If you want to, you can go with Xuan¡¯er. What do you all think about my proposal?¡±


    Of course, Liu Sisi¡¯sst sentence was asking everyone¡¯s opinion.


    Everyone looked at each other and finally Zhang Peng spoke up: ¡°Let¡¯s do as my sister-inw suggested. When springes next year, if Yun¡¯er is willing to study, we¡¯ll send him to the vige school!¡±


    Having said that, Zhang Peng buried his head back in his bowl to drink his porridge, but his face seemed a little less cheerful and a bit more solemn.


    He thought of Liu Sisi¡¯s background as the female tutor of the Miss of the Gan Family and wondered if she really couldn¡¯t stand Yun¡¯er, who couldn¡¯t recognize a single character. Maybe they should take advantage of Yun¡¯er¡¯s young age and let him study for two years at the vige school¡­


    He pondered silently.


    Di Yelei gave Liu Sisi a deep look, not understanding why she, who usually didn¡¯t like to talk nonsense, would propose such an embarrassing idea today of all days. But thinking that Sisi was doing it for the two children¡¯s sake, he still swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

 Chapter 246: 244: The Sensible YingEr and the Stubborn Di Yelei

    Chapter 246: 244: The Sensible YingEr and the Stubborn Di Yelei<div>


    In the afternoon, Ms. Zhao arrived.


    She started wailing outside the Di Family¡¯s home and refused to enter, even after Liu Sisi¡¯s repeated invitations, attracting the barking of the two dogs, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua.


    Curious, YingEr asionally peeked outside, puzzled by her grandmother¡¯s actions.<div>


    Ms. Zhao sat on the Di Family¡¯s doorstep, cursing continuously, using Elderly Mr. Di of being ungrateful, of abandoning his wife, of enjoying his luxurious life by himself, and more¡­


    Since morning, Elderly Mr. Di had been sitting in front of the kitchen stove, listening to Ms. Zhao¡¯s usations without responding or leaving the house, lost in his thoughts.


    Ms. Zhao cursed until it was almost dark, then left with a hoarse voice from all the wailing.


    Di Yelei and the others worked until nightfall to finish rearranging the rooms. They moved the children¡¯s small beds into the divided room, set up Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s bamboo bed, and finally finished their tasks.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The dinner was prepared with Guihua¡¯s help, and the two spent the entire afternoon making dumplings.


    Liu Sisi brought various ingredients like baby bok choy, turnip leaves, Chinese chives, and scallions, along with the family¡¯s chicken eggs, small dried shrimp,rd residue, and roe deer meat, to prepare a variety of dumpling fillings, filling up the entire table.


    That evening, as everyone finished their work, the dumplings were ready.


    ¡°Come,e, everyone eat!¡±


    Liu Sisi served the dumplings in separate categories, filling the table, and invited everyone to share with a smile.


    ¡°We have many seasonings here ¨C soybean sauce, vinegar, and chili sauce. You can dip the dumplings in whatever you like, and don¡¯t be shy with the portions.¡±


    As she spoke, she stood up with a small bowl and carefully filled it with one of each type of dumpling, before cing it in front of her father-inw at the head of the table.<div>


    ¡°Father, what kind of sauce do you want? Sisi will get it for you.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di protectively covered his bowl, uttering with great effort: ¡°Eat, everyone¡­ eat, help yourselves!¡±


    Only when Elderly Mr. Di started using his chopsticks did everyone else begin to eat the dumplings.


    YingEr tried a shrimp and egg dumpling, and unable to resist, picked up another one and handed it to Elderly Mr. Di.


    ¡°Grandfather, this dumpling is so delicious! You should try it too!¡±


    After she finished, she shed a sweet smile at Elderly Mr. Di.


    This scene made Liu Sisi¡¯s heart flutter, fearing that Elderly Mr. Di might refuse to eat the dumpling offered by YingEr. After all, many older people in this era didn¡¯t like girls, considering them a financial burden.


    The others also paused their chopsticks and secretly observed the scene before them, feeling somewhat awkward.


    YingEr seemed oblivious to everyone¡¯s thoughts, smiling sweetly with her head tilted as she watched her grandfather.


    At the sight of her smile, Elderly Mr. Di frozen, it took him a while to reach out his trembling hand and gently pat YingEr¡¯s head.


    ¡°Good¡­eat, eat!¡±<div>


    ¡°Thank you, grandfather.¡±


    YingEr smiled sweetly once more before returning to her seat.


    Everyone else released the tension in their hearts and continued eating the dumplings, exchanging relieved smiles.


    That night, Di Yelei eagerly awaited, having bathed early.


    Deprived of meat for so long, he was already incredibly envious, his eyes seemingly shooting sparks as he stared at Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi remains unmoved by all his explicit and implicit hints.


    As soon as Guihua and her family leave, she sits down at her desk and starts copying her book.


    An impatient man nearby continually harasses her, asionally breathing down her neck, causing her difort. She tries to fend him off like swatting away mosquitoes, attempting to swat away his evil hand.


    ¡°Let go! I haven¡¯t finished copying my book!¡±


    This book is worth two or three taels of silver, and Liu Sisi really doesn¡¯t want to give up on it.


    ¡°Sisi! My little kitten, I¡¯ve been craving you so much¡­¡±<div>


    He keeps getting closer to her, his big hand gradually sliding down and reaching the most beautiful and charming part of her body. His movements be bolder and bolder.


    ¡°Stop messing around, your wound hasn¡¯t healed yet.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t mince words, and as she turns her head, she unexpectedly meets his fiery gaze. Sparks of fire dance between their intertwined gazes, but she quicklyes to her senses and pushes him away with all her might.


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke around with your own body, I¡¯m serious!¡±


    After Liu Sisi finishes speaking, she ignores him, but she also loses the mood to continue copying. She gets up and tidies up the items on the table. She picks them up, puts them in the drawer, and closes it in one smooth motion.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m joking? My Sisi¡­¡±


    Unexpectedly, her slightly bent body didn¡¯t have time to straighten up before a powerful force swept across her. Before she couldprehend what was happening, she was firmly pinned down by Di Yelei¡¯s tall and burly figure onto the thick cotton quilt.


    In front of a man whose mind is clouded by lust, a woman¡¯s strength is purely ornamental!


    In the face of absolute power, all resistance is futile.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s expression instinctively panics as she extends both arms to fend him off.


    ¡°My little kitten, did you forget what I said?¡±


    His gaze is firm, his movements precise. The domineering words he speaks leave no room for refusal.


    ¡°In everyday life, I can give in to you in any way, but at this moment, I have to love you dearly, pamper you, make youpletely submissive, and spoil you to the core. I will make you remember that I am your man, your dominator! My little kitten¡­¡±


    His whole body is on fire, emitting thick heat. The hot energy evaporates as he almost forcefully presses his entire weight onto her.


    ¡°A-are you crazy? Don¡¯t forget what Dr. He said¡­¡±


    Surely!


    A wave of heat spreads around her ear, and she can¡¯t help but clench her lips tightly.


    The questioning tone in her voice can¡¯t help but increase as she struggles to break free.


    The familiar male scent surges towards her, enveloping her entire being and trapping her in the thick cotton quilt, unable to escape.


    ¡°I¡¯m not crazy! But, I want you so badly that I am about to lose my mind! My whole being is on the verge of exploding, Sisi¡­ Can you really bear to see me suffer like this and not help me?¡±


    He lowers his head to calmly gaze at her face, locks her body firmly under his strong iron arm, and looks down at her from above. His fiery eyes catch a glimpse of white.


    A dazzling light sweeps past the depths of his eyes, and he can no longer resist the temptation. His hands, which are restraining her, unknowingly press down even harder.


    His evil hand mps around her waist, and another hand quickly pulls her waistband, tossing it to the ground.


    Before she can react, he has already conquered herpletely with the most masculine, primitive, and direct method.

 Chapter 247: 245: Ye Lei Enters the City, Busy Di City

    Chapter 247: 245: Ye Lei Enters the City, Busy Di City<div>


    She had barely managed to free herself from his embrace, and she had long melted in his passion.


    Her fierce heartbeat sounded incredibly intense!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Her mouth was sweet, her body soft and fragrant, her voice soft and coquettish, making him feel like he was on fire and bewitched!<div>


    His blood was boiling!


    The distance between them was so close that they could hear each other¡¯s heartbeat!


    They were breathing heavily, their breaths practically hitting each other¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Now, little kitty, do you still want to escape? Give in to me, hmm?¡±


    He firmly held her body, his gaze never leaving her face, unwilling to miss any subtle movements or expressions, staring intently at her.


    ¡°Wait a moment, uh¡­¡±


    She weakly pushed him away, pounding on him.


    It was unclear if it was pain or pleasure, her tangled emotions made her afraid to make a sound, and she could only struggle in vain.


    He seemed like a wicked demon, carefully examining her ever-changing face.


    Suddenly, she took the initiative, raising her head to meet his assault, her arms actively climbing around his neck.


    His dark eyes suddenly brightened¡­<div>


    Barely managing to catch their breath, they separated, and before he could speak, her small body rubbed against him.


    Upon receiving her suggestive invitation, Di Yelei impatiently removed his clothes, revealing his tightly knitted muscles.


    As soon as his clothes were off, one could clearly see the once robust body had significantly weakened, with ribs exposed one by one.


    The two of them were nowpletely open to each other.


    Soon, he led her into that magnificent world, the boundless madness and confusion spreading relentlessly within the bedroom¡­


    Afterward, she had no strength left, quietly lying on the warm quilt, partially covering herself with a thin quilt andzily exposing her shoulder, an enchanting sight. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, like anguid little kitten.


    He didn¡¯t let her go even then.


    Calmly, he approached from behind, his hand tracing her spine upwards, eventually arriving at her ear.


    Liu Sisi struggled to open her eyes, unable to help but let out a soft hum, and then closed her eyes in exhaustion.


    ¡°Ye Lei! No more¡­ I¡¯m really tired¡­¡±


    Di Yeleiughed wildly, the smile on the corner of his lips raised high, his ears rubbing against hers.<div>


    ¡°I want you to see how much I pamper you and love you, I want to mark your entire body! There¡¯s only me in this world who can treat you like this, do you like it?¡±


    At the moment, Liu Sisi¡¯s mind waspletely muddled, and she couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of his words.


    Not giving her a chance to catch her breath, Di Yelei¡¯s body entwined with hers once more.


    A tingling sensation quickly spread through her body, and under his forceful attack, Liu Sisi involuntarily moaned.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    This sound, like a beautiful note in time, spilled from her lips, and he could no longer control himself.


    It was as if her body had been run over by a train, struggling desperately while ayer of misty water filled her eyes once more. Unable to tell whether her sounds were of pain or joy, they were soon reduced to fragmented fragments by his storm-like actions, losing all resemnce.


    Her heart pounded wildly, and she closed her eyes tightly. He was still as crazy as ever, and she couldn¡¯t refuse him at all.


    For a while, a roaring fire burned across the fields, diluting the cold in the room.


    That fire, it burned fiercely all night long!


    Early the next day, Di Yelei woke up bright and early to make breakfast. When he had finished and came to call Liu Sisi up, she could hardly stand on her own two feet.<div>


    Looking at the annoying grin on the man in front of her, she couldn¡¯t help but tiptoe and aim a hand to tweak his ear.


    ¡°Laugh! Laugh! I¡¯ll make youugh, you bastard!¡±


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts¡­ Sisi! Don¡¯t! I am your husband; you should at least give me some face, right?¡±


    Liu Sisi hadn¡¯t even touched him yet, and Di Yelei was already shouting in pain.


    ¡°Face? How much is face worth? Hmm! You don¡¯t even care about your own dignity anymore, so what do you need face for?¡±


    Liu Sisi deliberately teased him, but her dressed movements didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°Exactly, where does a man need face in front of his own woman? If I had face, I wouldn¡¯t be able to eat meat, right?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s self-satisfied smile on his face was particrly annoying, making Liu Sisi give a light snort and blush.


    ¡°You need to hurry up; Dad is already up.¡±


    That arrogantly raised eyebrow carried a different meaning, which made Liu Sisi give a light snort and quickly sped up her dressing. But the busier she got, the more likely she was to make mistakes.


    ¡°You, you, you¡­ get out of here! I¡¯ll be done washing and grooming in a moment.¡±


    She struggled vigorously with her skirt!


    Where is the waistband? Where did the waistband go? And the socks, embroidered shoes¡­ she was so frantic that she practically threw them on herself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your husband is here to help you¡­¡±


    But behind her was the shameless guy who, although he imed to be helping her, actually impeded her progress, making her even busier.


    Not only could she not put on her embroidered shoes properly, but the clothes she had already worn seemed to be on the verge of being pulled off.


    ¡°Stop messing around! If I¡¯mte and momes, I won¡¯t be able to go to the bookstore.¡±


    Di Yelei looked disappointed at the little person in front of him; it seemed like he couldn¡¯t eat more meat.


    As expected, when the dawdling couple emerged from the room, Elderly Mr. Di was already up. At the moment, he was inspecting the soil-less baby bok choy Liu Sisi had nted in the courtyard, a look of surprise on his face.


    ¡°Father, have breakfast. It¡¯s cold outside nowadays, so it¡¯ll be warmer to stay in the house. We have plenty of firewood at home, so feel free to use it without worrying about running out. As for food, the cooked dishes on the stove are ready. If you want to eat, just put them in the steaming basket, cover it, and it will be steamed and hot in a while, ready to eat.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke while helping Elderly Mr. Di into the house.


    Elderly Mr. Di nodded with satisfaction, ¡°Good, good! Third Child¡¯s daughter-inw, good.¡±


    It was unclear if he was saying Liu Sisi¡¯s words were good, or if he meant Sisi was good!


    After breakfast, Liu Sisi went directly to the small town. She took the two children with her, riding Old Wang¡¯s bull-cart to the small town. What she didn¡¯t know is that as soon as she left, Di Yelei followed her out of the house and headed toward the county.


    That day, Ms. Zhao came to the closed main entrance of the Di family again, crying and cursing for a while. Elderly Mr. Di was busy in the courtyard at the moment. There were some onlookers who peeked into the Di family¡¯s yard and retracted their heads as soon as they saw Elderly Mr. Di in the courtyard.


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s saliva was in vain. Unfortunately, not a single person came forward to support her, but instead, added countlessughs for everyone after dinner.

 Chapter 248 - 246: Zhang Shixin Visits Again, Sisi Chases Him Out with a Broom

    Chapter 248: Chapter 246: Zhang Shixin Visits Again, Sisi Chases Him Out with a Broom


    When Liu Sisi and herpanions arrived at the bookstore, Di Cheng was moving arge pile of goods out of the shop.


    ¡°Cousin Brother! We came to y with you today!¡±


    Before they even entered the door, YingEr ran over with an excited look on her face.


    ¡°Ah YingEr, your cousin is busy right now. You¡¯ll have to wait a moment.¡±


    Upon seeing the three arrive, Di Cheng¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Third Aunt! Your timing is perfect! Cheng¡¯er was just about to deliver goods to the Liu Family in the west. You can guard the shop.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So many items sold to the Liu family today?¡±


    Liu Sisi was also delighted since they sold so many goods early in the morning. There was quite a bit of profit made today. ¡°Have you had breakfast? Hurry up and eat before you go.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Third Aunt. Cheng¡¯er already ate at Grandma¡¯s stall. I¡¯ll leave to make the delivery now.¡±


    As he spoke, he wiped his face with a towel and hung it around his neck before pushing the handcart away.


    ¡°Hurry back, Cousin! YingEr is waiting for you to y!¡±


    YingEr called after Di Cheng.


    Despite being in the middle of winter, he managed to break a sweat from working diligently. Liu Sisi admired his hard work as she entered the shop.


    Di Cheng had kept the shop in good order, with the goods neatly arranged.


    Liu Sisi picked up the ount book to check records and began tallying today¡¯s ounts. Meanwhile, Di Xuan and Di Ying entered the inner room to start writing and drawing.


    Liu Sisi gradually increased Di Xuan¡¯s workload, not only practicing writing and reading daily but also teaching him painting. Di Xuan was very interested in the ink sshed painting that Liu Sisi identally obtainedst time, and couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of it once it was framed.


    Originally, Liu Sisi nned to hang it in her room, but after some thought, she hung it in front of Di Xuan¡¯s desk.


    Now, Di Xuan was copying the painting as he worked on his own.


    Before long, Gan Miaoruo arrived.


    Seeing Liu Sisi there as well, she immediately beamed with joy, ¡°Teacher! So you¡¯re here today as well? Ruo Ruo was worried she¡¯d have made a wasted trip and would have to go to your house.¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Today, Gan Miaoruo wore a snow-white fox fur cloak and pinkish headdress, making her face even more charming.


    ¡°Today, I was worried you¡¯d have to travel far again. Since I also had to check the ounts, I came here directly. Sit down, Ruo Ruo, I¡¯ll be done in a moment.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly added a few more lines to the ount book.


    Gan Miaoruo tiptoed to look at the items on the counter, being curious though not tall enough to nce over it.


    When she realized Liu Sisi was looking over an ount book, she couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes, ¡°Teacher! How can you be like my grandmother? Always looking at ount books all day long, aren¡¯t you tired of it?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be tired of? Without your grandmother managing the ounts every day, how could you enjoy your current life? You should learn to be grateful instead ofining.¡±


    It seems today¡¯s lesson should be about gratitude! Yes, that¡¯s a good idea! Liu Sisi decided to herself.


    ¡°Sister Ruo Ruo is here! Sister Ruo Ruo,e and see! Look at the painting my brother did, it¡¯s so beautiful!¡±


    From inside, Di Ying heard Gan Miaoruo¡¯s voice and hurriedly ran out. She grabbed Gan Miaoruo and pulled her inside.


    ¡°Come on! Come on! Sister Ruo Ruo, look!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Indeed, it¡¯s beautiful!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo¡¯s surprised voice came from the inner room, ¡°Little Xuan¡¯er, who would have thought you could paint too!¡±


    Immediately afterward, Di Xuan¡¯s embarrassed voice came through, ¡°No¡­ I just drew this randomly¡­¡±


    ¡°You can draw this well just by doodling? Little Xuan Xuan, can you draw one for me too? I promise I will keep it safe and never damage it, okay?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s not appropriate for men and women to be too close to each other, for me to give you a painting¡­ Is it fine?¡± Xuan¡¯er¡¯s hesitant voice came in.


    ¡°How is it not fine? What¡¯s wrong with it? I see you¡¯re just trying to be evasive and avoid doing it, huh! You must draw a painting for me! Naughty Xuan Xuan!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo¡¯s willful and stubborn voice came from inside.


    Liu Sisi, who was facing the ount book, couldn¡¯t help but shake her head. However, she wasn¡¯t worried. Every time Gan Miaoruo and Xuan¡¯er had a confrontation, it was Ruo Ruo who ended up losing. It was unclear why, but the usually easy-going Ruo Ruo was very caring towards Xuan¡¯er and YingEr.


    ¡°Yo! It¡¯s still so lively here? Sisi, I came to see you! How about it? Aren¡¯t you happy to see your brother? Look, I even brought your favorite steamed cake. Come and have a taste!¡±


    An annoying voice came from outside the shop door, making Liu Sisi frown.


    Why did Zhang Shixine?


    She still remembered thest time he appeared in this shop, and thought he had already given up. She never expected him to show up again today!


    ¡°What are you doing here? What do you want?¡±


    Liu Sisi had never had a good impression of this person!


    As soon as she saw him at the moment, she started to drive him away!


    Zhang Shixin¡¯s peach blossom eyes carried a mischievous smile, and the corners of his mouth were lifted high. He didn¡¯t care that he was unwee and strode into the shop.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯ve changed, changed a lot. We used to say we¡¯d be loving for a lifetime. I just went to the capital city, and you changed your mind. Sisi, my dear Sisi¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Liu Sisi stood up, picked up the broom next to her, and hit Zhang Shixin over the head without a word.


    ¡°Get out!¡ªGet out of here, who¡¯s your good Sisi? Bah! Get out!¡ªIf you show up in front of me again, don¡¯t me me for being rude!¡±


    She still remembered thest encounter with him vividly!


    He dared to take advantage of her while she was taking out the trash and tried to force himself on her. Now, hitting him with a broom was letting him off too easy!


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, listen to me! Listen to me¡­¡±


    Zhang Shixin desperately blocked his handsome face with both arms, fearing that if Liu Sisi¡¯s attack was not careful, it would ruin his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything! Zhang Shixin, I¡¯m telling you, if you show up in front of me again, I¡¯ll ruin this face of yours!¡±


    Liu Sisi saw him guarding his face, and it wasn¡¯t hard to understand what he cared about the most.


    ¡°Fine! Liu Sisi, have you really stopped caring about our rtionship?¡±


    Zhang Shixin was furious, and a trace of viciousness shed in his eyes.


    Since that day, he had intended to go to the Upper Vige to find Sisi but ran into Zuo Xingyu on the way. In the past, he and Zuo Xingyu were always at odds when he pursued Sisi. Naturally, seeing his love rival now only made him more jealous.


    After learning the real reason for Zuo Xingyu entering the capital, he immediately went back to confront the shrew, but he was held hostage by the family business and only recently gained his freedom again.


    It made him even more discontented!


    During these days, whenever he thought of Liu Sisi¡¯s small melon seed-like face, and those big, watery eyes that seemed innocent like a deer¡­


    His heart would burn with heat.

 Chapter 249 - 247: Every Household Has Its Difficulties

    Chapter 249: Chapter 247: Every Household Has Its Difficulties


    But he never could have expected that when he saw Liu Sisi again, she would re at him with such hatred!


    He couldn¡¯t help being infuriated and questioned her!


    ¡°Ha! What a joke! Who has feelings for you? Zhang Shixin, let me tell you, you¡¯d better disappear immediately; otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being impolite!¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t hold back at all!


    The broom in her hand repeatedly pointed straight at his hateful, handsome face.


    ¡°Teacher, who are you talking to?¡±


    Gan Miaoruo, who was ying with Di Xuan Ying¡¯er in the inner room, heard themotion outside and couldn¡¯t help but poke her head out from the doorway.


    Before Liu Sisi could speak, Gan Miaoruo raised her eyes and saw Zhang Shixin. Like an angry cat, she jumped up and took the lead in speaking!


    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s you! What are you doing here? Get out of here for this Miss!¡±


    Liu Sisi was startled; Gan Miaoruo actually knew Zhang Shixin? She hadn¡¯t expected this.


    Zhang Shixin was slightly taken aback, then a smile spread across his face.


    ¡°So Ruo Ruo is here too. I, your brother-inw, was passing by and came in to see you¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s brother-inw are you? You¡¯re just a husband of a bastard daughter, and you have the nerve toe and im rtives? Pah! Let me tell you, don¡¯te out halfway and im rtives indiscriminately! Be careful; I¡¯ll let someone beat you out!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo stomped her feet, put her hands on her hips, puffed up her cheeks, and roared at Zhang Shixin!


    Zhang Shixin¡¯s peach blossom eyes were filled withughter, not angry at all.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, are you still mad at your brother-inw? Look what brother-inw brought you? This is the best dish made by the new chef at Heji Restaurant;e and taste it.¡±


    As he spoke, he took the food box from Little Stone behind him, ced it on the counter, and arranged the food one by one.


    Bang! p¡ª


    Before he could finish speaking, Gan Miaoruo, furious as hell, waved her hand, and the food on the counter flew up with a bang and fell to the ground.


    ¡°Who wants the food you brought? Are you saying Juxian Restaurant doesn¡¯t have exquisite food? Zhang Shixin, let me tell you, take it away for this Miss! My name is Gan Miaoruo, and I have nothing to do with you! Get out! ¡ª¡±


    Such an angry Gan Miaoruo scared Liu Sisi out of her wits!


    Although Gan Miaoruo would get angry from time to time in her daily life, she would never be like this now, with real anger venting from her heart.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, listen to me¡­¡±


    Zhang Shixin tried to exin again.


    ¡°Ah-Da, Ah-Er,e on! Kick him out for me! Beat him to death! Beat him until he dares note again!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo directed the two followers who came to protect her. Today, Zuo Xingyu did note.


    ¡°Yes, miss!¡±


    The two immediately stepped forward, pushed Zhang Shixin in front of them, and directly kicked Zhang Shixin out of the shop!


    Not long after, one painful scream after another came from outside!


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit! Don¡¯t hit my face¡­¡±


    Listening to the screams outside, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help being curious and asked: ¡°Ruo Ruo, do you know this person?¡±


    ¡°Who would be so unlucky to know such a scumbag!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo spoke defiantly, but her eyes reddened.


    Liu Sisi quietly sighed and did not force her, just silently cleaning up the mess in the room.


    The food Zhang Shixin had brought was now scattered everywhere, with many papers wasted, and oil stains all over the floor and counters. She carefully cleaned them all up.


    When she looked up, she saw Gan Miaoruo wiping her tears uncontrobly, while Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er stood by awkwardly trying tofort her.


    Di Cheng had also returned, looking curiously at the chaos before him.


    ¡°Silly child, you! It¡¯s alright to tell everything to me; it will make you feel better.¡± Liu Sisi gently patted her shoulder.


    ¡°Wu Wu¡­ Teacher¡­¡±


    Gan Miaoruo couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and threw herself into Liu Sisi¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Teacher knows that the Ruo Ruo she¡¯s familiar with is clever and spoiled, but absolutely not a crybaby. Quickly stop crying and tell me what happened.¡±


    She carefully wiped away the tears on the little girl¡¯s face as she gently held her.


    Gan Miaoruo cried for a while before she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I was originally in the capital city with my parents, but it was because of him and that hateful illegitimate daughter of hers¡­ that I was kicked out of my parent¡¯s house, Wu wu¡­¡±


    ¡°Which him? Zhang Shixin?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s his wife. His wife is my father¡¯s daughter born out of wedlock. My mother never allowed her and her daughter into our house, so she takes her mother¡¯sst name¡­¡± Gan Miaoruo said as she forcefully pinched her nose.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    So, there was such a backstory!


    After Gan Miaoruo¡¯s exnation, Liu Sisi could naturally imagine that some unpleasant incidents must have happened initially; otherwise, there would be no reason to send Gan Miaoruo, who was the legitimate daughter, back to her hometown.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, don¡¯t be sad. These are adults¡¯ matters; you don¡¯t need to worry about them.¡± Liu Sisi said with great earnestness.


    ¡°Alright! Teacher, let¡¯s end today¡¯s lesson here. I¡¯ll go home first.¡±


    With red-rimmed eyes, Gan Miaoruo reluctantly nodded, her expression very upset as she quickly ran away. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Ruo Ruo! Ruo Ruo¡­¡±


    Her call could not bring the little girl back.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but sigh! Every family indeed has its difficulties!


    In the afternoon, the sky started to drizzle. Liu Sisi, with the two children, rode Old Wang¡¯s bull-cart, swaying their way home.


    It was fine at first, but gradually, rain turned into sleet, and the increasingly strong cold wind made the three people on the bull-cart feel colder and colder.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, quickly move over here!¡±


    Liu Sisi tried her best to shield the two children, regretting they should not have gone out today, as nothing good seemed to have happened all day.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s so cold!¡±


    Di Xuan shivered as well.


    ¡°Quicklye to my side, that¡¯s where you can block the wind.¡± Liu Sisi kept signaling Di Xuan to move closer.


    ¡°No, Xuan¡¯er is a man; how can I hide behind my mom?¡± The stubborn little child shivered from the cold and still insisted on his words.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh, then her heart warmed, and she said emotionally, ¡°Silly child! Xuan¡¯er¡¯s filial piety is known, but you should also know the words ¡®measure your abilities.¡¯ You¡¯re young now, and naturally, it¡¯s mom¡¯s job to protect you. When mom gets old, it will be your turn to protect me.¡±


    As she spoke, she finally pulled him under her wings, holding Xuan¡¯er with her left hand and Ying¡¯er with her right. She sat both children on herp, slowly moving forward with the bull-cart.

 Chapter 250: 248: Ye Lei and Xingyu addressing each other as brothers, Sisi feels anxious

    Chapter 250: 248: Ye Lei and Xingyu addressing each other as brothers, Sisi feels anxious<div>


    ¡°Mom! When Xuan¡¯er grows up, he will definitely be filial to you,¡± Di Xuan said seriously.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t speak, she just stroked his head and smiled!


    No matter what the future holds, it is already extraordinary for Di Xuan to express such a view at this moment, as she is not their birth mother after all.<div>


    The snow seemed to be getting heavier.


    ¡°Miss from the Liu Family, this old man has a piece of linen here. You can wear it for now to block the wind.¡±


    The old man driving the cart passed a piece of linen, which had obviously been used for many years. Liu Sisi didn¡¯t care for the details, she hurriedly expressed her gratitude, lifted the cloth, and shielded herself from the biting cold wind.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Wang. The wind and rain seem to be getting worse!¡± Liu Sisi shouted.


    The wind and snow constantly blew into her mouth, making it difficult to bear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it! A short distance ahead, we will turn around a mountain bay, and the other side is sheltered from the wind. It will feel much warmer there¡ª¡± Old Wang yelled with effort.


    Indeed, after turning around the mountain bay, the freezing wind suddenly became much weaker. Although the sleet in the sky continued to dance, it was not as unbearable as before.


    ¡°YingEr, are you very cold?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but ask, she had to make sure the child wasn¡¯t getting too cold.


    YingEr instinctively burrowed into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, curling up tightly in the embrace of Di Xuan and Sisi: ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not cold in your arms.¡±


    They finally reached the foot of the mountain, and Liu Sisi took out twice the usual amount of copper coins and handed them to Old Wang.<div>


    ¡°Uncle Wang, thank you foring to pick me up today despite the cold. Please take this money and go home quickly. It looks like the snow is getting worse.¡±


    Old Wang took the copper coins, andughed happily!


    ¡°Alright! I won¡¯t decline the extra coins, I can use them to buy a pot of wine to drink when I get home. You should go home early, too.¡±


    With that said, he happily drove the cart away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The ground was slippery from the rain and snow. Liu Sisi carried YingEr on her back while holding Xuan¡¯er¡¯s hand, taking deep steps and shallow steps on the road. Under the cold, she felt numb from her thighs down, and her nose and hands were sore from the cold. It was genuinely ufortable.


    ¡°Why are you back sote? Didn¡¯t you see it was snowing and know toe back earlier?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A questioning voice rang out, and Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was filled with joy. Then, YingEr was taken from her back by the person who had approached.


    Di Yelei directly lifted Di Xuan and held YingEr: ¡°Let¡¯s go! The snow is getting heavier. Be careful not to catch a cold. Once we get home, I have a big surprise for you!¡± After he said this, he even tried to support her.


    Liu Sisi pushed his hand away: ¡°I-I¡¯m fine! What¡¯s the surprise? Hurry up and take the two children home first!¡±


    Having said that, she was now feeling quite warm from running so hard.<div>


    When they finally arrived home, Di Yelei quickly closed the main entrance.


    As soon as they walked through the main entrance, Liu Sisi immediately noticed something different in the courtyard.


    In the stable within the courtyard, two tall horses were tied up: one jujube red and the other dark brown. As if sensing strangers approaching, both horses simultaneously raised their heads and snorted.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Liu Sisi was dumbfounded.


    She had just gone out for a while, and when she returned, there were two more horses. Could this be the surprise Ye Lei mentioned?


    ¡°How about it? Do you like it? These are some fine horses. Come on, let¡¯s go inside, it¡¯s too cold out here.¡± Di Yelei spoke as he went straight into the house.


    Liu Sisi also quickly followed: ¡°Ye Lei, didn¡¯t you say that constables are assigned a horse? Why are there two?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when youe inside.¡± Di Yelei had a mysteriously secretive face.


    ¡°Why are you being so mysterious about this¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words were cut short by the person emerging from the house! She immediately took a sharp breath and froze on the spot.


    It wasn¡¯t just anyone who came out of the house, but the one with a pair of starry eyes, Zuo Xingyu!<div>


    With a frown on his face, Zuo Xingyu walked out and was immediately greeted by Di Yelei: ¡°Brother Zuo, why did youe out? It¡¯s cold outside,e in quickly, it¡¯s warmer inside!¡±


    As he spoke, he ced the two children on the ground and excitedly introduced Liu Sisi: ¡°Sisi! This is Constable Zuo! You should remember him, right? He was the one who rushed to capture Sun Ergou overnight to help clear my name! How about it? Are you surprised and happy?¡±


    Liu Sisi was astonished and unable to close her mouth! Surprised, yes, but not necessarily happy!


    That hateful Di Yelei! Obviously, something was amiss with Zuo Xingyu, but he always spent time with him! What¡¯s the meaning of this? Is he deliberately going against her?


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s sharp eyes swept over, and his usually expressionless face met Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze. A cold light quickly shed in his eyes, stinging Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes and causing a chill to rise from her tailbone and rapidly spread throughout her body.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s hawk-like eyes narrowed slightly, and he gently gestured towards Liu Sisi: ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡±


    Liu Sisi dodged subconsciously, barely avoiding the greeting!


    Her pale face was devoid of any color, and her mouth moved a few times, but she couldn¡¯t speak a word.


    ¡°Look at you! Sisi is so happy she can¡¯t even speak!¡± Di Yelei quickly greeted the two.


    ¡°Hello, Uncle Zuo.¡±


    Di Xuan and Di Ying were the sensible ones, the two children politely greeted.


    ¡°Hello.¡± Zuo Xingyu¡¯s reply was as concise as ever.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t just stand there, hurry back to the room and change clothes. And Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er, are you two cold? Do you want Dad to make you a bowl of ginger soup? Brother Zuo! Hurry inside, it¡¯s cold outside, tonight we¡¯ll have a candlelight night talk, no return without getting drunk!¡± Di Yelei loudly called everyone, and then proceeded to stride into the kitchen first.


    ¡°Little sister, you should also hurry back to the room and change clothes.¡± Di Xuan urged Di Ying.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Ying¡¯er sweetly replied.


    Waiting until everyone left, only the still unresponsive Liu Sisi and Zuo Xingyu opposite remained.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s starry eyes were unusually deep and dark, giving her a deep nce before turning to walk away.


    ¡°Wait! Why¡­why are you doing this?¡±


    Liu Sisi finally found her tongue that had been stolen by a cat and quickly called out to Zuo Xingyu.


    ¡°What?¡± He looked back in surprise.


    ¡°What do you mean by doing this? I¡¯m asking you why are you doing this?¡± Liu Sisi asked impatiently.


    ¡°No reason, I just feel like it.¡± Zuo Xingyu¡¯s answer was straightforward.


    Liu Sisi was left speechless and suffocating, unable to continue the conversation. The next moment, she saw Zuo Xingyu approaching her, which startled her!


    ¡°You, you¡­what do you want?¡± She subconsciously clenched her cor.


    ¡°Excuse me, Madam, can you please move aside?¡±


    A mocking color shed in the man¡¯s eyes. Although it was fleeting, Liu Sisi caught it urately! Perhaps it should be said that he deliberately let her discover it.

 Chapter 251: 249 Ye Lei and Xingyu call each other brother, Sisi is anxious

    Chapter 251: 249 Ye Lei and Xingyu call each other brother, Sisi is anxious<div>


    ¡°What?¡±


    Liu Sisi was obviously still not understanding the other party¡¯s meaning.


    ¡°Madam, could you please move? You¡¯re blocking the door for Xingyu. It¡¯s cold now, and not closing the front door will let the cold in.¡±<div>


    The voice of the other party came again methodically.


    Her brain, stunned, couldn¡¯t process it at all. Liu Sisi, mouth agape, stared at him nkly.


    A sh of light sped across Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes, and as he spoke, he reached past Liu Sisi and directly closed the door that was letting in the cold wind.


    The room immediately warmed up, and Liu Sisi¡¯s frozen mind was suddenly clear!


    Boom!


    A hot rush of blood surged to her brain!


    So he, he, he was going to close the room door!


    She felt faint, and all the blood in her body seemed to rush to her face, making her blush as if she were about to bleed.


    ¡°That¡­ I¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi simply didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Madam, there is no need to stand on ceremony. If there is nothing else, Xingyu will take his leave,¡± said Zuo Xingyu, speaking methodically. He slid the door bolt shut before turning back around.<div>


    ¡°Wait, you¡­Achoo! Achoo, achoo¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi had intended to ask more questions, but a series of sneezes had left her speechless.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    By the time she had finally wiped away the tears and snot on her face, Zuo Xingyu had long since disappeared from the doorway.


    Resigned, she went back to her room to change her wet clothes and began to ponder over the day¡¯s events.


    Ye Lei must have gone to the county when she left, and while he was collecting the horse, somehow he had ushered in the Grim Reaper that was Zuo Xingyu!


    If not for her and Zuo Xingyu¡¯s past grudges, she wouldn¡¯t oppose Ye Lei being friendly with him¡ªafter all, Ye Lei was currently a constable, and a good rtionship with his superior was necessary!


    But the problem was the original host¡¯s broken engagement with Zuo Xingyu and the agreement between Ye Lei and Zuo Xingyu. If Zuo Xingyu was without ulterior motives, she¡¯d be the first to disbelieve it!


    Seeing the friendly interaction between Ye Lei and Zuo Xingyu, it seemed like they had been on intimate terms for more than just a day or two!


    What on earth was Zuo Xingyu trying to do?


    Could it be¡­


    Was he holding a grudge against the original host dumping him and now wanted to ruin her home and happiness as well?<div>


    That was it! It must be so!


    Even after changing into clean clothes, Liu Sisi was still shivering. Even the simple task of tying her skirt took a few tries due to the cold.


    No! She couldn¡¯t lose her nerve!


    She needed to calm down!


    Originally, she was just a simple girl. In her previous life, she spent her whole life studying at school, and because she was an orphan, she didn¡¯t have many friends. She really had no experience on how to deal with her current situation!


    Thinking back and forth, her chaotic mind was getting more and more confused. It really proved the saying¡ªconcern leads to chaos!


    Creak!


    The sudden sound of the door opening gave Liu Sisi a big fright!


    ¡°Ah!¡ª¡±


    She jumped up with a scream, only to be confronted by a familiar face.


    ¡°Ah! Sisi, why are you so startled? You scared me enough to almost spill the ginger soup in my hands.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was filled with joy. In jest, he ced the ginger soup on the counter and then hurried over to help.


    ¡°Look at you, you don¡¯t even bother to dry your wet hair.¡±


    As he spoke, he picked up a towel and began to diligently dry Liu Sisi¡¯s hair.


    Liu Sisi clutched at her chest. Her heart felt as if it was about to leap out, the frantic pounding continuously assaulted her consciousness until her legs gave way, and she ended up sitting at the head of the bed.


    As soon as she sat down, Di Yelei found it more convenient to perform his task. He excitedly began to share his joy with Liu Sisi.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it, Xingyu¡¯s martial arts skills are truly formidable! The more I get to know him, the more I admire him¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart fell to the pit of her stomach as she listened to the incessant praises of the man in front of her.


    She carefully interjected into his flood of words, ¡°Ye Lei, if¡­ I mean, if you were to spar with Zuo Xingyu, who do you think stands a better chance of winning?¡±


    ¡°Me sparring with Brother Zuo? That¡¯s hard to say.¡±


    Surprised by Liu Sisi¡¯s sudden interruption, Di Yelei raised his eyebrows before quickly hiding his astonishment, ¡°I¡¯ve already told Brother Zuo that he could stay the night at our house and we can send him off after the heavy snow outside eases off tomorrow. I hope you won¡¯t me me for making such a decision without consulting you.¡±


    So even Ye Lei doesn¡¯t have the confidence to beat Zuo Xingyu?


    A turmoil welled up in Liu Sisi¡¯s stomach!


    With a direct confrontation no longer an option, it seemed that she had to find a time to rify matters with Zuo Xingyu.


    It really wasn¡¯t fair, what her past self did. He has every right to be angry!


    Once she made up her mind, Liu Sisi felt moreposed.


    She raised her head and chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s good. Have you made the bed yet? Have you decided where to put it? Do you need my help to tidy up?¡±


    The little woman in front of him was looking pale, clearly chilled to the bone!


    Di Yelei quickly handed her the ginger soup: ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. We could put a makeshift bed in the hall and chat by candlelight, that way we won¡¯t disturb youdies!¡±


    Looking at Di Yelei¡¯s radiant smile, it was evident that his joy was genuine!


    Being ostracized since his childhood, Ye Lei probably didn¡¯t have many friends, did he?


    Seeing him this happy, Liu Sisi suddenly found herself at a loss for words.


    In the end, she managed a reluctant smile, ¡°Alright! After dinner, I¡¯ll clean up.¡±


    After saying so, she took the ginger soup and downed it in one gulp, her fingers on the edge of the bowl turning pale.


    Come on, Zuo Xingyu! Let¡¯s face it head-on, whatever it is, just bring it on me!


    Liu Sisi was quite tired today. Besides, with Zuo Xingyu being the guest, she didn¡¯t really have the energy to prepare delicious meals. After thinking, she took out the small iron pot, prepared the seasonings and decided that they would have hot pot tonight, everyone could help themselves!


    Outside in the winter, the heavy snow quickly nketed everything in ayer of pure white. Inside the house, the hot pot was bubbling on the fire!


    The wood beneath the pot was burning strongly. The group was in high spirits, gorging on food and dipping various dishes into the hot pot.


    Di Yelei and Zuo Xingyu were quite in sync, though it was mostly Di Yelei talking while Zuo Xingyu listening.


    They chatted about everything under the sun.


    With Di Yelei telling the stories passionately, Zuo Xingyu would only provide interjections at key points or mistakes, but each time he did, it would greatly enhance the conversation.


    Despite his serious demeanor, he did note off as arrogant or servile, providing a feeling offort and reliability instead. No wonder he got along well with someone as spontaneous as Di Yelei.

 Chapter 252: 250 Ye Lei and Xingyu call each other brother, Sisi is anxious

    Chapter 252: 250 Ye Lei and Xingyu call each other brother, Sisi is anxious<div>


    Father seemed to have eaten quite a lot, perhaps because there were guests present, his face sported an extra bit of smile and less of the usual solemnity.


    The two children were already full early on, with YingEr sticking close to Liu Sisi and seemingly half-asleep as she yed with the strings in her hand.


    Xuan¡¯er had also set down his bowl, his bright eyes constantly ncing at the conversation between the two, evidently very interested in what they were discussing.<div>


    At the exciting part of the conversation, he couldn¡¯t help but clench his little fists, itching to experience it all himself.


    On the contrary, Liu Sisi remained silent throughout the exchange, asionally adding some dishes for father and the two children, and adding a few more vegetables to the pot.


    ¡°¡­At the time, I was sitting nearby eating noodles. That person looked incredibly anxious, but who would¡¯ve thought the result would be like this?¡± Di Yelei said as he picked up some meat slices from the pot, cing them into his bowl.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s often like that in this world. Some words are true but appear false, while others are lies yet are believed without a doubt. It¡¯s our job as constables to discern which is which.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu across the table nodded in summary, his gaze suddenly shifting towards Liu Sisi: ¡°Madam seems to be eating very little. Are tonight¡¯s dishes not to your taste?¡±


    Huh? How did the topic suddenlye to her?


    Liu Sisi looked up at everyone and then hurriedly lowered her head to hide the annoyance behind her eyes: ¡°Constable Zuo is joking. I caught a cold today, so I don¡¯t have much appetite. It¡¯s our fault for not providing better dishes for such esteemed guests.¡±


    ¡°Madam, that¡¯s not right. Drinking and feasting are what our kind should do. Engaging in poetic discourse like schrs is truly exhausting. Fortunately, Madam understands my heart, which leads me to admire your wisdom.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Zuo Xingyu spoke with conviction.


    But his words pierced Liu Sisi¡¯s heart, each one feeling like a needle, making her teeth itch with hatred!


    She had only made the hot pot reluctantly, and now it had be her ¡°deep understanding¡± of Zuo Xingyu. How could she not be angry?<div>


    ¡°I am ttered by the praise! This meal was specially prepared for Constable Zuo, so please eat more, and do enjoy yourself.¡± Liu Sisi narrowed her eyes and stared at him.


    ¡°Brother Zuo, you¡¯re absolutely right! Good! Come on, let¡¯s eat! There¡¯s wine too. Brother Zuo, you must drink more!¡±


    Di Yeleiughed heartily, calling for Zuo Xingyu and quickly pouring him a cup of wine, as well as one for himself.


    ¡°Ye Lei, you¡¯re still recovering from your injury. You can¡¯t drink!¡±


    Liu Sisi stretched out her hand to cover the cup.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes narrowed, and then rxed, as he picked up his cup and took a sip of wine.


    ¡°Sisi! Since I¡¯m in such a good mood with Brother Zuo today, just let me drink one cup. One cup, alright?¡±


    Di Yelei whispered, pleading.


    ¡°No! This is the third time you¡¯ve said that. You¡¯ve cried wolf too many times, and no one believes you anymore.¡± Liu Sisi stubbornly covered the cup with her hand and took away the cup in one motion.


    Di Yelei was dumbstruck, with no cup left, how could he drink?


    This scene immediately amused everyone in the room, including the usually serious Zuo Xingyu, who couldn¡¯t help but smile.<div>


    ¡°Madam is just looking out for you, Ye Lei. You¡¯ve had a lot to drink already, and you should be more concerned about your injury. Once you¡¯ve healed, we brothers can drink to our hearts¡¯ content!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s words immediately won Di Yelei¡¯s support.


    ¡°Fine! Just for Brother Zuo¡¯s sake, I, Ye Lei, will toast Brother Zuo again. Come on, fill it up¡­fill it up¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he raised his wine cup and filled up the empty cup in front of the other.


    Liu Sisi felt as if there was a thousand-pound boulder stuck in her heart, making it difficult for her to breathe.


    She simply stood up and picked up YingEr: ¡°YingEr, it¡¯s time to sleep. You guys continue eating, I¡¯ll take the children to wash up first.¡±


    After saying this, she didn¡¯t wait for everyone else¡¯s response and headed towards the kitchen with YingEr in her arms.


    She reopened the stove door, added firewood, and ignited the fire. The water in the pot to wash their feet started to steam quickly. She couldn¡¯t help but break the wooden stick in her hand and threw it into the stove cavity.


    This dastardly Zuo Xingyu was like an unscrupulous ghost, really hateful!


    Only after YingEr had fallen asleep did Liu Sisi get up to call Di Xuan to wash. When she came out, she happened to face Zuo Xingyu passing by the hall.


    ¡°Wait a moment! I have something to say to you.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi stopped him directly.


    Zuo Xingyu halted his steps and looked back at her, his eyebrows involuntarily furrowed: ¡°Did Madam call for Xingyu?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that you? Zuo Xingyu,e out for a moment.¡±


    She rolled her eyes and didn¡¯t care about the others. She pushed open the main entrance and slipped outside.


    As soon as she opened the door, a cold wind blew straight into her mouth, and she couldn¡¯t help sneezing a few times before she quickly moved to a downwind area beside the firewood room. She looked back at Zuo Xingyu, only to be frightened by him standing almost directly behind her!


    ¡°Ah! Why are you standing so close for no reason? You scared me to death!¡±


    Liu Sisi patted her chest and backed up two steps.


    Zuo Xingyu also stepped back a little distance without making a sound.


    The corners of his tightly pursed lips twitched twice: ¡°Mrs. Di, it¡¯s quite cold outside at midnight. Is there a reason for you to summon me? If someone twisted our meeting into something else, who knows what kind of idle gossip would be spreading.¡±


    ¡°You! You¡­ are doing great!¡±


    Liu Sisi was half-dead with anger at his words, but she had to suppress her rage and question him in a low voice.


    ¡°Who would want toe out from a warm house deep in the night? Zuo Xingyu, why are you here at our home? Don¡¯t tell me you and Ye Lei have the same strong temperament, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Di is absolutely right. However, our rtionship has taken us through life and death experiences multiple times, so we consider ourselves brothers. Is there anything wrong with that?¡± Zuo Xingyu replied indifferent, not even raising his voice.


    ¡°Zuo Xingyu, let¡¯s be straightforward with each other! Are you associating with Ye Lei to deliberately exact revenge on me for canceling our engagement back then?¡±


    Liu Sisiughed coldly: ¡°Zuo Xingyu, you are a man after all. You should know that a grievance should have a specific perpetrator! If you really want to take revenge for my cancetion of the engagement, juste at me!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu crossed his arms, pressing his lips tightly and looked at Liu Sisi closely from head to toe for a long time.


    He suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm, twisted it forcefully behind her back, causing Liu Sisi to almost cry out in pain.


    ¡°You¡¯re not Liu Sisi? Who are you exactly?¡±

 Chapter 253: 251: Ye Lei and Xingyu call each other brother, Sisi is anxious

    Chapter 253: 251: Ye Lei and Xingyu call each other brother, Sisi is anxious<div>


    ¡°Bastard! Let go, what kind of hero are you to bully a woman?¡±


    She clenched her teeth tightly, trying to ignore the enormous force on her arm. She didn¡¯t see the other person¡¯s actions clearly, and the tremendous force had already taken control of her before she had the chance to struggle and break free.


    It wasn¡¯t until this moment that she realized her recklessness; she had actually tried to negotiate with such a demonic man.<div>


    A momentter, the shackles on her arm loosened. She quickly took two steps to stand up and steady herself before turning around.


    ¡°Looking at your small figure, I doubt you could run. Speak! Who are you?¡± Zuo Xingyu¡¯s face was heavy.


    ¡°I am Liu Sisi, without a doubt!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but roar in anger and then remembered the people in the room. She quickly lowered her voice.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be convinced until you¡¯re about to drown in the Yellow River, will you? If you are Liu Sisi, how could you say those things just now! Tell me honestly, who are you? If you won¡¯t confess willingly, I have a thousand ways to help you remember.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s chilling aura questioned Liu Sisi.


    This fierce Zuo Xingyu frightened Liu Sisi, she forcefully tried to calm her thoughts: ¡°I¡­ I lost my memory! I lost my past memories due to a high fever when I got married¡­ It was Di Ruoning who told me that there was a marriage contract between you and me in the past, andter,ter¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t know how to continue, so she just lowered her head and fell silent.


    That¡¯s right, she had only heard Di Ruoning¡¯s side of the story, and the truth had not been confirmed. She had rashlye to question him, which was indeed a mistake.


    His face changed to a few shades of surprise at her words, and then the corners of his mouth twitched, and his face softened.


    ¡°So, you have no memory of the past at all?¡±<div>


    ¡°None, but¡­ Even though I don¡¯t know what happened initially, if I have wronged you, you should seek justice from the person responsible.¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth! If you can¡¯t remember anything, don¡¯t talk to me until you do!¡±


    She had never seen an angry Zuo Xingyu!


    His furious face frightened Liu Sisi, making her shiver and feel chilly all over, unable to speak.


    Zuo Xingyu turned around and walked away, then turned back after two steps: ¡°I did note back to the Di Family for the reasons you think. Since Sister-inw doesn¡¯t wee me, I will leave tomorrow morning. I will bother you for tonight.¡±


    After saying that, he strode to the door and pushed it open.


    The howling wind whirled in the sky, freezing Liu Sisi to shiver. She felt like a drifting duckweed with no support.


    A momentter, she sighed, brushed off the snowkes on her body, and followed him through the main entrance.


    The wind continued to blow.


    The door to the firewood room was gently pushed open to reveal Di Yelei holding a bundle of firewood.


    He originally saw that the firewood was running low, so he went out to fetch some. He never expected to hear the conversation between the two.<div>


    So, Sisi and Zuo Xingyu had such a connection!


    His brow furrowed, unsure of what he was thinking.


    At night, Liu Sisi tossed and turned, unable to sleep. As she heard the faint sounds of the two people¡¯s conversation from the hall, her heart burned with unease, unable to fall asleep.


    It wasn¡¯t until the sky was about to get bright that she finally managed to doze off for a while.


    However, that nightmare crept into her dreams once again without a sound.


    Blood! The endless blood-red color; the faceless man and Zuo Xingyu fighting together; the dagger in Zuo Xingyu¡¯s hand held high and ruthlessly falling¡­


    ¡°Ah! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    She screams, startled awake from the nightmare as usual, panting against the head of the bed.


    Closing her eyes tightly, she wiped away the cold sweat before copsing back into her quilt.


    This nightmare seemed endless and tormented her; as long as she let down her guard, it would silently sneak into her dreams.


    She felt like she was going mad! She couldn¡¯t go on like this.<div>


    ¡°Sisi? Sisi, did you have another nightmare?¡±


    Di Yelei entered, reaching out to touch her forehead: ¡°How are you? Do you want to drink some water?¡±


    Seeing the anxious Di Yelei, Liu Sisi shook her head andzily closed her eyes again.


    ¡°No need; I¡¯m a little sleepy and want to rest a bit more.¡±


    Since she had her eyes closed, she naturally missed the fleeting confusion in Di Yelei¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Then you go to sleep. If you feel ufortable, call for me again.¡± Di Yelei gently patted her shoulder, tucking her under the quilt before leaving the room.


    As soon as he left, Liu Sisi¡¯s thoughts raced, trying hard to recall all the information from the nightmare. The more she thought, the more confused she became and fell back into a drowsy sleep.


    Luckily, the nightmare did not haunt her again.


    By the time Liu Sisi woke up again, Zuo Xingyu had already left on his horse.


    Liu Sisi let out a sigh of relief!


    He was gone, the snow in the sky had stopped, and her mood had inexplicably lifted!


    Xuan¡¯er and YingEr¡¯sughter came from the grain-drying field, followed by the joyous barking of Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua, along with arge group of children ying in the snow. It was quite lively.


    Her father-inw leaned against the yard door, looking at the children¡¯s jumping direction, the wrinkles on his old face revealing a faint smile, as if reminiscing about the past, his gaze far-reaching.


    The snow in the yard had been cleared; the sound of pheasant crowing came from the chicken coop along with the pping of wings. The rabbits had been moved to the wall close to the kitchen in the firewood room, where it was warmer.


    The stable nearby had been tidied up by Di Yelei early on. Inside the sturdy, stone-built stable, a jujube red horse happily flicked its tail while eating fodder from the trough.


    Perhaps seeing the curiosity in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, the horse raised its head and snorted.


    It seems this horse looks down on her!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s stubbornness kicked in; as she tried to reach out and touch the horse, Di Yelei stopped her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch! Be careful it doesn¡¯t hurt you!¡±


    As he spoke, Liu Sisi was directly pulled into a warm embrace, away from the horse. Beside Di Yelei was a small pile of fodder prepared for the horse.


    ¡°Fool! You went over just like that; if it kicks out at you with its hooves, can your little body take that?¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, the horse also raised its head and neighed as if to agree with his words.


    ¡°Alright! So you, the beast, also look down on me!¡±


    Liu Sisi angrily kicked towards the stable!


    The horse seemed to be provoking her, snorting directly at her, spraying snot all over her face.


    ¡°Damn horse! Liu Sisi swears to never be on good terms with you!¡±


    She quickly rushed into the kitchen to wash her face. The stinky horse dared to spray snot on her; it¡¯s just infuriating!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 254: 252: Ye Lei Goes to Work, Three Family Members Play in the Snow Busily

    Chapter 254: 252: Ye Lei Goes to Work, Three Family Members y in the Snow Busily<div>


    After washing up, she stepped out of the room again.


    She carefully checked her cotton clothes and shoes, making sure they were wrapped tightly, before continuing forward with big strides.


    Feeling annoyed, she realized that she had forgotten to buy gloves!<div>


    It wasn¡¯t really her fault, as she never liked wearing gloves in her previous life!


    In the courtyard, Di Yelei had already led the jujube red horse out of the stable and was meticulously grooming its mane. His attention to detail far surpassed how hebed his own hair.


    The saddle was also now on the horse¡¯s back, ready to go.


    ¡°Huh? Are you nning to ride it?¡±


    ¡°Well, yesterday I went to the county government office. I said I¡¯d report today and officially start my holiday. From now on, we¡¯ll have more ie.¡±


    Di Yelei had a big smile on his face, obviously very happy.


    Liu Sisi thought about it and didn¡¯t stop him.


    ¡°Okay, can youe back tonight?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be back. This horse can handle these distances easily. I¡¯ll go now and be back in the afternoon. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Di Yelei turned around and hugged her gently to reassure her.


    ¡°Alright, go early ande back early. Although the sky is clear now, who knows if it will snow tonight.¡±<div>


    ¡°I know! I¡¯ll hurry back.¡±


    Di Yelei said as he untied the horse and led it outside.


    At the doorway, Elderly Mr. Di turned his head and saw Di Yelei leading the tall horse over. His eyes instantly lit up.


    Di Yelei walked quickly to his side and gently called, ¡°Dad! It¡¯s cold outside, put on more clothes. I¡¯m going to the government office for work, I¡¯ll be back tonight.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di nodded repeatedly, his hand reaching out instinctively. But as the horse snorted, he quickly withdrew his hand.


    ¡°Good, good, good!¡­¡±


    He muttered, his eyes full of satisfaction.


    ¡°I¡¯lle back as soon as possible, so don¡¯t worry! Just take care of the house.¡±


    ¡°I know. Ride slowly, and be careful on the icy roads when it snows.¡± Liu Sisi waved her hand at him.


    Watching Di Yelei quickly mount the horse and ride away, she took a long time to snap back to reality.


    At the moment, although it was still early, there were already a few pedestrians on the road. Seeing Di Yelei riding the tall horse, they pointed and whispered among themselves.<div>


    It wasn¡¯t until his figure disappeared at the end of their sight that Liu Sisi put away her mixed feelings.


    She suddenly missed the feeling of her previous life when she could just pick up her bicycle and ride it whenever she went out. But here, she had to rely on her two legs to get around, which was really unpleasant!


    She thought to herself, it¡¯s about time our family got a carriage!


    She turned her head and followed Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s gaze, looking at the group of children ying wildly on the grain-drying field. Liu Sisi once again felt annoyed at forgetting to buy gloves.


    But even without gloves, how could it stop Liu Sisi¡¯s yful heart?


    She quickly went to the kitchen and came out with a water bag wrapped in a towel, handing it to Elderly Mr. Di who was leaning in the doorway watching the two children y.


    ¡°Father, hold this water bag in your arms; it¡¯ll make you feel less cold.¡±


    Having said that, she smiled at Elderly Mr. Di and quickly ran towards the two children.


    On the grain-drying yard, many children and adults were ying around.


    Snow fell heavily yesterday, but today the weather cleared up and the sun came out early in the morning, making it the perfect time to build snowmen and have a snowball fight.


    When Liu Sisi arrived, Xuan¡¯er and YingEr¡¯s snowman was almost finished.<div>


    ¡°YingEr, Xuan¡¯er, is your snowman missing something?¡±


    ¡°Mom! You¡¯re here too!¡±


    From afar, YingEr pounced towards Liu Sisi: ¡°Mom,e build snowmen with us! Look how big their snowmen are!¡±


    Indeed, there were already several snowmen on the grain-drying field.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Mom will help. Our snowman may not be as big as theirs, but it¡¯ll definitely be the best looking.¡±


    Liu Sisi was excited and began shoveling snow with a scoop nearby.


    ¡°Mom,e to Xuan¡¯er¡¯s side, there¡¯s more snow here.¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s cheerful voice came from the other side.


    ¡°Coming,ing!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi happily approached, where the snow was thicker near the haystack and easier to shovel.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, YingEr, are your clothes wet? Are you warm enough? If you¡¯re cold, go back and put on a few moreyers. Understood?¡±


    While shoveling snow, Liu Sisi spoke somewhat breathlessly, packing the snowman firmly.


    ¡°We¡¯re not cold! Mom, YingEr is wearing this coat, so she won¡¯t get wet inside.¡±


    YingEr smiled with a pout.


    Liu Sisi looked up at her free time. YingEr was wearing a padded coat, but also arge poncho on its surface. The poncho was a bit old, obviously madest year.


    ¡°Look how thoughtless I am. I forgot that our little YingEr needs a poncho. It¡¯s alright. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to the small town and make another one for our YingEr.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke cheerfully, and after a thought, she added: ¡°also gloves and socks.¡±


    The snowman¡¯s head was soon formed, and she also held YingEr to put eyes, nose, and mouth on the snowman. The groupughed and yed happily.


    At the moment, many people had already arrived at the grain-drying yard.


    Everyone knew each other as fellow vigers. Moreover, after Di Ah-bao got married recently, everyone learned that Liu Sisi was Miss of Gan Family¡¯s female tutor. The passing crowd unconsciously showed more respect towards her, greeting her one after another, and she responded in kind.


    Soon, groups of three or five were gossiping and discussing the first snow of the season on the grain-drying yard.


    In a short while, Guihua arrived, waving at them from afar: ¡°YingEr! Oh my, you guys are here so early. Look at these little hands, they must be freezing cold, right?¡±


    ¡°Hi Auntie.¡± YingEr smiled and greeted, taking the opportunity to hug Guihua.


    ¡°Good, good, good, everyone¡¯s good.¡±


    Guihua spoke while holding YingEr in her arms, giving her a kiss, and then took out a handkerchief to wipe her clean: ¡°Just in time, I remembered that I had just knitted two pairs of gloves for the two children, but I always forgot to bring them. Today, when I saw snow, I remembered.¡±


    While talking, she also handed over the pair for Xuan¡¯er.


    Liu Sisi was a bit embarrassed: ¡°Sister Guihua, you¡¯re always helping out with these things. I really don¡¯t know how to do any of them. To be honest, it¡¯s¡­embarrassing.¡±

 Chapter 255: 253: Shameless Old Man Li, Mighty Miao Cuihua

    Chapter 255: 253: Shameless Old Man Li, Mighty Miao Cuihua<div>


    Meanwhile, Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er had already taken the opportunity to run off to y with their new gloves.


    ¡°Hey! Although you can¡¯t make clothes, you can read and write, and even be a role model for others. You can be a female tutor for Miss Gan. Miss Gan is a genuine noble miss, not one of those random people.¡± Guihua said with a face full of pride.


    Guihua¡¯s words immediately resonated with everyone.<div>


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so! Being a female tutor for Miss Gan is no ordinary task. Third Son Di¡¯s wife, you¡¯ve finally made it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Last time, I said I wanted my Niuniu to learn from you, but I¡¯ve seen no progress. When will you start your private school?¡±


    ¡°Count my family¡¯s Lotus too! She can at least recognize a few characters, so she doesn¡¯t be an uneducated woman in the future.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, when will you start, Third Son Di¡¯s wife?¡±


    With everyone talking at the same time, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t get a word in edgewise. Finally finding a brief moment of respite, she managed to divulge her ns.


    ¡°Actually, all of you have misunderstood. Sisi only knows a few more characters than you. Winter ising, and if you all think highly of me, Liu Sisi, I will begin enrolling students, limited to girls only, aged between ten and fifteen years old. As for the education gift, you can follow the private school standard and give whatever you feel is appropriate.¡±


    After saying this, her eyes swept over the faces of the crowd.


    The local private schools typically charge ten strips of bacon a year, four seasons of clothing for the teacher, and one tael of silver per month.


    Although Liu Sisi said ¡°whatever you feel is appropriate,¡± her meaning was clear¡ªit couldn¡¯t be much less than the standard.


    As soon as she finished speaking, the faces of the people around her soured.


    It¡¯s just one girl, and if they could send their daughters to learn a few characters at the cost of only three or five pounds of rice or noodles, they would happily use this opportunity during their free time in the farming season.<div>


    But private school tuition is expensive. Many people can¡¯t even afford to send their sons to school, let alone their daughters.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Hahaha! Listen, everyone, someone wants silver so badly that they¡¯re here scamming us for food and drink. Don¡¯t believe her!¡±


    Suddenly, a piercing voice from the side attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    Even if others had the same idea, they would keep their thoughts to themselves and only confide in others in private. Who would be so bold as to say it out loud?


    But the neer didn¡¯t seem to think that way, and seemed to want everyone to hear it. He shouted loudly, attracting the attention of everyone around.


    Liu Sisi turned her head to see who it was and immediately burst intoughter!


    ¡°Old Man Li! You¡¯ve been trying to discredit me every two or three days but considering that you¡¯re alone and an old man taking care of a young man, I¡¯ve been letting it go. But today you¡¯reing over of your own ord, do you not even want to save face?¡±


    If it were someone else, it might be more justifiable. But Old Man Li¡­he¡¯s simply not a good person!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words made the surrounding peopleugh as well!


    ¡°Hey! Old Man Li! Last time, it was rumored that you found a pretty daughter-inw to have a child for you, but there¡¯s still no news about it now. Is it because your ¡®thing¡¯ doesn¡¯t work anymore?¡±


    The one shouting was none other than the plump Miao Cuihua.<div>


    Miao Cuihua was fat and tall, standing even slightly taller than the big Di Yelei. But she happened to have married a skinny and short husband.


    Miao Cuihua could easily lift him with one hand.


    Her shouting immediately caused everyone around to burst intoughter, and they all started teasing.


    ¡°Old Man Li, could it be that your thing really doesn¡¯t work anymore?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask someone else to help you? Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°Old Man Li, I heard Zhang Peng has some good medicine, you might want to¡­ hehehe, give it a try!¡±


    Everyone startedughing at the jokes, and the young wives and daughters blushed, covering their faces with their hands and keeping their heads down, not saying a word.


    On the contrary, Old Man Li scanned the crowd, put his hands behind his back, and proudly straightened his thin body.


    ¡°If you want to know if I, Old Man Li, can do it, maybe you can call your daughters-inw over and let me, Old Man Li, give it a try! Let¡¯s see if Old Man Li is capable or not, if I can handle it! Hehe¡­¡±


    With that remark, they were all instantly outraged! Everyone started cursing angrily.


    ¡°Old Man Li, you¡¯re truly worthless! You deserve to have no descendants and die alone!¡±<div>


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Big Mouth Li wasn¡¯t a good person to begin with, neither is Old Man Li.¡±


    ¡°Like father, like son, both rotten to the core, head oozing pus and feet covered in sores, there¡¯s not a single good thing about them!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just shameless¡­¡±


    It seems that everyone¡¯s curses fell on deaf ears to Old Man Li, who continued to hold his head high,pletely unfazed.


    However, in the next moment, arge hand suddenlynded on his shoulder, causing the smug look to freeze on his face.


    ¡°Hey! Old Man Li! Repeat what you just said, hmm?¡±


    The owner of therge hand on his shoulder was none other than Miao Cuihua!


    Old Man Li¡¯s facial muscles twitched, and in the next moment, his body slowly left the ground, lifted up by the owner of therge hand and suspended in mid-air.


    He instinctively struggled, but found himself facing Miao Cuihua¡¯s snarling face.


    ¡°No¡­ let me down quick! I¡­ I¡¯m scared of heights! I¡¯m dizzy, I¡¯m dizzy, I¡¯m dizzy¡­¡±


    After a few more words, his limbs went limp and his head drooped, not moving at all.


    ¡°Hey! Hey! Old Man Li, don¡¯t you dare pretend to be dead, believe it or not, if I p you twice you¡¯ll be dead for real!¡±


    Miao Cuihua roared like a p of thunder at Old Man Li¡¯s ear, and he could no longer pretend, covering his ears and begging for mercy.


    ¡°My dear littledy, I swear I didn¡¯t say anything! I swear on my life!¡±


    Old Man Li swore, constantly struggling to get down.


    Dangling from Miao Cuihua¡¯s hand, the unsteady Old Man Li looked like a ck cloth bag, prompting Guihua, who was standing nearby, to pinch Liu Sisi¡¯s arm gently and point to a certain spot for her to look at.


    Liu Sisi followed Guihua¡¯s direction and immediately covered her mouth tough.


    There was arge patch of wetness in the center of Old Man Li¡¯s crotch!


    In fact, some of it was even dripping down his trouser leg.


    The other people nearby seemed to have noticed this as well, pointing andughing out loud.


    ¡°Oh my! That¡¯s a man in his forties still wetting his pants, tsk tsk¡­ hurry up and tuck your tail and scram!¡±


    Her wrist was sore after holding onto Old Man Li for so long, and seeing him like this, Miao Cuihua tossed him to the ground.

 Chapter 256: 254: Shameless Old Man Li, Mighty Miao Cuihua

    Chapter 256: 254: Shameless Old Man Li, Mighty Miao Cuihua<div>


    Old Man Li rolled quickly on the ground, tucking his legs in to dodge the crowd.


    The crowd before him formed a circle, with people pointing andughing at his wet pants wherever he tried to burst through.


    He was like a rat crossing the street, everyone was shouting to hit him!<div>


    ¡°You¡­you¡­make way! Make way!¡±


    Having wet pants in the snowy weather was not fun; at first it was warm, but within a moment it turned into a cold and icy lump, apparently about to freeze, which amused the crowd even more.


    ¡°Hey hey! Old Man Li, weren¡¯t you boasting about how great you are? I see how ¡®great¡¯ you are now! Is it stiff, huh? What do you all think?¡± Miao Cuihua¡¯s loud voice came again.


    ¡°Yes!¡ª¡ª¡± There was another round of ridicule from the crowd.


    But the wrathful Old Man Li did not surrender as a result.


    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t break free, he straightened his neck stubbornly: ¡°If you dare, take off your pants and let this old man have a go, to see if this old man still has his edge!¡±


    This sentence was said to Miao Cuihua, but it shocked everyone present.


    No matter what, there were so many young girls and women present, people would usually avoid such speech¡­


    The Land Officer hurriedly came to the grain-drying field upon hearing the news. He happened to hear Old Man Li¡¯s sentence and was immediately enraged!


    He picked up his crutch and gave Old Man Li several heavy blows, hitting him continuously without discrimination.


    ¡°You shameless old man! You have ruined the reputation of the Upper Vige! Get out! Get out of the Upper Vige! If I see you again, I¡¯ll break your other leg too!¡±<div>


    Others might dare to confront the Land Officer, but Old Man Li didn¡¯t dare.


    Thump!


    He fell directly to his knees at the feet of the Land Officer, clutching his robe: ¡°Mr. Land Officer! Look at this old andme man, these vigers are ganging up to bully an old man, Mr. Land Officer, you must stand up for me!¡±


    He was crying and howling, rubbing his tears and snot on the Land Officer¡¯s brand new robe, causing the crowd to feel bad for the Land Officer.


    The corners of the Land Officer¡¯s mouth twitched nonstop, he was clearly furious! He roared at the crowd behind him.


    ¡°Are you all deaf? Don¡¯t just stand there, drag this man away and throw him out of the Upper Vige!¡±


    When Mr. Land Officer spoke, naturally nobody dared to defy him. Two young men quickly came out of the crowd, one on each side, and dragged Old Man Li out of the Upper Vige.


    ¡°No! Mr. Land Officer, I was wrong, I made a mistake, please spare me this time! Mr. Land Officer¡­¡±


    The surroundings were incredibly quiet, with no one speaking.


    The Land Officer nced at everyone, then looked up at Liu Sisi, and finally let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Sisi! What¡¯s your view on this matter?¡± The Land Officer suddenly asked her.<div>


    Liu Sisi looked up at the crowd around her. The Land Officer was hinting at her! With a quiet sigh, she stepped forward and bowed.


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer, in Sisi¡¯s view, although Old Man Li was good-for-nothing when he was young, stealing and breaking one leg, and then poorly bringing up his son who annoyed his mother to death, andter framed others for murder, he only ended up risking his own life. Now only Old Man Li is left. At his old age, being forced to have a child via surrogacy is truly tragic andmentable. I hope Mr. Land Officer can spare him this time, considering his old and frail condition.¡±


    Liu Sisi gave a long speech, which was quite a mouthful.


    The Land Officer looked deeply at Liu Sisi. This girl definitely didn¡¯t like to lose out!


    ¡°Hmm! Considering his¡­¡±


    The Land Officer wanted to let Old Man Li off the hook, but suddenly realized that, just as Liu Sisi had said, besides ying the old-age card, he really couldn¡¯t find any redeeming qualities.


    In the end, he could only sigh lightly: ¡°Considering his old age, let¡¯s¡­ let him go!¡±


    The crowd looked at each other, but no one said a word.


    He had been the Land Officer for many years, but never had he been questioned by so many people.


    The Land Officer felt a burning sensation on his face and was quite emotional. Old Man Li was really intolerable. No wonder no one stood up to plead for him! He even lost his own face indirectly. He also owed Sisi a favor.


    After thinking for a moment, the Land Officer took two more steps towards Liu Sisi and looked at her with a smile on his face.<div>


    ¡°Sisi! I heard a few days ago that you¡¯re recruiting female students for your private school. Is that true? How about enrolling my daughter Min¡¯er? I will not shortchange you of any of the education gift, how about it?¡±


    The Land Officer grinned and suggested, obviously ttering her.


    Liu Sisi understood that the Land Officer was repaying her for letting Old Man Li off the hook just now!


    She immediately bowed and said, ¡°Mr. Land Officer is joking. If Min¡¯eres to study at my school, it would be my honor. Thank you, Mr. Land Officer, for your kindness.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­good! With your word, this old man is reassured. Sisi! On the day your private school opens, I will definitelye and have a cup of water wine.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Land Officer.¡±


    A smile curled up at the corner of Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth.


    With Mr. Land Officer¡¯s word, the n to run a private school in the Upper Vige should be a sess!


    After Mr. Land Officer left, the crowd began to disperse. But everyone¡¯s gaze towards Liu Sisi became increasingly respectful.


    ¡°Mom! Look at our snowman¡­¡±


    YingEr pointed at the snowman beside them, instantly attracting a few people¡¯s attention. The snowman had been reduced by more than two circles, and the remaining snowballs were no longer in shape.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, YingEr! Next time it snows, Mom will take you out to build a snowman again, okay?¡±


    ¡°And brother and Auntie have toe too.¡±


    YingEr went over to hold Guihua¡¯s hand and smiled sweetly at Di Xuan.


    ¡°Sisi, you don¡¯t suppose Old Man Li is really having a baby via surrogacy? He¡¯s¡­ already so old, this is¡­¡± Guihua stammered for a while but didn¡¯t finish.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, then picked up her shovel and headed home: ¡°This matter really can¡¯t be guessed. After all, he is an unprincipled man. At least others still care about their faces, but he not only has no shame but also no fear of death, he just wants money.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, Sisi, you¡¯re right! He wants nothing but money.¡±


    Guihua cheerfully agreed, then followed: ¡°But the woman he¡¯s using for surrogacy has been talked about for so long, and we haven¡¯t seen him bring her out. He¡¯s really keeping it a secret, could there be something fishy going on?¡±


    ¡°It would be strange if he didn¡¯t have a trick up his sleeve.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi was already unrmed: ¡°This man is a lost cause, no need to bother with him.¡±

 Chapter 257: 255: Husband and Wife Travel Together, On Horseback, Laughing to the Sky!

    Chapter 257: 255: Husband and Wife Travel Together, On Horseback, Laughing to the Sky!<div>


    ¡°Sisi, are you¡­ really going to start a girls¡¯ private school?¡±


    Guihua hesitated and hurriedly caught up, asking curiously.


    ¡°I have such ns, but it won¡¯t be easy to actually implement them. However, since Mr. Land Officer has said that it¡¯s possible, it shouldn¡¯t be a big problem to open a private school.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi was speaking and suddenly fell silent.


    ¡°Oh my! You¡¯re amazing! You¡¯re actually going to open a private school!¡±


    Guihua looked excited: ¡°I still remember when you first got married and moved in. You were so timid, and in just a few months, you¡¯ve be so capable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to see! The school can only be opened if there are people who want toe and learn.¡± Liu Sisi was not sure at the moment.


    Thinking about it, she felt so emotional: ¡°Time flies so fast. When I first came, it was early summer, and now the first snow of early winter has fallen.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I still remember when Brother Ye Lei married you, besides the wild boar he had just caught, there was not even a grain of food in the house. Later, it was Brother Ye Lei¡¯s ability to carry half a wild boar to the Land Officer¡¯s home in exchange for grain and some silver. Then he bought the red cloth to perform the wedding ritual with you¡­ ¡±


    As Guihua spoke, she suddenly stopped, looking somewhat embarrassed at her, ¡°Sisi, I didn¡¯t mean to say¡­ I mean¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Sister Guihua, I understand. My family really had nothing at the beginning.¡±


    Liu Sisi patted Guihua to show her understanding: ¡°At that time, there were problems with the fields, right? Now that the problems are gone, our home has gradually improved.¡±


    ¡°Field mice, I can¡¯t believe you remember them.¡±


    This made Guihuaugh, but then she added: ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, your description is so apt. It was exactly like mice in the field.¡±<div>


    As they talked, they arrived at the yard door and walked in, chatting andughing.


    The father, who was originally at the doorway, was gone. When the two entered, they saw him strolling in the stable.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly called softly: ¡°Dad, it¡¯s cold outside. You should go inside and sit.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di looked back at them and nodded repeatedly: ¡°Yes, yes, okay¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, the room inside is warm.¡±


    Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er called out in unison, supporting Elderly Mr. Di from the left and right, and slowly walking into the room.


    At dusk, Ye Lei really returned! He also brought back two sets of clean, dark clothes which were specially made for the constables.


    At the same time, Liu Sisi was relieved.


    Early the next morning, as soon as Liu Sisi had finished washing the dishes and tidying up the house, she saw Di Yelei bring the horse out again and continually groom it with a mane brush.


    The horse happily swayed its tail, its shiny body highlighting its strength. From time to time, it shook its long mane, exuding a strong power.


    Hearing Liu Sisi¡¯s footsteps, Ye Lei looked back at her with a gentle smile, and the harmony between him and the horse was so beautiful to behold.<div>


    Seemingly noticing Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, he raised his thick eyebrows proudly and patted the robust horse¡¯s back.


    ¡°How about it? Do you want to touch it? This is a great horse!¡±


    ¡°But will it let me touch it? Won¡¯t it attack me?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at him with surprise and delight, easily detecting the pride in his words. She couldn¡¯t help but reach out her hand, trying to touch the horse.


    The horse snorted irritably and stepped around restlessly.


    ¡°Silly girl! You can¡¯t approach a horse from behind. Be careful, or it might kick you with its hooves. Come,e around from the front¡­ Lift your hand gently¡­ touch it¡­ ¡±


    Following Di Yelei¡¯s guidance, Liu Sisi carefully stretched out her hand, her fingertips gently touching the horse¡¯s face before quickly retracting.


    The horse didn¡¯t snort at her again!


    Liu Sisi was full of surprise on her face!


    ¡°Here! Give this to the horse, and it will like your touch more.¡± Di Yelei stuffed something into her palm.


    Liu Sisi looked carefully, and it turned out to be a small sugar cube!<div>


    Indeed, as Liu Sisi¡¯s hand brought the sugar cube closer, the horse quickly approached, seemingly discovering that Liu Sisi was harmless and slowly ate the sugar cube from her hand.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s other hand gently stroked the horse¡¯s face, and for the first time, she touched it at such close quarters, which made her very happy indeed.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Upon closer inspection, this horse was different from the ones on TV in her previous life. It was more sturdy, slightly fat, and its body also covered with a thickyer of hair.


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s affection, Di Yelei approached her and asked softly, ¡°How about it? Do you want to take a stroll with me?¡±


    ¡°Take a stroll? Can I go too?¡±


    Liu Sisi was full of surprise on her face!


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Di Yelei alsoughed, this little woman was too easily satisfied, but it was just going out for a stroll together. How difficult could it be!


    Soon, he put a saddle on the horse.


    The horse seemed to sense that it was going out and snorted excitedly, stepping lightly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll go together!¡±


    Di Yelei raised his thick eyebrows high, full of spirit, held Liu Sisi firmly with one hand, and led the horse out of the main entrance with the other.


    He then patted the horse¡¯s head and lifted Liu Sisi onto its back!


    It was her first time on horseback, so it would be a lie to say she wasn¡¯t nervous! Liu Sisi sat stiffly and straight on the horse¡¯s back,pletely tense.


    The horse beneath her seemed impatient to be walking and made Liu Sisi quickly call out, ¡°Ye Lei! The horse¡¯s back is so high, I¡¯m scared¡­ afraid of heights¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha! Don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s just a brute!¡±


    With Di Yelei¡¯s hearty words, he swung onto the horse,nding behind her.


    His arms passed through her sides, grabbing the reins, as a low chuckle echoed in her ear.


    Liu Sisi felt her entire body heat up, her cheeks burning, and she couldn¡¯t help but squeeze the arm around her!


    ¡°Laugh,ugh, you stillugh? Bastard!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡­¡±


    Answering her was Di Yelei¡¯s even heartierughter. He lowered his head, gently biting her earlobe, and quickly let go without waiting for her shocked exmations.


    ¡°Hold on tight, let¡¯s get going!¡±


    As he spoke, he gently kicked the horse¡¯s belly, and the horse beneath him started to trot.


    ¡°Oh! The horse, the horse has started to run!¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t tell whether she was more excited or more frightened in her heart; this was her first time riding a horse, especially such a tall horse, which had genuinely scared her!


    But before long, Di Yelei suddenly raised the whip, striking the horse¡¯s hip with it. The horse reared its head in pain and neighed loudly, then began to run full speed.


    ¡°Ah! Um¡­¡±


    The howling wind swept across her face, messing up her hair, and the fluttering mane was lifted high, churning the dry, cold air around, making it impossible for Liu Sisi to open her eyes.

 Chapter 258: 256: Husband and Wife Travel Together, On Horseback, Laughing to the Sky!

    Chapter 258: 256: Husband and Wife Travel Together, On Horseback, Laughing to the Sky!<div>


    A horse carrying two people sped along a small path between the mountains.


    In the chilly wind of early winter morning, the umted snow fromst night was swept up by the galloping horse. With each pounding of its hooves, the snow sttered all around, apanied by a shower of fine ice and raindrops falling down.


    The horse, with snow sshing beneath its hooves, sped along the path, carrying the two riders on its back. Breathing in the cold air, thick mist puffed out but dissipated in the air before condensing.<div>


    Liu Sisi covered her face tightly, as the howling wind blinded her eyes. She tried to open them countless times, but her hair whipped wildly in her face.


    She could only turn her head to the side and finally caught sight of their surroundings.


    The scenery on both sides of her body was fast retreating, and it was so familiar yet endearing in her eyes at that moment.


    How long had it been since shest saw such rapidly retreating scenery!


    Di Yelei held Liu Sisi firmly in his embrace, descended from the small path and raced along the riverbank.


    There were not many people on the riverbank in the early morning winter. asionally, there were two or three little kittens washing their clothes in the shallow water. Seeing the galloping horse with the two riders, they straightened up and looked at the receding figures, whispering to each other.


    They rode on, galloping all the way, not knowing how long they had been running.


    From the initial fear to now sittingfortably on the horse¡¯s back, Liu Sisi went through a tremendous change!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Yelei was delighted!


    It seemed like Sisi liked horse riding! What a good sign!


    ¡°Ye Lei, Ye Lei over there!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi eximed with joy, quickly pointing a finger, prompting Di Yelei to look.


    It was a vast sandy beach with a few low shrubs on the ground covered in ayer of umted snow,pletely white as far as the eye could see.


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go check it out.¡±


    While speaking, he swiftly pulled the reins, and the horse changed directions, speeding towards the wide expanse of snowy wilderness.


    Trotting on the wilderness, drawing circles, horse hooves stirring up, and leaving behind a series of peculiar horseshoe prints on the snow.


    There were hoof-shaped ones, strip-shaped ones, and fan-shaped ones. Underneath the snow was the umted sand. When the horse stepped on it, it would leave a hoof-shaped hole. But with the force of the horse¡¯s leg lifting varying, all sorts of shapes were swiftly left on the snow, extending the trail all the way to where the two approached.


    Liu Sisiughed! Her silveryughter was contagious to Di Yelei behind her. He suddenly let go of the reins, raised his head with a sudden swing, and cupped both hands around his cheeks, letting out a long howl!


    ¡°Rooooar!!¡±


    The deep and mellow roar echoed through the valley, startling countless unidentified birds. Fluttering wings sent countless snowkes swirling, making the mountains lively all of a sudden!


    The joy of the two riders also spurred on the horse, making it increasingly yful. It eagerly pranced around, gradually beginning to speed up.


    Di Yelei gently held the reins, allowing the horse beneath him to gallop freely, running wildly along the mountain stream.<div>


    Faster and faster, faster and faster, faster and faster!


    Suddenly, the horse stopped in its tracks. Before Liu Sisi could adapt to the abrupt change, it couldn¡¯t help but rear up, letting out a skyward howl!


    Drip, drip, drip!


    As the howl continued, the horse fiercely shook its head several times.


    While the horse was in high spirits, the two riders on its back were not having as much fun!


    ¡°Ah! Help!¡ª¡ª¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes as she instinctively screamed.


    Di Yelei acted even faster. His legs firmly mped the horse¡¯s belly, one hand embraced the small woman in his arms, and the other tightly held onto the reins¡­


    A warm embrace held her tightly. She quietly opened her eyes, meeting Di Yelei¡¯s gaze directly.


    His eyes were filled with passion and bright spirit, peering down at her in his arms. They also took in the vast beauty surrounding them, making his gaze even more profound.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly turned her head away, trying to avoid his stare, and only then let out a sigh of relief.<div>


    It turned out that the two of them were still seated steadily on the horse¡¯s back!


    ¡°Just now¡­ that really scared me to death.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s fiery gaze didn¡¯t waver, instead, a series of deepughter erupted from his throat.


    At once, Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks flushed. She gently pushed him away, trying to sit up straight.


    Immediately, his muffledughter grew louder, and he couldn¡¯t help butugh even harder.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s embarrassment grew and, annoyed, she spat, her small, crystal-clear earlobes betraying her feelings at the moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Regardless of the life-threatening risk, your husband will always protect you!¡±


    He said with persistent determination, his deep eyes never leaving her face for a moment.


    Liu Sisi was puzzled, staring straight into his vast and profound eyes for a while beforeing back to her senses.


    She quietly lowered her head, and her face turned an even deeper shade of red at his words, ¡°Silly, I¡¯ve always believed in you.¡±


    His iron arm suddenly tightened around her waist, and he took in a deep breath before exhaling slowly.


    ¡°I am a fool, your fool. You are also my little fool. A fool and a little fool, destined to be a perfect match.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Are you trying to say tongue twisters?¡±


    Liu Sisiughed delightedly!


    Looking around, they found themselves in apletely unfamiliar environment. The sun had gradually risen, shining on the surrounding white snow and casting dazzling silver rays that nearly blinded her eyes.


    ¡°Eh!Where are we? How far did we run?¡±


    Di Yelei casually nced around, pointing at a mountain in the distance, ¡°Not too far. Look over there¡ªthat¡¯s Heilong Mountain, where we¡¯ve been before. But this is the north side, ck Dragon Vige¡¯s territory.¡±


    Liu Sisi was astonished!


    ¡°So far? The horse didn¡¯t seem to run for very long. How did we travel such a distance?¡±


    ¡°Well, the horse we¡¯re riding now might not be able to travel a thousand miles in a day, but 800 miles is definitely within its capabilities!¡±


    Speaking of the horse beneath him, Di Yelei was naturally full of pride, as if there were endless topics to discuss.


    Up on Heilong Mountain, where the two just pointed, a figure was gazing in their direction. He stood silently amongst a grove of pine and cypress, almost melding with the surrounding environment.


    Just now, themotion caused by the man and horse had rmed him.


    When he came out to take a look, the sight of the two on the horse¡¯s back nearly blinded him.


    The two of them stood quietly on a patch of snow, so harmonious yet, at the same time, so different.

 Chapter 259: 257: Husband and Wife Travel Together, On Horseback, Laughing to the Sky!

    Chapter 259: 257: Husband and Wife Travel Together, On Horseback, Laughing to the Sky!<div>


    Neither of them paid any attention to the distant view, as they were still immersed in each other¡¯s affections.


    The two held each other quietly, asionally nuzzling each other¡¯s ears.


    Entwined, tenderly kissing, unwilling to part.<div>


    Hisrge cloak enveloped herpletely in his embrace. Apart from the intense rustling of the cloak, there were also enchanting pants and blush-inducing moans from within, and uncontroble shouts from both when the passion reached its peak.


    Finally, when he managed to open the cloak and release her from his embrace, his face was full of satisfaction, grinning like a sly, fish-gorging kitten.


    She, however, was still breathlessly panting, her cheeks rosy, and her watery eyes brimming with charm, extraordinarily beautiful.


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t restrain the great joy in his heart, showing a wide grin that revealed all of his white teeth!


    Unable to resist, he buried his head and nipped at her fiercely once more, before forcing himself to raise his head. Carefully helping her tidy up her clothes, he then restrands her disheveled long hair, fastening the hairpin securely.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re going back now! Giddy up!¡±


    Di Yelei let out a long yell, kicked the horse¡¯s belly, and the horse turned around and galloped back on the road they hade from.


    The galloping horse sped like an arrow. Gradually, it slowed down and trotted lightly on the mountain path.


    They rushed when they set off, but returned leisurely, after all, their intention for the trip was to exercise the horse.


    The two rode on the trotting horse, admiring the scenery along the way.


    The scattered snow began to melt, revealing the vegetation and bare mountain rocks beneath. The hazy sun in the sky cast an impression of a damaged inkndscape painting on their surroundings.<div>


    Soon, they entered the vige, where many people came out of their houses. Seeing the two riding back, they all moved aside along the roadside.


    Some called out and greeted the couple, who responded in kind. They also met a few acquaintances; Liu Sisi greeted them with a smile and brushed past them cheerfully.


    At the moment, she didn¡¯t know what time it was. The umted snow on the ground had melted, and she reached out to touch the horse¡¯s neck, feeling the warm sweat.


    The horse finally stopped in front of the courtyard. Its nose snorted and sneezed. It asionally shook its mane, clearly having enjoyed a vigorous ride.


    When the two entered the courtyard, the two children had already gotten up.


    As soon as they saw the couple dismounting, they hurried over.


    ¡°Dad! Mom! You went horse riding? Mom!¡± YingEr quickly threw herself into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms.


    Di Xuan didn¡¯tg behind, taking two steps to reach Di Yelei¡¯s side and gently tugging at his sleeve.


    ¡°Dad! Xuan¡¯er wants to learn horse riding!¡±


    The interest in his sparkling eyes was intense, filled with eagerness, as if, with just a word of agreement from Di Yelei, he would immediately jump onto the horse and have a go.


    ¡°Alright! Our Xuan¡¯er will also learn to ride a horse!¡±<div>


    Di Yeleiughed heartily, patted Di Xuan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°A real man must shoulder burdens and work with his hands. We¡¯ll need horses for going in and out in the future, so it¡¯s time to learn!¡±


    ¡°Really? Dad, you agree to let me learn horse riding? Quickly! Hurry up, Dad! Hold me up.¡±


    Di Xuan shouted excitedly, but the tall stirrup was too high for him!


    The nearby Ying¡¯er, watching all of this, was suddenly excited too!


    ¡°Mom, look! Big brother can ride, I also want to ride, please! Hmm¡ª¡±


    As she spoke, she tugged on Liu Sisi¡¯s clothes, clearly meaning she would cry if she didn¡¯t agree.


    At the room door, Elderly Mr. Di was slowlying out of the house, leaning on his crutch, and happened to witness Liu Sisi¡¯s helplessughter.


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s smile, his mind¡¯s eye pictured the grace of the Dou family. However, since marrying Ms. Zhao¡­ s! He couldn¡¯t help but sigh with mixed emotions.


    ¡°Mom! ¡ª Ying¡¯er also wants to ride a horse, Mom¡ª Mom¡­¡±


    YingEr kept shaking Liu Sisi¡¯s arm, leaving her with no choice but to kick the ball back to Di Yelei: ¡°Be good, YingEr, you see, even Mom can¡¯t get on horseback, can she? Hurry and ask your dad what he thinks.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, YingEr immediately let go of Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, turned around, and clung to Di Yelei¡¯s thigh.<div>


    ¡°Dad! Dad, YingEr wants to ride the horse too¡­¡±


    ¡°No hurry, no hurry. I did promise to let you ride the horse, but not right now!¡±


    Di Yelei gently patted his little daughter¡¯s head, and with one swoop, he controlled Xuan¡¯er¡¯s excitement.


    ¡°Look how tall the horse is, do you think you can handle it?¡±


    ¡°But Mom just rode it too.¡± YingEr pouted in disagreement.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°But the horse is tired. Look at this extremely cold weather, this horse¡­¡± While speaking, Di Yelei wiped the horse¡¯s neck and his hand was full of sweat: ¡°The horse is sweating all over, if it keeps running, it will be exhausted. Dad promises you, I¡¯ll take you out tomorrow morning, okay?¡±


    Naturally, the two children didn¡¯t agree and argued for a while, clinging to Di Yelei and refusing to let go.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh at the sight of them.


    Turning her head, she saw her father-inw standing at the eaves with his crutch and hurriedly went over to call him softly.


    ¡°Dad, have you eaten breakfast? It¡¯s warm in the pot.¡±


    ¡°Had, had, Third Child¡¯s daughter-inw, good!¡±


    Though the words were broken, Liu Sisi still understood what her father-inw wanted to express and sheughed happily.


    It was her father-inw¡¯s approval of her, which was no ordinary meaning.


    ¡°Taking care of the two children is Sisi¡¯s duty. Dad, you take good rest, Sisi will go back to work.¡±


    Liu Sisi returned to the house, tidied herself up, put the book she had copied yesterday into her bag, and then went out.


    When she came back, she and Di Yelei had already agreed that today was the day for Sisi to teach Gan Miaoruo, so the two would go to Gan Mansion together. Liu Sisi would naturally go to teach, while Di Yelei was preparing to officially get back to work after selling the holiday.


    When she came out of the Gan Mansion, Liu Sisi went to the bookstore on her way back.


    The business in the bookstore was already on track and getting better and better. Di Cheng was indeed capable and had managed the shop well.


    Of course, Liu Sisi was not a stingy person. She directly discussed with Di Cheng about the ounting method for the wages.


    ¡°¡­Because I have to pay rent as well as the costs of these goods. When you sell them, we will split the silver by nine to one. It may seem like this 10% is small, but every little bit adds up. For example, if you make fifteen taels of silver today, although only three and a half taels are left after deducting costs and rent, that means one and a half taels for you, and two taels for me¡­¡±


    This calction method is straightforward and easy to understand. Di Cheng knew what she meant as soon as he heard it and shook his head like a rattle drum.


    ¡°No way! Absolutely not. Third Aunt, there¡¯s not only rent to pay for this shop, but also several kinds of taxes. Those people are ruthless, I¡¯d get too much with one part. Absolutely not.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t refuse, just do it as I said!¡±


    Liu Sisi said firmly.


    Want the horse to run, you got to feed it night grass!


    In fact, she had considered for a long time before making the decision whether or not to do this. But in the end, she decided to do it.


    The items in the shop were almost all priced, and when the goods were bought and sold, the profit was clear.


    Money moves the heart.


    Since she had no time to manage the shop herself, to avoid any unwee incidents, she might as well be open about the arrangement, which also happened to be a test of Di Cheng¡¯s character.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Rmend apleted farming novel ¡°Fertile Land and Marriage¡±. Be sure to check it out if you¡¯re interested.

 Chapter 260: 258: The Annoying Incident at the Bookstore

    Chapter 260: 258: The Annoying Incident at the Bookstore<div>


    Di Cheng didn¡¯t nod in agreement until Liu Sisi left.


    Early the next morning, the snow outside hadpletely stopped, and in contrast, icicles hung everywhere in front of the house. Under the faint winter sun, they refracted a colorful radiance. The early rising Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but pluck them.


    As promised, Di Yelei took the decision to take the two children out for a stroll together.<div>


    He fed the horse and brushed its mane, then lifted the two children onto the horseback and went out for a walk.


    Watching the excited siblings return, Liu Sisi felt the sky brightened!


    Days passed by quietly and slowly.


    For several consecutive days, Ms. Zhao came to the Di Residence¡¯s door to cry andin, apanied by the beautiful Little Cui¡¯er.


    Little Cui¡¯er had a slender waist and plump figure, full of charm. Every day, she leaned against the big tree outside Di¡¯s residence, forming a strong contrast with Ms. Zhao¡¯s old and frail body.


    In particr, her enchanting posture and seductive small mouth attracted the asional passerby, who would enjoy the beautiful scenery while listening to Ms. Zhao¡¯s free opera performance.


    Elderly Mr. Di remained hidden in the house and didn¡¯te out. At first, Liu Sisi called out to him a few times, but after a while, she let theme and go freely. The main entrance of their home was always left ajar, and Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua were inside, so she would know immediately if there were any movements.


    Once Di Yelei¡¯s leave ended, he rode his horse to Gan Mansion every day, as his current duty was to protect Gan Miaoruo.


    Initially, Liu Sisi would visit the Gan Mansion once every five days, butter it changed to once every three days. The reason was that there was a Market Day every three days, and it was convenient for her to go to the Gan Mansion along the way and then go to the bookstore in the afternoon to check and collect ounts. After all, she had Di Yelei¡¯s horse to ride.


    Unconsciously, more than a dozen days had passed.


    Liu Sisi had been frowning at the ount book for a long time, and no matter how she checked, the numbers didn¡¯t add up. Every day she found that several items were inexplicably missing.<div>


    Today was even worse ¨C three high-quality inkstones were missing right off the bat.


    Though ordinary inkstones were not expensive, the total cost of these missing three inkstones was more than 30 taels of silver!


    That was no small amount!


    Even though the bookstore had been making some money every day, once you subtract the rent, capital, taxes, wages, and misceneous taxes, only around one tael of silver actually fell into Liu Sisi¡¯s hands. Even on Market Day, when they made more money, the profit was only 5 to 10 taels of silver.


    Now that three inkstones suddenly went missing, it was no wonder that Liu Sisi was in pain!


    Di Cheng was also fighting to clean the shelves with a feather duster cautiously. He noticed that Liu Sisi had been holding the ount book for quite a while without turning a page.


    It wasn¡¯t until he finished sweeping a whole row of shelves that he cautiously approached.


    ¡°Third Aunt, is there a problem with the ount book?¡±


    Liu Sisi had been struggling to find a way to ask, and since Di Cheng asked first, she followed up naturally.


    ¡°Di Cheng, how many inkstones did you sell yesterday?¡±


    ¡°I sold one inkstone yesterday. The weather has been cold recently, and unless people urgently need something at home, no onees to buy. Inkstones don¡¯t break easily and don¡¯t sell much, so I remember clearly.¡±<div>


    Di Cheng immediately replied, the depths of his eyes calm andposed.


    Liu Sisi looked deep into his eyes: ¡°How many wolf hair brushes did you sell yesterday?¡±


    ¡°I sold four brushes, all to the same old man. Cheng¡¯er even helped him load five packs of rice paper onto his carriage.¡±


    Di Cheng¡¯s expression was calm, and his breathing steady, showing no signs of guilt.


    Liu Sisi felt somewhat helpless and had no choice but to flip through the ount book and point directly to the entry about the inkstones.


    ¡°Take a look. This is your ount entry from yesterday. Can you check the counter and see how many of these inkstones are left?¡±


    Di Cheng naturally turned around and walked in the direction of the inkstone disy: ¡°Of course, there are still three left. I remember it clearly ¡­¡±


    On the counter, the spot where the inkstones were originally ced was now empty, not a single one left!


    ¡°What¡­ what happened?¡±


    Di Cheng was evidently scared, standing still not knowing what to do.


    Liu Sisi also stood up from behind the counter and walked to his side: ¡°Can you remember anything at all? When did these inkstones go missing?¡±<div>


    ¡°I¡­ I really can¡¯t remember¡­¡±


    Di Cheng¡¯s face was so dejected that he almost wanted to cry.


    ¡°So who has been near this counter?¡±


    ¡°This spot is quite secluded, few peoplee near it, but yesterday¡­¡±


    Di Cheng seemed to recall something, suddenly widening his eyes.


    ¡°Third Aunt, Cheng¡¯er is going out for a while!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Cheng finished speaking and hurriedly ran out of the shop¡¯s main entrance. That day, he did not return until the sky gradually darkened.


    At midnight, Di Cheng came to the gate of the Di Residence.


    ¡°Third Uncle, Third Aunt, I came to get the keys to the bookstore.¡±


    Di Cheng hung his head, almost unable to lift it up.


    Liu Sisi sighed and handed him the keys: ¡°Di Cheng, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Third Aunt, those inkstones and the losses from the past few days will be charged to me, treating them as my own purchases.¡±


    ¡°Di Cheng, how did you lose these items? What are you hiding? Tell Third Aunt and maybe she can help you work it out.¡±


    ¡°No need, Third Aunt! It was Cheng¡¯er¡¯s fault. Cheng¡¯er guarantees there won¡¯t be a next time!¡±


    Di Cheng raised his head, looking at Liu Sisi earnestly, with seriousness in his eyes.


    Upon raising his head, Liu Sisi noticed the bruise on Di Cheng¡¯s face, not knowing who had beaten him, leaving arge purple mark.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi originally wanted to say more, but seeing the determination in Di Cheng¡¯s eyes, she stopped talking: ¡°Alright! It¡¯s alreadyte today, you go and stay at home first, and go to the shop early tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Third Aunt, Third Uncle, then Cheng¡¯er will be leaving first.¡±


    Di Cheng silently bid farewell to the two and turned to leave. His deste figure quickly blended into the darkness.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. In my opinion, most likely it¡¯s Ms. Wang who¡¯s causing trouble again. Go back to your room and sleep. Let me take care of this matter.¡± Di Yelei gently patted Liu Sisi¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯ll take care of it? Don¡¯t tell me you know how to catch petty thieves?¡±


    Liu Sisi instead suddenly became interested.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t anyone told you that constables specialize in investigating cases?¡± Di Yelei yfully flicked her forehead with a smile.


    ¡°Ouch! You bastard!¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but cry in pain, raising her little fists and punching Di Yelei a few times: ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll leave this matter to you. If you can¡¯t figure it out, I¡¯ll make you pay, hmph!¡±


    The author is sick, today¡¯s update is dyed.

 Chapter 261: 259: The Chain Reaction Caused by Xiaokang

    Chapter 261: 259: The Chain Reaction Caused by Xiaokang<div>


    Believe it or not, Di Yelei is indeed swift.


    In less than two days, he brought back the confirmed news.


    At the same time, he also brought back the three lost inkstones and a few wolf hair brushes from the shop. As for the rest of the little things, only bits and pieces were brought back.<div>


    But the fact that he was able to retrieve these major losses, Liu Sisi was already overjoyed!


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯re actually quite capable!¡±


    With the returned items in hand, Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she scrutinized Di Yelei up and down.


    Di Yelei lifted his head proudly and shed a recklessly teasing smile, ¡°What do you think? Don¡¯t you think your husband is impressive too?¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Look at you, so smug!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing, ¡°Alright! Stop pretending, this is nothing like you. Hurry up and tell me, how did you find the clues, and how did you track them down? Who took these things, and how did you retrieve these lost items?¡±


    The grin on Di Yelei¡¯s face crumbled, and he switched back to his usual innocent expression. He approached Liu Sisi and wrapped his arm around her waist, his bear-like paw reaching out again, ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re really undermining your husband¡¯s confidence.¡±


    ¡°Stop messing around! Hurry up and tell me!¡±


    With a forceful pat, Liu Sisi brushed away the paw on her chest.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er and YingEr have gone to the old house, they coulde back at any moment. And what about father? How bad it would look if he saw.¡±


    She carefully sorted out these retrieved items one by one, nning to put them back in the shop tomorrow.<div>


    ¡°What are you patting for? We¡¯re husband and wife!¡±


    Di Yelei argued, but followed her instructions and released her, ¡°Who else could it be? Only she could make Di Cheng drop his guard, steal things from under Di Cheng¡¯s nose, and still not face any consequences.¡±


    ¡°Is it her?¡±


    Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow in question.


    ¡°Exactly her!¡±


    Di Yelei nodded, looking helpless.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue in surprise, ¡°She yed such a dirty trick, isn¡¯t she afraid that I would expose her to the authorities?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid your Second Sister-inw really thinks so.¡±


    Di Yelei also looked quite frustrated.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this! We cannot keep indulging her like this! Once Brother Nanes back, the shop has to be returned to him. When the truthes to light, if he insists, not only will your Second Sister-inw be sent to court, even us, who have been harboring the knowledge of a crime, you could even be charged for knowingly breaking thew!¡±


    Liu Sisi really wished she could rush over right now and give that shameless woman a few ps on the face!<div>


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear themotion from the old house?¡±


    Di Yelei raised an eyebrow in surprise, ¡°Just now, when Ms. Wang refused to admit it, I brought the person who wanted to take over the stolen goods to confront her. The two of them kept ming each other, and in the end Second Brother pped her a few times. Dad and the two children have gone to watch the excitement! Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll dare to do it again this time.¡±


    She did hear somemotion from the old house, but considering the constant noise from there, she didn¡¯t think anything of it.


    She never thought it would end up like this.


    Looking at Di Yelei, who had picked up the torch and seemed to want to go out, Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Where are you going now?¡±


    ¡°Well, the two brothers from Old Feng¡¯s house had a fight, supposedly over a camphor tree growing on the embankment. A wealthy man took an interest in it and proposed to buy it. However, the two brothers have been fighting over that sum of money for days now. They¡¯ve finallye to me.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he put on a leather shoulder scarf. This scarf was made from sheep wool that he himself had prepared, and Liu Sisi had sewn it for him. It was exceptionally warm to wear. Even though Liu Sisi¡¯s handiwork was not very good, Di Yelei still wore it outside all the time to show off.


    Now that he had be a constable, traveling to and from Upper Vige every day on horseback had indeed be far more convenient than before.


    However, with the convenience came an array of new problems, which kept cropping up out of nowhere.


    The eastern boss¡¯ chicken had gone missing, the western boss¡¯ field wascking a few vegetables, and they would often turn up at his door, demanding some sort of resolution.<div>


    Seeing that they were his fellow vigers, he couldn¡¯t help but take the matters seriously.


    Normally, after a hard day¡¯s work, he was utterly exhausted. But upon returning home, he had to immediately jump into solving such trivial issues. He was kept so busy, he felt like a spinning top- not a moment of peace.


    And if the family involved happened to be unreasonable, he ended up receiving all the me. It was ssic exertion without appreciation.


    ¡°Trouble seems to follow the upright and incorruptible official, but could you mediate these issues?¡±


    Setting aside the shoulder scarf she was mending, Liu Sisi looks up and asks with amusement. The shoulder scarf was being made for Elderly Mr. Di.


    Di Yelei was visibly helpless. ¡°We are all fellow vigers. If I don¡¯t intervene when they approach me¡­.¡±


    If he didn¡¯t, the vigers might start thinking him arrogant now that his family was prospering, and that he would turn a blind eye to others¡¯ problems.


    Indeed, such rumors had already begun to circte.


    ¡°Even if you do intervene, not everyone can be satisfied. It¡¯s better to avoid getting involved.¡±


    ¡°But how do I do that?¡± Di Yelei asked, scratching his head in distress.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Here¡¯s what you should do¡­¡±


    In the end, Liu Sisi came up with a solution for him.


    That very night, Di Yelei took half a leg of badger meat and a jug of rice wine to the Land Officer¡¯s home to politely express the difficulties these matters were causing him.


    The Land Officer had been in a sullen mood these days.


    Previously, people turned up on his doorstep every day. Despite feeling annoyed, it was also somewhatforting. It made him feel like he was doing his job well.


    But ever since Di Yelei had be a constable, everyone went to him with their problems, causing the Land Officer¡¯s home to be unusually still.


    So when he saw Di Yelei appear carrying half a leg of badger meat and a jug of rice wine, his spirits lifted immediately.


    When they were deep in their cups, Di Yelei started pouring out his troubles. Watching the tormented Di Yelei, eyebrows knotted together in worry, the Land Officer burst intoughter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle this matter! Rest assured, you¡¯ll be pleased with the oue!¡±


    The Land Officer patted his chest and assured him.


    Overjoyed, Di Yelei knelt down. ¡°My deepest thanks, Uncle Land Officer. The responsibilities of my office are tremendously heavy as it is. Your generous offer to help defuse this situationes as a great relief. You have my utmost gratitude.¡±


    ¡°Well, well, well! The older you get, the more capable you be, and also better at speaking. Now, get up¡­¡±


    The Land Officer bent down to help him up himself, squinting his old eyes as he gave him a once-over. ¡°Tell me honestly¡­did Sisie up with this idea?¡±


    Caught off guard by the question, Di Yelei had to abandon his serious face. Scratching the back of his head and smiling his simple smile, he replied.


    ¡°Uncle Land Officer, please don¡¯t be angry¡­Truthfully, I was¡­out of ideas. You know I¡¯m bad with words and rather busy, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­I knew it!¡±


    The Land Officer patted his shoulder. ¡°I knew that¡¯s how it would be. You can go now! Sure, work is important, but you must also spend time with your wife, isn¡¯t that so?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your advice, Uncle Land Officer!¡±


    Having received confirmation, Di Yelei happily left to go home.


    As expected, the Land Officer made an official announcement the next day.

 Chapter 272: 270: Preparing the Engagement Gifts, Ms. Xin’s Skillful Tactics

    Chapter 272: 270: Preparing the Engagement Gifts, Ms. Xin¡¯s Skillful Tactics<div>


    The next day, the weather cleared up and it was a great day. The Zhang Family came to the door with a matchmaker, carrying a pair of living wild geese.


    This is just going through the formalities, announcing to the vigers that the two are following the official process.


    Of course, the Di family was lively all day.<div>


    Originally ignorant, YingEr stood beside Zhang Yun with a smile on her face. When asked if she was willing to spend a lifetime with Zhang Yun, Liu Sisi thought YingEr wouldn¡¯t understand. Unexpectedly, she lowered her head and thought for a moment, looking at Liu Sisi and then at Zhang Yun.


    ¡°YingEr wants to spend a lifetime with Brother Yun! This way, YingEr can see mom every day, and also see Dad and brother. YingEr likes Auntie, and Auntie also likes YingEr!¡±


    ¡°Ah, our YingEr¡¯s little mouth is so sweet!¡±


    Guihua¡¯s face broke into a big smile, as she hugged YingEr and showered her with affection.


    Ironically, the happiest person was the blushing Zhang Yun standing nearby, grinning from ear to ear.


    Di Xuan, on the other hand, had a dark expression without any hint of a smile on his face. Ye Lei tried to put on a happy face. Seeing this scene, his eyes became red. Zhang Peng saw and gently patted his shoulder, which made him reluctantly smile. Then he went in and drank with everyone.


    Old Mr. Di, whose face was full of wrinkles, also wore a full smile and kept repeating the same word: ¡°good, good!¡±


    The next day, Ye Lei and Zhang Peng went to the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple again to have the birthdate information matched for Zhang Yun and YingEr.


    The result was a match made in heaven, and the two of them came back with crooked smiles, obviously very happy.


    After that, the preparations began in full swing!


    Although it was just the engagement ceremony, both families did not intend to make it simple, so naturally, there were many things to prepare.<div>


    Meanwhile, Liu Sisi had her share of troubles. Zhang Shixin would appear every time she showed up at the bookstore. No matter how she tried to drive him away, he would linger outside, making her annoyingly restless!


    Recently, when she got home, she would either be busy experimenting with the movable printing system or burying herself in sewing wallets at home.


    ording to tradition, a wallet symbolizing love needs to be given to the groom at the engagement ceremony. YingEr, being young, naturally couldn¡¯t sew it, so Liu Sisi had to do the work. When the wallet was almost done, YingEr would sew the final stitch to represent her feelings.


    Thus, this wallet couldn¡¯t be done poorly! Liu Sisi had to rack her brains for it.


    Luckily, YingEr was sensible. Although her small hands couldn¡¯t hold a needle yet, she learned from Auntie Guihua and made a beautiful fortune knot for the wallet.


    This fortune knot symbolizes good luck and hangs below the wallet.


    Although the wallet wasn¡¯t finished, Zhang Yun loved the fortune knot and couldn¡¯t let go of it. If it weren¡¯t for the wallet¡¯s significance during the engagement ceremony, he¡¯d want to snatch it away right away.


    Seeing this, Liu Sisi kept shaking her head, hoping that Zhang Yun would treat YingEr well for a lifetime.


    The day was still early, and while Liu Sisi was embroidering mandarin ducks on the wallet, Di Yelei came back early.


    As soon as he returned, he went straight into the inner room to find his father. The two talked for quite a while withouting out.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Your face doesn¡¯t look good?¡±<div>


    She put down the wallet in her hand and looked at him curiously.


    Di Yelei hesitated to speak and sat nkly at the table for a long time, his gaze fixed on the writing pen of Xuan¡¯er who was nearby.


    Nowadays, Xuan¡¯er¡¯s calligraphy had be exceptionally proper; although he hadn¡¯t formed his own style, there was a charm within it, especially his sitting posture, which was very much like a schr.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you say anything? Could it be that there was an incident in the governmental office?¡± Liu Sisi suddenly thought of a question.


    Ever since they met Heir Luo and Prefecture Princess Luo a few days ago, Di Yelei had received many strange looks when he returned to the office. Even County Magistrate Su had personally summoned him, asking in detail about the incident, and treated him with great courtesy afterward, making Di Yelei feel creeped out.


    Some colleagues especially saw him as someone who climbed up through skirt connections, and factions gradually formed. A group of people tried to please him every day, while another group ndered him, causing him great distress.


    At the moment Liu Sisi mentioned it, Di Yelei still shook his head: ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Then, what¡¯s wrong with you? Is there anything that we, as husband and wife, can¡¯t talk about?¡± Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow.


    Di Yelei turned his back, unable to meet her clear eyes.


    Liu Sisi realized that something was seriously wrong and hurriedly put down her wallet, sat down beside him.


    ¡°No matter what happened, since we are husband and wife, we should face it together. Even if I can¡¯t help you with certain things, I can still discuss them with you. As the saying goes, ¡®When one person¡¯s n is short, two people¡¯s n is long, and three people walking together can surpass Zhuge Liang,¡¯ so if you tell me about it, I can give my opinion too.¡±<div>


    Looking at Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, Di Yelei sighed deeply, rubbing his face and remaining silent for a moment before saying: ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong! Really, nothing¡¯s wrong¡­¡±


    However, momentster, he fell back into his own thoughts.


    This nearly choked Liu Sisi with frustration!


    Just as she was about to get angry, the sister-inw Xin¡¯s soft voice came from outside the door.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw! Are you home?¡±


    Ever since Xin, also known as Little Cui, started apanying Ms. Zhao almost every day, she and Ms. Zhao gradually began to visit the Di Family from time to time.


    It was not hard to see that Ms. Zhao indeed had feelings for Elderly Mr. Di. Every time she saw Mr. Di, tears filled her eyes, but every time Elderly Mr. Di saw her, he would turn and leave.


    This made Liu Sisi wonder what kind of knot between them could make Elderly Mr. Di hold a grudge against her!


    No matter what, the two had spent most of their lives together, and now, at their age, they seemed to be more like enemies.


    Since Xin hade, Liu Sisi naturally had to go out and greet her.


    It turned out that Xin sent a pair of cotton pants for Elderly Mr. Di: ¡°Although I haven¡¯t been married into the Di Family for long, I still have to maintain proper etiquette. Seeing that Dad has several cotton coats for rotation, but only a few pairs of cotton pants that Third Sister-inw added, I made a pair of cotton pants. It can also be considered as fulfilling my duty as a daughter-inw.¡±


    Looking at these thick cotton pants, Liu Sisi looked up at her.


    Thinking carefully about Xin¡¯s entry into the family, although there had been storms in the old house, it seemed that ever since she married into the Di Family, Di Ah-Bao, thezybones, had changed his past recklessness and was tightly controlled by Xin.


    Xin¡¯s husband-controlling technique was truly superb!

 Chapter 263: 261: The Big Fox Shaking its Tail

    Chapter 263: 261: The Big Fox Shaking its Tail<div>


    Looking at the face in front of her that was both familiar and unfamiliar, she didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment.


    Subconsciously, she looked back to find Di Cheng¡¯s figure but discovered that Di Cheng had already gone to the other side, greeting a customer who had just entered the door.


    ¡°I came backst night, so I came to see you first thing this morning.¡±<div>


    With a full-faced smile, Nan Tianzong¡¯s squinted eyes seemed like warm sunlight, and his upturned mouth corners seemed like a crescent moon. After ncing at the surroundings, he nodded.


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯ve managed this shop quite well, very good.¡±


    When Liu Sisi opened her mouth, she suddenly felt unsure about what to say in the current situation.


    ¡°Of course, we agreed that you would help me save Ye Lei, and I would look after your shop for a year for free.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Little girl, you still remember those yful words from back then!¡±


    Nan Tianzong raised his folding fan and gently tapped her forehead, ¡°We are now siblings in the eyes of others. Are you still ming me for leaving in such a hurry and not personally telling you before I left?¡± His clearughter echoed.


    ¡°No, no, there¡¯s no such thing.¡±


    Liu Sisi felt her cheeks getting hotter and was somewhat overwhelmed by Nan Tianzong¡¯s sudden kindness.


    Liu Sisi still remembered thest time they met when they left Juxian Restaurant.


    But then there was that unpleasant conversation. She clearly remembered the gloomy expression on his face when they parted at that time.


    As for the reason for Nan Tianzong¡¯s departure, Liu Sisi had spected about it several times.<div>


    But precisely because she had figured it out, seeing him now made her feel a sense of surrealism.


    With such warm eyes gazing at her, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but smile!


    ¡°At least you¡¯re back now! That¡¯s always a good thing.¡±


    This way, she could restore the property to its rightful owner and not worry about upying it herself.


    ¡°By the way, the ount books for the recent period are here. I¡¯ll show you, and the list of goods brought in during this time is also here, so you can¡­¡±


    Before Liu Sisi could finish speaking, arge hand suddenly appeared in front of her holding ount books, and she stopped talking.


    She stood up awkwardly from the edge of the counter, mumbling and at a loss.


    Nan Tianzong still had a pleasant expression: ¡°I¡¯ve read the ount books. It¡¯s really surprising that you¡¯re so good at managing the shop. It¡¯s truly rare!¡±


    In this era, it was rare for a woman to be literate. Skilled shopkeepers would only appear among favored legitimate children of wealthy families who were taught day and night.


    At the moment, when Nan Tianzong deliberately mentioned it, Liu Sisi paused for a moment and then let out a chuckle.


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s because you left, and I was forced to do it. Anyway, now that you¡¯re back, I¡¯ll hand the ounts over to you. I¡¯ve recorded the ounts from when you left; I think it¡¯s on the first page of the ount book¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi quickly opened the ount book, but in the next moment, she was stopped by a folding fan.


    ¡°Sisi, I didn¡¯te back this time to take over the shop.¡±


    His eyes were fixed on her, ¡°Here¡¯s the thing; I opened two more shops in the county, but I¡¯m short on funds. I¡¯d like to invite you to invest and help manage them. What do you say?¡±


    He¡¯s short on funds?


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze swept over his outfit.


    The cor and cuffs were adorned with colorful gold-threaded gilding and green silvery patterns. The cloak was decorated with tiny, evenly-sized pearls. Golden threads outlined arge and two small eagles with outstretched wings, and he wore a pair of high-top deer skin horse-riding boots. The workmanship rivaled that of high-quality boots from her time¡­


    Just by taking off this outfit and taking it to a pawnshop, it would easily be worth hundreds of taels of silver.


    ¡°Brother Nan, don¡¯t you know how much Sisi has? The funds youck are not something Sisi can provide. So, please don¡¯t bring this up again.¡±


    ¡°Ai! I, Nan Tianzong, don¡¯t reallyck silver, but Ick talented people to manage the shops!¡±


    Nan Tianzongughed like a cunning fox, ¡°How about this! Just invest in it, and I¡¯ll give you a 40-60 split on the profit. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±<div>


    So, he was just waiting here for her to jump in!


    Liu Sisi narrowed her eyes slightly, secretly calcting in her heart.


    All the money she had right now came from this shop. Even if she were to really lose this money, it was originally Nan Tianzong¡¯s.


    With that thought, she felt herself being overly cautious!


    The man in front of her had handed her the shop directly and disappeared for several months. He probably didn¡¯t care about the money in the first ce.


    ¡°What do you think? How are you considering it? If you think the 40-60 split is too little, let¡¯s go 50-50. How about that?¡±


    Nan Tianzong urged softly, seemingly mischievous.


    But in the shadows, his hands tightly held the fan, almost breaking the fan¡¯s bones.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Liu Sisi pondered for a moment, ¡°Alright! I currently only have the money on the ount books. As you said, 40-60 split, I get 40, and you get 60. If we make money, we¡¯ll both be happy. It won¡¯t matter if we lose.¡±


    Another fan hit her shoulder, ¡°That¡¯s a beating! You haven¡¯t even started yet, but you¡¯re already talking about losing. Who does business like this?¡±


    Liu Sisi immediately shrank her shoulders, forgetting that mentioning losses was taboo for businessmen.


    He casually took out an abacus from his pocket and clicked on it.


    ¡°Alright! You have 387 taels of silver on the ount, minus the costs and expenses along with the 125 taels for Di Cheng, is 232 taels of silver remaining. You keep the 32 taels for spending, and the rest of the 200 taels of silver you give me as capital.¡±


    Watching the slender fingers constantly moving on the abacus, Liu Sisi felt as if she had fallen into a trap.


    But can she go back on her word now?


    Without waiting for her to figure it out, the man had quickly crossed out 200 taels of silver from the ount.


    Only then did he look up at her, smiling like arge fox wagging its tail, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s discuss what we should sell at the new shop.¡±


    Liu Sisi: ¡°¡­.¡±


    Until she left the bookstore, Liu Sisi¡¯s head was still a bit dizzy.


    Looking back at the shop, she sighed deeply. It was just going to the county every five days¡­


    Calm down! Liu Sisi must calm down!


    At least now, Di Cheng doesn¡¯t have to leave the bookstore, which could be considered a blessing in disguise.

 Chapter 264: 262: Shy Di Cheng, Rascal Bullies at the Door

    Chapter 264: 262: Shy Di Cheng, Rascal Bullies at the Door<div>


    In the following days, Nan Tianzong barely showed up at the shop.


    Because of Nan Tianzong¡¯s return, Di Cheng, who was working for Liu Sisi, became his assistant.


    However, Nan Tianzong divided the shop¡¯s profits into ten parts, with Liu Sisi and Di Cheng each getting thirty percent, and Nan Tianzong getting forty percent.<div>


    With Di Cheng getting thirty percent for hisbor, he became even more motivated.


    It was just that when the honest and simple Di Cheng came to Liu Sisi with red cheeks, Liu Sisi was still a bit startled.


    ¡°Third Aunt! I, I want to¡­ Can you not tell my parents about this?¡±


    It was not difficult to see that it took courage for Di Cheng to say this.


    Indeed, the environment can change a person!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Third Aunt hasn¡¯t be a gossip yet. However, you have to hide it well. In a year or two, you¡¯ll have some assets, and you can find someone you like to marry. The two of you can live a good life and have a few big fat boys.¡±


    ¡°Th-Third Aunt, I-I-I¡­¡±


    Di Cheng was at a loss, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°Alright, alright, you go and get busy. I will go to the Gan Mansion. Also, has Gan Miaoruo been to the shop recently?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked as she tidied up the ount books.


    ¡°Miss Gan came yesterday, but she happened to bump into Zhang Shixin visiting. Miss of Gan Family threw him out without a second word. Besides, recently, some rascals have beening to the shop to make trouble. I¡¯ve chased them away several times, and once there was Third Uncle who happened to see them. Third Uncle just stood in front and those rascals ran away!¡±<div>


    Speaking of this, Di Cheng seemed to be very happy: ¡°Third Aunt! You didn¡¯t see the scene that day. Third Uncle was so powerful! With just a casual swing of his arm, those rascals flew out and fell to the ground with blood in their mouths. Like a stack of Arhats, they piled up five people in front of the shop, attracting the neighbors toe and watch. It was so amazing!¡±


    Di Cheng kept gesturing, showing his inner joy.


    ¡°Many rascals havee recently?¡±


    Liu Sisi frowned with intuition.


    Since Ye Lei became a constable, she naturally learned some inside information.


    The small town was notrge, and the local rascals were divided into two groups. One group wandered around various small towns, and the leader was a man named Xing San. The other group came down from Heilong Mountain, and they usually did not take action. Once they did, they would never give up until they achieved their goal.


    Since the rascals were scared away by Ye Lei, they must have been Xing San¡¯s men, right?


    But no!


    A few days ago, Ye Lei met Xing San while bringing her along, and he even paid respects to Ye Lei. If it was his men, wouldn¡¯t it be hitting his own face?


    ¡°Well! I know about this. You go ahead and get busy. If you encounter any difficulties, remember, everythinges from being too aggressive. Be more mindful of yourself, understand?¡±


    ¡°Alright, Third Aunt, I understand.¡±<div>


    As Di Cheng bid her farewell, she stepped out of the bookstore¡¯s main entrance.


    Looking up, she saw a figure hurrying away. Although it was just for a moment, Liu Sisi clearly saw that the person had a scar on his eyebrow.


    Turning her head to check the surroundings, Liu Sisi decided to go to Grandma¡¯s noodle restaurant.


    Business at Grandma¡¯s noodle restaurant had always been good. Once she turned into the small alley, it was much warmer than the main road outside. Moreover, with the curtains Grandma had put up, it blocked several gusts of cold wind.


    Even though it was not lunchtime yet, there were still a few people eating noodles in the restaurant.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s actually Young Wifee to visit! Quicklye in and sit down. Howe you¡¯re willing toe and see Grandma today? Come and sit down. I¡¯ll cook you a bowl of ned noodles first.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly grabbed her hand: ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t worry about it. I have something to ask.¡±


    What she wanted to ask, of course, was about this man with a scar on his eyebrow!


    ¡°As for this person, I do have some impression! That¡¯s because Grandma¡¯s house is at the bottom of the narrow alley. If you go in from there, you¡¯ll reach the back door of Businessman Zhang¡¯s house. I¡¯ve seen this persone out of Businessman Zhang¡¯s back door twice.¡±


    ¡°Which Businessman Zhang¡¯s house?¡± Liu Sisi was puzzled.


    ¡°Which other Businessman Zhang could it be but Zhang Shixin the Businessman? Although he is young, he has a lot of silver in his family. His main family is actually in the county, and this Zhang Mansion in the small town is a separate residence. Inside lives his Fifth Concubine, who is said to have been brought back from the capital city in the summer, looking very beautiful and charming. Businessman Zhang treasures her very much!¡± Grandma proudly said.<div>


    It was actually him!


    He¡¯s just so fond of the original body, and yet he brought back a beautiful wife from the capital.


    It seems that the parents of the original body really loved their daughter. Otherwise, if she really married Zhang Shixin, she would have to castrate him directly, eliminating his future troubles!


    Back home, Liu Sisi was always lost in thought as she worked.


    Seeing her stop for the Nth time, Di Yelei, who was sitting across from her practicing calligraphy, couldn¡¯t stand it any longer.


    ¡°Sisi, I see you have a heavy heart. Did something happen?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was also drumming, after considering for a while, she decided it was better to tell him the matter.


    Di Yelei frowned slightly and thought for a moment: ¡°The one with a scar on his eyebrow should not be Xing San¡¯s man. Xing San¡¯s men just got into trouble the day before yesterday and were used by the victim. Unfortunately, they met a powerful victim. They¡¯ve been hiding at home recently, not daring to show their faces. So, it¡¯s mostly still rted to Heilong Mountain.¡±


    Di Yelei took a nce at Liu Sisi: ¡°Leave this matter alone. I¡¯ll ask my colleagues. We have all sorts of little news among us, it¡¯s more efficient for us to check.¡±


    These words were true!


    Liu Sisi naturally would not refuse: ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave this matter to you. But if you find out, you must tell me the result.¡±


    ¡°I know, you¡¯ve looked absent-minded all night. You¡¯ve been rubbing yellow mud for one night. What is this for?¡± Di Yelei curiously looked at the object in Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    She hid the object behind her back: ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to look. I won¡¯t tell you, humph!¡±


    At the end, she thought about it and added: ¡°If the thing I make seeds, I will naturally tell you.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I don¡¯t want to know anymore.¡±


    It must be said that after going to the governmental office, Di Yelei, whether it was because of his broadened horizons or because he learned more and more characters and understood more and more principles, was radiating a special charm at the moment, attracting Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes in a special way.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t want to know. It saves me half a day of exining. By the way, have you helped Brother Zhang ask if the office is still hiring? Can Brother Zhang also be a constable?¡±


    Liu Sisi took out the yellow mud again and continued to knead it and roll it.

 Chapter 265: 263: Clouds of Doubt, the Knife Scar Reappears

    Chapter 265: 263: Clouds of Doubt, the Knife Scar Reappears<div>


    ¡°I already mentioned it to Lord County Magistrate, but he said that it can only be done after the examination next month.¡±


    Di Yelei continued practicing with his brush-pen.


    ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t expect that you guys would also have to take an exam!¡± Liu Sisi asked in surprise.<div>


    She carefully took up a knife and cut out cubes ¨C roughly the size of a fingernail ¨C as she attempted to create a movable printing system. Whether she could seed was uncertain, but she would have to keep it a secret for now.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me the bookstore also has exams; that would make peopleugh out loud!¡±


    Di Yelei put down his brush-pen, picked up his calligraphy, looked and looked, his eyebrows knitted tightly: ¡°I feel that no matter how I write, my handwriting would never look as good as yours!¡±


    Liu Sisi stopped her hand motion and looked at him, not intending to inform him how widespread the examination system was in the future.


    ¡°Of course not! Do you think Brother Zhang could pass the exam? And, don¡¯t imitate the way I write. Didn¡¯t I give you a few pieces of calligraphy model the other day? Have you practiced them?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°You don¡¯t know Zhang Peng¡¯s skills? Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Di Yelei handed over the calligraphy models to Liu Sisi: ¡°Take a look, I copied it, isn¡¯t the typeface very bad looking?¡±


    Liu Sisi took a careful look, actually Di Yelei¡¯s handwriting couldn¡¯t be described as ugly.


    Although he was just learning how to write, his penmanship had already revealed a hint of ir. It couldn¡¯t be seen at all that such an honest and simple man could write in such a free and uninhibited style!


    She really underestimated him!


    Raising her head and looking deeply into his eyes, Liu Sisi then picked out two calligraphy models.<div>


    ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll write in these two typefaces. These two typefaces allow you to write differently at different times. Just maintain your advantage.¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but look away from the yellow mud in her hand. The more she looked at Di Yelei¡¯s writing, the more amazed she was.


    Who said that only the Eldest of Di Family had the talent for studying? It was a pity that the pearl right before their eyes was covered in dust, having spent every day with his bow and arrow, wasting his great talent for learning literature!


    ¡°Ye Lei, which do you prefer, writing or hunting?¡±


    ¡°Hunting, of course. It¡¯s free andfortable. How nice!¡± He buried his head in writing without even looking up.


    ¡°What if you have to choose between studying or being a constable?¡±


    ¡°Of course being a constable. It¡¯s good to know a few characters so I won¡¯t be blind, right? Besides, as the husband of a female tutor, I can¡¯t be illiterate!¡±


    After Di Yelei finished speaking, he raised his head and smiled at her, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.


    Liu Sisi: ¡°¡­¡±


    The man before her really deserved a beating!


    A few dayster, they indeed found news of the man with a knife scar on his eyebrow.<div>


    However, it wasn¡¯t Di Yelei who brought the news, but Liu Sisi who identally found it.


    It was a coincidence. Just entering Gan Mansion, Liu Sisi suddenly remembered that she had promised Gan Miaoruo yesterday to bring some calligraphy models, but she forgot. She then hurried out of Gan Mansion to fetch them.


    As she turned around the corner, she saw Zhang Shixin, with a young woman in his arms,ing from the other end of the street. She quickly hid to one side.


    The woman was indeed beautiful, and beyond her beauty, she radiated an air of arrogance!


    The arrogance between her eyebrows gave her beauty a thrilling touch. It had to be said that Zhang Shixin, although immoral, had a good-looking face.


    Such an arrogant woman had even condescended to be a fifth concubine ¨C truly impressive!


    They acted like they were the only ones around, affectionately kissing all the way to a tea house nearby. Soon, their figures appeared by the window on the second floor.


    Seeing that there was nothing to watch, Liu Sisi turned to leave, only to see another person appear by the window, whispering something in Zhang Shixin¡¯s ear.


    This man was none other than the one who¡¯d been monitoring her around the bookstore and had a knife scar between his eyebrows!


    Liu Sisi had a sudden thought ¨C was it possible that the man with the scar was actually Zhang Shixin¡¯s subordinate?


    The man with the scar said something, and Zhang Shixin nodded without hesitation, saying something in return.<div>


    The woman in his arms shook off his hand impatiently, said something angrily, but as her back was facing Liu Sisi, and the distance was quite far, she couldn¡¯t hear what the two were talking about.


    After a moment, Zhang Shixin pulled her back into his arms and coaxed her for a while, finally making her smile again.


    But then, Liu Sisi saw Zhang Shixin take out some silver and put it in the hand of the man with the scar. He bowed and left after receiving the silver.


    After witnessing this scene, Liu Sisi cautiously retreated two steps, turned around, and left.


    She almost bumped into someone¡¯s arms!


    ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t you make any noise while walking?¡±


    She was startled and quickly looked up, only to see a familiar face.


    He didn¡¯t say anything and just dragged her away, not stopping until they reached a corner.


    ¡°Speak up! How did you end up tailing Zhang Shixin? How did you appear there? Don¡¯t tell me you still have feelings for him?¡±


    The person was Di Yelei, who was looking at her with crossed arms and a suspicious expression.


    ¡°Pfft! I¡¯d have to be crazy to have feelings for him!¡±


    Liu Sisi sneered, ¡°The proud and beautiful woman caught my eye, and I was curious about how she would marry that bastard Zhang Shixin and be his Fifth Concubine. So, I watched them for a little while longer and happened to see the man with the scarred face. Oh? By the way, didn¡¯t you say you had something to do? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I followed the man with the scar here, and when I arrived, I saw you lurking around.¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t say much, and just turned and walked away.


    ¡°What do you mean lurking? I wasn¡¯t doing anything!¡±


    Liu Sisi protested and followed him. But upon thinking about it, she felt like she really had been lurking around.


    ¡°Is there anything you found? Tell me, tell me quickly,e on!¡±


    ¡°What else could it be? Let¡¯s go back to the bookstore and talk about it!¡±


    Di Yelei said and quickly walked back to the bookstore, pulling Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    There were a few customers in the bookstore, and Di Cheng was busy attending to them. Di Yelei greeted him, then pulled Liu Sisi into the inner room.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t it just Zhang Shixin ordering the man with the scar to spy on us at the bookstore? What¡¯s so strange about that? Look at you, acting like you¡¯re facing a formidable enemy.¡± Liu Sisi shook off his hand, not understanding his concern, and massaged her sore wrist.


    ¡°If it was that simple, it would be good!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was full of worry, and he seemed quite agitated.


    Their exchange further piqued Liu Sisi¡¯s curiosity as she asked impatiently, ¡°What is going on? You¡­I¡¯m really anxious! When did you, a big man, learn to hesitate like this? Just tell me what¡¯s going on!¡±

 Chapter 266: 264: The Couple Goes to Visit the Sick, Ruo Ning Who Was Wronged?

    Chapter 266: 264: The Couple Goes to Visit the Sick, Ruo Ning Who Was Wronged?<div>


    ¡°What else could it be? We followed the trail and discovered that the person connected with Scarface is the same one who tried to assassinate us on Heilong Mountainst time!¡±


    Di Yelei stomped his feet with a bit of irritation.


    Liu Sisi was very surprised!<div>


    ¡°How is that possible? Didn¡¯t they sayst time, the person who hired the killers was Ruoning? This¡­ but she admitted it herself!¡±


    ¡°I remember that too. However, didn¡¯t Ruoning say at first that she only hired a rascal to deal with you? But strangely, several more people showed up in the end.¡±


    A troubled-looking Di Yelei responded, ¡°Although Ruoning has a bad temper, she seldom lies! It seems I need to find some time to pay a visit to the Yuan family.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly felt the situation was bingplicated.


    ¡°Exactly! Perhaps what Ruoning said initially was the truth! The thug she sent to deal with you was just one person. As for who sent the other five, it¡¯s really unclear.¡±


    Di Yelei spoke pointedly, while exchanging nces with Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Wait a minute! Wait a minute! You¡¯re saying that the five men in ck who died were not the rascal that my little sister sent, which means there was actually another eyewitness hiding at the scene. And that witness, the rascal sent by my little sister, is actually still alive?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Once we find this person, we should be able to ascertain whether or not Little Sister really wanted to harm you¡­¡±


    Di Yelei spoke, then left his sentence hanging.


    Liu Sisi understood!<div>


    Di Ruoning had made a mess, Di Yelei might not be expressing it, but deep down he must still be feeling somewhat guilty. Even though she had nearly killed him.


    However, if Ruoning only sent one thug, then that means ¡°Little Sister¡± is also an innocent scapegoat in this whole affair. The real suspect is still atrge!


    ¡°The reward shared by the men in ckst time, was 100 taels of silver given to me by those constables. I didn¡¯t take a penny of it, and donated the whole 100 taels to the vige school instead. It had been years since theyst renovated, so it was about time.¡±


    Hearing all that Di Yelei said, Liu Sisi was also feeling overwhelmed.


    ¡°Why not just do it now instead of picking another day? Why don¡¯t we go to little sister¡¯s house today?¡±


    Di Yelei, obviously in a hurry, nodded immediately upon hearing this, ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll ride horses.¡±


    Both of them quickly bought two gifts from the street and headed straight for South Mountain Vige on horseback.


    South Mountain Vige neighbors Liu Sisi¡¯s maternal hometown, Liu Family¡¯s Mansion, and it¡¯s very close to the county. They both arrived at South Mountain vige after noontime.


    The terrain of South Mountain Vige is markedly more level than the Upper Vige, nestled in a hollow of a hill. The two rode straight to the front door of the Yuan Family¡¯s residence before dismounting.


    The sons of Yuan Mengbai who came to answer the door and their motherter showed a reluctance to see the visitors. Fortunately, Di Yelei, d in the uniform of a constable, couldn¡¯t be easily dismissed. The two, who were perturbed by the unfolding situation, did not take offense.


    When Yuan Mengbai came out to greet them, he was obviously just awakened from his nap. Considering the sporadic snowfall outside, barely anyone would want to step out unless it was urgent.<div>


    ¡°So it¡¯s Third Brother and Third Sister-inw gracing us with your presence. Wee.¡±


    Yuan Mengbai quickly greeted them with a fist salute.


    ¡°Meng Bai, I am here to see Little Sister.¡±


    Di Yelei had no inclination to dally with him.


    Upon seeing Di Ruoning again, Liu Sisis could barely recognize her.


    The once youthful Di Ruoning now looked emaciated. Her lively eyes were dull, staring vacantly at some point in space, and the only thing she kept muttering was one sentence.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him! I didn¡¯t harm him, I didn¡¯t hurt him! I didn¡¯t kill him, I didn¡¯t harm him, I didn¡¯t hurt him¡­.¡±


    She kept repeating again and again.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Ruoning, Ruoning, do you recognize me? I¡¯m your Third Brother, I came to see you! Ruoning¡­..¡±


    After calling out several times, Di Yelei was unable to get a response, so he stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders.


    To his surprise, that slight touch caused Di Ruoning to suddenly change, bing agitated.<div>


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him, don¡¯t catch me! Don¡¯t catch me! Help ¡ª Third Brother save me! Help! Third Brother save me¡ªsave me¡­.¡±


    When the three of them left the room, they could still hear the mad shouts from inside.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was full of scratches and he was clearly struggling to process the situation at hand.


    Seeing Di Yelei still immersed in sorrow, Liu Sisi sighed and asked, ¡°Brother-inw, during the time when Ruoning was still conscious, did anyonee looking for her?¡±


    ¡°Looking for her? Third Sister-inw what¡­what do you mean by that? Ruoning is not the kind of woman who would betray her marital vows. Although she is insane now, you can¡¯t just make unfounded usations and wrongly use her! You would ruin her reputation!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was at a loss for words. How was she supposed to exin that she was asking something else?


    It was Di Yelei who spoke up, ¡°Your Third Sister-inw means, someone identified that there was another person on the trail of the mountain apart from the five who died.¡±


    Yuan Mengbai¡¯s face was full of sorrow, he wiped his face, ¡°I know. It was the people who came after you two, right? I heard about it.¡±


    ¡°No, not him. I¡¯m talking about someone else, there wasn¡¯t five of them, there were six. As for the people who came after uster, they were different people. Truly, didn¡¯t anyonee to im the rest of the payment?¡±


    Di Yelei squinted his eyes slightly, carefully observing Yuan Mengbai¡¯s expression.


    Yuan Mengbai seemed to have a moment of panic, but in the blink of an eye, he was once again calm.


    Although it was only for a moment, it was still caught by Liu Sisi.


    ¡°So there was one more who escaped the? You, what do you mean by¡­by this? Are you worried that these people wille looking for Ruoning?¡±


    Di Yelei nodded, ¡°Exactly, can you recall if anyone came to contact Ruoning?¡±


    ¡°Well, I really didn¡¯t notice. As you know, I¡­ I¡¯ve been busy taking care of Ruoning all day, I really don¡¯t have the free time to pay attention to the rest.¡±


    Yuan Mengbai said calmly.

 Chapter 267: 265: Concern Leads to Chaos, A Dangerous Situation

    Chapter 267: 265: Concern Leads to Chaos, A Dangerous Situation<div>


    The conversation between the two and Yuan Mengbai finally came to an end without any conclusion.


    Coming out from the inner room, Di Yelei could not hold back the urge to take out 5 taels of silver from his pocket and handed it to Yuan Mengbai after seeing the three children withering in the cold wind in the courtyard.


    ¡°A sick person needs care, but children need it more. They¡¯re still wearing singleyered clothes in such cold weather. Aren¡¯t you the father who¡¯s worried about them? Take the money and remember to buy everybody a cotton-padded garment.¡±<div>


    Having said that, Di Yelei turned around and strode out of the main entrance.


    Liu Sisi followed behind him, clearly seeing Yuan Mengbai¡¯s hand holding the silver trembling, his face twisted with bitterness.


    Her heart suddenly tightened, and then she immediately followed Di Yelei¡¯s footsteps.


    ¡°Third Brother, Third Sister-inw, Meng Bai is useless, having to rely on you to provide silver money. I¡¯m really¡­really¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say more. Just take it! Remember to take good care of Little Sister. Also, regarding what I asked you earlier, be mindful. If anyone contacts you, remember to tell me immediately. Don¡¯t forget.¡±


    Di Yelei helped Liu Sisi onto the horse¡¯s back.


    Liu Sisi turned her head, her eyes met with Yuan Mengbai¡¯s, his face was full of grief, as if the twisted expression she had seen earlier was just an illusion.


    ¡°Third Brother, Third Sister-inw, take care on your journey!¡±


    Yuan Mengbai waved, full of gratitude.


    By the time they left the vige entrance, neither of them was able to rx.


    ¡°Ye Lei, just now, my brother-inw¡¯s face looked so¡­twisted¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Sigh! He just can¡¯t let go of his pride. What can¡¯t he let go of when it¡¯s alreadye to this?¡±


    Di Yelei said indifferently, his voice carrying the mncholy of having seen through the world.


    ¡°Ye Lei, do you think that person has ever looked for Little Sister, and has he seen the entire process of the crime happening?¡± Liu Sisi leaned back into Di Yelei¡¯s arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the truth is not that simple!¡±


    Di Yelei thought of the news he had heard from his colleagues. The situation with the bandits on Heilong Mountain was deep, and even the government did not dare to mess with them casually.


    He looked up and took a good look around: ¡°I heard that South Mountain Vige and Liu Family Mansion are quite close. Since we¡¯re already here, why don¡¯t we go and see where your family¡¯s home is?¡±


    ¡°No need!¡±


    Liu Sisi obediently nodded and then shook her head: ¡°Just take a look from afar like this. I don¡¯t want to go inside, nor do I want any more involvement with these people.¡±


    From her marriage until now, not a single family member hade to see her. This showed how faint their affection was.


    No matter what, she had seized someone else¡¯s daughter¡¯s body, and the affection with her bloodline had made Liu Sisi want to take a look.


    ¡°Alright then! Let¡¯s go.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei gently kicked the horse¡¯s belly, and the horse leisurely moved forward.


    ¡°Actually, no matter how you put it, Little Sister sent someone to make trouble for you. We can¡¯t really say that we wronged her.¡±


    She understood the obstacle in his heart that he couldn¡¯t get past!


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Di Yelei stayed silent for a while, then let out a long sigh. After climbing up the cliff, he pointed to arge courtyard below and showed it to Liu Sisi, ¡°Look! That¡¯s Liu Family Mansion.¡±


    The densely packed houses were hidden among clusters of trees, and because of the recent light snow, everything waspletely white.


    The entire Liu Family¡¯s Mansion quietly stood there, without a hint of liveliness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Liu Sisi snuggled in his arms, suddenly losing the interest to continue investigating.


    By the time the two returned home, no one had spoken.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t know what to say, and Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know what was appropriate to say.<div>


    ¡°In the future, remember never to be too far away from me. I will protect you every step of the way.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s serious words came from behind: ¡°I¡¯m afraid these bandits won¡¯t give up easily and will continue to haunt us. I¡¯m also not at ease with Zhang Shixin and the figure loitering around the bookstore all day.¡±


    Liu Sisi was somewhat speechless: ¡°Oh! So you mean, Zhang Shixinmissioned the people from Heilong Mountain to assassinate me? And the mountain has only sent the scarred face man?¡±


    Looking at Liu Sisi¡¯s confused face, Di Yelei was both annoyed and amused: ¡°It seems you haven¡¯t figured it out! The problem is that once the people on Heilong Mountain take on a task, they never give up! This is no joke! In the past, it didn¡¯t matter, as long as I was with you every step of the way. But now, with the constant trips to the governmental office¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worried they¡¯ll take action when I¡¯m alone?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Ye Lei! I think you¡¯re just worried. If the people on the mountain were assigned to assassinate me, they would have had plenty of opportunities to take action. But since they haven¡¯t, it means their task is not assassination. Since it¡¯s not about taking my life but rather monitoring, we can take our time.¡±


    Di Yelei stared intently into Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes for quite a while, not blinking.


    After a while, his momentum deted, and he had to admit that Liu Sisi¡¯s reasoning was likely correct.


    ¡°I know, but Sisi, I¡­ I dare not gamble!¡±


    Di Yelei slumped down.


    That¡¯s right, this involved Sisi¡¯s safety. He wasn¡¯t worried about defeating those people, even if it cost him his life, he would definitely ensure Sisi¡¯s safety!


    What he worried about was not being able to protect Sisi by her side at all times, giving the enemy an opportunity.


    With that thought, he jumped up from the ground: ¡°No! I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯ll quit my constable job and protect you every step of the way. I can¡¯t bear to watch you put yourself in danger!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not running a fever, are you?¡±


    Liu Sisi rolled her eyes: ¡°Danger is everywhere in life. Some people choke to death on a bite of food. Some people get choked to death by a sip of water. Some people copse and die for no reason while walking. Some people sleep well and never wake up again. ording to your logic, you¡¯re trying to keep me safe by not letting me eat, walk, or sleep, right?¡±


    Di Yelei took a moment to think, then solemnly nodded: ¡°You¡¯re right! This matter is indeed dangerous.¡±


    Liu Sisi felt relieved that he wasn¡¯t a blockhead after all.


    ¡°So! Since it¡¯s so dangerous, what¡¯s the difference in adding one more danger?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was serious: ¡°Nonsense! I must stay with you every step of the way, whether you eat, drink, walk, or sleep, only then will you be safe.¡±


    Liu Sisi was dumbfounded, finding out for the first time that the man in front of her was beyond saving!


    For the next few days, Zhang Shixin appeared twice, and Liu Sisi didn¡¯t hesitate to drive him away both times.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Winter Solstice was getting closer, and Zhang Yun and YingEr¡¯s engagement ceremony was imminent.


    Guihua and Liu Sisi discussed it, and before daybreak, a group of seven people boarded a carriage from Sixth of Carriage Shop and headed straight for the county. By the time they arrived, the sky was already bright!

 Chapter 268: 266: Buying Jewelry, YingEr Gets into Trouble

    Chapter 268: 266: Buying Jewelry, YingEr Gets into Trouble<div>


    After dismounting the carriage, everyone was cold and hungry, so they casually found a small restaurant on the side of the street and ate their fill.


    ¡°I remember that the Silver Pavilion is on East Street. Let¡¯s head there and check it out.¡±


    Di Yelei pointed east.<div>


    The Silver Pavilion on East Street was huge and the shop was both luxurious and grand.


    The waiter at the entrance wasn¡¯t pretentious and weed them in politely.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, Sisi is young and doesn¡¯t know any better. You¡¯ll have to guide us through what we¡¯ll need for this¡­ engagement, and how to prepare for it. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing if something goes wrong when the timees.¡± Liu Sisi held YingEr¡¯s hand on one side and Guihua¡¯s hand on the other. She quickly walked over to the counter to examine the items.


    ¡°No need to bother with these conventions. Let¡¯s just pick something to adorn ourselves and dress up our YingEr properly. We¡¯ll buy some red cloth to hang up and then take the couple¡¯s birthdate information for a match. Lastly, we¡¯ll submit it to the government office for official record.¡±


    While saying this, Guihua carefully inspected the silver ornaments in the disy case.


    YingEr¡¯s mother had passed away early, and from the age of one, Guihua had raised her for most of the time, treating her like her own daughter. Having YingEr get engaged to Zhang Yun earlier made her feel relieved.


    ¡°Does the engagement need to be filed at the government office?¡± Liu Sisi was surprised to hear this.


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary to file it, but doing so can save some money. However, if a suitable marriage age is reached and there is no record of the engagement at the government office, the family will be reported, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see!¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded in understanding and pointed at one item, ¡°Sister Guihua, what do you think of this one?¡±


    Guihua took a look and immediately rejected it, ¡°No good! It¡¯s so small that it won¡¯t even be visible when it¡¯s tucked in the hair.¡±<div>


    Isn¡¯t this already small?


    Liu Sisi looked again and again, swallowing her reply. If it were any bigger, it would look vulgar on the head, right? A lump of shiny silver piled on the head¡­


    Well, maybe her taste doesn¡¯t match the aesthetics of the people here.


    Considering that it¡¯s only for an auspicious day, Liu Sisi gritted her teeth!


    It¡¯s just for one day, so might as well go all out!


    While the pair tried to choose carefully, they couldn¡¯t find anything that satisfied their hearts.


    ¡°Guihua, youe over here and see.¡± Zhang Peng called the two over.


    Liu Sisi looked back to see that Di Yelei and Zhang Peng were at another counter, where the items disyed were golden ornaments, a whole level higher in quality than their current selection.


    Zhang Yun and Di Xuan also stood to their left and right, while only YingEr seemed to be running around like a wild mule.


    ¡°How is it? Did you find something you like?¡±


    Di Yelei asked casually.<div>


    Liu Sisi shook her head in disappointment. She had wanted to casually pick a couple of items for temporary use, but she couldn¡¯t find one that she liked.


    ¡°Take a look at this side, are there any you like?¡± Di Yelei pointed at the golden ornaments.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­too expensive?¡± Liu Sisi asked hesitantly.


    Although she didn¡¯t know the price difference between gold and silver here, she assumed it wouldn¡¯t be cheap.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be buying these jewelry often. If you buy them now, you can save them for our daughter¡¯s dowry in the future. It¡¯s better than having to purchase them temporarily.¡± Di Yelei spoke softly.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why not call YingEr over and ask what she likes before we buy?¡± As she spoke, she hurriedly turned around to call YingEr.


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡±


    Di Yelei stopped halfway through his sentence.


    He could see that Sisi truly treated YingEr as her own daughter.


    However, because of that, he was even more worried.


    He once thought that whether or not he had a child didn¡¯t matter, but now his mind had changed.<div>


    He wanted a child, a girl who looked like her or a boy who looked like him, a continuation of their lives.


    It seemed that Sisi had no intention of having a child belonging to him and her. He saw it in her eyes and it worried him! However, he couldn¡¯t express it in words.


    At the moment, what he was talking about was originally a child of her and him, but she mistakenly thought he meant YingEr, which made him feel bitter.


    ¡°It¡¯s here! It¡¯s here! Mom! Ah¡ª¡ª¡±


    The startled cry of YingEr suddenly rang out, frightening everyone. They hurriedly rushed towards the direction the sound came from.


    ¡°Where did this wild childe from? Charging recklessly, if you bumped into our Prefecture Princess, can you afford it? Prefecture Princess, are you all right?¡±


    A panicking and ttering voice came.


    ¡°Uh, it hurts¡­¡± a stifling voice came.


    When Liu Sisi and the others ran over, they saw the scene right before their eyes.


    A fierce maid was protecting her master who was tightly clutching her stomach behind her. With a forceful shove, she pushed YingEr to the ground.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As for YingEr, she looked like she was on the verge of tears, sitting on the side, dumbfounded and motionless.


    ¡°Prefecture Princess, please don¡¯t scare this ve. If something happens to you, what should this ve do?¡± the maid¡¯s high-pitched voice rang out again.


    ¡°YingEr! How are you?¡±


    Liu Sisi eximed in shock, hurriedly stepping forward to help YingEr up from the ground.


    ¡°Mom! Wuuwuu¡ª¡ª¡±


    YingEr turned and threw herself into Liu Sisi¡¯s embrace, clearly scared by the fierce maid in front of her!


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry! Let Mom see, how is our YingEr? You¡¯re all right, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedlyforted her, gently patting her back.


    ¡°Mom¡­ YingEr is fine¡­¡± YingEr sobbed and cried.


    On the other side, the maid¡¯s arrogant voice kepting, her sharp words piercing and painful to the ears.


    The noisy sounds made YingEr burrow further into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms.


    Next to them, Di Yelei was arguing with the maid: ¡°What do you mean, ¡®worth a fortune¡¯? How much could a child¡¯s idental bump hurt? You¡¯re actually seekingpensation. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going too far?¡±


    ¡°Lan¡¯er! Shut up!¡±


    The woman who had been hit seemed to have eased a little, and her melodious, clear voice immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    Her hair was styled in a cloud bun, adorned with small beads of various colors, and a peacock-shaped ornament in the middle, dazzling everyone¡¯s eyes with its radiant colors.


    With a jade-like melon-seed face, she truly met the aesthetic standards of the time.


    She was wearing a lc silk robe with a cloud pattern on the outside, a white butterfly-patterned shirt inside, a brocade red flower breastte underneath, a double-fish-patterned rose ornament at her waist, a jadeite-sprinkled skirt underneath, and a pair of red embroidered shoes with golden butterflies, revealing a small toe cap.


    At the moment, her ten slender fingers were holding a coral tree slightlyrger than her palm, standing gracefully in front of everyone.


    Surrounding colors quickly faded, and everyone¡¯s eyes were left with this prestigious-looking girl.


    The girl¡¯s eyes swept over everyone as her gaze flickered with disdain. She parted her red lips.


    ¡°These uncivilized barbarians, why are you arguing with them? p her!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    The girl in the text is yed by book friend Luo Thirteen.

 Chapter 269: 267: Egg Collides with Stone

    Chapter 269: 267: Egg Collides with Stone<div>


    That maid turned around, her face quickly showing a ttering expression, and pped herself twice in a row.


    ¡°Yes! Yes! Prefecture Princess, it is Lan¡¯er¡¯s fault, Lan¡¯er deserves to die! pping the mouth, pping the mouth!¡±


    The young girl looked up in the direction of Liu Sisi, only to meet a pair of calm and rippleless eyes, and was immediately slightly taken aback.<div>


    Liu Sisi slowly stood up from the ground, giving a slight bow, ¡°I am truly sorry, Miss. I have rudely offended you. I hope you can forgive me for the sake of my young age, and not stoop to a child¡¯s level.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you saying that I, the Prefecture Princess, should not stoop to a child¡¯s level with your words just now?¡±


    The young girl smiled lightly, turned around, and took two slow steps towards Liu Sisi.


    She looked Liu Sisi up and down, and then nodded her head imperceptibly.


    ¡°Not humble, not arrogant, really unexpected! Even amon countryside woman from Macheng County has such a bold spirit. It seems that I have underestimated the people.¡±


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯re being too serious. It is a mother¡¯s nature to protect her child. YingEr made a mistake, and it is only right for me, her mother, to apologize on her behalf.¡±


    Liu Sisi raised her head and calmly faced the young girl in front of her, but deep in her eyes, there was hidden contempt.


    A servant¡¯s attitude reflects their master¡¯s! To have such a troublesome servant by her side, it seems that the master of this troublesome servant is no better!


    ¡°What a phrase ¨C the mother¡¯s nature to protect her child!¡±


    The young girl seemed to think of something, her eyes suddenly darkened, and the glitter in her eyes dimmed a lot. But in the blink of an eye, she regained her calm.


    ¡°Fine, I ept your apology. Little sister, you do have a good mother!¡±<div>


    She wore a thin smile on her face, but YingEr was frightened and kept burrowing into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s gettingte. If we¡¯re anyter, the Young Master will be impatient.¡±


    The maid named Lan¡¯er gently reminded her.


    ¡°Right! Let¡¯s go, elder brother Zong is waiting for us.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s voice sounded like a singing warbler and she moved gracefully towards the corner of the staircase.


    All eyes were focused on her, and as her expressions changed, she drew the attention of countless people.


    ¡°Yes! Prefecture Princess!¡±


    The maid Lan¡¯er quickly bowed.


    ¡°These bumpkins have never seen the world! If you were in the capital city, you wouldn¡¯t even kneel before the Prefecture Princess, but be directly beaten to death without anyone daring to say a word! You¡¯re still jabbering here. It is only because our Prefecture Princess is magnanimous, otherwise you would suffer if it had been another Prefecture Princess of another household!¡±


    Lan¡¯er was obviously still unhappy, ¡°Today, I will spare you for the sake of my master. If you fall into our hands again next time, don¡¯t me us for being rude! Humph! Get lost, bumpkin!¡± She left a string of words and hurriedly followed her master who was ahead.


    ¡°Wait! I say, Miss, do you think you can just leave like this?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Liu Sisi suddenly called out.


    The young girl, who had already stepped onto the staircase, slowly turned her head and looked towards Liu Sisi¡¯s location.


    The young girl raised one eyebrow.


    ¡°Were you just calling me?¡± Lan¡¯er pointed at herself in surprise.


    ¡°Yes, I was calling you!¡±


    Liu Sisi stepped forward with her head raised, looking at the pair of master and servant on the stairs, ¡°Just now YingEr identally bumped into you, and I apologized on her behalf, which was only right. However, your maid pushed my four-year-old child to the ground, scaring her. Doesn¡¯t she need to apologize to my child?¡± Protecting her calf is the nature of a mother, and at this moment, she stands up even knowing that she is a chicken egg trying to hit a stone.


    ¡°You want me to apologize to you? What do you think you are?¡± Lan¡¯er was furious!


    ¡°So you admit you are something! I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t see that earlier.¡± Since she didn¡¯t want to save face, I will indulge her.


    Liu Sisi spoke lightly: ¡°Miss Lan¡¯er, if your Prefecture Princess were to be charged with the crime of letting her servantmit violence, you would not be able to escape death.¡±


    ¡°You!¡­¡± Lan¡¯er was furious!


    However, the young girl lightly coughed and deeply nced at Liu Sisi: ¡°Lan¡¯er! Go and apologize.¡±<div>


    Lan¡¯er¡¯s anger had not yet been vented, so she gritted her teeth and red at Liu Sisi, wishing she could eat her alive.


    But the young girl kept staring at her, forcing her to reluctantly step forward and bow awkwardly to YingEr before hastily finishing.


    ¡°Hmph! Just you wait!¡±


    As she got up, she whispered threateningly.


    Liu Sisi gave a light smile!


    A little maid who was so overbearing, indeed the house servants of a prince, were truly extraordinary!


    It was only when the two disappeared up the stairs that everyone rxed and began whispering to each other.


    ¡°YingEr, don¡¯t cry, okay?¡±


    Liu Sisi patted YingEr¡¯s head, feeling particrly disgusted by such high-handed behavior.


    ¡°My goodness! What kind of people are these? The child just bumped into her, is it really such a big deal? They even wanted to beat and kill, that¡¯s too much!¡±


    Guihua couldn¡¯t help butin, taking YingEr into her arms: ¡°Come to Auntie, let me see if you¡¯re hurt.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, YingEr is not hurt, wuhu¡­¡±


    YingEr buried her head in Guihua¡¯s arms, shaking her head continuously and clutching her tightly.


    ¡°She should be fine, just a little scared.¡±


    Zhang Peng nearby also leaned in.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing! Let¡¯s choose some silver ornaments first and then leave.¡± Di Yelei¡¯s eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and encountering such a thing was truly disappointing.


    ¡°Gentlemen, I¡¯m really sorry. My shop is small, and I¡¯m afraid we cannot keep you here any longer.¡± A man resembling a shopkeeper squeezed his way to the front of the group, bowing continuously.


    Everyone was taken aback, they exchanged nces for a moment, and Di Yelei asked in a deep voice: ¡°What do you mean by that, shopkeeper?¡±


    The shopkeeper wore a bitter look: ¡°You might not know, thedy just now is Prince Luo¡¯s daughter. Prince Luo has made great contributions and is one of the few alien kings in our Zhao Country. His daughter is not someone I, a mere shopkeeper, can afford to offend¡­¡±


    The shopkeeper wore a mournful face, continuously bowing and paying respects.


    The group was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Why? They came to buy things, we also came to buy things! Why should we leave? Is there such a thing as pushing customers out?¡± Guihua obviously didn¡¯t want to leave.


    ¡°Gentlemen! Gentlemen. How about this? There are several better silver shops nearby. Aspensation for your loss, our small shop will give you a set of golden ornaments as an apology. This humble one thanks you!¡±


    Liu Sisi nced upstairs: ¡°It¡¯s not the shopkeeper¡¯s fault. You don¡¯t need to take risks for the sake of a few unrted people. There¡¯s always a ce for people to stay. Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll switch to another silver shop!¡±


    After Liu Sisi finished speaking, she took Guihua¡¯s hand and headed towards the main entrance.


    The group gave a cold snort in unison and filed out.


    The shopkeeper hurriedly followed, clearly not intending to stop until the group had left the main entrance. ¡°Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Please be more understanding, this humble one is also trying to make a living for his family. It¡¯s truly ast resort! These golden ornaments¡­¡± The waiter beside him was still holding a te of golden ornaments.


    ¡°Keep them for the next person who makes trouble!¡±


    Without looking back, everyone left the Silver Pavilion.

 Chapter 270: 268: Shopping and Resting, Enemies on a Narrow Road

    Chapter 270: 268: Shopping and Resting, Enemies on a Narrow Road<div>


    The grey sky outside seemed to indicate that snow wasing, reflecting the mood of everyone at the moment.


    ¡°What a broken pavilion! Favouring the rich and despising the poor! I won¡¯te to this Silver Pavilion again.¡± Guihua was obviously angry.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s notin.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei said somberly, his brows furrowed, ¡°If the shopkeeper and that maid were telling the truth, and she really is Prince Luo¡¯s Prefecture Princess Thirteenth Luo, offending a Prefecture Princess is a capital offense. Our being able to leave the Silver Pavilion unharmed is really a lucky escape.¡± Everyone gasped.


    ¡°Is it really a capital offense? Is¡­this a joke?¡±


    Liu Sisi found it hard to ept: ¡°It was just an idental collision with her, and yet it¡¯s a matter of life and death. Is there anyw in this world?¡±


    Di Yelei sneered, ¡°Law? Who made thews? So, naturally, thews are biased.¡±


    ¡°Hush! Don¡¯t talk about it! Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t block the entrance and affect others.¡± Zhang Peng urged the others.


    This was not something that could be spoken lightly!


    They were right at the main entrance of the Silver Pavilion, and their presence was indeed obstructing.


    The incident just now had dampened everyone¡¯s spirits.


    They went to another Silver Pavilion and picked a few silver ornaments randomly, then went to a garment shop to buy suitable red cloth and other fabrics. Everyone looked like they were wilted eggnts, listless and dispirited.


    Seeing that it was gettingte, Liu Sisi looked up at a nearby wine-house and suggested.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and the weather is getting colder. How about we go to the wine-house for some food before heading back?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi¡¯s suggestion naturally received unanimous approval from everyone.


    ¡°Indeed, especially these three children, who have beenining about being hungry. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The group then headed towards the wine-house.


    At the moment, it was noontime, and the first-floor hall was packed with people.


    A sharp-eyed waiter quickly came up: ¡°There are seats on the second floor. Please, upstairs!¡±


    Following the waiter¡¯s loud announcement, the group went upstairs behind him and found an empty table in a corner to sit down.


    Since they were all familiar with each other, there was no need for formality. They casually ordered a few simple dishes, and when the food arrived, everyone started eating. For a while, the sound of clinking tes and utensils filled the air.


    Zhang Peng put down his bowl after he was full, and said with satisfaction, ¡°The big wine-house in the county is indeed extraordinary, even the ordinary dishes taste different.¡±


    His jest did not garner agreement from the others. Most of them were silently swallowing their food, without anyone talking.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did everyone suddenly stop talking?¡± Zhang Peng asked curiously.


    ¡°What to say? There¡¯s nothing good to say. Everyone¡¯s eating. Eat, let¡¯s talk after we¡¯re full!¡± Di Yelei urged everyone from the side.<div>


    Liu Sisi took the opportunity to raise her head and look at everyone, then quietly continued eating.


    In fact, she understood what everyone was thinking at the moment. Perhaps, they were still worried that the Prefecture Princess would take revenge?


    ¡°No need to worry. Since she is a Prefecture Princess, if she didn¡¯t react on the spot, it means she won¡¯te at us openly. Even if she wants to make things difficult for us, she will definitely send her maids to deal with us, not use her power to oppress. You can rx!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Sisi, hearing you say that, my heart has finally calmed down.¡±


    Beside her, Guihua patted her chest and put down her chopsticks, finally showing a joyful expression on her face, ¡°Sisi, how did you know she wouldn¡¯t take action herself? Tell us!¡±


    ¡°Quite simple, because in the eyes of wealthy and influential people, reputation is far more important than anything else. That¡¯s why she won¡¯t take action,¡± Liu Sisi also put down her bamboo chopsticks.


    Everyone naturally understood who she was referring to.


    ¡°It¡¯s great that she won¡¯t take action! I haven¡¯t had a good time shopping this whole morning. Once we go outter, we have to buy some items properly,¡± Guihua said excitedly.


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go as soon as YingEr has finished eating,¡± Liu Sisi said while picking up YingEr¡¯s bowl and feeding her the cooked dishes inside.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to worry about it, it seems that this Prefecture Princess has a very high status, but even a Prefecture Princess would not be able to do whatever she wanted,¡± Di Yelei also put down his chopsticks: ¡°A few days ago I overheard my colleagues saying that Prince Luo¡¯s Thirteenth Prefecture Princess hade to Macheng County, and she must have followed Prince Luo.¡±


    ¡°Yelei, do you mean that the Thirteenth Prefecture Princess Luo is under the jurisdiction of Prince Luo?¡± Zhang Peng became interested.<div>


    ¡°Not really, no matter who it is, once they sit on the prince¡¯s position, they can¡¯t make any mistakes. If a Prefecture Princess wanted to retaliate against a little maid for some verbal quarrel, Prince Luo would not have been able to sit in that position for many years!¡±


    It made sense! Being a prince was not easy, and there must be many eyes hidden and waiting to catch him making a mistake!


    Everyone¡¯s mood improved, and they casually chatted.


    Liu Sisi thought secretly that buying silver ornaments, twobs, three hairpins, and two hairpins had cost 35 taels of silver, and Liu Sisi was almost trembling. The red cloth and cloth cost another three and a half taels of silver, and with some small trinkets, the 40 taels of silver were all spent.


    However, thinking that these ornaments would be part of YingEr¡¯s dowry in the future, her reluctance suddenly faded.


    Yelei was right! They should take advantage of having money now and slowly add one item at a time. By the time YingEr gets married, they can gather a decent dowry!


    With more than 20 taels of silver left, all their savings were here now.


    This money is really not used up!


    Guihua excitedly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll continue shopping! Our family has only YunEr as the sole heir, and everything at home will be his sooner orter. We don¡¯t n to save these few taels of silver, but to prepare an appropriate engagement gift in a proper way.¡±


    ¡°Sure! Let¡¯s go.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Laughing and talking, everybody stood up from their seats and walked downstairs.


    Zhang Peng paid the bill, and this casual meal cost them almost a tael of silver, which made Zhang Peng¡¯s hand quiver when he paid the money.


    ¡°Huh? Why haven¡¯t you country bumpkins left yet? Do you want to stay here and get beaten?¡±


    A sarcastic voice suddenly came from behind. As Liu Sisi and the others turned around while waiting for Zhang Peng to pay the bill, they saw a group of people slowlying down from the third floor.


    Speaking was that maid named Lan¡¯er.


    Indeed, enemies always crossed paths!


    YingEr, who was fluttering around like a little swallow, hid behind Liu Sisi as soon as she saw her. She peeped out her head from behind her, looking timidly at the people in front of her.


    ¡°Miss Lan¡¯er seems to have quite a temper. I wonder if she has had a couple of cold drinks to cool down her fiery mood?¡±


    Liu Sisi said indifferently.

 Chapter 271: 269: Spending Money Lavishly, The Origin of Nan Tianzong

    Chapter 271: 269: Spending Money Lavishly, The Origin of Nan Tianzong<div>


    Lan¡¯er was furious: ¡°You! You shrew! You actually, actually¡­¡±


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, who are you talking to?¡±


    A voice like that of a warbling oriole came forth, making everyone¡¯s body go weak for a moment. The young girl slowly descended the stairs, looking somewhat surprised when she saw Liu Sisi and her group.<div>


    ¡°Your Highness! It¡¯s this group of people! They dared to speak ill of you again!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lan¡¯er, ming the others first, pointed at Liu Sisi.


    A quick sh of light flickered in the young girl¡¯s eyes, too fast for anyone to catch. Her lips tightly closed, she disyed a maturity on her pretty face beyond her age, but she remained silent for a while.


    ¡°Who¡¯s speaking ill? Oh! It¡¯s you guys here.¡±


    A male voice came down from the building, and soon enough, everyone saw an additional figure emerging from their view. The figure gradually revealed itself as a man descended from the building.


    It was none other than Nan Tianzong!


    He seemed to have dressed carefully today, enhancing his already handsome appearance, making him look even more like a noble gentleman.


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyes immediately lit up when he saw Liu Sisi and the others! His thin lips blossomed into a seductive, shallow smile.


    ¡°So it¡¯s my sworn sister Sisi! Sisi, you also came to the county town today. Why didn¡¯t you inform your brother, so he could be a good host and treat you with a warm wee?¡±


    While speaking, he also nced at Di Yelei and the others.


    From the moment Nan Tianzong appeared, Di Yelei¡¯s eyebrows had not rxed.<div>


    ¡°Big Brother Nan, you are also here. It¡¯s Sisi who has neglected you. Today we had some business in the city, so we didn¡¯t get the chance to notify you.¡±


    Liu Sisi gave a faint smile. In her heart, however, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder, what was Nan Tianzong up to this time?


    ¡°So Brother Tianzong has a sworn sister as well, Luo has been disrespectful.¡±


    A young man wearing a purple-gold crown appeared from behind Nan Tianzong at the side.


    Only at this moment did Liu Sisi notice him, who had been standing behind Nan Tianzong.


    He didn¡¯t seem much older, slightly older than the Prefecture Princess Thirteen, and around thirteen or fourteen years old. He politely gave Liu Sisi a fist greeting.


    ¡°Oh! Look at me, Ipletely forgot to introduce everyone.¡±


    Nan Tianzong hastily stepped forward, introducing everyone one by one: ¡°This is Prince Luo¡¯s heir, Heir Luo Taining, this is his younger sister, Prefecture Princess Thirteen. This is Ms. Liu, my sworn sister, who is also the female tutor of Lord Gan¡¯s legitimate daughter, Miss Gan. And this is her husband, Di Yelei.¡±


    Everyone naturally exchanged pleasantries and greetings before sitting back down on the floor.


    Most people in the group looked indifferent as they chatted about the customs and people of Macheng County. If anyone¡¯s face had changed drastically, it would be Lan¡¯er, who was standing behind Prefecture Princess Thirteen. But no one cared about her at the moment.


    Though the Heir has a young age, it must be said that his socializing skills are quite sophisticated. In no time, he was engrossed in conversation with Di Yelei and Zhang Peng.<div>


    Liu Sisi and Guihua sat on the other side, quietly sipping the fragrant tea in front of them along with Prefecture Princess Thirteen.


    As Liu Sisi watched the eloquent Di Yelei, she felt delighted in her heart.


    But when her gaze met Nan Tianzong¡¯s, her eyes turned much deeper. Nan Tianzong could actually befriend the young prince, which implied that his background and identity may not be that simple.


    ¡°Prefecture Princess Luo, I apologize for any offense I might have caused at the Silver Pavilion earlier. I hope Your Highness will forgive my rudeness.¡±


    As the saying goes, one can never have too much politeness. Liu Sisi slightly bowed, apologizing for her previous recklessness.


    At this moment, she realized that the young girl in front of her, after taking off her arrogant mask, was actually not very old, only about ten years old. It was just that her height and the makeup on her face created an illusion that she was older.


    ¡°You really mustn¡¯t say that, niece. It¡¯s clear that Thirteen was not strict enough with her servants, and yet you still¡­ This only makes Thirteen even more ashamed.¡±


    Thirteenth Luo lowered her head in shame.


    ¡°¡­Niece?¡±


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡°Yes! Thirteen calls Young Uncle ¡®Young Uncle¡¯, and since he and Father are sworn brothers, Thirteen should naturally call you ¡®little aunt¡¯. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that, right?¡± Thirteenth Luo said with a tilted head.<div>


    Liu Sisi was shocked: ¡°You¡­ You mean Brother Nan¡­?¡±


    Nan Tianzong was actually Prince Luo¡¯s sworn brother, no wonder he had such a noble demeanor.


    Liu Sisi touched her earlobe, and in an instant, she had be a little aunt. Things changed so fast in this world.


    ¡°Yes! Young Uncle and Father get along very well. Don¡¯t judge by Young Uncle¡¯s gentle and elegant appearance, when he gets angry, it¡¯s really something to behold¡­¡±


    After chatting with Prefecture Princess Luo for a long time, even though she was young, she proved to have quite a set of skills!


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t manage to get any information from the girl, instead being wrapped in a conversation about Nan Tianzong¡¯s secrets.


    It made her sweat internally!


    Once the conversation opened up, Luo Prefecture Princess was very generous, not only apologizing to YingEr in person but also giving her a meeting gift.


    Liu Sisi naturally declined and wouldn¡¯t ept it. In the end, it was Nan Tianzong who decided to let Liu Sisi reluctantly ept the gift on behalf of YingEr.


    It wasn¡¯t until a servant rushed over, found Heir Luo, and reported the news that the meeting finally came to an end.


    As they were leaving, Heir Luo and Prefecture Princess Luo repeatedly invited everyone to gather again, but Liu Sisi declined politely. She thought to herself that these people had higher statuses, one after another, and were not from the same world as her and the others. It was better to keep a distance!


    When Heir Luo and Prefecture Princess Luo left, Nan Tianzong also asked to leave.


    ¡°Righteous sister! Our new shop has already started preparations, you must go and inspect it!¡± Nan Tianzong exuded an energetic and noble aura, causing Liu Sisi to feel increasingly unreal as she watched.


    After thinking for a moment, Liu Sisi looked up at the sky and then said,


    ¡°Brother Nan, it¡¯s alreadyte today, and in a few days, it will be YingEr¡¯s engagement gifts day. There are still many things to prepare. Next time wee to the county city, Sisi will go and check it out. How about that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s YingEr¡¯s big day? Congrattions! This is great news! On that day, I will definitely visit with a thick face, and I hope you won¡¯t refuse.¡± Nan Tianzong was overjoyed!


    Liu Sisi also smiled: ¡°Then the niece and Ye Lei will be waiting for Brother Nan¡¯s esteemed arrival!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Nan Tianzong left that everyone hurriedly bought the remaining items and then rushed home.


    ¡°Oh! That was the Prefecture Princess and Heir! That almost scared me to death! I really admire you for being able to chat with them so well. That¡¯s amazing!¡± Guihua eximed while patting her chest.


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about the Heir and Prefecture Princess? They still have one nose and one mouth. Can they eat people? Look at what you¡¯re saying¡­¡± Liu Sisi casually replied.


    Guihua by her side muttered: ¡°They won¡¯t eat people. But this extravagant feeling, just one look and you can tell they don¡¯t even consider silver as money, it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Believe me, you and I will one day live a life where we also don¡¯t treat silver as money!¡±


    Liu Sisiughed! The radiance in her eyes flickered continuously, and her face was full of determination.

 Chapter 272: 270: Preparing the Engagement Gifts, Ms. Xin’s Skillful Tactics

    Chapter 272: 270: Preparing the Engagement Gifts, Ms. Xin¡¯s Skillful Tactics<div>


    The next day, the weather cleared up and it was a great day. The Zhang Family came to the door with a matchmaker, carrying a pair of living wild geese.


    This is just going through the formalities, announcing to the vigers that the two are following the official process.


    Of course, the Di family was lively all day.<div>


    Originally ignorant, YingEr stood beside Zhang Yun with a smile on her face. When asked if she was willing to spend a lifetime with Zhang Yun, Liu Sisi thought YingEr wouldn¡¯t understand. Unexpectedly, she lowered her head and thought for a moment, looking at Liu Sisi and then at Zhang Yun.


    ¡°YingEr wants to spend a lifetime with Brother Yun! This way, YingEr can see mom every day, and also see Dad and brother. YingEr likes Auntie, and Auntie also likes YingEr!¡±


    ¡°Ah, our YingEr¡¯s little mouth is so sweet!¡±


    Guihua¡¯s face broke into a big smile, as she hugged YingEr and showered her with affection.


    Ironically, the happiest person was the blushing Zhang Yun standing nearby, grinning from ear to ear.


    Di Xuan, on the other hand, had a dark expression without any hint of a smile on his face. Ye Lei tried to put on a happy face. Seeing this scene, his eyes became red. Zhang Peng saw and gently patted his shoulder, which made him reluctantly smile. Then he went in and drank with everyone.


    Old Mr. Di, whose face was full of wrinkles, also wore a full smile and kept repeating the same word: ¡°good, good!¡±


    The next day, Ye Lei and Zhang Peng went to the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple again to have the birthdate information matched for Zhang Yun and YingEr.


    The result was a match made in heaven, and the two of them came back with crooked smiles, obviously very happy.


    After that, the preparations began in full swing!


    Although it was just the engagement ceremony, both families did not intend to make it simple, so naturally, there were many things to prepare.<div>


    Meanwhile, Liu Sisi had her share of troubles. Zhang Shixin would appear every time she showed up at the bookstore. No matter how she tried to drive him away, he would linger outside, making her annoyingly restless!


    Recently, when she got home, she would either be busy experimenting with the movable printing system or burying herself in sewing wallets at home.


    ording to tradition, a wallet symbolizing love needs to be given to the groom at the engagement ceremony. YingEr, being young, naturally couldn¡¯t sew it, so Liu Sisi had to do the work. When the wallet was almost done, YingEr would sew the final stitch to represent her feelings.


    Thus, this wallet couldn¡¯t be done poorly! Liu Sisi had to rack her brains for it.


    Luckily, YingEr was sensible. Although her small hands couldn¡¯t hold a needle yet, she learned from Auntie Guihua and made a beautiful fortune knot for the wallet.


    This fortune knot symbolizes good luck and hangs below the wallet.


    Although the wallet wasn¡¯t finished, Zhang Yun loved the fortune knot and couldn¡¯t let go of it. If it weren¡¯t for the wallet¡¯s significance during the engagement ceremony, he¡¯d want to snatch it away right away.


    Seeing this, Liu Sisi kept shaking her head, hoping that Zhang Yun would treat YingEr well for a lifetime.


    The day was still early, and while Liu Sisi was embroidering mandarin ducks on the wallet, Di Yelei came back early.


    As soon as he returned, he went straight into the inner room to find his father. The two talked for quite a while withouting out.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Your face doesn¡¯t look good?¡±<div>


    She put down the wallet in her hand and looked at him curiously.


    Di Yelei hesitated to speak and sat nkly at the table for a long time, his gaze fixed on the writing pen of Xuan¡¯er who was nearby.


    Nowadays, Xuan¡¯er¡¯s calligraphy had be exceptionally proper; although he hadn¡¯t formed his own style, there was a charm within it, especially his sitting posture, which was very much like a schr.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you say anything? Could it be that there was an incident in the governmental office?¡± Liu Sisi suddenly thought of a question.


    Ever since they met Heir Luo and Prefecture Princess Luo a few days ago, Di Yelei had received many strange looks when he returned to the office. Even County Magistrate Su had personally summoned him, asking in detail about the incident, and treated him with great courtesy afterward, making Di Yelei feel creeped out.


    Some colleagues especially saw him as someone who climbed up through skirt connections, and factions gradually formed. A group of people tried to please him every day, while another group ndered him, causing him great distress.


    At the moment Liu Sisi mentioned it, Di Yelei still shook his head: ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Then, what¡¯s wrong with you? Is there anything that we, as husband and wife, can¡¯t talk about?¡± Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow.


    Di Yelei turned his back, unable to meet her clear eyes.


    Liu Sisi realized that something was seriously wrong and hurriedly put down her wallet, sat down beside him.


    ¡°No matter what happened, since we are husband and wife, we should face it together. Even if I can¡¯t help you with certain things, I can still discuss them with you. As the saying goes, ¡®When one person¡¯s n is short, two people¡¯s n is long, and three people walking together can surpass Zhuge Liang,¡¯ so if you tell me about it, I can give my opinion too.¡±<div>


    Looking at Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, Di Yelei sighed deeply, rubbing his face and remaining silent for a moment before saying: ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong! Really, nothing¡¯s wrong¡­¡±


    However, momentster, he fell back into his own thoughts.


    This nearly choked Liu Sisi with frustration!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Just as she was about to get angry, the sister-inw Xin¡¯s soft voice came from outside the door.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw! Are you home?¡±


    Ever since Xin, also known as Little Cui, started apanying Ms. Zhao almost every day, she and Ms. Zhao gradually began to visit the Di Family from time to time.


    It was not hard to see that Ms. Zhao indeed had feelings for Elderly Mr. Di. Every time she saw Mr. Di, tears filled her eyes, but every time Elderly Mr. Di saw her, he would turn and leave.


    This made Liu Sisi wonder what kind of knot between them could make Elderly Mr. Di hold a grudge against her!


    No matter what, the two had spent most of their lives together, and now, at their age, they seemed to be more like enemies.


    Since Xin hade, Liu Sisi naturally had to go out and greet her.


    It turned out that Xin sent a pair of cotton pants for Elderly Mr. Di: ¡°Although I haven¡¯t been married into the Di Family for long, I still have to maintain proper etiquette. Seeing that Dad has several cotton coats for rotation, but only a few pairs of cotton pants that Third Sister-inw added, I made a pair of cotton pants. It can also be considered as fulfilling my duty as a daughter-inw.¡±


    Looking at these thick cotton pants, Liu Sisi looked up at her.


    Thinking carefully about Xin¡¯s entry into the family, although there had been storms in the old house, it seemed that ever since she married into the Di Family, Di Ah-Bao, thezybones, had changed his past recklessness and was tightly controlled by Xin.


    Xin¡¯s husband-controlling technique was truly superb!

 Chapter 273: 271: Cui’er discusses the past, the initial choice

    Chapter 273: 271: Cui¡¯er discusses the past, the initial choice<div>


    ¡°Sister-inw, your handiwork is miles ahead of mine. Since this is a garment you¡¯ve sewn for father, it would be better if you gave it to him yourself, rather than having me pass it along. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Looking at Liu Sisi¡¯s gentle smile, Ms. Xin¡¯s smile grew even sweeter.


    She quickly rolled up the cotton pants and held them, ¡°Everyone says Third Sister-inw is reasonable, and indeed you are! Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll go find father now.¡±<div>


    With that, she walked happily towards the inner room.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi squinted at Cui¡¯er¡¯s departing back, suddenly suspecting, was Cui¡¯er¡¯s purpose ofing here today to seek out father?


    Thinking of father¡¯s attitude towards her former mother-inw, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy, and strived to listen to what was happening in the inner room.


    ¡°Father! Please ept this! No matter what, these cotton pants represent mother-inw¡¯s heartfelt thoughts¡­Aiya!¡±


    The low exmation from Cui¡¯er inside the room surprised Liu Sisi, making her move even closer to the window.


    Cui¡¯er¡¯s heartbroken voice was heard again: ¡°Father, even if you¡¯re still angry with my mother, even if it was former mother-inw who was identally killed by my mother¡­ no one can return from death. And these years, she¡¯s been wholeheartedly serving you, repenting for her past mistakes. Isn¡¯t it enough to offset the sinsmitted in those years?¡±


    Liu Sisi was greatly shocked!


    The former mother-inw, Ms. Dou, was killed by Ms. Zhao?


    She really didn¡¯t know about this. But did Di Yelei and Di Gaoyuan know?


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was in turmoil,pletely at a loss.


    At the moment, there was amotion inside the room, along with Cui¡¯er¡¯s screams. It was apanied by a series of bangs, and then came Cui¡¯er¡¯s anxious voice: ¡°Father! Father, mom said if you don¡¯t forgive her, she would¡­Father! Father¡­¡±<div>


    Bang!


    The room door closed in front of Cui¡¯er, and she immediately rushed forward to knock on the door.


    ¡°Father, please let me exin! Mom knows she was wrong, can you forgive her just this once? Father, father!¡±


    Unyieldingly knocking on the door, the next moment, the door was pulled open.


    ¡°Father, please forgive mom! Throughout the years she has been by your side, she worked hard¡­oh! Father¡­¡±


    What met her words was the new cotton pants suddenly thrown out from inside.


    Bang!


    The door closed again!


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s angry, intermittent roars came from inside: ¡°Even in death I won¡¯t¡­forgive her¡­get out!¡±


    What on earth happened in the old house those days?


    Liu Sisi had always thought it was a case of a family splintering as it grew, but the current situation seemed to have more undercurrents. And these undercurrents might even involve someone¡¯s life.<div>


    Watching Cui¡¯er turned around with an expression of disappointment, Liu Sisi hastily stepped aside, hiding in the firewood room.


    Watching Little Cui¡¯er carry the cotton pants and walk towards the courtyard with three steps of disappointment, she only then picked up a bundle of firewood at random and left the firewood room.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t our sister-inw give the cotton pants to our dad? It¡¯s cold outside, why don¡¯t we sit in the kitchen?¡±


    Ms. Xin bowed her head and looked at the messy footprints under the window, covering her mouth andughed!


    ¡°Since Third Sister-inw invited us, how can Cui¡¯er not obey!¡±


    The two of them headed straight to the kitchen together, Liu Sisi lit the fire and started preparing dinner, and Ms. Xin, who was not particr about it, sat directly in front of the stove to help kindle the fire.


    ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s much warmer here by the stove! I still remember before I was sold to Yihong Courtyard, our family was also terribly poor. My dad died early, and mom was dragging us four siblings along, and fell ill due to overwork, coughing blood all day. I think I was seven at that time, and the only pir in our family, my big brother, developed a high fever. I remember the weather that day, it was as cold as today, so cold that my heart ached¡­¡±


    Ms. Xin seemed to have fallen into her memories and fell silent.


    Liu Sisi looked up at her, didn¡¯t urge her either, but silently added two scoops of water to the pot, put the steaming basket on the water, took out the prepared dough and quickly kneaded it, filled it with the prepared bun filling, and put it in the steaming basket. All her movements were done in one go.


    The filling of this bun was made by frying a mixture of cabbage, beast meat, and small dried shrimp, along with a little leftover meat and vegetables from the noon meal, Liu Sisi also chopped and added it in, it doesn¡¯t matter since the cold weather and everyone loved it.


    After a moment of silence, Cui¡¯er stretched out her hand and added a piece of firewood to the stove: ¡°That day I was sitting by the stove, warming myself with the fire. There wasn¡¯t much firewood left at home, apart from cooking, no one would dare to burn it during the day. As mom was coughing, she walked in from outside and asked which one of us three sisters was willing to go with the old imperial nanny. Eldest sister started crying first, because she was already engaged, and the old nanny didn¡¯t approve of the younger sister because she was too young. I then stood up from the stove and followed the old nanny.¡±<div>


    ¡°Looking back, it was really cold that day¡­¡±


    Ms. Xin leaned against the wall, her face intermittently illuminated by the fire which made her look uncertain.


    Liu Sisi put the bun in her hand inside, added another steaming rack on top, and continued to make buns.


    ¡°How old were you then?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    Cui¡¯er was obviously surprised that Liu Sisi would ask this question, she got up and added another log to the stove, and recalled for a while.


    ¡°I think I was seven years old. I remember my big brother was ten, my big sister was eight, and my little sister was five. But even by selling me, my mother still couldn¡¯t save my big brother, and not long after my big brother died, my mother also followed. Later, I heard that my big sister had no choice but to take my little sister to her betrothed husband¡¯s family. When they were twelve, they consummated their marriage, and a yearter my big sister died during childbirth.¡±


    Liu Sisi: ¡°¡­Please ept my condolences.¡±


    Apart from these two words, Liu Sisi did not know what else she could say.


    ¡°Condolences? For what should I receive condolences?¡±


    Little Cui¡¯er suddenlyughed,ughing so hard till her eyes welled up with tears.


    ¡°Do you know? Every person in Yihong Courtyard is utterly ruthless, once I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and ran out, only to find out that my home was gone. It was onlyter that I found out where my big sister and little sister were. I happily ran to them, but my big sister wouldn¡¯t let me in because I was a prostitute.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up at her in surprise, her face twisted and ferocious, apparently noticing her gaze, she quickly lowered her head, hiding herself in the darkness.


    ¡°Why did I be a prostitute? Wasn¡¯t it because I had no choice, my sacrifice allowed them to escape this disaster, but when they turned around, they thought I was dirty, they thought I was cheap, they repulsed me, they avoided me, I don¡¯t even know why I stepped forward in the first ce!¡±


    Liu Sisi paused her work, let out a sigh, and put thest bun in her hand into the steaming basket, topped it off with the lid, and blocked the gap above with a damp cloth.


    ¡°Do you regret it? I¡¯m asking you, if you could go back to that time again and make a choice all over again, would you make the same decision as you did back then?¡±

 Chapter 274: 272: Everyone Celebrates Najiji’s Joy

    Chapter 274: 272: Everyone Celebrates Najiji¡¯s Joy<div>


    After Liu Sisi finished speaking, she walked to the side and carefully removed the cylinder covering the chives.


    This cylinder was made by Di Yelei with bamboo strips, about one meter high, and directly ced on the edge of the pot where the chives were nted. The chives were ced next to the stove, and even in the current cold weather, they grew exceptionally lush, which caught Little Cui¡¯er¡¯s eye!


    ¡°How is it possible that chives grow so lush in the big cold winter? Third Sister-inw, you are truly resourceful,¡± Little Cui¡¯er praised sincerely.<div>


    Liu Sisi picked up the knife and cut off arge handful of yellow chives in a single stroke, enough for tonight¡¯s meal.


    ¡°These are Chinese chives, yellow ones. It¡¯s just something I experimented with when I was bored. Anyway, I grow them for our own consumption, so I am not worried about the limited variety of vegetables in winter. Speaking of which, you haven¡¯t told me your answer yet,¡± Liu Sisi said.


    The light in Little Cui¡¯er¡¯s eyes dimmed again, and she pondered for a moment: ¡°When I was gradually gaining prominence in Yihong Courtyard, I asked myself this question too. But even if I asked countless times, if I were brought back to that time, I think I would still make the same choice¡­


    ¡°Perhaps this is what people often call ¡®fate.¡¯ I seem to be destined to go through this hurdle¡­,¡± Little Cui¡¯er¡¯s words were faint and carried an indistinct feeling.


    ¡°If you have already made countless choices, then what are you regretting?¡± Liu Sisi said indifferently.


    She quickly removed a piece of bacon from the chimney and cut off a small piece, scooping hot water to wash it quickly.


    Little Cui¡¯er watched her movements in silence, and suddenlyughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re right! Since I made the choice, how can I waver because of others¡¯ influence! Third Sister-inw, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, I have my own motives in helping you.¡±


    Liu Sisi took a quick nce at her: ¡°Tell me, how?+¡±


    Little Cui¡¯er sat there silently, her expression unclear in the flickering firelight of the stove.<div>


    ¡°Third Sister-inw! You are really sly, but I like your straightforwardness. People with your kind of temperament don¡¯t backstab others, or perhaps they disdain to backstab others behind their backs,¡± Little Cui¡¯er, also known as Ms. Xin, sighed and suddenly whispered: ¡°On the third night after I got married to Ah-Bao, my father-inw suddenly quarreled with my mother-inw. It seemed that my mother-inw identally let it slip out. The reason why the former mother-inw had a difficult delivery and died when giving birth to my third brother was that she had an argument with my mother-inw. Then, my mother-inw pushed her, causing her to fall and subsequently bleed heavily to death. So¡­+


    Gosh!


    Liu Sisi gasped!


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it said that they are¡­cousins?¡± Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t believe her words so how could she convince others?


    ¡°Bah! Even my own sisters can kick me when I¡¯m down, let alone just cousins. Not to mention that she always has her eyes on her cousin,¡± Ms. Xin retorted dismissively.


    ¡°Ah! Third Sister-inw, I shouldn¡¯t have been nosy about this as a daughter-inw, but I really¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahem! Did my sister-inw just say something? I didn¡¯t hear anything. You want to ask how these chives are nted, right? It¡¯s simple and easy to manage. You might as well nt two pots yourself when you go home,¡± Liu Sisi raised her head, her face full of faint smiles.


    ¡°What a good ¡®I didn¡¯t hear anything,¡¯ Third Sister-inw! In two days, Cui¡¯er will definitelye to disturb you for a meal, I hope you won¡¯t be stingy,¡± Little Cui¡¯er said with a knowing expression.


    ¡°Sisi wees sister-inw to attend Ying¡¯er¡¯s engagement ceremony,¡± Liu Sisi said with a smile.


    For a moment, the kitchen was filled withughter.


    The Winter Solstice came quickly!<div>


    It was a rare sunny day, and the pale winter sun sprinkled its light on the ground, casting everything in a bright aura.


    A plum blossom outside the courtyard stretched across the wall. The dappled silhouette of the tree painted the ground, and the blooming flowers added a yful red charm to the winter scene. Two magpies flew in from afar,nding on the plum tree outside the courtyard. Chirping and hopping around, they were particrly cheerful and lively.


    However, the people in the courtyard had no mood to enjoy the red plum blossoms and singing magpies outside.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Early in the morning, Di Yelei hung out the red cloth. The vibrant red of the cloth seemed to rival the red of the plum tree, giving off a festive atmosphere.


    Everyone was bustling about, killing chickens and heating wine, incredibly busy. It seemed like not much time had passed before there wasmotion at the end of the path.


    Arge crowd escorted Zhang Peng and his son towards the Di household.


    ¡°Sisi, hurry up! Zhang Peng is at the door! It seems that they invited the famous Granny Xu from the county town to act as a matchmaker for them!¡± Di Yelei¡¯s face was full of joy.


    Liu Sisi was also amazed!


    ¡°Which Granny Xu? The one who testified in the court that day?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, her! She really went to great lengths toe to our remote Upper Vige in this cold weather and slippery roads! Hurry up! Be quick!¡±


    Di Yelei was extremely excited, and the entire room sprang into action!<div>


    ¡°Dad! I¡¯m going to set up the chairs!¡± Di Xuan ran towards the hall.


    ¡°She really went through a lot of trouble for this!¡±


    Liu Sisi hastily tidied herself up, looking carefully at her reflection in the mirror: ¡°How do I look? Do you think I ced my hairpin and hair ornaments correctly? I do not want to beughed at for any oversight!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright! You¡¯re good! Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ve already asked me three times! By the way, where¡¯s YingEr?¡± Di Yelei turned around and hurriedly searched for Di Ying.


    ¡°Are you possessed? YingEr is in the room, isn¡¯t she? She can¡¯t show her face today.¡±


    Liu Sisi rolled her eyes at him, pushing him outside: ¡°Hurry up! Let¡¯s go greet them at the courtyard!¡±


    ¡°Third Uncle, Third Auntie, Cheng¡¯er, go set off the firecrackers!¡±


    Di Cheng, who hade to help early in the morning, scurried towards the wall edge.


    Turning around, they noticed Elderly Mr. Di standing up from his chair, holding his crutch, and walking unsteadily towards the door.


    Seeing this, Di Yelei quickly went forward to help, and together they came to the entrance of the courtyard, opening the yard gate!


    As expected, arge group led by Zhang Peng and Zhang Yun were heading towards the Di family residence.


    As the crowd approached, firecrackers continued to burst.


    Engagement gifts were carried into the Di Residence¡¯s gate, one after another, under the explosion of firecrackers.


    The gifts were packed in gift boxes, covered with red cloth, and arranged on the red cloth were: a pair of living wild geese, a whole sheep, a fragrant pig, numerous pieces of jewelry, several pieces of silk fabric, a te of ceremonial cakes, and several pairs of ritual incense candles¡­ Such a grand disy left the onlookers dazzled.


    Following the gifts was Granny Xu, who was being supported by someone, walking into the Di family residence alongside Zhang Yun, one of today¡¯s main stars.

 Chapter 286: 284: Shameless Old Man Li, Soft-hearted Land Officer

    Chapter 286: 284: Shameless Old Man Li, Soft-hearted Land Officer<div>


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true but, however, I¡¯ve only heard it from others, and it¡¯s not necessarily true.¡±


    Di Yelei said gravely: ¡°Old Man Li is really vicious, even capable ofying hands on such a woman! He¡¯s simply a beast! Tomorrow, I will take her to the government office, and I must ask the Lord County Magistrate to investigate thoroughly.¡±


    Liu Sisi sat for a while, but soon could no longer sit still.<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ll go see if she¡¯s woken up. The soup medicine should be cool by now, and it¡¯s time to feed her.¡±


    As she spoke, Liu Sisi entered the inner room.


    At the moment, Liu Zhi¡¯er was staying in the separate room partitioned off by YingEr and was still lying in her original position with her brows tightly furrowed, showing no signs of waking up.


    She reached out and touched Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s body, finding it scorching hot, obviously having a fever.


    With the soup medicine cooler, Liu Sisi forced open her mouth with chopsticks and poured the medicine down.


    After a lot of effort, her fever slowly subsided.


    Meanwhile, Elderly Mr. Di and the two children couldn¡¯t wait and had already gone to bed.


    Since there were not enough beds, Di Xuan and Elderly Mr. Di had to squeeze together, while YingEr went to Di Xuan¡¯s room.


    After carefully wiping her hands clean, Liu Sisi stood up from the chair.


    With determination on her face, she said: ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Land Officer¡¯s house again! I want to ask him personally what Old Man Li¡¯s heart is made of!¡±


    Di Yelei silently nodded his head and turned around to prepare without saying anything.<div>


    The snow outside was falling heavily. As soon as the two left the courtyard, they were immediately blinded by the wind and snow blowing towards them, making it difficult to take a step forward.


    ¡°How do you feel? Why don¡¯t you go back! I¡¯ll just go and take a look.¡±


    Di Yelei hugged Liu Sisi tightly in his arms, using his body to block the raging snowstorm.


    The violent snowstorm blew his words into fragments, with only broken pieces reaching Liu Sisi¡¯s ears.


    ¡°No! I must go and ask him myself!¡± She shouted against the wind and snow.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s hands tightly grasped Di Yelei¡¯s arm, burying her head into his chest as she took three slippery steps forward.


    With feet stepping on the icy ground, they moved numbly, sliding three steps forward in the direction of the Land Officer¡¯s home.


    In a moment of carelessness, the two slipped and Di Yelei instinctively jerked upwards, trying to steady himself. Unbeknownst to him, the ice-covered earthen slope was slippery, and the momentum of the two sent them sliding forward. As a result, they both tumbled down the narrow slope andnded on the lower ledge.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Sisi, are you okay?¡±


    Fortunately, the ledge was not too high, and although they fell, they were unharmed.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, cough cough¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi coughed, her tears almost falling.


    When they rolled down just now, Di Yelei used his body to protect her. She was not injured, but her nose hit his chest, and it hurt terribly.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re all right?¡±


    Di Yelei took quite a tumble, and it took him a while to struggle up from the ground. He paid no attention to his own body but quickly checked Liu Sisi all over to make sure she wasn¡¯t injured before his mind was put at ease.


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Did you get hurt?¡±


    Leaning on Di Yelei¡¯s arm, Liu Sisi had just stood up when she nearly stumbled and fell to the ground again.


    ¡°Be careful. Let¡¯s go up from this side. We can see some wild grass here, so it should be easier to walk.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he helped Liu Sisi climb up the slope.


    In the cer of the Land Officer¡¯s home.


    The Land Officer red at Old Man Li, his face full of frustration and disappointment.


    Old Man Li was tied to a pir on the side, crying with tears and snot all over his face, looking utterly pathetic.<div>


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer! If you don¡¯t save me, I¡¯m as good as dead this time, Mr. Land Officer¡­¡±


    The Land Officer was so angry that he red and puffed out his cheeks: ¡°Now you think of me? Where were you earlier? Doing such a shameful thing, I think you¡¯re really looking for death!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer, I just won¡¯t let go of my pride! Without my wife (Da )


    ..This¡­this life, there¡¯s no meaning for me to stay alive. I, boo hoo¡­¡±


    As Old Man Li talked, he grew sadder and couldn¡¯t help but wail loudly, recounting his misfortunes as he sobbed pitifully.


    After Old Man Li¡¯s crying, even Mr. Land Officer¡¯s anger softened, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply.


    ¡°s! There¡¯s really nothing to be done now. When you get to the county government, you¡¯d better beg the Lord County Magistrate for mercy, maybe they¡¯ll only detain you for three or five months, and you¡¯ll be let go, huh?¡±


    Mr. Land Officer tried his best to convince Old Man Li with kind words.


    ¡°I, Old Man Li, am already this old, can I still go to jail? If I really went in, would I still have a life left? Mr. Land Officer, please have pity on me and let me go! Even if I have to work as your cattle or horse in the next life, I will definitely repay you for your kindness today!¡±


    Old Man Li wailed loudly again, the cunning light in his old eyes asionally shing as he scrutinized Mr. Land Officer¡¯s expression.


    Mr. Land Officer¡¯s heart was also restless, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply.


    ¡°Old Man Li! Today, let me tell you something from the heart. Liu Sisi is not an ordinary woman! Let alone that the third son of the Di family has be a constable now, even her identity as a female tutor to Miss Gan Family is not something I, a humble Land Officer, can mess with.¡±


    ¡°But Mr. Land Officer, you¡¯re the big shot in Upper Vige, how could you be afraid of a small Di Family? Or are you afraid of an ignorant woman like Liu Sisi? Mr. Land Officer, just think about it, since Liu Sisi married into the Di family, how many troubles has she caused? How much trouble has she caused you? She even ruined me, an old fellow, like this, Mr. Land Officer. Liu Sisi is just a disaster!¡±


    Old Man Li was doing his best to smear Liu Sisi¡¯s name while wailing non-stop.


    ¡°Enough, no more nonsense. Di Yelei and Liu Sisi are both good people, not as you say.¡±


    Mr. Land Officer waved his hand to cut off his words.


    As he spoke, he picked up the cooked dishes on the side and walked over to Old Man Li: ¡°ording to them, you should go hungry tonight. Considering that we¡¯ve known each other since we were kids, I¡¯ll let you eat your fill. Here, let me feed you¡­¡±


    As Mr. Land Officer spoke, he fed Old Man Li the food with chopsticks.


    Old Man Li was famished, so with food in front of him, he forgot to cry and happily ate the food fed to him by Mr. Land Officer.


    It wasn¡¯t until he had finished therge bowl of food that Old Man Li belched contentedly and begged Mr. Land Officer for water to drink.

 Chapter 276: 274: A Hall of Laughter

    Chapter 276: 274: A Hall of Laughter<div>


    In these barrennds,mon people naturally cared more about the County Magistrate than the heir when the two were put together.


    Because the County Magistrate affected their vital interests.


    On the other hand, the heirs and princesses were too far away from them, and they felt unreal.<div>


    Thus, everyone was careful to watch County Magistrate Su, while County Magistrate Su sat carefully at the lower end of the table, smiling without closing his mouth.


    People were constantly trying to get close to County Magistrate Su and others, and since County Magistrate Su is a smooth talker, naturally, they all had great conversations.


    Gan Miaoruo sat next to Nan Tianzong, constantly trying to talk to him. Nan Tianzong, however, was having a good time chatting with Heir Luo beside him, only sparing her a moment¡¯s attention when he was really annoyed.


    Gan Miaoruo became angrier and angrier with her mouth pouted, but couldn¡¯t make any open moves because Madam Gan Senior was watching her. She could only re at Nan Tianzong for a while before she couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. She slipped out and went straight to y with YingEr.


    YingEr was annoyed by all the people in the room, and as soon as she saw Gan Miaoruoing, the two immediately hit it off.


    After a while,ughter came from the small room.


    Everyone continued to enjoy their gathering, withughter and lively conversation. Various pastries and candies were offered, and it wasn¡¯t until night fell that everyone had their fill, and they dispersed to their homes.


    Seeing that it was gettingte, Liu Sisi intended to let Heir Luo and his sister, Madam Gan Senior, Granny Xu, and the others stay the night, but they politely declined.


    As soon as everyone left, they were all so tired that they were nearly paralyzed.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, the bowls and chopsticks and the stove have been cleaned up. It¡¯s gettingte, so I¡¯ll head back first. I don¡¯t know if Ah-Bao is back yet.¡±


    Cui¡¯er took off her apron and spoke.<div>


    ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll get some food for your little brother and mom. You just take it back!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurried into the kitchen.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, it¡¯s not necessary. We have food at home too. You don¡¯t have to bother, Third Sister-inw¡­¡± Cui¡¯er hastily followed.


    Liu Sisi continued her injured movements, ¡°We¡¯re all sister-inws, why talk to me in such a roundabout way? Am I not clear about the situation in the old house?¡±


    These words made the smile on Ms. Xin¡¯s face disappear.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not bad like this. For us women, all we want is a man who knows our needs. Although Di Ah-Bao is a bit wild, everyone can see that he genuinely likes you. You are now a decent daughter-inw. It¡¯s time to let go of some of your old thoughts!¡±


    Liu Sisi swiftly packed a basket of cooked dishes, thought for a moment, and took out twenty red-shell eggs from the bowl cab. She covered them with a piece of cloth and handed the bamboo basket to Cui¡¯er.


    Cui¡¯er looked up at Liu Sisi and took the basket, suddenly smiling.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, you can call me Ms. Xin in the future! Cui¡¯er is dead. I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Ms. Xin finished speaking and left Di family with the bamboo basket in hand.


    A fresh start! That¡¯s really nice!<div>


    She raised her head, and a fine rain began to fall in the sky again. It seems tonight, it¡¯s going to change again.


    She walked quickly in the direction of her home. The ground was slippery and her thoughts had wandered far away. As she finally arrived home and before she could pass through the main entrance, she could already hear Ms. Zhao¡¯s loud scolding from a distance. She softly chuckled and walked up to Ms. Zhao¡¯s side: ¡°Mom, why are you sitting here? It¡¯s cold outside. Go inside and rest. I brought back some cooked dishes. I¡¯ll heat them up for you in a while.¡±


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s eyes brightened and she stared at the basket in her hand like a wolf. She took two big steps forward: ¡°Are you trying to starve me to death? You took so long toe back only when it¡¯s dark. Go and call Ah-Bao for dinner quickly, always minding your own mouth. You don¡¯t care about the life or death of us, mother and son. It really proves what people say that ¡®actors are heartless women; they are unrighteous children¡¯¡­¡±


    Xin Shi smiled faintly, not refuting her. It wasn¡¯t until Ms. Zhao had entered the kitchen while cursing that Xin Shi headed towards the left wing room, where she found Di Ah-bao had indeede back. He was lying down listlessly on the bed, leisurely swinging his legs crossed, humming some unknown tune, and even tapping his fingers to the beat. He didn¡¯t have the slightest sense of responsibility as a husband should.


    Was this the man she could rely on for a lifetime?


    Her heart inexplicably panicked, but she only blinked and her smile returned.


    ¡°Ah-Bao, have you eaten? Third Sister-inw gave me plenty of food to bring back for you and mom to eat¡­¡±


    Di Ah-bao lifted his head from the bed, and as soon as he saw Xin Shi, he hugged her tightly with a frivolous smile on his face. He then kissed her lips without warning, saying as he did so.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally back, my little sweetheart. I¡¯ve missed you terribly. Let me kiss you, mmm¡­¡±


    The action instantly reminded Xin Shi of her past experiences at Yihong Courtyard, and waves of disgust churned through her mind.


    Instinctively, Xin Shi struggled, pushing him away forcefully and scolding him with a stern face: ¡°What are you doing? Get lost!¡±<div>


    Di Ah-bao was abruptly flung away, his eyes widening as he quickly figured out what had happened.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Did something happen at the Di family¡¯s ce, huh? I told you there isn¡¯t a single good person over there, but you wouldn¡¯t listen. Have you suffered enough now?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that. Don¡¯t make random guesses. By the way, your Third Sister-inw sent some more food. Mom took it to the kitchen. Hurry up and go eat.¡±


    Heaving a joyous sign, Ah-Bao dashed out of the room: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier that there was food? I¡¯ll go take a look now.¡±


    Xin Shi¡¯s eyes darkened. She really doubted whether she could rely on such a man and live with him for a lifetime.


    She felt lost!


    At the Di family¡¯s side.


    Di Cheng was helping to clean the room. After the hustle and bustle, a mess was often left behind, so he swept the floor and rearranged the chaotic tables and chairs. Only then did he ask Di Yelei for permission to leave.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t hold him back, but instead handed him the prepared food and pastries.


    ¡°Take it. Today, don¡¯t go back to the shop. Just rest at home. You can go early tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Third Uncle, Third Auntie, I¡¯ll be going then.¡± Di Cheng finally left.


    Now that it was just their family, Liu Sisi brought the brazier under the table. The family gathered around it, took out candies, and celebrated their private moment together.


    ¡°With YinEr¡¯s matter finally settled, I can also put my heart at ease. The only thing that I have regretted since Qiao Shi passed away so suddenly was the two children¡­ I¡¯m d that now YingEr¡¯s life is like this, and I have fulfilled the promise I made to her.¡±


    As the talk turned to thete Ms. Qiao, the family¡¯s faces became heavy, and they fell silent.


    ¡ª


    Tonight was a good night. Craft Paper¡¯s sister was in the delivery room, and Craft Paper was guarding outside. Back in this era, even giving birth was crowded. Rtives who were waiting outside sat in a long row, while I stood in a corner of the corridor, using my phone to type the current text¡­

 Chapter 277: 275: Sisi Teaching Money Management

    Chapter 277: 275: Sisi Teaching Money Management<div>


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er doesn¡¯t remember what his mother¡­ looked like,¡±


    Di Xuan said in a low voice: ¡°All Xuan¡¯er can remember is her lying there, covered in blood with an obscure face.¡±


    Di Yelei patted Di Xuan¡¯s head gently and sighed, ¡°Your mother and YingEr look very simr, she was a very gentle woman¡­¡± As he spoke, he fell into his memories.<div>


    ¡°Dad, are you talking about YingEr¡¯s biological mother? Is she the one who lies on the little hilltop? Did my mother treat me well?¡± YingEr tilted her head and looked at everyone.


    ¡°Fool! Your biological mother was naturally very good to you.¡±


    Liu Sisi lightly patted YingEr¡¯s shoulder, unable to resist recalling her vaguely remembered parents, she seemed to only remember the two smiling faces, while their features seemed to be clouded over.


    ¡°Any mother would love her own children, your mother loved you too, otherwise, after her passing, she wouldn¡¯t have repeatedly asked your father to treat you well.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ if she loved YingEr, why did she leave YingEr?¡± YingEr was full of confusion.


    Liu Sisi was silent for a moment, carefullybing YingEr¡¯s broken hair: ¡°Because¡­ Your biological mother was too tired, she wanted to rest. However, she identally fell asleep. But, not only your biological mother loves you, but also your brother, your father, your grandfather, and I. So, YingEr, you¡¯re a very lucky child in our family.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Mom¡­¡±


    YingEr gave a strong jump and plunged into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, not saying a word.


    The topic was too heavy. Di Yelei looked at Xuan¡¯er, who had red eyes, and gently patted his back to shift the topic.


    ¡°Today, YingEr has received many guests and gifts for her engagement. Let¡¯s count and see what we have.¡±


    As Di Yelei said this, he took out the gift list for the engagement.<div>


    ¡°After shopping, I have seven and a half taels of silver left. One tael is my monthly sry, six taels are dividends, and the remaining tael of silver is what was left at home. Apart from that, there are several dozen copper coins.¡±


    Di Yelei took out the silver and ced it aside, then began to count the gift money on the table.


    The Li family gave ten eggs, the Zhang Family gave three feet of cloth, the Wang family gave five pounds of rice flour¡­ The little items were quickly picked out from the pile on the table.


    The remaining silver gifts were grouped together, and after careful calctions, these gifts would be reciprocated at future vige gatherings ording to the records in the gift list.


    The rest were the major engagement gifts received today.


    ¡°The gifts for the engagement from the Zhang Yun family are here, as well as the betrothal gifts from Heir Luo, Madam Gan Senior, County Magistrate Su, and¡­ and Nan Tianzong.¡±


    Opening the gift box from the siblings of Heir Luo, there was a jadeite fortune knot wrapped in yellow silk. The jadeite, slightly smaller than the palm of the hand, was carved into a blossoming peony flower, stunningly beautiful. Under the refraction of the light, the crystal-clear jadeite sparkled with colorful radiance, truly captivating everyone¡¯s eyes.


    The word ¡®beautiful¡¯ was not enough to describe its extreme beauty. Everyone had been speechless for quite a long time, as if a kitty had run off with their tongues.


    After a while, Liu Sisi managed to pull her gaze back: ¡°God! It¡¯s so beautiful¡­¡±


    ¡°How¡­ how much is this worth?¡±


    Di Yelei was also awestruck, as he reached out to pick up the jadeite fortune knot, he quickly retracted his hand, afraid of damaging it.<div>


    ¡°Let me see.¡±


    Compared to the others, Liu Sisi was much calmer and directly reached out and took the jadeite in her hand.


    The jadeite was cool to the touch, the color as green as crystal shifting in her hand, it was so beautiful that it seemed not like an inanimate object, but as if it hade to life in her hand.


    She couldn¡¯t help but admire it for a moment, then she threw it back into the box.


    ¡°This thing can¡¯t be eaten or taken out to use, it¡¯s just like a useless inanimate object. Put it away! Well, it might be useful for sending gifts in the future.¡±


    Liu Sisi settled the final destination of the item with just a single phrase!


    Di Yelei hurriedly collected it, then opened the gift box that Madam Gan Senior had brought. Inside were twelve eastern pearls of equal size but different colors lined up.


    Though these eastern pearls were only the size of broad beans, they were indeed rare treasures. Each was worth at least a hundred and eighty taels of silver; such a generous gift!


    The gift from County Magistrate Su was a small, delicate set of gold ornaments.


    Although it was not a heavy gift, the sentiment was truly remarkable!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°As for County Magistrate Su here, you should present him with a gift equal in value to this one on his next birthday or some other asion, plus a little extra. After all, he is the magistrate of the county.¡± Liu Sisi collected the gold ornaments and put them at the bottom of the box.<div>


    Di Yelei agreed: ¡°Of course, I understand.¡±


    Thest gift to be opened was from Nan Tianzong. Inparison, his gift seemed much simpler, just a conventional silver ornament suitable for a little girl to wear. It seemed thoughtful.


    With one look at Nan Tianzong¡¯s gift, Di Yelei, without waiting for Liu Sisi to speak, rolled it up and put the gift box away.


    ¡°Put it away! Save it for those whoe as guests.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at him, didn¡¯t say much, and put the silver piece away directly.


    Since Di Yelei didn¡¯t like Nan Tianzong¡¯s gift, there was no need to keep it around. It was not worth arguing about such insignificant things.


    ¡°By the way! Here are the congrattory gifts from my colleagues. This jade pendant is from Constable Zuo. You keep it.¡±


    Di Yelei happily handed over a hefty, modestly styled bracelet.


    ¡°Constable Zuo originally wanted toe, but there was a murder case at the governmental office, and he had to go after the murderer, so he couldn¡¯te in person. He specifically sent this bracelet.¡±


    ¡°Since he gave it to you, you should keep it.¡±


    Liu Sisi frowned instinctively. She harbored a natural resentment against Zuo Xingyu.


    After organizing the items, she thought for a moment, took out a tael of silver, and gave it to her father-inw who was quietly sitting on the side, ¡°Dad, this is your retirement sry for this month.¡±


    She then took out half a tael of silver and handed it to Xuan¡¯er, ¡°This half a tael of silver is for you. Besides, if our household has enough in the future, mom will give you half a tael of silver as pocket money every month. Bear in mind, you mustn¡¯t be wasteful.¡±


    ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t half a tael of silver too much?¡±


    Di Yelei was amazed. His monthly sry at the governmental office was only a tael of silver. Sisi directly gave Xuan¡¯er half a tael of silver for pocket money, which was quite substantial.


    Di Xuan also quickly nodded, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s indeed too much. Xuan¡¯er can¡¯t ept it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not too much! You may think there¡¯s a lot of silver now, but once you go to the vige school and suddenly need money for gathering with ssmates, you¡¯ll need more. By giving you this money, I hope you¡¯ll develop the habit of managing your own money wisely.¡±


    This was the result of her careful consideration.


    Xuan¡¯er was more mature than most children his age, and as he was soon to turn eight or nine, it was time to instill good habits in him.


    ¡°Mom, rest assured, Xuan¡¯er will not let you down.¡± Di Xuan solemnly promised.


    YingEr, who was sitting beside them, was not satisfied, ¡°Mom, big brother has pocket money. YingEr wants some too!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still young. Mom will buy anything you want. When you¡¯re as old as your brother, mom will definitely give you pocket money, okay?¡±


    YingEr grumbled a few words, causing everyone tough. They chatted casually for a while before they each went to sleep.

 Chapter 278: 276: The Extra Person at the Murder Scene

    Chapter 278: 276: The Extra Person at the Murder Scene<div>


    Wrapped in a warm quilt, Di Yelei also felt quite emotional.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°We originally had some savings at home, but after the engagement gifts, more than half was spent. Tomorrow, when I bring our age note to the government office for official record, I will need to pay a 500 copper coins processing fee. It feels like no matter how much money we have, it¡¯s never enough.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Is that what you¡¯re feeling sentimental about? Spending money means earning money. If there¡¯s no money to earn, how can there be any to spend?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi rested her head in the crook of his arm, close to his burning hot body, feeling as if she was leaning against arge brazier, so warm.


    ¡°You¡¯re right! If our family was still as poor asst year, we would want to spend but have no money to do so.¡±


    Di Yeleiughed softly as well. The deep and mellowughter emanated from his chest where her arm was lying on and continued to vibrate slightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh, what¡¯s there tough about!¡±


    Liu Sisi turned to lie t on her back: ¡°Right, you left off halfwayst time. Now that we have nothing better to do, shouldn¡¯t you finish telling the story?¡±


    ¡°What is there to say? It¡¯s just¡­ that sort of thing.¡± Di Yelei spoke casually.


    Liu Sisi sat up at the head of the bed and squinted at him: ¡°Huh? So you¡¯re not going to tell me the truth now?¡±


    Di Yelei nced at her, folded his arms under his head, and mped his lips shut, refusing to speak.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze shifted: ¡°Is it because this matter involves your little sister again? Didn¡¯t I let her go before? What are you still worried about?¡±


    Di Yelei turned to look at her, his thick ck eyebrows furrowed as he sighed, ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll tell you, but you can¡¯t get angry after hearing it.¡±


    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t be angry, go ahead and tell me!¡±<div>


    Only then did Di Yelei recount the results of his investigation.


    ¡°In the beginning, Zhang Shixin kept harassing you, and deliberately instigated a group of rascals to make trouble at the bookstore. After I drove them away, I found Xing San and threatened him. Xing San was timid, so he naturally backed out of the matter¡­¡±


    Later, Zhang Shixin became more aggressive, and enlisted mountain bandits from Heilong Mountain to pretend to be rascals and monitor Liu Sisi. Eventually, she identally discovered that the man with a scar on his eyebrow had connections with Zhang Shixin.


    This man with a scar on his eyebrow and the several that had died earlier were all mountain bandits from Heilong Mountain! Thus, it was suspected that Zhang Shixin was the mastermind!


    Di Yelei followed the trail and after several investigations, he found that the mountain bandits were in cahoots with Sun Ergou to do mischief, intercepting Sisi and himself on the way!


    Meanwhile, he discovered that the little rascal Di Ruoning had found to deal with Sisi hadn¡¯t died, so he went to the Yuan Family to question them along with Sisi.


    However, Di Ruoning was talking nonsense, and Yuan Mengbai kept dodging the issue, so the questioning ended inconclusively.


    Di Yelei sighed, ¡°You already know all about these situations. Then, Zuo Xingyu came to see me, saying he found a little rascal looking for trouble with Yuan Mengbai on his way home. When I heard this, I quickly rode a horse to find the little rascal and interrogated him. The result was far beyond my expectations¡­¡±


    Di Yelei stopped talking, unable to continue.


    ¡°What happened afterwards? If you have anything to say, just say it straight. Hiding it like this makes me itch with curiosity!¡± Liu Sisi hurriedly urged him.


    Di Yelei shook his head: ¡°He said that the mastermind was Yuan Mengbai.¡±<div>


    ¡°Who? Who did he say was the mastermind?¡± Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t sit still any longer.


    ¡°Yuan Mengbai! He was very certain, and also said that he had been following us from the beginning, but just hadn¡¯t found the opportunity to strike. Then, he personally witnessed Yuan Mengbai running out, getting in touch with the mountain bandits on Heilong Mountain. He was frightened by those men, which was why he hid to the side and didn¡¯t try anything.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi felt that her head was not enough to figure this out.


    There had been no past grudges or recent hatred between her and Yuan Mengbai. She would be the first to not believe that Yuan Mengbai would want to hurt her!


    ¡°How is this possible? Why would Yuan Mengbai want to deal with me?¡±


    She had deliberatelyforted him when he was disheartened back then. What was his reason for wanting to silence her by killing her? Was it because she saw him cry?


    Isn¡¯t this reason too far-fetched?


    Di Yelei was clearly puzzled as well, ¡°I also think this doesn¡¯t make sense. I thought about it and went to look for Constable Zuo, wanting to ask him what he saw back then. However, Constable Zuo cried out, ¡®Not good! Something bad has happened!¡¯ By the time we found him again, the rascal had already been silenced.¡±


    ¡°Silenced¡­?¡±


    Liu Sisi subconsciously repeated this before a thought crossed her mind, ¡°You mean, he was silenced by the real mastermind of this incident? In that case, it¡¯s highly likely that Yuan Mengbai is not the real mastermind as he ims?¡±<div>


    ¡°We can only specte since the person is already dead. Who the real mastermind is would probably remain a mystery.¡±


    ¡°How could this be? Then¡­Oh! I remember now, it must be that person, the one who saved me!¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly cried out and exchanged nces with Di Yelei.


    Finally, Di Yelei nodded, ¡°Constable Zuo and I have also guessed that. The key is the extra person at the scene of the murder case. The question is, what exactly is the identity of this person? We have carefully investigated. The person who forced both of you off the cliff appeared and disappeared out of thin air without leaving any traces.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Liu Sisiy back into Di Yelei¡¯s arms, her thoughts racing far away.


    Although that person had an ordinary face, she seemed to have seen those eyes somewhere.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t think about it anymore. We¡¯ve hit a dead end. It¡¯s already a great fortune amidst this misfortune that we¡¯re both safe and sound.¡±


    But where had she seen them?


    She just couldn¡¯t remember!


    An image seemed to sh across her mind but disappeared before she could grasp it.


    ¡°Still thinking about this? Don¡¯t bother. If you have the chanceter on, perhaps what appears to be a tangled mess now will unravel itself like pulling silk from a cocoon. But for now, my little kitten, shall we do something else?¡±


    Di Yelei whispered with a lowugh, and his hands, which were initially resting on her back, suddenly began to move forward, immediately stirring up a roaring fire.


    Liu Sisi shivered all over; her body went limp, and the fleeting shadow in her mind disappeared abruptly, leaving behind only a pair of hands that continued to fan the mes.


    The room was as warm as spring. When the two of them faced each other once again, Liu Sisi shyly raised her hands and circled his neck, taking the initiative to kiss his lips.


    It seemed like he was encouraged, as he let out a low growl from his throat and lowered his head, continuously taking from her, turning passive to active.


    The long night continued to spread¡­


    ¨C


    My little nephew was born, a sturdy baby weighing six and a half catties. Please forgive the recent irregr updates of Craft Paper; it will return to normal once my sister is discharged from the hospital.

 Chapter 279: 277: Ruo Ruo’s Decision

    Chapter 279: 277: Ruo Ruo¡¯s Decision<div>


    After the Winter Solstice, the weather became much colder.


    The entire sky was gloomy, making it difficult to open one¡¯s eyes.


    The river had long been frozen, and a thickyer of ice formed, making it seem as though even the river water had stopped flowing. The next day, snow fell from the sky once again.<div>


    This was the fourth heavy snowfall of the year!


    Unlike the previous ones that stopped after two days, this snowfall only grew heavier, swiftly covering the entirend in a thickyer of white.


    Almost every household in the vige began to hunker down for winter, with cooking smoke filling their homes continuously.


    Di Family was no exception. Di Yelei moved the rabbit¡¯s nest directly to the side near the stove and separated a windproof and warm area for the chickens inside the chicken coop. As for his cherished horse, it was wrapped in thick nkets to keep warm, and even its drinking water was changed to hot water. The amount of night grass it was fed increased from once to three times¡­


    On the second day after the Winter Solstice, a viger came to bring an education gift to her home.


    The visitor was the well-known beauty of the vige, Sister Qiao. Sister Qiao was indeed beautiful and had already found a good match for marriage. She had caught the eye of the only son of a wealthy family in the county during a chance encounter, which led to a marriage proposal. They nned to wee the bride after the New Year.


    Because of this, Sister Qiao¡¯s marriage was clearly a step up. Her doting family decided to spend a bit more silver so that she could learn some characters under Liu Sisi¡¯s tutge, in order not to be looked down upon once married into her husband¡¯s home.


    Liu Sisi thought of the girl, Min¡¯er, from the Land Officer¡¯s home who was alsoing to study. Although teaching only two students was a bit less, it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to give so much for the education gift. You can leave some meat, but take back this tael of silver. Starting tomorrow, let Sister Qiaoe here for a lesson every three days. sses will be held in the evening, starting at 7 p.m and ending at the end of 9 p.m.¡±


    The visitor was overjoyed! ¡°Thank you, teacher. Coming in the evening is convenient for picking up and dropping off, indeed.¡±


    After some small talk, the visitor left happily with the remaining silver.<div>


    The next evening, just as it was getting dark, he brought Sister Qiao over. She was indeed beautiful, but she liked to look at people out the corner of her eye, which made her seem quite arrogant!


    Liu Sisi sighed inwardly, thinking that such a temperament, once married into a wealthy family, would surely cause her future troubles.


    She didn¡¯t avoid the others around, and carefully asked Sister Qiao about her literacy progress, taught some theoretical knowledge, and assigned brushstroke practice. The two-hour lesson ended quickly.


    ¡°Is this all for tonight? The price is so high for just teaching this little bit? Teacher, please teach me more! I paid a high education gift, and you shouldn¡¯t hide any tricks!¡± Sister Qiao¡¯s witty words were quite impressive.


    Liu Sisi looked at her indifferently, continuing to tidy up the materials on the table.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°If you think that my lesson today isn¡¯t worth the education gift you paid, you can take it back. I will pretend that nothing has happened.¡±


    Sister Qiao¡¯s face changed colors, and she clenched her lips and remained silent.


    ¡°But if you choose to stay and don¡¯t meet my requirements, don¡¯t me me for punishing you with a heavy stick. Also, remember what I said before: in three days, submit yourpleted homework.¡±


    After Liu Sisi spoke, she paid no attention to Sister Qiao¡¯s changing expressions and directly picked up her books and left the hall.


    There weren¡¯t enough rooms in Di Family¡¯s house, so Liu Sisi thought it through and decided the hall was the most suitable ce for teaching. She had cleaned it in advance and had lit several stoves for heating right after dinner.


    She didn¡¯t know how or when Sister Qiao left the hall, but when she returnedter, she found that the education gift she left in the hall¡¯s corner had not been taken away, making Liu Sisi frown slightly.<div>


    Sister Qiao¡¯s personalityas Di Yelei¡¯s first student made it hard for him to enjoy anything!


    The next day, she went to Gan Mansion and had a meal after giving Gan Miaoruo her lesson, and then went to the bookstore with her.


    ¡°Teacher, Brother Nan doesn¡¯t care about me at all. Ruo Ruo tried her best to please him, but he still finds me annoying. What should I do?¡±


    Gan Miaoruo was distraught.


    Today, Gan Miaoruo was wearing a snow-white, floor-length fox fur shawl that wrapped almost all of her small face. She was holding a colorful oil-paper umbre with a red base and a beautiful magpie perching on a plum tree picture. Light snow fell on the two of them, quickly umting a thickyer.


    Several followers trailed at a distance behind them.


    Liu Sisi looked back and, as expected, met Di Yelei¡¯s gaze, felt a warmth in her heart and quickly looked away.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it simple? Just do the opposite.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled lightly: ¡°Since he doesn¡¯t like you trying to please him, you might as well distance yourself from him. Maybe then he¡¯ll realize your worth.¡±


    ¡°Really? Can this method be effective?¡±


    Gan Miaoruo¡¯s face was excited.<div>


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°It¡¯s hard to say if it¡¯s effective. However, it¡¯s mostly likely not. But Ruo Ruo, don¡¯t you feel tired up to this point? If so, why not learn to let go? Losing him, would you really be so sad?¡±


    While speaking, they had already arrived near the bookstore.


    She looked back at Ruo Ruo, who was holding her paper umbre and looking troubled not far behind her, and then pushed open the door and walked in.


    A warm aura rushed towards her, making Liu Sisi involuntarily take a long breath, and covered her hands that had already frozen and lost feeling.


    When Liu Sisi sat down to check the ounts, Gan Miaoruozily slumped beside her, her eyes wandering aimlessly.


    At the moment, there was another waiter at the bookstore. This waiter was none other than Miao Cuihua¡¯s husband, Shou Hou.


    Shou Hou started working the day after YingEr¡¯s engagement ceremony, when Miao Cuihua found Liu Sisi and asked her to help find a job for her husband. Liu Sisi initially wanted to refuse because of Miao Cuihua¡¯s past bullying, but the bookstore was understaffed and it was inconvenient for Di Cheng to walk, so she took the initiative to hire him with a monthly sry of 500 copper coins.


    A monthly sry of 500 copper coins may not seem like much, but to a waiter in a small town, it is a very high price!


    Miao Cuihua was naturally overjoyed and thanked her repeatedly. The next day, Shou Hou started work.


    ¡°Teacher, I¡¯ve thought about it. I¡¯ll do as you say!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo suddenly said something beside her.


    ¡°What?¡± Liu Sisi replied casually.


    Gan Miaoruo clenched her small fists: ¡°I¡¯m going to give up on him. Although I¡¯m reluctant to, as you said, if I continue to cling to him, he¡¯ll only hate me more.¡± Her voice was sobbing.

 Chapter 280: 278: A Crouched Figure!

    Chapter 280: 278: A Crouched Figure!<div>


    Liu Sisi put down the ount book in her hand.


    Looking at the teary-eyed Ruo Ruo, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh softly as she held her close.


    ¡°You silly little thing, you¡¯re still so young, how could you give up a whole forest for a small nt that doesn¡¯t care about you?¡±<div>


    ¡°But¡­ I just can¡¯t let go of him¡­¡±


    Her words were muffled,ced with sobs as she burrowed deeper into her embrace.


    ¡°You¡¯re still young, by the time you truly let go in the future and you look back at now, you¡¯llugh at yourself and think how silly you were for being so infatuated with him. He is not that special, so not worth your time. So silly!¡± sheforted softly, patting her shoulder.


    ¡°I am silly! Sob¡­ I feel especially silly now, sob sob sob¡­¡±


    Gan Miaoruo continued to sob.


    Her crying attracted the attention of all the people inside and outside the shop. Even Di Yelei and Di Cheng couldn¡¯t help bute over twice, but when they saw Liu Sisi shake her head at them, they hastily retreated.


    She buried herself deeper into Liu Sisi¡¯s embrace, her crying gradually receding after a while.


    ¡°After the New Year, you, Ruo Ruo, will be turning ten. You¡¯re bing a big girl, but still crying? Aren¡¯t you afraid of beingughed at?¡±


    Speaking softly, Liu Sisi picked up a handkerchief and gently wiped the tears off her face.


    ¡°Hehe, teacher, Ruo Ruo is almost ten years old. Time flies so fast.¡±


    Gan Miaoruo let out a chuckle, a snot bubble erupting from her nose. Quickly, she rummaged for her handkerchief to wipe it off. After a while of fixing herself up, she managed to regain herposure.<div>


    Despite her reddened eyes, she looked even more energetic.


    ¡°Teacher, be honest with Ruo Ruo, did you never think that my feelings for Brother Nan would work out from the start?¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed! Could she say that she never really had high hopes?


    ¡°Silly girl, you¡¯re still so young. How could you understand what love is¡­¡±


    ¡°No! You and Brother Nan, you always think that because Ruo Ruo is young, she doesn¡¯t understand love. But Ruo Ruo does understand, she knows! You never gave Ruo Ruo a chance, a chance to prove that what Ruo Ruo says is all true. You¡­¡±


    Gan Miaoruo¡¯s words wereden with sorrow, tears welling up in her eyes again.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, when the teacher says you don¡¯t understand love, she means that everyone¡¯s perception of love is different. However, someone once said this! What is love? Love is when you can see through my bad temperament and shorings, yet still tolerate me with grace. Love is when two people fear losing each other after a quarrel, and both take a step back to apologise. Love is when your eyes can only hold me, and when you care for me by wrapping a coat around me on a chilly day. Simple yet persistent, peaceful and tender, that¡¯s true love.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely not like your persistence, chasing an illusion that never once turns around to nce at you¡­¡±


    Gan Miaoruo shook her head, stubbornly refusing to let her tears fall.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    ¡°So the teacher says, you don¡¯t understand love because love needs to be based on mutual affection. What you have can at most be considered an unrequited love.¡±<div>


    ¡°Unrequited love, huh¡­ that it is¡­¡±


    Gan Miaoruo became lost in her memories, still silent when evening came and it was time to leave.


    In the following days, as Dahan Major Cold grew closer, the snowfall grew heavier. Gan Miaoruo gave Di Yelei some time off, asking Liu Sisi to hibernate for winter and not to go to the Gan Mansion until after the snow had stopped.


    Thinking about Gan Miaoruo¡¯s depressed look, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t insist on working.


    It was rare that both Liu Sisi and Di Yelei were at home leisurely. Di Yelei started a bonfire and added stoves to each corner of the house; the family gathered around the fire to cook some mutton soup.


    This mutton was actually from a yellow goat which Di Yelei hunted some days back. Liu Sisi cleaned the meat with hot water, cut it into fist-sized pieces, and directly ced it into the stove above the bonfire.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Mom! Don¡¯t just add meat, YingEr wants to eat some vegetables too.¡±


    The little Ying beside was adamantly saying so.


    ¡°Alright! I will add some vegetables¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi said joyfully, turned around to pick some vegetables, only to discover that they were all eaten up.


    ¡°Ye Lei, do we have any vegetables left in the kitchen? Ye Lei¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi instinctively called out.


    ¡°Mom, I saw dad went out quite a while ago, and he hasn¡¯te back yet.¡±


    Xuan¡¯er reading a book beside, said so.


    ¡°Really? Why did he go out in this heavy snow?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked uncertainly, but without much thought, she headed towards the kitchen.


    Di Xuan looked at her back, took back the words he was about to say. He had seen his dad grabbing a bow and arrow and leaving the house, probably heading to the hills to catch those silly rabbits.


    In such heavy snow, the paths are difficult to tread, but the same goes for the animals. Many a time, lucky are those who find a frozen wild pheasant on the snow-coverednd, and there were times when the silly rabbits running around would directly bump into people¡¯s arms.


    Therefore, hunting is best during heavy snowfall but is also the most dangerous!


    One carelessness might get you buried in the umted snow.


    Di Xuan frowned and subconsciously clenched the book in his hand. Dad will definitely return safe and sound!


    Liu Sisi went to the kitchen once and found the baby bok choy was all used up. There were still some bean sprouts, but not much left. Simrly, the chinese chives were being eaten faster than they could grow. It seems she will have to go check near the stable¡¯s roof, maybe the baby bok choy is still alive there.


    She put on her coat, gloves, carried a straw coat on her back, wore a bamboo hat, picked up a bamboo basket, and went out with a sickle.


    As soon as she opened the door, a wave of fierce cold wind blew directly into her mouth and nose, causing her to hold her breath instinctively. Once she adapted, she hurried towards the direction of the stable.


    The stable was another warm ce in the Di family house. Di Yelei had dug an underfloor heating system underneath the stable, so as soon as she stepped out, it was easy to notice how little snow was umted on the roof here.


    She carefully stepped out of the door, and her feet sank into the snow making her shiver from the chill.


    The sound of her boots pressing into the snow echoed.


    The courtyard was cleaned of snow in the morning, but it seems that a thickyer had umted again. It was undoubtedly a heavy snowfall.


    Fighting with all the difficulties, Liu Sisi finally reached the stable, where she hoped to find some baby bok choy. A cursory nce brought a smile on her face! A very few baby bok choy were still stubbornly surviving in bamboo tubes around the stable. Its green color was indeed delightful.


    Liu Sisi happily harvested the baby bok choy one by one.


    It seemed that the jujube red horse in the stable was very restless, restlessly snorting repeatedly. Her curious eyes cast a nce inside the stable, and she was immediately stunned.


    In the dark corner of the stable, there was a curled up figure!

 Chapter 281: 279: Another Mom

    Chapter 281: 279: Another Mom<div>


    Due to the darkness inside, it was impossible to see the figure clearly.


    Liu Sisi instinctively called out, ¡°Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua!¡±


    But the two alert hounds didn¡¯t respond at all!<div>


    Subconsciously, Liu Sisi walked a few steps closer to the doghouse, only to find it empty with no trace of the two hounds!


    Pitter-patter!


    The jujube red horse suddenly neighed impatiently, pacing restlessly.


    Looking at the dark figure, it seemed not very tall, and it seemed to be a woman. Liu Sisi mustered up her courage, carefully circled around the jujube red horse, and slowly approached the figure¡­..


    The figure seemed to sense someoneing in and suddenly moved, startling Liu Sisi!


    She immediately retreated a few steps, almost getting her foot stepped on by the jujube red horse¡¯s hoof, but fortunately, she dodged in time!


    Leaning against the wooden railing on the edge of the stable, Liu Sisi patted her chest, still shaken, and realized that the person had changed positions and was now slumped in the corner of the wall, seemingly deep asleep.


    She took a closer look and, gathering her courage, approached the figure again.


    ¡°Hey! Who are you? How did you get into my home?¡±


    Liu Sisi called out softly.


    The other party slept soundly without any response.<div>


    Liu Sisi repeated her words, but the other party still didn¡¯t react.


    ¡°Hey! Can¡¯t you hear me talking?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice.


    The other party seemed to be in difort, shifting their head and groaning softly, but still not answering.


    Liu Sisi was starting to get angry!


    She thought this might be someone who sneaked in to steal the horse but got injured by the jujube red horse and couldn¡¯t move, so they hid in here.


    With that in mind, she immediately became furious.


    ¡°Hey! You horse thief, why don¡¯t you speak up? If you don¡¯t talk, I¡¯ll call someone to tie you up and send you to the authorities!¡±


    Stealing a government-owned horse could result in at least two years of imprisonment, which no ordinary person would want to go through.


    It seemed like the other party was determined not to talk to Liu Sisi and didn¡¯t say a word.


    Liu Sisi grew angrier!<div>


    She reached out and yanked at his clothes, ¡°Hey! Why won¡¯t you talk? Don¡¯t think you can just y dead¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, the other party suddenly fell towards her¡­¡­


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey! ¡ª What are you doing? Move away! Believe it or not, I¡¯ll tie you up right now and¡­ Huh?¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, she met the gaze of a familiar face!


    Her words got stuck in her throat, and her eyes widened as she stared at the face, a face she seemed to have seen somewhere before.


    She couldn¡¯t help but reach out a trembling hand, slowly touching the face in front of her.


    Brushing aside the messy hair on her face, Liu Sisi was instantly stunned by the face before her and fell to the ground with a thud!


    She seemed unable to breathe, but after a moment, she suddenly caught her breath and couldn¡¯t contain her shock any longer. She screamed out loud.


    ¡°Ah! ¡ª¡ª¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A flurry of footsteps came from the inner room¡­


    Early this morning, Di Yelei sneaked off to the mountain.<div>


    Although the heavy snow had sealed off the mountain, he could move freely since he was familiar with the terrain.


    Even though the two hounds seldom went hunting, they had a natural instinct, and after hunting a few times with Di Yelei, they could cooperate well and move freely.


    At the moment, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua were only nine months old, but they were already as big as ordinary adult dogs, weighing around 44 to 55 pounds. They not only looked strong and majestic, but their glossy and dense fur provided them with the best warmth, so they could enjoy themselves in the snow without being affected by the cold.


    Walking in the snowy mountains was a technical task, but it couldn¡¯t stop Di Yelei¡¯s pace at all.


    This year¡¯s heavy snow seemed to be thicker than any other year, with the thickyer of umted snow reaching up to his knees. In his memory, the deepest snow in previous years only reached his calves.


    He climbed severalrge mountains in a row, and the harvest was particrly rich; arge pile of game piled on the simple sled he dragged behind him.


    Many unprepared animals were forced toe out and forage due to the severe cold, but a considerable number were also trapped by the heavy snow.


    Looking back at the game on the sled, he felt very satisfied as he hurried home.


    The two hounds couldn¡¯t help but frolic, panting heavily, and barking from time to time.


    When he passed by the ce where he usually set traps, he took a detour and searched, eventually finding a few more game animals that had been frozen stiff in the traps.


    Most importantly, he discovered numerous adult wild boar footprints around the traps and found a piglet in one of the traps.


    The piglet had only suffered a few minor injuries but was quite strong. Judging from the traces on the edge of the trap, the boar family must have been starving before they went out foraging. The piglet had identally fallen into the trap, and after the adult wild boars¡¯ failed rescue attempt, they had reluctantly left.


    It took him quite a bit of effort to lift the piglet out of the trap and directly throw it onto the sled.


    Although it was just a piglet, it weighed dozens of pounds. Today could really be considered a great harvest!


    Just as he was dragging the sled back home, he suddenly heard Ah-Hua barking wildly. Di Yelei looked up and saw Ah-Hua uprooting a turkey from the snow like pulling up a radish and, wagging its tail, running towards him.


    Di Yelei was delighted!


    ¡°Ah-Hua, well done!¡±


    He took the turkey from Ah-Hua¡¯s mouth, tied it up, and put it on the sled, then patted Ah-Hua¡¯s head to encourage her before heading back home.


    By the time he reached home, the day had darkened.


    Looking at the chimney with cooking smokeing out, he felt uneasy. Did Sisi know that he had gone up the mountain? Would she be angry when she saw him return?


    Feeling anxious, he hesitated to enter the door but couldn¡¯t stop the two hounds from barking and wagging their tails for their aplishments.


    There was no sound inside.


    Di Yelei dragged the sled into the courtyard, and immediately heard the long snorting sound of the jujube red horse.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, I¡¯m back!¡±


    Di Yelei spoke while unloading the game from the sled, intending to take it to the kitchen.


    Along with his voice, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua barked happily, wagging their tails.


    In the house, there was suddenly a burst of footsteps. Xuan¡¯er, with a panicked face, rushed out of the room. Seeing Di Yelei, she hurriedly trotted over.


    ¡°Dad! Something happened at home! Mom¡­Mom went to find Mr. Land Officer!¡±


    Di Yelei was startled, subconsciously stopping the work in his hands: ¡°Why did your mother go to find Mr. Land Officer?¡±


    Could it be that something had happened at the old house again? Or was she angry that he had secretly gone to the mountain and went to Uncle Land Officer toin?


    Di Xuan stomped anxiously: ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s another mom, that mom! ¡­¡±


    Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone. Hugs from Craft Paper.

 Chapter 282: 280: The Land Officer’s Trial

    Chapter 282: 280: The Land Officer¡¯s Trial<div>


    At Mr. Land Officer¡¯s home.


    For some reason, either due to the winter cat or something else, Mr. Land Officer¡¯s house had gathered many vigers. Everyone stood quietly on the side, whispering to each other endlessly.


    At the superior position, Mr. Land Officer and his wife were sitting on top, whispering to each other quietly.<div>


    Liu Sisi was sitting on the chair at the top left, her face a mix of green and white, pursing her lips, saying nothing.


    In her arms, a petite figure curled up, just lurking there in her embrace, motionless.


    People in the room, but no one opened their mouths to speak.


    The suffocating atmosphere of depression spread incessantly!


    The increasingly oppressive atmosphere coupled with Liu Sisi¡¯s iron cyan face made it even more difficult for the people at the scene to speak.


    When Di Yelei came striding in from outside, he saw the current situation before his eyes.


    As soon as he appeared at the door, he immediately attracted the eyes of everyone in the room.


    He instinctively faltered, checking his clothes.


    Only when he found nothing unusual, he quickly walked in front of Land Officer to pay his respects: ¡°Uncle Land Officer¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Di, the third youngster, right? Sit, sit down and talk!¡±


    Before Di Yelei finished speaking, Land Officer waved his hand with a headache, and again covered his forehead.<div>


    Di Yelei hurriedly made a fist greeting, and then sat down next to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    He asked in a low and careful voice.


    Liu Sisi raised her head to look at him, lowered her head again, and said nothing.


    ¡°Sisi, hurry up and speak! What the hell is going on? If you tell me, I can help you too.¡± Di Yelei was extremely anxious.


    ¡°Help what? You can help by sitting on the side.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Liu Sisi directly drove him away.


    ¡°You? ¡­¡±


    Di Yelei obviously hadn¡¯t expected Liu Sisi to say this. His face was amazed.


    Lowering his head, he only then realized the figure curled up in her arms. He looked at the person from the left to the right: ¡°Who is this? How are you¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop asking!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi¡¯s voice rose by an octave, with inexplicable harshness.


    But it really made Di Yelei stunned!


    Sisi actually yelled at him! This was really surprising!


    ¡°Alright, alright¡­I won¡¯t ask anymore, you¡­¡±


    Di Yelei wanted to speak again, but was red at by Liu Sisi fiercely, and quickly stopped talking, and sat aside in ackluster manner.


    The scene regained its quietness.


    Di Yelei¡¯s heart was like a little kitten scratching in it, extremely anxious. The feeling of being the only one left in the dark by everyone was really bad.


    ¡°Old Man Li is here!¡±


    At the doorway, someone shouted. The people in the whole room buzzed and discussed it.


    ¡°He¡¯s here! Old Man Li is here!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what he has to say, this shameless one, who can even do such ungrateful things.¡±<div>


    ¡°He¡¯s so shameless! He should be expelled from the Upper Vige by Mr. Land Officer, which is simply a disgrace to our Upper Vige!¡±


    ¡°Someone like him should be skinned alive, and if his cheap life is spared, God knows how many people he¡¯ll hurt¡­¡±


    Apanied by the voices of the crowd, Liu Sisi also raised her head, ring at the doorway of the house.


    And the person lurking in her arms couldn¡¯t help shrinking, and moved even more into Liu Sisi¡¯s embrace.


    Old Man Li¡¯s figure finally appeared at the door.


    But before he appeared, the cursing voice came.


    ¡°Let go! Let go, I tell you guys, if you bump into me, be careful that I¡¯ll eat at your house every day!¡±


    There he was, Old Di, dangling from the arms of two tall vigers, both left and right, his feet kicking in mid-air constantly: ¡°Let go, you disrespectful offspring¡­ow! ¡­¡±


    Thump!


    The two men holding him didn¡¯t care about his roaring, they just threw him in front of Mr. Land Officer, and he fell clumsily.


    ¡°Haha¡­¡­it serves him right!¡±


    ¡°Spit! What the hell is this? Respecting the elderly too, are you worthy?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so shameless, he really should be beaten to death¡­¡±


    The vigersughed, pointing at Old Man Li who was rolling and making a scene in the center.


    Old Man Li struggled for quite a while, and finally barely managed to get up from the ground. He spat a mouthful of mud, right onto a bunch of mocking faces.


    ¡°Spit! Spit!-You bunch of damn beasts! Be careful when I, Old Man Di, strike it rich one day, I¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°When you strike it rich, what are you going to do?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Suddenly a cold voice came from behind him. Old Man Li shivered, instinctively turned his head and looked back, and his anger suddenly deted.


    ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Land Officer, why are you here?¡±


    Mr. Land Officer raised his hand and heavily pped it on the small table beside him. The teacup on the small table immediately turned over, and it jumped wildly on the small table, eventually rolling off the small table and falling on the ground, making a ¡°pop¡± sound.


    Suddenly, the boiling tea and the fragments of the teacup scattered all over.


    ¡°Ouch! ¡­It burns¡­it hurts like hell!¡±


    The hot teacup sshed right onto Old Man Li¡¯s hands which were crouched on the ground. It scalded him and made him jump!


    Land Officer¡¯s beard was bristling with anger!


    ¡°You know that it¡¯s hot? You know it hurts! I thought you were already a dead man without any feelings! I¡¯ve been protecting you and remembering you! Thinking about the many years we¡¯ve been fellow vigers, I left you some face. But what happened? You went and lost all my face¡­¡±


    As he spoke, his right hand kept pping the table, his face changing color with anger, his lips trembling non-stop.


    Old Man Li shrank on the ground, neither speaking nor exining. The only thing moving were his old, yellow eyes, swirling in their sockets.


    This only made Mr. Land Officer angrier!


    He angrily walked up to Old Man Li, trembled as he raised the crutch in his hand and hit him: ¡± I¡¯ll beat you to death, you disrespectful old thing! I¡¯ll kill you, shameless old immortal! I¡¯ll hit you, you constant wrongdoer¡­.¡±


    Mr. Land Officer was truly angry. He was not merciful in his strike at all. Only on the first hit, Old Man Li¡¯s forehead was bleeding.


    ¡°Stop hitting him! Stop hitting him! If you hit him anymore, someone will die¡­¡±


    Old Man Li was wailing loudly, constantly protecting his head. Rolling on the ground, he waspletely without any dignity.


    Mr. Land Officer was panting heavily from hitting him, and he could hardly stand steady.


    The cheers from the nearby crowd were endless. Everyone kept pointing andughing at Old Man Li, who was tumbling and making a fuss in the center.


    ¡°Enough! Whether it¡¯s hitting or cursing! Whether it¡¯s true or a y for me to watch! The one who should be judged should be duly judged. If you continue to drag it on, it won¡¯t solve the problem. Mr. Land Officer, don¡¯t you think¡­ that¡¯s the point?¡±


    A voice came suddenly from the diagonal, and the speaker was none other than Liu Sisi who had been sitting at the top left side!

 Chapter 283: 281: Land Officer Continuing the Trial

    Chapter 283: 281: Land Officer Continuing the Trial<div>


    Mr. Land Officer hesitated as he lifted his crutch, stunned that Liu Sisi would openly expose him, undaunted by his prominence.


    Hispulsion to immediately assert his authority when Elderly Mr. Di first arrived was indeed somewhat biased.


    As he had previously stated, Elderly Mr. Di, despite all his faults, was someone he had known since childhood. Seeing Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s downfall today, even if it was his own doing, still gave him a pang of regret.<div>


    He thought of Old Man Li, childless and alone, his family line severed.


    As the Land Officer, he felt an obligation to provide some measure of protection. But he hadn¡¯t expected this despicable man tomit such a disturbing act.


    Where was he, the Land Officer, supposed to show his face now?


    Especially when it was so publicly pointed out like this, insinuating he was harboring a bias! Heaven knows he had only been impartial twice in total¡­n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    As these thoughts winded through his mind, the corner of his mouth involuntarily twitched. His crutchnded a solid blow on Elderly Mr. Di.


    ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death, you old beast. Confess to everything you¡¯ve done!¡±


    Out of breath afternding the blow, he stood panting heavily to the side.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­!¡±


    Old Man Li let out a piteous scream!


    There was nothing fake about this scream. He instinctively clutched at his back, the pain preventing him from uttering another word.


    Mr. Land Officer, shaky and tremulous, turned around and leaned on his crutch, returning to his seat. Then he turned and looked at Liu Sisi again.<div>


    ¡°Sisi, this Old Man Li certainly is a good-for-nothing. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and say the rest, okay?¡±


    A appeasing smile appeared on Mr. Land Officer¡¯s face.


    Liu Sisi nced at him indifferently, her gaze brushed past him without a hint of response.


    Her gaze was as tranquil as a frozen bay, her voice deep and reserved.


    ¡°Old Man Li, look behind you. Do you recognize her?¡±


    This question caught Old Man Li by surprise, making him instinctively turn his head only to meet the figure in Liu Sisi¡¯s arms. He inhaled sharply, his gaze darting around.


    ¡°Wh-what? Why would I know her! Liu Sisi, don¡¯t you dare nder me!¡±


    Old Man Li blustered!


    The corners of Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes narrowed into a devious smile, a storm brewing within. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t recognize her, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I naturally don¡¯t recognize her!¡±


    Old Man Li obstinately straightened his back, his beady eyes spinning rapidly!<div>


    ¡°Oh? But I heard that you found a woman to bear your child not long ago. Is there any truth to that?¡±


    Her eyes narrowed, her face was a beaming smile yet every word she spoke was squeezed through gritted teeth.


    ¡°What? That¡¯s nonsense! There¡¯s absolutely no truth to that!¡±


    Old Man Li fervently shook his hands, making gestures akin to a wind-blown drum.


    At this point, all he could do was adamantly deny it.


    Liu Sisi sneered, turning to the pair of vigers who had earlier helped catch Old Man Li. ¡°Gentlemen, did you notice anything unusual inside Old Man Li¡¯s house when you caught him?¡±


    The two men exchanged looks before answering, ¡°Old Man Li¡¯s house was very untidy. There were signs of someone being tied down on the bed, and the room¡­ the room had an odd, pungent smell¡­¡±


    Before they could finish, Liu Sisi suddenly swung around, angrily confronting Old Man Li.


    ¡°Do you still deny it? Shall we search your house for evidence to see if you¡¯ve been capturing and binding people up?¡±


    Seeing his ruse exposed, Old Man Li decided to double down. He jumped up from the ground, defiant.


    ¡°So what if I have? The woman¡¯s husband signed freely into a binding contract with me! Come on! Let¡¯s see who¡¯s afraid of whom! You there!¡±<div>


    He pointed at the woman in Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve! You even dared to knock me out and escape! All of this happening is your doing, you slut! Run! Flee! I want to see how far you can run! Even if you do manage to escape, you¡¯d still be retrieved and punished with beatings!¡±


    ¡°Bastard! Old Man Li, did you let a dog eat your sense of decency, integrity and honor?!¡±


    Liu Sisi, filled with hatred, picked up the tea water from her side and flung it at him.


    ¡°Ah! You bitch! Worthless trash! Liu Zhi¡¯er, Liu Sisi, all of you sisters are nothing but whores!¡±


    Old Man Li roared in anger, ¡°Decency, integrity, and honor be damned! From the moment I, Old Man Li, lost my family line, I gave up on those. Liu Sisi, in this lifetime, it¡¯s either you or me!¡±


    ¡°You lunatic! When Big Mouth Li broke into my house to steal and tried to take revenge, he was killed by Sun Ergou. What the hell does that have to do with me, Liu Sisi? Only a deranged man like you wouldtch onto someone and bite indiscriminately! The reason you treat me this way is simply because you see me, Liu Sisi, as weak, and easy to bully! Big Mouth Li, I¡¯m telling you, today, you will pay for your misdeeds!¡±


    The fury within Liu Sisi was rampant, she emphasized every word.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡­ Liu Sisi, don¡¯t you think everyone fears you just because your Di family is now influential! I, Old Man Li, am not scared! You are all opportunistic, climbing the socialdder on the back of my Big Mouth¡¯s death!¡±


    The more Old Man Li spoke, the more defiant he became, his excitement escting.


    ¡°Liu Sisi! Even if you have the abilities to move heaven and earth, so what? This woman is mine, her husband rented her to me, Old Man Li! There¡¯s written proof, it¡¯s all there, what right do you have to take her away? Haha¡­¡±


    The arrogant and crazyughter of Old Man Li echoed endlessly.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face turned white with fury!


    ¡°You heartless devil! You disrespectful old bastard! Is this your way of finding a woman to bear your child? Look at how he¡¯s been torturing my second sister! This is tant abuse! Old Man Li, you deserve to die, you bastard!¡±


    While she spoke, she lifted the arm of the figure in her arms, rolling up her sleeve to reveal an arm covered in horrific injuries.


    The arm was peppered with new woundsyered over old ones, a dense collection of grotesque gashes. It was a stark contrast to the delicate white hand that held it.


    Most important of all, a putrid stench emanated from the arm, a sure sign of an infected wound that had not received necessary care, festering and continuously oozing pus.


    ¡°Old Man Li, this is the sin you¡¯vemitted! Take a good look. This pitiful woman in front of you has been tortured like this by you, a heartless and insane creature!¡±


    ¡°No! I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t take it anymore!¡­ Please, have mercy on me¡­ It hurts, it hurts so much! Ahhh!¡±


    The woman, who had previously been quietly nestled in Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, suddenly began to scream and shout. Her shrill cries startled everyone around.


    The crowd was buzzing, everyone was pointing their fingers at Old Man Li and denouncing him.

 Chapter 284: 282: Mr. Land Officer Continuing the Trial

    Chapter 284: 282: Mr. Land Officer Continuing the Trial<div>


    ¡°Scold me all you want! It won¡¯t make me lose a single piece of meat!¡±


    Old Man Li was stillughing in the face of everyone¡¯s furious cursing: ¡°Ever since Big Mouth died, I¡¯ve had no reason to live. Liu Sisi, do you know? Everything that could make you suffer, I wanted to do! Isn¡¯t she your Second Sister? I learned about it long ago, so I set her as the target!¡±


    ¡°You bastard! Old Man Li, you won¡¯t have a good death!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi was too angry to speak.


    ¡°Haha! ¡­ You¡¯re always saying I¡¯m terrible! But if she could survive the trials and withstand the tribtions, could I have signed the surrogacy contract? All I did was take the two taels of silver you gave me and added one more. I promised him that after everything went well, I would give him another five taels of silver. Sure enough, the man couldn¡¯t resist the temptation and immediately agreed to my request.¡±


    Old Man Li had a smug look on his face: ¡°You guys were right! I, Old Man Li, indeed cannot seed anymore! But what I want is to slowly y with her, to vent all the anger that should have been on you onto her. Liu Sisi, you killed my Big Mouth, so I¡¯ll harm your Second Sister to atone for Big Mouth!¡±


    ¡°Old Man Li! You¡¯re a heartless and insane bastard!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was green with anger.


    The figure who had been burying her head in herp slowly raised her head.


    Her hair was messy, and her eyes were wide open, unblinking as they stared firmly at Old Man Li.


    ¡°No more! Don¡¯t hit me, don¡¯t, don¡¯t hit me¡­ Ah! ¡ªHelp me! ¡­¡±


    She suddenly screamed and furiously pounced on Old Man Li.


    ¡°It¡¯s you, this undying old man who¡¯s harmed me! You rotten corpse, kill him, kill him, kill him, you bastard ¡­¡±


    Not only did she curse, but she also bit fiercely with her teeth, mping onto Old Man Li¡¯s arm.<div>


    Old Man Li¡¯s eyes bulged out, obviously not expecting this gentle and meek woman to suddenly go mad.


    A momentter, he began to struggle to push her off: ¡°Let go! You crazy woman¡­. Ah! ¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and separate them!¡±


    Seeing everyone watching the scene as if it were a good show, Mr. Land Officer hurriedly instructed them to step forward, grab the two people¡¯s arms, and forcibly separate them.


    Finally, the woman was dragged away from Old Man Li by the crowd, but she suddenly opened her mouth wide,ughing madly.


    ¡°Hahaha! ¡­¡±


    Her gaping mouth still held a piece of bloody flesh, and blood was trickling down as sheughed¡­


    Her gaze was fixed straight on Old Man Li, her creepyughter echoing through every corner of the room, causing everyone present to instinctively take a few steps back.


    Is this person¡­ already mad?


    ¡°You, you crazy woman!¡±


    Old Man Li was only scared at this moment! He almost passed out from the pain of having a piece of flesh bitten off.<div>


    Arge piece of blood-stained flesh was missing from his arm, and he was gushing blood, soon forming arge puddle on the ground.


    ¡°Hahaha ¡­ I will bite you to death!¡±


    The woman suddenly struggled, breaking free from the hands of the two people and rushing back to Old Man Li¡¯s side, mping her teeth around Old Man Li¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Ah! Help! ¡ª¡±


    It was only at this moment that Old Man Li truly felt fear!


    This crazy woman had just bitten off a piece of flesh from his arm, and now she had her teeth around his neck. If she bit down like that ¡­


    At the thought, he began to struggle fiercely.


    He could not imagine that a usually gentle and weak little woman could suddenly erupt with such a tremendous force!


    He struggled in vain, feeling waves of severe pain in his throat. His vision blurred, then darkened, and sparks danced in front of his eyes.


    His eyes started to roll back, he was about to die¡­


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±<div>


    Suddenly, he felt the pressure on his neck loosen, and a mouthful of fresh air entered his lungs. He breathed greedily, coughing violently.


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­¡± Coughing almost to the point of expelling his lungs.


    Only then did he realize that the crazy woman had actually been knocked out by Di Yelei¡¯s hand dagger.


    Di Yelei swiftly picked up the woman and ced her in Liu Sisi¡¯s arms.


    ¡°You! Why did you knock her out? Are you helping me or helping outsiders?¡±


    Liu Sisi was furious. What on earth was this annoying Di Yelei trying to do?


    ¡°Sisi, if you trust me, let me handle this. It will be much easier than if you handle it yourself, okay?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were bright and confident.


    Liu Sisi pursed her lips and finally looked at the crowd, including Old Man Li, who was cursing and swearing on the side. She then held the woman in her arms tighter.


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll leave this matter to you. If you can¡¯t satisfy me¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but everyone understood her meaning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Di Yelei smiled confidently, then turned to face the crowd.


    ¡°Elderly Mr. Di, ording to the currentws of the Great Zhao, you¡¯re trafficking people without government permission, so I¡¯m detaining you for three months and fining you ten taels of silver. Of course, if you think I¡¯m wronging you, you can appeal to Lord County Magistrate when you¡¯re in jail. Now, I¡¯ll arrest you ording to thew!¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he suddenly took out a chain from behind and grabbed Old Man Li, wrapping it around his neck and tying him up tightly.


    ¡°Di Yelei! You¡¯re taking revenge publicly! I will report you to the County Magistrate!¡±


    Old Man Li yelled in panic.


    But Di Yelei suddenly gave a chilling smile, showing his white teeth.


    ¡°Feel free to try. If I remember correctly, when you first left the county government, the County Magistrate told you to take care of yourself. It seems you¡¯ve forgotten. Get up and go!¡± Di Yelei quickly pushed him forward.


    The chain rattled loudly, sounding particrly chilling.


    This was the first time Liu Sisi had seen Di Yelei handle a case.


    She instinctively widened her eyes.


    Everything that followed seemed to be happening in a dream!


    What seemed like a difficult situation to her was actually resolved by Di Yelei in just a few words!


    Zhang Peng also ran over quickly, wearing a constable¡¯s uniform and holding a big de in his hand. As he stood in front of the crowd, Old Man Li was frightened.


    ¡°Ye Lei, should we send Old Man Li to the county government now or tomorrow?¡±


    Zhang Peng looked up at the sky; it was already dark and heavy snow was falling outside. If they really sent him to the county government now, he would probably freeze into an icicle before he even got there.


    ¡°Keep him somewhere for the night, and we¡¯ll send him to the government office tomorrow morning.¡±


    Di Yelei nced at Old Man Li. It wasn¡¯t worth risking one¡¯s life for someone like him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Elder Sister will be discharged from the hospital the day after tomorrow. The updates in the recent days have been less in word count. Please be understanding. Once she is out, I will immediately resume updating with longer word counts.

 Chapter 285: 283: Discussing the Initial Situation

    Chapter 285: 283: Discussing the Initial Situation<div>


    At the foot of the mountain at night, the heavy snow continued to fall.


    The nket of snow enveloped the earth in a thickyer of silver.


    Di Family had lit fire stoves in every corner, warming up the entire room.<div>


    However, Liu Sisi felt a chilling cold in her heart.


    At the moment, she was sitting by the bed, carefully holding the hand of the person who was still unconscious in bed. Seeing the body wrapped almost entirely in gauze, even the exposed fingers were bruised and bloody, a wave of bitterness spread in her eyes.


    The woman in bed did not wake up, but even in her unconscious state, her body asionally convulsed and shivered as if a rag doll was dangling at the head of the bed.


    Di Yelei silently entered the room and gently ced the soup medicine on the bedside table. Only then did he approach Liu Sisi.


    ¡°How is she? Did she wake up?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi looked up at him and shook her head in silence.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. You haven¡¯t eaten yet. Let¡¯s eat something first to fill our stomachs, then we can talk about other things. Your body can¡¯t take this,¡± Ye Lei said and gently patted her shoulder.


    Liu Sisi felt a wave of heat rising, the corners of her eyes suddenly reddening. Turning around, she buried her head in Di Yelei¡¯s arms and quietly cried.


    ¡°Ye Lei! She¡¯s my Second Sister. Although I don¡¯t remember her, I knew she was my Second Sister the moment I saw her¡­¡±


    Her sobbing was low, trying to suppress the crying sound as much as possible so as not to disturb the motionless woman lying in bed.


    Di Yelei silently held her petite body, gently patting her back and stroking her head.<div>


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t cry! It¡¯s normal that you recognize her as your own sister, as you share the same blood.¡±


    ¡°No! No, that¡¯s not it!¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly became agitated: ¡°It¡¯s my fault! I went to Li Family that day, but¡­ but I didn¡¯t notice her there. Wuuu¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and burst into tears.


    The figure on the bed seemed to stir, showing signs of waking up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry! This wasn¡¯t what you wanted. It is Old Man Li with his malicious heart who tried to harm her. Stop crying, Sisi¡­¡±


    He whispered tofort her, then nced at the bedside: ¡°It seems that she won¡¯t wake up so soon. Let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    After a lot of persuasion, Liu Sisi finally left the room, still sobbing.


    Tonight¡¯s dinner was cooked by Di Yelei. Elderly Mr. Di saw Liu Sisiing out and hurriedly pointed to the cooked dishes, ¡°Eat while it¡¯s hot¡­ You won¡¯t be cold if you eat.¡±


    ¡°Dad, have you eaten? Maybe you should eat more?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes were red and swollen as she forced a smile.<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ve eaten. You can¡­ eat slowly.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di pushed the vegetable bowl towards Liu Sisi.


    Although she had no appetite at all, Liu Sisi forced herself to eat half a bowl of rice and could eat no more. She put down her chopsticks and sat there in a daze.


    Di Yelei frowned, disapprovingly cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks.


    When everyone was sitting quietly, Di Yelei asked, ¡°Sisi, how did you discover her?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s tears fell even before she spoke: ¡°I found her in the stable when I was picking baby bok choy¡­¡±


    She recounted the situation when she found Liu Zhi¡¯er: ¡°When I found her, she seemed to be out of her mind, not responding to me no matter how I called her. Later, I thought about what Guihua told me about Old Man Li having a surrogate child, so I followed the clues to Li¡¯s ce and then what happened afterwards.¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly looked up, her eyes shining brightly at Di Yelei: ¡°Ye Lei, do you know about my mother¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°How would I know about your mother¡¯s family?¡± Di Yelei avoided Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡±


    Liu Sisi squinted her eyes slightly and sighed, ¡°Ye Lei, if you know, just tell me directly! That will save me from asking others.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei was silent for a long time before he let out a sigh, wiping his face: ¡°I heard about your family¡¯s situation from Zhang Peng. There are many people in your family. Your father has five brothers, and they haven¡¯t split the family. With two younger sisters who are not yet married, it really is arge family. Your father, Liu Quansheng, has one son and three daughters. The eldest sister is Liu Xuer, the second sister is Liu Zhi¡¯er, and the eldest brother, Liu Bai, is already married to a mean and unfeeling woman, Ms. Jia. The reason you got married to the Di Family is that someone was bought off with 50 taels of silver to have you sold to that kind of ce. Your mother, Ms. Jia, couldn¡¯t bear to ruin your whole life, so she found the matchmaker who had arranged her own marriage. I also happened to be looking for a match through the matchmaker, so it was a perfect match¡­¡±


    After a long silence, Liu Sisi asked in a low voice.


    ¡°You mean, my parents really love me so much?¡±


    Di Yelei hesitated for a moment, ¡°I really don¡¯t know how your parents feel about you, but I have heard that you had excellent embroidery skills before you got married. At the age of fifteen, you achieved incredible skill, which made the neighboring vigers praise you. It¡¯s said that even Businessman Zhang took notice of you because you went to the embroidery house affiliated with the Zhang Family to deliver goods and caught their eye, leading to what happened afterward.¡±


    This left Liu Sisi speechless!


    The original owner¡¯s embroidery skills were so good? But she couldn¡¯t even sew well, this was¡­


    ¡°Also, none of you three sisters know how to read or write. Or rather, not a single person in yourrge Liu Family knows how to read or write.¡±


    After Di Yelei finished speaking, he looked deeply at Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow, ¡°Is that right? Like you said, I don¡¯t remember anything about my past at all. What I can remember is that I am literate, and also, my embroidery skills are terrible. This is not something I could imitate.¡±


    Di Yelei nodded, not dwelling too much on this issue.


    ¡°You just now mentioned that Liu Bai and Ms. Jia sold me to you?¡±


    ¡°¡­It might not be appropriate to call it selling! Well¡­ At that time, my family really didn¡¯t have any extra silver. When the matchmaker informed me to pick you up, you were in aa at the matchmaker¡¯s house. I took you home, and it was Sister Guihua who helped you through the wedding ceremony. You know what happened afterward.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he nced at Elderly Mr. Di next to them. He originally wanted to say something, but after all, he didn¡¯t.


    Elderly Mr. Di listened silently, not saying anything.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to dwell on the past.¡±


    Liu Sisi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, ¡°I would like to know about my Second Sister Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s situation. I heard she married a man with a severed hand and had three children within four years. Is that true?¡±

 Chapter 286: 284: Shameless Old Man Li, Soft-hearted Land Officer

    Chapter 286: 284: Shameless Old Man Li, Soft-hearted Land Officer<div>


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true but, however, I¡¯ve only heard it from others, and it¡¯s not necessarily true.¡±


    Di Yelei said gravely: ¡°Old Man Li is really vicious, even capable ofying hands on such a woman! He¡¯s simply a beast! Tomorrow, I will take her to the government office, and I must ask the Lord County Magistrate to investigate thoroughly.¡±


    Liu Sisi sat for a while, but soon could no longer sit still.<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ll go see if she¡¯s woken up. The soup medicine should be cool by now, and it¡¯s time to feed her.¡±


    As she spoke, Liu Sisi entered the inner room.


    At the moment, Liu Zhi¡¯er was staying in the separate room partitioned off by YingEr and was still lying in her original position with her brows tightly furrowed, showing no signs of waking up.


    She reached out and touched Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s body, finding it scorching hot, obviously having a fever.


    With the soup medicine cooler, Liu Sisi forced open her mouth with chopsticks and poured the medicine down.


    After a lot of effort, her fever slowly subsided.


    Meanwhile, Elderly Mr. Di and the two children couldn¡¯t wait and had already gone to bed.


    Since there were not enough beds, Di Xuan and Elderly Mr. Di had to squeeze together, while YingEr went to Di Xuan¡¯s room.


    After carefully wiping her hands clean, Liu Sisi stood up from the chair.


    With determination on her face, she said: ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Land Officer¡¯s house again! I want to ask him personally what Old Man Li¡¯s heart is made of!¡±


    Di Yelei silently nodded his head and turned around to prepare without saying anything.<div>


    The snow outside was falling heavily. As soon as the two left the courtyard, they were immediately blinded by the wind and snow blowing towards them, making it difficult to take a step forward.


    ¡°How do you feel? Why don¡¯t you go back! I¡¯ll just go and take a look.¡±


    Di Yelei hugged Liu Sisi tightly in his arms, using his body to block the raging snowstorm.


    The violent snowstorm blew his words into fragments, with only broken pieces reaching Liu Sisi¡¯s ears.


    ¡°No! I must go and ask him myself!¡± She shouted against the wind and snow.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s hands tightly grasped Di Yelei¡¯s arm, burying her head into his chest as she took three slippery steps forward.


    With feet stepping on the icy ground, they moved numbly, sliding three steps forward in the direction of the Land Officer¡¯s home.


    In a moment of carelessness, the two slipped and Di Yelei instinctively jerked upwards, trying to steady himself. Unbeknownst to him, the ice-covered earthen slope was slippery, and the momentum of the two sent them sliding forward. As a result, they both tumbled down the narrow slope andnded on the lower ledge.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Sisi, are you okay?¡±


    Fortunately, the ledge was not too high, and although they fell, they were unharmed.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, cough cough¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi coughed, her tears almost falling.


    When they rolled down just now, Di Yelei used his body to protect her. She was not injured, but her nose hit his chest, and it hurt terribly.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re all right?¡±


    Di Yelei took quite a tumble, and it took him a while to struggle up from the ground. He paid no attention to his own body but quickly checked Liu Sisi all over to make sure she wasn¡¯t injured before his mind was put at ease.


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Did you get hurt?¡±


    Leaning on Di Yelei¡¯s arm, Liu Sisi had just stood up when she nearly stumbled and fell to the ground again.


    ¡°Be careful. Let¡¯s go up from this side. We can see some wild grass here, so it should be easier to walk.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he helped Liu Sisi climb up the slope.


    In the cer of the Land Officer¡¯s home.


    The Land Officer red at Old Man Li, his face full of frustration and disappointment.


    Old Man Li was tied to a pir on the side, crying with tears and snot all over his face, looking utterly pathetic.<div>


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer! If you don¡¯t save me, I¡¯m as good as dead this time, Mr. Land Officer¡­¡±


    The Land Officer was so angry that he red and puffed out his cheeks: ¡°Now you think of me? Where were you earlier? Doing such a shameful thing, I think you¡¯re really looking for death!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Land Officer, I just won¡¯t let go of my pride! Without my wife (Da )


    ..This¡­this life, there¡¯s no meaning for me to stay alive. I, boo hoo¡­¡±


    As Old Man Li talked, he grew sadder and couldn¡¯t help but wail loudly, recounting his misfortunes as he sobbed pitifully.


    After Old Man Li¡¯s crying, even Mr. Land Officer¡¯s anger softened, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply.


    ¡°s! There¡¯s really nothing to be done now. When you get to the county government, you¡¯d better beg the Lord County Magistrate for mercy, maybe they¡¯ll only detain you for three or five months, and you¡¯ll be let go, huh?¡±


    Mr. Land Officer tried his best to convince Old Man Li with kind words.


    ¡°I, Old Man Li, am already this old, can I still go to jail? If I really went in, would I still have a life left? Mr. Land Officer, please have pity on me and let me go! Even if I have to work as your cattle or horse in the next life, I will definitely repay you for your kindness today!¡±


    Old Man Li wailed loudly again, the cunning light in his old eyes asionally shing as he scrutinized Mr. Land Officer¡¯s expression.


    Mr. Land Officer¡¯s heart was also restless, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply.


    ¡°Old Man Li! Today, let me tell you something from the heart. Liu Sisi is not an ordinary woman! Let alone that the third son of the Di family has be a constable now, even her identity as a female tutor to Miss Gan Family is not something I, a humble Land Officer, can mess with.¡±


    ¡°But Mr. Land Officer, you¡¯re the big shot in Upper Vige, how could you be afraid of a small Di Family? Or are you afraid of an ignorant woman like Liu Sisi? Mr. Land Officer, just think about it, since Liu Sisi married into the Di family, how many troubles has she caused? How much trouble has she caused you? She even ruined me, an old fellow, like this, Mr. Land Officer. Liu Sisi is just a disaster!¡±


    Old Man Li was doing his best to smear Liu Sisi¡¯s name while wailing non-stop.


    ¡°Enough, no more nonsense. Di Yelei and Liu Sisi are both good people, not as you say.¡±


    Mr. Land Officer waved his hand to cut off his words.


    As he spoke, he picked up the cooked dishes on the side and walked over to Old Man Li: ¡°ording to them, you should go hungry tonight. Considering that we¡¯ve known each other since we were kids, I¡¯ll let you eat your fill. Here, let me feed you¡­¡±


    As Mr. Land Officer spoke, he fed Old Man Li the food with chopsticks.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Old Man Li was famished, so with food in front of him, he forgot to cry and happily ate the food fed to him by Mr. Land Officer.


    It wasn¡¯t until he had finished therge bowl of food that Old Man Li belched contentedly and begged Mr. Land Officer for water to drink.

 Chapter 287: 285 Good people do not live long, disasters last for a thousand years.

    Chapter 287: 285 Good people do not live long, disastersst for a thousand years.<div>


    Mr. Land Officer was furious, ¡°I see you¡¯re starving and pitiful. So, I kindly offer you food, and you turn around and boss me! Shameless! No wonder everyone dislikes you!¡±


    Even though he said all this, his soft heart won over at the end.


    He took the water jug behind him, poured arge cup of warm water, and passed it to his mouth.<div>


    ¡°Ah! ¡ª So hot! It¡¯s burning me¡­¡±


    Old Man Li suddenly screamed, startling Mr. Land Officer! The ceramic bowl in his hand slipped and directly fell to the ground, smashing into pieces.


    ¡°You! Why are you yelling? How could this lukewarm water burn you? You made me spill water all over the ce!¡±


    Mr. Land Officer, who was quite scared, immediately began to curse angrily.


    Old Man Li cringed and dodged,¡±Mr. Land Officer, I¡­I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re doing all this unintentionally, what mess would you make if you were intentional? I think you¡¯re getting more and more bastardly! You¡¯repletely unreasonable! Humph!¡±


    Saying this, Mr. Land Officer flicked his sleeve, turned around, and intended to leave.


    Looking up, he saw his little granddaughter Min¡¯er peeking out from the cer.


    ¡°Grandfather, Third Uncle Di and Third Aunt Di are here, waiting in the hall. They want to see you. Grandmother sent Min¡¯er to call you.¡±


    Mr. Land Officer felt a sudden drop in his heart. Did something else happen again?


    As he turned around, he saw Old Man Li¡¯s pleasing smile, and was instantly filled with anger.<div>


    ¡°All this is your fault! You keep wreaking havoc, and as a Land Officer, I have to constantly clean up your mess. Do you have no shame? Ah¡­!¡±


    Finishing his sentence, Mr. Land Officer shook his head and left the cer for the hall.


    In the hall, Di Yelei and Liu Sisi had slid all the way to Mr. Land Officer¡¯s home.


    This seemingly short journey on a normal day was genuinely challenging in the blizzard!


    When they finally arrived at Mr. Land Officer¡¯s house, the two were disheveled and soaking wet.


    As soon as Mr. Land Officer came in, he hurriedly greeted them with a smile: ¡°Third Son, Sisi, why did you twoe back? Did something happen?¡± The old man Li didn¡¯t cause any trouble again, did he?


    His heart was also pounding.


    Di Yelei looked back at Liu Sisi but didn¡¯t say a word.


    Liu Sisi stepped forward and greeted: ¡°Mr. Land Officer, I¡¯m sorry to trouble you again tonight. There are some things I don¡¯t understand, and I want to ask Old Man Li alone. Would you please allow me?¡±


    Mr. Land Officer¡¯s heart skipped a beat. It seemed that something really had happened.


    He quickly replied with a smile: ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Sisi, of course I will allow you. Min¡¯er, Min¡¯er! Come over here!¡± As he spoke, he waved at Min¡¯er.<div>


    Min¡¯er quickly ran over: ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Min¡¯er, take your teacher to the cer to see Old Man Li. Go on, go!¡±


    ¡°Okay, Grandfather.¡±


    As Min¡¯er spoke, she turned and looked at Liu Sisi: ¡°Teacher, please follow me.¡±


    As she spoke, she was already turning and heading toward the cer.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi and Di Yelei exchanged nces and no longer declined, following Min¡¯er to the cer in ordance to her words.


    The reason she came to seek Old Man Li again was to know where the surrogate birth contract he mentioned was. She wanted to get it back.


    Inside the cer, Old Man Li was struggling desperately.


    He tried to use his foot to reach the nearest brick debris, but no matter how he stretched his foot, he was always just a bit short.


    He steeled himself and struggled hard. The hemp rope on his body dug deeply into his flesh, leaving a deep red mark.


    His toes also stretched out desperately and finally reached the brick debris. After several attempts, he finally brought the brick debris to his side, sandwiched between his legs.<div>


    He suddenlyughed self-satisfied!


    ¡°Hehe!¡­ Liu Sisi, don¡¯t you want to kill me, Old Man Li? Looks like Old Man Li is tough. I have survived so many times! You better not let me go alive. Otherwise, next time, it will be your life!¡±


    As he was about to make a move, there was suddenly the sound of footsteps from outside.


    ¡°Teacher, our cer is over here. You¡¯ll have to be careful not to bump into it.¡± Min¡¯er¡¯s voice came through.


    Then came Liu Sisi¡¯s voice: ¡°Alright, Min¡¯er. You go back first, but remember to be careful.¡±


    Soon, a light flickered at the entrance of the cer, and Liu Sisi¡¯s figure appeared.


    As soon as he saw Liu Sisi, Old Man Li wished he could tear her to pieces.


    ¡°Liu Sisi! Ha!¡±


    Liu Sisi was also in a terrible mood, especially when she saw Old Man Li ring at her with hatred.


    ¡°Good people die young, while the wicked live on. It¡¯s true right now! You¡¯vemitted countless evils, and at this point, you still won¡¯t repent! Living people like you waste air, and when you die, you¡¯ll just wastend. You¡¯re nothing but redundant. Still living in this world, besides being a fecal machine, what else can you do?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you know how to curse, and quite fluently at that!¡±


    Old Man Li showed no signs of anger, instead heughed, ¡°Liu Sisi, what can you do? You can get horizontal with me? Your own sister was still screwed by me, letting me¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You shameless bastard!¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t hold back her anger anymore and picked up a stick, hitting Old Man Li several times.


    ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death, you inhuman beast! Tell me, what have you done to her? You tortured a good woman until she went mad! You¡¯ve ruined her life, and I want you to pay for it with your life! Beat! Beat you to death! ¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi showed no mercy, delivering several blows until her arms began to go numb, and then she stopped.


    But Old Man Li, on the other hand, wasughing crazily as if he were a lunatic,pletely ignoring the pain throughout his body.


    ¡°Ha ha!¡­ Liu Sisi, you can now taste the vor that Old Man Li had to savor? You not only made me bury my own son, but you also killed my big mouth. Liu Sisi, even if I turn into a vengeful ghost, I¡¯ll stille haunting you!¡±


    Finally catching her breath, Liu Sisi began tough in a low voice, ¡°Old Man Li, I am not scared of you when you are alive, why would I be scared of a dead man like you? When that timees, I want to see, who will be more powerful!¡±


    Having said this, she turned around and left!


    She suddenly felt thating to ask him was a mistake to begin with.


    People like him will always me others for their faults, constantly criticizing others, never recognizing others¡¯ strengths, let alone their own weaknesses!


    They are destined to be alone for a lifetime!


    ¡°Liu Sisi! Even when I be a vengeful ghost, I won¡¯t let you go!¡±


    Behind her, Old Man Li¡¯s voice kept echoing, his anger was infectious.

 Chapter 288: 286: A Trace of Warmth in the Blizzard

    Chapter 288: 286: A Trace of Warmth in the Blizzard<div>


    If it were possible, Liu Sisi wished she could destroy himpletely!


    He is still not letting her go? He should consider whether she would let him go!


    Even now, he still deludedly thinks he could continue his revenge on her, what a shameless creature! A mad dog that bites whoever it catches!<div>


    Fury racing through her, Liu Sisi turned around and left the cer.


    Outside the cer, the blizzard was still raging, the piercing wind cutting like knives across her cheeks. She gasped for breath, inhaling mouthfuls of the dry, cold air, her clenched fists shaking uncontrobly, taking a long while before she could pacify her inner rage.


    Exhaling a turbid breath, she turned around and began heading in the way of the hall.


    Her steps were extraordinarily heavy, each paced out as if desiring to crush the bricks beneath her feet. She wished what she was stepping on was Old Man Li, that damned bastard!


    In the hall, Mr. Land Officer was having a casual chat with Di Yelei.


    ¡°Indeed, thend in this area is quite good, all fertile fields. The surrounding area of these fields is especially advantageous, not only is there a hot spring nearby but also a small manor. Although the asking price for thend is a bit more, as long as you buy it, even if you only collect rent every month, it will still be a profitable venture¡­¡±


    Land Officer¡¯s words caused a furrow between Di Yelei¡¯s brows.


    Recently, there was indeed arge sum of silver in their home. But since they handled the engagement gifts for YingEr, he really didn¡¯t know how much silver was left. However, there probably wasn¡¯t enough to buy thend that came with a small manor.


    Yet, he didn¡¯t know how to bring this up with Uncle Land Officer, so he could onlyugh it off.


    ¡°Uncle Land Officer, Ye Lei needs to discuss this at home with Sisi and see what she thinks. Recently we spent a lot for YingEr¡¯s engagement gifts, so¡­¡±


    Mr. Land Officer quickly nodded, ¡°Of course, it is not a small amount of money. If you want, you can go and have a look at the location of thend. It¡¯s exactly on the official road not far from the county, it¡¯s really a very good location. However, the seller seems to be in a rush to sell it because he has run into some issues with his business in the capital city and urgently needs silver. But while the fertilend is excellent it does have a high asking price, so finding someone who can pay arge sum of silver before the New Year isn¡¯t easy.¡±<div>


    Land Officer carefully exined the key points of the situation.


    ¡°Did the seller specify thetest date by which he needs the money?¡± Di Yelei knitted his brows.


    Land Officer nodded, ¡°He did mention that he hopes to settle this matter before the New Year, so he can invest the money into New Year goods. Actually! The price of thisnd is indeed a bit more expensivepared to other ces; specifics can be discussed between the two of you¡­¡±


    As Land Officer was speaking, Liu Sisi walked into the room.


    At this moment, she had gradually calmed her rage, her expression softening significantly. Just as she overheard thest line of Land Officer¡¯s conversation, her eyebrows quirked instinctively.


    She tweaked the corner of her mouth, giving a light bow, ¡°Uncle Land Officer, ourte disturbance at your home, I offer my sincere apologies.¡±


    Land Officer quickly stretched out his hand to support her, ¡°Sisi, when you say such words, it makes me truly embarrassed! Ah!¡±


    Land Officer let out a long sigh, ¡°Old Man Li is old and weak, and we¡¯ve known each other since childhood. His wife has been dead for many years and he has no children to take care of him in his old age. In my position as a Land Officer, I have provided him with some protection. Sisi, you must not take offense, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle Land Officer, why are you saying this? This is simply human nature. I am not an unreasonable person; you have nothing to worry about.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled. As for Land Officer¡¯s partiality towards Old Man Li, she had quite an open mind about it.


    It was just like what Land Officer said. They have known each other since childhood, it¡¯s only natural to want to protect each other.<div>


    Land Officer¡¯s eyes turned sour, ¡°But¡­sigh¡­¡± He was at a loss for words.


    Seeing the situation, Di Yelei quickly smoothed things over.


    ¡°Uncle Land Officer, it¡¯s gettingte. The weather is getting colder. Perhaps it¡¯s best for us to head home now and let you rest. Tomorrow morning we wille back and pick up the people. What do you think¡­?¡±


    Upon hearing Di Yelei¡¯s words, Liu Sisi also felt the freezing weather and plummeting temperature. Staying around would not help the situation, it¡¯d be better to return home early.


    She hastily nodded, ¡°Indeed! We have troubled Uncle Land Officer for the entire evening, for which I feel really sorry. I quite took a liking to Min¡¯er; she really struck my fancy. I have a pair of earrings here, consider them my meeting gift for Min¡¯er.¡±


    While speaking, Liu Sisi hastily took out the earrings from her inner pocket and presented them to the Land Officer.


    She had brought these earrings out as ast minute consideration, suspecting they mighte in handy. And indeed, they did.


    ¡°This! This¡­ is too valuable. I cannot possibly ept¡­.¡±


    This pair of earrings is worth at least several taels of money!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Land Officer¡¯s face turned bright red in embarrassment. He had behaved improperly and wronged the child in front of him; moreover, they were gifting him earrings. He felt extremely guilty.


    ¡°Uncle Land Officer, these earrings are a gift for Min¡¯er from Sisi. You should ept them,¡± Di Yelei hurriedly interjected.<div>


    After much persuasion, Land Officer finally agreed to ept.


    He sighed, waving his hand, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I should not hold you back. You can rest assured, Old Man Li is safe in the cer. You should return home now ande to collect him tomorrow.¡±


    The two bowed and took their leave from Land Officer¡¯s home.


    The furious wind mixed with the heavy snow outside seemed to grow more fierce, making it impossible to keep their eyes open.


    Di Yelei bent down without hesitation, ¡°Sisi,e here, I will carry you on my back. We will be able to reach home faster this way.¡±


    Liu Sisi, who was deliberating, promptly jumped onto Di Yelei¡¯s back.


    She quickly adjusted his hat to better cover him, ¡°This snowstorm is severe, we need to return home quickly. We should check on the front and back of our house, I hope it doesn¡¯t sumb to the weight of the snow.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right! I have never seen such a heavy snowstorm in my memory. The weather is too abnormal, let¡¯s leave quickly!¡±


    His words resonated with Liu Sisi. He quickly stood up, and with her on his back, started walking home with long strides.


    Liu Sisi clung firmly to Di Yelei¡¯s back, noticing his heavy breathing and his deep footprints left in the snow as they journeyed towards their home.


    The heavy snow transformed everything within sight into a world of white. If they were not familiar with the road, it would have been impossible to tell if the path beneath their feet was solid ground or a ditch.


    One misstep would immerse one in thickyers of snow, simr to stepping into a trapyer. Struggling for a long while, the snow still encased their thighs as if they were pulling out enormous turnips.

 Chapter 289: 287: When the Room Leaks, It Rains All Night

    Chapter 289: 287: When the Room Leaks, It Rains All Night<div>


    ¡°Ye Lei! Why don¡¯t you put me down? Carrying me is too tiring!¡±


    Liu Sisi also noticed that the iceyer under the umted snow was thin. As soon as the weight of two people pressed down, his feet sank deep into the snow.


    ¡°Stop messing around, the snow is too thick. If you step down, you¡¯ll sink just the same. Just lie obediently and don¡¯t move! That way, we can get home sooner.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei gasped for breath, and as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, the wild wind mixed with heavy snow blew unceasingly into his mouth.


    He quickly lowered his head to avoid the wind.


    ¡°But! The snowstorm is too strong! You¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi wanted to say more, but another gust of wind blew by. She quickly lowered her head to hide, burying the remaining half of her sentence in Di Yelei¡¯s back.


    In order to resist the strong wind, Di Yelei¡¯s body was almost at a 45-degree angle, fighting against the wind to move forward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk, once we pass this windy area¡­ it¡¯ll be better! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    He shouted with all his might, but his voice was scattered by the wind and snow, making it hard to hear clearly. Liu Sisi simply buried her head in his neck, avoiding the flying snow that went straight into her mouth and nose.


    The snow quickly fell, rapidly umting a thickyer in the hollow of Di Yelei¡¯s neck.


    She hurriedly reached out to brush it off but was blinded by the strong wind and couldn¡¯t open her eyes at all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! ¡­It¡¯ll be fine in a while!¡±


    Di Yelei shouted, subconsciously propping up her small body and continued to carry her, stumbling step by step towards home against the wind and snow.<div>


    After turning past the windy area, the pressure in front of their eyes eased, and the gust of wind immediately lessened a lot. The two of them couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief, and a warm current flowed through their bodies.


    ¡°This year¡¯s snow¡­ is so heavy!¡±


    Di Yelei panted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how everyone at home is doing.¡±


    Liu Sisi was worried about the elderly and children at home, as well as her Second Sister, Liu Zhi¡¯er. She didn¡¯t know how they were now.


    They didn¡¯t get the contract, so how was her sister¡¯s injury, and what should they do in the future? If she continued going on like this, herter years would be ruined! All sorts of thoughts spread in her mind.


    ¡°It should be fine, I just swept the snow off the roof this morning!¡±


    Di Yelei answered, walking quickly towards home.


    ¡°I¡¯m d it¡¯s okay.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was a mess.


    ¡°Sisi, before you came over, Uncle Land Officer mentioned a farm with a small courtyard and hot spring near the official road not far from the county¡­¡±


    Di Yelei regained his breath, recalling the previous incident, and spoke up.<div>


    ¡°Is that so? Then how much do you know about this fertilend?¡± Liu Sisi thought for a while and asked.


    Di Yelei propped her body up again: ¡°I do know about those fields. They¡¯re located upstream of the river, backed by a mountain forest. I went to the hot spring beneath the mountain forest when I was young; it¡¯s indeed a good piece ofnd. However¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it because we don¡¯t have enough money? By the way, how much did the person ask for?¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s question immediately hit the nail on the head.


    ¡°They¡¯re asking for 1000 taels of silver.¡± Di Yelei said indifferently.


    How could theye up with 1000 taels of silver? Liu Sisi¡¯s expression darkened.


    Both of them fell silent, and it seemed to take even longer for them to return home than when they had left.


    As soon as they entered the house, they heard the sound of shoveling snow.


    Di Yelei looked up and was immediately stunned! A big tree next to the house had been broken by the umted snow and had fallen directly onto the roof. At the moment, Elderly Mr. Di was setting up adder, holding a firewood knife, and standing shakily at the top of thedder, cutting the tree branches with the knife.


    ¡°Dad! Don¡¯t move! Be careful, don¡¯t move!¡±


    While speaking, Di Yelei put down Liu Sisi and rushed over to support thedder.


    Elderly Mr. Di was struggling with the tree branches. He looked back at the two and smiled: ¡°You¡¯re back? The snow is too heavy, the house¡­ ¡±<div>


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t move! Get down quickly, Ye Lei will do it. Please, get down!¡± What if he fell?


    ¡°Father-inw, pleasee down and talk. Hurry ande down!¡±


    Liu Sisi felt her soul leaving her body!


    How could her father-inw, who had difficulty walking, climb onto the roof?


    It was a great relief to finally get him down from thedder. Only then did they realize that he was soaked in sweat, and his wet hair clung to his body.


    He grinned at the two, revealing his shriveled mouth with missing teeth: ¡°Not long after you left, the tree¡­ I was worried¡­ worried that the house would copse¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Dad! It¡¯s my fault for making you work so hard!¡±


    Di Yelei looked very emotional: ¡°Dad, just rest. Leave the rest to your Third Child. Okay?¡±


    Liu Sisi also nodded quickly: ¡°Father-inw, your clothes are wet. You can¡¯t sit here. Please go inside and change into some clean clothes.¡±


    While talking, she helped Elderly Mr. Di into the room.


    Elderly Mr. Di still tried to resist: ¡°I¡¯m not cold! I can¡­ help drag the branches¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Father-inw! Please go in and change your clothes first. Sisi will pull the branchester. Ye Lei has more strength and is faster at these things. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    After supporting Elderly Mr. Di into the house and adding more firewood to the fire, she scooped out some hot water for him before going out to help.


    The heavy snow outside showed no sign of stopping.


    Di Yelei wore a straw coat and a bamboo hat, continuously chopping the big tree on the roof. The room crushed by the tree was the one he and Ye Lei lived in. Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know the situation inside the room, and with roof tiles constantly falling, she didn¡¯t dare to go in and check.


    Tightening the straw coat around her body, Liu Sisi grabbed the tree branches that Di Yelei had chopped down and dragged them out of the house, all the way out of the courtyard to a vacant lot outside the courtyard wall. Only then did she turn around and go back to continue dragging the branches.


    After going back and forth many times, she finally saw Di Yelei lifting thest section of the tree trunk, sliding it along the eaves and letting it fall along the edge of the wall.


    He quickly got off the ground and wiped his sweat: ¡°The main beam in the middle of the house is broken, and many purlins and rafters are also broken. Even the adobe wall near the eaves is damaged, with a crack as wide as two palms. It looks like this house is uninhabitable tonight.¡±


    ¡°Can we still go in? I want to go in and get our belongings and temporarily store them in the kitchen.¡± Liu Sisi asked anxiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the roof tiles and other things might still fall, which is too dangerous. You go to the kitchen and stoke the fire first. I¡¯ll go into the inner room and move the items.¡± Di Yelei said, turning around and going into the inner room.


    Of course, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t waste any more time either. She went straight to the kitchen, filled tworge iron pots with water, and started the fire.


    She was still lighting the fire in the brazier when the fire zed up. She added some cleaned beast meat and decided to have another meal tonight.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 290: 288: Warmth in the Snowy Night

    Chapter 290: 288: Warmth in the Snowy Night<div>


    Di Yelei kept busilying and going.


    He carried severalrge bundles of straw into the kitchen and piled them up in one corner, followed by the items taken from the house, which were stacked on top.


    Liu Sisi also managed to find time to check on Liu Zhi¡¯er.<div>


    At the moment, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s cheeks were flushed, and she was sleeping restlessly, constantly muttering in her sleep and breaking out in sweat.


    Feeling anxious, Sisi uncovered the quilt and quickly unbuttoned her coat. The sticky smell of pus and medicine mixed with the unpleasant odor of the medicine on her inner clothing. The smell was quite unpleasant.


    Sisi fetched a set of her own clothes, helping Zhi¡¯er out of her damp clothes, and used hot water to wipe her clean skin.


    Seeing the scars all over her skin, Sisi couldn¡¯t help but feel a sudden pain in her heart.


    She applied ointment to Zhi¡¯er¡¯s wounds again, changed into dry clothes, and covered her with the quilt. Seeing Zhi¡¯er gradually fall back asleep, Sisi then took the dirty clothes back to the kitchen.


    There were already two big pots of hot water boiling in the kitchen. Liu Sisi added more firewood to the stoves and fetched half a bucket of hot water, adle of oats, and a bundle of hay to take to the stable.


    The stable where the jujube red horse was kept was notpletely enclosed, and the cold wind outside swept through, causing the stable¡¯s roof to rattle loudly.


    The jujube red horse was chewing its food in the feed trough. Seeing Liu Sisi arrive, it raised its head and neighed loudly, snorting.


    After interacting with the horse for several days, Sisi had be much more familiar with it. She poured the cooling hot water into the water trough, added oats to the feed trough, and ced hay inside.


    The jujube red horse affectionately leaned in, and Sisi patted its head, carefully checking the nket on the horse¡¯s body.


    This nket was different from ordinary ones, with a waterproofyer on the outside and a warmyer inside. She cleaned up the horse manure, disinfected the area with dry lime, and cleaned the stable before she returned to the house.<div>


    In the kitchen, Dad was already dressed in clean clothes, sitting by the brazier adding charcoal and stirring the stew with adle from time to time.


    The moment Liu Sisi opened the door, an icy gust of wind rushed into the room. She hurriedly closed it and took off her straw coat and bamboo hat.


    ¡°Dad! You must be tired tonight too, so you should eat something first to fill your stomach.¡±


    While talking, Liu Sisi quickly washed her hands, fetched a bowl and chopsticks, and handed them to Dad.


    ¡°You eat too¡­ Eat!¡±


    Dad gestured to the meat soup that was already boiling in the pot.


    ¡°Dad, you eat first. Sisi will eat with Yelei after he¡¯s done with his work.¡±


    Liu Sisi replied, already walking to the side of the straw pile, talking to her father-inw as she did so.


    ¡°The main beam in the original room is broken, and so are many purlins and rafters. The damage extends to the mud wall near the eaves, creating a crack two palm-widths wide. That room is no longer fit for habitation, so I was thinking we could temporarily live in a corner of the kitchen until it¡¯s repaired and we can move back in.¡±


    As she spoke, she firstid out several clean wooden boards on the ground, then spread a thickyer of straw, and finallyid out a nket.


    The nket and canopy on the head of the bed were filled with rubble and ck mud from the melting ice and snow, which would need to be washed and dried before they could be used again.<div>


    Having no other options, Liu Sisi reluctantly ced a thin quilt on the bed.


    Fortunately, the cotton quilt had been folded in a corner of the bed, so it was unaffected ¨C a stroke of luck amidst the misfortune!


    After Liu Sisi had made up the bed, she saw Dad weaving something with the straw.


    ¡°Dad, what are you weaving? It¡¯s gettingte. Why don¡¯t you rest now, and work on it tomorrow?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Make¡­ make a fence to¡­ to block¡­¡± He struggled to speak and pointed to the temporary bed in the corner of the kitchen.


    Liu Sisi suddenly understood!


    Her father-inw was weaving something like a screen!


    ¡°Father-inw, please do this tomorrow! It¡¯s cold now, be careful not to catch a cold. Tonight, I¡¯ll just open up a piece of cloth and temporarily prop it up,¡± Liu Sisi hurriedly said.


    Elderly Mr. Di stubbornly refused to let go: ¡°Block tonight, cold¡­¡±


    Seeing that it was useless to argue, Liu Sisi could only make the charcoal fire in the corner burn more vigorously before she continued to work.


    It was not until the bed was made that she checked on Liu Zhi¡¯er again, naturally going through another round of hassle beforeing out with a pile of dirty clothes.<div>


    It was not easy for clothes to dry in this heavy snow, and if this continued, she wouldn¡¯t even have clothes to change into herself.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly soaked the clothes in nt ash water, and finally sat down by the bonfire.


    As soon as she picked up the bowl, Di Yelei entered, looking exhausted and soaked from head to toe, with hardly a dry spot on him.


    He ignored the need to take a bath for now and went straight to sit by the bonfire: ¡°I¡¯m starving! Huh? Dad, why are you still busy? Have you eaten? Do you want to eat more? Once you¡¯re full, go straight to rest. These chores can be done tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Dad is weaving straw mats, intending to temporarily block the edge of your bed. I tried to persuade him to do it tomorrow, but he won¡¯t rest.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly handed the bowl to Di Yelei and got up to fetch another set of bowl and chopsticks.


    Elderly Mr. Di just looked at Di Yelei with a smile without speaking.


    Di Yelei picked up the spoon and directly scooped a fewrge pieces of ribs into the bowl: ¡°So that¡¯s what¡¯s going on! Dad, just don¡¯t tire yourself out. Sisi,e and eat too. By the way, has your Second Sister not woken up yet?¡±


    As he spoke, he began eating the ribs in his bowl.


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t woken up yet. She¡¯s been having a fever on and off. I¡¯ve fed her medicine and changed her clothes. We¡¯ll see if she can wake up tomorrow morning. By the way, have you fixed the roof?¡±


    After saying this, she sat down and began eating as well.


    Di Yelei frowned: ¡°No! The snow is falling too heavily, and there¡¯s no way to deal with it. I simply propped up some wood inside the house and temporarilyid some straw on top to prevent water intrusion. We¡¯ll have to deal with it after the snow stops.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you need to take Elderly Di to the county government early tomorrow morning, right? It seems like we¡¯ll have to take it slow.¡±


    For a moment, everyone fell silent.


    After Liu Sisi had washed and hung up the clothes, Di Yelei had also taken a bath and was now weaving straw mats with Mr. Di.


    They nailed the woven straw mat to the ground with bamboo strips and secured it in ce to create a temporary screen.


    ¡°It¡¯s past midnight now, so you should take a break too! In just an hour or two, it¡¯ll be dawn.¡±


    Liu Sisi urged, adding some charcoal fire, finally ready to rest.


    She was originally feeling around the edge of the self-made screen when her body was suddenly embraced by a strong figure. Di Yelei hugged her with a deep affectionate expression on his face, his words full of sweetness.


    ¡°Sisi ¨C I missed you¡­¡±


    At these words, Liu Sisi¡¯s legs went weak and she almost fell, but he quickly caught her.


    Immediately after, a low chuckle came from behind, flushing Liu Sisi¡¯s face with embarrassment.


    Chapter 290 Chapter 289: Pursuit


    The bonfire in the corner gradually extinguished, while the charcoal fire in the brazier burned brightly, enveloping the entire room in warmth.


    Soft murmurs echoed continuously, as Liu Sisi¡¯s deep, alluring eyes gazed unblinkingly at him above her. Her gaze was like the rippling autumn water.


    His passion was like fire, surging and passionate, his deep eyes filled with boundless treasure.


    Warm sheets in the passionate night, dreams woven by the colorful butterflies of dawn!


    The heavy snow outside the window still fell, mixed with the ferocious wind that constantly raged outside.


    But the room was as warm as spring.


    Liu Sisi copsed in bed, feeling as if she had no strength even to lift her hand.


    Di Yelei, on the other hand, was radiant and satisfied. His robust and muscr body demonstrated unparalleled explosive power.


    He quickly fetched half a basin of hot water and carefully wiped Liu Sisi¡¯s body, a radiant, shallow smile ying at the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°How do you feel? If you¡¯re tired, sleep for a while.¡±


    Liu Sisi barely opened her eyes, gave him a forced nce, then fell back into the dreand.


    She had no recollection of when he had fallen asleep beside her.


    Di Yelei walked around the room to check the doors and windows. Finding no abnormalities, he finally went to bed.


    It felt as though his eyes were only closed briefly when suddenly Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua started barking at the main entrance!


    In the temporary ce separated only by straw matting, the two people were sleeping deeply. Yet the earth-shattering knocking soon broke through the sound of the barking.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes opened alertly, not yet devoid of passion. A momentter, he closed his eyes again and buried his head in Liu Sisi¡¯s neck, continuing to sleep.


    Liu Sisi showed no sign of waking up, as she was indeed too tired yesterday.


    Even when she heard the knocking outside, her eyebrows only slightly wrinkled, and she made no other move.


    The knocking outside did not stop. On the contrary, it grew more intense! Di Yelei muttered a curse under his breath.


    Resignedly, he got up, dressed, and left the room.


    The blizzard outside had clearly lightened, but it was still cold enough to make him shiver violently, finally waking him from his drowsy state.


    The thunderous knocking outside the door continued, and Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but shout a response: ¡°I¡¯ming! I¡¯ming! What¡¯s the hurry so early in the morning?¡± With that, he strode towards the main entrance.


    Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua¡¯s barking at the main entrance didn¡¯t stop. Di Yelei called them off twice, finally managing to drive the two hounds away.


    Upon opening the door, he saw Min¡¯er curled up in her thick cotton coat, shivering with cold outside the house.


    As soon as he came out, she immediately wore a tragic expression on her face.


    ¡°Third Uncle Di! Something happened in the cerst night! ¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Di Yelei had a sudden sinking feeling in his heart and hurriedly asked further.


    ¡°It¡¯s Old Man Li. He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s missing!¡± Min¡¯er was so cold; she could barely speak.


    ¡°She must be talking about Old Man Li!


    Feeling suddenly cold, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t fall back asleep even though it was still earlier than her usual waking time. She forced her eyes open and struggled to get out of bed.


    Looking around, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t see Di Yelei. Suppressing her curiosity, she went to check on her second sister and found that her fever hadpletely subsided, but she was still unconscious.


    Quickly washing the rice and cooking breakfast, Liu Sisi started preparing porridge in one pot and steaming steamed buns in the other.


    Meanwhile, Di Yelei had gathered several vigers and they had split up to pursue in different directions.


    ¡®It¡¯s all my fault! After you leftst night, I thought it best to avoid dealing with Old Man Li¡¯s cunning, so I closed the door and went to sleep. I didn¡¯t expect him to cut the rope and escape!¡¯


    Land Officer was furious, his eyes zing and his beard trembling, ¡®Third Brother, I owe you an apology. I promised you yesterday that I would watch over him, but today this happened. I¡¯m truly ashamed to face you!¡¯ He grew more and more upset as he spoke.


    That damned Old Man Li!


    Seeing the marks left on the hemp rope and the scattered pieces of broken tiles on the ground, Land Officer couldn¡¯t help but feel as if he had been yed by Old Man Li.


    ¡®Uncle Land Officer, you can¡¯t take all the me. If anything, Old Man Li is a cunning and resourceful man. What¡¯s important now is to catch him as soon as possible. Everything else is secondary.¡¯


    After Di Yelei finished speaking, he asked Zhang Peng and Li Wu for help, and the three of them split into three separate directions, chasing with great speed.


    The reason they chased in three different directions was rted to the geographical location of Upper Vige.


    Behind Upper Vige was a mountain, and in front was arge river. Besides the roads that led out of the vige, there was only one narrow path leading into the mountains.


    At this moment, Di Yelei was leading his men in pursuit along the path into the mountains!


    ¡®You must catch him! Once we catch this damned man, I¡¯ll give him a severe lesson!¡¯ Land Officer¡¯s angry words still echoed in their ears.


    He had a strong intuition that Old Man Li would head into the deep mountains. Although there was no rationale for it, the intuition was real.


    At the moment, the sky was still sprinkling with light snow, and as they moved deeper into the mountains, the umted snow ahead became thicker and deeper.


    Especially in the deep parts where one step would submerge their legs up to their knees, the vigers following Di Yelei hesitated and dared not proceed further.


    ¡®Brother Ye Lei, are we really going to continue the chase? The snow is just too heavy. If we continue, we might not find the man, but we might not even be able to return safely,¡¯ said one of the vigers.


    His words were far from groundless but reflected a legitimate concern.


    Another viger nodded in agreement, ¡®Old Man Li, if he wanted to escape, he should have headed for the city instead of running into the mountains in this weather. Otherwise, he might not die, but he would surely suffer. Maybe we should turn back?¡¯


    This made Di Yelei stop in his tracks, shaking the snow off his bamboo hat and looking around in the distance.


    Thinking about the weather, he figured Old Man Li shouldn¡¯t have gone into the mountains and began doubting his intuition.


    ¡®Alright! Let¡¯s turn back to the main road and head toward the county in pursuit.¡¯ The other two vigers nodded without objection.


    ¡®Wait! What is that?¡¯


    Suddenly, one of the vigers shouted.


    Di Yelei quickly followed the direction of the viger¡¯s pointing finger and saw a swaying figure on the hillside across the way. Although it was unclear, it looked a lot like Old Man Li.


    Di Yelei was overjoyed, ¡®Go! We must continue the chase and catch him!¡¯


    Chapter 290: Pursuit (Part One)


    Let¡¯s leave aside how they chased after Old Man Li for now.


    At Di Family¡¯s side, Liu Sisi worked quickly and efficiently. Once the cooked dishes were ready, she took the stewed medicine, ced it on the edge of the stove to keep it warm, and then left the kitchen.


    She instinctively searched for Di Yelei¡¯s figure, but couldn¡¯t find him anywhere in the front or back of the house.


    Scattered light snow danced in the sky, and the entire sky was gloomy, showing no signs of clearing up. The courtyard outside was full of umted snow, so she picked up a shovel and started clearing the snow.


    They couldn¡¯t see clearlyst night, but this morning, she finally saw the miserable condition of the room afterst night¡¯s incident!


    Half of the adobe wall by the bedroom close to the big tree had been crushed due to the tree falling down. The other half of the tree trunk still stood outside the wall, and looking through the hole where the tree trunk used to be, all they could see was a terrible mess! It looked like the aftermath of a disaster!


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but feel secretly relieved ¡ª luckily, they had gone outside together yesterday and had not been in the house, avoiding this catastrophe!


    It was indeed a great fortune amidst misfortune!


    Liu Sisi looked for a while and finally had no choice but to withdraw her gaze with disappointment.


    Such a big breach could only be fixed by Di Yelei when he returned.


    She nced at the stable and surprisingly found that the horse had finished eating all its fodder. Di Yelei hadn¡¯t taken the horse out for a walk, which was quite strange; he¡¯d never been stopped by any adverse weather before.


    Even though she was curious, Liu Sisi still finished clearing the snow thoroughly before feeding the horse and cleaning the stable. Then, Elderly Mr. Di got up.


    Old Mr. Di was indeed diligent. Without waiting for Liu Sisi¡¯s invitation, he picked up a shovel and began trying to shovel the snow off the roof. Liu Sisi was genuinely frightened.


    ¡°Father! Please don¡¯t go on the roof again! If you identally fell, wouldn¡¯t I be to me? Pleasee down and rest now, Father!¡± Liu Sisi tightly clung to Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s clothes, afraid to let go.


    ¡°The room¡­ room¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di seemed unconvinced, still wanting to climb onto the roof, trying to brush Liu Sisi¡¯s hand away.


    ¡°Father! Can you weave another straw mat for the room instead?¡±


    He could do anything, just not climbing onto the roof again!


    Perhaps Liu Sisi¡¯s persuasion really worked. Elderly Mr. Di pondered for a moment, nced back at his third daughter-inw, and slowly entered the room. He picked up the hay and began weaving.


    Liu Sisi wiped the cold sweat from the back of her head. That was too terrifying!


    She called the two children to get up, went to the room where Ying¡¯er was, and unexpectedly found that Second Sister was already awake.


    ¡°You¡­ You woke up? How do you feel now?¡±


    Liu Sisi was initially delighted, but soon worried again. If Second Sister went mad again, Liu Sisi wouldn¡¯t be able to hold her back!


    However, Liu Zhi¡¯er looked as if she had lost her soul, staring nkly at Liu Sisi without speaking.


    ¡°Second¡­ Are you okay?¡±


    Liu Sisi felt awkward for a moment, unable to call her Second Sister. ¡°Wait for me for a moment; I¡¯ll bring the medicinal soup for you.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t afford to say more. With a turn, she went to the kitchen and came back with a bowl of medicinal soup, her face full of excitement.


    By then, Liu Zhi¡¯er had already sat up and was staring nkly at the surroundings while leaning against the head of the bed.


    ¡°How do you feel now? Are you still feverish? This is the soup for healing your injuries; you should drink it quickly.¡±


    While Liu Sisi spoke, she handed over the medicinal soup.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s confused gaze gradually met Liu Sisi¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t seem to recognize her, just staring nkly at her while she mechanically drank the soup from the bowl handed to her.


    ¡°Do you feel unwell anywhere? Should we invite another doctor to take a look?¡±


    Yesterday was too hurried, so Zhang Peng only gave a brief examination, and she wasn¡¯t certain about Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s current condition.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er merely nced up at her without speaking.


    After the initial excitement, Liu Sisi stared at the silent Liu Zhi¡¯er, not knowing what to say.


    Suddenly, she realized a problem ¨C she had no memory of the original body¡¯s rtionship with this second sister.


    Seeing that the soup was almost gone, Liu Sisi finally stood up and said awkwardly, ¡°You rest for a while, and I¡¯ll bring your meal.¡±


    Having said that, she picked up the soup bowl and went to the kitchen again.


    Porridge, steamed buns, green vegetables, and tenderly stewed beast meat ¨C Liu Sisi carefully arranged them one by one in front of Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    Only after staring at her for quite a while did Liu Zhi¡¯er pick up the bamboo chopsticks and start to eat.


    Liu Sisi finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly moved all the dishes to her side: ¡°Eat more, these vegetables are delicious, eat more, and this meat is so tender and melts in your mouth, this bun¡­¡±


    While she spoke, she moved the food one by one in front of her.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er squinted her eyes and watched her for a long time, eating the food in her bowl silently.


    It was only after she had eaten all the food at a whirlwind speed that Liu Sisi recovered from the shock.


    She¡­ ate all that food?


    That was¡­ a bit¡­ too much!


    Surprised as she was, her hands were not slow as she quickly cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks: ¡°Last night, the big tree next to the house fell and half of the room beside it was crushed. Today, we probably have to be busy for a long time.¡±


    After she had put away the bowls and chopsticks, she went to the kitchen and called Dad and the two children to eat.


    Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er stood in the courtyard at the moment, looking at the fallen tree, seemingly unable to recover from the shock.


    Upon Liu Sisi¡¯s call, they hurried into the kitchen.


    ¡°Mom! Last night¡­ that tree and the house¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Last night the tree fell, and your father was busy all night. Hurry up and eat, and then there will be a lot to do today.¡± Liu Sisi said, and then remembered that Di Yelei, who had said he would send Old Man Li to the government office yesterday, had disappeared since he woke up this morning.


    If it weren¡¯t for seeing the jujube red horse still in the courtyard, she might have doubted it.


    Wait a minute! It seemed ¡­Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua were not in the dog house!


    As soon as she thought of this, Liu Sisi could no longer care about anything else and hurried out to search. Sure enough, both hounds were missing.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart skipped a beat!


    She quickly told Elderly Mr. Di and ran like the wind to Mr. Land Officer¡¯s house.


    At the window in the room, Liu Zhi¡¯er silently watched Liu Sisi running fast into the distance, a deep look shing in her eyes!


    Who knows what she was thinking.


    On the other hand, Di Yelei was rapidly approaching Old Man Li¡¯s location.


    Old Man Li in front also realized that someone was chasing him from behind and tried his best to move his already lead-filled legs, running deeper into the mountains.


    His panting breath was like bellows, and the ice and snow had already condensed into frost on his body, with wisps of heat rising from him.

 Chapter 290.1 - 289: Pursuit

    Chapter 290 Chapter 289: Pursuit


    The bonfire in the corner gradually extinguished, while the charcoal fire in the brazier burned brightly, enveloping the entire room in warmth.


    Soft murmurs echoed continuously, as Liu Sisi¡¯s deep, alluring eyes gazed unblinkingly at him above her. Her gaze was like the rippling autumn water.


    His passion was like fire, surging and passionate, his deep eyes filled with boundless treasure.


    Warm sheets in the passionate night, dreams woven by the colorful butterflies of dawn!


    The heavy snow outside the window still fell, mixed with the ferocious wind that constantly raged outside.


    But the room was as warm as spring.


    Liu Sisi copsed in bed, feeling as if she had no strength even to lift her hand.


    Di Yelei, on the other hand, was radiant and satisfied. His robust and muscr body demonstrated unparalleled explosive power.


    He quickly fetched half a basin of hot water and carefully wiped Liu Sisi¡¯s body, a radiant, shallow smile ying at the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°How do you feel? If you¡¯re tired, sleep for a while.¡±


    Liu Sisi barely opened her eyes, gave him a forced nce, then fell back into the dreand.


    She had no recollection of when he had fallen asleep beside her.


    Di Yelei walked around the room to check the doors and windows. Finding no abnormalities, he finally went to bed.


    It felt as though his eyes were only closed briefly when suddenly Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua started barking at the main entrance!


    In the temporary ce separated only by straw matting, the two people were sleeping deeply. Yet the earth-shattering knocking soon broke through the sound of the barking.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes opened alertly, not yet devoid of passion. A momentter, he closed his eyes again and buried his head in Liu Sisi¡¯s neck, continuing to sleep.


    Liu Sisi showed no sign of waking up, as she was indeed too tired yesterday.


    Even when she heard the knocking outside, her eyebrows only slightly wrinkled, and she made no other move.


    The knocking outside did not stop. On the contrary, it grew more intense! Di Yelei muttered a curse under his breath.


    Resignedly, he got up, dressed, and left the room.


    The blizzard outside had clearly lightened, but it was still cold enough to make him shiver violently, finally waking him from his drowsy state.


    The thunderous knocking outside the door continued, and Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but shout a response: ¡°I¡¯ming! I¡¯ming! What¡¯s the hurry so early in the morning?¡± With that, he strode towards the main entrance. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua¡¯s barking at the main entrance didn¡¯t stop. Di Yelei called them off twice, finally managing to drive the two hounds away.


    Upon opening the door, he saw Min¡¯er curled up in her thick cotton coat, shivering with cold outside the house.


    As soon as he came out, she immediately wore a tragic expression on her face.


    ¡°Third Uncle Di! Something happened in the cerst night! ¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Di Yelei had a sudden sinking feeling in his heart and hurriedly asked further.


    ¡°It¡¯s Old Man Li. He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s missing!¡± Min¡¯er was so cold; she could barely speak.


    ¡°She must be talking about Old Man Li!


    Feeling suddenly cold, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t fall back asleep even though it was still earlier than her usual waking time. She forced her eyes open and struggled to get out of bed.


    Looking around, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t see Di Yelei. Suppressing her curiosity, she went to check on her second sister and found that her fever hadpletely subsided, but she was still unconscious.


    Quickly washing the rice and cooking breakfast, Liu Sisi started preparing porridge in one pot and steaming steamed buns in the other.


    Meanwhile, Di Yelei had gathered several vigers and they had split up to pursue in different directions.


    ¡®It¡¯s all my fault! After you leftst night, I thought it best to avoid dealing with Old Man Li¡¯s cunning, so I closed the door and went to sleep. I didn¡¯t expect him to cut the rope and escape!¡¯


    Land Officer was furious, his eyes zing and his beard trembling, ¡®Third Brother, I owe you an apology. I promised you yesterday that I would watch over him, but today this happened. I¡¯m truly ashamed to face you!¡¯ He grew more and more upset as he spoke.


    That damned Old Man Li!


    Seeing the marks left on the hemp rope and the scattered pieces of broken tiles on the ground, Land Officer couldn¡¯t help but feel as if he had been yed by Old Man Li.


    ¡®Uncle Land Officer, you can¡¯t take all the me. If anything, Old Man Li is a cunning and resourceful man. What¡¯s important now is to catch him as soon as possible. Everything else is secondary.¡¯


    After Di Yelei finished speaking, he asked Zhang Peng and Li Wu for help, and the three of them split into three separate directions, chasing with great speed.


    The reason they chased in three different directions was rted to the geographical location of Upper Vige.


    Behind Upper Vige was a mountain, and in front was arge river. Besides the roads that led out of the vige, there was only one narrow path leading into the mountains.


    At this moment, Di Yelei was leading his men in pursuit along the path into the mountains!


    ¡®You must catch him! Once we catch this damned man, I¡¯ll give him a severe lesson!¡¯ Land Officer¡¯s angry words still echoed in their ears.


    He had a strong intuition that Old Man Li would head into the deep mountains. Although there was no rationale for it, the intuition was real.


    At the moment, the sky was still sprinkling with light snow, and as they moved deeper into the mountains, the umted snow ahead became thicker and deeper.


    Especially in the deep parts where one step would submerge their legs up to their knees, the vigers following Di Yelei hesitated and dared not proceed further.


    ¡®Brother Ye Lei, are we really going to continue the chase? The snow is just too heavy. If we continue, we might not find the man, but we might not even be able to return safely,¡¯ said one of the vigers.


    His words were far from groundless but reflected a legitimate concern.


    Another viger nodded in agreement, ¡®Old Man Li, if he wanted to escape, he should have headed for the city instead of running into the mountains in this weather. Otherwise, he might not die, but he would surely suffer. Maybe we should turn back?¡¯


    This made Di Yelei stop in his tracks, shaking the snow off his bamboo hat and looking around in the distance.


    Thinking about the weather, he figured Old Man Li shouldn¡¯t have gone into the mountains and began doubting his intuition.


    ¡®Alright! Let¡¯s turn back to the main road and head toward the county in pursuit.¡¯ The other two vigers nodded without objection.


    ¡®Wait! What is that?¡¯


    Suddenly, one of the vigers shouted.


    Di Yelei quickly followed the direction of the viger¡¯s pointing finger and saw a swaying figure on the hillside across the way. Although it was unclear, it looked a lot like Old Man Li.


    Di Yelei was overjoyed, ¡®Go! We must continue the chase and catch him!¡¯

 Chapter 290.2 - 290: Pursuit (Part One)

    Chapter 290: Pursuit (Part One)


    Let¡¯s leave aside how they chased after Old Man Li for now.


    At Di Family¡¯s side, Liu Sisi worked quickly and efficiently. Once the cooked dishes were ready, she took the stewed medicine, ced it on the edge of the stove to keep it warm, and then left the kitchen.


    She instinctively searched for Di Yelei¡¯s figure, but couldn¡¯t find him anywhere in the front or back of the house.


    Scattered light snow danced in the sky, and the entire sky was gloomy, showing no signs of clearing up. The courtyard outside was full of umted snow, so she picked up a shovel and started clearing the snow.


    They couldn¡¯t see clearlyst night, but this morning, she finally saw the miserable condition of the room afterst night¡¯s incident!


    Half of the adobe wall by the bedroom close to the big tree had been crushed due to the tree falling down. The other half of the tree trunk still stood outside the wall, and looking through the hole where the tree trunk used to be, all they could see was a terrible mess! It looked like the aftermath of a disaster!


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but feel secretly relieved ¡ª luckily, they had gone outside together yesterday and had not been in the house, avoiding this catastrophe!


    It was indeed a great fortune amidst misfortune!


    Liu Sisi looked for a while and finally had no choice but to withdraw her gaze with disappointment.


    Such a big breach could only be fixed by Di Yelei when he returned.


    She nced at the stable and surprisingly found that the horse had finished eating all its fodder. Di Yelei hadn¡¯t taken the horse out for a walk, which was quite strange; he¡¯d never been stopped by any adverse weather before.


    Even though she was curious, Liu Sisi still finished clearing the snow thoroughly before feeding the horse and cleaning the stable. Then, Elderly Mr. Di got up.


    Old Mr. Di was indeed diligent. Without waiting for Liu Sisi¡¯s invitation, he picked up a shovel and began trying to shovel the snow off the roof. Liu Sisi was genuinely frightened.


    ¡°Father! Please don¡¯t go on the roof again! If you identally fell, wouldn¡¯t I be to me? Pleasee down and rest now, Father!¡± Liu Sisi tightly clung to Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s clothes, afraid to let go.


    ¡°The room¡­ room¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di seemed unconvinced, still wanting to climb onto the roof, trying to brush Liu Sisi¡¯s hand away.


    ¡°Father! Can you weave another straw mat for the room instead?¡±


    He could do anything, just not climbing onto the roof again!


    Perhaps Liu Sisi¡¯s persuasion really worked. Elderly Mr. Di pondered for a moment, nced back at his third daughter-inw, and slowly entered the room. He picked up the hay and began weaving.


    Liu Sisi wiped the cold sweat from the back of her head. That was too terrifying!


    She called the two children to get up, went to the room where Ying¡¯er was, and unexpectedly found that Second Sister was already awake.


    ¡°You¡­ You woke up? How do you feel now?¡±


    Liu Sisi was initially delighted, but soon worried again. If Second Sister went mad again, Liu Sisi wouldn¡¯t be able to hold her back!


    However, Liu Zhi¡¯er looked as if she had lost her soul, staring nkly at Liu Sisi without speaking.


    ¡°Second¡­ Are you okay?¡±


    Liu Sisi felt awkward for a moment, unable to call her Second Sister. ¡°Wait for me for a moment; I¡¯ll bring the medicinal soup for you.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t afford to say more. With a turn, she went to the kitchen and came back with a bowl of medicinal soup, her face full of excitement.


    By then, Liu Zhi¡¯er had already sat up and was staring nkly at the surroundings while leaning against the head of the bed. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°How do you feel now? Are you still feverish? This is the soup for healing your injuries; you should drink it quickly.¡±


    While Liu Sisi spoke, she handed over the medicinal soup.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s confused gaze gradually met Liu Sisi¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t seem to recognize her, just staring nkly at her while she mechanically drank the soup from the bowl handed to her.


    ¡°Do you feel unwell anywhere? Should we invite another doctor to take a look?¡±


    Yesterday was too hurried, so Zhang Peng only gave a brief examination, and she wasn¡¯t certain about Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s current condition.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er merely nced up at her without speaking.


    After the initial excitement, Liu Sisi stared at the silent Liu Zhi¡¯er, not knowing what to say.


    Suddenly, she realized a problem ¨C she had no memory of the original body¡¯s rtionship with this second sister.


    Seeing that the soup was almost gone, Liu Sisi finally stood up and said awkwardly, ¡°You rest for a while, and I¡¯ll bring your meal.¡±


    Having said that, she picked up the soup bowl and went to the kitchen again.


    Porridge, steamed buns, green vegetables, and tenderly stewed beast meat ¨C Liu Sisi carefully arranged them one by one in front of Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    Only after staring at her for quite a while did Liu Zhi¡¯er pick up the bamboo chopsticks and start to eat.


    Liu Sisi finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly moved all the dishes to her side: ¡°Eat more, these vegetables are delicious, eat more, and this meat is so tender and melts in your mouth, this bun¡­¡±


    While she spoke, she moved the food one by one in front of her.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er squinted her eyes and watched her for a long time, eating the food in her bowl silently.


    It was only after she had eaten all the food at a whirlwind speed that Liu Sisi recovered from the shock.


    She¡­ ate all that food?


    That was¡­ a bit¡­ too much!


    Surprised as she was, her hands were not slow as she quickly cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks: ¡°Last night, the big tree next to the house fell and half of the room beside it was crushed. Today, we probably have to be busy for a long time.¡±


    After she had put away the bowls and chopsticks, she went to the kitchen and called Dad and the two children to eat.


    Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er stood in the courtyard at the moment, looking at the fallen tree, seemingly unable to recover from the shock.


    Upon Liu Sisi¡¯s call, they hurried into the kitchen.


    ¡°Mom! Last night¡­ that tree and the house¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Last night the tree fell, and your father was busy all night. Hurry up and eat, and then there will be a lot to do today.¡± Liu Sisi said, and then remembered that Di Yelei, who had said he would send Old Man Li to the government office yesterday, had disappeared since he woke up this morning.


    If it weren¡¯t for seeing the jujube red horse still in the courtyard, she might have doubted it.


    Wait a minute! It seemed ¡­Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua were not in the dog house!


    As soon as she thought of this, Liu Sisi could no longer care about anything else and hurried out to search. Sure enough, both hounds were missing.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart skipped a beat!


    She quickly told Elderly Mr. Di and ran like the wind to Mr. Land Officer¡¯s house.


    At the window in the room, Liu Zhi¡¯er silently watched Liu Sisi running fast into the distance, a deep look shing in her eyes!


    Who knows what she was thinking.


    On the other hand, Di Yelei was rapidly approaching Old Man Li¡¯s location.


    Old Man Li in front also realized that someone was chasing him from behind and tried his best to move his already lead-filled legs, running deeper into the mountains.


    His panting breath was like bellows, and the ice and snow had already condensed into frost on his body, with wisps of heat rising from him.

 Chapter 291: Chase (II)

    Chapter 291: Chase (II)


    The two hounds were rapidly closing in, barking wildly! They were headed straight for Old Man Li¡¯s location.


    Old Man Li struggled to il around. Seeing the two hounds getting closer and closer from behind, he couldn¡¯t afford to care about anything else and ran wildly ahead. However, the thickyer of snow on the ground left him dejected and powerless.


    ¡°Di Yelei! Liu Sisi! Pray that this old man Li doesn¡¯t escape from your clutches, else it¡¯ll be the end of you!¡±


    He nced back at the people and the two hounds chasing after him, took a turn, and veered towards another hilltop.


    Behind him, the three pursuers arrived at the foot of the hill.


    ¡°Quickly! It really is Old Man Li up ahead, we need to split up! Surround him from three directions and make sure to capture him!¡±


    Di Yelei instructed the two, each taking a different direction, fully intending to surround him.


    This Old Man Li truly lived up to the saying ¡®a hundred-leg worm doesn¡¯t die easily,¡¯ his will to live was strong.


    The two hounds were too inexperienced. As soon as they saw Old Man Li, they took off, leaving him trailing behind. He wanted to break into a trot, but the thick snow seriously hampered his pursuit speed.


    Ahead, the hounds were barking violently. It was clear that the confrontation between the two dogs and Elderly Mr. Di was in full swing.


    Wails and roaring kepting, interspersed with the angry roars of Old Man Li. It was quite a lively scene!


    These were two pups barely a year old with seriousck of experience! If something really happened to them because they hadn¡¯t been trained¡­ that would be disastrous!


    Worried, Di Yelei subconsciously sped up his steps.


    Ahead, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua had already bitten into Old Man Li¡¯s thigh and back.


    The two hounds, though untrained, possessed the hunting instinct of dogs. They mped down on their target and didn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°Let go! Damn you two dogs! Ouch! Let go!¡±


    Old Man Li was both anxious and furious. He stooped down to pick up his crutch and started thrashing at the two hounds, trying to get rid of the burden on his body.


    But the two hounds continued to bite him tightly, remaining undeterred no matter how hard Old Man Li attacked.


    While Old Man Li and the two hounds were in a stalemate, two vigers soon arrived!


    Instantly startled, Old Man Li attempted to escape, but his escape was dyed by the two dogs.


    ¡°Old Man Li, stop! You can¡¯t get away. Why bother putting yourself through all this pain? Just stop!¡± the vigers rebuked.


    ¡°Keep dreaming! Just you two runts trying to catch your Grandpa Li? Go and drink a few more days of milk before talking about it!¡± Undaunted, Old Man Li fought back, raising his wooden stick to hit the dogs around him.


    ¡°Ouch¡±


    Ah-Huang howled in pain and finally let go. It fell to the ground, whimpered a few times, convulsed a few times, and then stopped moving.


    Blood slowly spread on the snowy ground around him, dyeing the umted snow around it a bright red.


    The bright-red smear was astoundingly conspicuous, blinding to the eyes!


    The sight that greeted Di Yelei when he scaled the hill was Ah-Huang that had fallen before him.


    ¡°Ah-Huang? Ah-Huang!¡±


    Di Yelei instinctively called out to it, but his heart was sinking fast.


    On the other side, Old Man Li, who initially wanted to hit Ah-Hua a few more times, was frightened upon seeing Di Yelei appear. He quickly stopped his hands, paid no heed to Ah-Hua, still clinging to his thigh, and ran away swiftly.


    ¡°Ah-Huang! Ah¡­¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Di Yelei let out a cry of distress!


    There seemed to be confusion in Ah-Huang¡¯s eyes, as if it didn¡¯t understand the situation at all. Instinctively, it struggled to get up from the ground.


    Nevertheless, after a few attempts, it copsed onto the ground again, closing its eyes and panting heavily.


    Blood seeped from its open mouth and steadily spread¡­


    It reluctantly opened its eyes onest time to look at Di Yelei, whimpered in his direction, then slowly closed its eyes. It did its best to wag its tail in the snow onest time, then never opened its eyes again.


    ¡°Ah-Huang! ¡±


    Di Yelei roared in anger; his round eyes shrank to the size of a needle¡¯s point. In an instant, they were filled with blood-red fury. A powerful intent to kill, spread out in all directions, rushing towards Old Man Li.


    Pressing down on the slope with hisrge palm, he leapt up from below within the blink of an eye, dashing like an arrow towards Old Man Li.


    ¡°Old Man Li! I¡¯ll kill you! ¡±


    At that moment, murderous intention filled him!


    A chill ran down Old Man Li¡¯s spine. Like a baby rabbit targeted by a cheetah, he waspletely drained of the energy to run. Under such a strong aura, his body involuntarily trembled. His weak legs gave in, and he retreated two steps.


    The next moment, he slipped and fell!


    There was no way Di Yelei would let him off so easily! Subconsciously, he quickly chased after him. But, he was only in time to see Old Man Li rolling down the slope with Ah-Hua on his leg¡­


    ¡°Ah-Hua!? Hurry, let go! Ah-Hua ¡±


    Hisrge hands futilely extended, and he could only watch helplessly as the man and dog continued to roll down the cliff, bringing up a snowstorm, sprinkling white kes into the sky. They rolled and tumbled¡­


    ¡°Ah-Hua!¡­ Ah-Huang¡­¡±


    Di Yelei reached out his hands to grab at nothingness, clenching his fists tightly. He hammered the ground and cursed in fury: ¡°Bastard! Old Man Li, even if you go to heaven or hell, I, Di Yelei, will surely catch you!¡±


    Naturally, themotion here attracted the attention of the vigers closing in from the other two directions. The two could only watch helplessly as he slipped away, unable to lend a hand.


    The two fellow vigers rapidly converged and asked, ¡°Ye Lei, what should we do now? Should we go back or go down the cliff to check?¡±


    ¡°Go back! How can we go back like this!¡±


    Di Yelei punched the ground heavily, stood up abruptly, and dered, ¡°You can go back first, or you can stay here and wait for me. I¡¯m going down to check.¡±


    Without any hesitation, he swiftly pulled out a rope and began descending down the cliff.


    Meanwhile, Old Man Li, along with Ah-Hua, had rolled several rounds down the hillside. Simultaneously, the surrounding snow showed signs of copse.


    ¡°Oh! Damn it!¡±


    Unable to count how many rounds he had tumbled, his body harshly hit a protruding boulder. After rolling awkwardly for a few meters, he finally came to a stop.


    ¡°Pah! Damn it!¡±


    He spat out a mouthful of dirt, and couldn¡¯t help but curse. Struggling to crawl up from the ground, he clutched his aching waist. Only then did he notice that somewhere along the way, that damn dog had let go of its teeth.


    He tore off a strip of cloth and wrapped it around his continuously bleeding thigh. After catching his breath for a while, he surveyed the surrounding terrain.


    It¡¯s really one¡¯s own bad luck to choke on a sip of cold water!


    Clearly, it was a slippery cliff side, and there was nowhere to put in any leverage!


    Thinking about going down, the bottom waspletely white; no one knew how far it was to the bottom of the cliff.


    Looking up¡­


    Just as he lifted his head, he saw Di Yelei, descending down the slope along the rope. Steeling his resolve, he pushed himself to stand up from the snow.

 Chapter 292: Pursuit (Part Three)

    Chapter 292: Pursuit (Part Three)


    Even if Old Man Li were to die from the fall or be suffocated by the umting snow, he was determined not to go to the government office with him!


    Who didn¡¯t know that the officials protected each other? Taking Old Man Li to the government office and silently killing him would be worse than settling it himself!


    On the slippery ice, even standing firm was a huge challenge!


    There was no ce for him to borrow strength to go up, so that path was certainly blocked.


    The only thing he could still do was¡­ jump off!


    If he really died because of this, then he deserved it!


    With that in mind, he hesitated no longer, and as the figure approached closer and closer, he suddenly burst outughing.


    ¡°Di Yelei! Do you want to catch me and take me back? Let me tell you, Old Man Li, even if I die today, I will never go back with you!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and jumped straight down!


    Whoosh!


    A sharp gust of wind whistled by, and as Old Man Li¡¯s body bounced off the edge of the cliff, he was suddenly struck by a sharp pain in his waist! Before he could react, the world flipped upside down in front of his eyes, and he screamed! n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Help! Help! ¡±


    The violent thumping in his heart seemed like it would burst out of his chest.


    It was only at this moment that he realized he didn¡¯t want to die at all! How could he have had the courage to jump earlier?


    He forced himself to open his eyes and look, and was immediately stunned!


    Thepletely white scene in front of his eyes was spinning; it was the earth spinning beneath him!


    He struggled to turn his head, and the enormous pull at his waist almost broke it. Following the tremendous forceing from his waist, he looked up and saw a rope hanging down above him. One end was tied around his waist, and the other end was firmly controlled by Di Yelei¡¯s big hand, suspended in mid-air, spinning non-stop!


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was hideous!


    Large beads of sweat were rolling down his face, but before they could fall, they quickly crystallized into ice in the air.


    He entrusted the entire weight of his body to the rope in his left hand, and with his feet, he kicked the cliff beside him hard, revealing the frozen dark brown sharp edges beneath. His right hand, however, firmly grasped the end of the rope tied to Old Man Li and pulled it up tightly!


    ¡°Want to die? Hmph! If you die so easily, wouldn¡¯t it be letting you off too easily? Come back to me ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Apanied by a deep, grinding sound, Old Man Li felt his suspended body begin to float up, and immediately began screaming.


    ¡°Help! Help! Ugh¡­ Spit! Di Yelei, I¡­¡± His speech was full of curses that came one after another.


    Di Yelei¡¯s expression was fierce and icy, and with his foot, he forcefully stepped on the cliff, causing the umted snow to fall, engulfing him in a st of snow.


    A mix of umted snow and frozen ice cubes fell on Old Man Li below, causing him to shriek in pain.


    ¡°Old Man Li, if you want to die, you have to ask if I, Di Yelei, agree or not! Get up here!¡±


    He slowly gathered up the rope in his hand.


    ¡°Di Yelei, Liu Sisi, both of you will not have a good death! ¡­¡±


    Old Man Li¡¯s curses were in vain, as he could only watch himself gradually rising. Staring at that icy face, his heart quickly sank.


    It was over! If he really fell into Di Yelei¡¯s hands, he wouldn¡¯t die, but he would lose ayer of skin!


    Immediately, he gritted his teeth and trembled as he reached for the rope around his waist, looking for the end of the rope.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Di Yelei up above had naturally noticed his actions and couldn¡¯t help but speed up his own. At the same time, the force on the rope became even greater, causing it to sway constantly.


    Old Man Li hardened his heart! He quickly untied the rope around him¡­


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes widened as he could only watch helplessly as Old Man Li untied the rope and gave him a chilling smile before his body turned into a freefall, crashing into the cliff with a loud thud, and then continuing to tumble down¡­


    ¡°No!¡­ Damn it!¡±


    Di Yelei cursed.


    Meanwhile, Liu Sisi.


    She ran all the way to the Land Officer¡¯s home.


    The snow on the vige road had been cleared by the fellow vigers, making it much easier to walk.


    When she arrived at the Land Officer¡¯s home, he was anxiously pacing back and forth in front of the yard door.


    As soon as he saw Sisi, he excitedly weed her: ¡°How is it? Has Old Man Li been caught and brought back?¡±


    Liu Sisi:


    Naturally, she had to exin everything once again.


    Liu Sisi went home amidst the Land Officer¡¯s continuous apologies. Just as she reached the corner, she saw Zhang Peng rushing over with two vigers.


    ¡°Sister-inw! Has Ye Leie back yet?¡±


    Zhang Peng didn¡¯t even bother with formalities and went straight to the point when he saw her.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, Ye Lei hasn¡¯te back yet. I heard you also helped in the pursuit? How was it? Did you see any trace of Old Man Li over there?¡±


    Zhang Peng shook his head solemnly: ¡°The two of us pursued him all the way to the main road, then went to the small town and asked Old Six from the Carriage Shop, confirming that Old Man Li didn¡¯t escape from the town early in the morning. We then quickly turned back. It seems that Old Man Li either went into the mountains or went in the direction of Yanqing County.¡±


    After some thought, Liu Sisi said, ¡°Going towards Yanqing County is too far and more likely to expose him. Considering Old Man Li¡¯s physical strength, he definitely wouldn¡¯t choose that path. The Land Officer mentioned earlier that Old Man Li¡¯s ancestors used to go hunting, and this only changed in Old Man Li¡¯s generation. But Old Man Li still keeps the habit of disappearing for a few days, which I heard is because he goes up the mountain. I was thinking, since Old Man Li often goes up the mountain, does he have a ce to stay up there?¡±


    After listening, Zhang Peng thought carefully and nodded: ¡°Now that you mention it, it¡¯s quite possible. I also remember seeing him appear near Jade Bottle Mountain when I went hunting before, maybe¡­¡±


    As he said this, Zhang Peng and the two vigers nced at each other and quickly bid farewell to Liu Sisi: ¡°Sister-inw! We¡¯re going back up the mountain to have a look. You just take care of the family. We¡¯ll definitely bring Ye Lei back safely.¡±


    After saying this, Zhang Peng led the two vigers away quickly, chasing towards the big mountain behind the house.


    I hope¡­ everything will be fine!


    Liu Sisi had no confidence, but she had to brace herself.


    She didn¡¯t know how many more days the heavy snow wouldst, the house was still crushed by the big trees, the sick person at home was still ill, and the elderly and children needed someone to take care of them. For a moment, Liu Sisi felt that all the pressure was weighing on her.


    She took a deep breath!


    One bite at a time, one thing at a time!


    She couldn¡¯t care about anything else now. First, she set up adder and cleared the umted snow from the roof, then led the jujube red horse out for a stroll. Only then did she return to the house to prepare lunch.


    Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the door, she smelled a rich aroma of food.


    Her father was sitting by the bonfire, weaving bamboo strips on one hand and stirring the meat soup in the pot on the other.

 Chapter 292: 292: Pursuit (Part Three)

    Chapter 292: 292: Pursuit (Part Three)<div>


    Even if Old Man Li were to die from the fall or be suffocated by the umting snow, he was determined not to go to the government office with him!


    Who didn¡¯t know that the officials protected each other? Taking Old Man Li to the government office and silently killing him would be worse than settling it himself!


    On the slippery ice, even standing firm was a huge challenge!<div>


    There was no ce for him to borrow strength to go up, so that path was certainly blocked.


    The only thing he could still do was¡­ jump off!


    If he really died because of this, then he deserved it!


    With that in mind, he hesitated no longer, and as the figure approached closer and closer, he suddenly burst outughing.


    ¡°Di Yelei! Do you want to catch me and take me back? Let me tell you, Old Man Li, even if I die today, I will never go back with you!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and jumped straight down!


    Whoosh!


    A sharp gust of wind whistled by, and as Old Man Li¡¯s body bounced off the edge of the cliff, he was suddenly struck by a sharp pain in his waist! Before he could react, the world flipped upside down in front of his eyes, and he screamed!


    ¡°Help! Help! ¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The violent thumping in his heart seemed like it would burst out of his chest.


    It was only at this moment that he realized he didn¡¯t want to die at all! How could he have had the courage to jump earlier?<div>


    He forced himself to open his eyes and look, and was immediately stunned!


    Thepletely white scene in front of his eyes was spinning; it was the earth spinning beneath him!


    He struggled to turn his head, and the enormous pull at his waist almost broke it. Following the tremendous forceing from his waist, he looked up and saw a rope hanging down above him. One end was tied around his waist, and the other end was firmly controlled by Di Yelei¡¯s big hand, suspended in mid-air, spinning non-stop!


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was hideous!


    Large beads of sweat were rolling down his face, but before they could fall, they quickly crystallized into ice in the air.


    He entrusted the entire weight of his body to the rope in his left hand, and with his feet, he kicked the cliff beside him hard, revealing the frozen dark brown sharp edges beneath. His right hand, however, firmly grasped the end of the rope tied to Old Man Li and pulled it up tightly!


    ¡°Want to die? Hmph! If you die so easily, wouldn¡¯t it be letting you off too easily? Come back to me ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Apanied by a deep, grinding sound, Old Man Li felt his suspended body begin to float up, and immediately began screaming.


    ¡°Help! Help! Ugh¡­ Spit! Di Yelei, I¡­¡± His speech was full of curses that came one after another.


    Di Yelei¡¯s expression was fierce and icy, and with his foot, he forcefully stepped on the cliff, causing the umted snow to fall, engulfing him in a st of snow.


    A mix of umted snow and frozen ice cubes fell on Old Man Li below, causing him to shriek in pain.<div>


    ¡°Old Man Li, if you want to die, you have to ask if I, Di Yelei, agree or not! Get up here!¡±


    He slowly gathered up the rope in his hand.


    ¡°Di Yelei, Liu Sisi, both of you will not have a good death! ¡­¡±


    Old Man Li¡¯s curses were in vain, as he could only watch himself gradually rising. Staring at that icy face, his heart quickly sank.


    It was over! If he really fell into Di Yelei¡¯s hands, he wouldn¡¯t die, but he would lose ayer of skin!


    Immediately, he gritted his teeth and trembled as he reached for the rope around his waist, looking for the end of the rope.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Di Yelei up above had naturally noticed his actions and couldn¡¯t help but speed up his own. At the same time, the force on the rope became even greater, causing it to sway constantly.


    Old Man Li hardened his heart! He quickly untied the rope around him¡­


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes widened as he could only watch helplessly as Old Man Li untied the rope and gave him a chilling smile before his body turned into a freefall, crashing into the cliff with a loud thud, and then continuing to tumble down¡­


    ¡°No!¡­ Damn it!¡±<div>


    Di Yelei cursed.


    Meanwhile, Liu Sisi.


    She ran all the way to the Land Officer¡¯s home.


    The snow on the vige road had been cleared by the fellow vigers, making it much easier to walk.


    When she arrived at the Land Officer¡¯s home, he was anxiously pacing back and forth in front of the yard door.


    As soon as he saw Sisi, he excitedly weed her: ¡°How is it? Has Old Man Li been caught and brought back?¡±


    Liu Sisi:


    Naturally, she had to exin everything once again.


    Liu Sisi went home amidst the Land Officer¡¯s continuous apologies. Just as she reached the corner, she saw Zhang Peng rushing over with two vigers.


    ¡°Sister-inw! Has Ye Leie back yet?¡±


    Zhang Peng didn¡¯t even bother with formalities and went straight to the point when he saw her.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, Ye Lei hasn¡¯te back yet. I heard you also helped in the pursuit? How was it? Did you see any trace of Old Man Li over there?¡±


    Zhang Peng shook his head solemnly: ¡°The two of us pursued him all the way to the main road, then went to the small town and asked Old Six from the Carriage Shop, confirming that Old Man Li didn¡¯t escape from the town early in the morning. We then quickly turned back. It seems that Old Man Li either went into the mountains or went in the direction of Yanqing County.¡±


    After some thought, Liu Sisi said, ¡°Going towards Yanqing County is too far and more likely to expose him. Considering Old Man Li¡¯s physical strength, he definitely wouldn¡¯t choose that path. The Land Officer mentioned earlier that Old Man Li¡¯s ancestors used to go hunting, and this only changed in Old Man Li¡¯s generation. But Old Man Li still keeps the habit of disappearing for a few days, which I heard is because he goes up the mountain. I was thinking, since Old Man Li often goes up the mountain, does he have a ce to stay up there?¡±


    After listening, Zhang Peng thought carefully and nodded: ¡°Now that you mention it, it¡¯s quite possible. I also remember seeing him appear near Jade Bottle Mountain when I went hunting before, maybe¡­¡±


    As he said this, Zhang Peng and the two vigers nced at each other and quickly bid farewell to Liu Sisi: ¡°Sister-inw! We¡¯re going back up the mountain to have a look. You just take care of the family. We¡¯ll definitely bring Ye Lei back safely.¡±


    After saying this, Zhang Peng led the two vigers away quickly, chasing towards the big mountain behind the house.


    I hope¡­ everything will be fine!


    Liu Sisi had no confidence, but she had to brace herself.


    She didn¡¯t know how many more days the heavy snow wouldst, the house was still crushed by the big trees, the sick person at home was still ill, and the elderly and children needed someone to take care of them. For a moment, Liu Sisi felt that all the pressure was weighing on her.


    She took a deep breath!


    One bite at a time, one thing at a time!


    She couldn¡¯t care about anything else now. First, she set up adder and cleared the umted snow from the roof, then led the jujube red horse out for a stroll. Only then did she return to the house to prepare lunch.


    Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the door, she smelled a rich aroma of food.


    Her father was sitting by the bonfire, weaving bamboo strips on one hand and stirring the meat soup in the pot on the other.

 Chapter 293: So You Were in the House at That Moment

    Chapter 293: So You Were in the House at That Moment


    Seeing hering in, he smiled and greeted, ¡°The food¡­ is ready.¡±


    ¡°Father, you should take a break too. Don¡¯t tire yourself out,¡± Liu Sisi said, taking off her straw raincoat and bamboo hat.


    ¡°Alright, alright¡­ I know.¡± Father smiled and kept working on his weaving task as usual.


    YingEr was rolling around on the temporary little bed, ying with a ribbon flower in her hand. As soon as she saw Liu Sisiing, she immediately dropped the ribbon flower and ran over: ¡°Mom! Where have you been? YingEr couldn¡¯t find you¡­¡±


    ¡°YingEr, be good and let go of Mom. I¡¯m dirty and wet, be careful not to get your clothes damp.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let go! YingEr misses Mom.¡±


    YingEr clung to Liu Sisi¡¯s thigh, unwilling to let go, rubbing against her insistently.


    Xuan¡¯er was sitting not far from the brazier, still reciting from her book. Hearing YingEr¡¯s coquettish voice, she couldn¡¯t help but look back andugh.


    Everything was so peaceful, warm¡­


    Out of nowhere, Liu Sisi suddenly felt relieved and smiled!


    Even with the heavy burden on her shoulders, the warmth of her family could break through all the pressure, giving her a sense of satisfaction from the bottom of her heart, making her feel all the pressure had disappeared, and her entire body rxed.


    ¡°Hmm! Mom misses YingEr too. Be good, let go quickly. Mom¡¯s got cold water all over her.¡±


    Liu Sisi gently patted YingEr¡¯s hair, then took some clean clothes and went to the bathroom to change.


    Then she quickly boiled the medicine and took it to Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    As soon as Liu Sisi pushed the door open, she saw Liu Zhi¡¯er lying t on the bed, staring nkly at the top of the curtain, not moving at all.


    ¡°Second Sister, how do you feel? The medicine is ready. Drink it first, and I will bring the cooked dishes to youter. By the way, is there anything you need?¡±


    Liu Sisi handed the bowl of soup medicine to her. Only after she saw her finish drinking the soup medicine did she continue to speak, taking the empty bowl.


    ¡°Take off your coat, and I¡¯ll apply the medicine for you.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er didn¡¯t say much, just looking at her with a deep gaze.


    A momentter, she leaned on the head of the bed to sit up, silently taking off her clothes, and sitting on the bed in just a bellyband.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t notice Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s inquisitive gaze. She carefully cleaned the wound on her skin ording to Zhang Peng¡¯s instructions, then picked up the ointment and applied it delicately.


    ¡°This ointment was given by Brother Zhang. It¡¯s his family¡¯s ancestral form and has a quick healing effect on wounds, with very little scarring. Because of your injury¡­ I really couldn¡¯t ask anyone else to see it. Brother Zhang is a familiar person, so you don¡¯t have to worry about him gossiping¡­¡±


    Not only did Liu Zhi¡¯er have a very serious abrasion on her wrist, but the injury in the most private part of a woman¡¯s body was even more severe!


    It is evident how evil Old Man Li is!


    As Liu Sisi applied the medicine for Liu Zhi¡¯er, cursing Old Man Li in her heart, her eyebrows furrowed.


    With her gentle touch while applying the medicine, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s body kept trembling. She raised her head and saw the pity in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, and suddenly a nameless anger surged through her.


    ¡°Enough! Let me do it myself.¡±


    She grabbed the ointment and immediately covered herself with a quilt, burying her face inside.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s expression darkened, and she lowered her head to pick up the dirtyundry on the ground: ¡°Apply the medicine first! I¡¯ll go wash these clothes and bring food to you.¡±


    There was no response from the other side.


    Liu Sisi sighed, and thought it was enough! Today¡¯s events were enough!


    She turned and left the room, heading to the kitchen. After soaking the clothes, she started eating. When she figured that Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s ointment should have been applied by now, she brought the cooked dishes into the room.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was lying on her side in bed, not saying anything when she came in.


    ¡°Here! I¡¯ve brought you food. Eat more, so your wound will heal faster.¡±


    As she spoke, she handed the bowl and chopsticks to her. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Zhi¡¯er withdrew her gaze and looked at her for a long time, her deep eyes inscrutable.


    Only when Liu Sisi could no longer maintain her smile did Liu Zhi¡¯er sit up and ept the bowl and chopsticks, slowly eating.


    Liu Sisi sighed inwardly: ¡°You shouldn¡¯t feel too bad, either. Now, the most important thing is to heal your injury. Once you¡¯re better, everything else can be discussed.¡±


    ¡°Enough! Liu Sisi, are you annoying or not? Disgusting or not?¡±


    As she spoke, she mmed the bowl and chopsticks onto the bedside cab: ¡°Our conflict as sisters isn¡¯t just a one day or two days thing. Now that I have been reduced to this, there¡¯s nothing valuable on me for you to take advantage of. Why pretend to be so friendly?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at her in surprise: ¡°What, what are you saying?¡±


    She never expected that the original Liu Sisi and her second sister had a bad rtionship!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er looked at her contemptuously, scrutinizing her from head to toe: ¡°It¡¯s amazing! You¡¯ve just married, and it¡¯s as if you¡¯ve be another person. Weren¡¯t you arrogant before? Weren¡¯t you determined to marry a rich man in the future? Now? What gives you the right to pity me, despise me, and look down on me?¡±


    These words made Liu Sisi anxious!


    ¡°Second Sister, I, I had a high fever, and Ipletely forgot everything. You are my second sister, I have no¡­ ¡±


    ¡°You have no? No pity for me, no disdain for me? Or no contempt for me? I, Liu Zhi¡¯er, don¡¯t need your pity! Get out! Get out of here! Get out! ¡±


    Suddenly, Liu Zhi¡¯er yelled at her like a madwoman!


    With a flick of her hand, the bowl and chopsticks on the bedside table fell to the ground.


    ng! Smack


    The bowl shattered at Liu Sisi¡¯s feet, scattering the food all over the floor. The sttered soup had also managed to ssh all over her.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er didn¡¯t hold back her anger, she furiously shouted and grabbed the pillow, pillowcase, and quilt from the bed, tossing them under the bed!


    Not caring about the leftover mess on her body, Liu Sisi quickly tried to hold the furious Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    ¡°Second Sister! Listen to me, please, just listen!¡±


    Liu Sisi was extremely anxious and unable to tell anyone about her own situation. She could only stick to her story: ¡°Second Sister, I really had a high fever and forgot everything that happened before. You can ask anyone in the vige about it, I have no reason to lie about this!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er wasn¡¯t listening at all. She suddenly jumped off the bed,pletely ignoring her bare feet as she stepped on the floor and desperately pushed Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi kept defending herself, urgently trying to exin.


    ¡°Get out! Get out of here! It¡¯s all your fault! You¡¯re lying! If you didn¡¯t know me, why would you havee to my room door in the first ce? When you got to the door, why didn¡¯t youe in and save me? Why didn¡¯t you save me¡­ Liu Sisi, I hate you! I hate you!¡±


    These words left Liu Sisi stunned!


    Initially, she had indeed gone to Old Man Li¡¯s house to look for her, but the room was too dark and quiet, so she left.


    ¡°So¡­ you were in the room at that time¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi could barely stand, deep regret rising from her heart.

 Chapter 294: Avalanche

    Chapter 294: Avnche


    ¡°I¡­ I really didn¡¯t know at that time¡­¡±


    Tears gathered in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, she really didn¡¯t know!


    If she had known, she would have risked her life to save Liu Zhi¡¯er. Unfortunately¡­ there are no regrets in this world!


    The next moment, she was pulled and pushed by the frantic Liu Zhi¡¯er out of the room and fell to the ground.


    Inside the room, a low and suppressed sob could be faintly heard. The sound of the door mming shut in front of her made Liu Sisi unable to contain herself, and her tears started to fall.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t know¡­ that you were in the room¡­ Really¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi covered her face. If she had discovered Liu Zhi¡¯er sooner, perhaps this wouldn¡¯t have happened.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er wouldn¡¯t have been defiled by that beast¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault! It¡¯s my fault¡­ You¡¯re right! If I had found you in the room in time, none of this would have happened! It¡¯s all because of me¡­¡±


    She pressed against the door, crying in sorrow.


    Separated by a door, the two sisters cried bitterly, their emotions of bitterness and heartache spreading¡­


    On the other side.


    Old Man Li tore off the whip from his waist, bing a free-falling object in mid-air.


    As heughed wildly, his body quickly crashed into the cliff. Hisughter turned into a scream as he continuously hit the cliff face.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Di Yelei, is something wrong?¡±


    Above, two fellow vigers shouted anxiously.


    ¡°He¡¯s fallen! You guys hold on to the rope, I¡¯m going to go down and check.¡±


    As he spoke, he casually wrapped the rope around his waist with his left hand, grabbed the rope with his right hand and quickly slid down. He almost hit a tree that was leaning outwards, grabbed it hurriedly, and rested for a moment. Looking down, he saw Old Man Li lying not far below.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Di Yelei cursed angrily. It was all because of this man¡¯s foolish actions that he had to chase after him like this.


    ¡°Woof woof woof¡­¡±


    A series of dog barks came from below, and suddenly, a small figure emerged from the snow pile. If not Ah-Hua, who else could it be?


    Ah-Hua¡¯s fur was originally white mixed with yellow and brown colors. When she had fallen earlier, she must have been knocked unconscious. Now awake, she immediately dashed towards Old Man Li¡¯s location.


    Di Yelei¡¯s heart was overjoyed. Ah-Hua had unexpectedly appeared, which was great news!


    ¡°Ah-Hua! Bite him, don¡¯t let him get away!¡±


    Old Man Li screamed in pain. His left leg was twisted in an unnatural way that no normal person would be able to endure, a clear indication that his leg was broken.


    At this moment, as Ah-Hua pounced and barked, he quickly tried to escape by moving backward.


    However, his severe leg injury slowed him down considerably. He didn¡¯t get far before he was quickly caught and knocked down by Ah-Hua.


    The man and the dog were swiftly tangled together, a cacophony of curses and barks echoing through the area, as they quickly rolled downhill from where they were hiding. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Yelei was worried and quickly slid down the rope using both his hands and legs. No matter how fast he tried, he couldn¡¯t catch up to the rolling man and dog. Seeing that the rope had run out, Di Yelei took off the rope from his waist and hitched it to a nearby stone and continued sliding down.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a dull rumbling sound came from below, apanied by a scream.


    Di Yelei quickly lowered his head to see that below on the slope, a pit suddenly appeared, the surrounding umted snow and the mountain were copsing rapidly! Amid the rolling rumble, Li¡¯s and Ah-Hua¡¯s figures were soon submerged.


    A tearing heartache spread from the bottom of his heart, causing Di Yelei so much pain that he could hardly breathe, and he couldn¡¯t help but shout.


    ¡°Ah-Hua! Come back! Come back!¡±


    Ah-Huang had just had an ident, and when he turned around, Ah-Hua disappeared right before his eyes, leaving Di Yelei devastated!


    A momentter, the entire mountain began to shake!


    Ice chunks mixed with thick umted snow fell all around Di Yelei, who waspletely stunned!


    ¡°Di Yelei, run! It¡¯s an avnche!¡±


    Above, two fellow vigers panicked and ran in opposite directions instinctively fleeing for their lives.


    Di Yelei was hanging in mid-air at the moment, unable to go either up or down.


    Fortunately, although the mountain shook a few times, it did not copse. Looking down at the hole that was as big as two rooms, the bottom could not be seen at all.


    Not giving up, he continued to descend, braving the falling snow until he reached the entrance of the cave.


    Suddenly, a huge whirlwind emerged from the entrance of the cave, and arge chunk of falling ice from above nearly dragged him directly into the entrance.


    He was momentarily shocked, but his face remained calm. Following the swinging rope, he stepped on the cave roof and quickly climbed up two steps, escaping the whirlwind¡¯s range!


    With such strong winds, how could he find his way down?


    Di Yelei furrowed his eyebrows, secretly assessing the possibility of Ah-Hua surviving, and finally, extinguished the idea of searching for her again and began to climb up.


    The mountain was still trembling, and when he finally climbed up the cliff, another violent shaking came.


    Di Yelei had no time to care about anything else. He quickly ran to Ah-Huang, picked him up, and rushed down the mountain.


    Falling rocks and snow smashed down constantly, and the rumbling sound of the avnche echoed. Di Yelei didn¡¯t look back, nor did he dare to.


    His steps were so fast that his shadow was barely visible, racing forward!


    The rumbling sound behind him grew closer and closer. Even without looking back, he knew that the avnche was chasing him down!


    Zhang Peng, who rushed overter, happened to witness the scene in front of him!


    He had only arrived at the foot of the mountain right after Liu Sisi mentioned Jade Screen Mountain. As soon as he reached the foot of the mountain, he heard a huge rumbleing from the other side. Immediately, the umted snow on the peaks copsed and slid down rapidly.


    Countless snow began to copse from the top of the mountain. As it continued to move downwards, it engulfed numerous iceyers, and the overwhelming snow copsed below, like rivers bursting their banks, rolling and tumbling down mightily.


    Compared to the cascading avnche, the figure running ahead of the copsed snow became even more conspicuous!


    Zhang Peng¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the figure rushing ahead, apparently holding something in his arms!


    He couldn¡¯t care less about anything else and shouted at the top of his lungs!


    ¡°Di Yelei! Run! Run!¡±


    However, his shouting waspletely drowned out by the thunderous noise!


    The sky-filling snow kept falling from the top of the mountain, growing bigger and more numerous as it rolled, piled upyer uponyer, and continued to slide down.


    With an unstoppable momentum, it swept away everything in its path!


    From tomorrow on, the update will be 10,000 words per day, one update every fifth period of the night with 2000 words per update. It¡¯s the end of the month, please hurry and cast your monthly votes for Craft Paper, thank you everyone.

 Chapter 295: 295: Avalanche Continues

    Chapter 295: 295: Avnche Continues<div>


    Di Family home.


    A door separated the two sisters in the room from the outside, both crying.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault! I¡¯m so bad, if I had noticed in time, this wouldn¡¯t have happened to you! It¡¯s me, it¡¯s all me¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi leaned against the door, sobbing in anguish.


    If she had found out in time, Liu Zhi¡¯er wouldn¡¯t have been vited by that beast¡­


    Bitterness and heartache churned in her heart, and Liu Sisi wished she could turn back time and return to that moment. She would definitely break down that tightly closed door and save Liu Zhi¡¯er from Old Man Li¡¯s clutches!


    Just as she was distraught, a cry suddenly came from behind.


    ¡°Mom! Mom, how are you sitting on the ground? Why are you crying? Mom!¡±


    YingEr suddenly hugged her from behind: ¡°Mom! Did you fall and hurt yourself? YingEr will blow and it won¡¯t hurt anymore, Mom don¡¯t cry, Mom is the best¡­¡±


    Obedient YingEr tried several times to lift her up.


    Liu Sisi sat on the ground unwilling to get up, gently patting the door: ¡°Second Sister, Second Sister¡­.¡±


    YingEr seemed very confused: ¡°Mom! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°YingEr,e here now, I have something to do. Let¡¯s go find Zhang Yun and y with him, okay? We¡¯lle backter.¡±


    Behind her, Di Xuan hurriedly came forward to take YingEr away. Before leaving, he sent her a worried nce.<div>


    At the moment, Liu Sisi had no mood to entertain the two children.


    ¡°Second Sister! Listen to me. Comining can¡¯t solve the problem, and crying is just a sign of weakness. At this point, we should look forward.¡±


    Liu Sisi leaned against the door and said softly.


    ¡°That Old Man Li actually dared to do such a thing. We can sue him for human trafficking, it would at least require him to servebor for several years. ording to the currentw, theborers have to go down to the mines to dig. With his age, even if he reallyes out in a few years, he won¡¯t be able to enjoy his remaining years.¡±


    In fact, the greater possibility is that he would directly die in the mine.


    The legal system in this era is not as perfect as it is inter generations. If a prisoner dies in the mine, it¡¯s considered a white death, and who can say anything about it?


    ¡°And that Dong guy, he doesn¡¯t even treat his married wife as a human being. Once your injuries are stable, we will go directly to him and get divorced. If he dares to stall and refuse, we will go to the government office to sue him. Selling his own married wife is a heinous crime! Besides, you have raised three children for him. Such a person is simply unconscionable, and we must not be indulgent!¡±


    Liu Sisi slowly analyzed the pros and cons with Liu Zhi¡¯er step by step. Gradually, the crying inside the room stopped.


    Liu Sisi did not rush, but silently apanied her.


    ¡°Even if you really die here, to a person like him, it would just be another excuse for extortion. Would he really care about you at all?¡±


    ¡°You, you nonsense! He, he truly loves me¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s words trembled like a weak candle in the wind.


    ¡°Would someone who truly loves you let their wife have a child for someone else? Would someone who truly loves you let you be injured with no human appearance? Second Sister, don¡¯t be fooled by his sweet-talk. Wake up!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words made the rational woman inside the room instinctively want to refute, but she bit her lip and didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°You don¡¯t tell me that this surrogate pregnancy was your own idea. I don¡¯t have such a shameless second sister!¡±


    Liu Sisi sneered: ¡°Even if he was really coaxing and deceiving you, telling you he cared for you and loved you, can you believe it? Second Sister, you¡¯re a mother of three children now. Do you really want to live in such a lie and note out? Wake up! Wake up!¡±


    Inside the room, Liu Zhi¡¯er sobbed and whimpered louder and louder, ultimately dissolving into loud crying.


    Liu Sisi, separated by the door, listened to her howling and slowly stood up from the outside.


    She could only do so much at this point, and now, only Liu Zhi¡¯er herself could truly help her!


    As she stepped out of the door, she saw Guihuaing in a hurry. Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s red and swollen eyes, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Shh! Let¡¯s go to the kitchen to talk.¡±


    Liu Sisi stopped her from talking and walked silently in front.


    In the room, Dad was slowly chopping baby bok choy for lunch.


    ¡°Dad, you should go back to your room and rest for a while! You didn¡¯t get enough restst night. Later, when the food is cooked, your daughter-inw wille to get you.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly washed her hands and took over.


    Elderly Mr. Di looked back at Guihua and didn¡¯t insist.


    ¡°Elder Uncle Di, hello,¡± Guihua greeted hastily.


    ¡°Good, all good!¡± Elderly Mr. Di didn¡¯t say much and walked slowly out of the kitchen with his crutch.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ncing at the room where Liu Zhi¡¯er was, he couldn¡¯t help but hear the sisters crying so loudly.


    Elderly Di couldn¡¯t help but shake his head as he entered his own room. Sigh! What a pity¡­


    Liu Sisi chopped the vegetables quickly and stealthily wiped the tears from her face.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡­ ¡± Guihua leaned in and, noticing there was no one around, continued asking in a small voice, ¡°What on earth happened?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a long story. I don¡¯t know where to start¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi really didn¡¯t know how to say it.


    ¡°Earlier, YingEr came and said that the woman inside is your Second Sister? The one who¡­ the one who gave birth to Old Man Li¡¯s child?¡± Guihua asked curiously.


    The tragic woman? These words made Liu Sisi¡¯s tears unstoppable, and they came flooding down.


    ¡°Sister Guihua¡­¡±


    When sheforted Liu Zhi¡¯er, she spoke nicely, but when it came to herself, she couldn¡¯t resist letting the tears fall.


    ¡°Oh no! Sisi, don¡¯t cry, please stop crying¡­¡±


    Guihua fumbled tofort her.


    Suddenly, deep in the mountain behind the house, a series of rumbling noises rumbled and shook everyone in the house.


    Elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t help but sit up from the head of the bed, his eyes staring into the void, ¡°Is¡­ the mountain gods angry?¡±


    Elsewhere.


    The avnche continued.


    Zhang Peng¡¯s fury hadn¡¯t yet subsided!


    The rumbling noise overwhelmed Di Yelei.


    Di Yeleipletely forgot to breathe, forgot the surroundings, forgot that he was racing with the copsing umted snow. His body suddenly merged into the gusts around him.


    He had a peculiar feeling, as if he was the wind, and the wind was him!


    Every step he took matched the frequency of the gusts around him.


    His speed was like a wisp of smoke, rapidly brushing past, dangerously running ahead of the copsing snow dragon.


    The snow dragon arrogantly pursued, closing in quickly.


    Di Yelei felt his lung¡¯s blood vessels bursting, the limit-speed erupting, and he transformed into an arrow, speeding forward¡­


    Rumble! ¨C


    Even so, the snow dragon didn¡¯t let him go. It spread from the mountain top to the hillside, then pounced toward the foot of the mountain, causing the surrounding mountain peaks to emit a series of rumbling noises.


    The snow dragon chased and yed with the tiny, ant-like man in front. Eventually, it swallowed him whole.

 Chapter 296: 296: Aftermath of the Avalanche

    Chapter 296: 296: Aftermath of the Avnche<div>


    ¡°Ye Lei! ¡±


    Zhang Peng¡¯s eyes widened, instinctively wanting to rush into the avnche area, but he was firmly held back by two fellow vigers behind him.


    ¡°Zhang Peng, don¡¯t go! It¡¯s dangerous over there! Don¡¯t go!¡±<div>


    Zhang Peng desperately struggled to break free from the two people desperately dragging him: ¡°Let go! Let me go! I have to save him! Let go!¡±


    After a good struggle, Zhang Peng finally broke free from the two people¡¯s restraint and rushed like a madman towards the direction Di Yelei was in.


    Finally swallowing the small ants ahead, the Snow Dragon, like a well-fed dragon, finally calmed down, with only asional thunders shaking and gradually subsiding.


    The beautiful and pure Snow Dragon undted, reflecting a dazzling radiance in the faint sunlight in the sky, almost blinding the eyes of several people.


    Zhang Peng ran quickly to the edge of the avnche, not caring about anything, and began to desperately shovel the umted snow.


    ¡°Ye Lei, Ye Lei, you must be alright! Ye Lei hold on! You must hold on! I promised Hongyuan to take good care of you, Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Zhang Peng didn¡¯t care about anything, and quickly dug through the umted snow.


    The two vigers who followed behind saw Zhang Peng¡¯s behavior and hurriedly tried to dissuade him: ¡°Zhang Peng, stop it! The Mountain Gods are angry! We haven¡¯t heard of anyone surviving an avnche! Let¡¯s go! If the Mountain Gods get angry again, it¡¯ll be even worse!¡±


    ¡°Let go! If you¡¯re afraid, just leave. If you¡¯re my brothers, help me dig right now! Alive, I want to see people; dead, I want to see bodies. I¡¯ll never go back empty-handed!¡±


    After Zhang Peng finished speaking, he quickly dug through the umted snow.


    Two fellow vigers exchanged a nce and then came forward to help dig through the umted snow.<div>


    Two other vigers who had escaped in time also came over to help dig through the snow.


    Together, the sound of digging through the umted snow was the only thing that could be heard by the five people.


    In the house, everyone who had been talking suddenly stopped and listened carefully to the direction from which the loud noise came.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face turned pale, her heart clenched, and at the moment, her eyes were dazed.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    She hurriedly dropped the kitchen knife, and just as she was distracted, her finger was cut deeply by the knife edge.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you cut your hand? Let me see, stop the bleeding first.¡±


    Guihua was in a panic.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s absent gaze did not recover, her face pale as a sheet.


    ¡°Sister Guihua¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her voice trembled, ¡°Old Man Li ran awayst night! Ye Lei went into the mountains to chase him, and Big Brother Zhang was chasing after them on the main road, but he didn¡¯t find anyone, and then he went into the mountains too!¡±<div>


    Guihua looked surprised, her hands beginning to tremble: ¡°You¡­ you mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°What I mean is, I don¡¯t know if the loud noiseing from the other side of the mountain at the moment is made by Di Yelei and the others!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s hands tightly gripped Guihua¡¯s, her strength so great that she didn¡¯t even notice it herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s not them, it¡¯s definitely not them! That sound just now¡­ That sound was clearly the Mountain Gods getting angry, how could it be them¡­¡±


    Guihua¡¯s face was frantic, denying it constantly.


    But the sudden change in her face color revealed many issues.


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s not them, but¡­ but Old Man Li is cunning and scheming, he¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze fell on the person who suddenly appeared at the doorway, and the rest of her words were left unsaid.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er leaned against the kitchen door, her pale face showing no discernable expression.


    ¡°You mean, Old Man Li fledst night?¡±


    Liu Sisi had originally intended not to tell her because she believed that Ye Lei would bring Old Man Li back. However, the current situation had be such that she could no longer hide the truth.<div>


    ¡°Yes! Ye Lei and Brother Zhang pursued him into the mountains. The rumbling sound came from the mountains, and we are worried¡­¡±


    ¡°You actually hid this from me, hehe! Liu Sisi, after so many years, I thought you had changed. I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯re still the same character.¡±


    After saying that, Liu Zhi¡¯er turned and went back into her room.


    Liu Sisi opened her mouth to call out but didn¡¯t know where to start.


    Guihua, standing nearby, was also in a state of panic and worry: ¡°What should we do? What should we do right now? If anything really happens to Zhang Peng, I won¡¯t be able to live either¡­¡±


    As she spoke, Guihua began to cry.


    The pain spread in her chest, and Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t even imagine the taste of losing Di Yelei! If it really came to that, what would she do?


    She tremblingly grabbed Guihua¡¯s hand: ¡°Sister Guihua, good people live in peace. Trust me, Brother Zhang will be fine!¡±


    Guihua just sobbed and shook her head without speaking.


    Liu Sisi made up her mind: ¡°Sister Guihua, you wait here. I¡¯ll ride Ye Lei¡¯s horse to the mountains and see if the explosion just now is really¡­¡±


    The gaze of the two met in midair, and each saw pain, panic, and something indescribable in the other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Okay! You go quickly. I¡¯ll take good care of the house and the children. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t say anything else but let go of Guihua¡¯s hand and walked out of the room.


    In the courtyard, Elderly Mr. Di stood in the courtyard holding his crutch, looking in the direction of the explosion.


    Seeing Liu Sisiing out, he turned his gaze to her.


    Liu Sisi suddenly felt inexplicably guilty, feeling unable to face this old man¡¯s expectant eyes.


    ¡°Dad, Sisi is going into the mountains for a while. If¡­I returnte, please take care of the house.¡±


    After saying that, Liu Sisi bowed deeply to her father-inw.


    She got up and walked quickly toward the stable, intending to ride a horse to find them!


    ¡°Alright¡­I¡­will, Third Child!¡±


    Father¡¯s voice came from behind her.


    Liu Sisi stopped, not looking back, worried about seeing those eager eyes: ¡°Dad! I¡¯ll be sure to bring Ye Lei back.¡±


    These words were not only for her father but also for herself!


    She quickly walked to the front of the stable, gently patting the horse¡¯s head: ¡°Horse, oh horse, Ye Lei and the others are in trouble. They need your help! You mustn¡¯t throw me off!¡±


    As she looked at the tall horse, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a wave of chills as she had never ridden a horse alone before.


    But at this moment, she couldn¡¯t care less.


    She saddled the horse, untied the reins, and led the horse out of the courtyard.


    Liu Sisi took a deep breath, trying to imitate Di Yelei¡¯s movements, wanting to climb onto the horseback. The high stirrups were swaying constantly, but what was an incredibly simple task for Di Yelei was so challenging for her!

 Chapter 297: 297: Rebirth after the disaster, husband and wife closely embrace each other.

    Chapter 297: 297: Rebirth after the disaster, husband and wife closely embrace each other.<div>


    She had tried several times, with great difficulty, to climb onto the horse¡¯s back, sat awry, and held onto the reins.


    The jujube-red horse seemed rather restive, and before Liu Sisi had a chance to kick its belly, it started trotting.


    A momentter, the horse increased its speed, almost bucking her off its back.<div>


    She shrieked¡ªa primal instinct to hug tightly around the horse¡¯s belly.


    The tighter she held to the belly, the faster the horse ran! Liu Sisi didn¡¯t dare to lift her head anymore. She held tightly onto the horse¡¯s neck, allowing it to run wherever it wished.


    She did not know for how long the horse had run. The panicked Liu Sisi finally calmed down, slowly lifted her head from the horse¡¯s back, and noticed that she was on the back hill. All around, everything was nketed in white. Apart from sparse patches of lush greenery poking out from under the snow, there was barely any other scenery in sight.


    Looking back, there were only the chain of hoofprints left in the snow, extending to the back of the hill.


    Her mouth gaped open at the endless expanse of snow. The rumbling noise she had heard earlier had stopped. Aimless and without a set destination, she plowed straight forward.


    As she rounded the hill, her face lit up with joy!


    Not far ahead of her was a mountain peak. Most of the snow on the peak had visibly melted away, revealing patches of verdant hillside, distinctly different from its neighboring peaks.


    ¡°Oh, horsey, do you see that mountain peak? Let¡¯s go! Giddy up!¡±


    Mimicking Di Yelei¡¯s actions, Liu Sisi tried to lightly kick the horse¡¯s belly. The horse indeed broke into a trot, heading towards that mountain peak.


    At the foot of the mountain,


    Zhang Peng and his four men were still relentlessly digging through the umted snow.<div>


    Suddenly, there came a rustling sound from up ahead, making all five of them stop in their tracks. Momentster, the rustling noise became denser. Zhang Peng¡¯s eyes widened at it.


    ¡°It must be Ye Lei! Ye Lei¡¯s still alive! He must be digging too, we have to dig faster!¡±


    Zhang Peng¡¯s shout brought newfound hope among the group. Everyone sped up their digging, and the rumblings within the snow became louder.


    ¡°Everyone push harder! We are close to reaching them!¡±


    Zhang Peng¡¯s shout energized everyone and their work hastened.


    ¡°Over here! Over here!¡± A fellow viger could hardly contain himself.


    Apanied by cheers, a dog¡¯s muzzle appeared from the hole, huffing and puffing. Ah-Huang waggled his tail and crawled out of the hole.


    Then, there came a bout of coughing from the hole, revealing Di Yelei¡¯s smiling face.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Quick, everyone lend a hand and pull!¡±


    A few of the vigers came over to help. Working together, they managed to extract Di Yelei from the hole.


    Friends united after surviving a catastrophe, everyone sank to the ground,ughing in relief.<div>


    ¡°We¡¯re truly sorry for what happened earlier, we¡­.¡± The two vigers felt guilty about abandoning them earlier during their flight.


    ¡°No, no! That¡¯s nothing!¡±


    With a dismissiveugh, Di Yelei totally understood the actions of the two vigers: ¡°It¡¯s all well that you ran fast, otherwise, we would have all ended up buried under the snow. There would have been no one left to dig me out.¡± He joked, but his words rang true.


    The vigers couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Are you okay?¡± Zhang Peng finally caught his breath and immediately started asking.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, I¡¯m fine, just a little worn out!¡±


    Di Yelei managed a weak smile, feeling as if his lungs were about to burst. A trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°You¡­ You must have internal injuries! And you¡¯re still saying you¡¯re fine!¡± Zhang Peng was anxious.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, honestly, I¡¯m fine. This minor injury is nothingpared to life itself.¡± A narrow escape ensures good fortune!


    ¡°Good words! When we get back, I¡¯ll get you a remedy specially made for internal injuries. You¡¯ll be fully healed after a while.¡± Zhang Pengughed heartily, his mind at ease.


    ¡°Woof, woof¡­¡± By his side, Ah-Huang wagged his tail and burrowed into Di Yelei¡¯s arms.<div>


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Ah-Huang pass away just now? How did hee back to life?¡±


    A stunned viger next to them recounted the events that had just taken ce.


    ¡°I, too, thought Ah-Huang had passed away. I nned to bring his corpse back, but when we were being buried in snow, it suddenly woke up. Initially, I was the one wing at the snow, but then after it saw me, it started doing the same, digging faster than me.¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the recollection, though he was hit by a fit of coughing after just a fewughs.


    ¡°Ah-Huang is okay, but Ah-Hua¡­¡± can nevere back!


    Next to him, Zhang Peng patted his shoulder, ¡°Ah-Hua may have died, but it died an honorable death! It was a good hunting dog!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s go! We should get back home earlier to reassure our families.¡±


    At that, the group turned to return home, their conversation andughter resuming.


    Meanwhile, Liu Sisi was struggling on her fiery red horse!


    This horse was extremely obedient under Di Yelei, but it was a different story with her. The mare refused to listen to hermands. The more anxious she became, the more restless her horse was. Ye Lei was still waiting for her to save his life! How much longer would this damned horse continue to mess up?!


    She vowed to learn horse riding after she overcame the current crisis!


    While she was frantically lost in her thoughts, the fiery red horse raised its head and neighed, then it started galloping towards the people ahead.


    Liu Sisi raised her head, realizing what was happening!


    It turned out that the horse had scented Di Yelei and refused to take her instructions!


    ¡°Sisi? Why¡­ why are you here?!¡±


    Di Yelei was surprised to see Liu Sisi there! A warm current swept over his body instantly, his eyes brimming with emotion.


    No one knew the emotions he felt when he was racing against the Snow Dragon!


    In the moment that he was buried alive, one thought dominated his mind!


    He had to survive! He had to! He had to get home alive!


    Sisi was waiting for him at home!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This woman, weak on the outside but strong on the inside, was always on his mind and he was certain he could not leave her!


    So, he survived!


    He survived the burial by the Snow Dragon! Wasn¡¯t his survival also a result of the strength he drew from the woman in front of him?


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes were also red!


    Her tears welled up in her eyes. Stubbornly, she bit her lip and refused to let them fall!


    Ye Lei was alive! He was alive, standing perfectly fine in front of her!


    Her tears finally broke through the restraint and spilled down her cheeks. She cried uncontrobly. She jumped off the horse and threw herself into Di Yelei¡¯s arms, sobbing loudly!


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry! Sisi, don¡¯t cry! Good¡­ good¡­ ¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were also filled with tears, and he couldn¡¯t hold them back any longer.


    He tried to wipe them away, but they kept falling.


    ¡°You bastard! You promised not to get hurt! You lied to me again¡­ sob¡­ sob¡­¡±


    As she sobbed uncontrobly, she kept pounding his chest!


    ¡°Sisi! My dear Sisi¡­¡±


    He held her tightly, as if trying to embed herpletely into his body, refusing to let go of her.


    The couple cried loudly, their faces covered with strange smiles of happiness that bespoke a narrow escape from danger.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were red!


    No oneughed at them; instead, they all smiled brightly at them.


    When they finally got back home, it was alreadypletely dark. The two fellow vigers brought back by Zhao Wu were waiting inside the house.


    Guihua cried and threw herself onto Zhang Peng at the sight of him. She wept and beat her fists against him, while wiping her nose and eyes.


    After much ado, everyone finally entered the house.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly prepared dinner. Everyone had been busy and hungry all day, they needed a good meal.


    They recounted what they had each experienced, each expressing their own feelings. Ah-Huang, who had shown remarkable bravery, was given exceptional attention and was carried to the bonfire to warm up. Though Ah-Huang was safe, his spirit seemed low, and hey still, half-asleep and half-awake.


    When they spoke of Ah-Hua, Di Yelei sighed: ¡°Ah-Hua bit onto Old Man Li¡¯s leg and refused to let go, eventually falling into the karst cave with him. I saw the cave was as big as two thatched huts, and the suction inside was very strong; it was impossible to go down after them¡­¡±


    As to the fate of the dog, no one said anything, they just quietly ate their food.

 Chapter 298: 298: Who Failed Whom? The Cruel Truth

    Chapter 298: 298: Who Failed Whom? The Cruel Truth<div>


    Everyone over here was eating cooked dishes, while Liu Sisi and Liu Zhi¡¯er stared at each other.


    Old Man Li hadn¡¯t been brought back, and Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you speaking? Weren¡¯t you very talkative this morning?¡± In the end, it was Liu Zhi¡¯er who spoke first.<div>


    Liu Sisi raised her head and nced at her, ¡°We are always sisters. Like I said, I don¡¯t remember what happened in the past, so why do you have to be so sarcastic and mocking?¡±


    At this remark, Liu Zhi¡¯er choked, the mockery on her face gradually receding as she looked at Liu Sisi and said nothing.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words were heavy, ¡°Even if we had disputes when we were back at our parents¡¯ home, so what? If Second Sister¡¯s life isn¡¯t good, could I, being the younger sister, still be proud of it?¡±


    Her words changed Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s expression, who suddenly covered her face with her hands and began to sob again.


    ¡°Second sister! Old Man Li is dead! Let all the past events go with his death! Let¡¯s look forward and live our lives, okay? Second sister¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi moved forward a couple of steps, fearing to startle her, and slowly hugged her as she sobbed, ¡°Second sister! Second sister¡­¡±


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er took the opportunity to hug her, and the two sisters cried together.


    After crying together, the initial estrangement between the sisters disappeared, and the two wiped away each other¡¯s tears andughed together.


    ¡°Come, the floor is cold, let¡¯s sit on the head of the bed and chat.¡±


    After all, Liu Zhi¡¯er was the second elder sister, and her first reaction was about caring for her younger sister. Theyy side-by-side on the head of the bed, looking at each other with relief.<div>


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯ve grown up. Compared to me, who is a second elder sister, you are more like an elder sister now.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er gently stroked her hair and sighed.


    ¡°Second sister, how old are you this year?¡±


    ¡°Why did you suddenly think of asking this question? Second sister is old, 18 years old now, and two years older than you.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er was thoughtful.


    Calling herself old at the age of 18?


    Diagonal lines filled Liu Sisi¡¯s head!


    She was too embarrassed to say that she had lived a full 23 years in her previous life, although most of them were spent in school, that she was much older than Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    ¡°But I¡¯m married too, where can I still be considered young?¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly retorted.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er thought for a moment andughed!


    ¡°Yes, Sisi is married too! I still remember thest time we sisters had such a conversation, and it was before I got married¡­¡±


    As soon as the past was mentioned, the smile on Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face disappeared.<div>


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment and hurriedly shifted Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s attention, ¡°Second sister, do you know the inside story of my marriage? I heard from others that I had a previous marriage contract, but how did I get involved with¡­ someone else and then get married to the Di family?¡±


    She had always wanted to ask this question, but she had been unable to find anyone who knew the inside story.


    ¡°Are you talking about your thing with the young man from the Zuo Family? That arrogant jerk dumped you. You don¡¯t have to bother with him. Anyway, you two won¡¯t meet again in the future. You¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait¡­ Second sister, what did you just say? You mean, Zuo Xingyu dumped me?¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was so surprised that she pointed at herself!


    Zuo Xingyu dumping her, how is that possible? Weren¡¯t they both¡­


    Liu Zhi¡¯er snorted coldly, ¡°Well, of course! Not to mention that Zuo Xingyu¡¯s family is poor, but he got a job as a constable in the government office and naturally looked down on our humble household! I don¡¯t know much about the details, but I know that he came to you first and asked you to take the initiative to end the marriage. When you didn¡¯t agree, the situation was quite intense. Dad called my elder sister and me back because of this, and that¡¯s how I came to know about this.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ there was such a thing¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s brain couldn¡¯t react to it at all! The truth of the matter was too cruel, her brain malfunctioned, and she couldn¡¯t ept it.


    She had always thought that the original owner had voluntarily ended the marriage, which was why she had been so apologetic to Zuo Xingyu and wanted to avoid him!


    No wonder!<div>


    No wonder Zuo Xingyu¡¯s expression was so strange at that time! He must have been constantly mocking her in his heart, right?


    As she thought about it, Liu Sisi¡¯s mind filled with anger. That damned Zuo Xingyu was as insidious as the first impression he gave her!


    ¡°What about me that he didn¡¯t like and wanted to end the marriage?¡±


    This was said with gritted teeth by Liu Sisi!


    ¡°What else could it be? It¡¯s just that he fancied Lord County Magistrate¡¯s daughter! He¡¯s delusional about rising to the top in one step. Little did he know that the County Magistrate wouldn¡¯t even look at him and married his daughter to his direct boss. Haha! He ended up with nothing in the end on both sides.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er said mockingly.


    Then, turning her head, she said, ¡°But you swore to marry into a wealthy family and live a good life to piss him off! Not long after, I heard that you and Zhang¡­ got together.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®got together¡¯? Second sister, do you even think of me like that? When I married into the Di family¡­ I was a pure and innocent girl.¡±


    Although this was embarrassing to say, Liu Sisi understood that this reputation couldn¡¯t be easily messed with.


    A look of surprise shed in Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyes. Apparently, she did not expect Liu Sisi to be still¡­


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that at the time?¡±


    ¡°What can I say? I don¡¯t remember the past. How can I know?¡± Liu Sisi was helpless too.¡±


    Based on what her second sister implied, the original owner probably took the initiative to seduce the so-called Businessman Zhang!


    It¡¯s no wonder that Zhang what¡¯s-his-name said that she had changed!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er thought about it, nodded, and shook her head, ¡°I haven¡¯t been back to my mother¡¯s home for a long time. If it weren¡¯t for Li¡­ that jerk mentioning you, I wouldn¡¯t even know you had gotten married. My home isn¡¯t peaceful either, I¡­¡± Her words carried much regret.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but get angry!


    ¡°Second sister, do you still recognize that home? They¡¯ve treated you like this. How can that be considered as having any affection for you? You¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s expression darkened, her eyes grew red again!


    Liu Sisi choked on the second half of her words, unable to say anything!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Zhi¡¯er quickly turned her face away, struggling not to cry out loud, ¡°I¡¯vee to this point, who else can I follow?¡±


    ¡°Who to follow? Naturally, it¡¯s finding someone who truly loves you! You¡¯re still so young, there¡¯s no need for you toy your heart so bare for someone like him whocks hands and a conscience!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words were heavy!


    She hated seeing suchpromising women the most!


    If Di Yelei dared to treat her like this, she would have kicked him away and looked for someone else!


    Even if her thoughts were too shocking and unconventional for this time, she didn¡¯t want to be as wronged as Liu Zhi¡¯er!

 Chapter 299: 299: Familiar Faces to Meet

    Chapter 299: 299: Familiar Faces to Meet<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er shook her head, and it took a while for her to squeeze out a sentence: ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    ¡°How do I not understand? I¡¯m not a kid anymore, Second Sister, do you still think of me as the old Liu Sisi?¡±


    Liu Sisi was also a little bit angry.<div>


    ¡°You say it so easily, but what about the three children? What are they going to do? I¡­I¡¯m their mom!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er suddenly stopped talking, biting her lip hard. After saying that, she turned her face inwards and closed her eyes to sleep.


    Liu Sisi opened her mouth wide, her momentum deted all of a sudden.


    Suddenly, she remembered her past when she wanted to divorce Di Yelei, and the heartbreaking past when she saw YingEr crying.


    YingEr wasn¡¯t even her biological child, and she was so reluctant to let go of both.


    If Second Sister really did get divorced, ording to the customs here, she might not be able to take the children away with her. How sad she must be¡­


    For a moment, she couldn¡¯t say anything more.


    Before going to bed that night, Liu Sisi carefully checked on Ah-Huang who waszily lying by the brazier.


    Zhang Peng had never treated an animal before, and he could only roughly judge that Ah-Huang had suffered a head injury.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for special treatment. Since it woke up, it means it has passed the most difficult hurdle. It¡¯s said that cats have nine lives and dogs have seven lives. Just let it recover on its own, give it some more refined food, and it should be fine.¡±


    At this moment, Ah-Huang was lying on its side in the temporary nest prepared for it. If it weren¡¯t for the asional blinking of its eyes and the rising and falling of its chest, Liu Sisi would have doubted whether it was still alive.<div>


    Di Yelei also came over, standing by her side, watching her carefully stroke Ah-Huang¡¯s fur and gently pat its back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ah-Huang will be fine.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s words were very low.


    ¡°Mmm, I know. I just¡­I miss Ah-Hua.¡± Liu Sisi buried her head, still stroking Ah-Huang¡¯s fur, not lifting her head.


    Perhaps hearing the name Ah-Hua, Ah-Huang quickly raised its head, searching for something around it. Only a momentter, ity down again, closing its eyes and not moving.


    ¡°Ah-Huang is also grieving¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I can see that. It grew up with Ah-Hua after all.¡± Di Yelei sighed.


    Ah-Huang moved its ears but didn¡¯t get up to search this time.


    It probably understood that Ah-Hua was noting back.


    For a while, the husband and wife quietly stroked Ah-Huang. Di Yelei then said softly:


    ¡°When we were eating earlier, Uncle Land Officer spoke. The gist of what he said was that he wanted you to talk to Second Sister, telling her that since Old Man Li is dead, the best thing to do is to let the matter go. After all, no matter how you look at it, this is not a glorious affair.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi remained silent. She was not interested in this topic and casually kicked the issue away.


    ¡°I can¡¯t make decisions for my Second Sister, and I¡¯ve never heard of a younger sister making decisions for her elder sister. Let¡¯s wait until after some time, when Second Sister¡¯s injuries are healed before we talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Mmm! That¡¯s what I told Uncle Land Officer too! Let¡¯s wait for Second Sister to decide on her own.¡± Di Yelei agreed.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t say anything more, just watching Ah-Huang silently fall asleep.


    ¡°Come on! Letting Ah-Huang get some sleep will definitely make it feel better.¡± Di Yelei gently pulled Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t refuse, she got up and scooped some water to clean her hands, ¡°How¡¯s your injury? Have you taken any medicine?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I¡¯ve taken it.¡±


    ¡°You stillugh! Don¡¯t you ever think of me and the children?¡±


    Looking at Di Yelei, who didn¡¯t seem to care at all, a bitter feeling spread in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said before that no matter what you do, there¡¯s only one thing I want you to do, and that¡¯s to take care of yourself. If anything really happened to¡­you know, what would happen to the two kids?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t the two children still have you as their mom?¡±<div>


    He leaned in shyly.


    Liu Sisi felt a rush of urgency in her heart: ¡°You! ¡­¡±


    Seeing her with red, teary eyes again, he finally panicked!


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s my fault, I said the wrong thing. You can hit me! Or you can bite me a couple of times to vent! Just don¡¯t cry, Sisi, don¡¯t¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Go away! Who¡¯s interested in hitting you?¡±


    Liu Sisi pushed him away, picked up the towel, wiped her hands and tried hard to blink back the tears in her eyes.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Sisi! My little kitten -¡±


    Di Yelei hugged her from behind, resting his head on her shoulder, his face close to hers, ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m sorry, I made you worry again. I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose; the situation at the time didn¡¯t leave me any choice. So¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi angrily brushed his hand away: ¡°You always say that, but next time you do it again knowingly!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright! My dear Sisi, I promise you! This is really thest time, okay?¡± He raised one hand.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t even nce at him.


    He shyly approached her and grabbed her hand, smiling warmly, no matter how hard she tried to shake him off, he held her hand tightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s you who said it! If there¡¯s a next time¡­ spit, spit, spit! There must be no next time!¡±


    Liu Sisi realized she had misspoke and quickly corrected herself, ¡°You¡¯re injured, just take a good rest for now. Besides, Laba Festival ising soon, and then it¡¯s the Minor and Major Lunar New Years and the Spring Festival. We¡¯ll be busy!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, as long as it¡¯s my wife¡¯smand, how could I not obey?¡±


    Di Yelei kept making faces, trying to amuse Liu Sisi, ¡°My dear Sisi, tonight your husband is injured, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°What should you do?¡± Their thoughts were not on the same wavelength.


    ¡°What do you think? My good kitten¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re so heavy, don¡¯t press on my shoulder.¡± She tried to push him away.


    ¡°Sisi ¨C I miss you!¡±


    He whispered softly in her ear.


    Liu Sisi felt a shiver run through her entire body, almost losing her bnce, ¡°Stop fooling around! What are you thinking when you¡¯re injured? Rest now!¡±


    ¡°No! Sisi, my dear Sisi, I miss you so much¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Stop messing around, I have to steam the buns tomorrow morning, my dough hasn¡¯t risen yet, and you haven¡¯t added the night grass for the horse, let go¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let go! We can do those thingster. As for now! My dear Sisi¡­ ¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s low, ingratiating voice of a man courting continued toe from behind the makeshift screen.


    ¡°You, uh¡­ you bastard, Di Yelei!¡±


    Not long after, there was a series of barely audible rustling soundsing from behind the makeshift screen.


    Behind the door, Liu Zhi¡¯er silently walked away.


    She returned to her room and looked out at the scattered light snow falling outside, the light in her eyes bing increasingly dim and obscure.


    She seems to be living very happily, doesn¡¯t she?


    Is this what she meant by finding someone who truly loves her?


    Looking back at her own life andparing it to Liu Sisi¡¯s current situation, Liu Zhi¡¯er could not sleep at all.

 Chapter 300: 300: Disgusting Behavior

    Chapter 300: 300: Disgusting Behavior<div>


    The next day, the sky cleared up, and the light snow that fell sporadically had also stopped.


    Liu Sisi decided to go to the small town, and Di Yelei needed to go back to the government office to report. The two simply set off for the small town early together.


    As soon as they arrived in the small town, Di Yelei let her go.<div>


    At the moment, Di Cheng and Shou Hou happened to open the door of the bookstore, and when they saw Liu Sisiing over, they hurriedly greeted her.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t stand on ceremony, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then started checking the ounts.


    ¡°Third Aunt, the shopkeeper came yesterday and checked the ounts. This month, your share is not small, it¡¯s 325 taels of silver!¡± Di Cheng said with excitement.


    ¡°So much?¡± Liu Sisi was shocked!


    She still remembered thatst month, when they divided the money between the two of them, it was just over 200 taels of silver. This month, with three people sharing, there was even more¡­ How could she not be surprised!


    Di Cheng also happily said: ¡°This month, there were severalrge orders, and each one directly bought arge amount of paper, so there is such arge ie.¡±


    Suddenly getting so many taels of silver, Liu Sisi was very happy for a while.


    After carefully checking the ounts and finishing her daily work, Liu Sisi left the bookstore and went to Gan Mansion.


    Since the heavy snow started, Gan Miaoruo¡¯s lessons had stopped. Today, with the rare clear weather, she naturally had to go to Gan Mansion.


    As expected, Gan Miaoruo was already waiting in the study room.


    As two hours passed, Liu Sisi was about to leave when a little maid came over to report: ¡°Teacher, the Old Madam has asked for your presence.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi retracted her foot that was about to step out the door: ¡°Since the Old Madam has invited me, I shall obey. Please, lead the way.¡±


    ¡°I dare not.¡±


    The little maid led Liu Sisi obediently, walking through the courtyard, going around here and there.


    Passing through several archways, pavilions, and corridors, the two gradually strayed deeper into the mansion, and Liu Sisi¡¯s eyebrows grew more and more furrowed.


    Gradually, she stopped: ¡°Where exactly are you taking me? Who am I supposed to meet?¡±


    The little maid in front also stopped and looked back at her: ¡°Teacher, you are really vignt. But look, hasn¡¯t the person who wanted to meet you alreadye?¡±


    Liu Sisi turned her head as instructed, and indeed, she saw a familiar face!


    The man who came had a handsome face, with a rogue-like smile, pretending to hold a folding fan, and walked over from another hidden handrail corridor covered in snow.


    Nan Tianzong also liked to hold a folding fan in his hand, but it always gave people a feeling as if they were bathing in spring breeze.


    But the person in front of her holding the folding fan looked really strange no matter how she looked at him, with a parody-like visual sensation, making her have the impulse to snatch the folding fan and break it in half!


    What¡¯s more, the other party still thought he was handsome and raised his chin, looking at people from his nted gaze.<div>


    It¡¯s actually this bastard!


    Liu Sisi turned her head and found that the little maid who had led her here had disappeared.


    She raised her beautiful eyebrows, daring to openly conspire against her?


    Such courage!


    In that case, she didn¡¯t need to be polite!


    When she turned her head, she almost got a shock! At some point, Zhang Shixin hade up to her hillside, and the other party was now close at hand!


    ¡°Zhang Shixin! Do you have any shame? How dare you use the Old Madam¡¯s name to invite me out? You ate the heart of a bear and the galldder of a leopard! Such courage!¡± While speaking, Liu Sisi directly retreated three feet away.


    Zhang Shixin¡¯s face twisted for a moment before he quickly changed it back to a smile.


    ¡°Oh? Little darling Sisi, what you said really broke my heart. Don¡¯t you remember our past vows of eternal love? You should know! ying hard to get too much can actually turn people offpletely!¡± As he spoke, he quietly moved closer.


    This damn girl, she better not let him catch her, or else¡­


    He would make her understand that he, Zhang Shixin, is not someone to be trifled with!<div>


    ¡°Businessman Zhang, in Macheng County, you are considered a respectable figure. It¡¯s best to think twice about what you say and do! There are certain things you shouldn¡¯t say and certain things you shouldn¡¯t do!¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s words were full of warning.


    She suddenly recalled what her Second Sister had said; if it was truly the original owner who had first provoked this man, then it could only be said that the original owner was really blind to have chosen him!


    Taking into ount that this was the backyard of the Gan Mansion and that countless eyes were watching them openly and secretly, she forcibly suppressed her urge to tear him apart.


    Zhang Shixin¡¯s face twisted as it darken.


    ¡°Looks like we should really reevaluate each other after being apart for three days! Liu Sisi, you¡¯re nothing more than Ruo Ruo¡¯s teacher who relied on someone else¡¯s connections. Do you really think you¡¯re so capable?¡±


    ¡°Even if I became a teacher with the help of others, when ites to the actual teaching, could I, Liu Sisi, rely on others to go to the school and lecture for me?¡±


    Liu Sisi paused and couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Zhang Shixin, Businessman Zhang, do you really think that Madam Gan Senior is as blind as you and misjudged people?¡±


    These words choked Zhang Shixin into silence.


    He could neither agree that Madam Gan Senior was blind enough to misjudge people nor admit that the other party indeed had real talent!


    She was nothing more than a slightly attractive vige girl, after all¡­


    No, a vige wife!


    What was there for her to be arrogant about?


    Liu Sisi suddenlyughed: ¡°Besides, having connections is also a kind of strength, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Businessman Zhang, I¡¯m sorry, but Madam Gan Senior has sent someone to summon me over there. I won¡¯t disturb your elegant interest in enjoying the snow anymore.¡±


    After saying that, Liu Sisi turned around and stepped out of the corner of the pavilion.


    ¡°Wait! You think you can leave unscathed now?¡±


    Zhang Shixin suddenly caught up and grabbed Liu Sisi from behind.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s footsteps were fast, but not as fast as the urgent pursuit of the person behind her.


    ¡°Let go! Zhang Shixin, don¡¯t be shameless when I give you face! This is Gan Mansion!¡±


    Liu Sisi pped him viciously, showing no mercy: ¡°What are you doing! Do you want to disgrace the Old Madam¡¯s face? Do you want to disgrace Lord Gan Senior¡¯s face? Get lost!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Since the conversation had reached this point, she naturally wouldn¡¯t hold back!


    Zhang Shixin¡¯s face contorted with anger, and he forcefully yanked her arm, intending to use force: ¡°You damn whore! Don¡¯t think that just because someone¡¯s protecting you, I, Zhang Shixin, can¡¯t do anything to you. Let me tell you, today you won¡¯t get away unscathed!¡±


    He tried to drag Liu Sisi into the backyard.


    ¡°Let go! You bastard!¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s anger surged.


    ¡°Heh heh! You think you can run away from the food in my mouth? Can you escape my Five-Finger Mountain? Watch me¡­ Ah!¡±


    His curses were cut off by a scream.


    He covered a certain ce and could no longer speak.


    Liu Sisi did not show any mercy, her kick was a vicious and desperate strike at his sensitive spot.

 Chapter 301: Like Sitting on Pins and Needles

    Chapter 301: Like Sitting on Pins and Needles<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Looking at the other person squatting down and holding onto that spot, she spat with contempt on her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s really disgusting! When I go hometer, I can¡¯t wear these clothes anymore. I have to go home and wash my feet thoroughly, it¡¯s so dirty!¡±<div>


    As she spoke, she took out a handkerchief from her arms and carefully wiped it several times before casually throwing it into theke and leaving with her head held high.


    ¡°You, you¡­¡±


    Zhang Shixin couldn¡¯t straighten his waist due to the pain and wanted to yell at Liu Sisi¡¯s departing figure, but he didn¡¯t dare to yell loudly.


    He could only watch helplessly as the fat meat that hade to his mouth slipped away!


    On both sides of the gallery, there were still scattered un-melted umted snow on the railings. Liu Sisi, with a stern face, went straight back to the front yard along the way she came, taking detours east and west.


    The housekeeper hurried up to greet her, with a face full of wrinkles and extra respect: ¡°Teacher, the Old Madam wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is it really the Old Madam who wants to see me?¡±


    Liu Sisi narrowed her eyes slightly. The Gan Mansion was not big nor small, but any little movement wouldn¡¯t have escaped the ears of the Old Madam. She didn¡¯t believe it!


    Zhang Shixin, that variety meat, was able to make a move in the Gan Mansion, perhaps it was the result of Old Madam Gan deliberately turning a blind eye.


    ¡°This old servant would not dare to deceive you, Teacher.¡±


    As the housekeeper spoke, he bent his waist extra low.<div>


    ¡°Lead the way!¡±


    Liu Sisi had anger in her heart, so she naturally didn¡¯t hold back, and quickly followed the housekeeper to pay respects to the Old Madam¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡°Junior pays respects to the Old Madam.¡±


    In a short distance on the road, Liu Sisi had adjusted her mentality and bowed down with a shallow smile.


    ¡°Get up, get up. Look at you, always being so respectful every time. I feel so distressed.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Madam Gan Senior was sweeter in her smile today than ever before.


    Liu Sisi bowed again, and her eyes were slightly narrowed as sheughed: ¡°Old Madam is joking. Sisi is a junior and has also received a lot of care from Old Madam, so I have Sisi¡¯s today. Sisi hasn¡¯t personally thanked Old Madam yet, so how can I dare to be disrespectful?¡±


    There was a sh of emotion in the Old Madam¡¯s eyes, and she immediately chuckled, then came forward to help Liu Sisi up from the ground: ¡°Good child! It¡¯s not easy for you. It¡¯s your strong personality that reminds me of myself when I was young. I like you more and more, and you¡¯ve really caught my eye.¡±


    She gently patted her hand, held it in hers, and smoothly slipped a jadeite bracelet onto Liu Sisi¡¯s slender wrist.


    This jadeite bracelet, with an extremely rich green color, was green with a tinge of blue. At a nce, one could tell that the price must be quite high!


    Liu Sisi immediately widened her eyes. ¡°Old Madam, what is¡­?¡±<div>


    Even if she was stupid, she could see that Old Madam had ulterior motives in giving her this bracelet.


    Should it bepensation for that previous incident? Thinking of this, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but purse her lips tightly.


    The Old Madam was kind-faced, holding her hand and looking at it with satisfaction, nodding her head repeatedly.


    ¡°Hmm! Wearing a bracelet made of Emperor¡¯s green jadeite looks strange on me, and I feel like it really doesn¡¯t match this bracelet. On the other hand, it looks beautiful on you with your young and tender charm, dazzling my eyes.¡±


    An emerald bracelet!


    This big gift made Liu Sisi¡¯s heart tremble! She almost couldn¡¯t sit still and just stood up.


    An emerald bracelet!


    This is an invaluable object that money cannot buy.


    The value of such an item does not lie in its exterior worth, but rather, the truly important thing is that wearing it is a symbol of identity.


    ¡°Old Madam! I can¡¯t ept this! The gift is too precious! Please take it back,¡± Liu Sisi said anxiously, hastily taking off the bracelet from her wrist.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it off, it looks so good on you! What a pity to take it off.¡±<div>


    With a smile on her face, the Old Madamughed like the Maitreya Buddha: ¡°The reason I give you this bracelet is because I want to take you as my granddaughter under my care. Are you willing?¡±


    Liu Sisi stared dumbfounded with her eyes widened!


    To be Old Madam Gan¡¯s granddaughter would mean bing the goddaughter of Lord Gan?


    ¡°Old Madam, this¡­this¡­I¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi wanted to refuse, but she could not resist the Old Madam¡¯s inscrutable gaze. The Old Madam¡¯s face was full of smiles, but her eyes made Liu Sisi swallow her remaining words.


    She quickly turned her thoughts in her head.


    It is said that officials¡¯ families do not get up early without gaining any benefits; Old Madam Gan suddenly taking in an ordinary countrywoman as a god-granddaughter would be very strange no matter how one looked at it.


    What was the purpose of her doing this? Liu Sisi naturally had no way to know.


    However, looking at the situation now, it seemed that she had no choice but to go along with it.


    Since she made up her mind, Liu Sisi naturally stopped refusing, quickly knelt down to worship: ¡°Granddaughter Sisi wishes grandmother a fortune as vast as the Eastern Sea and longevity like the South Mountain!¡±


    After saying that, she kowtowed three times on the ground.


    Only after she finished kowtowing, Old Madam Ganughed and helped her up.


    ¡°Get up! Get up! You truly are a good granddaughter. From now on, you and Ruo Ruo are sisters, and as the older sister, you two must love each other dearly, do you understand?¡±


    The Old Madamughed softly, gently patting her hand.


    Liu Sisi shuddered involuntarily, but she shyly lowered her head and paid respect to the Old Madam again.


    ¡°Granddaughter will follow the Old Madam¡¯s instructions.¡±


    ¡°Good! You have made the right choice. Servants, bring my dressing box quickly. I must choose some items as a gift for my dear granddaughter,¡± said the Old Madam happily.


    ¡°Thank you, Old Madam, for your generous rewards,¡± Liu Sisi quickly responded with a smile.


    The dressing box was quickly brought up, filled with various items that dazzled Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes.


    Old Madam Gan picked and chose from the box, introducing the origin and source one by one, selecting more than a dozen small items in total.


    ¡°This cloud bud and begonia hairpin was a dowry item from when I married. Giving it to my granddaughter is just right. This scarlet gold thorn hairpin was a meeting gift from the wife of Prime Minister Wang. Nowadays, the wife of Prime Minister Wang has passed away, but his eldest son is a talent and has be the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works. This rose red gold magnolia hairpin was given by the Lady of the Imperial College, and its quality is top-notch. And this peony red sprinkle bright gold carved butterfly pattern sp and jadeite scattered flower earrings were given by the Princess Consort Luo¡­¡±


    Old Madam Gan exined the origin of each item as she picked them up, making Liu Sisi¡¯s smile grow deeper.


    ¡°Come! Remember to wear several of these pieces of jewelry. In the future, you will need them.¡±


    Old Madam Gan carefully instructed: ¡°From now on, you are a Miss of an official family, and your behavior must be different from the past. Don¡¯t tarnish the reputation of my Gan family, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Grandmother, rest assured, Sisi will definitely not fail to live up to your teachings.¡±


    Liu Sisi hastily bowed in respect.

 Chapter 302: Recognizing Relatives

    Chapter 302: Recognizing Rtives<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Madam Gan Senior¡¯s words were filled with indescribable meanings.


    Liu Sisi buried her head deep and her drooping eyshes concealed the thoughts in her eyes.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Our Gan Family is not amon household. When the opportunity arises, I, the old, will arrange for you to go out and see the world.¡±


    Madam Gan Senior nodded in satisfaction and ordered the old imperial nanny by her side. ¡°Nanny Qin, hurry and pack these jewelry for Elder Sister, don¡¯t miss anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Madam.¡± Nanny Qin hurriedly responded.


    ¡°Grandmother! Grandmother! I heard that our teacher is now Ruo Ruo¡¯s sister?¡±


    Gan Miaoruo rushed in from outside, her voiceing in ahead of her person!


    ¡°Look at you, always in such a hurry, where are your manners? Hurry ande in to greet your adoptive sister! From now on, you two sisters must support each other. Understand?¡±


    Old Madam Gan shook her head helplessly, obviously finding Gan Miaoruo¡¯s impulsive personality hard to control.


    She is now Ruo Ruo¡¯s sister!


    In just a moment, she had transformed into a miss from an official family. Although only an adopted daughter, this change was overwhelming!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart pounded and sheughed in a low voice, ¡°Ruo Ruo, from now on, I¡¯ll depend on you.¡±


    ¡°Oh! My¡­Sister, let¡¯s go! Come to Ruo Ruo¡¯s room to y. Let¡¯s go!¡± Saying this, Gan Miaoruo pulled Liu Sisi towards her room.<div>


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly looked back at Old Madam Gan.


    The Old Madam showed a face of indulgence: ¡°Go! Go, today is a good day. Grandmother allows you to have a good time. But if you fail the ss tomorrow, you¡¯ll be grounded. Listen closely.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Really?¡± Gan Miaoruo wailed.


    But once they were out of Old Madam¡¯s courtyard, she revived instantly: ¡°Come! My¡­oops, Sister, let¡¯s go to my courtyard to y. Just now, my Dad sent over some Pce Lanterns. They are so beautiful! Come and y.¡±


    Gan Miaoruo grinned with delight, eyebrows disappearing into her eyes.


    ¡°Pce Lanterns? That¡¯s too¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi felt a bit embarrassed. She was already a mother of two children and here she was, ying with pcenterns, like a young girl. Isn¡¯t that too much?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! When night falls, we¡¯ll light up the pcenterns. Trust me, it¡¯ll look beautiful!¡±


    Like most little girls, Gan Miaoruo loved beautiful things.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, I can¡¯t y with you anymore.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi quickly stopped her: ¡°Ruo Ruo, it is gettingte today. If we dy further, we will have to walk back in the dark. Can we talk about it next time Ie?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ªIs that so?¡±


    Gan Miaoruo¡¯s face was full of disappointment, but she had no choice: ¡°Okay! But I still have some Tianshan snow lotus seeds back home, you can take some with you.¡±


    Liu Sisi had a lot on her mind today and she did not deliberately consider the other¡¯s feelings. She also did not refuse Ruo Ruo¡¯s kindness.


    As she bid farewell and walked out of the Gan Mansion, she realised that her back was drenched in this cold weather! A wild storm spread under Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes.


    Would she ever get a chance to use these pieces of jewelry?


    Considering the various dazzling and hard-to-part-with jewelry pieces that Madam Gan Senior had previously chosen for her, it was remarkable!


    If the other party truly intended to adopt her as their granddaughter, following the current customs, they should have presented her with immovable assets like farnd.


    But instead, they only presented her with jewelry, which made her feel ufortable, as if sitting on pins and needles.


    What could Madam Gan Senior be nning on?


    Liu Sisi returned home to the Di family, still not figuring out her current situation.<div>


    The stables werepletely empty ¨C Di Yelei had not yet returned. On the contrary, inside Second Sister¡¯s room,ughter could be heard from time to time.


    She hurriedly packed away the gifts she had brought back, still feeling uneasy about having such priceless items in her possession.


    On entering the room where theughter wasing from, she saw that Second Sister was leaning against the head of the bed,ughing. To her surprise, Ms. Xin and YingEr were also in the room, allughing merrily.


    In particr, YingEr was listening to the conversation between the two women with great interest, her hand supporting her chin.


    Seeing Liu Sisi enter, YingEr quickly waved at her, ¡°Mom, Young Aunt is telling us a story,e listen too!¡±


    Liu Sisi had many worries and was in no mood for stories, but she sat down anyway and watched them with a bemused expression. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling a story. What is the story about?¡±


    Hearing that Liu Sisi was interested in the story, Ms. Xin was delighted. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, I am just telling the story of ¡®Drawing the Skin¡¯, a tale from the civilian world. Let me begin¡­¡±


    Ms. Xin narrated the story eloquently, quickly captivating everyone¡¯s attention.


    Despite having problems of her own, Liu Sisi forced herself to remain seated for a while before using cooking as an excuse to leave the room. ¡°You all carry on, I¡¯ll go to the kitchen first.¡±


    She first went to the firece to check on Ah-Huang, who was stillzing around at the same spot.


    She then turned to feed the chickens in the chicken coop, as well as the wild rabbit. After that, she began cooking.


    When the aroma of the food began to fill the kitchen, Ms. Xin came forward to bid her farewell.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw! When will you start repairing your roof? When you are busy doing that, I¡¯ll have Di Ah-Baoe over and help. He should lend a helping hand too.¡±


    Letting Di Ah-Bao help? Liu Sisi dared not hope for it!


    However, thinking of Ms. Xin¡¯s talents, she changed her mind and quickly said with a smile, ¡°We will surely fix it in the next few days. As for the specific day of starting the work, it¡¯s up to Ye Lei.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Third Brother is so capable, it¡¯s just that he¡¯s too busy now. They say, through thick and thin, we stick together. We can¡¯t let these brothers grow apart.¡± Ms. Xin said with a double meaning.


    ¡°At the moment, it¡¯s natural. The broken bone is also connected with tendons.¡±


    Liu Sisi admired in her heart that Ms. Xin was indeed a great speaker, and she was a product of the pleasure quarters. While thinking this, an idea suddenly crossed her mind.


    ¡°By the way, sister-inw, I have a favor to ask of you and I hope you can help.¡±


    As she spoke, she respectfully bowed to Ms. Xin.


    The formality of Liu Sisi shocked Ms. Xin, who quickly moved aside to avoid her bow. ¡°Third Sister-inw, don¡¯t scare me like this. If you really have something, just say it directly. I will definitely help as long as I, Ms. Xin, can do it.¡±


    There was a look of embarrassment on Liu Sisi¡¯s face, but she still braced herself and spoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will definitely be able to help with this!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then tell me, what do you need my help with?¡± Ms. Xin was also intrigued by Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi leaned into Ms. Xin¡¯s ear and spoke in a low voice, ¡°Here¡¯s the thing¡­¡±

 Chapter 303: Liu Zhi’er’s Suspicion

    Chapter 303: Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s Suspicion<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Di Yelei returned home just before nightfall.


    The jujube red horse was covered in sweat and kept snorting, clearly exhausted.<div>


    But Di Yelei was in high spirits and shouted as soon as he entered the door, ¡°Sisi! I¡¯m back!¡±


    While talking, he led the jujube red horse back to the stable, removed the saddle, fetched fodder and oats for feeding, and brushed its mane with a brush while the horse was eating.


    Hearing Di Yelei¡¯s voice outside, Liu Sisi finally rxed and hurried out of the house.


    ¡°Why did youe back sote today? Hurry up and feed the horse, thene in for dinner. It looks like it might snow again with this weather.¡±


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll be right in.¡±


    Di Yelei responded, but his hands didn¡¯t stop brushing the horse.


    ¡°Hurry up, I¡¯ve set the table.¡±


    After saying that, Liu Sisi went back into the house.


    Today¡¯s meal didn¡¯t have much variety, but seeing that Ah-Huang was feeling unwell, Liu Sisi specially cooked a thick bone meat soup, and also made hand grasping pancakes with three types of fillings ¨C small dried shrimp egg filling, chive lean meat filling, and cabbage vegetable filling. Additionally, there were stir-fried bean sprouts and rice, enough for the whole family to eat.


    When Liu Sisi had ced the dishes on the table, she unexpectedly saw Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s figure appear at the entrance of the house.


    It has to be said that Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face had gradually lost its swelling, and her facial features were gradually bing clearer. It was easy to see that the two sisters looked very simr, as if they were cast from the same mold.<div>


    ¡°Second Sister,e and eat. Just sit here.¡±


    Liu Sisi was overjoyed. She was happier than anyone else that her second sister was willing toe out of her room for dinner.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er didn¡¯t say anything, just silently sat down nearby, quietly looking at the food in her bowl and observing the surroundings.


    Her gaze was caught by the row of vegetables at the edge of the stove, and she was truly astonished!


    Liu Sisi followed Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s gaze, and immediately realized, ¡°Oh! These are the vegetables I nted in my spare time. There¡¯s not much to eat during winter, and I can¡¯t stand just eating meat. So I sprouted some bean sprouts and nted some chinese chives.¡±


    As the two sisters were talking, their father came in leaning on his crutch.


    ¡°Father, please wash your hands.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly brought the basin of hot water, then went around calling the two children, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, YingEr, it¡¯s time to eat!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    While talking, she turned around and starteddling rice, ¡°Father, don¡¯t always stay in that tent, it¡¯s not as warm as inside the house. Be careful not to catch a cold.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    Their father smiled and took a seat at the head of the table.<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er watched in amazement as Liu Sisi busied herself, spinning around like a spinning top, constantly taking care of the whole family.


    Her eyes filled with memories of her little sister from the past, and then her eyes darkened.


    Little Sister¡­ had changed so much!


    Finally, Di Yelei strode in, ¡°Hey! It got reallyte at the governmental office today, so I rushed back as fast as possible. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t miss the right time. But poor Step Snow was exhausted from the ride!¡±


    Step Snow was the name Di Yelei had given the jujube red horse.


    As for why he named the jujube red horse Step Snow, it was precisely because on the day they rode together, he took Liu Sisi out to step on the snow.


    ¡°What¡¯s been keeping you so busy? Did something happen in the office?¡±


    Liu Sisi sat down with her bowl of rice, and began to scoop up the meat soup.


    This meat soup was simmered directly over the bonfire, a thick and rich bone soup, bing more delicious with every bite. Soaked with rice, one could eat several bowls of it.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t it just Heir Luo and Prefecture Princess Luo, who you metst time? Today, they saw the snow stop and decided to go hunting in the mountains. So, they enlisted Constable Zuo, Zhang Peng, myself, and a few other experienced hunters to join them. Consequently, we came backte.¡±


    Speaking, Di Yelei turned his head to smile at Liu Zhi¡¯er: ¡°Second Sister, we don¡¯t have any delicacies at home, so feel free to pick whatever you like, and don¡¯t be shy.¡±<div>


    His greeting and amiable smile made Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face flush, almost burying her face in her bowl.


    ¡°Alright, got it.¡± Her voice was barely louder than a mosquito¡¯s.


    Luckily, Di Yelei had sharp ears, and naturally heard her clearly. He casually smiled: ¡°Everyone, eat up! After we¡¯re done, we can go hunting again!¡± Having said that, he buried his head and ate his rice and cooked dishes heartily.


    No one spoke; for a while, the only sounds were those of gentle chewing and the tter of bamboo chopsticks against bowls and tes.


    From time to time, Liu Sisi would take care of YingEr, scooping up bites of easily chewable meat from the soup pot with a big spoon and putting it into her small bowl.


    YingEr, in turn, would squint her eyes and smile at Liu Sisi, grabbing a piece of meat and savoring it with great delight.


    Seated higher up, Elderly Mr. Di obviously preferred Xuan¡¯er, asionally picking out meatier chunks for him. In return, Xuan¡¯er would give him tenderly stewed pieces of meat from the pot. The different cooking times of the beast meat in the pot meant that some of it had be tender, while other pieces were perfectly cooked, catering to various preferences.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er silently observed the family¡¯s interactions during their meal. Unknowingly, she had eaten tworge bowls of rice. Only when she put down her chopsticks, did she realize her stomach was ufortably full.


    ¡°I¡¯m full, you guys continue eating.¡±


    After saying this, she quietly got up and went back to her room, finding the warmth of this family quite endearing.


    Suddenly, she couldn¡¯t help but envy Liu Sisi intensely.


    Little Sister had always relied on her excellent embroidery skills when she was at home, never doing any housework, for fear of roughening her hands. After experiencing the marriage annulment incident, she still went about her own way!


    Who would have thought that she could be so transformed after getting married?


    She, who once despised children with such ardor, now loved and cherished them so much! She, who once couldn¡¯t even tell soy sauce from vinegar, could now skillfully cook! She, who once couldn¡¯t read a single word, became a female tutor to others!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er pinched her coat, her eyes slightly darkened.


    Not to mention, the person who was once skilled in embroidery now had uneven stitches on her hand-sewn clothes. The needlework looked like that of a beginner!


    Could a person change so much after losing their memories?


    If not for the identical face, she would have doubted whether the woman in front of her was truly Liu Sisi.


    As Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s thoughts churned, they turned to herself!


    After experiencing so much, it was time for her to think about her own future.


    Liu Sisi continued to feed YingEr her rice and cooked dishes until she was full. Only after tidying up the house did she pick up the y characters she had shaped and continued to arrange them.


    These were the movable characters she had created herself, and she continued experimenting with the operation of the movable printing system.


    Di Yelei came in from outside, closed the room door, and then walked up to Liu Sisi, handing her a money pouch.


    ¡°Here! This is this month¡¯s sry and reward money!¡±


    In Chapter 299, due to an editing issue, an extra 1000 words were added, so the chapter length was adjusted ordingly. If you find repetitive chapter lengths, please refresh the page.

 Chapter 304: Monthly Salary

    Chapter 304: Monthly Sry<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Di Yelei seemed very happy, with a naive smile on his face that never disappeared, as if waiting for praise.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t bear to disappoint him, so she quickly put down the work in her hands, took the money bag, opened it, and then casually dumped it on the table: ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Isn¡¯t your monthly sry one tael of silver per month? Could it be¡­¡±<div>


    Rolling around were not four big silver ingots!


    When she saw the silver pouring out of the bag clearly, she couldn¡¯t speak.


    Each of the four silver ingots was fifty taels of silver, which made a total of 200 taels. There was also some small change on the side.


    This¡­how many months of sry would that be equivalent to?


    ¡°Ye Lei, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    The first thing Liu Sisi did after regaining herposure was to ask Di Yelei.


    Di Yelei had a smug look on his face: ¡°Out of these taels of silver, 100 taels were rewarded by Heir Luo, and another 50 taels were rewarded by Prefecture Princess Luo. These taels of silver were distributed from the heads of the bandits on Heilong Mountain, and then averaged out. Each runner got one share, and I just took the one belonging to me. This small piece of silver is my actual monthly sry.¡±


    He pointed to the smallest silver ingot inside.


    ¡°You all got one share?¡± Liu Sisi frowned.


    ¡°Yes, the situation wasplicated at that time. Those brothers didn¡¯t dare to monopolize it. In the end, they found this middle-of-the-road method, and everyone got a share.¡±


    Di Yelei counted the silver, but what he didn¡¯t say was that he got thergest share.<div>


    ¡°Here, in total, is 221 taels of silver. Give it here! You hold on to it properly!¡±


    ¡°Today is indeed a good day. The bookstore also gave out our sry today.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled, got up, took out her own money bag, and ced it with Di Yelei¡¯s: ¡°What I got today,st month¡¯s ie, is 325 taels of silver.¡±


    Together, that¡¯s 546 taels of silver!


    Di Yelei grabbed the two money bags in his hands, excited: ¡°Including our original savings, don¡¯t we have more than 555 taels to use?¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Look at how excited you are¡­We will have more and more silver in the future, don¡¯t act like you¡¯ve never seen silver before. Give it to me! I¡¯ll keep this silver.¡±


    As Liu Sisi was speaking, she hurriedly took both money bags.


    Ever since five taels of silver were stolenst time, Liu Sisi carefully ced the silver in many different ces to avoid encountering thieves again.


    After carefully hiding them in several ces, Liu Sisi finally turned back.


    She took out the batch of jewelry that Madam Gan Senior had bestowed upon her today and recounted the process in detail.


    In the end, Liu Sisi said with an exmation: ¡°I find it particrly strange that as a member of an official family, Madam Gan Senior should have no early gains. It makes no sense for Madam Gan Senior to find me, such a married woman! So I¡¯m curious, what¡¯s her real motive for doing this?¡±<div>


    Di Yelei held this batch of jewelry in his hand and checked it one by one, his eyebrows furrowed from beginning to end.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. If she really wanted to take you as her adopted daughter, even if just for the sake of appearance, she should have given you some farnd. And she didn¡¯t mention you paying respects to Lord Gan and Madam Gan, which can be seen as a joke. It can be taken as serious, but it can also be nothing more than a casual remark.¡±


    Liu Sisi rolled her eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t I already know all that? I¡¯m asking about the reason, why would Madam Gan Senior do this?¡±


    Both sets of eyes were wide open, but neither could understand why.


    Di Yelei thought for a moment, making a guess, ¡°Do you think¡­it might have something to do with Heir Luo and Thirteenth Luo?¡±


    Rted to Heir Luo and Thirteenth Luo? Liu Sisi still couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Forget it, you better keep it safe! At present, we don¡¯t have any other way, we can only block soldiers and cover water with soil. If you really encounter something about the Gan Family, you need to be more careful.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s gaze had not been withdrawn from the emerald bracelet.


    ¡°Alright! We¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    Liu Sisi put away the items again and continued experimenting with the movable printing system, ¡°By the way, I want my Second Sister to divorce that man surnamed Dong. You¡¯ve memorized so many criminalws, can she take all three of her children in her situation?¡±


    Di Yelei shook his head even without considering, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked about your Second Sister¡¯s situation at the government office today. Because Dong Chang has a disability, the government does not allow divorce unless he initiates it. Moreover, all three children born to your Second Sister are boys. There is absolutely no reason for the boys to leave with their mother after divorce. So¡­ ¡±<div>


    ¡°How can this be? So¡­ you really have no other way?¡±


    This is not good news!


    Liu Sisi is really heartbroken by this news.


    Di Yelei thought for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s not that there is no way, I¡¯ve said before that unless we can make the other party take the initiative to divorce. But there is a saying ¡®better to demolish ten temples than to regret a marriage¡¯. Doing this, would we¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! What¡¯s the use of keeping a man who sells his own wife?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes turned cold, and shepletely despised and hated that man surnamed Dong, ¡°It¡¯s already a bargain for him just to ask for a divorce! If possible, I¡¯d rather send him straight to prison. Let him stay in there for the rest of his life!¡±


    ¡°If Big Mouth Li was still alive, maybe you could use Big Mouth Li to expose Dong Chang, punish him, and send him to jail for at least ten years without seeing the sun. However, doing so would also¡­ ruin your Second Sister¡¯s life!¡± Di Yelei looked at Liu Sisi¡¯s face.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face turned pale with anger, and her expression was terrible.


    ¡°Could it be that there is no other way, and we have to let Dong Chang go unpunished while we are helpless?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that we are helpless, but we can¡¯t help much with this kind of thing. The official in the government office said that as long as your Second Sister is willing to swallow her pride, she can ask a litigationwyer for help, and the oue would be fifty-fifty, but it would cost a lot of money.¡± Di Yelei was somewhat helpless too.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s good enough. Instead, let¡¯s go to Dong¡¯s family and try this¡­¡±


    She whispered her ideas into Di Yelei¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Hmm, hmm! Uh¡­ Okay! We can give it a try!¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, outside the wall, Liu Zhi¡¯er leaned quietly against the wall, staring nkly at the vast night sky, unable to find his way forward.


    Outside, the cold wind howled, and the scattered light snow continued intermittently, clearly much lighter than the snow that had fallen in recent days.


    Next to the fire, Ah-Huang whined softly, not sleeping very peacefully. The fire swayed and made a faint crackling sound.


    Outside the house, the jujube red horse was still chewing on the night grass¡­

 Chapter 305: Ye Lei’s Gifts

    Chapter 305: Ye Lei¡¯s Gifts


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Alright, Sisi, close your eyes. I have something to give you.¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly became mysterious with a teasing tone.


    Liu Sisi put down the small cube she was fiddling with, looked up at his mysterious face and said, ¡°What is it? Why did you suddenly think of giving me something today?¡±


    ¡°Close your eyes, and I¡¯ll show you in a while!¡±


    Di Yelei insisted, with a suspicious blush on his ears.


    ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯ll close my eyes.¡±


    The stubborn and awkwardly shy man made it impossible for Liu Sisi to refuse.


    After a rustling sound, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but, driven by curiosity, secretly opened a slit in her eyes.


    She saw Di Yelei turning his back, seemingly taking something wrapped from his constable¡¯s clothing, then turned around and walked over. Liu Sisi quickly closed her eyes again.


    ¡°Okay, you can open your eyes and see.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s deep and mellow voice was just near her, and his strong masculine aura continually brushed against her ears, making Liu Sisi¡¯s scalp tingle.


    She instinctively dodged and quickly opened her eyes.


    ¡°Alright! Can you stop¡­?¡±


    Her words got stuck in her throat, her gaze fixed on the suddenly appearing object in front of her¡ªa pair of dark brown-yellow pointed high-heeled slope leather boots!


    ¡°This¡­this is¡­?¡±


    Liu Sisi almost couldn¡¯t speak, instinctively reaching out to grab the boots!


    So, there were leather boots in this era? Liu Sisi tried hard to search her memory.


    In her memory, it seemed that the struggle between the Seven Warring States had also promoted a major revolution in clothing¡ªthe short clothes, trousers, and leather boots of the nomadic horse archery equipment. Since then, these leather boots could be worn on muddy, cold ground and were also suitable for horse riding.


    In the subsequent dynasties, the style of leather boots was gradually improved. The styles in the Qin and Han dynasties were male square and female round¡ªsquare representing masculinity from heaven and round representing gentleness and smoothness, respecting the theory of heaven being square and earth being round.


    During the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties, women¡¯s leather boots were not only made of colorful leather or pointed short boots made of brocade but also adorned with jeweled decorations on the boot tips. Heels gradually became higher, with the shoes of nobledies having the highest towering headgear, with the highest reaching 30 centimeters.


    In the following Song, Liao, Jin, and Yuan dynasties, the styles of boots became more and moreplicated. They were still mainly boots, including court boots, patterned boots, drynd boots, nailed boots, and so on.


    These fancy boots in her hands at the moment were still awe-inspiring to Liu Sisi!


    The deep brown-yellow leather was extraordinarily soft, with many orchid patterns painted on it. The texture of the entire boot was the same. Liu Sisi touched it and found that the high-heeled slope was actually made of carved wood, filled at the heel of the shoe, and covered with ayer of the same material leather. The bottom was nailed with a thick wooden sole, and the small pointed toe was particrly soft, making Liu Sisi more and more amazed!


    How much would such a pair of leather boots be worth?!


    Di Yelei was clearly pleased by the amazement in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, and heughingly scratched the back of his head.


    ¡°Do you like them? I noticed that you always walk on the snow in wooden clogs. Your feet soak white in the snow water all day. When I passed by a shoe store, I saw these shoes at a nce. I wanted to give you a surprise, so I secretly measured your old shoes and gave them to the shoe-making master, who specially customized these boots for you¡­¡±


    However, before he could finish, he saw tears gathering in Liu Sisi¡¯s surprised eyes, quickly turning into lines, rolling down from her eye socket¡­


    Di Yelei was so flustered that he hurriedly wiped her tears, ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you like these boots? Or are you ming me for spending too much silver? But¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­No, it¡¯s not!¡±


    Liu Sisi leaned forward and threw herself into Di Yelei¡¯s arms, shaking her head, ¡°You big fool, you big fool!¡±


    Couldn¡¯t he understand that she was happy?


    She tiptoed and tightly hugged his neck, her tears flowing down her cheeks, rolling into his neck, almost burning his heart.


    Di Yelei was extremely annoyed, if he had known Sisi would be so upset, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have made the decision on his own!


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, don¡¯t be sad anymore. At worst, I¡¯ll work harder for a while and go hunting in the hills again for more game¡­¡±


    ¡°Dummy! You¡¯re such a big dummy! Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m happy? I¡¯m so happy that I want to cry¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi cried andughed at the same time, feeling utterly embarrassed about her appearance right now!


    It was only then that Di Yelei breathed a sigh of relief, quickly helping her up and carefully wiping her tears: ¡°Look at you, you scared me to death. Quickly stop crying, be good¡­¡±


    He clumsily patted her shoulder, immediately making Liu Sisiugh.


    ¡°Crying andughing, like a puppy peeing.¡±


    Di Yelei blushed: ¡°You cry when you¡¯re sad and cry when you¡¯re happy, I can¡¯t even tell if you¡¯re actually feeling sad or happy.¡±


    ¡°Who, who wants you to figure it out¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly put away the pair of boots: ¡°Thank you for the gift, I really like it. Really, I really, really like it!¡± She said seriously.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it!¡±


    Di Yelei was also happy in his heart, indeed a woman is like a flower, both need careful care.


    During their conversation, she turned around: ¡°But did you know? In our ce, lovers shouldn¡¯t give shoes as gifts¡­¡±


    ¡°What lovers? You and I are husband and wife! Giving shoes was originally a fun activity between husband and wife. Besides, who else would let you give them shoes?¡± Di Yelei squinted his eyes dangerously.


    Oops! She let it slip!


    She scolded herself in her heart, only then remembering this wasn¡¯t the next life.


    Immediately her eyes shifted, blinking coquettishly: ¡°Ye¡ª¡ªLei¡ª¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    This annoying fool! Unfortunately, he¡¯s clueless at the most important moments!


    Liu Sisi secretly annoyed, couldn¡¯t help but bite her lip, gathered the courage to walk to Di Yelei¡¯s side, and looked up at him with big, teary eyes like a frightened deer.


    Di Yelei had no intention of moving, curiously watching her actions, while inwardlyughing his heart out.


    Such a shy Liu Sisi was simply too adorable!


    ¡°Sisi? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Seeing the other party¡¯s tangled brows and no further action, Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but urge impatiently.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi rarely took the initiative, so why would she give up now?


    She stood on her tiptoes, slowly getting closer, but because she wasn¡¯t tall enough, she could only nibble messily on his chin. Not only did she not feel anything, but she was also made ufortable by his stubble.


    Such an awkward move made Di Yelei suddenly chuckle, pulling her hand in one go.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks turned red with shyness, and she couldn¡¯t help but frown, wanting to retreat. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    How could he let the meat that¡¯s in his mouth slip away? Di Yeleiughed heartily and hugged her in one go.


    On this long night, the affection was still spreading¡­

 Chapter 306: House Renovation

    Chapter 306: House Renovation


    Trantor: 549690339


    Early the next day, a dense fog arose outside the house.


    Actually, snowy days are not the coldest, the coldest are the days when the snow melts.


    The melted snow began to form icicles under the eaves, the longest one even reaching one to two meters. Hanging in front and behind the house, wherever there was water on the ground began to freeze, slippery and unstable to step on, so cold that one lost the courage to step out of the door.


    Watching Di Yelei moving in and out of the house without any reluctance, shoveling snow, sweeping the ground, feeding chickens, rabbits, and horses, he was kept very busy.


    Liu Sisi barely managed to lift her heavy eyelids and pushed the quilt aside.


    A wave of cold air immediately invaded the warmth of the quilt, causing her to shiver from the cold. She hurriedly crawled back into the warm quilt.


    Her naked body touched the warm cup, causing her to let out a sigh of satisfaction.


    It¡¯s so cold!


    She felt like a bird shivering in the cold!


    An odd sensation from her body urged her to shift positions, alleviating some pressure.


    Remembering the love scene fromst night, her face flushed and she quickly buried her face in the quilt.


    She had actually taken the initiative!


    So embarrassing!


    She covered her face with her hands.


    Di Yelei came in and lifted the curtain, to see just this scene.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you¡­not feeling well?¡± His eyes fell upon her smooth back, instantly deepening his gaze.


    ¡°Hey! How¡­howe you are in here? Get out! ¡±


    Even after having so many intimate moments, in his burning gaze, Liu Sisi was still blushing all the way to her toes!


    ¡°Alright, alright! I am going, I am going, Sisi¡­.¡±


    However, his feet were doing the opposite of what he just agreed to.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you move your feet!¡±


    Of course, Liu Sisi noticed his movements, her eyes widening in embarrassment, quickly covering herself tightly with the quilt.


    Only then did he chuckle, stepping back and closing the curtain.


    ¡°Hey, I¡­I moved the firewood in front of the stove, I¡­.I will fetch water, hehehe¡­¡±


    Heughed heartily, with his footsteps gradually fading away.


    Only when she couldn¡¯t hear his footsteps anymore, did Liu Sisi p her blushing cheek, frantically starting to dress herself.


    After heating water to wash her face, arranging her hair, only then did she venture outside.


    The ground outside was wet and icy. As soon as she stepped on it, she felt the dampness seeping through.


    Liu Sisi shrunk her neck and rubbed her hands together, gathering the courage to step outside the room. It really was so cold! This kind of weather was indeed irritating.


    After the continuous heavy snowfall, thankfully the stable never stopped providing heating. The baby bok choy nted in the bamboo tube outside the stable looked weak, yet a few managed to survive.


    Liu Sisi plucked a few. The green leaves of these vegetables would make the pork bone soup taste the best!


    When she finished preparations for the soup, after some thought, she took a detour to the cer behind the house and brought out a jug of unopened soybean sauce.


    As soon as the lid was opened, the rich aroma of soybean paste immediately drilled into her nose.


    ¡°It smells so good! I could smell it from far away, I really wish I could eat it all in one bite.¡±


    Di Yelei carried a pole of water into the room, pouring the water from the buckets into the water tank.


    ¡°The well in our house is really good! I didn¡¯t appreciate it at first, but now look, in such cold weather, steam keepsing out of the well¡¯s opening. It¡¯s clearly a spring. The water quality is also good. We hit the jackpot!¡±


    ¡°You just realised now? I always wash clothes directly by the edge of the well. The water there is warm and doesn¡¯t freeze my hands.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at him with amusement, took a clean bowl and scooped out a bowl of soybean paste: ¡°We¡¯ll use this for our meal this morning.¡±


    Di Yelei happily put down the shoulder pole.


    ¡°Of course I knew. But I didn¡¯t know that originally there was only a tiny underground spring, and nowadays such arge amount of water sprays out. It¡¯s strange.¡±


    Liu Sisi ced the soybean paste on the table, casually wiping her hands on her apron: ¡°It must be rted to the copse of that mountain over there! Anyway, it was after that day that this spring water suddenly increased by many times.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, it should be that reason.¡±


    Di Yelei nodded: ¡°By the way, are you going out today?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re fixing the house today? This house leaks every day and can¡¯t wait.¡± Liu Sisi said as a matter of course.


    ¡°That¡¯s good! Make some more foodter. Everyone are fellow vigers, don¡¯t let the people whoe to help go hungry. That would be bad.¡± Di Yelei said, as he climbed up the stairs to the attic and pulled down arge piece of beast meat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After all this time, when have I ever been stingy with food? On the contrary, you still have internal injuries. Don¡¯t exert yourself, let them do the work. It¡¯s fine if it takes a bit longer, just one more meal to prepare.¡±


    Liu Sisi was full of concern.


    As expected, not long after breakfast, the fellow vigers arrived one after another.


    In fact, it wasn¡¯t just their home that suffered from the disaster, but because Di Yelei was popr, when he called, naturally more than a dozen vigers came one after another.


    Everyone joked around with each other and helped to fix the house.


    The first task was to remove the straw from the roof, then dismantle the wood, trim the adobe brick, and finally rece the rafters, purlins, and beams¡­ The sound of knocking and pounding echoed without stopping.


    Elderly Mr. Di had difficulty moving, but he firmly stood on the edge of the courtyard wall, watching everyone work. The two children stood to his left and right to watch themotion.


    Liu Sisi was busy in the kitchen, preparing steamed buns, buns with various fillings, pork bone soup, fried balls, and fried willow twigs, bustling around.


    Perhaps seeing everyone else busy, Liu Zhi¡¯er walked over to the stove to help make a fire.


    Liu Sisi took a moment to look at her, chuckling as she wiped off her sweat: ¡°I must say, cooking lunch for so many people by myself is tiring.¡±


    Could it not be tiring? She was cooking food for so many people!


    At the moment, Liu Sisi is cutting sweet potatoes.


    These sweet potatoes had been stored in the cer since early morning. When she went to the cer to get the soybean paste, she took ten or so. Now she washed them clean, cutting each into cubes, and mixed them with turnips and turnip leaves to fry into meatballs.


    ¡°Are you preparing to make meatballs again? Isn¡¯t there a basin of them over there?¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er asked with curiosity.


    Liu Sisi looked over: ¡°Those are made by mixing a few dried small fish and dried shrimp with sweet potato starch. When frying, they¡¯re shaped likerge fish. We don¡¯t have anyrge fish at home, and it wouldn¡¯t be right to have a dinner table without fish, so I thought of this simple method.¡± n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°That was made with small fish? Sisi, you¡¯re really resourceful.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er looked amazedly at the fried fish that looked to be about half a pound each. She was particrly delighted.


    Fish was expensive in winter, and for holidays and celebrations, the table should naturally have fish. If they used small fish to deep fry, that could save dozens or even hundreds of coppers. This was a considerable sum of money for poor families.

 Chapter 307: Strict Wife and Housekeeper

    Chapter 307: Strict Wife and Housekeeper<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Do you want to try one first?¡±


    Liu Sisi said with a smile, stretching out her hand to pick one up and hand it to her.<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er nced at it but shook her head: ¡°No, I have injuries on my body. I won¡¯t eat fish.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly withdrew her hand: ¡°Then¡­ how about I pour a bowl of meat soup for you first?¡±


    ¡°No need, I just had some soup medicine, I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er quickly refused.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a bowl of soup, there¡¯s no way you can¡¯t eat it. You look so weak and injured all over, you need to eat more to recover.¡±


    Liu Sisi grabbed a bowl without waiting for a response, directly scooped a bowl of meat soup, deliberately picking half a bowl of meat bones to add, and handed it to her bowl: ¡°Hurry up and eat, we are sisters, not strangers, hurry up.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er took the bowl and held it for quite a while without moving.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, it¡¯s getting cold fast. If it¡¯s cold when you eat it, your heart will be chilled too.¡±


    As Liu Sisi struggled with the meatballs, seeing Liu Zhi¡¯er not moving her chopsticks for a long time, she hurriedly spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat, just eat.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er smiled and sniffed, thenughed!


    Immediately, she picked up the bowl, took big bites and swallowed, together with the tears rolling into the bowl, down into her stomach.<div>


    Liu Sisi did notfort her, just gave a soft smile and continued working on the meatballs.


    By noon, the cooked dishes were set on the table.


    Due to therge number of people who came to help, Liu Sisi had ced the table in the hall, and a smaller table in the kitchen for themselves to eat.


    Seeing that the time was almost up, Liu Sisi took off her apron and walked to the courtyard to call out to everyone who was helping, ¡°Everyone! The meal is ready, take a break ande inside to eat after washing your hands. We can continue workingter. The work is here; it won¡¯t run away.¡±


    Everyoneughed at Liu Sisi¡¯s words!


    Li Wu, who was nailing the wooden board, joked upon hearing this, ¡°Sister-inw, are you worried about Ye Lei getting hungry? You¡¯re calling everyone to eat so early?¡±


    His words were immediately echoed by those nearby, joking andughing: ¡°Of course! Look at Brother Ye Lei¡¯s physique, who knows what will happen tonight¡­ Huh? h! Haha¡­ You guys know what I mean, right?¡±


    ¡°Haha! There¡¯s no need to say it! Just look at Third Sister-inw¡¯s radiant face, it must be that Third Brother Di treats her exceptionally well and with great love every night. Am I right?¡± A young man with a small head chimed in.


    As soon as his words dropped, a middle-aged man nearby teased, ¡°I tell you Wang Wawa, seeing your third brother so soft and tender, what are you waiting for? Hurry back home and tell your parents to find you a wife too!¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s a good idea!¡±


    The young manughed so hard that his mouth almost reached the back of his head, ¡°I¡¯ll go home and tell my mother to find me a sister-inw like that! No! As long as she¡¯s half as good as Third Sister-inw, I¡¯ll be satisfied.¡±<div>


    While talking, his foot slipped, and he rolled directly off the wall edge.


    Fortunately, he was not injured, and he sprang up from the ground with a grin, stillughing.


    ¡°You just keep dreaming! With your bear-like appearance, do you think you can find someone like your third sister-inw? Look at how smug you are!¡±


    A man nearby casually pped Ye Lei on the back of his head, causing a burst ofughter among the crowd!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks turned a bright red, not knowing what to do, she looked helplessly at Di Yelei for assistance.


    Di Yelei was standing on the wall, his face full ofughter,pletely oblivious to Liu Sisi¡¯s plea in her eyes. It was a man with slightly graying hair beside him who nudged him; then he turned around and raised an eyebrow at Liu Sisi.


    As Liu Sisi red at him fiercely, he nced around, still not understanding why she was staring at him.


    This move instantly provoked another round ofughter from the surrounding crowd!


    Liu Sisi grew increasingly embarrassed!


    Stamping her foot, she hurriedly urged Di Yelei: ¡°You¡­ You big fool! Hurry up and invite everyone toe in for dinner!¡±


    It was only then that Di Yelei responded, agreeing repeatedly: ¡°Ah! All right!¡±<div>


    This appearance amused the crowd once again, and they allughed, some even toppling over.


    A man nearby couldn¡¯t help but shout loudly: ¡°Di Yelei! Who would have thought that such a big man like you would behave like this in front of your wife? Di Yelei, when Sister-inw told you to go to the East Roomst night, what did you do?¡±


    ¡°Well, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have dared to go to the West Room! I, Di Yelei, always listen to my wife!¡±


    Heughed out loud, unreservedly admitting: ¡°I married my wife to spoil her! If a man doesn¡¯t know how to treat his wife well, is he still a man? That would be worse than a beast! Haha¡­¡±


    His face beamed with pride in front of everyone.


    ¡°Well done, Ye Lei! That¡¯s what a real man should be!¡±


    The man with graying hair beside him patted him on the back, sincerely praising him.


    However, Di Yelei happened to be lifting one leg at that moment, and due to the pat, he fell off the wall, shouting.


    ¡°Ah¡ªah¡ªah! Ouch!¡±


    Fortunately, his quick reflexes allowed him to catch hold of a purlin, cushioning his fall and preventing any injuries. Hended squarely on his bottom and provided everyone with even more entertainment!


    Finally, after everyone had washed their hands, they gathered around the table. The table originally meant for eight people was now crammed with twelve, making it a full house.


    Di Yelei continually urged everyone to eat: ¡°Everyone has worked hard today! Hurry up and eat! Be informal! Also, as we still have to work on the beamter, let¡¯s not drink any wine at noon. But this evening, everyone must drink until they can¡¯t stand! Only when both guests and hosts have a good time can we be happy! Eat up, hurry!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s generosity was contagious, and everyone, being fellow vigers, knew each other, so they all ate heartily without hesitation.


    Liu Sisi carried hot dishes, continuously replenishing the bowls on the table. Thankfully, she had anticipated this and prepared more than enough for each dish, whichsted about three rounds. It was only then the people began to slow down.


    ¡°Sister-inw, you should go and eat too! Di Third Brother can take care of us here. With you around, we can¡¯t even talk properly!¡± the young man beside her teased.


    What could these men possibly talk about behind their wives¡¯ backs?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Having heard him, Liu Sisi naturally couldn¡¯t stay any longer.


    She put the dish basin down and said generously, ¡°Okay, it seems like you mischievous kid could use a wife to keep that troublemaking mouth in check! Wait until the day I find someone suitable, I¡¯ll introduce her to you.¡±

 Chapter 308: Housekeeper and Strict Wife

    Chapter 308: Housekeeper and Strict Wife<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    The young man¡¯s eyes lit up immediately!


    ¡°Sister-inw! If you say so, I¡­ I will be waiting for your good news! You must not forget about your little brother here.¡±<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t forget about you.¡±


    Liu Sisi was also happy, and then she lifted the curtain and went to the kitchen.


    In the kitchen, she and her family members were eating together. Elderly Mr. Di still sat at the head of the table, eating silently.


    Since they moved to live with Third Child, their living conditions had improved a lot, and their spirits had lifted. Although his hands and feet were still not very agile, he could take care of himself.


    For example, at this moment, although he ate slowly, he held the soup spoon steadily, taking one spoonful at a time into his mouth.


    ¡°Mom! Come and sit here!¡±


    As soon as Ying¡¯er saw her mother enter, her eyes brightened!


    ¡°Mom, Xuan¡¯er will get you some more rice.¡±


    Di Xuan also got up quickly.


    ¡°Good, mom sit next to our Ying¡¯er.¡±


    Liu Sisi saw that there was still a lot of food in the bowl, so she sat down next to Ying¡¯er: ¡°Everyone, have more! There¡¯s still a whole afternoon ahead. If you don¡¯t eat enough, you¡¯ll feel hungry.¡±<div>


    As she spoke, Di Xuan handed Liu Sisi a bowl of rice.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, be good and sit down and eat.¡±


    Today, Liu Sisi was really hungry. Without any hesitation, she started to eat the food on the table.


    On the other hand, Liu Zhi¡¯er was not hungry at all, and she could hardly eat with her bowl and chopsticks. After she managed to finish half a bowl of rice, she put down her chopsticks and watched Liu Sisi eat with relish.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s appetite was not big either. After eating more than half a bowl of rice, she also put down her bowl and chopsticks.


    Everyone else had already finished eating, so she quickly started to clean up the table.


    ¡°Mom! It¡¯s too noisy at home, so I want to go to Zhang Yun¡¯s house to study in the afternoon.¡± Di Xuan said hesitantly.


    Liu Sisi agreed without even thinking about it.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine! It¡¯s too crowded at home for you to study. Just remember to take care of Ying¡¯er, okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright, mom. I¡¯ll go cut some grass for the rabbits and then go.¡±


    Xuan¡¯er was quite happy.<div>


    Liu Sisi paused as she was cleaning the bowl and chopsticks: ¡°It¡¯s still snow-melting outside; it¡¯s too cold for you to go cut the grass. Why don¡¯t you just go to Zhang Yun¡¯s house first, and I¡¯ll go cut the grasster.¡±


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not cold. Besides, Xuan¡¯er won¡¯t go far and will be back soon after cutting the grass.¡±


    As Di Xuan spoke, he had already picked up a basket and a sickle and left the house.


    ¡°Brother, I want to go y too!¡± Ying¡¯er also hurriedly followed suit.


    ¡°Ying¡¯er, don¡¯t go, it¡¯s cold outside¡ª¡±


    But Liu Sisi¡¯s call was slower than the children¡¯s shadows; Ying¡¯er had already followed Di Xuan¡¯s back out of the yard.


    ¡°Why do these kids run so fast?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but grumble. When she came back to her senses, she saw that Liu Zhi¡¯er had actually started helping with the dishes!


    She hurriedly stepped forward: ¡°Second Sister, you are a guest and a patient, please go rest. I am used to doing these chores, and I will be done in a while.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just washing dishes, not tiring at all. Besides, it¡¯s hot water.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er didn¡¯t stop her movements: ¡°I wonder how they¡¯re doing with their meal? Do you want to go over and check?¡±<div>


    Only then did Liu Sisi rush to the hall to clean up the table.


    Everyone in the hall had already left, and they went back to the roof to continue working.


    In the afternoon, Guihua and Zhang Peng also came to help.


    ¡°This morning, we were working on the woodshed next door. If it weren¡¯t for your brother Zhang, I would have asked him to shovel some umted snow. He kept saying it was fine, butst night half of the woodshed copsed, scaring all the chickens inside. On top of that, twombs are missing.¡±


    Guihua became angrier as she spoke.


    ¡°How did that happen? You should have let Zhang Yun know. I would ask Ye Lei to help. It¡¯s easier when there are more people to work.¡± Liu Sisi said reproachfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, we were able to fix it quickly. Thembs though, I don¡¯t know if someone took them or if they got lost on their own. They haven¡¯t returned yet.¡± Guihua was worried about the twombs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! If thembs can¡¯t find food, they will return on their own.¡±


    Liu Sisi said with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too, so I told the children to be alert. If they hear thembs cry, they should go out and check.¡±


    Guihuaughed and then turned to Liu Zhi¡¯er: ¡°This must be Second Sister, right? You two sisters really do look alike.¡±


    ¡°I am indeed Sisi¡¯s Second Sister. Sisi mentioned you before, saying that you helped her a lot when she first got married. If it weren¡¯t for your support, my younger sister, who tends to be disorganized, wouldn¡¯t even know how to start a fire.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er said with a lightugh.


    Guihua waved her hand quickly: ¡°Sisi might have worked it out on her own. She¡¯s not as helpless as you described. By the way, Sisi has forgotten her family matters because of her high fever. Why don¡¯t you tell her more about them, so to see if she can remember?¡±


    Guihua was sincerely concerned for Liu Sisi.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. I remember her childhood quite clearly.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er thought for a moment and then began to recount.


    Not long after, Ms. Xin came over and also brought Di Ah-bao with her to help.


    ¡°Ah-Bao! You stay here and help your Third Brother fix the house. I¡¯ll go inside and help Third Sister-inw cook. You can¡¯t bezy, all right?¡± As soon as Ms. Xin arrived, the scent of her perfume filled the courtyard.


    Seeing Ms. Xin¡¯s back disappear at the kitchen door, Di Ah-bao finally shouted: ¡°Cui¡¯er, don¡¯t worry! I will do my best.¡±


    Everyone knew about Di Ah-bao¡¯s character, and they were surprised he was actually listening to Ms. Xin.


    As soon as he came over, everyone looked at Di Yelei in confusion.


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly, and even Elderly Mr. Di, who had mobility issues, didn¡¯t say anything.


    The white-haired fellow viger, who had more experience, quickly called out to Di Ah-bao: ¡°Since you are here to help today, just help carry the wooden boards.¡±


    It was an easy task, and hopefully, he wouldn¡¯t cause any trouble.


    More and more women were gathering in the room,ughing and chatting.


    Although tonight¡¯s meal was even more sumptuous than the one at noon, it was quickly prepared without much effort due to the number of people.


    While no one in the room was paying attention, Ms. Xin leaned close to Liu Zhi¡¯er andined non-stop.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Ah! This is my fate. In such weather, these daily problems linger on and on. It¡¯s endless. What can be done about it?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er didn¡¯t suspect anything and casually answered: ¡°Do you have any symptoms? Is it because of the cold? Sometimes I have the same issue. But when I was younger, my mother said to eat ten or so peppercorns, swallowing them with warm water. Do that for two days, and these daily troubles usually go away.¡±

 Chapter 309: Ms. Xin’s Help, the Dong Family’s Recent Situation

    Chapter 309: Ms. Xin¡¯s Help, the Dong Family¡¯s Recent Situation<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Xinshi¡¯s eyes widened in surprise: ¡°This¡­ this works?¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s caused by a chill that disrupts the menses, it should work.¡±<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er nodded seriously: ¡°Anyway, pepper powder is just a seasoning, so even if you eat it incorrectly, it won¡¯t harm you. Just try it and see if it works, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s no harm in trying, so I don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    Xinshi thought for a moment and couldn¡¯t help but exim: ¡°When I was young, my mother sold me to Yihong Courtyard, a ce that devoured people without leaving any bones. I was forced to take one bowl of contraceptive soup after another. I never cared about my body, and no one ever told me about these things.¡±


    ¡°You just mentioned that you were¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°Did I say I was sold to Yihong Courtyard and that I was forced to take a lot of contraceptive soups before?¡±


    Xinshi spoke frankly without any intention of hiding anything: ¡°I was even pregnant a while ago, but I miscarried because of my poor health. Now, after recuperating for a while, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever be able to conceive again.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er opened her mouth wide and stared at the lively Xinshi in front of her, unable to react for a moment.


    Although Liu Sisi was at the stove with Guihua, preparing the beast meat, she also strained her ears to eavesdrop on the conversation. Seeing Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s shock, she felt relieved.


    Just yesterday, she asked Xinshi for help to talk to Second Sister, and now Xinshi was already speaking about it. She¡¯s really efficient in getting things done!


    It waspletely different from her delicate and fragile appearance.<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er stayed dumbfounded for a while before finally finding her tongue.


    ¡°You¡­ have reformed?¡±


    ¡°Yes! When Ah-Bao married me, the whole Upper Vige knew about it. Fortunately, with his persistence, my body that had been slept with countless men could finally escape from that ce. It was my luck, indeed.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyes shone with various rays of light: ¡°He¡­ doesn¡¯t mind your past experiences?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t mind at all. He knows everything about my past,¡± said Xinshi confidently. ¡°Besides, even if he does mind, it doesn¡¯t matter how I live my life, I can always divorce and earn my own living. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t live without a man. Think about it, I¡¯ve been living without a man for more than a decade, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, living without a man is still living¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er silently added firewood to the stove and fell silent.


    Xinshi noticed Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, and seeing her nod, she got up.


    ¡°You guys go ahead, I¡¯ll go and see what Ah-Bao is doing.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly shouted: ¡°Sister-inw, be careful as you go, the ground is slippery. You really helped me a lot today, so stay and have dinner with Third Sister-inw tonight. Remember!¡±


    Xinshi looked back and smiled: ¡°Third Sister-inw, don¡¯t worry. I promised, and I¡¯ll keep my word.¡± Then she left the kitchen.<div>


    Xinshi is really incredible! Liu Sisi thought.


    The workers on the roof were fast in their movements, making a lot of noise as they cooperated to finish the work. Not until dusk did they finallyplete it.


    Liu Sisi let out a sigh of relief! Finally, it was done before nightfall.


    One night of great hospitality between host and guest, no need to go into detail.


    Early the next day, before dawn, Liu Sisi got up and prepared cooked dishes, waking everyone up to eat. After breakfast, Di Yelei sorted out his clothes: ¡°Oh, are you going out today?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Didn¡¯t I mention yesterday? Today I¡¯m going to talk to that surnamed Dong properly.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s words carried a coldness.


    How dare he bully Second Sister; she had to see what kind of powerful being this Dong was!


    Going to the Dong family together were Di Yelei, Zhang Peng, Li Wu, and even Di Cheng and Ms. Xin, who were also called by Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi held Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand, repeatedly reminding anxiously, ¡°Today we¡¯re all going to the Dong family, with the goal of persuading him to agree to a divorce. If he tries to use the child to threaten you, you must not waver. Understand?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Today, Liu Zhi¡¯er didn¡¯t talk and would just silently nod without saying a word.


    Liu Sisi sighed, unsure of how tomunicate with Liu Zhi¡¯er.<div>


    It could be said that although the three Liu sisters were all beautiful, their appearances had not given them any advantages in life.


    Eldest sister, Liu Xuer, married into a family with no children as a concubine, and within half a year, she fled back to the Liu family after being beaten half-dead. In the end, their father, Liu Quan, sent her back after saying many good words to thedy, and from then on, there was no news from her.


    This broke Liu mother, Ms. Yao¡¯s heart, and it was the main reason why she objected when the original Liu Sisi wanted to marry Businessman Zhang.


    Second Sister, Liu Zhi¡¯er, married Dong Chang and had three sons in four years, but ended up being forced into surrogacy for others by her husband.


    As for the original owner of Liu Sisi¡¯s body¡­ it¡¯s better not to mention it!


    Recalling these past events, Liu Sisi sighed at the tragic fate of the three sisters. Perhaps it was true that beauties were destined for short lives.


    Although the Di family was poor, at least when Liu Sisi married in, there were several adobe houses.


    As for the Dong family in front of her, it could be described as poor to the bone.


    Three short, dark, copsing thatched huts were lined up in a row, and in the heavy snow, the roof¡¯s straw was ck and mouldy, obviously not reced this year.


    The front and back of the house were messy, and now, at noontime, there was no sound from the house.


    ¡°Is anyone home? Is anyone there? If there¡¯s someone home, say something!¡±


    Di Yelei called out several times outside, but there was no response.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er next to him was too embarrassed to lift her head and mumbled after a long time, ¡°Normally, at this time¡­ he, he should be at Pokefaced Wang¡¯s house in East Vige ying poker¡­¡±


    Her voice grew softer and softer, barely louder than a mosquito¡¯s buzz in the end.


    Di Yelei looked back at Liu Sisi, and they saw the seriousness in each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Second Sister, you¡¯re not telling me that he used to gamble like this all the time while you took care of the house alone?¡± Liu Sisi became angry.


    ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not it. When he¡­ actually, when he wins some money, he¡¯s very gentle and easy to talk to¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er struggled to make herst argument. Rather than trying to convince them, it was more like she wanted to convince herself.

 Chapter 310: The Person Who Was Scared to Faint!

    Chapter 310: The Person Who Was Scared to Faint!<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Second Sister! Even at this point, you¡¯re still making excuses for him?¡±


    Liu Sisi has a surge of anger welling up inside her, it came pouring out from the bottom of her heart, and she couldn¡¯t help but angrily rebuke.<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er shrank back, so embarrassed that she dared not lift her head!


    Her face was pale, she waspletely unsure how to deal with the situation before her.


    Liu Sisi shook her head with a disappointed look, sighed, and finally took her eyes off Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    She looked at everyone: ¡°Since he is in the East Vige, Ye Lei, you personally go over and arrest him! If he dares to resist, just directly use him of gathering a crowd to make trouble and gamble, arrest him and lock him up for three to five days and starve him for a couple of meals!¡±


    Liu Sisi decided to y tough!


    This useless trash won¡¯t learn his lesson if he is not shown the hard way, he must be taken down a peg!


    Di Yelei naturally had no second thoughts, he directly agreed!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We are going to the East Vige to catch him!¡±


    After saying this, he led the crowd in a mighty bound for the East Vige.


    Only Liu Sisi, Ms. Xin, and Liu Zhi¡¯er were left behind!


    Liu Sisi checked out the surroundings, she couldn¡¯t resist stretching her neck trying to peer inside the house.<div>


    The ramshackle and decayed bamboo fence railing had not been reced for who knows how long, many had already fallen down. The roof with its ck and rotting straw was spreading a musty smell; even the curtain at the door was only hanging halfway down, filthy, partially hanging at the door, rustling with the cold wind, creating a sound like wind blowing through a hole.


    With Liu Zhi¡¯er pushing open the door, a pungent smell of damp mustiness came rushing forward, almost making her vomit up her breakfast. Not to mention the pitch-ck room waspletely empty, whereas the ground was littered with garbage and there was a thickyer of mud mixed with ash. Rainwater was dripping continuously on the straw roof, making a pitter patter sound¡­


    Walking into the thatched hut on the right, there was nothing in the room except for a lone bed, on which besides some straw and a torn cotton quilt, there was nothing.


    Liu Sisi grew even more indignant the more she looked: ¡°What¡¯s the use of a man living like this? Are you trying to drag yourself down? Look at this, just look! Any man with a bit of dignity, even if he were to live in a pigsty, it would be better than this! Second Sister, let me tell you upfront, when hees back, you don¡¯t want anything, you just pack your things and leave, divorce him! No buts! Do you understand?¡±


    Liu Sisi was really angry now!


    This damn man!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er shrank back without saying a word, carefully bypassed Liu Sisi¡¯s menacing face, and sat down at the edge of the bed. She noticed that rain was leaking from the top of the bed and the edge of the bed was covered in dust; it didn¡¯t look like a ce where people lived at all.


    She finally steeled her heart to sit down at the edge.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like this before¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha! Of course it wasn¡¯t like this when you were here, but apart from this bed and quilt, what else is left in this house now?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but retort!<div>


    Ms. Xin next to her also couldn¡¯t resist adding fuel to the fire: ¡°Exactly! Even when my mother sold me, we still had a few cotton quilts at home. Your house, on the other hand, doesn¡¯t even have a proper quilt, how can people live here at night? Or maybe¡­ No one lives here at all?¡±


    Thinking about it, it¡¯s normal. A house where people really lived wouldn¡¯t be like this!


    ¡°Ha! You might be right, who knows!¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she walked into the remaining room.


    There were three thatched huts in total, one was empty, one was the bedroom, and the other must be the kitchen.


    Stepping into the kitchen, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t hold back her horror any longer and shrieked.


    ¡°Ah! Ah¡±


    Her shrill scream instantly scared Ms. Xin and Liu Zhi¡¯er in the other thatched hut. The two exchanged a nce and hastily rushed into the kitchen.


    ¡°What happened? What is this¡­¡±


    The sound of Ms. Xin¡¯s words faded away as she also saw the source of Liu Sisi¡¯s scream¡ª not far from the kitchen door, arge snake¡¯s skin about three to four meters long hung down from the roof of the thatched hut, hanging just a card¡¯s distance away in front of Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, swaying back and forth with the wind¡­


    ¡°Ah! ¡±<div>


    Unable to bear the fear in her heart, Ms. Xin also screamed. The next moment, she copsed to the ground, unconscious.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was also greatly frightened!


    How big must the snake be to have such arge shedding?


    Despite her fear, she couldn¡¯t neglect the two people¡ªone fainting, one stunned. She had to carefully approach and lightly touch Liu Sisi¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, how are you doing?¡±


    Liu Sisi seemed dazed, her wide eyes unwaveringly fixed on the snake¡¯s shedding just below her eyshes,pletely unresponsive.


    ¡°Sisi! Don¡¯t scare Second Sister, Sisi, are you all right?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was also frightened. She couldn¡¯t help but pull Liu Sisi¡¯s arm¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡­ Snake! There¡¯s a snake, a huge, big snake! Second Sister, run quickly¡­¡±


    Finally snapping back to reality, Liu Sisi with Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand wanted to run.


    ¡°Sisi, it¡¯s not a snake, it¡¯s a snake¡¯s shedding!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er hurriedly restrained her, there was still a person lying on the ground here!


    ¡°It¡¯s a snake¡¯s shedding[¡­]? You better not deceive me¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was pale, her voice trembled as she spoke. She was most afraid of snakes! Icy cold, writhing, and continually spitting out a three-pronged letter¡­ Damn snake!


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you, you will believe it if you look again, it¡¯s true!¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er repeatedly assured.


    Liu Sisi finally turned around, and when she saw the several-meter-long snake shed skin again, she screamed again¡­


    After much turmoil, the two people finally moved Ms. Xin out of the house. After pinching her human acupoint and rubbing her chest, they finally revived Ms. Xin!


    When Ms. Xin woke up, she was despondent, her hand involuntarily trembling as it grasped Liu Sisi¡¯s: ¡°Too¡­ too terrifying! I can¡¯t believe there are things like this in the kitchen! Just the skin is already sorge, how big must the living creature be? I can¡¯t ept it¡­ how terrifying¡­¡±


    It indeed was terrifying!


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point, the point is it¡¯s almost Laba Festival now, this snake should have already gone into hibernation. How long has it been since anyone has been in your kitchen before this enormous creature took over?¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s lips were still pale and trembled violently.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er looked extremely flustered: ¡°I, I¡­ I don¡¯t know! I was still cooking on the stove before I was kidnapped¡­¡±


    As she spoke, her tears began to fall. She couldn¡¯t help but crouch down on the ground, covering her mouth as she sobbed.


    Liu Sisi closed her eyes. So it seemed that no one had entered the kitchen since Liu Zhi¡¯er left.


    Could it be possible that this man surnamed Dong sold off Liu Zhi¡¯er and then used the silver money to buy a new property for himself?

 Chapter 311: Furious Liu Sisi

    Chapter 311: Furious Liu Sisi<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Ms. Xin, who was beside them, got frightened and couldn¡¯t help but choke on her words.


    ¡°Oh dear! Is tying him up really necessary? Is this how you treat a runaway ve or a concubine? Aren¡¯t you his legal wife? Is this how you should treat a wife?¡±<div>


    The more Ms. Xin talked, the lower Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s head dropped.


    ¡°But¡­ he is after all¡­¡±


    She stuttered, not knowing what else to say.


    When Di Yelei and the others brought a man along, everyone still hadn¡¯t recovered from the shock.


    ¡°Let me go! I¡¯m telling you, what gives you the right to tie me up? Why are you arresting me? What crime have Imitted? Tell me! Say it!¡±


    Being pushed and led in front, the tied-up man walked in between Di Yelei and the others. Despite having only one arm, he still had a handsome face; no wonder he could marry a beautiful woman like Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    At the moment, he was desperately trying to escape from Di Yelei and the others, kicking and thrashing about.


    ¡°Keep quiet! We are proper constables, not just some governmental runners. Open your eyes and see clearly!¡±


    Zhang Peng couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and kicked his buttocks, making the man stumble and fall on his face.


    ¡°You¡­ pah! You strike people even though you¡¯re officers?¡±


    The man struggled to get up.<div>


    ¡°Yes, we strike people like you! Get up and roll!¡±


    Di Yelei grabbed him and directly shoved him forward towards Liu Sisi and the others.


    Di Cheng, walking behind them all, was holding a child who was crying loudly.


    Hearing the child¡¯s cry, Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t hold back her tears and quickly ran towards them. She hugged the child fiercely and cried even harder.


    ¡°Da Mao! Da Mao, my Da Mao! Wuu¡­¡±


    The child was about three years old and dirty as if rolled in mud. He seemed frightened, staring at Liu Zhi¡¯er for a while before timidly calling out.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    This cry made Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s tears fall even faster.


    ¡°Ai! Mom is here! Da Mao, my Da Mao, wuu¡­¡±


    On the other side, Di Yelei pushed the man all the way to the thatched hut and shoved him down onto the muddy ground where the ice and snow had just melted. Only then did he let go of him.


    Di Yelei had a fierce look on his face as he walked towards Liu Sisi, not being able to hold back any longer.<div>


    ¡°This beast! As soon as we reached the East Vige, we heard the shouting from a house there, and his voice was the loudest among them. This bastard was actually gambling there! We called him several times, but he didn¡¯t respond. When I tried to pull him, he dared to resist even more! So I tied him up!¡±


    His words immediately made Dong Chang, a man standing nearby, shrink back and look at him surreptitiously, his neck drawn in.


    If before he was still guessing about the identity of these people and why they only arrested him instead of everyone who was gambling, now upon seeing Liu Sisi, he understood everything!


    These people must be the helpers that the damn woman found!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Thinking about it, he curled up even more, and then, with a sudden turn of his eyeballs, began to wail in pain.


    ¡°Zhi¡¯er! My nephew! You¡¯ve finally returned. I¡¯ve missed you so much, nephew¡­¡±


    This chilling cry made Liu Sisi furious. She abruptly got up from the ground and aimed a stomp at the man¡¯s foot, twisting it viciously as she did so¡­


    ¡°Ah! It hurts¡­¡±


    Dong Chang¡¯s tears were about to fall from the pain!


    This damned woman was actually so cruel, he had underestimated her before!


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi suddenly lowered her head to look at him, with a radiant smile on her face.


    ¡°It hurts, it really hurts, ah! ¡­¡±


    As Liu Sisi twisted the shoe sole heavily again, Dong Chang couldn¡¯t say anything more.


    Today, Liu Sisi was wearing leather boots that Di Yelei had given her a few days ago.


    These brown-yellow leather boots were beautifully-designed and noble, paired with her newly-acquired water wave cloud-patterned satin woven butterfly brocade dress, with a scarlet gold thorn hairpin on her head, a cloud bud and begonia hairpin inserted diagonally, and jadeite scattered flower earrings on her small earlobes. No matter how you looked at Liu Sisi, she was beautiful! Shepletely dazzled Dong Chang.


    Now, on her pretty face was a faint smile, but the depths of her eyes carried raging mes that almost burned through him.


    Sheughed softly, ¡°So, you know what pain feels like too!¡±


    After saying that, she suddenly continued upwards, stepping on his shinbone, pressing down heavily¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Dong Chang was in so much pain that he could hardly make a sound. He supported his body with his bound arms and tried to kick with his other leg, struggling to break free.


    ¡°You know pain? You know hurt? Do you even know how to write the words ¡®pain¡¯ and ¡®hurt¡¯? Huh!¡±


    Her voice grew louder and louder, and her actions underfoot grew heavier and heavier! The bones under her foot gave off crackling sounds!


    ¡°But do you know? It¡¯s all because of you! It¡¯s all because of your heartless actions! You actually sold your own wife to an old man to have a child for him! That¡¯s an old man! Has your conscience been eaten by a dog?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s voice became sharper, her tone more urgent, wishing she could just hit him with a stick and be done with it!


    But carrying the crime of murder for such a person was not worth it!


    He did not deserve it!


    Dong Chang cried out in pain, ¡°Spare me, spare me, please! That Old Man Li is just an old man. What harm can he do? I was just thinking of Zhi¡¯er, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Spare you? Do you think you deserve to be spared? Humph! You¡¯re dreaming! Old Man Li is not a human being. His ¡®thing¡¯ doesn¡¯t work, but he tortured my Second Sister alive for several months. Her body is covered with dense scars left after the abuse, scars upon scars. No one cared about her festering wounds. And all of this was caused by you, a human-faced beast!¡±


    Liu Sisi grew angrier as she spoke, and her actions became heavier and heavier!


    Dong Chang begged for mercy incessantly, ¡°Spare me! I didn¡¯t know about all this, I really didn¡¯t know, spare me¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! Sisi, someone¡¯sing over there!¡±


    Seeing Dong Chang in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t make any sound, Di Yelei hurriedly came over and pulled her back.


    Liu Sisi looked back at Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was still crying and holding the child, and then at the group of people running from a distance. She hesitated for a moment and couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    ¡°Wait! Didn¡¯t Second Sister have three children? Why is there only one left?¡±


    What about the other two children? Where did they go?


    At her words, everyone¡¯s attention returned to Dong Chang, who was curled up in the corner.

 Chapter 312: Beasts Worse than Pigs and Dogs

    Chapter 312: Beasts Worse than Pigs and Dogs<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Dong Chang hid his face in the corner, not daring to turn his head.


    Di Yelei nearby shouted out, ¡°Speak! Where are the other two children?¡±<div>


    Dong Chang shrank, but did not say a word.


    ¡°Everyone, please speak reasonably! Who are you all?¡±


    The hastened group of people had already approached, seeing Di Yelei grabbing Dong Chang off the ground, they hurriedly came forward to stop him.


    ¡°Everyone, please let go. If you injure him, it will be a big problem, right?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    An old man stepped out from the crowd to stop them.


    Di Yelei did not make things difficult for Dong Chang. Instead, he released him and looked at the neer up and down, ¡°You are¡­?¡±


    The old man scanned the crowd and saw Di Yelei and Zhang Peng both dressed as constables, so he hurriedly introduced himself with a smile and a fist greeting, ¡°I am Dong Wu of the Dong family. I¡¯m actually his fifth uncle. If you have anything to say, you can talk to me.¡±


    ¡°So, you are also Dong Chang¡¯s elder. You¡¯vee just in time.¡±


    Feeling as if he had found a pillow when he was sleepy, Di Yelei nodded and then kicked Dong Chang, causing him to cry out in pain, before turning to face the neers.


    ¡°We were just interrogating Dong Chang about the whereabouts of his other two children. Perhaps you, his fifth uncle, can give us an answer?¡±


    ¡°The other two children? Aren¡¯t they with¡­¡±<div>


    Dong Wu clearly didn¡¯t expect Di Yelei to ask such a question. His gaze swept over Dong Chang and then at the furious people around him. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead.


    Please don¡¯t let it be what I think it is!


    Never before had he regretted meddling in other people¡¯s affairs as much as he did at this moment, ¡°Dong Chang, where are the other two children?¡±


    Dong Chang naturally curled up and said nothing.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was holding Da Mao and sobbing, noticed something was wrong. She quickly let go of Da Mao and pounced on Dong Chang, shaking his body non-stop.


    ¡°Dong Chang! You dead man, why don¡¯t you speak? Where are my Er Mao and San Mao? Give me back my children! Dong Chang, ah¡­ my Er Mao and San Mao!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t stop crying.


    ¡°What exactly is going on here?¡±


    Dong Wu waspletely in the dark.


    Liu Sisi, who was standing nearby, stepped forward with an icy face, ¡°Let me tell you all how it happened.¡±


    Who would have thought that the Dong family, which looked so dpidated, actually had a big n backing them!<div>


    Everyone was soon invited into the Dong family¡¯s house. The n leader was a majestic old man who sat at the head of the room and hardly said a word, just silently listening to the crowd¡¯s ount.


    Liu Sisi stood below, talking, while Liu Zhi¡¯er was supported by Ms. Xin, refusing to let go of Da Mao¡¯s hand as she cried.


    Di Yelei, Zhang Peng, and the others sat quietly to the side, listening to Liu Sisi recount the events.


    ¡°n Leader, I¡¯ve told you everything that happened. I hope you can stand up and speak for us.¡±


    Seeing the end of Liu Sisi¡¯s words, the n leader sipped on tea and put down the teacup. Only then did he raise his head and nce at everyone, finallynding his gaze on Dong Chang.


    ¡°Dong Chang, where are Er Mao and San Mao?¡±


    The n leader¡¯s words frightened Dong Chang, causing him to fall directly to the ground, shivering, but unable to speak.


    ¡°Hmm? Why don¡¯t you speak?¡±


    The n leader sternly stared at him.


    This scared Dong Chang to the point where he started kowtowing non-stop, ¡°n¡­n Leader, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Speak!¡±<div>


    The n leader pped the table.


    Frightened, Dong Chang closed his eyes and hurriedly said, ¡°I sold Er Mao and San Mao¡­¡±


    ¡°You sold them? You sold Er Mao and San Mao? Who did you sell them to? Dong Chang! You bastard, I¡¯ll fight you!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and quickly rushed forward, fighting fiercely with Dong Chang, ¡°Dong Chang! You heartless beast! Ah¡­ you actually sold your own children. Even a tiger doesn¡¯t eat its children, but you¡¯re worse than a beast! Give me back my children! My children¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er fiercely attacked Dong Chang, who knew he was in the wrong and did not dare fight back. Soon, he was covered in injuries.


    ¡°Enough! In public, why are you making such a scene!¡±


    The n leader could not bear to watch any longer and pped the table angrily.


    People nearby quickly separated the two.


    The n leader was extremely troubled. His eyes moved between the silent Di Yelei and Liu Sisi. He could see that the decision-maker in this group of people was this woman.


    ¡°Just now you said that you are Little Sister from the Liu family, right? What do you want today?¡±


    He also noticed that the other party was not leaving any room for Dong Chang, so he feared that their intentions might be malicious.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s smile was shallow, ¡°Lord n Leader, you are overthinking. For such a man who does not treat his wife as a person, if my second sister continues to stay, she has to worry all the time about when the man next to her would harm her. Who would want such a husband? So, we only want something simple: the two of them divorce and never have anything to do with each other!¡±


    ¡°I do not want a divorce. I love Zhi¡¯er. I don¡¯t want a divorce!¡±


    Dong Chang cried out in a heartbreaking tone, looking very pitiful.


    ¡°I swear! From now on, I will treat Zhi¡¯er well and never let her suffer. n Leader, please help me! I love Zhi¡¯er¡­¡±


    While crying, Dong Chang moved forward on his knees, kowtowing at the n leader¡¯s feet, ¡°n Leader, please help me, help Dong Chang! I beg you!¡±


    The n leader quite liked Dong Chang¡¯s attitude of changing course with the wind at this moment.


    He smiled and said, ¡°Well¡­ Miss Liu, Dong Chang is sincerely admitting his mistakes. What do you think¡­should we give them a chance? There¡¯s a saying, ¡®It¡¯s better to tear down ten temples than regret one marriage,¡¯ right?¡±


    ¡°There is such a saying! But there¡¯s also one called ¡®Mr. Dong Ge and the wolf,¡¯ isn¡¯t there?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s smile became sweeter, but the storm in her eyes grew more intense, ¡°Being kind also requires distinguishing between people and beasts; we can¡¯t willingly walk into the wolf¡¯s mouth, or then things would be bad. n Leader, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The n leader didn¡¯t expect the woman in front of him not to give face to him in any way.


    ¡°Right! n Leader, you probably don¡¯t know, do you? When we found Dong Chang earlier, he was gambling in the house, and this child was sleeping in the doghouse of that family, hugging a puppy!¡± Di Yelei nearby couldn¡¯t help but speak up.

 Chapter 313: Divorce

    Chapter 313: Divorce<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Three children. Two were sold by their own father. Only one is left. He lives in someone else¡¯s dog house,peting with other dogs for food. Lord n Leader, this is your descendant. Don¡¯t you think you should say something?¡±


    A twitch appears at the corner of the Lord n Leader¡¯s mouth.<div>


    ¡°Regardless, they are husband and wife. Your Second Sister was legally married to Dong Chang back in the day. If you want us Dong family to release someone, it¡¯s not an issue. Have Dong Chang write a divorce letter and the matter will be resolved!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that it was a legal marriage, but my Second Sister is in such a miserable state because of Dong Chang. This matter is on record at the county government! We can exin everything to the County Magistrate! If the Dong Family wants to abandon my Second Sister, they have to ask if I, Liu Sisi, agree! They also have to ask if the two constables agree! And they have to ask if the County Magistrate agrees!¡±


    Long Sisi would not give in a bit!


    This situation made the n Leader quite concerned, ¡°ording to you, what do you exactly want to happen?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s very simple. I hope you, Lord n Leader, will preside over this matter and allow these two to divorce, after which they can have nothing to do with each other.¡±


    Liu Sisi revealed her primary aim of today.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°No! Nobody can take my Zhi¡¯er away!¡±


    Dong Chang who was standing beside them immediately started crying, ¡°I don¡¯t want a divorce, I want Zhi¡¯er, I like Zhi¡¯er¡­..¡±


    ¡°Enough! Don¡¯t you feel ashamed, Dong Chang? Everyone here has been married. Would a man who truly loves a woman sell her to someone else? If you truly loved her, would you sell your own children? Dong Chang, you have no shame in saying such things, and I Liu Sisi, feel embarrassed for you. And you dare to say you love her? A piece of scum like you is not worthy!¡±


    The words of Liu Sisi, both hard and impactful, made everyone around unable to raise their heads.


    Even the n Leader felt guilty and wanted to say something to recover his disadvantage but didn¡¯t find proper words.<div>


    ¡°As I said earlier, either let Liu Zhi¡¯ere back, let the husband and wife live happily, or give a divorce letter and they will be strangers ever since.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯re seven reasons required for divorce, which one of these has my Second Sister vited?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s smile became even sweeter: ¡°Instead, it¡¯s Dong Chang trading his own wife, this alone is enough to put him in prison for eight to ten years. When he finally gets out, I¡¯m afraid nothing will be the same, right?¡±


    The corners of Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth curled up, her eyes coldly shing, her natural and convincingly powerful aura spreading, every inch of her clothing didn¡¯t harbor any trace of a countrywoman.


    This contrasted sharply with the unkempt appearance of Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was crying hysterically behind her.


    n Leader couldn¡¯t help frowning: ¡°They say a gentleman never slings mud when breaking off a friendship. Even if Dong Chang and Liu Zhi¡¯er are to divorce, what about these three children¡­¡±


    Seeing that the n Leader seemed to agree, Dong Chang immediately didn¡¯t bother to pretend to be a good person anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Liu Zhi¡¯er. You want to divorce? No way! I, Dong Chang, still want you. Your Liu family should be grateful for that! Who knows if it was you who fell for Old Man Li and willingly ran into his bed? Now you want to dump me and send me to prison, just so you, the unchaste woman, can go off and live happily ever after with your lover? Keep dreaming!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was so angry, she was trembling all over. She had never thought Dong Chang could show such a nasty face!


    His words just shattered herst trace of hope. She regretted wavering between whether or not to divorce. Looking back now, she felt incredibly naive!


    ¡°You, you¡­ Dong Chang! You and Old Man Li sold me with a written agreement. I have real evidence! And you dare to deny it now?¡±<div>


    Tears continued to slide down her face as she sobbed uncontrobly: ¡°You tricked me into letting my guard down, and while I was asleep, you tied me up and handed me over to Old Man Li. There are several witnesses to this, you can¡¯t deny it!¡±


    ¡°Enough with your nonsense! Witnesses? Where are these witnesses? If you have the guts, bring them out! Huh!¡±


    Dong Chang said arrogantly.


    Anyone who caught his gaze amidst the spectators hastily retreated, not wanting to get involved with such a scoundrel.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hopeful gaze scanned through the crowd around her, only to be filled with disappointment!


    ¡°Dong Chang, you bastard!¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, Liu Zhi¡¯er, if you decide to follow me home obediently, I¡¯ll forgive everything in the past. I can even guarantee that I¡¯ll treat you much kinder in the future. Otherwise¡­ Hmph! You should know what I, Dong Chang, am capable of!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was notoriously faint-hearted, and Dong Chang knew that as long as he persuaded Liu Zhi¡¯er, everything would be easier!


    He long ago had Liu Zhi¡¯er all figured out, waiting in hope for the usual result. Yet this time, he was destined to be disappointed.


    ¡°Dong Chang, you bastard! Give me back my two precious children, Er Mao and San Mao. It¡¯s all because of my ipetence¡­. I couldn¡¯t protect you¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er fell to her knees, covering her head as she cried out in agony.<div>


    ¡°Enough! Dong Chang, everyone here should be very clear about the kind of person you are!¡±


    Seeing the arrogant Dong Chang and the devastated Liu Zhi¡¯er, Liu Sisi somehow breathed a sigh of relief!


    At least in this way, her second sister can leave without any lingering worries.


    ¡°Initially, when Dong Chang sold Liu Zhi¡¯er, Old Man Li gave him 3 taels of silver, a bolt of silk and a piece of fine jade. In addition, he promised to give him another 5 taels of silver when the deal was done. Dong Chang took the 3 taels of silver and sold everything that could be sold in the Dong family. Moreover, he also sold Er Mao and San Mao. Where did all that money from selling the two children go?¡±


    The questioning from Liu Sisi continued, causing murmurs among the crowd.


    ¡°It¡¯s not news that Dong Chang has been gambling for a long time. It¡¯s like a bottomless pit, even a mountain of gold and silver would not be enough for him to squander. This time, he almost cost Liu Zhi¡¯er her life by trying to pawn her. What about next time? Will there be another so-called ¡®stroke of luck¡¯ for her to be saved?¡±


    Stepping forward, Liu Sisi looked straight at the n leader: ¡°Lord n Leader, I implore you to spare my second sister¡¯s life! It is said that saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-tiered pagoda. Please grant this request.¡±


    As she spoke, she respectfully bowed.


    ¡°I appeal to the Lord n Leader for justice!¡±


    The n leader remained silent, seemingly torn.


    Someone rushed in from outside the door, whispered something into the n leader¡¯s ear. The n leader froze, looked at Liu Sisi in a shock, then nodded slightly and waved his hand. The person then quickly rushed out.


    The n leader sighed: ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s Dong Chang¡¯s own fault! As the n leader, I will personally dispense justice for you today. Let Dong Chang and Liu Zhi¡¯er divorce, and from then on, they will go their separate ways!¡±

 Chapter 314: Demanding the Children

    Chapter 314: Demanding the Children<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°No!¡±


    A terrified cry from Dong Chang!<div>


    Unfortunately, it could not change the decision made by the n leader.


    The divorce paper was quickly written, and he was forced by the n leader to press his handprint.


    Taking the divorce paper, Liu Sisi handed it to Di Yelei: ¡°Take it to the government office for official record as soon as possible.¡±


    Her eyebrows and eyes were filled with a smile, and she seemed very happy.


    However, when she turned around and saw Liu Zhi¡¯er sitting on the ground, seemingly lost and not moving at all, her smile gradually faded.


    ¡°Second Sister, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    She gently tugged at her clothes.


    Only then did Liu Zhi¡¯er slowly raise her head, with a deste look in her eyes that spoke of utter despair.


    ¡°Why are you all forcing me?¡±


    ¡°We¡­ We forced you?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s head was spinning.<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er suddenly covered her face and began to sob.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes were also dry, and she was at a loss,pletely unsure of what to do.


    ¡°My child¡­ wu wu¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s sobbing tore at Liu Sisi¡¯s heart.


    She suddenly stood up, walked to the n leader again and said, ¡°n Leader, I have an unreasonable request that I hope you can agree to.¡±


    The n leader was quietly discussing something with another person beside him. Hearing Liu Sisi¡¯s voice, he snorted coldly and asked indifferently, ¡°What is it exactly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about Da Mao.¡±


    Liu Sisi pointed to Da Mao: ¡°n Leader, you should know best what kind of person Dong Chang is. If Da Mao stays by his side he might be sold off somewhere in three or five months. Instead of this, why not let Zhi¡¯er take Da Mao away? At least, at least he could still have a mother to care for him. He wouldn¡¯t be sold off somewhere without anyone by his side¡­¡±


    As she spoke, her voice choked, ¡°Where are Er Mao and San Mao now? How are they doing?¡±


    This remark truly touched the n leader¡¯s heart. He looked back at Da Mao.


    At this moment, Da Mao was squatting beside Liu Zhi¡¯er, helping her wipe her tears: ¡°Mom! Please don¡¯t cry, mom, please don¡¯t leave me. I don¡¯t want you to leave, mom. What would I do without you?¡±<div>


    Although only three years old, Da Mao understood the meaning of parting in life and death.


    ¡°Da Mao, my Da Mao¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er held Da Mao tightly and cried again.


    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unreasonable, but Da Mao is the root of our Dong family. Naturally, there¡¯s no reason for him to leave with his mother. How about this! I can promise you that I will find a trustworthy rtive to adopt Da Mao. If Liu Zhi¡¯er wants to visit the child in the future, she cane at any time. This is the biggest concession I can make as a n leader.¡±


    After saying this, the n leader didn¡¯t pay any more attention to her and left directly with the others.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Mom! Mom, I don¡¯t want to leave you, let go of me, let go¡­¡±


    Da Mao¡¯s cry came through.


    ¡°Da Mao! Da Mao! Wu wu¡­ Da Mao! Dong Chang, let go of him! Let go of Da Mao!¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s horrified cry also came through.


    Liu Sisi turned around and saw Dong Chang and Liu Zhi¡¯er fighting for the child.


    Dong Changughed wildly, ¡°You want the child? Don¡¯t you want the divorce? What do you want him for? I¡¯ll tell you, Liu Zhi¡¯er, you can have Da Mao if you want. Just give me ten taels of silver, and I¡¯ll give Da Mao to you!¡±


    He was utterly desperate!<div>


    ¡°Dong Chang! Why don¡¯t you go die!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was angry! Even the good-tempered her couldn¡¯t help but get angry.


    ¡°So, if I give you ten taels of silver, you¡¯ll give me Da Mao and let me take him away?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    For Dong Chang, at this moment, everything else could be given up for gambling!


    The n leader and the others who had walked to the other side had heard themotion, but they just nced back and left without saying anything.


    ¡°Dong Chang, do you dare to put it in ck and white? You¡¯re willing to give up Da Mao¡¯s custody and let Liu Zhi¡¯er raise him, and then Liu Zhi¡¯er will give you ten taels of silver?¡± Liu Sisi, who was standing nearby, hurriedly asked.


    Dong Chang¡¯s eyes rolled around and he nodded without hesitation: ¡°Of course, as long as you promise to give it to me, I¡¯ll immediately sign and hand Da Mao over to you.¡±


    ¡°Fine! Ten taels it is!¡±


    It was just ten taels of silver, and Liu Sisi could still afford it.


    After getting the signatures and handprints, Liu Sisi was at ease and handed over the silver to him.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ I have silver again! I have silver again, let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s y a few more games!¡±


    Dong Chang immediately invited his friends and left, showing no sign of reluctance whatsoever.


    ¡°Dad, Dad¡­¡±


    Da Mao watched Dong Chang¡¯s retreating figure with sadness, his call unable to bring back even a nce from Dong Chang, who was excited to rush away with his fellow gamblers.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er watched this scene with a darkened gaze, silently holding Da Mao in her arms without saying a word.


    When they arrived, everyone was in high spirits. When they returned, there was one more ¡°little tail,¡± and everyone was downcast and silent.


    Three-year-old Da Mao obediently curled up in Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s arms, clinging tightly to her neck and refusing to let go.


    The young child instinctively sought warmth, and eventually fell asleep quietly without crying or making a fuss.


    When they returned to Di¡¯s home, it was already dark.


    Di Yelei naturally invited everyone to dinner, but they all declined and left.


    Liu Sisi prepared dinner and then went to Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s room.


    Dreaming peacefully in bed, Da Mao was meticulously covered with a quilt by Liu Zhi¡¯er, who couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°Actually, this child is the most obedient of all. I p him and he doesn¡¯t even cry, so that¡¯s why Dong Chang kept him around.¡±


    Liu Sisi did not respond but listened silently.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er sighed deeply, ¡°Actually, when I first married Dong Chang, we had two years of happiness. But, ever since he got addicted to gambling, he¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she wiped away a tear, ¡°Every time he wanted money. Whenever I didn¡¯t give it to him, he¡¯d beat me, and the children. At first, I took up sewing work day and night, but then his appetite grew, and the amount of money he demanded increased. Several times when he couldn¡¯t pay his gambling debts, he let those people¡­ use me as coteral. I wanted to die. Yet, when I looked at the three children, I couldn¡¯t let them go. If I died, what would they do¡­¡±


    As Liu Zhi¡¯er spoke, she leaned against Liu Sisi¡¯s shoulder and began to sob quietly.


    ¡°This beast! Scum! Degenerate!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart ached with sympathy, and she couldn¡¯t help but curse angrily. There was actually such a man. He should be chopped into pieces!


    ¡°Second Sister, don¡¯t cry anymore! Everything is over! From now on, you can just stay in our home and live a good life. After some time, I¡¯ll find someone to help you find a good match. Forget about that scum.¡±

 Chapter 315: Hanging

    Chapter 315: Hanging


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°There¡¯s no need, Second Sister, I¡¯m dirty¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she could no longer continue and covered her face, sobbing.


    ¡°Second Sister¡­¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi could no longer hold back either, reaching out to embrace Liu Zhi¡¯er, and the two sisters burst into tears together.


    Not until YingEr knocked on the door from outside, ¡°Mom, Sister Min¡¯er and Sister Qiao are here.¡±


    Oh! They were here for the lesson, and she hadpletely forgotten in her busyness! She hurriedly got up and wiped away her tears.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er also quickly wiped her tears, and because YingEr made such a fuss, Da Mao woke up and immediately wrapped his arms around Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s neck.


    ¡°My students are here for ss. You take Da Mao and go eat first. From now on, treat this ce as your own home and feel free to do whatever you want and eat whatever you want. Go on, don¡¯t keep them waiting too long.¡±


    Liu Sisi casually said this and quickly tidied herself up before leaving the room and heading to the hall.


    As expected, the two students were already waiting there. Liu Sisi cleared her throat softly, then walked to the front and said, ¡°Ahem! It¡¯s my fault for beingte today. This is a very bad habit. Today, let¡¯s have a lesson on a story about punctuality¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until the ss was over, and the students¡¯ families came to pick them up, that Liu Sisi dragged her tired body to the kitchen.


    She hadn¡¯t even eaten yet!


    ¡°Sisi, are you done with ss? Hurry up and eat. I¡¯ve kept your food warm on the stove.¡±


    As soon as Di Yelei saw Liu Sisi appear, he hurriedly called out to her and took out the cooked dishes from the pot, ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re too tired like this. You should rest up properly. Don¡¯t wear yourself down, that would be bad.¡±


    Liu Sisi sat down in the chair, ¡°It¡¯s alright! Everything is difficult at the beginning, once things are resolved, everything will be fine.¡±


    While speaking, she picked up her bamboo chopsticks and started eating.


    Di Yelei considerately added food to her te, ¡°Although you say that, being a female tutor earns you hardly any silver and makes you exhausted. It¡¯s better to take a break and recuperate. We¡¯ve been married for several months now, and there¡¯s still no movement in your stomach. I am worried.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Cough, cough¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi identally sprayed a mouthful of rice and dishes all over Di Yelei.


    It also made her cough terribly!


    Thinking about it, realizing she and Di Yelei had been married for more than nine months, time indeed flew by so fast!


    Once she calmed down, she immediately respondedughingly and tearfully, ¡°When we first got married, you said that since you, Di Yelei, already have children, it doesn¡¯t matter if I don¡¯t get pregnant. It¡¯s been less than a year since you said that, so don¡¯t go back on your word!¡±


    A bitter feeling lingered in Di Yelei¡¯s heart. If he had known what was going to happen today, he certainly wouldn¡¯t have said those words back then!


    ¡°Sisi, I want a girl who looks like you, or a boy who looks like me. Just having Xuan¡¯er and YingEr as our two children is too lonely and deste,¡± said Di Yelei with a pleading look on his face.


    ¡°How can that be? Didn¡¯t Da Mao join us? This way, Xuan¡¯er and YingEr have an additional younger brother.¡± Liu Sisi didn¡¯t find it awkward at all.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the same!¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t find the words to exin further, and turned away dejectedly. How could he tell her that what he wanted was a child conceived by the two of them together?


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eating movement paused momentarily. In fact, how could she not understand his meaning?


    However, this body was too young, and giving birth at such a young age was not good. She had been taking contraceptive medicine every month these days, fearing that she would get pregnant by ident, which would be troublesome.


    Hearing his slightly mncholic tone at the moment, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit guilty.


    ¡°Look, Ah-Huang misses Ah-Hua again.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up and followed Di Yelei¡¯s gaze, indeed seeing Ah-Huang lying in the temporary nest prepared for it, its eyes full of sadness as it faced the outside.


    ¡°Yes! Ah-Hua left, taking its cheerfulness away.¡±


    Liu Sisi slowly put down her bowl and chopsticks, losing her appetite to continue eating: ¡°Ah-Hua just left like that, jumping around happily when it went out, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­ Sigh! Life is really impermanent. That¡¯s why we should live our lives, eat, wear, and use things timely, to prevent future regrets.¡±


    ¡°Yes! You¡¯ve said it so well!¡±


    Di Yelei said with a shy face, slowly leaning in: ¡°Even a dog knows loneliness and sadness, let alone us? There are only siblings Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er, which is really too few. There¡¯s no better time than now, so let¡¯s have another brother for Xuan¡¯er tonight, shall we?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I haven¡¯t cleaned up the table yet.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly pushed his face and struggled to push him away: ¡°Stop it! I haven¡¯t even washed the bowls and chopsticks yet! Hurry up¡­ um¡­ no, I haven¡¯t cleaned the room yet! Um¡­¡±


    She mumbled, but he blocked her words in her throat.


    ¡°No! I want to! Sisi, be good, my dear Sisi, just agree with me¡­ ¡±


    As he spoke, he reached out his fan-like big hand, constantly fanning the mes on her body: ¡°Sisi, just thinking about having an extra little turnip head at this time next year, my heart is so excited¡­ ¡±


    However, suddenly, Ah-Huang raised its head from its doghouse and aimed at the tightly closed room door, barking madly.


    ¡°Woof! Woof! Woof!¡±


    Di Yelei frowns, this damned Ah-Huang, barking at such a critical moment, seems like this braised dog meat is about to jump out of the bowl!


    ¡°Woof Woof! Woof Woof¡­¡±


    Not only was Ah-Huang barking, but it also began to forcefully pull at the door, trying to get out.


    ¡°Stop it, stop it! Look at Ah-Huang barking so fiercely, something must have happened outside, you better go out and see!¡±


    Liu Sisi stubbornly refused him, holding on to her cor tightly, with no intention ofpromising.


    ¡°Dammit! This dog is so annoying!¡±


    Di Yelei muttered, looking at Liu Sisi¡¯s slender neck, and getting up resignedly, walking towards the room door, angrily cursing: ¡°Barking, barking, barking, are you trying to scare the soul out of a person? What are you barking at? Get out of the way!¡±


    As he spoke, he opened the door that Ah-Huang had been barking at, and a gust of cold wind blew in immediately, causing Di Yelei to instinctively look outside, but he didn¡¯t see anything.


    However, Ah-Huang dashed out of the house like an arrow, barking madly at a corner of the courtyard wall.


    Di Yelei was angry! As he stepped forward, he cursed angrily, ¡°Is this dog possessed or something? Barking for no reason over here, just wait and see if I won¡¯t¡­¡±


    As he turned around the corner of the house, he was suddenly startled!


    Right across from the kitchen, on the edge of the firewood room, there hung a figure in the air from arge tree limb, swinging unsteadily in the cold wind¡­


    He couldn¡¯t hold back the horror in his heart and shouted with all his might: ¡°Sisi!¡±

 Chapter 316: The person imprinted deep in Liu Zhi’er’s heart

    Chapter 316: The person imprinted deep in Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s heart


    Trantor: 549690339


    Liu Sisi was tidying herself up in the room when Di Yelei¡¯s angry shout startled her, causing her to bump into the wall beside her. Ignoring the pain on her forehead, she quickly ran out of the room.


    ¡°Ye Lei, what¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    Unable to finish her sentence, she too couldn¡¯t help but scream when she looked up: ¡°Second Sister!¡±


    It was only then that the two of them hurriedly untangled Liu Zhi¡¯er from the branches and rushed her into the room, rubbing her chest, pinching her nose, and blowing air into her mouth.


    ¡°Second Sister! Second Sister, wake up! It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi felt like her whole body and heart were freezing: ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, she was just saying during the day why we were all forcing her to do things she didn¡¯t want to do. I didn¡¯t take it seriously, and now¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop crying! Saving her is more important!¡±


    Di Yelei on the side was urging her anxiously, pressing down hard on Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Second Sister, wake up quickly¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi continued crying while blowing air into her sister.


    After a long struggle, Liu Zhi¡¯er finally coughed violently and resumed her breathing.


    She opened her eyes slightly and saw the anxious face of a man. His furrowed eyebrows, straight nose, tight lips, and the constantly sliding high Adam¡¯s apple were all exhibiting his unique masculine charm!


    The bronze-colored skin was covered in fine beads of sweat, full of masculine scent. His hands were on her chest, pressing in rhythm. The scorching heat of his big hands felt like it burned the core of her dead heart, even throughyers of clothing.


    Between his inhtions and exhtions, his heavy breaths seemed infinitely magnified, making it difficult for her to ignore.


    So she stared nkly at his every move, branding his image into her heart.


    ¡°Second Sister, Second Sister! Are you awake, Second Sister¡­ Woohoo¡­ Second Sister!¡±


    It was at this moment that Liu Sisi realized Liu Zhi¡¯er had woken up!


    She immediately burst into a mix ofughter and tears, clearly frightened by the attempted suicide.


    Not until this moment did Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s gaze sh and shift to Liu Sisi. Looking at Sisi¡¯s red, tear-stained eyes, she tried to move her lips but couldn¡¯t make a sound.


    Di Yelei noticed that Liu Zhi¡¯er was finally awake and felt a great relief.


    ¡°Now that she¡¯s awake, she should be fine. But the wound on her neck might take a few days to heal.¡±


    He released the pressure on her chest and stood up.


    As the masculine figure left her line of sight, Liu Zhi¡¯er struggled to wave her hands, instinctively trying to push away Liu Sisi who was blocking her view.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­don¡¯t go¡­don¡¯t leave me¡­¡±


    She tried to shout, but her injured throat could only produce an indistinct sound.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! Second Sister, don¡¯t be afraid, you still have me and Da Mao. We¡¯ll all be by your side¡­¡±


    Upon seeing Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s waving hands, Liu Sisi instinctively held them tightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go! Don¡¯t leave me!¡±


    In Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyes, the masculine figure gradually faded and blurred. She wanted to grab onto him, but her outstretched hand was caught by Liu Sisi. After futilely trying to reach out a few times, she couldn¡¯t ovee the dizziness in her mind and fell into unconsciousness.


    When Liu Zhi¡¯er woke up again, she found herself back in bed. Da Mao was lying beside her, gripping her clothes and sound asleep.


    Liu Sisiy at the head of the bed, dozing off non-stop.


    It turned out that she hadn¡¯t died yet!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er closed her eyes in pain. What was the point of living in this filthy body?


    She moved ever so slightly, and it stirred Da Mao in her arms.


    Da Mao made a soft noise as if waking up, rubbed against her, and mumbled unclearly, ¡°Mom! Mom, don¡¯t leave me¡­¡±


    His unconscious murmur hit the softest part of Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s heart, and tears streamed down her face.


    She hugged Da Mao in her arms tightly and cried silently.


    Liu Sisi by her side was clearly exhausted; her body, leaning against the edge, could hardly sit still.


    Her head lowered more and more until she almost fell. She suddenly looked up and saw the awakened Liu Zhi¡¯er. She got up hurriedly with joy.


    ¡°Second Sister, you¡¯re awake. Do you want some water? I¡¯ll pour some for you.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, she picked up the water jug beside her and poured a bowl of clear water.


    ¡°Here, Second Sister, drink slowly!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was indeed thirsty. She grabbed the bowl and drank all the water before giving the bowl back to her.


    ¡°Why? Why did you do this?¡±


    Unable to contain her anger, she asked: ¡°Do you think that if you die from hanging yourself, someone like him would pity you, have mercy on you, and want you back?¡±


    ¡°If he wants you back, would you rush back like a dog, kneeling and licking his toes? Would you go back to that dog house? Would you let him sell you to the next family?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er tried to speak, but her hoarse voice was quieter than a cat¡¯s meow.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t? You haven¡¯t gone back to him? Or did you never think that someone like him would look back? Or did you think that if he did, he would continue to use you, ckmail you, make you sell your body for his gambling money to squander?¡± n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Liu Zhi¡¯er! Are you really just that lowly?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyes filled with tears. Unable to bear it any longer, she crawled up from the edge of the bed and raised her hand to hit Liu Sisi.


    ¡°You, you bastard!¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t you like what I said? Then why are you still doing things like that?¡±


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows high: ¡°You better think it through! In the future, what you¡¯ll face are endless gossip and rumors! If you really can¡¯t live with it, I, Liu Sisi, don¡¯t mind dirtying this room and rewarding you with a cheap coffin!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was pounding, wondering how tofort and console her second sister so she could recover from this blow.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s teary eyes stared angrily at Liu Sisi, and suddenly she wailed and cried uncontrobly.p>


    ¡°Second Sister, think carefully about whether you want to face the future bravely or just end it all by slitting your throat. Think about your three poor children!¡±


    As Liu Sisi left the room, she couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. The moment she stepped out, she almost fell to the ground.


    She was quickly caught by a figure nearby, thus avoiding a painful fall.


    ¡°How is it? Did she eat?¡±


    Di Yelei spoke softly.

 Chapter 317: Sisi’s Heartache, Wuxin’s Mistake

    Chapter 317: Sisi¡¯s Heartache, Wuxin¡¯s Mistake<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Liu Sisi hurriedly grabbed his big hand and dragged it away, not letting go until she was sure that Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t hear.


    ¡°How did youe over? My second sister is in the room, how bad would it be if she saw you?¡±<div>


    She said with a little reproach.


    ¡°I was worried she would cause some more trouble that you couldn¡¯t handle on your own. Look at you, you stayed up all night to watch over her, and now you have dark circles under your eyes. On top of that, because of her, I had to spend the empty night alone yesterday. Sisi ¨C shouldn¡¯t youpensate your husband?¡±


    As he spoke, his bear-like paw stretched out and she was trapped between the wall and him.


    ¡°Pfft! Oh! So you have an empty room to guard? Then I really don¡¯t know how topensate you!¡±


    Liu Sisi burst intoughter.


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrows smugly, a gleam in his eyes. Sisi was even more beautiful when sheughed! Sadness really didn¡¯t suit her.


    ¡°Now you know! My empty room is waiting for you to fill it, my little kitten, don¡¯t deny it!¡±


    Liu Sisi startedughing again,ughing so hard that even her tears fell.


    As soon as he saw her tears, Di Yelei¡¯s heart became uneasy!


    ¡°Sisi, be good! Don¡¯t cry! When you cry, my heart aches, Sisi¡­¡±


    He hurriedlyforted her, not hesitating to embrace her in his arms and gently pat her back to console her.<div>


    ¡°Ye Lei! It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have forcibly helped my second sister. If I hadn¡¯t¡­¡±


    The more Liu Sisi spoke, the more upset she became, and the more her tears flowed non-stop.


    ¡°Sisi, be good! It was just an unintentional mistake. Besides, it¡¯s her own choice to take this path, and it has nothing to do with you. Sweetie, please don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Heforted her softly, kissing away each tear on her face one by one, gently spreading them out.


    ¡°Are you, are you really telling the truth?¡±


    Liu Sisi sobbed softly, ¡°I understand that her suicide is not really rted to me, but she can¡¯t get past her own obstacles. I just never thought she would actually try to kill herself for that scumbag!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it anymore. You¡¯ve done everything you could. The rest is up to her.¡±


    His words were remarkably gentle and quickly soothed her restless heart.


    Her mind stalled for a moment, and by the time she reacted, they were already one, right here, near the wall, where he suddenly charged in.


    Madness swept over the two, and Liu Sisi had never felt so intense as she did today!


    It felt like there was a raging fire that burned all the way to her deepest end, numbing her entire body, leaving herpletely limp and her mind crashing, unable to think about anything else just moments before.<div>


    She wanted to scream, but she was afraid that the others who were sleeping in the room next door would hear.


    She could only bite down on his shoulder, clenching her teeth and refusing to let go.


    Di Yelei groaned in pain and instinctively sped up his movements. The two were still dressed, but the ce where they joined was extremely close.


    A dazzling light ignited in Liu Sisi¡¯s brain, unable to shout, call, or speak, she passively followed his deep thrusts, deeper and deeper¡­n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At the endless end, there was an exquisite array of stars, each and every one shining with the most brilliant splendor!


    Afterward, he gently ced her beside the bed, only then carefully helping her get organized.


    She was already unable to say anything, with a parched throat continuously asking for water.


    ¡°Sisi, wait for me a while. It¡¯s cold, you must not catch a cold.¡±


    He gently helped her tidy up her clothes, before getting up to fetch water: ¡°Sisi, be good! Here¡¯s the water, drink it slowly.¡±


    Liu Sisi could hardly get up, which naturally led to Di Yelei proudly chuckling. She red at him, and he quickly turned around, trying to hide hisughter.


    It was not until she had finished drinking and could no longer stay awake that she fell into dreand.<div>


    At midnight, Liu Sisi went to check on Liu Zhi¡¯er, worried. Seeing that she was sound asleep, she returned to her room.


    Early the next morning, Liu Sisi came to change Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s medicine. The deep mark on her neck had turned dark purple, looking horrifying.


    On the contrary, Da Mao, like a y ox, was ying quietly by her side, not crying or making trouble.


    ¡°Second Sister¡­ ¡±


    As Liu Sisi applied the medicine to her, she softly called out.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er knew what she was worrying about. She smiled and shook her head gently, saying in a hoarse voice that was barely audible: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have thought it through. In the future, I will still have Da Mao. Even if it¡¯s for this child, I will live on and won¡¯t do anything foolish.¡±


    As she spoke, she gently stroked Da Mao¡¯s head with a loving expression.


    Da Mao looked at her,ughed happily, and hugged her body, softly calling out: ¡°Mom!¡±


    Although it was tough to listen to, Liu Sisi still understood Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s words. She happily hugged her, crying andughing at the same time.


    For the next few days, Liu Zhi¡¯er stayed in the house to recover her injuries and did not go out. It was YingEr and Da Mao who quickly bonded and became inseparable, with Da Mao following YingEr wherever she went.


    After Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s condition stabilized, Liu Sisi went to the small town to check the ounts and then took Old Six¡¯s carriage to the county.


    The shops in the county were already open, which was no doubt the result of having money. One was a wine-house, and the other a gold and silver shop. The gold shop sold gold, silver, and jade items. Although there weren¡¯t many, the business seemed to be doing well. The shop was also extravagantly decorated.


    When Liu Sisi got off the carriage, several customers were inside selecting jewelry. While waiting for Nan Tianzong to appear, four deals were made.


    This was not on the same level as the small town¡¯s bookstore dealings.


    Indeed, having money makes things easier in this day and age!


    Nan Tianzong received the news and quickly came downstairs: ¡°Sisi?¡±


    ¡°Little Sister, it¡¯s really you who came! I thought you were busy at home preparing for the holiday and wouldn¡¯t be here so soon!¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s arrival, Nan Tianzong was overjoyed!


    ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go upstairs to talk!¡±


    After saying that, he happily led her upstairs. Once they went up the stairs, the d¨¦cor changed, and the heavy atmosphere disappeared. In the study, a few people who looked like managers were sitting, and they all got up when the two entered.


    Nan Tianzong coughed lightly and introduced them to the managers: ¡°She is the other owner of this shop. You can call her Boss Liu.¡±


    He then introduced them to Liu Sisi: ¡°This is Shopkeeper Gu from the Silver Pavilion, Zhu Caimai. This is Shopkeeper Qu from the wine-house, Meng Caimai. As for the others, we will have plenty of time to get acquaintedter.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly gave a slight bow to the others: ¡°Gentlemen, in the future, I will rely on your assistance. In fact, I am just an idle owner. If there¡¯s anything that needs to be done in the shop, I hope you will still work hard with Mr. Nan.¡±

 Chapter 318: Tian Zong talks about the causes and consequences, Sisi’s heart trembles with fear

    Chapter 318: Tian Zong talks about the causes and consequences, Sisi¡¯s heart trembles with fear<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Boss Liu is quite serious.¡± Several managers greeted in unison.


    With a face full of interest, Nan Tianzong gestured for everyone to sit down, ¡°Let¡¯s all sit down and talk! Boss Liu¡¯s home is in the deep mountains, so she usually doesn¡¯te out. However, from now on, once shees to check the ounts, I hope that all the managers can cooperate fully.¡±<div>


    Of course, the several managers agreed in unison.


    Taking advantage of the opportunity when Nan Tianzong was speaking, Liu Sisi also observed the managers.


    The four managers at the scene had open and honest gazes, and their demeanor was respectful. It was very obvious that Nan Tianzong¡¯s vision was quite good. In response to Liu Sisi¡¯s observation, the managers also cast their eyes on her.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mind and just smiled, picking up the ount book and flipping through it casually.


    It turned out that the financial dealings of the gold and silver shop couldn¡¯t bepared with the finances of the bookstore in the small town! These financial transactions, whether they were ie or expenses, involved tens of thousands of silver each day! Not to mention the ounts of the wine-house!


    Especially the person who wrote the records, their sloppy handwriting was enough to give Liu Sisi a headache.


    Perhaps it was because Liu Sisi had frequently furrowed her brows, which rmed Nan Tianzong, who was reviewing the ounts next to her, ¡°Little sister, what¡¯s wrong? Is there anything wrong with the ounts?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m used to regr script, so I¡¯m not used to this¡­ wild cursive.¡±


    Only then did Liu Sisi realize that everyone¡¯s attention was on her, and she quicklyughed and continued speaking.


    Originally, when they saw that Liu Sisi was a woman, they thought she only held a share in the business. They didn¡¯t expect that she actually had intentions of managing the ounts herself.


    Meanwhile, Nan Tianzongughed heartily, ¡°This is simple. From now on when you all record the ounts, use regr script, understood?¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, boss!¡± Several managers answered in unison.


    After confirming the bills, Nan Tianzong dismissed the managers and finally rxed, leaning back in his chair.


    ¡°It¡¯s really hard for me, Nan Tianzong, to be immersed in these ount books all day! I was thinking today that if you didn¡¯te into town, I was nning to go to your home and find you.¡±


    ¡°No! A lot has happened at home recently, so¡­ I was a few daysteing into the city.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she finally took something out of her bag, ¡°Oh! Brother Nan, I brought the ounts for the bookstore. Do you want to take a look?¡±


    ¡°No need, the ounts you check usually have no problems.¡±


    Nan Tianzong waved his hand indifferently, his gaze firmly settling on Liu Sisi, ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been promoted and be the Miss of the Gan family. Congrattions!¡±


    ¡°Not a miss, just a goddaughter.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke indifferently, her fingers idly ying with the object in her hand.


    She hadn¡¯t even figured out the motive behind the other party¡¯s recognition of her as a goddaughter, so what was there to congratte?


    ¡°Heh heh, you must be thinking, why would the Gan family want to recognize you as a goddaughter, right?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    With a confident look on his face and a gentle smile, Nan Tianzong asked, ¡°Do you want to know the reason behind it?¡±


    ¡°You know?¡±


    Liu Sisi was somewhat surprised and immediately realized, ¡°Ah¡ªI see! It must have been Ruo Ruo who told you, right?¡±


    However, thinking about it again, it didn¡¯t seem right!


    Last time Gan Miaoruo was so heartbroken and said she¡¯d never speak to him again, but in just a few days, she¡¯s meeting with him again?


    Nan Tianzong furrowed his brow in confusion and shook his head, ¡°No! That little girl has been distracted by some new fascinationtely. She¡¯s been obediently staying at the Gan Mansion and not going out. It really is quite strange.¡±


    Usually, wherever he appeared, her figure would always be there too.


    Now suddenly he can¡¯t see her, and at first, he was quite happy. But as time went on, he couldn¡¯t help but hope that her lively little body would suddenly appear from some corner, thinking of strange and unique ideas, hoping to catch his attention¡­


    He was disappointed, however!


    Ever since he said those words that day, she stopped appearing in front of him, and he didn¡¯t know how she was doing recently.


    ¡°It seems you don¡¯t know then? Ruo Ruo only said a few days ago that the things that originally attracted her to stay in Macheng County have disappeared, and there¡¯s nothing left here worth her reminiscing about. She ns to return to the capital after the New Year. Then, following her parents¡¯ wishes and the matchmaker¡¯s rmendation, she¡¯ll find someone she loves and marry them.¡±<div>


    The first half of this statement were Gan Miaoruo¡¯s original words, and thetter half was added by Liu Sisi herself.


    Liu Sisi looked at him seriously, and as expected, saw a trace of bewilderment on Nan Tianzong¡¯s face. However, it faded away as quickly as it had appeared.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you said that! She would never say something like that.¡±


    Raising an eyebrow, Nan Tianzong denied while he turned the direction of the folding fan in his hand and promptly tapped it on her forehead, ¡°Don¡¯t always think about these things and don¡¯t tease me either! Do you or don¡¯t you want to know the reason why the Gan family wants to adopt you as their goddaughter?¡±


    ¡°Of course I want to know! How could I not? I dream about knowing the answer.¡±


    Although that was an exaggeration, Liu Sisi really did want to know the reason.


    ¡°Actually, I heard about it too.¡±


    Nan Tianzong sat back down, casually picking out a pineapple from a basket and starting to peel it, ¡°I heard that the reason Madam Gan Senior did this is rted to the current state of the world.¡±


    ¡°What situation? Tell me.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at how clumsily Nan Tianzong was peeling the pineapple and couldn¡¯t help but take it from him, ¡°This pineapple isn¡¯t peeled like that, give it to me! When ites to eating fruit, I¡¯m the most skilled!¡± Liu Sisi said with some pride.


    ¡°You can peel this pineapple? I really didn¡¯t expect that!¡±


    A glimmer of light shed quickly in Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyes.


    This pineapple was a tropical fruit, and it should be very novel to find it in a small county town like this during the cold weather.


    However, watching Liu Sisi skillfully peel the pineapple, it was clear that she wasn¡¯t peeling it for the first time.


    He frowned, finding it harder and harder to see through Liu Sisi!

 Chapter 319: Tian Zong talks about the causes and consequences, Sisi’s heart trembles with fear

    Chapter 319: Tian Zong talks about the causes and consequences, Sisi¡¯s heart trembles with fear


    Trantor: 549690339


    Liu Sisi clearly hadn¡¯t expected that her ordinary action would cause Nan Tianzong to think deeply.


    She was holding a knife, quickly peeling the fruit.


    She casually answered with her mouth full, ¡°It¡¯s just peeling fruit, what¡¯s so difficult about it? By the way, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to analyze the situation for me? Hurry up and tell me!¡±


    Nan Tianzong pulled his thoughts together and said indifferently, ¡°I think it must be rted to the current situation in the world, and to the bandits on Heilong Mountain.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow!


    ¡°The origin of those bandits on ck Dragon Mountain dates back thirty years ago. Back then, the former Crown Prince¡­¡±


    Nan Tianzong continued to recount the past to Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi impatiently interrupted him, ¡°I¡¯ve heard this story from others already. So what? What does this have to do with me?¡±


    Nan Tianzong was silent for a moment, then continued in a low voice, ¡°Time is like a butcher¡¯s knife! The current Emperor, who had originally ascended the throne, is now old and fragile. Although he has many descendants, infighting continues. Especially two years ago, after the Crown Prince had ascended to the Emperor¡¯s position, the position of the Crown Prince remained vacant, causing the princes to fight bitterly amongst themselves. At this moment, gathering strength from all sides to strengthen their own forces has be the top priority for each prince. Naturally, the forces on Heilong Mountain havee under the attention of those interested.¡±


    Liu Sisi frowned, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in what you¡¯re saying. What I want to know is something directly rted to my own interests.¡±


    ¡°The power of Heilong Mountain is growing stronger and stronger, and it is like a surprise troop. Whichever prince manages to take control of it will be even more powerful, with twice the results for half the effort. But the forces of Heilong Mountain have always been like an iron barrel, impervious to outsiders trying to prate and learn its secrets. Just at this time, someone who was originally on the death list of Heilong Mountain left Heilong Mountain alive, naturally attracting the attention of various parties¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Hss!¡±


    Liu Sisi took a deep breath!


    She finally understood the key point. So that¡¯s what it was all about!


    ¡°So, in everyone¡¯s eyes, I have be bait to lure out the big fish of Heilong Mountain? That¡¯s why the Gan Family made their move?¡±


    Liu Sisi gritted her teeth.


    ¡°No! No, no, no! You¡¯re wrong!¡±


    Nan Tianzong gently waved a finger, ¡°It¡¯s more than just the Gan family who have made their move! Think carefully, who around you has been acting strangelytely?¡±


    Has there been anything unusual?


    Liu Sisi stopped the action of digging out the pineapple eyes and fell into deep thought.


    There had been no abnormalities among the fellow vigers who came to deliver YingEr¡¯s engagement gifts a few days ago, but Madam Gan Senior, Heir Luo, Prefecture Princess Luo Thirteenth, County Magistrate Su, and¡­ Zuo Xingyu, should not have appeared on the guest list!


    Liu Sisi secretly smacked her lips, then looked up, ¡°You mean the two¡ªHeir Luo and Prefecture Princess Luo?¡±


    Nan Tianzong nodded and shook his head, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know either. But, I did hear Madam Gan Senior mention something, so I thought I¡¯d remind you. These people hope to find someone through you. So, you won¡¯t be in danger for the time being. However, once you are in danger, it will be fatal! Remember! Remember!¡±


    Liu Sisi put down the pineapple in her hand, looked up at him, her eyes particrly deep.


    ¡°Brother Nan, what about you? Are you one of them? ¡±


    On the day of YingEr¡¯s engagement, Nan Tianzong had also been there, and he knew the inside story. If anyone was most likely, it should be him, right?


    ¡°If it were me, do you think I would be so stupid as to tell you about it? Think about it yourself!¡±


    Nan Tianzong smiled gently and gracefully, then picked up the peeled pineapple, following Liu Sisi¡¯s next action, ¡°Come on! Let me slice it for you, then soak it in salt water and it¡¯ll be ready to eat.¡±


    Liu Sisi naturally did not stop.


    ¡°These people want to get to know the bandits on Heilong Mountain through me?¡­ No! It¡¯s the forces on Heilong Mountain! Is there anything more absurd than this? I don¡¯t even know a single person there!¡±


    As for why that group of people initially spared her life, she had no idea!


    Liu Sisi had a headache.


    Nan Tianzong shook his head with a smile: ¡°Even I wouldn¡¯t believe it if you said that. So, be more alert when you go out in the future. But don¡¯t worry, if these people wait for a long time without result, they will naturally take the next step. You can just counter their moves as theye. Here! I¡¯ve peeled this pineapple, hurry up and eat.¡±


    Liu Sisi did not doubt his words and confidently took it, picking up a small piece of pineapple and putting it into her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s better if they take action, what I¡¯m afraid of is them continuing to drag on, and no one is willing to make the first move!¡± If that were the case, it would be extremely frustrating.


    She picked another small piece, angrily put it into her mouth and chewed.


    ¡°By the way! I¡¯ll give this to you. Have someone test it, and if it¡¯s feasible, we¡¯ll have another shortcut to making a fortune.¡±


    ¡°What is this? It looks like¡­text?¡±


    Nan Tianzong took the object she had yed with previously from her hand and looked at it from left to right.


    Liu Sisi was eating happily: ¡°It¡¯s movable type. Find some trusted people and have them test this out. Remember! They must be reliable!¡±


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyes flickered at her words: ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll tell you once the test resultse in.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded with full confidence, not fearing the test for this time-tested item.


    At that time, she didn¡¯t understand Nan Tianzong¡¯s look in his eyes. It wasn¡¯t until she got on the carriage, swaying back and forth, and saw the umted snow along the way melting away, that Liu Sisi suddenly pped her forehead.


    ¡°Ah! ¡ª So that¡¯s it!¡±


    How terrible, her mistake was so huge that she didn¡¯t know how to cover it up anymore!


    When she returned home, Liu Sisi immediately told Di Yelei about the matter. However, she didn¡¯t see the look of surprise she was expecting. Instead, Di Yelei handed her a gilded invitation card.


    Liu Sisi took the invitation with a look of suspicion, and she started tough as soon as she opened it.


    ¡°Madam Gan Senior invites me to attend the Flower Admiring Banquet held by the County Magistrate¡¯s wife tomorrow. It is said that the County Magistrate¡¯s wife received a pot of golden chrysanthemums from Luoyang a few days ago, and the flowers are now in full bloom, beautiful and vibrant. Therefore, she especially invites the two of us to the feast. Haha, their actions are indeed quick!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mocking expression deepened.


    Di Yelei also looked over the invitation: ¡°The things this wealthy family uses are indeed extraordinary! This invitation alone is so valuable, it seems the ie of being a County Magistrate is really not small.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t respond, but just smiled: ¡°I¡¯m afraid the intention is not for wine! Since they went out of their way to send the invitation to our home, we should at least go and take a stroll.¡±


    ¡°Hmm! You can leave this matter to me. I will find the truth as soon as possible, so that everyone can stop being frightened when theye and go. It¡¯s so ufortable!¡±


    Di Yelei vowed!


    ¡°You said it yourself! By the way, which day is the Flower Admiring Banquet?¡± Liu Sisi asked casually.


    Di Yelei took a closer look at the gilded invitation in his hand: ¡°The time is very soon, just the day after tomorrow! That day happens to be the Laba Festival!¡±


    ¡°The day after tomorrow? That¡¯s really quick.¡± Liu Sisi murmured. It seemed she had to prepare in advance for the things needed for the Laba Festival as well.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 320: Joyful Family Gathering, Turmoil Arises at the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet

    Chapter 320: Joyful Family Gathering, Turmoil Arises at the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet


    Trantor: 549690339


    The day after tomorrow naturally came in the blink of an eye.


    Early in the morning before the sky was bright, Liu Sisi¡¯s family set off.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s neck still had strangtion marks, so he naturally stayed at home and didn¡¯t go out.


    Di Xuan and Di Ying dressed up anew, nked their parents on the left and right, and happily sat in the carriage.


    Ying¡¯er was like an inexhaustible little sparrow, chirping constantly, very cheerful.


    Xuan¡¯er wanted to talk but nced at Di Yelei beside him, and began to sit up straight in the carriage like a little adult imitating his father.


    Today, Di Yelei was wearing a watercolor-colored suit. His ck hair was bundled with a ck satin ribbon, and his deep and spirited eyes were entuated by his thick sword-like eyebrows nting into his hair. He truly had a straight and upright body and a stately appearance.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but raise her head to look at him from time to time, her smile making her watery eyes curved like a full moon, even the corners of her tender pink lips raised high.


    ¡°Why are you looking at your husband so much? Have you suddenly found out you like me?¡±


    When Di Yelei turned his head, his honest face suddenly wore a wicked smile as he whispered to her.


    Liu Sisi nodded and shook her head: ¡°Yes and no. It was only today that I suddenly realized that you were rather pleasant to look at.¡±


    In fact, it was much more than just pleasant to look at!


    Di Yelei was a fine wine that became more fragrant as time went on, the kind of man that she could hardly take her eyes off and couldn¡¯t bear to look away from.


    Her words unexpectedly pleased Di Yelei, whoughed twice, pulling her into his arms: ¡°Little kitten, you can¡¯t just be discovering your husband¡¯s good points now, can you? You really have poor taste!¡±


    ¡°Let go! Look, both Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er areughing at you!¡± There were two children here after all!


    Her words were arguably reminding him.


    Liu Sisi angrily stomped on his new shoes. With a light struggle, she finally broke free from his embrace.


    ¡°Big brother, with your attitude, how could you discover your good points? Can¡¯t you be the least bit embarrassed?¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but grin, letting go of her small body while still holding her hand.


    ¡°A husband¡¯s and wife¡¯s affection is a matter of principle and order, so what¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? On the contrary, you, who are so afraid of this and that, make us miss a lot of joys in our boudoirs.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face exploded red, from her ears to her neck!


    She could barely look at the two children beside her and couldn¡¯t help but pinch Di Yelei¡¯s arm.


    ¡°You¡­bastard!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t going to bother with this unbridled scoundrel anymore!


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts¡­ Sisi, you¡¯re so cold-hearted¡­¡± Di Yelei¡¯s face is full of bitterness!


    ¡°Mom! Dad¡¯s so bad! Mom, let¡¯s not talk to bad Dad anymore!¡±


    Inside the carriage, Ying¡¯er¡¯s giggle and Di Xuan¡¯s forcedughter could be heard.


    ¡°Alright! We won¡¯t talk to him anymore!¡±


    A happy female voice came from the carriage, apanied by a deep and indulgent male voice that reached far away¡­


    Outside the carriage, the coachman who was driving was also infected by this warm family. He raised his whip and urged the horse with a ¡°giddy up¡± to speed towards the distance.


    The Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet was held in the official residence of the county government today.


    By the time Liu Sisi and her party arrived, there were already dozens of carriages parked in front of the official residence.


    As soon as the carriage stopped, a coachman quickly hopped out and ced the footstool down before lifting the curtain.


    With the curtain pulled open, a young boy dressed as a page stepped out, curiously looking at his surroundings before immediately restraining his curiosity and stepping down from the carriage using the footstool.


    Afterward, a little girl wearing a goose yellow dress bounced out of the carriage, leaping from the edge of the carriage directly onto the ground, then shouting back to the carriage.


    ¡°Mom! Hurry up! Please, hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Ying¡¯er! What kind of behavior is that for a girl, bouncing around like that!¡±


    Following a deep scolding, a man emerged from the carriage, nced around at the lively surroundings, and then helped a petite figure out from the carriage.


    As soon as she appeared, everyone¡¯s eyes were instantly drawn to her.


    The petite figure stood beside the tall and upright man like a delicate bird, making a perfect pair.


    She wore a rose red gold magnolia hairpin on her head, a cloud bud and begonia hairpin as well, and numerous tiny pearls were embellished in her hair. As she walked, the jadeite scattered flower earrings on her ears trembled slightly, and the emerald bracelet on the slender jade wrist gleamed! The peony red sprinkled bright gold carved butterfly pattern sp trailed down the front, secured with a golden thread jade belt, and her narrow robe was made of red satin embroidered with a hundred butterflies.


    As she moved, she sparkled with the radiance of a zed cup, dazzling the eyes of everyone around her.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth curled up in a radiant smile. In her heart, however, she cursed all those who hid in the shadows, constantly plotting against her!


    In order for these people to achieve their goals sooner and for her to return to her life¡¯s track, she had spared no expense today!


    Even the embroidered shoes on her feet were specially sewn with pearls slightly smaller than longan! n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Every time she walked, she attracted countless hidden nces.


    ¡°Ye Lei, who are those


    suspicious people lurking around? Watch them closely, and we¡¯ll follow the ver!¡±


    Liu Sisi was full of fighting spirit!


    She was like a rubber ball, like a spring! The more you press, the stronger her rebound!


    Di Yelei smiled faintly, looking very honest: ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Later on, Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er will be by your side, so be extra cautious and don¡¯t let the viins take advantage of the situation!¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Liu Sisi nodded her head.


    The two chatted as they walked inside.


    At the main entrance of the official residence, County Magistrate Su and Mrs. Su, who were weing guests, were already waiting. Seeing the arrival of Liu Sisi¡¯s party, the couple exchanged nces and hurriedly approached them.


    ¡°Haha!¡­ So it¡¯s Miss Gan gracing us with her presence. Such an honor, such an honor! Ye Lei, you¡¯re really looking stronger! Once we¡¯re inside, make sure to have a few drinks! Please,e inside!¡±


    As County Magistrate Su spoke, he weed Di Yelei into the front hall.


    As Liu Sisi handed out the gift list, the ount book sang: ¡°Eldest Miss of Gan Family sent a jadeite and a piece of Su embroidery!¡±


    Mrs. Su also came forward, and the two women greeted each other.


    After leading Liu Sisi to the backyard and chatting for a while, Mrs. Su took her leave apologetically when more guests arrived.


    Liu Sisi breathed a sigh of relief, as she was not used to such social asions. Hastily, she led the two children to the garden in the backyard.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, Ying¡¯er, this is not like other ces. Remember to follow your mother at all times and do not leave her side. Without your mother¡¯s permission, do not ept anything from strangers, understand?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but repeatedly reminded them.


    ¡°We know, mom!¡± The two children eagerly responded.


    Today the writing feels a bit stuck. Ahem!

 Chapter 333: 333: Unexpected Surprise?

    Chapter 333: 333: Unexpected Surprise?<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    When he came back, his hands were empty, showing that he had already put things away.


    He then looked up and said, ¡°By the way, you should make two small boxes out of insect-resistant wood one of these days, so we can store things more conveniently.¡±<div>


    ¡°Making small boxes doesn¡¯t take much effort. I can make them slowly when I have time.¡±


    While talking, he had already wrapped her up from behind: ¡°Sisi! Don¡¯t you think we should be doing something else now?¡±


    ¡°What? Ah! Stop it, I¡¯m telling you¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi wanted to say something, but her words were drowned out by his continuous affection.


    The impatient man began clumsily removing her clothes.


    ¡°What are you doing? I haven¡¯t taken a bath yet; let me go! Mm!¡±


    She struggled, waving her hands trying to push him away, trying to break free from the man who had transformed into a wolf in an instant,ining in her mouth.


    They were still standing in the doorway of the kitchen, this damned man!


    ¡°Kitten, I don¡¯t mind taking a loving bath with you.¡±


    Having already begun his conquest, he casually threw her onto the bed, raised his head to say something to her, then hastily buried his head again, continuing his diligent work.


    He couldn¡¯t wait any longer, barely finishing the forey and seeing that she was already moist enough, he wanted to get straight to the point.<div>


    ¡°Ah, it hurts! You bastard.¡±


    She painfully hammered her little pink fist on his shoulder, this rude man, only thinking about his pleasure, not considering her body at all.


    Unable to bear it, she struggled a few times, trying to move her little body away, but was immediately pulled back by him.


    The battle at hand did not affect his movements in the slightest; he continued forcefully.


    Liu Sisi was trapped in that small space, unable to move,pletely at his mercy, angrily scratching one streak after another on his broad back.


    ¡°Hmm ¡­¡±


    He let out a low hum, feeling the bloodstains left by Sisi¡¯s fingernails on his back.


    A thread of pain spread from the ces she had scratched.


    ¡°Sisi! I don¡¯t mind you leaving more memories on me, so everyone can see how I love you.¡±


    He suddenly smiled wickedly, lowering his head to lightly bite her soft body.


    ¡°If you really dare, just go out and tell everyone. In any case, it¡¯s not just me who is embarrassed by this!¡±<div>


    She endured the tremorsing from her body, not admitting defeat while counterattacking him.


    This damn man in front of her usually indulged her in every possible way; but when it came to this matter, there was never a single step back!


    ¡°Alright, when people ask, I can just tell them how passionate my little kitten is at night!¡±


    Not only did he show no sign of feeling threatened, but he also continued to provoke his little woman nonchntly, watching his little kitten dance her ws while enduring, his heart swelled with pride.


    ¡°You, you¡¯re nothing but a rogue!¡±


    Before she could finish, she was hit viciously again, her fragmented sentences scattered in the silent night.


    Her hands tightly gripped his iron arms, her eyes rolled back, and her bodypletely lost control, limply sagging down.


    He enjoyed the choking-like extreme, holding her tightly until he reached the end¡­


    In this instant, a thought shed through Liu Sisi¡¯s heart.


    It seemed like her period had note for a long time?


    As this realization surfaced from the depths of her heart, her once obscure consciousness gradually revived, and she couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes!<div>


    Thinking carefully, it seemed like her period hadn¡¯te since she and Ye Lei had be true husband and wife!


    Her head was filled with a huge rumbling sound!


    She felt like the sky had suddenly copsed!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sisi?¡±


    A certain satisfied stinky man finally looked up and saw the pale-faced young woman, asking subconsciously.


    ¡°Nothing, you should get up quickly! I¡¯m tired and want to sleep.¡±


    She pushed him away with all her strength, quickly got up, and went to the bathing room.


    Her small body was trembling, and she could barely hold the towel in her hand.


    Damn it!


    She was afraid of getting pregnant, and she had even asked Dr. He for a prescription. Where did it go wrong? Her trembling became more severe, and she could no longer endure the fear in her heart. She buried her head in her arms.


    When she came out of the bathroom, her face had returned to its usual calmness.


    Seeing Liu Sisi as calm as ever, the worried Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but lean over and ask softly, ¡°Sisi, are you alright? What exactly happened to you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just felt too tired earlier, and almost fainted. That¡¯s why I felt bad and couldn¡¯t help butsh out at you.¡±


    Liu Sisi said indifferently.


    Di Yelei felt relieved at her words and soonughed.


    ¡°Sisi, it¡¯s my fault for making you tired. You should rest quickly. Good girl.¡±


    As he spoke, he carefully picked up the cotton quilt, covered Sisi, and left a gentle kiss on her forehead. A feeling of treasured love spread from the skin he kissed, and Liu Sisi closed her eyes.


    Hearing the sound of him leaving for the bathroom, she opened her eyes again.


    At this point, regret couldn¡¯t solve anything. If she were not pregnant, she might have begged the heavens to never let her bear a child.


    But when a little life truly arrived in her stomach, after the initial anger, an overwhelming sense of joy emerged from the bottom of her heart. She could barely contain her happiness, and wished she could tell him immediately and share the joy!


    However, momentster, she reined in her smile! The reason for her pregnancy was quite strange. She decided to wait and see, and only tell him after confirming that she was really pregnant.


    Liu Sisi gently touched her stomach and couldn¡¯t help but smile softly.


    Was there already a child here that looked like him or her?


    Maybe this wasn¡¯t such a bad experience after all?


    Thinking about this, she couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes and slowly drift off to dreand.


    Meanwhile, a certain stinky man couldn¡¯t help but sneak into the kitchen again after his bath. He sniffed the medicinal materials that Liu Sisi usually boiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s really strange. I¡¯m sure I switched the medicinal materials. Dr. He said this medicine would help women conceive faster, so why is there still no movement till now? Could it be that the medicine has lost its potency because it¡¯s been sitting for too long? Well, I should take the time to inquire at the clinic when passing by the small town tomorrow.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself, then carefully wrapped the medicine back up and put it back in its original ce, before returning to the room.


    Embracing the fragrant young woman in his arms, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

 Chapter 322: Turmoil at the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet, Various Factions Stirring Up Storms

    Chapter 322: Turmoil at the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet, Various Factions Stirring Up Storms


    Traductor:?549690339


    The Heir of Luo Prefecture¡¯s tone was light, his gaze casually sweeping across Liu Sisi: ¡°Regardless, you are the granddaughter of Madam Gan Senior, no matter how you behave, what face will you leave to Lord Gan Senior?¡±


    Why drag Lord Gan Senior into it again? Do you really think I would choose to be this so-called granddaughter?


    ¡°It seems that the Heir of Luo Prefecture should also call Sisi as ¡®auntie¡¯.¡±


    Power unused is power wasted! Liu Sisi really hated this kind of insincere and superficial exchange! She immediately pursed her lips, and the pearl and jade ornaments on her head swayed a few times as well.


    ¡°The Heir of Luo Prefecture is indeed right. No matter what, Sisi is still the ¡®adoptive¡¯ granddaughter of Madam Gan Senior. However, how could Sisi dare to call herself an elder in front of the Heir and the Prefecture Princess? Sisi truly is ashamed and does not dare to ept such a title!¡±


    The Heir of Luo Prefecture raised his eyebrows, dumbfounded for a moment, and was about to open his mouth to respond when an elderly voice suddenly appeared diagonally in the background.


    ¡°Why not dare to im to be their elder? You are originally their elder!¡±


    With the help of Gan Miaoruo, Madam Gan Senior arrived at the pavilion. She swept her gaze over the surrounding people,nded on the Heir of Luo Prefecture and the Prefecture Princess, and immediately smiled brightly.


    ¡°I the old have heard your lively conversation from afar, it¡¯s incredibly lively. That¡¯s why I specially came over to join in the cheerfulness.¡± As she spoke, she sat down on the long bench.


    Gan Miaoruo didn¡¯t say a word from start to finish, merely ncing quickly at Liu Sisi.


    Heir Luo and his sister hurriedly stepped forward to greet her: ¡°Junior pays respect to Old Madam.¡±


    Liu Sisi also quickly led the two children forward: ¡°Sisi pays respect to grandmother, long live grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Get up, everyone get up! Today is the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet, everyone is here to have fun, don¡¯t be too caught up in formalities.¡± Madam Gan Senior squinted her eyes withughter.


    ¡°Thank you, Old Madam.¡± The Luo Heir siblings quickly stood up. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Thank you, grandmother.¡±


    Liu Sisi quietly led the two children back a couple of steps.


    But Madam Gan Senior obviously didn¡¯t n to let her go: ¡°These are your two children, right? Come,e to your great-grandmother here.¡± As she spoke, she beckoned to the two children.


    Di Xuan and Di Ying tightly gripped Liu Sisi¡¯s arm without moving their feet. Old Madam did not hurry, smiling patiently, silently waiting for the three to make their next move.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s thoughts raced, and she smiled slightly, gently patting Xuan¡¯er¡¯s back.


    ¡°Your great-grandmother loves you two siblings very much! Hurry up and go!¡±


    Di Xuan led YingEr hesitantly to Madam Gan Senior and bowed: ¡°Xuan¡¯er and YingEr pay respect to great-grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Good, good, good! Hurry up and rise! Come to Great-grandmother¡¯s side! Ah, here, I have a meeting gift for you two siblings, it¡¯s just a little token of affection from your great-grandmother, okay?¡±


    Madam Gan Senior¡¯s face was piled with smiles, giving each of the two children a pure gold longevity lock, clearly prepared in advance.


    The two children hesitated and didn¡¯t dare to reach out to take it.


    ¡°These two children have rarely seen their great-grandmother, so they don¡¯t recognize her yet. On behalf of the children, Sisi thanks the grandmother for her gift.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled and quickly stepped forward to take it on behalf of the children, and in the process, took the children under her wing. She picked up the longevity lock and immediately hung it on the children.


    ¡°This is the longevity lock your great-grandmother has given you. A gift from an elder cannot be refused. Xuan¡¯er, you should know this principle after reading the saints¡¯ books.¡±


    As she spoke, she also gently patted Xuan¡¯er¡¯s hand.


    Madam Gan Senior turned a blind eye to Liu Sisi¡¯s small actions and directly instructed Gan Miaoruo.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, we still have things to discuss. You take your little nephew and niece and y for a while. Remember to take good care of the children. If anything goes wrong, I will hold you responsible!¡± This was a tant plot, directly separating the mother and her children.


    ¡°Yes, Grandmother!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo swallowed her words. She had long been fed up with staying close to her grandmother. At this moment, upon receiving the order, her face immediately lit up with joy, and she quickly took the hands of the two children and called out to her friends.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Xuan¡¯er! Ying¡¯er, let¡¯s go y over there! When we just arrived, I saw that there was a beautiful scene over there. I¡¯ll take you¡­¡±


    There was no way for Liu Sisi to refuse, the two children were taken away by Gan Miaoruo!


    ¡°Madam Gan Senior! This¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was anxious for no reason, instinctively calling out, trying to keep the children here.


    ¡°Call me grandmother! Look at you, still not used to it after all this time.¡±


    Madam Gan Senior smiled kindly, ¡°Sisi! You are my granddaughter. Who would dare say anything about you? Don¡¯t belittle yourself and look down on yourself.¡±


    However, behind this kind smile, her deep eyes made Liu Sisi shiver, and her heart sank.


    She suddenly understood Madam Gan Senior¡¯s intentions!


    By doing so, she only wanted to show her that it was only a matter of minutes for her to control her!


    She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. They all had ulterior motives for her! Before they reached their goal, she and her children were temporarily safe!


    Having figured this out, Liu Sisi¡¯s face once again revealed a smile and gently bowed.


    ¡°Grandmother¡¯s teachings are right! It is my fault for not understanding Grandmother¡¯s painstaking efforts. I will definitely try hard to change!¡± I will never go west if you ask me to go east as long as the two children are safe.


    In the depths of Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, a storm was brewing!


    Madam Gan Senior¡¯s eyes shed, nodding in satisfaction: ¡°That¡¯s good! I came in a hurry earlier and forgot to greet the host. I heard that the garden ahead is lively. Let¡¯s go and have a look. Sisi,e with me today!¡± This is an honor that others can¡¯t ask for!


    ¡°Yes, Grandmother!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Madam.¡±


    Everyone then got up, and Liu Sisi quickly stepped forward to support Madam Gan Senior, walking along the corridor towards the garden.


    Groups of people in the garden were either engaged in heated discussions or whispering to each other. Seeing the entourage approaching, they rushed over to greet them.


    Arge stage was set up in the center of the garden, with the sounds of gongs, drums, and music flowing ceaselessly. The opera singer on stage was singing passionately. But in reality, there were only a few people truly paying attention to the performance.


    Liu Sisi held Madam Gan Senior¡¯s arm as they strolled leisurely along the flower-linedkeside path.


    From afar, a group led by Mrs. Su hurried over. Before they even got close, theirughter had already floated into the ear.


    ¡°It¡¯s Madam Gan Senior and the heir and Prefecture Princess gracing us with their presence. I apologize for not being attentive enough. I hope Madam Gan Senior can be forgiving!¡±


    Madam Gan Senior smiled with a face full of wrinkles: ¡°No need to be so polite! I heard that Lord Su has a cluster of golden chrysanthemums blooming in the cold winter, and I couldn¡¯t resist leading my young ones here. I¡¯m sorry to bother you, Mrs. Su.¡±


    ¡°Madam Gan Senior is too serious! We are honored to have you visit our humble abode. It¡¯s truly a blessing! How can it be considered a bother? Please, Old Madam, this way.¡±


    Mrs. Su spoke quickly, her eyes sweeping over everyone and soon falling on Liu Sisi, with a smile following.

 Chapter 323: Turmoil at the Chrysanthemum Banquet, Various Forces Stir and Gather

    Chapter 323: Turmoil at the Chrysanthemum Banquet, Various Forces Stir and Gather<div>


    Traductor:549690339


    Everyone continued on their way, heading slowly towards the greenhouse¡¯s location.


    There were two entrances to the greenhouse. They chatted andughed as they entered through one door, while the male guests entered from the other. In this rather small greenhouse, the two groups naturally collided.<div>


    Liu Sisi raised her head, searching for Di Yelei¡¯s figure among the crowd. Soon, she found him. He was also looking in her direction, and upon seeing that the two children were not by her side, his eyebrows furrowed even more tightly.


    He seemed to say something to someone nearby, then carefully withdrew from the greenhouse and disappeared from her sight, taking her thoughts with him.


    County Magistrate Su greeted Old Madam Gan, followed by a series of visitors paying their respects.


    Liu Sisi stood in ce like a puppet, her heart preupied with thoughts of the two children.


    By the time she finally collected her thoughts, most of the visitors in front had dispersed.


    ¡°I heard a few days ago that Old Madam Gan has taken in a new granddaughter. It must be this Madam beside you, right? Her aura is indeed extraordinary. As a junior, I would like to congratte Old Madam!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you! My granddaughter has a good temperament and does not like to talk. But it is precisely because of this that she has won my heart.¡±


    Old Madam Gan smiled with her eyes, gently patting Liu Sisi¡¯s hand with a loving expression.


    Although her patting action was light, it sent a chilly sensation through Liu Sisi¡¯s body, causing her to recall her intention of escaping from the greenhouse. She hurriedly bent her knee and performed a courteous gesture without saying a word.


    ¡°Everyone has been so kind to this olddy. I am really happy! But the greenhouse is too small and crowded! Let¡¯s talk at the stage area where it is more spacious.¡±


    Old Madam Gan spoke before turning to walk outside the greenhouse.<div>


    Seeing this, everyone hurriedly echoed, ¡°Indeed, as the Old Madam says, it is too crowded here. Why don¡¯t we go enjoy the opera? I heard that Lord Su invited a famous actor from Jiangnan specifically to perform today. We can¡¯t miss it!¡±


    The voices of support from the crowd were overwhelming.


    Liu Sisi held Old Madam Gan with each step feeling like walking on thin ice.


    She didn¡¯t know if Old Madam Gan intended to learn something from keeping her close, but if she continued like this, she¡¯d drive herself crazy!


    She needed to find a way to escape!


    With her gaze downcast, Liu Sisi helped Old Madam Gan walk forward while secretly searching for any opportunity to escape.


    The several elderly nannies and maids nearby always seemed to keep her and Old Madam Gan in the center, thwarting her intentions.


    As the crowd passed through an archway, the maids and nannies naturally stopped to let Liu Sisi assist Old Madam Gan. On the other side of the archway, a maid carrying a fruit te was waiting with her head down.


    It was a golden opportunity!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi steeled herself, tripped over the archway, and almost dragged Old Madam Gan down with her.


    ¡°Old Madam!¡±<div>


    Countless panicked calls came from the side!


    Liu Sisi fell forward and rolled into the maid, who instinctively tried to dodge, but Liu Sisi didn¡¯t give her a chance!


    She felt a numbness in her leg, and the fruit te in the maid¡¯s hand scattered onto her body, making a crisp sound as it hit the floor.


    ¡°Ouch! That hurts!¡±


    There was no faking the pain in Liu Sisi¡¯s cry!


    Her ankle was twisted, and the pain that shot through it forced her to cry out!


    Did she really need to get hurt just to make it look more convincing?


    Her clothing was stained with various colors from the spilled fruit.


    On the other side, the sound of the little maid pleading for mercy reached her ears, but Liu Sisi had no intention of helping her.


    ¡°Take her out!¡±


    She heard Old Madam Gan¡¯s emotionless voice and immediately looked up to meet her eyes. The look in the old woman¡¯s eyes was unfathomable, making Liu Sisi¡¯s scalp tingle. But her tone was extremely kind.<div>


    ¡°Look at you, child. You can¡¯t even be careful enough to pass through an archway. Are you hurt? Quickly get a doctor! Your joint injuries must be treated properly so they don¡¯t leave any lingering issues.¡±


    As Old Madam Gan spoke, she quickly ordered maids to help Liu Sisi up and carefully escorted her away.


    ¡°Grandmother! I¡¯m sorry, Sisi has worried you.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s apology was sincere! If she had let go a momentter, she would have dragged Old Madam Gan down with her. She was big and strong but still got hurt, so it would have been serious if the elderly woman had fallen!


    ¡°Go on then! Be sure to take care of yourself and don¡¯t worry about me, alright?¡±


    Hermand echoed behind Liu Sisi, who barely looked back.


    After being escorted to a guest room by two maids, Liu Sisi was relieved to finally escape Old Madam Gan¡¯s watchful gaze.


    Without that radar-like gaze on her, Liu Sisi flexed her joints and found herself unhurt, feeling relieved and rxed.


    ¡°Come out! Aren¡¯t you tired of hiding there?¡±


    She called out softly.


    There was silence in the room, not a single sound.


    Sheughed lightly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you want me to invite you out?¡± She nced over at the screen at the other side of the room.


    As expected, a figure emerged, the same Zuo Xingyu who had left on bad termsst time!


    Zuo Xingyu confidently sat down facing her, his gaze fixed on her.


    ¡°How did you find out I was there?¡±


    It was no wonder he would ask this. His martial arts skills were exceptional, especially in the art of concealment, where he surpassed many others. Yet today, he had been discovered by her shortly after entering the hiding ce, causing his confidence to waver.


    He wanted to know exactly where he had failed!


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it simple? You were walking along the bottom of the screen, but the wind was blowing from there. My position was downwind. The room was filled with the scent of women and then suddenly a man¡¯s scent came drifting in. Uponbining this information, I naturally knew.¡±


    Liu Sisi said indifferently.


    She would never reveal the truth that it was his suffocating aura that had given him away!

 Chapter 324: Xingyu’s Purpose, Ye Lei’s Unexpected Discovery

    Chapter 324: Xingyu¡¯s Purpose, Ye Lei¡¯s Unexpected Discovery<div>


    Traductor:549690339


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s mouth twitched!


    Cracks seemed to appear on his usually calm face.<div>


    ¡°I never thought that a high fever could change a person so much. It truly makes me see you in a new light!¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Liu Sisi immediately remembered what her second sister had said, that her breaking the engagement was the result of the other party¡¯s coercion!


    Immediately, her face turned ugly.


    She looked at the man in front of her with a critical gaze.


    The chuan character formed by his long furrowed eyebrows seemed as if it could squash a mosquito, that is, if there were any mosquitoes at this time. A long, ck horse face made his age unclear, and with his furrowed brows, he looked older than Di Yelei. His dark clothes at a nce were not well-cared for, and his pair of cloth shoes had a small hole that had not been repaired.


    However, despite all this, his strong presence still made her unable to ignore him!


    It seemed that he noticed her gaze, and Zuo Xingyu quietly pulled his feet under the table, coughing lightly.


    ¡°Ha ha! Having a constable admire me is truly a fortune for me, Liu Sisi!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth curled up high, her face filled with mockery.


    She really scoffed at him!


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes shed.<div>


    ¡°Constable Zuo, aren¡¯t you asking knowingly? Wasn¡¯t it because of you that Sisi went through such a disaster? You just turned around and forgot about it. It¡¯s true that nobles are forgetful!¡± Liu Sisi scolded and criticized him, not giving him a good look at all.


    He was the one who forced her to break the engagement, and after she lost her memory, he didn¡¯t rify but let her misunderstand. His face was really thick!


    ¡°So you already knew, but unfortunately¡­¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes shed, and he tapped on the table lightly: ¡°Liu Sisi, have you forgotten that you said those words yourself? I never admitted it.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t deny it, did you?¡± Liu Sisi became more and more aggrieved.


    She stood up lightly, propped herself up to jump to the chair by the windowsill, and distanced herself from him: ¡°I heard a joke a few days ago. I don¡¯t know if Constable Zuo wants to hear it?¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t have the leisure time to chat with you.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu rejected her without a thought.


    Liu Sisi was choked and sheughed coldly: ¡°Since you don¡¯t have any leisure time, why are you sitting here now?¡±


    ¡°I naturally have something to ask.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyebrows furrowed even tighter: ¡°You losing your past memories is definitely a good thing, believe me! If your past memoriese back, you would hate not being able to forget everything.¡±<div>


    He spoke far more words today than usual.


    Those memories weren¡¯t hers, so why would she hate it?


    Liu Sisi sneered: ¡°By the way, Sisi hasn¡¯t asked Constable Zuo yet. What is the rationale for secretly meeting with your ex-fianc¨¦e in someone else¡¯s guest room during daylight? Did you rediscover how good Sisi is, so you changed your mind?¡± Her mouth corner carried an indiscernible sneer.


    Weren¡¯t you, Zuo Xingyu, so arrogant? You broke the engagement with the original owner and now you¡¯re sticking to her again. What¡¯s the reason?


    On the other side.


    As soon as Di Yelei left the crowd, he quickly learned the whereabouts of the two children through his colleagues and hurried to find them.


    This was due to the fact that this ce happened to be the official residence of the County Magistrate Su, and although there were important figuresing and going, the servants who helped in the garden were mostly the governmental office¡¯s runners, whom Di Yelei mostly knew.


    He quickly walked towards the location of the two children, passing through a long corridor. Just as he was about to step onto a small bridge, a familiar figure suddenly appeared on the left side of the rockery ahead and quickly entered an archway.


    That figure just now was¡­


    Di Yelei was startled! Then he retracted his steps and quickly followed the figure.


    Although the figure was not slow, the official residence was not veryrge, yet the person kept going in circles. Just as Di Yelei was about to give up several times, the figure in front slowed down and stopped.<div>


    It was then that Di Yelei took a closer look and found that this ce was the back door of the official residence. Exiting the back door would lead to a main road on North Main Street in the county town.


    In just a moment, he saw someone enter from the back door and exchange whispered words with the person. Then the person left the back door again.


    Di Yelei was shocked in his heart. He had seen that person somewhere before, but he couldn¡¯t remember where.


    He was about to quietly retreat when the figure suddenly turned his head and looked straight at the ce where Di Yelei was hiding.


    At the same time, it allowed Di Yelei to see the other party¡¯s face clearly. It was actually Nan Tianzong!


    ¡°Come out! Don¡¯t hide anymore!¡±


    Nan Tianzong called out to him openly.


    ¡°I never thought that you hid so deeply. It turns out you are also a martial artist!¡±


    Di Yelei walked out from his hiding ce, his eyes filled with deep caution! The fact that the Nan Tianzong in front of him knew martial arts was really beyond his expectation!


    Nan Tianzong smiled slightly: ¡°Tianzong has been weak since childhood, and my mother invited a teacher to teach me the teachings of Confucius and Mencius. While learning, I also strengthened my body. Just like Brother-in-Law Di, although you go hunting, you can also read, right?¡±


    His words left Di Yelei speechless! It was not unusual for a schr to know martial arts, but he had never shown it!


    ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s nothing unusual. It¡¯s just that Di has never heard Sisi mention it. It¡¯s just curiosity.¡±


    Nan Tianzong had a calm expression on his face: ¡°On the contrary, Brother-in-Law Di, what are you doing hiding here? I came here because I had forgotten a gift at home and asked someone to bring it. Why are you here, Brother-in-Law Di? You didn¡¯t follow Tianzong all the way to this ce, did you?¡±


    He had his usual gentle and elegant smile on his face.


    ¡°Not at all! Yelei came here to find the two children and was afraid of identally entering the backyard of the inner courtyard. He was hesitating when he saw Boss Nan.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face also had a smile.


    Their gazes met in midair, both of them seemed to be smiling harmoniously, but there were sparks flying secretly.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re looking for Xuan¡¯er and YingEr? They should be ying in the garden. It¡¯s gettingte, and I should go back to the front yard. Today is both the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet and the Laba Festival, and I can¡¯t bete. Please feel free to look for them!¡±


    After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and turned around to leave.


    ¡°Alright, alright!¡±


    As he watched the departing figure, Di Yelei¡¯s smile disappeared from his face.


    Where had he seen that person before? He couldn¡¯t remember the sh of memory that had crossed his mind.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 325: Cost

    Chapter 325: Cost


    Traductor:?549690339


    In the guest room, the faint smile at the corner of Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth never faded.


    ¡°Stop hanging the word ¡®rendezvous¡¯ on your lips all the time, what sort of proper woman speaks like that? Aren¡¯t you afraid it will ruin your boudoir reputation?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu with a dogmatic look on his face.


    ¡°Ha! A proper woman? What does a woman mean in your eyes, Zuo Xingyu?¡±


    The color on Liu Sisi¡¯s face changed, with a gloomy look: ¡°Zuo Xingyu! Since you backed out of our marriage, stay away from me!Think as far away as you can and get away from me! Don¡¯t approach me irritatingly. This would prevent me from having unnecessary imaginations and misunderstandings about you! I, Liu Sisi, don¡¯t want to see your disgusting face!¡±


    Anyway, she had long torn her face, didn¡¯t care about this anymore.


    ¡°You!¡­ You¡¯re simply unreasonable!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu evidently didn¡¯t expect Liu Sisi¡¯s attitude to be so hardline!


    ¡°The unreasonable one is you! What do you, Zuo Xingyu, take me, Liu Sisi, for? A prostitute that you can beckon and dismiss as you please? Let me tell you, Zuo Xingyu, I, Liu Sisi, don¡¯t owe you anything! I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been feeding Ye Lei, but if you are still a man! Let¡¯s part on good terms, don¡¯t bother me anymore!¡±


    ¡°Liu Sisi! Who do you think you are? You are nothing more than a woman I, Zuo Xingyu, don¡¯t want!¡±


    With a dark face, he roared out a sentence and turned to walk towards the door.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    A cold voice came from behind him.


    Zuo Xingyu didn¡¯t turn around: ¡°Why? You want to apologize? Unfortunately, I, Zuo Xingyu, won¡¯t ept!¡±


    ¡°Cut it off! I say Zuo Xingyu, it¡¯s better not to think too highly of oneself!¡±


    Liu Sisi propped her arm on the table, with azy look on her face: ¡°I¡¯m trying to tell you that there are countless pairs of eyes staring at this ce outside the door. You can go out, but please, exit the same way you came in. Don¡¯t ruin my boudoir reputation, Liu Sisi!¡± She returned his words back.


    ¡°Liu Sisi! You¡­good! Indeed good!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu turned back abruptly, with a vivid myriad of expressions on his face.


    Liu Sisi also found it strange inwardly, it turned out that so many different expressions could appear on a person¡¯s face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother about my matters, you should better manage yourself! Don¡¯t think that just because your head is still on your neck, you can rest easy!¡±


    Once Zuo Xingyu finished, he turned and walked behind the screen.


    ¡°One¡¯s destiny is determined by heaven and I, Liu Sisi, have always been open-minded.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t get angry and picked up a tangerine from the table and began to peel it: ¡°But you, Xingyu, you seem toe and go freely today, but the next time you appear before me, have a good think about what price you want to pay beforeing!¡±


    She, Liu Sisi, was a weak person, but the weak also had their own dignity.


    The footfall behind the screen seemed to pause for a moment, then a faint sound of footsteps started again, quickly disappearing without a trace.


    It seemed that the other party took her words to heart?


    Liu Sisi pulled out a slice of tangerine and put it in her mouth.


    Zuo Xingyu must have had something on mind to visit her today. She had a feeling that he woulde again.


    But the next time¡­


    Just for the matter that he had called off their engagement, it was worth for her, Liu Sisi, to collect some interest, right?


    However, was the sudden words from Zuo Xingyu just now a sign that he was also in the know?


    Liu Sisi felt as though she had fallen into a giant vortex, the others around her were all awake, but she alone, at the center of this whirlwind, felt powerless to escape. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Strains of string and woodwind music continually flowed in from outside the window, the boisterous noise was not blocked by theyered courtyard walls, but constantly came in from outside.


    As she was thinking, a knocking sound came in from outside the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡± She intuitively said.


    The door opened, and two women dressed as maids came in: ¡°Miss, Madam Gan Senior sent us to check if you have rested enough? The guests outside are ready for the feast. Madam Gan Senior sent us to serve you.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed lightly: ¡°I¡¯m already fine, thank you both for your hard work.¡±


    The two supported Liu Sisi as they walked, although she had indeed sprained her foot and could walk, she made an effort to lean most of her weight on the two maids to make her situation appear more serious.


    As soon as they exited the arch gate, they saw Prefecture Princess Luo walking from the other side.


    ¡°Miss Liu, how are you? Thirteen was just nning to find you for a chat. How is your injury? Would you like Thirteen to arrange a soft sedan chair for you?¡± Thirteenth Luo¡¯s crisp voice echoed.


    Liu Sisi, moved by her words, replied with a lightugh: ¡°Prefecture Princess Luo, you¡¯re taking it too seriously. Sisi is just a countrywoman, of low status, my injury is almost healed. Hearing from the string music, it seems like the feast is about to start, and I¡¯m rushing over!¡±


    ¡°Miss Liu, you must take your time. There won¡¯t be any exquisite food at the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet, so it¡¯s no harm to go there slowly. Just make sure not to add injury to the wound, that would be terrible.¡±


    As a scent drifted over, Thirteenth Luo walked beside her, apanying her as she walked slowly.


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    Liu Sisi responded with a cordial smile as she and Thirteenth Luo slowly moved forward.


    She could still remember her first encounter with Thirteenth Luo. Liu Sisi initially found her notorious, but her impression of the young Prefecture Princess changed significantly after their few meetings, and a sense of goodwill spontaneously emerged.


    Arriving at the banquet, they found that it was already in full swing. It was truly a full house with a lively, popr atmosphere.


    In the front hall, countless tables and chairs were arranged separately by screens, male and female guests settled separately.


    On the stage, music from string and wind instruments never ceased to entertain. Dancers pranced and sang on the stage for everyone¡¯s enjoyment.


    With the support of two maidens, Liu Sisi walked into the banquet. Her seat was arranged next to Old Madam Gan, and on the other side was YingEr.


    Seeing YingEr there as well, Liu Sisi¡¯s mood unexpectedly lifted, and a smile returned to her face once more.


    ¡°Grandmother! Mrs. Su, how are you?¡±


    Liu Sisi greeted everyone with a smile before she settled down.


    As soon as she was seated, YingEr beside her gently tugged at her sleeve, ¡°Mom! Where have you been? YingEr couldn¡¯t find you?¡±


    ¡°Mother identally twisted her foot just now, so she went to rest for a while. By the way, where is your brother?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s with dad.¡± YingEr replied, her face sour as she spoke.


    The banquet was filled withughter and joy, everyone was enjoying themselves.


    Liu Sisi silently ate her meal without savoring the taste, asionally caring for YingEr¡¯s meal next to her. Until she had eaten her fill and the dishes were reced with tea and refreshments, she continued to quietly listen to the conversations of everyone around her.


    In the midst of everyone¡¯s conversation, Mrs. Su suddenly changed the topic, focusing her attention on Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Miss from Liu Family, I heard recently that you encountered danger on ck Dragon Mountain. That you and your husband were chased by dozens of mountain bandits, but miraculously survived. Is that true?¡±


    Her words immediately drew countless eyes to focus on her.

 Chapter 326: Li Sect

    Chapter 326: Li Sect


    Traductor:?549690339


    Liu Sisi smiled, ¡°Mrs. Su is making a big deal out of it. Actually, the incident was just a coincidence. Sisi happened to be saved by a passing hero.¡±


    Her eyes were particrly deep.


    She knew what these people wanted to know. But how could she tell them things she didn¡¯t know herself?


    Mrs. Su half-covered her face with a handkerchief andughed, ¡°Miss from the Liu Family is joking! It seems that you are the only one who got the protection edict from the Leader of the Li Sect.¡±


    Huh? Who is the Leader of the Li Sect?


    Liu Sisi waspletely in the dark and couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Sisi doesn¡¯t know any Leader of the Li Sect, Madam must have mistaken me for someone else,¡± Liu Sisi said firmly.


    Mrs. Su¡¯s eyes shed, and sheughed, ¡°It¡¯s good not to know. This is probably what people often say about ignorance being bliss.¡± Having said that, she immediately changed the topic and led the conversation elsewhere.


    Everyone elseughed and started chatting casually.


    Liu Sisi hardly spoke unless someone spoke to her, then she would say a few words. The rest of the time, she sat quietly and daydreamed.


    Sitting next to Liu Sisi was a portly married woman with a beaming smile, her eyes almost closed when sheughed, making her look especially cheerful.


    Seeing that Liu Sisi didn¡¯t seem to like talking, she smiled at her, ¡°I heard your name is Sisi? My husband¡¯s family name is Ran, and we are salt merchants.¡±


    This immediately caught Liu Sisi¡¯s attention.


    She remembered reading in books about how wealthy salt merchants were. Now that she had met a salt merchant¡¯s wife, her interest was piqued.


    ¡°So, you are Mrs. Ran. Pleased to meet you,¡± she said.


    ¡°I see you don¡¯t talk much, is this your first time at this kind of gathering? Actually, there¡¯s nothing to be nervous about, you¡¯ll get used to it once youe more often,¡± Mrs. Ran said casually.


    It was clear that she was very talkative, and in a short time, she had chatted about various topics.


    By the time the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet ended, she had already talked with Liu Sisi for a long time. As they chatted, and noticing that no one was paying attention, Liu Sisi quickly asked, ¡°What was Mrs. Su talking about earlier? What¡¯s the story with the Leader of the Li Sect?¡±


    Mrs. Ran¡¯s smile vanished, and she scanned Liu Sisi up and down, ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know. Is it strange that I should know?¡±


    Liu Sisi was extremely curious, as she remembered the same expressions on people¡¯s faces when she said she didn¡¯t know the Leader of the Li Sect earlier.


    ¡°Ah! I just didn¡¯t expect that you didn¡¯t know,¡± she said.


    Mrs. Ran took Liu Sisi¡¯s hand and began to exin in detail, ¡°To talk about the Leader of the Li Sect, we have to start with the Li Sect. The Li Sect suddenly appeared 30 years ago and quickly grew in strength. At first, they were only involved in a few industries, but in just three years, they had expanded to cover almost all profitable industries. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to describe them as wealthy enough to rival a country.¡±


    ¡°The Li Sect¡¯s industries are not only in the Great Zhao, but also in several neighboring countries. The only thing is that the Master of the Li Sect has never shown his face. Instead, he has five subordinates who are responsible for liaising for him. However, in the past ten years, these five have rarely appeared in public, gradually fading from people¡¯s sight.¡±


    ¡°But the Li Sect¡¯s industries have be a ma for everyone! Everyone covets control of the Li Sect. As long as they obtain the Li Sect, they can have a fortune so huge that even the next three generations can squander.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡± After waiting for a while without hearing her continue, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but urge her.


    ¡°And then? Well, everyone hopes to find or be the Leader of Li Sect,¡± Mrs.Ran said, puzzlingly.


    Liu Sisi frowned, ¡°I meant to ask, what does the Leader of the Li Sect have to do with me? Why did he give me a protection edict?¡±


    Mrs. Ran looked around and then leaned in closer, ¡°It¡¯s because there were rumors 30 years ago that the Leader of the Li Sect was actually the former Crown Prince, who is now the bandit chief on the ck Dragon Mountain.¡±


    What!


    Liu Sisi was startled, and shivered!


    Liu Sisi had heard about the former Crown Prince from Madam Gan Senior. Hearing Mrs. Ran talking about him now made her heart race.


    She quickly shook her head though, ¡°No! If the Leader of the Li Sect is the former Crown Prince, how old should he be now? Even if he¡¯s young, he can¡¯t be younger than 30! It wasn¡¯t him. The person I saw was definitely not him!¡±


    Mrs. Ran¡¯s expression darkened, and she forced a smile, ¡°It¡¯s even better if it¡¯s not him. However, there are also people guessing that this man is between 20 and 30 years old because the former Crown Prince fled to the ck Dragon Mountain carrying an infant with him. Think about it, if that child has grown up now, wouldn¡¯t he be around 30 years old?¡±


    Even if it was indeed that person and he was truly the former Crown Prince¡¯s child, there was still no exnation for why he had spared her life!


    As for men around 30 years old, she seemed to know only a few.


    The closest in age to 30 seemed to be¡­ Zuo Xingyu!


    Liu Sisi took a deep breath! Suddenly remembering Zuo Xingyu¡¯s words before he left today, her heart became uncertain.


    She wandered aimlessly in the garden, lost in thought until her path was blocked by a figure in front of her.


    ¡°Huh? What are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you going to drink with the others?¡± Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but cheerfully exim.


    The man, Nan Tianzong, smiled gently, ¡°What¡¯s so good about drinking? I saw someone standing here, not moving, so I came over to chat with you. What¡¯s wrong? Are you encountering any difficult problems?¡±


    Liu Sisi felt touched and smiled, ¡°Brother Nan, you¡¯re the best to Sisi! It¡¯s not really a big problem, but yeah, it¡¯s a problem that puzzles me!¡±


    As they spoke, Liu Sisi told him about everything she had heard. The connections between the bandits on ck Dragon Mountain, the Li Sect, and the former Crown Prince.


    And then she added, ¡°I don¡¯t know any bandits, nor do I know anything about the Li Sect, and I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s rted to the former Crown Prince, I¡­¡±


    She felt so wronged!


    Nan Tianzong thought for a moment and shook his head, ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter what identity this person has, as long as they don¡¯t harm you, you don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Brother Nan. The problem is just that. Living with a knife hanging over my head is really difficult. Like all the mysterious things that have happened recently.¡± There was no one else for her to share her woes with.


    Nan Tianzong patted Liu Sisi, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! All of this will pass soon!¡±

 Chapter 327: 327: The Power of a Single Move is Actually So Formidable

    Chapter 327: 327: The Power of a Single Move is Actually So Formidable<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    What Nan Tianzong said oddly put Liu Sisi¡¯s mind at ease.


    ¡°Actually, this is a good thing for you in the end. There is always a gain in loss in this world, right! This sword hanging over your head is also an opportunity an opportunity for you to show off your skills.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows in surprise: ¡°How so?¡±


    Nan Tianzong thought for a moment: ¡°Think about it, everyone fears the so-called Li Sect, but now the Li Sect is protecting you, so¡­¡±


    ¡°So, I can go anywhere in the world? Is that it?¡±


    Liu Sisi said happily.


    ¡°Wrong! You fool!¡±


    Nan Tianzong looked disappointed: ¡°What are you going to do in the world? With the Li Sect backing you, you can do business or enter officialdom! You will have a smooth journey and rise step by step!¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right! You got one thing wrong!¡±


    Liu Sisi was delighted at first, but then she shook her head: ¡°Money is just a worldly possession, having enough is enough. Too much will only bother me. As for bing an official¡­ I, Liu Sisi, a woman, what is the use of being an official? It¡¯s better to live my own little life seriously. That¡¯s what I really want.¡±


    Nan Tianzong was dumbfounded!


    This was the second time he heard such words from her.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Is that what you really think? I was going to introduce you to some friends in the business worldter, but now that you¡¯ve said this¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s my true feelings. But, there¡¯s no harm in making money, right?¡±


    Liu Sisiughed: ¡°Where are the friends you mentioned? Take me to see them, but don¡¯t neglect them.¡±


    ¡°You,e on! They¡¯re in the side hall over there. I¡¯ll take you.¡±


    As Nan Tianzong spoke, he led Liu Sisi towards the other side.


    Liu Sisi looked back, noticing Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er staying with Di Yelei on the other side, surrounded by several wealthy-looking businessmen, seemingly discussing something. She then followed with relief.


    Going to the so-called side hall with Nan Tianzong, they indeed saw several officials. As soon as the two of them entered, the officials stood up.


    ¡°These are the managers I didn¡¯t get a chance to introduce a couple of days ago. You should get to know each other. When I¡¯m not around, Sisi can make decisions on my behalf.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡± The several people hurriedly paid their respects.


    Later in the afternoon, Nan Tianzong introduced various people to her, including officials and gentry. Although Liu Sisi was not very interested in them, she understood that Nan Tianzong did this to help her expand her business horizons.


    After bidding farewell to everyone, she casually chatted with Nan Tianzong as they walked.


    ¡°The fat man just now is the supplier for the bookstore. You can also find him for supplies in the future, and there will be quite a few discounts. Of course, if there is any problem with the goods, you can also go directly to him¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°I understand. If there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll go to him. But what about you? Why did you suddenly say so much today? Don¡¯t you still have me in case of any idents?¡± Liu Sisi said with a smile.


    Nan Tianzong shook his head: ¡°Actually, you should have known from the beginning that I didn¡¯t open the bookstore to make money.¡±


    ¡°Then why did youe?¡± Liu Sisi was curious.


    Nan Tianzong was silent for a moment before continuing: ¡°At that time, it was because my family wanted me to go through a test. Among them, starting a business from scratch was one of the tests. I chose to open a bookstore in this small town because I didn¡¯t have to do anything.¡±


    ¡°Brother Nan, this is the first time I¡¯ve discovered that you can actually be cunning and slippery like this.¡± Liu Sisi said whileughing.


    ¡°Not at all, I¡­¡±


    As they walked and talked, they turned a corner and came across more than a dozen masked men in ck. Seeing the two of them, the men in ck raised their big des and attacked without saying a word.


    ¡°Ah! ¡±


    Liu Sisi was startled, instinctively letting out a scream. She stared wide-eyed at the big deing down on her head,pletely forgetting to dodge.


    She hadn¡¯t expected her journey through time to end like this!


    She initially thought thating here was a gift from Heaven, but it ended just like that! It was indeed hard to predict the oue¡­<div>


    Her mind was filled with a jumble of chaotic thoughts!


    Scenes from her two lives shed through her mind like a slide show, making it hard for her to distinguish reality from fantasy.


    Suddenly, a strong force came from her waist, and she woke up from her trance. The noises of fighting around her returned to her ears, and she noticed she was now spinning in the air.


    Turning her head, she realized that her tongue had been taken by a cat, rendering her speechless!


    The person holding her waist and fiercely fighting the men in ck was none other than the schr she despised ¡ª Nan Tianzong!


    Nan Tianzong was dressed in a light blue gown, the cold wind blowing fiercely.


    With a light smile on his face, he calmly dealt with the attacks of the men around him.


    ¡°You all, how dare you break into an official residence and kill people in broad daylight! Who gave you the courage? I, the Young Master, am here to avenge the dead!¡± His clear voice rang out.


    A sh of cold light!


    Layers of sword shadows filled the surrounding area.


    Snackbar of sword light suddenly pointed forward, driving the surrounding air to howl and fall from the sky!


    The wind rose!


    The trees shivered, flowers and nts were torn from the ground.


    Leaves flew everywhere!


    Boom!


    A fir tree next to them was the unlucky one, getting cut by the sword light, and then exploded into splinters with a loud noise.


    Wood chips flew in all directions.


    It seemed as if the ground itself shook, stirring up a cloud of dust.


    Liu Sisi was startled!


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s power was so strong with just one move? It seemed even more powerful than the man she had encountered on the Heilong Mountain that day!


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    The men in ck continued their coordinated attacks. After Nan Tianzong¡¯s move, three men in cky on the ground, vomiting blood.


    Undeterred, the rest of the men in ck continued their assault without a word.


    Nan Tianzong remained calm, his face showing a faint smile!


    Instinctively, Liu Sisi held tightly to his clothes and waist, afraid that she would be thrown out by mistake.


    In just a moment, the men in ck had closed in.


    Theyers of de light quickly sealed off the duo¡¯s escape routes and shed down!


    Nan Tianzongughed loudly!


    Liu Sisi instinctively screamed. Before she could see clearly, their figures had mysteriously escaped from the de light,nding on an eaves.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The sound of breaking through the air followed!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t keep up. A blur in her vision, and the darts that broke through the air rushed straight towards the two of them.

 Chapter 328: 328: Liu Sisi’s Shock

    Chapter 328: 328: Liu Sisi¡¯s Shock<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Before she could even let out a scream, the two had miraculously moved half an inch on the shadow wall, narrowly avoiding several darts.


    The next moment, the fir tree copsed with a bang!<div>


    Suddenly smashing towards the men in ck, it caused them to dodge blindly, losing their sense of direction.


    In an instant, dust flew and a sandstorm red!


    Liu Sisi gasped!


    Was this the same studious Nan Tianzong, the gentle and elegant Brother Nan she knew?


    She felt like her head was malfunctioning!


    She could only look up at him nkly, almost forgetting to blink and oblivious to their intimate posture, she remained in that position.


    He lowered his head, gazing gently at her in his arms, his eyes smiling.


    ¡°How do you feel? Are you hurt?¡±


    The strangely familiar aura brushing against her, Liu Sisi was startled, unable to speak as she instinctively shook her head.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re alright!¡±


    Without waiting for Liu Sisi¡¯s reaction, he casually took out a ck-clothed man who tried to sneak attack,ughed boldly: ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll take you to kill people!¡± With that, he once again led her into the fray.<div>


    With every strike, a man in ck fell to the ground and failed to get up.


    After every sword, a shrill scream sounded.


    Wherever the long sword pointed, no one survived!


    His figure seemed like a gust of wind brushing through smoke, as if Liu Sisi in his arm had no weight at all, weaving through the men in ck, fast enough that no one could even see his figure¡­


    He was like a reaper of lives, a soul-hooking dead man from hell, raising a dazzling light screen wherever his sword went!


    The screams of the men in ck continued, one by one they fell under the sword light.


    The screams made one¡¯s heart tremble and scalp tingle.


    The remaining men in ck were visibly frightened, silently retreating, as the other party was too fierce!


    Where was this person killing people?


    It was simply as fast as harvesting straw, quickly reaping everyone¡¯s lives!


    Even these death soldiers, who spent days wandering on the edge of death, felt terrified!<div>


    An inexplicable chill spread in the pit of their hearts, and the chill that emerged from the depths of their souls made everyone tremble uncontrobly!


    Inside the official residence, a series of urgent gong sounds rang out!


    Someone shouted, ¡°Assassins! Capture the assassins! Catch the assassins!¡±


    Immediately, a dense flurry of footsteps followed, quickly surrounding the area.


    Instinctively, the leader of the group yelled!


    ¡°Pointhead, get ready!¡±


    A murderous intent shed quickly across the ever-unperturbed face of Nan Tianzong!


    ¡°You still want to leave here alive? Sisi, close your eyes!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was jolted, instinctively closing her eyes and burying her head in his embrace, no longer trying to peek ahead.


    The sound of the wind howled in her ears!


    Her body felt like a spinning top in the air, the centrifugal force making her stomach churn ufortably.<div>


    Suddenly, the wind noise stopped.


    She quietly opened her eyes and found that the battle had already stopped, and they were surrounded by corpses. The grass and trees in this small area were all dead, and even the soil seemed to have been uplifted, a scene of the apocalypse.


    From the start of the battle to the end, itsted only a short half cup of tea¡¯s time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s get out of here!¡±


    As his words fell, he suddenly lifted Liu Sisi¡¯s slender waist with one hand, leaped over the fence, and left the official residence directly.


    At present, the scene was too shocking. If they stayed at the scene, I¡¯m afraid the two wouldn¡¯t be able to exin the origin of what had just happened, and there would be no way to extricate themselves from this matter.


    The wind roared in Liu Sisi¡¯s ears as her consciousness gradually returned.


    ¡°Brother Nan, you can put me down here. If we go too far, it will be hard for me to exin.¡±


    She lightly tapped Nan Tianzong¡¯s arm, trying to break free from his embrace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re almost at the destination.¡±


    Nan Tianzong gracefully descended from the sky andnded in a courtyard. He then released her.


    Liu Sisi looked at him carefully for a moment before turning around to examine the courtyard.


    The courtyard was quiet, seemingly uninhabited.


    ¡°I never expected that you would have such excellent martial arts skills. You are truly remarkable!¡±


    Nan Tianzong raised an eyebrow: ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you upset that I didn¡¯t tell you about this? I mentioned before that I¡¯m undergoing a family trial; it¡¯s ast resort.¡±


    With that one sentence, he cleanly pushed everything away, so powerful!


    Liu Sisi nodded, ¡°Brother Nan, can you tell me what your real identity is?¡±


    There was a faint distance in her words.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you, but the time hasn¡¯te. Once I¡¯ve passed the trial, I¡¯ll tell you the first thing, okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine! I won¡¯t ask about it anymore.¡± Liu Sisi finished speaking and turned to walk towards the main entrance.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Home! Is there any other answer?¡±


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t you want to know who sent the assassins to kill us just now?¡± Nan Tianzong¡¯s voice was rxed.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t stop moving forward.


    ¡°You know, the people who sent these two teams are people you know.¡± Hiszy words echoed once again.


    Liu Sisi paused, thought for a moment, and turned back: ¡°You know? Who sent them?¡±


    Nan Tianzong raised an eyebrow: ¡°Is this how you ask for help?¡±


    ¡°Brother Nan, will you leave me to die? Will you abandon me? Can I take revenge on my own if I know who sent the assassins?¡±


    Liu Sisi chuckled softly, ¡°Since none of these are possible, your answer can only satisfy my curiosity and has no other use.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I found out for the first time that Sisi can be so eloquent.¡±


    Nan Tianzong rubbed his nose andughed.


    ¡°Alright! You must have guessed it already; they are people sent by Madam Gan Senior and Prefecture Princess Luo.¡±


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows: ¡°I naturally guessed that Madam Gan would send people. The other party¡­ how could it be Heir Luo? I have no grudge with him in the past or present. Is he trying to avenge his sister?¡±


    ¡°Heir Luo has more than twenty younger sisters, and as far as I know, the siblings don¡¯t get along. Generally, Heir Luo will oppose whatever Prefecture Princess Luo supports.¡±


    Liu Sisi was somewhat speechless: ¡°Hah! Is he just opposing for the sake of opposing?¡±


    ¡°Haha! Maybe the answer is really as you said. By the way! There¡¯s something I want to show you. Follow me.¡±


    Unperturbed, Nan Tianzong turned around and walked towards a room nearby. He then pushed open a door directly.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    His clear voice came from inside.


    Liu Sisi frowned, wondering why he suddenly entered a room during their conversation? Her cautiousness could not ovee her curiosity, and she slowly crossed the doorstep, only to bepletely stunned!

 Chapter 329: 329: Being There or Not

    Chapter 329: 329: Being There or Not<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Sit, don¡¯t be dazed.¡±


    Nan Tianzong casually gestured to Liu Sisi, who was standing dumbstruck at the doorway.<div>


    Liu Sisi still hadn¡¯t recovered from her shock, and just instinctively stepped forward, approaching the wall.


    The more she looked, the more surprised she became!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    On the wall was painted a breathtakingly beautiful woman, her hair in a fairy bun and adorned with a golden hairpin and a green-jade hairpin, fastened with a dragon and phoenix hairpin. Her brows were elegantly brushed, her cheeks lightly rouged, and she wore a transparent gauze dress as thin as the wings of a cicada, revealing half of her . She held a blooming begonia in one hand and a dazzling green mirror in the other, arranging her cloud bun as she faced the mirror.


    The woman in the painting was incredibly life-sized, and the realistic style made the beauty leap off the paper.


    These were not the surprises that shocked Liu Sisi, but rather it was the fact that her own appearance was 99% simr to the woman in the painting!


    She couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes, staring intently at the woman in the painting, and couldn¡¯t help but imagine what she would look like if she were to wear that clothing¡­


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be formal. This is where I stay when I¡¯m in the county. No onees here easily, so it¡¯s a safe ce. Let¡¯s sit down and chat.¡± Nan Tianzong pointed to a chair nearby.


    Liu Sisi followed his words but didn¡¯t sit down on the chair. Instead, she walked to the painting and silently looked at it.


    After a good while, she asked softly, ¡°Who is this woman?¡±


    Only after she spoke did Liu Sisi realize how hoarse her voice was!


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s expression remained indifferent: ¡°This is my mother. However, she left the world not long after giving birth to me, leaving behind only this painting so I can admire her appearance.¡±<div>


    As he spoke, he looked up at Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi moved her lips, suddenly finding herself at a loss for words.


    ¡°You¡­ you think of me as a substitute for your mother?¡±


    Did she look that old?


    Nan Tianzong looked at her again, a yful look shing in his eyes: ¡°I have an older brother and two older sisters, both of whom inherited my mother¡¯s lookspletely.¡±


    ¡°Oh! So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Liu Sisi finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Being someone¡¯s substitute didn¡¯t matter, but if he regarded her as his mother, and she regarded him as her brother, how tragic would that be?


    Nan Tianzong suddenlyughed!


    ¡°However, when I saw you for the first time, I was still shocked by your appearance, which led to all that followed.¡±


    Was he exining why he was so special to her?


    ¡°Actually, I have three siblings, and I¡¯ve heard that we all look very simr¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi finally came back to her senses: ¡°Brother Nan, it¡¯s gettingte. We should leave. If we return toote, people will have many spections.¡±


    ¡°You can rest assured! I¡¯ve already sent someone to clean up the mess. It won¡¯t matter if we returnter. On the other hand, shouldn¡¯t you take off your clothes and wash them before putting them back on?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked down, only to realize that there were some blood stains on her skirt hem. They must have been left there unintentionally earlier.


    As Liu Sisi was worrying about the bloodstains on her clothes, the County Magistrate¡¯s official residence was nearly bursting with panic.


    Two living people disappeared out of thin air, and even the spies tracking them lost sight of them. The scene only left a bunch of dead bodies behind, causing great anxiety.


    The faces of Old Lady Gan and the others beside her all looked awful!


    After silently exchanging nces with each other, they ordered the ce to be cleaned and organized before theatrically asking others to search around.


    No one was more anxious than Di Yelei!


    He almost turned the crime scene upside down without finding any clues.


    Just as he was getting impatient, County Magistrate Su finally arrivedte,ughing and greeting the people present.


    Madam Gan Senior was the first to speak up: ¡°Lord County Magistrate, as the head of the county, you only arrived now after such a serious incident; aren¡¯t you a bit too slow? I have always thought highly of Macheng County. But it turns out that even the esteemed official residence can be freely entered and exited by thieves!¡±<div>


    This statement was quite serious!


    County Magistrate Su hurriedly bowed: ¡°Old Madam Gan is right! It was my poor discipline that allowed such a thing to happen. These thieves have been utterlywless; it seems it¡¯s time to crack down on them! Fortunately, none of our esteemed guests were harmed, which is at least a blessing in disguise!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean none of the guests were harmed? Haven¡¯t you noticed that there are two people missing from this residence?¡±


    While speaking, Madam Gan Senior firmly tapped her crutch on the ground several times.


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s face was full of confusion, scanning the crowd: ¡°Who¡¯s missing? I me my humble wife for nagging Eldest Miss of Gan Family into her room to admire the Jade Goddess of Mercy. She still hasn¡¯t shown up, really¡­ Sigh! It¡¯s my fault for not being strict enough that this happened.¡±


    These words made everyone¡¯s faces change!


    Even Madam Gan Senior was taken aback for a moment!


    On the contrary, Di Yelei¡¯s face lit up with joy, and he immediately asked: ¡°Your Honor, is it true that my wife went to admire the Jade Goddess of Mercy with Mrs. Su?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I just came over from there myself.¡±


    County Magistrate Su looked indignant, ¡°What do you mean by that, Di Yelei? Are you trying to frame my wife? Or do you have something else in mind?¡±


    ¡°Your Honor must be joking, I wouldn¡¯t dare to frame Mrs. Su.¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly gave a fist greeting, his face full of joy!


    But he was extra cautious in private.


    When he came over, he had deliberately looked for Sisi¡¯s figure. He clearly saw Mrs. Su hurriedly heading towards the backyard without anyone else around!


    He didn¡¯t understand why County Magistrate Su would help Sisi cover up?


    ¡°These men in ck came mysteriously!¡±


    Madam Gan Senior¡¯s eyes were full of profound depths: ¡°My granddaughter is restless; perhaps she found a kindred spirit in Mrs. Su and apanied her to the courtyard. Nanny Zhou, please go to Mrs. Su on my behalf, it¡¯s gettingte.¡±


    ¡°Is grandmother nning to leave?¡±


    Apanied by a crisp voice, Liu Sisi and Mrs. Su walked hand in hand from behind the screen, especially with Liu Sisi¡¯s stumbling posture that surprised everyone.


    ¡°See, Sisi, I told you it would not dy your return, but you still didn¡¯t believe me? Aren¡¯t all the distinguished guests still here?¡± Mrs. Su¡¯s face was full of smiles, gently patting Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Elder Sister thinks more thoroughly.¡±


    Liu Sisi also smiled, her face shy: ¡°It¡¯s my fault for making Old Madam worry. If something like this happens again, I will be sure to inform Old Madam first.¡±


    Old Madam Gan¡¯s eyes gleamed, and she gently helped her up: ¡°What kind of talk is that? I was just worried you might have encountered some bad characters. These days, the outside world is not peaceful; you must be more careful when you go out and about, understand?¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly bowed again: ¡°Sisi thanks grandmother for her advice!¡±

 Chapter 330: 330: Eyes Meet

    Chapter 330: 330: Eyes Meet<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Alright! Since it was a false rm, let¡¯s go inside and take a short break.¡±


    As the hostess, Mrs. Su naturally called out, ¡°Today is the Laba Festival, and the Laba porridge prepared in the kitchen should be ready. No one should be in a hurry to leave; at least have a bowl of Laba porridge before you go!¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! We must drink the Laba porridge.¡±


    Everyone cheerfully went back into the hall.


    From a distance, they saw Prefecture Princess Luo and Gan Miaoruo leading Xuan¡¯er and YingEr to sit in the hall, ying a board game called ¡°Chess Five.¡± The group was having a great time, which exined why none of them came out despite themotion outside.


    Liu Sisi peeked and saw that the Chess Five game used a special tool called the cluster tool to move the pieces. The gamey was simr to the checkers game in her previous life, with everyonepeting fiercely and evenly matched.


    Only when a round was over did YingEr look up from the board, happily jumping into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, and the mother and daughter shared another affectionate moment.


    Soon, the Laba porridge arrived, and Liu Sisi, along with everyone else, dug in, each eating a bowl of Laba porridge.


    ¡°This Laba porridge, made with rice, millet, water chestnut rice, chestnut, red cowpea, ck fungus, red dates, soybeans, lotus seeds, ginkgo nuts, fried tofu, taro, peach kennel, almonds, melon seeds, peanuts, filbert, pine nut, white sugar, and brown sugar. Everyone, please taste it and give your opinions,¡± Mrs. Su said with a smile, her eyes narrowing as she looked at everyone.


    Liu Sisi looked at the food in her bowl but didn¡¯t speak. Perhaps she was used to her own cooking; the taste of this Laba porridge, which imed to be made with twenty different ingredients, was quite ordinary.


    Little Ying beside her only took a few small bites before putting down her chopsticks. She whispered in Liu Sisi¡¯s ear, ¡°Mom, I¡­ can¡¯t eat anymore.¡±


    ¡°Come on, give it to me,¡± Liu Sisi said, taking the porridge from YingEr and offering it back to her.


    ¡°Eat quickly, and we¡¯ll go home.¡±<div>


    Although Liu Sisi was eating her porridge, the faint murmurs passing around her still reached her ears.


    After enduring another round of awkward socializing, it was finally time to say goodbye.


    Madam Gan Senior took Liu Sisi¡¯s hand as they left the official residence, then smiled at her, ¡°Sisi, today has certainly been hard on you. As your grandmother, I don¡¯t have much to give you, but my Gan Family does have a pawnshop in West City. Today, I decide to give you 10% of the dividends from the pawnshop. You can collect it once a year at the end of the year. Consider it a token of my affection.¡±


    Madam Gan Senior continued, gently patting her hand.


    ¡°Thank you for your generous gift, Grandmother,¡± Liu Sisi said softly, her face calm.


    Although her expression was calm, the faces of those around her changed, especially Mrs. Su, who looked quite colorful!


    As a wealthy family with a connection to the government, the Gan Family, naturally had many businesses managed by their servants. Among the Gan Family¡¯s most profitable businesses, the pawnshop was one of them.


    A 10% dividend might seem small, but even that would be enough to ensure that the Di family had no worries about food and clothing all year round!


    Mrs. Su¡¯s eyes shifted, and sheughed, ¡°Seeing you and Madam Gan Senior so happy together makes me envious. Sisi, you have fallen into a pile of good fortune by having Madam Gan Senior as your grandmother. You¡¯ll never have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°What Mrs. Su said is exactly what I feel. Isn¡¯t it just like falling into a fortune andnding in a jar of honey?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s smile grew sweeter, her eyes narrowing into a slit.<div>


    A cold light flickered quickly across the depths of her eyes.


    If this is also considered a blessed nest, then give it to whoever wants it!


    After great difficulty, she helped Old Madam Gan onto the carriage, and the olddy reluctantly held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, expressing her emotions.


    ¡°You and Ruo Ruo are both sisters and students of the same teacher, from now on, you must love each other, understand?¡±


    ¡°Sisi will remember.¡±


    Liu Sisi gently held on, finally breaking free from Old Madam Gan¡¯s hand.


    Old Madam Gan felt that the y was almost over and finally left in the carriage amidst everyone¡¯s farewell.


    Liu Sisi felt her clothes at the back soaked, and as the cold winter wind blew, she felt chills all over her body.


    ¡°Sisi, how are you? Is your foot okay?¡±


    Atst, Di Yelei was able to get to Liu Sisi¡¯s side, gently supporting her with an anxious face.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, just a sprain. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±<div>


    She smiled gently and then climbed onto his arm, walking towards the carriage on the side.


    ¡°Mrs. Di, please wait!¡±


    A call came from behind, and Liu Sisi was a little confused for a moment as this was the first time someone called her Mrs.Di. She hurriedly turned her head and looked right into the face of the wealthy Mrs.Ran, the salt merchant¡¯s wife.


    ¡°It turns out to be Mrs.Ran, I don¡¯t know why you stopped Sisi. Do you have anything to ask me?¡±


    Mrs.Ran¡¯s eyebrows and eyes were filled with smiles. With her round and chubby face, she looked even more pleasing: ¡°Mrs.Di, in a few days, it will be the Minor New Year. I haven¡¯t asked where the Di Family lives. I will definitely visit your home then.¡±


    Her words left Liu Sisi at a loss for a moment. After a moment of contemtion, she said: ¡°My father-inw prefers quietness, so we have always lived in the countryside. May I know where does Mrs.Ran live? I will visit you for sure.¡±


    A touch of embarrassment shed across Mrs.Ran¡¯s face before she regained her smile: ¡°It¡¯s a deal then! My house is right next to the South City Gate, just look for the Ran Family¡¯s Mansion. Im often bored at home by myself, so please remember toe.¡±


    ¡°Mrs.Ran, rest assured, Sisi will definitely visit.¡±


    Liu Sisi kept agreeing as she finally got on the carriage with Di Yelei¡¯s help. With the coachman¡¯s yell, the carriage slowly moved forward.


    Not until the carriage turned a corner and the official residence was leftpletely behind, did Liu Sisi breathe a sigh of relief!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand how they got used to such social interactions! It¡¯s simply taking people¡¯s lives!¡±


    Liu Sisiined ufortably to Di Yelei: ¡°In the official residence, my whole body feels uneasy; it¡¯s always ufortable as if countless pairs of eyes are watching me from the shadows. By the way, did you find anything on your end?¡±


    ¡°No rush, this is not the ce to talk. We¡¯ll talk when we return.¡±


    Di Yelei had no intention of speaking.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    The events of today intertwined in Liu Sisi¡¯s mind. She couldn¡¯t help but reach out to lift the carriage curtain, casually turning her head to sweep her gaze to the side, and suddenly froze. On a pir next to the street, a familiar tall figure leaned against it.


    As she looked at him, he also happened to look up, and their gazes met in the air.

 Chapter 331: 331: Good News Brought by the Land Officer

    Chapter 331: 331: Good News Brought by the Land Officer<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    What kind of gaze was this? The deep ck eyes were filled with a biting chill!


    The thin lips pursed tightly, like a hawk standing proudly on a mountain in the darkness of night, cold, aloof, and yet bearing an air of solitary defiance against the world!<div>


    As Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes met those cold, star-like hawk eyes, the man¡¯s arms crossed over his chest, raising an eyebrow arrogantly.


    Aplete stance of confidence and control!


    Such demeanor made Liu Sisi shudder, and she hurriedly pulled down the carriage curtain to block out the view outside.


    Why is Zuo Xingyu here?


    Could it be that he was waiting here specifically for her to pass by?


    She had said clearly before that the next time they met, he should have thought about the price he needed to pay before showing up. Could it be he had found that price to pay within such a short time?


    She couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sisi? What¡¯s outside the carriage?¡±


    Di Yelei asked curiously, and as he spoke, he reached out to pull the curtain open¡­


    ¡°No! Nothing, Ye Lei, really, there¡¯s nothing!¡±


    Liu Sisi became flustered for a moment, hurriedly looking out the curtain that Di Yelei had pulled, only to see that the figure leaning against the stone pir by the roadside had disappeared, as if it had never been there at all.<div>


    Di Yelei looked suspiciously from side to side before finally lowering the curtain.


    He nced casually at Liu Sisi, whose panicked expression made his face darken slightly, but he didn¡¯t expose her little secret.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, let¡¯s go.¡±


    The swaying carriage continued on, with the two unusually quiet passengers lost in their own thoughts and falling silent.


    When they arrived home, it was already dark. As they entered the house, a fragrance of cooked dishes wafted through the air.


    ¡°Mom! Ying¡¯er is so hungry, I feel like I could eat a whole cow!¡±


    The moment she returned home, Ying¡¯er was back to her innocent self, clearly feeling stifled during their time at the official residence.


    ¡°Fine! Our Ying¡¯er shall have a cow to eatter!¡±


    Di Yeleiughed heartily, lifting her up and holding her high above his head as they entered the house.


    Bowls of food had already been prepared in the house. Elderly Mr. Di was standing at the courtyard door, continuously stretching his neck to look out. Seeing them entering the courtyard, he got up and walked inside, leaning on his crutch with a wobbly gait.


    In the kitchen, sitting beside the bonfire stirring the pot was none other than Liu Zhi¡¯er. Da Mao sat quietly by her side, not making any noise.<div>


    Seeing the four of them return, she smiled and said, ¡°The food is already cooked. I also made a pot of Laba Porridge, you can choose what you want to eat.¡± Her voice was still very hoarse.


    ¡°Second Sister, you¡¯re not healed, why aren¡¯t you resting in bed? I can do this work myself.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly approached, ready to take over.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, this is much more leisurely than what I used to do.¡±


    The words of Liu Zhi¡¯er were indifferent, and there was no sorrow in her voice when mentioning the past.


    ¡°That¡¯s good too¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t stop her either, perhaps letting her second sister do some work would make her feel even more at ease.


    Little sparrow Ying¡¯er at the side couldn¡¯t stop chattering, and as soon as she returned, she went up to hold Da Mao¡¯s hand, gesturing excitedly to her.


    ¡°Da Mao! We went to a beautiful, beautiful residence today. There were so many people, so many flowers, so many pastries, and so many dishes ¨C but those dishes looked better than they tasted¡­¡±


    Ying¡¯er wrinkled her little nose.


    Liu Zhi¡¯erid out the bowls and chopsticks one by one, adding the rice. Liu Sisi called everyone to eat, and after calling a few times, she saw her father-inw standing at the doorway of the kitchen, constantly looking outside.<div>


    ¡°Father, it¡¯s time for dinner. What are you looking at? Is there something wrong outside?¡±


    Liu Sisi was also very curious, bending over to look outside.


    The sky had already darkened, and the cold, windy winter nights were almost pitch ck. It was unclear what her father-inw was looking at.


    Eat, eat¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di lowered his head somewhat disappointedly and went into the house in silence.


    Liu Sisi was curious but didn¡¯t say more. After everyone finished eating and the house was tidied up, Liu Sisi noticed Elderly Mr. Di standing outside again. Seemingly noticing Liu Sisi¡¯s probing gaze, he sighed and went back to his room with his crutch.


    ¡°Dad must be waiting for someone from the old house toe. But it¡¯s sote now, and there shouldn¡¯t be anyoneing.¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly spoke from behind.


    ¡°Ah! How do you walk without making a sound?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up at the pitch-ck night sky: ¡°How do you know Dad is waiting for someone from the old house? Is there some hidden meaning to this?¡±


    Di Yelei looked at the night sky for a moment, his facial muscles twitching slightly: ¡°Because¡­in the past, Dad would always be the first to move chopsticks today, eat Laba Porridge, and give out some pocket money so everyone could prepare for the New Year. For example,st year Xiao Wei got five copper coins and used the money to buy a bag of scrap cloth, sewed a few sachets to sell, and had thirty copper coins for the New Year. She really had a good year.¡±


    Di Yelei sighed, shook his head, and turned to walk back inside: ¡°Now that I think about it, these thirty copper coins were so little¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi deeply agreed, as money really was like that. They used to wish they could split every copper coin to spend, but now even the pocket money they give Xuan¡¯er every month was more than their entire family¡¯s wealth before.


    Di Yelei went straight to Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s room when he entered the house, and Liu Sisi took a look and turned to her old bedroom.


    Although the room had been refurbished, the floor was extremely damp because of the leaky roof and was not suitable for people to live in. Therefore, the two did not move in yet.


    Liu Sisi carried themp around the room, estimating that it should be habitable in a few more days before leaving the room.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Looking back at themplight spilling from her father-inw¡¯s room and listening to the faintforting voice of Di Yelei from inside, she moved towards the kitchen with hermp.


    Just then, she heard a knock at the courtyard door and couldn¡¯t help but feel thrilled!


    Could it be someoneing to invite her father-inw to the old house?


    She hurriedly walked faster, ¡°Coming,ing!¡±


    As she opened the yard door and looked up, she saw Mr. Land Officer¡¯s smiling face: ¡°Sisi! Is Third Son Di at home? I have something to discuss with him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yelei is at home. Mr. Land Officer, pleasee in.¡±


    The Land Officer didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and walked straight into the house, calling for Di Yelei: ¡°Third Son Di, Third Son Di!¡±


    Di Yelei came out of the house, followed by a delighted Elderly Mr. Di, but his smile faded as soon as he saw that the visitor was the Land Officer.


    The Land Officer didn¡¯t notice and still had a face full of happiness.


    He stepped forward to grab Di Yelei¡¯s hand: ¡°Come,e, youe over here. I brought some good news today. I guarantee you¡¯ll be satisfied with this news!¡±


    Land Officer¡¯s face was full of excitement and delight.

 Chapter 332: 332: Buying Land

    Chapter 332: 332: Buying Land<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say a while ago that you wanted to ask if the price for thend with farm manor, hot springs, and high-quality farnd could be lowered?¡±


    He quickly grabbed Di Yelei¡¯s hand: ¡°Today, while I had nothing to do, I made a special trip. I met thendlord and got a definite answer; they agreed to lower the price!¡±<div>


    In fact, because Old Man Li had escaped from the Land Officer¡¯s homest time, just before that, he had patted his chest and assured Liu Sisi! Old Man Li¡¯s escape and subsequent death made the Land Officer feel a burning sensation on his face, always feeling that he had let the young couple down.


    He turned things over in his mind but found no solution, and it affected his eating and sleeping. In the end, the Land Officer¡¯s wife came up with an idea!


    Since the Di Family wanted to buynd, why not help them lower the price? This would at least make up for some of the loss. The Land Officer thought about it and agreed, so as soon as daybreak came, he went to the manor and bargained with thendlord,pletely discarding his dignity. Finally, thendlord agreed to lower the price.


    On arriving home, without any concern for the darkness, he rushed over to report the good news to the couple.


    Di Yelei was delighted and exchanged nces with Liu Sisi: ¡°How much did they agree to lower the price to?¡±


    Land Officer said triumphantly: ¡°I¡¯ve looked around, and the farm has houses, hot springs, and high-quality farnd. They originally wanted 1000 taels of silver, but after a long time talking, they finally agreed to sell it for 680 taels of patterned silver. However, they said the transfer procedure at the government office should bepleted as soon as possible, and you will have to pay for it. The most important thing is that they want cash.¡±


    Though the Land Officer wanted to express his hard work, he held back since he knew helping the couple was a way of making amends.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°They want us to pay the processing fee? How much is that?¡±


    Land Officer hurriedly said: ¡°They¡¯ve asked around, and to transfer thisnd property, it would cost around 50 taels of silver. Di Third Son is now working in the government office, so I think you should be able to get a discount. That¡¯s why I agreed with them.¡±


    Di Yelei thought for a moment: ¡°Some of my colleagues are in charge of this kind of thing. If I go, it shouldn¡¯t be that much. After all, I can just invite everyone for a small gathering meal at a wine-house afterward.¡±


    As the couple discussed, Liu Sisi was calcting in her heart.<div>


    There were more than 500 taels of silver in cash at home a few days ago, and since they had spent some money on hiring a carriage today, they would probably need to sell some silver ornaments to collect the 680 taels of silver.


    Once she made up her mind, she gave a practically imperceptible nod to Di Yelei.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Yelei, who was chatting with Mr. Land Officer, saw this and immediately said, ¡°Uncle Land Officer, we can¡¯t give you a definite answer right now! Think about it, this is arge sum of money. Even if we decide to buy, it will probably take some borrowing from one party to repay another.¡±


    The words made the Land Officer¡¯s face darken. That¡¯s right!


    He hadn¡¯t thought about whether the couple had enough money.


    ¡°How about this? Tomorrow morning, Ye Lei will go out to think of a solution, and we¡¯ll give you an answer by tomorrow evening. What do you think?¡±


    Di Yelei added quickly.


    Left with no choice, Land Officer got up: ¡°Alright! You should gather the money first. If you are short by a bit, Uncle Land Officer can still lend you some!¡±


    Naturally, he had thought this through.


    He believed that though the Di Family had risen in status, it would still be challenging toe up with such arge amount of money all at once. If they couldn¡¯t gather enough and were short of a hundred or so taels, he would lend them the money first. He believed that the couple would not renege, given their nature.


    Di Yelei repeatedly thanked the Land Officer and sent him away before turning back.<div>


    He saw Liu Sisi still sitting in her original position, not moving.


    ¡°What do you think? Do you want to buy thatnd?¡± Di Yelei leaned over.


    ¡°What about the soil quality and house properties of thatnd? Is it the one selling thend? Won¡¯t there be any disputester on? Also, how do you measure thend, and how do you transfer it? How do you deal with the specific matters?¡±


    Liu Sisi opened her mouth and threw out a bunch of questions.


    It made Di Yeleiugh: ¡°Sisi, sometimes I¡¯m curious about what¡¯s going through your little head?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face turned red: ¡°I¡­¡± She genuinely couldn¡¯t answer his question.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I will handle everything you¡¯re worried about. Besides, I¡¯m a government official after all. Once they bring thend contract to the government office for a signature, everything will be clear. By buying somend, at least we¡¯ll have some ie. Anyway, holding the silver now doesn¡¯t do us any good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried.¡±


    Her face turned red, and she got up, went for a walk, and returned with a cloth bag in her hands.


    ¡°If we really buy it, it¡¯s going to cost at least 700 taels of silver. Let¡¯s count and see if we have enough.¡±


    As she spoke, she took out the silver coins and counted them one by one.<div>


    ¡°The other day, Sister Qiao gave one tael of silver as an education gift, and there were eight taels of silver you gave me from selling furs. Now there is 563 taels in cash, but we still need 137 taels of silver. Let¡¯s take some jewelry to pawn tomorrow to make up for this shortfall.¡±


    As she spoke, she picked out some gold ornaments from the bag.


    It would probably not be worth much to sell these silver ornaments, so it¡¯s better to take two gold ornaments and exchange them for cash at the gold shop¡­


    ¡°No! Sisi, put away the jewelry,¡± Di Yelei shook his head: ¡°Our family is now in troubled times. If we buy thisnd without borrowing a single coin, it will not be good for us in the eyes of those with ill intentions. It¡¯s better to borrow some money from Uncle Land Officer. Additionally, I can mention it to my colleagues tomorrow, and it will be much more convenient when transferring the property.¡±


    ¡°Ye Lei, you¡¯re more thoughtful. I¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face flushed, and she got up and left the room with the cloth bag, unable to continue.


    Her shy demeanor made Di Yelei¡¯s eyes deepen, following her movements intently, and feeling a surge of heat in his heart.

 Chapter 333: 333: Unexpected Surprise?

    Chapter 333: 333: Unexpected Surprise?<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    When he came back, his hands were empty, showing that he had already put things away.


    He then looked up and said, ¡°By the way, you should make two small boxes out of insect-resistant wood one of these days, so we can store things more conveniently.¡±<div>


    ¡°Making small boxes doesn¡¯t take much effort. I can make them slowly when I have time.¡±


    While talking, he had already wrapped her up from behind: ¡°Sisi! Don¡¯t you think we should be doing something else now?¡±


    ¡°What? Ah! Stop it, I¡¯m telling you¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi wanted to say something, but her words were drowned out by his continuous affection.


    The impatient man began clumsily removing her clothes.


    ¡°What are you doing? I haven¡¯t taken a bath yet; let me go! Mm!¡±


    She struggled, waving her hands trying to push him away, trying to break free from the man who had transformed into a wolf in an instant,ining in her mouth.


    They were still standing in the doorway of the kitchen, this damned man!


    ¡°Kitten, I don¡¯t mind taking a loving bath with you.¡±


    Having already begun his conquest, he casually threw her onto the bed, raised his head to say something to her, then hastily buried his head again, continuing his diligent work.


    He couldn¡¯t wait any longer, barely finishing the forey and seeing that she was already moist enough, he wanted to get straight to the point.<div>


    ¡°Ah, it hurts! You bastard.¡±


    She painfully hammered her little pink fist on his shoulder, this rude man, only thinking about his pleasure, not considering her body at all.


    Unable to bear it, she struggled a few times, trying to move her little body away, but was immediately pulled back by him.


    The battle at hand did not affect his movements in the slightest; he continued forcefully.


    Liu Sisi was trapped in that small space, unable to move,pletely at his mercy, angrily scratching one streak after another on his broad back.


    ¡°Hmm ¡­¡±


    He let out a low hum, feeling the bloodstains left by Sisi¡¯s fingernails on his back.


    A thread of pain spread from the ces she had scratched.


    ¡°Sisi! I don¡¯t mind you leaving more memories on me, so everyone can see how I love you.¡±


    He suddenly smiled wickedly, lowering his head to lightly bite her soft body.


    ¡°If you really dare, just go out and tell everyone. In any case, it¡¯s not just me who is embarrassed by this!¡±<div>


    She endured the tremorsing from her body, not admitting defeat while counterattacking him.


    This damn man in front of her usually indulged her in every possible way; but when it came to this matter, there was never a single step back!


    ¡°Alright, when people ask, I can just tell them how passionate my little kitten is at night!¡±


    Not only did he show no sign of feeling threatened, but he also continued to provoke his little woman nonchntly, watching his little kitten dance her ws while enduring, his heart swelled with pride.


    ¡°You, you¡¯re nothing but a rogue!¡±


    Before she could finish, she was hit viciously again, her fragmented sentences scattered in the silent night.


    Her hands tightly gripped his iron arms, her eyes rolled back, and her bodypletely lost control, limply sagging down.


    He enjoyed the choking-like extreme, holding her tightly until he reached the end¡­


    In this instant, a thought shed through Liu Sisi¡¯s heart.


    It seemed like her period had note for a long time?


    As this realization surfaced from the depths of her heart, her once obscure consciousness gradually revived, and she couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes!<div>


    Thinking carefully, it seemed like her period hadn¡¯te since she and Ye Lei had be true husband and wife!


    Her head was filled with a huge rumbling sound!


    She felt like the sky had suddenly copsed!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sisi?¡±


    A certain satisfied stinky man finally looked up and saw the pale-faced young woman, asking subconsciously.


    ¡°Nothing, you should get up quickly! I¡¯m tired and want to sleep.¡±


    She pushed him away with all her strength, quickly got up, and went to the bathing room.


    Her small body was trembling, and she could barely hold the towel in her hand.


    Damn it!


    She was afraid of getting pregnant, and she had even asked Dr. He for a prescription. Where did it go wrong? Her trembling became more severe, and she could no longer endure the fear in her heart. She buried her head in her arms.


    When she came out of the bathroom, her face had returned to its usual calmness.


    Seeing Liu Sisi as calm as ever, the worried Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but lean over and ask softly, ¡°Sisi, are you alright? What exactly happened to you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just felt too tired earlier, and almost fainted. That¡¯s why I felt bad and couldn¡¯t help butsh out at you.¡±


    Liu Sisi said indifferently.


    Di Yelei felt relieved at her words and soonughed.


    ¡°Sisi, it¡¯s my fault for making you tired. You should rest quickly. Good girl.¡±


    As he spoke, he carefully picked up the cotton quilt, covered Sisi, and left a gentle kiss on her forehead. A feeling of treasured love spread from the skin he kissed, and Liu Sisi closed her eyes.


    Hearing the sound of him leaving for the bathroom, she opened her eyes again.


    At this point, regret couldn¡¯t solve anything. If she were not pregnant, she might have begged the heavens to never let her bear a child.


    But when a little life truly arrived in her stomach, after the initial anger, an overwhelming sense of joy emerged from the bottom of her heart. She could barely contain her happiness, and wished she could tell him immediately and share the joy!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, momentster, she reined in her smile! The reason for her pregnancy was quite strange. She decided to wait and see, and only tell him after confirming that she was really pregnant.


    Liu Sisi gently touched her stomach and couldn¡¯t help but smile softly.


    Was there already a child here that looked like him or her?


    Maybe this wasn¡¯t such a bad experience after all?


    Thinking about this, she couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes and slowly drift off to dreand.


    Meanwhile, a certain stinky man couldn¡¯t help but sneak into the kitchen again after his bath. He sniffed the medicinal materials that Liu Sisi usually boiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s really strange. I¡¯m sure I switched the medicinal materials. Dr. He said this medicine would help women conceive faster, so why is there still no movement till now? Could it be that the medicine has lost its potency because it¡¯s been sitting for too long? Well, I should take the time to inquire at the clinic when passing by the small town tomorrow.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself, then carefully wrapped the medicine back up and put it back in its original ce, before returning to the room.


    Embracing the fragrant young woman in his arms, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

 Chapter 334: 334: Pregnant

    Chapter 334: 334: Pregnant<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    The next day, before the sky was lit, Di Yelei left the house.


    Once he left, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t stay any longer and hurriedly took Old Uncle Wang¡¯s bull-cart to the small town.<div>


    However, this time visiting a clinic, Liu Sisi subconsciously chose another clinic to have her pulse checked.


    She naturally trusted Old Doctor He ¡®s medical skills, but since she noticed an abnormality in her body, she felt uneasy meeting an acquaintance. So she consciously avoided Old Doctor He¡¯s Clinic.


    The business at this clinic was also quite good. By the time it was Liu Sisi¡¯s turn, nearly an hour had passed.


    The elder doctor put a handkerchief on her wrist before beginning to take her pulse.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart pounded like thunder, and her chaotic thoughts made it impossible for her to calm down. She held her breath and waited quietly for the elder doctor¡¯s final verdict.


    ¡°Congrattions, Madam, although it¡¯s still early in your pregnancy, it is indeed a happy pulse without a doubt.¡±


    The elder doctor released her arm and spoke with a smiling face.


    Feeling as if her brain¡¯s blood vessels had exploded, Liu Sisi felt all her blood rushing to her head, her vision suddenly darkened, and she could hardly remain seated.


    When the elder doctor saw Liu Sisi¡¯s excited expression, he thought that she was overwhelmed with joy, and hastily tried tofort her.


    ¡°Please, Madam, do not get too excited! Since you are still young, this pregnancy is not stable. A little carelessness could lead to a miscarriage. During normal days, Madam, you should rest in bed as much as possible, avoid overworking, don¡¯t carry heavy objects, and strictly prohibit bedroom activities. Remember! Remember!¡±


    After finishing his words, the elder doctor started to write a prescription.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Liu Sisi was shocked and rendered speechless; her brain took a while to process the information.


    Her cheeks flushed explosively!


    Did the elder doctor¡­ find out that they had shared a room the previous night through her pulse and purposely mentioned it? Liu Sisi felt so embarrassed that she almost buried her face in her chest.


    It took her quite a while to recover her stolen tongue, and she gathered the courage to ask, ¡°Doctor, can¡¯t I move around? Do I have to lie in bed all day and recuperate?¡±


    Only after the elder doctor had written the prescription did he hand it to an apprentice beside him to prepare the medicine.


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t panic. You just need to be more cautious when walking, sitting, and lying down. Especially in bedroom affairs, be sure to remember moderation!¡±


    The elder doctor spoke meaningfully.


    These young people! He really didn¡¯t understand what was on their minds?


    They didn¡¯t even know how to take care of their own bodies, still messing around during pregnancy! When a big problem arises, there would be nowhere to cry!


    Although the elder doctor¡¯s silent criticism wasn¡¯t spoken aloud, his shakes of the head and sighs left Liu Sisi feeling as if she was on pins and needles.


    Once the medicine was prepared, Liu Sisi quickly grabbed the medicine and put down the silver before leaving hastily.<div>


    After walking quite a distance, she finally had time to slowly digest the meaning behind the elder doctor¡¯s words.


    She couldn¡¯t help but gently protect her lower abdomen with her hand and smiled!


    A little life was growing inside!


    A child connected to her by blood, she wondered if they would be more like him or more like her in the future?


    After thinking about it, she made a detour to the bookstore, checked the ount books and the stocks in and out, and confirmed that there was no problem. Then she went to the grocery store and bought some suitable food. Di Yelei now brought rice and grain home on his way back, but today she suddenly felt a craving and wanted to make a cake.


    However, after buying the necessary items, Liu Sisi discovered another issue.


    Before, the elder doctor had cautioned her not to lift heavy things. Although all these things together only weighed just over a dozen pounds, what if something went wrong?


    Liu Sisi was in a dilemma!


    After some thought, she simply bought two more cotton quilts, and then had Old Wang drive the bull-cart slowly back home.


    Halfway there, she suddenly wondered if driving a bull-cart might also be a problem.


    Suddenly, she felt that pregnancy wasn¡¯t so beautiful after all!<div>


    Finally arriving at the foot of the mountain with trepidation, Liu Sisi pretended to have injured her ankle and asked Old Wang to help deliver the items to the courtyard.


    When paying for the ride, she gave an extra 10 copper coins as a tip: ¡°Uncle Wang, thank you for your help and for bringing these things up here for me. Why don¡¯t you go in and have a couple of drinks of water before you leave?¡±


    Old Uncle Wang took one look at the double fare and quickly declined: ¡°No need for water, I still have to hurry and deliver some goods! What¡¯s a little distance like this among fellow vigers? You should take back these extra coins. Next time you need a ride, just remember to use Old Uncle Wang¡¯s service. Go inside! Your ankle might be a small issue or a big one; you need to rest it for a few days to heal.¡±


    After saying that, he took his rightful share and left down the hill.


    Old Uncle Wang is a pretty good guy!


    Liu Sisi sighed, picked up her big and small packages, and prepared to enter the yard.


    She happened to see Liu Zhi¡¯er passing by the yard door and hurriedly called her: ¡°Second Sister.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er came back and saw Liu Sisi had bought a lot of small things. She quickly went forward and took them: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does your ankle still hurt?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I mean, it still hurts a bit¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know how to break the news to Liu Zhi¡¯er, so she took back her denial and allowed Liu Zhi¡¯er to take everything before heading to the inner room.


    Perhaps knowing she was pregnant made her feel particrly drowsy. Shey down on the makeshift bed in the kitchen and fell into a deep sleep.


    It wasn¡¯t until Liu Zhi¡¯er had cooked their meal and called Liu Sisi to get up that she sluggishly ate while dozing off.


    Several times she almost dropped her chopsticks with food into the fire, frightening the others eating nearby.


    After forcing herself to finish eating, she tossed her bowl and chopsticks aside and went back to sleep.


    She didn¡¯t wake up until dark.


    In her daze, she seemed to hear people talking by her ear.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? Why can¡¯t we wake her up no matter how much we call?¡±


    ¡°Today she came back and went straight to bed. I asked her but she didn¡¯t say anything. She did bring back some medicine bags, but I don¡¯t know how to cook them and I didn¡¯t dare try.¡±


    ¡°Give the medicine bags to me! I¡¯ll go ask Zhang Peng about them and see what kind of medicine they are.¡±


    Then there was some rustling, and Liu Sisi wanted to wake up. Her consciousness was clear but her body seemed incredibly heavy and unresponsive; she couldn¡¯t open her eyes no matter how hard she tried.


    She could only let herself be immersed in her dreams¡­


    It seemed like a long time had passed, or perhaps just a moment, when she heard someone calling her name by her ear.


    Frowning, she waved her arm to brush away the annoying mosquito.


    Then, a bitter medicine liquid flowed into her mouth. Instinctively, she wanted to spit it out, but she heard Di Yelei¡¯s familiar coaxing voice by her ear.

 Chapter 335: 335: Ye Lei’s Anxiety

    Chapter 335: 335: Ye Lei¡¯s Anxiety<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t spit it out, this medicine is good for your body, don¡¯t be afraid of bitterness, swallow it quickly.¡±


    She struggled to open her heavy eyelids, and the figure of two Di Yelei kept swaying in front of her eyes.<div>


    After blinking again, the two swaying figures gradually merged, and she finally saw the person in front of her, trying to sit up from the head of the bed.


    At the bedside, Liu Zhi¡¯er and Di Yelei were both holding bowls and spoons anxiously watching her.


    Upon seeing her sitting up, Di Yelei hurriedly lowered the spoon, put the pillow behind her so that she could lean on it for morefort.


    ¡°Why are you all here?¡±


    ¡°Sisi, how are you feeling now? If you are ufortable, tell us right away. It seemed like you fainted earlier, and we couldn¡¯t wake you up no matter how much we called. It scared your brother-inw to death.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s voice was particrly hoarse, but at least one could understand the sentence.


    ¡°I¡­ fainted? I didn¡¯t feel anything.¡±


    Liu Sisi touched her still dizzy head, she always thought she was just tired.


    ¡°Sisi, it¡¯s my fault for not taking good care of you. Zhang Peng said you were too fatigued and advised you to rest well. Come on, drink your medicine.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he took the medicine bowl from Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hands and prepared to feed her.


    ¡°No¡­ let me do it myself.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi avoided his hand, her second sister was still watching. Allowing him to feed her the medicine would be inappropriate.


    She took the medicine bowl and drank the medicine in a few big gulps.


    After taking a deep breath, she returned the bowl: ¡°What time is it now? How long have I been asleep?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already the end of 7 p.m to 9 p.m. Sleep a while if you¡¯re tired, you¡¯ll be fine after some rest. Do you want to lie down?¡± Di Yelei tried to help her up.


    ¡°No, I want to go to the restroom.¡±


    After lying down for a long time, it¡¯s no wonder her storage was full.


    Liu Sisi propped herself up and reached for her shoes to put them on. But as she bent down, her stomach churned, and she immediately began vomiting.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    The taste in her mouth was bitter instantly, with her stomach surging like a tidal wave, as if she was going to throw up everything fromst night¡¯s meal, seemingly endless.


    Di Yelei was anxious and hurriedly stepped forward to help Liu Sisi, lightly patting her back.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is the vomiting so severe? Should I go and ask Zhang Peng toe and check again? Is there any problem?¡±<div>


    ¡°This¡­ could it be because she caught a cold? Maybe she went out too early today and caught a wind¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er on the side hurried to fetch some ashes to cover the vomit.


    At the moment, Liu Sisi could do nothing but shake her head.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    When she couldn¡¯t vomit anymore, her whole body copsed onto Di Yelei, soft as a puddle of mud.


    ¡°Are you still going to the restroom? Maybe you should lie down for a while, and go when you feel better.¡±


    Di Yelei carefully helped her lie down, covered her with a quilt, and his eyes were full of anxiety: ¡°I think this won¡¯t work. I have to ask Zhang Peng toe over again. You wait at home, and I¡¯ll be back in a while.¡±


    After saying that, without waiting for Liu Sisi to speak, he rushed out of the room hurriedly.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s call hadn¡¯t fallen, and there was no one to be seen over there already.


    ¡°Sisi, could it be that you are pregnant¡­?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er finished tidying up the room before turning around and asking.<div>


    Liu Sisi furrowed her brows in a headache. Hearing Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s words, she raised her head: ¡°Didn¡¯t Brother Zhange before? Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°Know what? You mean that Brother Zhang? He just keptughing and didn¡¯t say anything, with a mysterious expression on his face. Later, he told my brother-inw to ask you himself. I was thinking, could you really be pregnant?¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face also had lingering worries.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t say whether she was more happy or had other emotions. She gently stroked her belly and gave a barely noticeable nod.


    ¡°The doctor said yes, but the pregnancy is too small to determine the time.¡±


    ¡°Really? Are you really pregnant? Thank Heaven!¡±


    On the other hand, Liu Zhi¡¯er was very happy, and her eyes turned red: ¡°Your life is getting better and better, the only regret is that you haven¡¯t had your own child. If you are really pregnant and give birth to a big fat boy, it can be regarded as truly standing firm in the Di Family. Just like my three stinky little boys¡­¡±


    Having said half of her words, Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t continue.


    The smile on her face gradually faded, and she couldn¡¯t help but sit down by the bedside and fall into deep thought.


    Liu Sisi endured the pain, took Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand, and gentlyforted her: ¡°Second Sister! You still have me and Da Mao! As for Er Mao and San Mao, Sisi promises you that she will entrust others to help inquire about their whereabouts, find them, and reunite you and your sons.¡±


    A light red up on Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face again, turning around and grabbing Liu Sisi¡¯s hand tightly, her nails almost pinching into Liu Sisi¡¯s flesh.


    ¡°Are you telling the truth? You will really help me find Er Mao and San Mao? You didn¡¯t lie to me?¡±


    ¡°Second Sister! Although Sisi has forgotten the past, you and I are still close sisters. No matter what misunderstandings we had in the past, our bones are still connected! I will definitely help you find the two children!¡±


    Liu Sisi held her hand firmly and persistently.


    ¡°Good! Very good¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was so excited that she couldn¡¯t help herself, wiping her tears again and again.


    ¡°Second Sister, look at you crying. You still have Da Mao to take care of. If you don¡¯t take care of him, he will definitely be taken back by his father. By that time, it¡¯s hard to say where he¡¯ll end up and suffer a lifetime of hardship and pain. The worst-case scenario is that he¡¯ll be sold to a horrible ce, and that would truly be a dark fate.¡±


    In order to arouse Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s will to live, Liu Sisi intentionally exaggerated the situation a bit.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er wiped her tears with all her strength and nodded: ¡°Right! What you said is the truth! I can¡¯t let Da Mao have any idents either. You vomited up all the soup and medicine just now, you rest first, and I will make soup for you.¡±


    After finishing, Liu Zhi¡¯er hurriedly turned out the grass curtain screen and lit the fire in the stove.


    ¡°Second Sister, how are the kids? Did they have fun today?¡±


    Liu Sisi had almost no strength, but she still pushed herself to go to the restroom ande back.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er started to make another soup and quickly replied: ¡°Today, Zhang Yun came over and yed with Xuan¡¯er for a long time. I saw that he treated YingEr quite well. Later, Sister-inw Zhang also came over. I told her you went to town, and she sat and yed for a while before leaving. Her sewing skills are really great, butpared to your embroidery skills, there is still too much difference.¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but sweat in her heart. Now, not to mention her embroidery skills, even her mending work was not presentable¡­

 Chapter 336: 336: Excitement

    Chapter 336: 336: Excitement<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    She hurriedly changed the subject.


    ¡°Second Sister, I feel so bad for having you make medicine for me. I really feel guilty¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re sisters, I¡¯ve been living and eating at your home, causing you so much trouble. If anyone should feel guilty, it¡¯s me, your Second Sister.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s voice was hoarse.


    ¡°Second Sister, if you say such things, that¡¯s just too much. From now on, I don¡¯t want to hear you say this. If you really feel guilty, then just take care of yourself, recover well, put on some weight, and look after your child. That will be enough.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, sleepiness welled up within her.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er nodded heavily, remembering that Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t see her movements, and hurriedly said.


    ¡°Mm! I understand¡­¡±


    When Di Yelei and Zhang Peng came back, Liu Sisi was already drowsy.


    ¡°Guihua originally wanted toe too, but I thought it was toote and too cold, so I let her stay at home.¡±


    Zhang Peng checked her pulse and then got up directly: ¡°My sister-inw is fine, just weak. Her pregnancy is not stable, and her emotions have been fluctuating greatly recently, causing her to worry and get upset. So her body can¡¯t take it. However, as long as she takes a few doses of this medicinal soup and slowly recuperates, her health will naturally improve.¡±


    What was said made Liu Sisi shyly lower her head.


    ¡°Yes! Lately, Sisi has indeed been tired. She has been busy so many times, and her emotions have indeed been fluctuating a lot.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei, next to her, kept nodding, without realizing the meaning of the words: ¡°She¡¯ll definitely consume the medicinal soup, as for the pregnancy¡­pregn¡­what are you saying?!¡±


    He suddenly stopped speaking, like a lion with its hair standing on end, and jumped up, grabbing Zhang Peng by the cor.


    With an unbelieving look, his voice trembled as he carefully asked, ¡°What¡­ what did you just say? You¡­ say it again?¡±


    As if fearing to disturb something, his voice trembled.


    ¡°Let go, let go! What¡¯s with pulling and tugging?¡±


    Zhang Peng was particrly calm, lightly patting the cor that was being grabbed.


    ¡°My apologies, I was too rude.¡±


    Di Yelei quickly let go of him, carefully straightening out his cor, and fetching a stool to help Zhang Peng sit down. He smiled with an eager face, ¡°Brother Zhang, what did you just say?¡±


    His fearful and timid expression instantly pleased everyone in the room, making them allugh.


    Theughter attracted Elderly Mr. Di and the children from the other room, who had already gone to sleep. They heard the noise and the sound of footsteps heading towards the kitchen.


    Afterughing enough, Zhang Peng finally said loudly: ¡°I said! My sister-inw is already pregnant. The months are still too small, so she needs proper care and nourishment.¡±<div>


    This time, Di Yelei heard it clearly. He stood still for a long time, like it was his first time being a father, and he mumbled to himself: ¡°Sisi is pregnant, Sisi is pregnant, I¡¯m going to be a father! I¡¯m going to be a father, hehe¡­ I¡¯m going to be a father! I¡¯m going to be a father!¡±


    He became more and more excited as he spoke, his joy increasing. Suddenly, with a forceful pat on Zhang Peng¡¯s shoulder, Zhang Peng staggered and almost fell down.


    However, Di Yelei was still oblivious, and heughed as he rushed forward, lifting Liu Sisi up and spinning around quickly!


    ¡°Sisi! We are having a child! You are pregnant! I am so happy and thrilled! Hahaha¡­¡±


    His triumphantughter rang out, as if he couldn¡¯t wait to share his joy with everyone in the world!


    His utterly joyousughter was overheard by the several people who rushed over when they heard themotion.


    Di Xuan clenched his fists tightly, sealing his lips without saying a word. Did what he worried about the most happen after all?


    Little Ying beside him did not understand what her dad was rejoicing about, only curiously tilting her head and trying to figure out what was going on.


    On the other hand, Elderly Mr. Di, after making sense of the situation, gently patted Di Xuan¡¯s shoulder and silently turned back to his room, closing the door behind him.


    The world spun around her, and Liu Sisi¡¯s head felt dizzy. She could only try to cling to the man whirling her around.


    ¡°Ah! Ye Lei, put me down quickly! Let me¡­ let me go! I need to vomit¡­ I am going to vomit!¡±<div>


    She couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and felt like vomiting just as she said it.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey! Don¡¯t get too excited! Quickly put your sister-inw down; she can¡¯t handle all this fuss!¡± Zhang Peng saw that things weren¡¯t going well and quickly tried to stop him.


    It wasn¡¯t until she was finally set down by the man in front of her that things began to calm down.


    Almost immediately, Liu Sisi rushed to a corner and started to throw up violently.


    Unfortunately, having not eaten anything all afternoon, and having vomited just before, she could only dry heave, unable to bring anything up.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Peng couldn¡¯t help but scold angrily, ¡°Look at you! You¡¯re already a father of two children, yet you still act so impulsive? Your sister-inw is pregnant now; she absolutely cannot have your temperament; it would be disastrous if it affected the fetus! You, oh you¡­¡±


    He shook his head with disappointment.


    Only at this moment did Di Yelei realize his mistake. He hurriedly went to pat Liu Sisi¡¯s back gently and then took the clear water handed to him by Liu Zhi¡¯er to rinse her mouth before carefully helping her back to the head of the bed.


    He kept apologizing, ¡°Sisi, it wasn¡¯t your husband¡¯s intention to upset you. I was just too happy! I hope I didn¡¯t hurt you. If you are very upset, you can hit me or scold me. That way, you will feel better.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s limbs were already weak, and she could barely keep her eyes open as her head hit the pillow.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now; I¡¯m just so tired and want to sleep¡­¡± As she spoke, she closed her eyes.


    She was indeed exhausted.


    ¡°Alright, alright, close your eyes and sleep. When the soup medicine is der, I¡¯ll wake you up to drink it.¡±


    Di Yelei diligently covered her with the quilt and then stood at the head of the bed, grinning foolishly.


    Seeing him grin foolishly, Zhang Peng couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. Clearly, the other party had no intention of continuing to entertain him. He finally decided to leave, resentful that he hade twice in the middle of the night but received no warm send-off from the man with his wife and children tucked infortably.


    He couldn¡¯t let this slide!


    When he went to the county government tomorrow, he would have to make sure to give him a good jolt.


    He heard that the signature dishes at Juxian Restaurant were especially good. It seemed like he would have a taste of fortune¡­


    Seeing Zhang Peng leave the room, Liu Zhi¡¯er hurriedly went up to send him off. Women are more attentive after all. She immediately got to the point, ¡°Brother Zhang, my Little Sister¡¯s fetus¡­ there¡¯s nothing wrong with it, right? Is there anything we should be paying attention to?¡±

 Chapter 337: 337: Ah-Huang’s Desire

    Chapter 337: 337: Ah-Huang¡¯s Desire<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Zhang Peng then turned to look at Liu Zhi¡¯er, saying, ¡°Oh! I would have forgotten if you didn¡¯t mention it. Your sister-inw is weak, so don¡¯t let her overwork herself and try to let her rest in bed as much as possible. After four months, the baby will be more stable, and she can move around more freely.¡±


    ¡°Is her condition today abnormal? I couldn¡¯t wake her up earlier when I tried¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er still looked worried.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal. A lot has happened in her family recently, and pregnant women should avoid extreme emotions. She might have had too much emotional fluctuation today. Let her rest and let her body adjust. On the other hand, you.¡±


    Zhang Peng¡¯s topic shifted to Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was surprised, ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your throat is badly injured, and if you don¡¯t take care of it, it¡¯ll be difficult for it to recover after it heals. When we get back, I will prepare some medicine for you to apply externally first. It¡¯s gettingte, and you¡¯re also a patient, so go back and rest. I visit the Di Family regrly, so there¡¯s no need for you to see me off.¡± With that, he left with big strides.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er gently closed the courtyard door and listened to the low voice of Di Yelei, who was soothingly talking to the two children to sleep; she felt a wave of loneliness wash over her.


    She couldn¡¯t help but squat down and hug her arms, burying her head in her elbows, thinking of her lonely situation, and feeling the chill in her heart growing stronger.


    Suddenly, she heard a whimpering sound and couldn¡¯t help but look up.


    She saw Ah-Huang peeking around from his dog house, his mouth letting out low whines, his half-drooping tail wagging, sniffing and sniffing in the dog house before reluctantly walking toward the main entrance, whimpering and looking up at Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    He walked back to the opposite dog house, lying down again, his lost gaze fixed on the doorway where Liu Zhi¡¯er was.


    ¡°Sigh! Are you missing Ah-Hua, Ah-Huang? Tell me, are our situations the same?¡±<div>


    Of course, Ah-Huang wouldn¡¯t reply. He instinctively darted out of his dog house upon hearing Ah-Hua¡¯s name but gave up and returned with his head hanging when he couldn¡¯t find her, ignoring Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    ¡°Being a dog has its own troubles, and being a person also has its own difficulties. Living is not easy for anyone!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er sighed as she passed by the stable; she noticed there was no more fodder, so she got some hay and added adle of oats to the feeding trough. She had nned to continue boiling medicine, but her brother-inw had already taken over her work.


    Seeing this warm couple, she tactfully didn¡¯t disturb them and went back to her room to rest.


    While boiling medicine, Di Yelei also prepared in rice porridge. When the medicine was ready, the in porridge was almost cooked; he called for Liu Sisi to take the medicine.


    ¡°After taking the medicine, do you want to drink some in porridge? I specially cooked it in a stewing pot. There¡¯s also some beast meat stewed on the bonfire, why don¡¯t you eat some?¡±


    Liu Sisi also felt her stomach empty and ufortable.


    ¡°No meat, that smell is unbearable.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Liu Sisi suddenly said, ¡°I want to eat pickled cabbage, pickled young ginger, pickled garlic, pickled turnips, pickled chilis, pickled Chinese cabbage¡­¡±


    As she mentioned these foods, saliva began to flow in her mouth, wishing she could have them immediately.


    ¡°This¡­¡±<div>


    Di Yelei was in a dilemma, thinking whether they had any of these items at home, but it seemed they didn¡¯t.


    After thinking for a while, he tentatively said, ¡°¡­What about some natto? I remember thatst time you opened the lid, you left half of the pot uneaten.¡±


    Liu Sisiy dejectedly back down on the bed head: ¡°Fine! No fish or shrimp is fine too. Let¡¯s eat natto.¡±


    The in rice porridge and natto arrived quickly, Liu Sisi picked up her chopsticks and took a bite, then nodded her head. Thisbination of in rice porridge and natto is quite good!


    Watching Liu Sisi eat happily, Di Yelei had an idea.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s that pickled turnip thing you mentioned before? How do you make it? I remember we still have quite a few turnips, garlic, and chilies at home. You teach me, and I¡¯ll make it for you.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought about it and realized it made sense. Making pickled vegetables is simple and hassle-free. Especially with turnips, you can put them in today, and they¡¯re ready to eat early tomorrow morning ¨C very convenient.


    ¡°Just wash the vegetables clean, wait for the water on their surface to dry, and then put them in a jar with added salt¡­¡±


    Di Yelei nodded repeatedly, hurriedly memorizing the steps one by one.


    By the time Liu Sisi saw the bottom of the porridge bowl, she handed over her bowl and chopsticks, shaking her head to signal she was done eating. She then continued to ask, ¡°By the way, you went to the government office to borrow money today. Did you get enough silver?¡±


    Speaking of this matter, Di Yelei immediatelyughed!<div>


    ¡°I got enough a long time ago! I remembered what you said and deliberately borrowed a few taels from several acquaintances, as well as some from the Land Officer and Zhang Peng. Here, it¡¯s all here, you take it.¡±


    As he spoke, he took out the silver and handed it to her.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to give it to me. You¡¯ll need it when the day breaks, won¡¯t you? Keep it with you for now. Oh, right, Uncle Land Officer helped a lot with this. When you go, don¡¯t go empty-handed, remember to bring two pieces of beast meat and additionally, seal a red envelope and give it to him, along with a silver hairpin as a thank-you gift.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she yawned sleepily.


    Di Yelei lovingly hugged her: ¡°Look at you, you¡¯re so tired, and you¡¯re still worrying about these things. Sleep well and don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of everything! Even if the sky copses, your husband will be there to support you! Rest assured!¡±


    ¡°You? Can you hold up?¡±


    Liu Sisi pursed her lips with amusement,ughing!


    Don¡¯t mention it, his heartwarming words made her feel warm inside and unusuallyfortable.


    He raised his eyebrows with surprise, flexing his arm muscles and patting his chest with a resounding thump: ¡°With a chest like mine, can¡¯t I protect you? Can¡¯t I build a warm home for you?¡±


    True enough! The man before her was not the type to admit defeat.


    ¡°I believe it! We¡¯ll definitely live a good life¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she drifted into dreand.


    In her dreams, she and Di Yelei were standing in front of an extraordinarily luxurious mansion,ughing joyfully.


    At that moment, a little girl with braids ran over happily, threw herself into her arms, and called out sweetly, ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    Even after Liu Sisi woke up, she was still reluctant to open her eyes, lost in the little girl¡¯s sweet call of ¡°mom¡± in her dream, unwilling to wake up.


    How wonderful it would be if the child in her belly were truly that adorable little girl! In the future, she could also be a ymate for YingEr, so she wouldn¡¯t be lonely and alone!


    Liu Sisi secretly sighed.

 Chapter 338: 338: Marrying into the Blessed Nest

    Chapter 338: 338: Marrying into the Blessed Nest<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    When she opened her eyes again, the sky had already brightened.


    The sky in winter was always gray and hazy, and the view outside could not be seen through the window.<div>


    After waking up from her sleep, Liu Sisi felt that her spirits had improved significantly, and then she got up and dressed.


    As soon as she heard the movement inside, Liu Zhi¡¯er called through the grass curtain: ¡°Sisi, are you awake? The medicine is ready and warmed by the bonfire. You should drink it before doing anything else. Later, it¡¯ll be just the right time for breakfast.¡±


    After tidying up her clothes and stepping out, Liu Sisi looked around and saw Di Xuan sitting in the hall, meticulously reciting his lessons, while Elderly Mr. Di was leaning on his crutch, lovingly looking at him.


    On the other hand, YingEr and Da Mao were ying in the courtyard, chasing the half-grown chicken all around, causing Ah-Huang to bark wildly. It was quite lively!


    After grooming herself, Liu Sisi drank the medicine and adjusted her appearance before picking up the bowl for breakfast.


    The porridge was fragrant white rice porridge, and the dish was pickled vegetables and pickled turnips. It was a little bit spicy, with a hint of sweetness and sourness, which was delicious. It made Liu Sisi¡¯s appetite surge, and she ate arge bowl.


    ¡°When I was pregnant with Da Mao, I didn¡¯t have an appetite at all. All day long, I wanted to eat pickled vegetables. I didn¡¯t know what you wanted to eat, so I just prepared some ording to my taste at the time. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll get used to it.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was sewing a shoe sole on the side, and the cotton thread in her hand was pulled taut with extraordinary speed. Liu Sisi stared in amazement!


    ¡°Second Sister, you are amazing! How did you do this?¡±


    Heavens! How did she do it with such speed¡­ How did she manage to pierce through that thick shoe sole?


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it once you¡¯ve practiced enough.¡±<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er looked up and smiled before burying her head again to continue the work in her hands.


    Liu Sisi looked and saw a pair of pear blossom white satin shoes, which seemed to be for a little girl.


    ¡°Are these shoes for YingEr?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I saw YingEr has a pear blossom white dress, but the peach-pink shoes she usually wears with it don¡¯t match well, so I thought I¡¯d make her a pair of shoes with this satin. Besides, there¡¯s some leftover cloth pieces, so it¡¯s perfect for making shoes.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er bit off the thread in her hand and picked up another strand of cotton thread to thread the needle.


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t use needle and thread now.¡±


    It took a while for Liu Sisi to finally stutter that out.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er continued her work and casually asked.


    Liu Sisi silently finished the food in her bowl and then cleaned up the bowl and chopsticks beforeing back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened. After the high fever that one time, I became rusty and forgot how to do it. I don¡¯t know if I identally injured something during that time, but¡­ I just suddenly forgot.¡±<div>


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯ve forgotten, then so be it! Old people often say that when a woman gets married, it¡¯s like being reborn. Whether it¡¯s good or bad depends on the marriage. Sisi, you married into a blessed family. Second Sister¡­¡±


    As Liu Zhi¡¯er spoke, her movements slowed down.


    ¡°Second Sister, you¡¯ve been given a new life too! You and him are divorced, so you¡¯ll no longer be tied to each other in the future. When your injuries heal and Lunar New Year passes, I¡¯ll go to the matchmaker to help you look around.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er smiled and shook her head: ¡°Second Sister has already let go of such concerns. I don¡¯t care about them anymore. What I¡¯m worried about are Er Mao and San Mao, these two children¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! There will be good news from Ye Lei!¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er didn¡¯t raise her head as she spoke.


    Recovering a sold child who also doesn¡¯t remember their family because of their young age ¨C how difficult could that be?


    Liu Sisi had nothing more to say, so she sat for a while and then went to the hall to supervise Di Xuan¡¯s homework.


    Not long after, Guihua arrived and saw Liu Sisi standing fine, clearly relieved.


    The two chatted andughed for a while. Shortly after, Ms. Xin also came.<div>


    Ms. Xin brought a small embroidery frame with her and started gossiping as soon as she sat down.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it the Laba Festival the other day? My mom was nagging Second Sister-inw about celebrating, and identally knocked her knee. She¡¯s still in bed now and hasn¡¯t gotten up.¡±


    Guihua smirked: ¡°Oh my, has your Di family been neglecting to burn incensetely? First, Sisi injured her ankle, and now your Second Sister-inw hurt her knee. Who have you offended, some door gods or something?¡±


    No one in the room spoke up, but everyone knew how troublesome Ms. Wang could be.


    She and Ms. Zhao, her daughter-inw, were like needle against awl, always at odds.


    ¡°What was the fight about this time?¡± Liu Sisi asked casually.


    ¡°Ha! What else could it be? It was still about the previous issue between my father and mother-inw. Second Sister-inw brought up the old grudges between my mother-inw and her former mother-inw, and said that my father would probably ignore her for a lifetime. Then, the two started quarreling.¡±


    Ms. Xin described the situation very lightly, but the smirk on her lips seemed to imply that the situation was much more severe than she described.


    Liu Sisi caught on quickly, suspecting that the real situation was much worse than Ms. Xin had described.


    Faint scents wafted from Ms. Xin¡¯s body. Lately, Liu Sisi had been feeling unwell, and her nose was extra sensitive. After smelling the scents for a while, she started to feel dizzy and couldn¡¯t handle it anymore.


    ¡°My head feels heavy, you guys continue chatting, I¡¯m going to lie down for a bit.¡±


    Without waiting for everyone¡¯s consent, she went straight to lie down.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Third Sister-inw?¡± Ms. Xin asked, looking confused.


    ¡°Oh, nothing much. She¡¯s just pregnant and feeling nauseous.¡±


    Guihua couldn¡¯t help shaking her head: ¡°Sisi is having such a strong reaction and still has a long time to go. It looks like she¡¯s going to suffer quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°Third Sister-inw is pregnant?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ms. Xin¡¯s face suddenly changed, and she seemed agitated.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was busy sewing embroidered shoes, alsoughed: ¡°That¡¯s right! The baby¡¯s only a few months along, so she needs to be well taken care of. This morning, she didn¡¯t have much appetite, but she drank arge bowl of pickled cabbage and in rice porridge.¡±


    ¡°Well, congrattions to Third Sister-inw.¡±


    Ms. Xin¡¯s face was rather pale, but after chatting for a moment, she excused herself and left.


    As soon as Ms. Xin left, Guihua spat: ¡°That Ms. Xin is full of the scent of the theater. Even though she¡¯s been away for so long, she still hasn¡¯t gotten rid of it. What a sin!¡±


    She especially despised those theater people, who always talked one way and acted another.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s alright. However, she does act rather independently when she talks and does things.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but interject from the side.


    ¡°You¡¯re still defending her? Ah! Wait until you¡¯ve spent more time in the Upper Vige, and you¡¯ll naturally understand the inside story.¡±

 Chapter 339 - 339 Double Happiness Comes to the Family Door, Everyone is Happy! (Part 1)

    Chapter 339: Double Happiness Comes to the Family Door, Everyone is Happy! (Part 1)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Guihua shook her head dismissively. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi smiled, hiding her lips, having no particr feelings toward Ms. Xin. It was just her overpowering perfume that Liu Sisi found especially hard to bear.


    It would be best to keep her distance in the future, she thought. She really could not stand that scent.


    Outside, Liu Zhi¡¯er and Guihua were still engrossed in conversation, their chatter apanied by the sound of daubing shoe polish, the audible reading from Xuan¡¯er in the hall, Zhang Yun¡¯s querulous rebuttals, and the yful mor of YingEr and Da Mao ying around the house, the squeals of the chickens, and the gentle admonishments of their father¡­


    All these different sounds mingling together made Liu Sisi feel particrly at peace, feeling enveloped in a cocoon of warmth, and involuntarily slipping into dreand.


    It was almost dark in the afternoon when Di Yelei returned home, his face glowing with unrestrained joy. The moment he reached the yard, he dismounted from his jujube red horse and began calling loudly out towards the house.


    ¡°Sisi! Sisi, it worked! It all worked out! ¡±


    With his spirits high, he dashed into the house, his joyous expression met by Guihua and the others who hade to see what themotion was. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, his face beaming.


    ¡± Sister Guihua is here too? I was just saying I wanted to stop by your houseter. ¡±


    Naturally, Guihua had heard his previous shout and hurriedly asked, ¡°Brother


    Ye Lei, you¡¯re back. How did things go? Was thend purchase process smooth?


    Why didn ¡®t Zhang Penge back with you?¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhang has already gone back, we parted ways at the vige entrance. Sister Guihua, why don ¡®t you have dinner at our house tonight? Ye Lei already mentioned it to Zhang Peng, we¡¯re going to have a gathering tonight to celebrate the double joy! ¡±


    Di Yelei wasughing so hard he couldn¡¯t close his mouth.


    ¡°Brother Ye Lei! You look so cheerful, like one does when they receive joyful news! Sisi is still inside. You better go and apany her. ¡±


    As she spoke, Guihua beganughing with the others by her side.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was reddened by theughter of the crowd, even his bronzecolored skin couldn ¡®t hide the blush.


    He coughed lightly, ¡°Yes! Sisi doesn¡¯t know about the good news yet. I¡¯ll go tell her. ¡± As he snoke. he onened the curtain and went into the house.


    ¡°Hmph! There¡¯s no way Sisi didn¡¯t hear such a loud noise. Can ¡®t you think of a better excuse?¡±


    Guihua ¡®s teasing made everyoneugh even more heartily.


    Blushing, Di Yelei entered the house. When he lifted the grass curtain, he saw that Sisi had already gotten up. She was sitting on the bed, looking somewhat uncertain. Seeing hime in, she looked at him with a beaming smile.


    ¡°How did it go? What¡¯s the result?¡± Liu Sisi was eager to know too.


    ¡°It¡¯s done!¡±


    Di Ye Lei was so ecstatic that as he spoke, he pulled a cloth bag he had been carrying close to him from his bosom, ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you about my colleagues yesterday? Everyone was joking abouting with me. I thought they were just kidding. But to my surprise, they really came today. They instantly verified the authenticity of the house andnd contracts on the spot, measured thend and set the boundaries. Lord County Magistrate said he was going to ¡®seal¡¯ it soon, so it would be better to arrange things sooner rather thanter. So we got it stamped today. Then my colleagues and I celebrated together, insisting that I treat them¡­ ¡±


    His face was wreathed in smiles, his excitement evident. Clearly, he was delighted, ted!


    It¡¯s actually quite natural, people throughout history have been eager to buynd. Even here, be it for marrying a wife or giving away a daughter, the most substantial asset and dowry wasnd. From this, one could see the importance ofnd in people¡¯s minds.


    He took out a neatly folded piece of paper from the opened cloth bag and unfolded it to show to Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi took it and carefully checked the official seal on it, as well as the private seals of the buyer and seller, and the detailed descriptions of the house andnd contracts. Once she had confirmed that everything was correct, her brows rxed into a smile.


    ¡°We should celebrate this with a meal! Brother Nan and I just opened a new wine-house in the county, it¡¯s barely been open for long and doesn¡¯t have many customers. Since we¡¯re nning a celebration, why don ¡®t we invite everyone here? It could serve as free advertising for the wine-house. ¡±


    Liu Sisi was thinking ahead, no matter where you are, having the backing of the government would ensure that business continues to flourish.


    If the Lord County Magistrate and his constables frequented this new wine house, it would naturally attract countless customers. With that, wouldn ¡®t the business prosper?


    Di Yelei was confused for a moment: ¡°What¡­ advertisement?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I mean¡­ promotion. I¡¯m talking about promoting and marketing. ¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly changed the topic: ¡°What should we do with this house andnd contract? Where should we keep it?¡±


    ¡°Silly girl! Naturally, you should keep it! When our child is born, whether it¡¯s a boy or a girl, we have to leave something for them.¡± Di Yelei affectionately hugged her waist and couldn ¡®t help but gently rub her belly.


    ¡°Little Treasure, daddy¡¯s back, be good. ¡±


    This ce was already nurturing a new life, a child of him and her! Thinking about it, he felt energized, believing his hard work was well worth it!


    ¡°Oh? Are you really giving this property to the child in my stomach?¡± Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow in surprise, waving the contract in her hand: ¡°You best make sure you understand, once you give me thisnd, it¡¯ll be mine. How I handle it in the future is my business. You don¡¯t get a say!¡±


    ¡°You! When have I ever broken a promise?¡±


    Unable to resist, he gently flicked her small nose. Watching her frown and dodge away from him, heughed triumphantly, then pulled her back into his arms.


    ¡°Besides, most of the money for thisnd was earned by you. Giving you control of it is the right thing to do. Why would I intervene?¡±


    Liu Sisi wrinkled her small nose: ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true! Even if you have nothing to say, what about other people? The world is unpredictable, who knows what the future holds. ¡±


    ¡°Rest assured! When I Di Yelei give my word, it¡¯s as good as gold! ¡± Holding the fragrant woman in his arms, his hand gently rubbed her belly: ¡°This little guy really is a blessing. He just arrived and we¡¯ve already added thisrge tract ofnd to our assets. It¡¯s truly a double blessing. I¡¯m thinking tonight we should invite Zhang Peng¡¯ s family over for a get-together, so we can all celebrate. ¡± Exactly!


    It seems ever since she found out she was pregnant, they¡¯ve added this newnd to their property.


    Liu Sisi also gently touched her still t stomach, now she was feeling particrly eager for this new life to arrive.


    ¡°Just inviting Zhang Peng¡¯s family might not be appropriate. Since you ¡®re inviting, you may as well invite the Land Officer and the Land Officer¡¯s wife as well, there aren ¡®t many people in the Land Officer¡¯s home anyway. Also, your mom and your brothers¡­ I guess we should invite them all. ¡°

 Chapter 340 - 340 Double Happiness Comes to the Family Door, Everyone is Happy! (Part 2)

    Chapter 340: Double Happiness Comes to the Family Door, Everyone is Happy! (Part 2)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°This ¡­ is it really necessary?¡±


    Upon hearing Liu Sisi¡¯s words, Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but take back his smile, even putting his hand down.


    Liu Sisi naturally understood what he meant by not needing it, referring to who.


    ¡°Just think about it, your father is here too. If you don¡¯t invite your mother-inw, it won¡¯t be eptable for such a happy asion. If you invite your mother-inw, it won¡¯t be good not to invite your brothers too. Since you want to invite, invite them all together. As for whether or not they are willing toe, that is another matter.¡±


    Di Yelei thought for a moment, ¡°Actually, having mom over for dinner is not a problem, I¡¯m just afraid of Second Sister-inw¡­ ¡°He paused, ¡°In the past, I wasn¡¯t afraid, but just yesterday Zhang Peng said that you just got pregnant and need to have a careful rest. I¡¯m afraid she would be reckless and if something happens¡­Cough cough, I don¡¯t know what to do in case something happens.¡±


    Worried that she might be angered by Ms. Wang?


    Liu Sisi also thought of the elder doctor¡¯s instructions and then thought for a moment.


    ¡°Just invite them! With your Second Sister-inw¡¯s usual behavior, if she learns about this, wouldn¡¯t she cause a scene sooner orter? If we invite her over tonight, isn¡¯t there still your father and Mr. Land Officer here? There will be someone to help speak up! She will be somewhat afraid, so even if she makes a fuss, it will be much better. Wait until shees, I will try to stay away from her as much as possible, you just rest assured.¡±


    As she spoke, she reached out to hold onto Di Yelei¡¯s hand, drawing strength from it. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He couldn¡¯t help but hold her small hand in return, smiling lightly, lifting her small hand to his chin, and deliberately rubbing her small hand against his rough stubble, his face full of infatuation.


    ¡°Sisi, my little kitten, remember to protect yourself and our baby. As for Second Sister-inw¡­ when necessary, don¡¯t be polite with your actions!¡±


    ¡°Pfft! What nonsense are you talking about? If outsiders hear this, who knows what they would think.¡±


    Unable to help it, Liu Sisiughed and slowly leaned back into his warm and broad chest, rubbing her face against it like azy little cat, lingering in the warmth of his body.


    The man in front of her was warm all over, like a stove that warmed her body and mind.


    ¡°Are you tired? If you¡¯re sleepy, go to sleep first and take a good rest. I¡¯ll go to the Land Officer¡¯s home and Zhang Peng¡¯s home first, then head over to the old house, okay?¡±


    As he spoke, there was no intention of letting go of her body with his hands.


    Liu Sisi gently pushed away his hand and rolled over to the head of the bed, squinting her eyes, ¡°You go ahead and get busy, I¡¯ve been feeling particrly sleepytely, I¡¯ll get up and cook after taking a nap.¡±


    ¡°You rest, let me and Second Sister worry about the food. Just focus on your pregnancy.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was gentle, and he gently pulled the quilt over her before putting her small hand into the quilt. Then he imprinted a kiss on her forehead, lifted the grass curtain, and walked out.


    Then came the sound of his suppressed instructions.


    Liu Sisi, on the other hand, sat up and thought for a while. She found a small jar she used to store candy, wrapped thend and house contracts in paper, then in cotton cloth, and finally in ayer of tin foil before cing them in the small jar and returning it to its original position.


    Only then did she feel relieved and go back to the head of the bed to sleep.


    Since thest incident of silver being stolen, she had been following the principle of a crafty hare with three dens, never wanting to put all her eggs in one basket.


    The silver was stored in several different ces.


    The weather in December was particrly cold, so the evening banquet naturally focused on eating ¡°lumps of meat.¡± Actually, it was just stewed meat, a variety of beast meat ced in small pots and cooked on a bonfire until tender. In another pot beside it, hot pot was prepared.


    Of course, it was Liu Sisi who suggested the hot pot.


    Di Yelei was a person who could endure hardship and work hard, and there were many stoves and firewood at home. He directly brought over a stove, set up the pot, added the prepared hot pot base, and wanted to eat whatever was in it.


    The hot pot base was prepared by Liu Sisi herself, while the trulyborious task of washing and cutting the ingredients for the hot pot was left to them.


    Knowing that Liu Sisi¡¯s body was not well, Guihua and Xin hade over early to help, working together with Liu Zhi¡¯er in the kitchen, full ofughter.


    Di Elderly¡¯s old face was also blossoming withughter today, walking around from time to time, adding charcoal and firewood to the earth stove and brazier, making the room warm.


    ¡°Eh? Xin, where¡¯s your mother-inw and Second Sister-inw? Why haven¡¯t I seen them?¡±


    Guihua wasn¡¯t afraid to offend people and went straight to the point.


    Xin also had a faint smile on her face at the moment, apparently not at all embarrassed by Guihua¡¯s question: ¡°Mom said she was tired and woulde over after a while. As for my Second Sister-inw, when Cui¡¯er went out, she saw her putting on perfume powder, probably noting out quickly.¡±


    This made everyoneugh.


    ¡°Your Second Sister-inw is nearly forty years old, right? Still applying perfume powder, really like a spring chicken.¡± Guihua said without restraint.


    ¡°Ahem! Third Sister-inw, it¡¯s so nice here, so many green vegetables even in this weather. Look, mung bean sprouts, yellow bean sprouts, Chinese chives, buk choi¡­ it¡¯s really amazing.¡±


    Xin hurriedly changed the topic.


    ¡°That¡¯s right? Can¡¯t you see how capable your Third Sister-inw is!¡±


    Guihua was very pleased with herself.


    Liu Sisi, who was leaning to one side, could not help but lower her head shyly.


    As everyone was talking, Ms. Wang, with Ms. Zhao in tow, stepped into the yard.


    For a while, Ms. Zhao cried every day in front of Di Residence¡¯s gate, attracting the attention of the vigers. Later, she suddenly disappeared and calmed down, which really gave the vigers something to talk about after dinner.


    Now that Ms. Zhao was back at the gate of Di Family, she pretended to be innocent, but her eyes were searching for the presence of Elderly Mr. Di.


    Unfortunately, Elderly Mr. Di, who had been standing at the doorway of the hall adding firewood, turned and walked into the inner room as soon as the two women entered, so Ms. Zhao¡¯s smile didn¡¯t have time to unfold before it cracked.


    Liu Sisi hurried forward: ¡°Sisi pays her respects to Mom and Second Sister-inw. Today, Sisi¡¯s body is not well, so she cannot take care of everyone properly. I hope Mom can forgive Sisi¡¯s shorings.¡±


    Ms. Zhao immediately made a long face, using the opportunity to vent her anger.


    ¡°Oh! How ufortable can it be? As if no one else has ever been pregnant or had children! So much fuss just because you¡¯re pregnant? Is it really worth such a grand celebration?¡±


    Liu Sisi pursed her lips and gave a shallow smile: ¡°What mother said is¡­ My body is not well, and the doctor in the town said that the fetus is unstable and asked me to be careful. I also said that this matter is not worth making a big fuss over, but Yelei thinks that the addition of a new member to the family is worth celebrating, which is why we¡¯re having this event today.¡±

 Chapter 341: 341 Double Happiness Comes to the Family Door, Everyone is Happy! (Part 3)

    Chapter 341: 341 Double Happiness Comes to the Family Door, Everyone is Happy! (Part 3)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°You¡¯re just counting on him to protect you! It would be best if he could protect you for a lifetime.¡±


    Zhao¡¯s face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot, thinking of how hard she had worked for so many years, but now everything hade to this. She couldn¡¯t help but get angry: ¡°I¡¯m afraid that in the future, you¡¯ll also follow the path I took, or even worse! My situation today is a reflection of your future!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi pressed her lips lightly and bowed slowly, hiding the sneer in her eyes: ¡°Thank you for the reminder, mother-inw. Sisi¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom! What nonsense are you talking about here? If you think the food in Ye Lei¡¯s home is not good, you can leave!¡±


    Di Yelei, who was originally busy, saw that the situation was wrong, quickly stepped over in two strides, guarded Liu Sisi at her side, and protected her firmly under his wings!


    ¡°I, Di Yelei, brought my daughter-inw here to pamper her, not to let her be mistreated! Besides, Sisi is pregnant now. The doctor told her to rest in bed, but she came out here to greet you, considering that you are her mother-inw. Not only do you not sympathize with her, but you also me her like this! Is this how a mother-inw should be?¡±


    ¡°Good! Fine¡­ Di Yelei, how dare you talk to me like that? You¡­¡±


    Zhao was so angry her chest heaved, as if the anger would rise and fall: ¡°I raised you from the time you were a baby¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Allow me to remind you, mother, that when you got married, Ye Lei was already past the age of needing diapers!¡±


    The sneer at the corner of Di Yelei¡¯s mouth attracted attention: ¡°Since you came here, mother, I, Di Yelei, have been living in the firewood room, eating leftover food, carrying water and cooking since I was five years old, and hunting in the mountains since I was seven. Many times I escaped from the mouth of wild animals and all of this is thanks to your great upbringing as a mother!¡±


    Zhao could hardly stand, infuriated: ¡°You¡­ you¡­ who do you think you are? If you don¡¯t work, are you some young master of a wealthy family? I¡¯ll tell you¡­¡±


    Just as Zhao was about to curse, Elderly Mr. Di somehow appeared, yelling.


    ¡°Enough! Both of you¡­ shut up! Third Child, help¡­ Sisi lie down and rest!¡±<div>


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s appearance immediately calmed the situation.


    ¡°Alright, father.¡±


    Di Yelei took his father¡¯s advice, nced at Zhao, and then helped Liu Sisi into the room.


    Zhao¡¯s rage deted, watching Elderly Mr. Di she couldn¡¯t help but call out softly, ¡°Old man¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di turned his head away, ignoring Zhao, leaving Ms. Wang at a loss, stretching her neck to peek into the kitchen through the raised curtain but could not see what was going on inside.


    ¡°Zhao, if you¡­ don¡¯t want toe here, you can just¡­ get out! Get out of here!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di spoke while waving his crutch in front of Zhao¡¯s feet, causing Ms. Wang to scream and hurriedly let go of Zhao, retreating two steps.


    Zhao almost fell, but she moved quickly and was able to regain her bnce after retreating two steps.


    Elderly Mr. Di gave her a cold nce and sighed deeply: ¡°Zhao! When you¡¯re underground in the future, how will you face your cousin?¡±


    Zhao¡¯s face changed dramatically!


    Elderly Mr. Di did not wait for Zhao¡¯s reply, and turned to enter the kitchen.<div>


    ¡°Old man!¡­¡±


    Zhao hurriedly took two steps forward, trying to hold him back. But in reply, Elderly Mr. Di tossed the curtain behind him and went into the room without looking back.


    Zhao stood where she was, stunned for a long time.


    Ms. Wang, who was next to her, had been eyeing Di family¡¯s kitchen already, as she hadn¡¯t been able to eat anything good from Di¡¯s home in months. How could she let go of such a good opportunity?


    She dashed from behind Zhao and directly slipped into the kitchen.


    Zhao struggled in ce for a long time before finally mustering up the courage to enter the kitchen with a thick skin.


    In the kitchen, Liu Sisi leaned at the head of the bed, slightly squinting her eyes to rest.


    Di Yelei sat not far from the grass curtain, chatting with Zhang Peng beside him, his expression calmly observing everything around him.


    The fastest one had to be Ms. Wang, who by now had also be skillful, pretending to be innocent while chatting with others as her fingers secretly stretched towards the chunk of meat being stewed in the pot.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing? Is your hand dirty or not? You actually used your hand to grab meat to eat directly?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t stand Ms. Wang¡¯s actions and shouted angrily.<div>


    Ms. Wang was startled, her fingers involuntarily loosening, and the piece of meat in her hand immediately fell back into the thick soup.


    ¡°Ah! You scared me to death. Don¡¯t you make any noise when you walk?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ms. Wang patted her chest, the hand that had just grabbed the meat leaving several oily fingerprints on her clothes.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyebrows were all knitted together!


    She couldn¡¯t help but get angry!


    ¡°I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re dirty or not? You didn¡¯t even wash your hands before grabbing meat, and after grabbing it, you didn¡¯t take it away but threw it back into the soup pot. What if everyone ate like you, what wouldn¡¯t they eat then!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er angrily picked up a bowl, scooping out the piece of meat that had just been touched by Ms. Wang along with the surrounding thick soup, and heavily ced it into therge bowl nearby.


    ¡°I, I¡¯m just¡­just taste-testing to see if it¡¯s cooked, do you really need to make a fuss about it?¡±


    Ms. Wang shrank back a little.


    Themotion over here immediately attracted Di Yelei from the other side. He stood up and asked in a deep voice, ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡±


    ¡°No¡­nothing, hehe, really nothing!¡±


    Ms. Wang was afraid of Di Yelei; she still remembered the way he had scolded Ms. Zhao before.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er beside her wasn¡¯t going to let it go. Her voice wasn¡¯t good and she couldn¡¯t speak loudly, but she still tried to say, ¡°It¡¯s her, she actually grabbed meat from the meat soup with her hand. What¡¯s more, she threw the meat back into the soup pot.¡±


    ¡°No! Nothing like that happened! I didn¡¯t even get a chance to eat it. I just wanted to pick up a piece when she caught me! I¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang waved her hand like she was using a rattle drum.


    ¡°Alright, Second Sister, please scoop out everything around where she touched, and give it to Ah-Huang to eat.¡±


    Di Yelei interrupted Ms. Wang¡¯s words.


    ¡°But it¡¯s such a pity to give it to a dog, why not just give it to me? I¡¯m hungry right now, hehehe¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang said with a bashful face.


    Liu Sisi propped herself up from the bedside and called softly, ¡°Second Sister, since Second Sister-inw wants to eat it, just let her eat it.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s mouth twitched, deliberately mocking Ms. Wang, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say this meat was going to feed Ah-Huang? Now you¡­you have topete with Ah-Huang for food? Really¡­¡± While talking, she handed the bowl to Ms. Wang as she had said.


    Ms. Wang had no shame at all, hastily taking the bowl and grabbing a piece of meat. She didn¡¯t even care about the heat and sent it straight into her mouth.


    ¡°Um! This meat is really fragrant¡­so delicious¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at Ms. Wang¡¯s wolf-like eating appearance, feeling her stomach churning, and quickly retreated to the head of the bed, out of sight, out of mind.

 Chapter 342: 342: Double Happiness Comes to the Family, Everyone’s Joyful! (4)

    Chapter 342: 342: Double Happiness Comes to the Family, Everyone¡¯s Joyful! (4)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Second Sister-inw, there are bamboo chopsticks over there. You might as well grab a pair to eat with!¡±


    Ms. Wang was in the middle of devouring the chunk of meat in her bowl. On hearing Liu Sisi¡¯s words, she thought she was about to be chastised. Without bothering to chew the piece of meat properly, she swallowed it down in one gulp, causing her to choke wildly. Eventually, she managed to swallow the chunk of meat down her throat.<div>


    ¡°No need, no need, it¡¯s just a few pieces of meat, not worth the trouble!¡±


    She hastily waved her hand.


    Ms. Xin, sitting next to her, quickly grabbed a pair of chopsticks and handed them to Ms. Wang. ¡°Second Sister-inw, you should eat more slowly. There¡¯s still so much good food. If you eat too much now, you won¡¯t be able to eat the rest of the dishester.¡±


    Ms. Wang let out an awkwardugh and took the bamboo chopsticks, ¡°It¡¯s fine! I¡¯m really hungry. This is meat after all, can¡¯t let it go to waste. Um¡­ would you like a piece?¡±


    She mumbled iprehensibly as she made a show of feeding a piece of meat to Ms. Xin.


    Ms. Xin quickly stepped back,¡±No, I¡¯m not hungry. Second Sister-inw, you can take your time eating.¡±


    Who would want to fight with Ah-Huang for food?


    Only this shameless person in front of them would do something like this.


    Ms. Wang didn¡¯t mind if Ms. Xin didn¡¯t eat, so she simply turned her chopsticks around and fed herself.


    Elderly Mr. Di, who had been sitting in a corner adding firewood to the bonfire, found the whole situation unbearable. He picked up a dustpan filled with vegetable scraps, leaned on his crutch, and left the kitchen towards the chicken coop.


    ¡°Old Man, Old Man¡­¡±<div>


    Ms. Zhao called after him in a soft and sorrowful voice. The sight of her chasing after Elderly Mr. Di led everyone to give them odd looks.


    It was only after she had polished off most of the meat and soup from her bowl that she reluctantly put her bowl down.


    ¡°Second Sister-inw! You¡¯ve eaten the delicious meat. There are still some taros that haven¡¯t been washed. Why don¡¯t you take them and wash them by the well? It¡¯s not much work?¡±


    Ms. Xin asked cheerfully, handing over a small bamboo basket of taro.


    Ms. Wang jumped back, waving her hands, ¡°I haven¡¯t been feeling well thesest couple of days, I can¡¯t touch cold water. Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s do thister¡­ Ah! Right! Why haven¡¯t the kidse over yet? I¡¯ll go check!¡± Without waiting for a response, she quickly exited the kitchen.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Sisi, your Second Sister-inw is really a riot!¡± Guihua burst outughing.


    Both Liu Zhi¡¯er and Ms. Xin next to her also burst intoughter.


    ¡°Oh, her! She¡¯s always a riot at home, I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    Ms. Xin casually answered as she quickly cleaned the vegetables.


    Despite having split the family and moved out, Ms. Wang still came over to the main kitchen quite frequently. As a person who avoided confrontation, Ms. Xin simply let Ms. Wang grab whatever food she wanted.


    Ms. Wang, who alreadycked any sense of shame, started to be bolder and more frequent in her visits, practically wanting to eat three meals a day in the main kitchen.<div>


    In the end, Ms. Zhao scolded her a few times. The two were evenly matched, fiercly arguing back and forth.


    Yet, the more they scolded her, the thicker Ms. Wang¡¯s skin grew. The scoldings could only deter her for a day or two before she was back to her old ways,ing over with an empty bowl whenever meals were ready.


    No beating or scolding could deter her, she was as tenacious as a dog skin ster.


    Ms. Xin would justugh it off, but Ms. Zhao wasn¡¯t used to swallowing such injustices. Consequently, the old house was experiencing regr showdowns, akin to both civil and military battles.


    ¡°I tell you, both of you sister-inws are too nice. If she ran into me, I¡¯d give her a good thrashing. Let¡¯s see if she¡¯d dare to act up again!¡±


    Guihua bristled whenever she spoke about her.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er sidled up to Liu Sisi out of curiosity, her face full of intrigue, ¡°It seems like there¡¯s something odd between your father-inw and mother-inw, no?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s always lively over at the old house. God knows what¡¯s going on. Nobody really knows for sure.¡±


    Liu Sisiy with her eyes half-closed, leaning against the head of the bed. She wanted to sleep, but the continuous noise in the room made it impossible.


    Upon hearing this, Liu Zhi¡¯er caught on that Liu Sisi didn¡¯t want to talk about it. She didn¡¯t push further: ¡°Fine, if you won¡¯t say, I¡¯ll ask your other sister-inw. She probably will.¡±


    Liu Sisi turned her head the other way, pretending not to hear Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s words.<div>


    The things that came out of her mouth versus those that came out of Ms. Xin¡¯s were, after all, another kettle of fish.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er instantly understood her meaning and hastily sidled up to Ms. Xin to ask her quietly.


    Ms. Xin looked up. Zhang Peng and Di Yelei had gone to chat in the courtyard, leaving just a few others here. She finally ryed the conversation from before.


    In the end, she sighed, ¡°Mom was speaking just yesterday, we don¡¯t know whether father would forgive her or not. If not, she might as well be dead. She was crying while talking, it seemed like she was very heartbroken.¡±


    Guihua considered this, and after all, this involved an elder, her tone softened considerably.


    ¡°Do you really think your mother-inw would seek death? Besides, if she could swap her cousin¡¯s ce to cheat death, what wouldn¡¯t she do?¡±


    Ms. Xin immediately retorted, ¡°No! She didn¡¯t mean to do it initially. But¡­ she has been concealing it for so many years¡­¡±


    ¡°The fact that she has been concealing it is her mistake.¡±


    Guihua fumed, ¡°Such ruthless people should be divorced and sent back to their mother¡¯s house! Your father-inw even left her a way out, that is generous enough! A dog that bites doesn¡¯t bark, even if you¡¯re nice to such people, who knows when they¡¯ll turn around and bite you. It¡¯s best to keep our distance.¡±


    Guihua¡¯s words left everyone silent.


    Liu Sisi felt that Guihua¡¯s words were very reasonable. But as a younger, it wasn¡¯t her ce to give such judgements.


    Just as she was pondering, the grass curtain on the side was suddenly tugged open, and Guihua stuck her head inside.


    ¡°Sisi, does Yelei know about this? This¡­ this involves avenging his mother¡¯s death!¡±


    Liu Sisi was slightly startled, then she shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if he knows about it.¡±


    Maybe¡­ he does know? Or maybe he doesn¡¯t. But she, Liu Sisi, shouldn¡¯t be the one to tell him. The person who should tell him was Elderly Di.


    If he didn¡¯t tell Di Yelei personally, that showed that he still had his own considerations. Liu Sisi decided to pretend ignorance as well, burying the matter in her heart.


    It was clear that Guihua was still quite angry, but Liu Sisi responded with a mirthless smile.


    What a messy situation!


    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before the voices of the Land Officer and his wife arriving could be heard, along with Ah-Min. Soon after, Di Wei, Di Jie, and others also arrived, followed by YingEr¡¯s greetings and Di Xuan¡¯s words of courtesy. Di Ah-Bao then rushed into the kitchen, causing quite a stir.


    The few people in the kitchen couldn¡¯t linger around chatting, they quickly got everything ready, setting tables and chairs, preparing food, then getting ready to eat.


    Liu Sisi hastily got up. When the food was all prepared, she found a spot to sit, as far away from the children as possible.

 Chapter 343: 343 Double Happiness Comes to the Family Door, Everyone is Happy! (Part 5)

    Chapter 343: 343 Double Happiness Comes to the Family Door, Everyone is Happy! (Part 5)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Today¡¯s gathering was supposed to be simple, but still enough people to fill two tables hade.


    When they sat down, the guests naturally divided into male and female groups. Liu Sisi took a seat near the corner, where she wasn¡¯t too close to everyone else and could easily avoid any unwanted attention.<div>


    But as soon as she sat down, YingEr naturally carried her small bowl and sat beside Sisi, ¡°Mom! YingEr wants you to help me with the meat.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Alright! Come, YingEr, sit next to Mom.¡±


    Liu Sisi happily pulled YingEr to her side.


    ¡°Sisi, your body is different now, you can¡¯t be like before. YingEr is obedient,e to Auntie.¡± Guihua immediately stretched out her hand, trying to take YingEr away.


    But YingEr¡¯s face changed, and she seemed to be on the verge of crying, ¡°No! YingEr wants Mom to help.¡±


    ¡°Listen! Your mother¡¯s body is not in the best state right now, and you can¡¯t be too close to her. What if something happens? That would be terrible!¡± Guihua said, somewhat annoyed.


    She could not pinpoint the exact feeling she had, feeling happy for Sisi being pregnant, but also worried that Sisi might treat Xuan¡¯er and YingEr harshly now that she would have her own child. Wasn¡¯t Ms. Zhao a living example of this?


    YingEr naturally refused toply and couldn¡¯t help but cry, ¡°No! YingEr wants Mom¡¯s help, I don¡¯t want Auntie Guihua¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Let YingEr stay with me! Our YingEr is the most sensible, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Sisi gently pulled YingEr to her side.


    But YingEr couldn¡¯t stop crying, even letting her tears fall.<div>


    ¡°This child¡­why is she so obstinate?¡± Guihua also felt helpless.


    The Land Officer¡¯s wife quickly put down her bowl and chopsticks, ¡°How about YingEres to Grandma? You can sit and eat with Sister Ah-Min.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t! I just won¡¯t!¡± YingEr had a stubborn look on her face.


    ¡°You all eat first. I¡¯ll take YingEr to y for a while.¡±


    Seeing YingEr cry, Liu Sisi felt her heart sour and hurriedly pulled her little hand, walking to the other side to open the grass curtain and sit on the bed, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, be good! Our YingEr is the best-behaved. Stop crying now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, YingEr won¡¯t cry!¡± YingEr felt wronged and wiped her tears with her sleeve.


    Sisi took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped her tears, ¡°Wait a while, Mom will help our YingEr with the food. Don¡¯t cry, okay?¡±


    YingEr pouted and sobbed sadly for a moment.


    ¡°YingEr, there is either a little brother or sister in Mom¡¯s belly. Will YingEr love him (her)? Just like Xuan¡¯er loves YingEr?¡±


    YingEr pouted and asked with a grievance, ¡°Mom, where is my little brother or sister? Why can¡¯t YingEr see them?¡±


    ¡°Now the little brother or sister is still too small, growing slowly in Mom¡¯s belly. Just like the fruits you nted, they grow slowly on the tree until they ripen and fall off the branch. It is the same for your little brother or sister. When he (she) is big enough, you will be able to see him (her). Will you like him (her)?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi gently persuaded her.


    She truly loved those two children as if they were her own.


    YingEr obediently nodded, ¡°I will definitely like my little brother or sister, just like how brother loves YingEr.¡±


    ¡°Good! Our YingEr is really well-behaved!¡±


    Liu Sisi happily kissed her cheek: ¡°Do you want to touch your little brother or sister? Come! Gently touch them. Once they grow bigger, you¡¯ll be able to meet them.¡± She then took YingEr¡¯s hand and ced it on her own belly.


    YingEr curiously and gently touched Liu Sisi¡¯s belly, lowering her head for a closer look. ¡°Little brother or sister, you have to be well-behaved. Later, YingEr will definitely be a good older sister.¡±


    ¡°YingEr, do you know why Auntie doesn¡¯t let you get close to mom? Because she¡¯s afraid you might identally hurt your sister in mom¡¯s stomach due to being too rough. Just like a little fruit on a tree, it will fall and be gone if you touch it. Our YingEr is the most capable and sensible, and will always be gentle, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes! YingEr will be gentle from now on and won¡¯t hurt the child in mom¡¯s stomach.¡±


    YingEr solemnly nodded her head.


    ¡°Such a good girl! Our YingEr is the best-behaved! Come, mom will get you some food and fill your little stomach.¡± Liu Sisi happily said.


    ¡°Okay! Little brother and sister must be hungry too. Let¡¯s go eat.¡±<div>


    YingEr happily jumped up but quickly stopped herself when she thought of Liu Sisi¡¯s belly and stuck out her tongue in embarrassment.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, mom! It¡¯s time to eat!¡±


    After saying this, she happily led Liu Sisi by the hand toward the table.


    The originally sad YingEr quickly came outughing and happily picked up some meat on her own, cing it in Liu Sisi¡¯s bowl. ¡°Mom! You eat this meat. When you eat, my little brother or sister will grow faster ande out sooner.¡±


    ¡°Alright, our YingEr should eat too.¡± Liu Sisi said, also picking a lean piece of meat into YingEr¡¯s bowl.


    This harmonious scene caused various expressions among the crowd.


    Especially Xuan¡¯er, who nearly broke the bamboo chopsticks in his hand.


    He was also eight years old and naturally understood the implications. Thus, the arrival of this unknown brother or sister made him feel threatened. He definitely wouldn¡¯t be like YingEr, easily cated by the opponent after a few words!


    Di Xuan thought about this while eating his meal with resentment and a distant look on his face.


    Of course, Di Yelei noticed this. He simply picked up some food and ced it into Xuan¡¯er¡¯s bowl without saying anything.


    Meanwhile, the Land Officer was happily persuading everyone to drink rice wine. Clearly, he was the happiest person for having helped the Di family buy the house andnd contracts.


    The women¡¯s table finished earlier than the men¡¯s table, and soon all the children ran to the hall and gathered around Di Xuan¡¯s four treasures of the study, enviously asking questions.


    At this moment, Di Xuan had an immense sense of pride. He taught everyone about the uses of the different objects and even drew a picture on the spot. The lifelike drawing instantly lit up the eyes of all children present!


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, did your mom teach you all this? She¡¯s so amazing to know so much!¡±


    Zhang Yun stared with wide eyes, only now realizing Di Xuan¡¯s talents and couldn¡¯t help but give him a thumbs up in praise.


    Di Xuan lifted his head proudly, ¡°Mom is even better at painting. I only learned a little bit¡­¡±


    As he spoke, Di Xuan became embarrassed.


    Zhang Yun was especially intrigued, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, do you think¡­ the teacher at the vige school in town is even better than your mom?¡±


    ¡°No way, mom is the most amazing!¡±


    Di Xuan said seriously. He would never allow others to casually nder his mom¡¯s reputation.

 Chapter 344: 344: Turmoil from All Sides, Ms. Xin’s Abnormality

    Chapter 344: 344: Turmoil from All Sides, Ms. Xin¡¯s Abnormality<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Even though he was somewhat dissatisfied with his mother for being pregnant again, he couldn¡¯t allow others to question her!


    ¡°Not only can my mother write, but she can also draw and do arithmetic! She can calcte ount books clearly without an abacus, and ten people outside can¡¯tpare to my mother!¡±<div>


    Di Xuan grew more and more proud as he spoke.


    ¡°Is your mother really that good? She mentionedst time that I should go to the vige school with you after the New Year. I¡¯m still hesitating whether it¡¯s better to go or not¡­¡±


    Zhang Yun had a look of struggle on his face.


    Little Ying beside him hurriedly tugged at Zhang Yun¡¯s clothing: ¡°Brother Zhang Yun, my mother taught me to read too! I know more than 200 characters! Brother Zhang Yun, you promised to protect me in the future, but how can you protect me if you can¡¯t read?¡±


    YingEr¡¯s words made Zhang Yun take the matter seriously for the first time: ¡°YingEr, you really know more than 200 characters? Is it true?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true! I know a lot of the Three Character ssic. Why don¡¯t I recite it for you!¡±


    YingEr proudly raised her hand and started reciting: ¡°In the beginning, human nature is inherently good¡­¡±


    Five-year-old YingEr can recite from memory?


    Zhang Yun¡¯s mouth couldn¡¯t close from shock, and he suddenly felt an urgent need, a feeling that he would be left behind by YingEr! Various thoughts churned in his mind, and he clenched his fists in secret.


    No matter what, he couldn¡¯t allow YingEr to leave him behind. It seems that the top priority is to start school and study sooner!


    Di Wei, Di Jie, and Ah-Min, who had been watching from the side, were even more envious. As they watched Little Ying waving her book and reciting, various thoughts shed through their minds.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    The feaststed from nightfall tote at night, and everyone finally went home after drinking and eating to their heart¡¯s content.


    Liu Sisi was exhausted, so she went to bed early.


    After Di Yelei had tidied up the room, he didn¡¯t return to his room. Instead, he quietly left the courtyard and carefully approached the big mountain junction behind the house.


    Not long after he crouched down and hid, a petite figure as light as a willow catkin flew from afar. Its speed was as fast as lightning, and within a few leaps, it reached close to him, bringing a fragrant breeze along its path.


    As the figure approached, naturally, it could be recognized that this person was none other than Xin Cui¡¯er.


    Little Cui, d in a nightgown, hurriedly passed the junction without noticing Di Yelei¡¯s presence. She quickly flew toward the back mountain.


    In the blink of an eye, she disappeared into the darkness of the vast mountain.


    It wasn¡¯t until Ms. Xin¡¯s figure could no longer be seen that Di Yelei walked out from his hiding ce, frowning as he stood at the junction, looking in the direction where Ms. Xin had gone, lost in thought.


    By the time he returned home andy down, Liu Sisi had already woken up from her sleep.


    ¡°Have you finished tidying up the kitchen?¡± Liu Sisi sleepily andzily asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s all tidied up. Don¡¯t worry, go back to sleep,¡± Di Yelei replied while undressing.<div>


    ¡°Did you check the number of chickens outside? Are they all in the coop?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I counted them.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he carefully lifted the corner of the quilt and moved closer. A burst of cold immediately spread from the warm quilt, making Liu Sisi shiver uncontrobly.


    ¡°What about the jujube red horse? Did you add fodder?¡± Liu Sisi persisted in her questioning.


    ¡°Dad has already added it earlier. You, I¡¯ve already told you to worry less and take care of the fetus, but you just don¡¯t listen.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he carefully supported her petite body, letting her head rest on his arm, circling her in his embrace, and then stretching out his hand to cover her belly. He quietly felt the small life growing inside.


    His touch was gentle as he felt the slow growth of the fetus in her belly, sighing contentedly.


    ¡°Be careful not to press on my stomach,¡± she warned.


    Liu Sisi shifted her petite body slightly and asked, ¡°Did you check on YingEr? Did she kick off the quilt?¡±


    Di Yelei suddenlyughed! Hisughter prated her chest and reached her heart.


    ¡°Little kitten, you have so many questions! Your husband will take care of everything from now on. All you need to do is take good care of the baby and give birth to a big fat boy for me as soon as possible!¡±<div>


    As he spoke, he lowered his head and kissed her passionately.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ let go! Be careful with the baby¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi tried to push him away, squirming her head ineffectively.


    Di Yelei¡¯s touch was assertive yet gentle, deepening their kiss, his hand slowly moving downward¡­


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± She felt as if her whole body was electrified, a tingling sensation spreading from the soles of her feet.


    It was as if tendrils from a climbing nt were making their way upwards, the tingling sensation spreading rapidly across her entire body.


    ¡°No! The doctor said¡­ it¡¯s not safe¡­¡± she mumbled, trying to pull her head away, utterly enthralled.


    His kisses became deeper and more desperate, his breaths grew more urgent, and his hand pressed harder.


    After a while, his hand finally stopped moving, and he gently held her delicate body.


    The kiss ended, both of them panting, holding each other intimately.


    ¡°What a pity¡­¡±


    He reluctantly kissed her forehead.


    Finally taking a deep breath, hemented, ¡°This little guy hasn¡¯t evene out yet, and he¡¯s already tormenting his dad. When he¡¯s born, he¡¯s sure to be a naughty kid.¡±


    Liu Sisi chuckled lightly, ¡°You deserve it! It¡¯s you who always bully me; he¡¯s taking revenge for me.¡±


    ¡°So, both of you collude with each other. Even before he¡¯s born, I¡¯m being ganged up on by my child and wife. I¡¯m really aggrieved¡­¡± Di Yelei wore a woeful expression.


    ¡°Pfft! What do you mean by collude? Is that an appropriate word to use?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh. Feeling drowsy, she squinted her eyes while continuing, ¡°He should be lying peacefully in my arms, but his bad dad keeps disturbing him, preventing him from sleeping well.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean? Sisi, where did you get this idea?¡±


    Di Yelei, who had almost fallen asleep, suddenly became energetic. He eagerly asked, ¡°Right, I¡¯ve been so busy and you¡¯ve been so sleepy these past days that I forgot to ask you¡ªwhere did the medicine packe from?¡±


    ¡°I got it on the small town. That night, I suddenly realized my period hadn¡¯te, so¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi sleepily told him about her ordeal that day.


    At the end, she deliberately emphasized, ¡°The old doctor also said my pregnancy is dangerous because I am too young. He warned me repeatedly not to engage in intimacy and harm the baby. Yet, you, the bastard, can¡¯t control yourself.¡±


    As she spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but twist his waist with one hand.

 Chapter 345: 345: Turmoil from All Sides, Ms. Xin’s Abnormality

    Chapter 345: 345: Turmoil from All Sides, Ms. Xin¡¯s Abnormality<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°I¡¯m wronged, my wife!¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly raised his arm to swear: ¡°My little kitten, I didn¡¯t know anything! If I had known about this earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have touched you. Little one, you have to stay inside your mother¡¯s belly, understand? Be obedient!¡±<div>


    As he spoke, he gently touched her belly.


    ¡°Now you know! If you harm the child in my belly because of your reckless actions, see what you¡¯ll do!¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke and wrinkled her little nose in irritation.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I naturally learned my lesson this time.¡±


    Di Yelei theny back in bed, thought for a while, and said, ¡°This won¡¯t do. How about we go to Dr. He¡¯s pharmacy tomorrow and have him check your pulse to be more cautious?¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°Let¡¯s wait a few more days, I¡¯ve been feeling very tired recently. I don¡¯t want to go out.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I understand. You should go to sleep now.¡±


    Di Yelei gently patted her back and watched Liu Sisi quickly fall asleep. He pondered on the recent events.


    Meanwhile, on the other side.


    Ms. Xin, also known as Cui¡¯er, quickly dashed through the air. She didn¡¯t head towards the county seat, but instead followed the mountain range and soon arrived at the foot of Heilong Mountain.


    She didn¡¯t stop her footsteps and swiftly flew up toward North ck Dragon Mountain, traversed several mountain ridges, and finally reached the end of the mountain path, the stone mountain tribe in front of her.<div>


    As soon as she approached, someone from the high barricade shouted a fierce question.


    ¡°Who dares to intrude our territory?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°It¡¯s me! Open the gate.¡±


    Cui¡¯er replied casually and walked forward a few steps, pulling off her ck headscarf.


    Suddenly, the sound of a rotating machine was heard, and a rope dropped from the barricade, with arge frame at the end of the rope.


    Cui¡¯er swiftly jumped in, and soon afterward, the mechanical sound started again, lifting her and the frame up to the top of the barricade.


    As soon as she stepped out of therge frame, dozens of uniformed men lined up next to the machine bowed down in unison.


    ¡°Miss Cui!¡±


    ¡°Hmm! Thank you all!¡±


    After saying that, Cui¡¯er dashed straight towards the mountain top. Along the way, numerous checkpoints saw her and withdrew after recognizing her.


    She didn¡¯t care and continued to walk forward, rushing into the front hall, turning around the garden, walking across an extensive jadeite garden. Therge jadeite garden was quiet, without any slight sound.<div>


    Quickly passing through the jadeite garden, Cui¡¯er stepped into a Xiangfei Bamboo Garden and walked up to a small bamboo house. She knocked on the door, which was ajar.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    An elderly but firm voice came from inside.


    Cui¡¯er quickly pushed the door open and entered.


    In the middle of the bamboo house, there was a long table full of seemingly disorderly yet well-arranged books and papers. In the center of the table, there was a painting that had yet to bepleted.


    Behind the table was a rocking chair that was slightly swaying. The person lying on the chair remained motionless, still lying there as usual.


    Little Cui¡¯er bowed her head and stepped forward,ing to the table and quickly kneeling down: ¡°Little Cui pays respect to Master!¡±


    ¡°Get up. How is the situation developing?¡±


    A slightly hoarse yet crisp voice came out, carrying an unspeakable authority.


    Little Cui¡¯er¡¯s body had a slight tremble, and she quickly lowered her already slightly raised head: ¡°Reporting to Master, everything is going exceptionally smoothly. However¡­¡±


    ¡°Speak! I don¡¯t like being kept in suspense!¡±<div>


    The intimidating voice sounded again.


    Little Cui¡¯er got frightened and quickly lowered her body, closing her eyes: ¡°But miss is already pregnant!¡±


    For a moment, the bamboo house fell into silence.


    Even the gently swaying recliner stopped its rocking, and the surrounding area was as quiet as death.


    After a while, the figure moved again: ¡°Is she? She¡¯s already pregnant? How are the child and adult now?¡±


    As he spoke, the figure lying down slowly sat up and then stood, allowing Little Cui¡¯er to see his face more clearly.


    If Liu Sisi were here, she would definitely exim in surprise, ¡°So it¡¯s you!¡± This was none other than the old man who had given her a painting by thekeside at Sansheng Lake.


    The old man¡¯s wise eyes swept over Little Cui¡¯er, a sh of brilliance passed through his eyes, and they returned to their original state.


    Little Cui¡¯er slightly raised her head, just in time to meet the emotionless eyes of the old man, she felt a sudden chill, but in an instant, she hurriedly lowered her head, not daring to look up and offend.


    ¡± Reporting to Master, both the adult and child are safe for now. However, the miss¡¯s spirit seems to be not quite good, she looks particrly tired.¡±


    The old man paced back and forth in the bamboo house with his hands sped behind his back, and opened his mouth again after a moment.


    ¡°Have you discovered anything else?¡±


    ¡°Reporting to Master, the Di Family recently purchased a piece ofnd worth hundreds of taels of silver. This matter was handled entirely by Di Yelei without going through miss¡¯s hands.¡±


    Little Cui¡¯er¡¯s gaze nted slightly, looking at the furnishings in the bamboo house, mainly trying to see the map on the table.


    However, the old man didn¡¯t give her a chance, suddenly raised his hand, and forcefully grabbed her chin, lifting it up: ¡°You dare to y tricks on me? Huh?¡±


    Little Cui¡¯er was shocked for a moment but immediately calmed down, her eyes filled with tears that trickled down.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! I have been serving the master wholeheartedly for these years, without any ill intentions. May the master discern!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! If you have no ill intentions, why do you carry a strange fragrance that attracted two little locusts? You truly deserve to die!¡±


    As the old man spoke, he suddenly became furious, released Little Cui¡¯er¡¯s chin, and kicked her hard in the chest, kicking her all the way to the other end of the bamboo house with a loud bang. Even the bamboo house shook a few times.


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough ¡­ Puh!¡±


    Little Cui¡¯er gasped for breath as she struggled to her feet, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood. She didn¡¯t care to wipe it, but instead quickly crawled to the old man¡¯s feet and clung to one of his thighs.


    ¡°Master, you misunderstood! This fragrance is my usual preparation in Yihong Courtyard, and it was not added intentionally today. In any case, I have been taking care of miss always, and it would not be good for the Master to suddenly rece me. I beg the Master to give me another chance, and I will surely serve the miss well and make amends!¡±


    ¡°You still want a chance to live? You wish! There is no ce for useless people under me. Without you, Little Cui, tomorrow I can have ten Little Cuis, a hundred Little Cuis!¡±


    The old man sneered coldly, suddenly raised his hand, and aimed at Little Cui¡¯er¡¯s head with a fierce downward p!


    Little Cui¡¯er¡¯s eyes widened in shock, she could only helplessly raise her head and watch the giant palm fall toward her head¡­

 Chapter 346: 346: Turmoil from All Sides, Ms. Xin’s Abnormality

    Chapter 346: 346: Turmoil from All Sides, Ms. Xin¡¯s Abnormality<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Cough cough!¡±


    Outside, a sudden cough sounded, and the Master¡¯s hand hung over her head, without making another move for a long time.<div>


    Little Cui¡¯s brain was roaring, almost unable to hear the sounds around her.


    The instinct to survive made her throw herself at the old man again, hugging his thigh and continually sobbing, ¡°Master! Master, Little Cui has been by your side since she was a child, and you¡¯ve watched her grow up. Little Cui has been serving you cautiously, fearing making any mistakes. Please spare Little Cui this time for the sake of her many years of hard work! I beg you, Master!¡±


    After speaking, she didn¡¯t care about the pain and quickly kowtowed with her head touching the ground. The kowtow sounded with a bang!


    ¡°Enough! Stop kowtowing! In view of the fact that this time there¡¯s no actual damage done, I will let you off. After you go back, continue to monitor and report any issues immediately!¡±


    The old man¡¯s face was grim: ¡°If I ever find out that you are ying a double game again¡­ hmph!¡±


    After that, he casually kicked Little Cui, who screamed and rolled to the edge of the bamboo house.


    Not caring about the injuries on her body, she quickly got up and bowed her head again, ¡°Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master, for sparing my life! Thank you, Master!¡±


    After bowing three times, she hurriedly got up and ran away as if flying!


    Only when she had escaped from Xiangfei Garden and out of JadeiteGarden did she slow down, copsing in the roadside pavilion.


    In the bamboo house, the old man crossed his arms behind his back, snorted coldly, ¡°Come out! There are no outsiders here. Why are you still hiding?¡±


    His face maintained a fierce expression, but his tone unknowingly carried a hint of warmth.<div>


    The doorway of the bamboo house creaked open again, revealing a figure wearing a bamboo green robe.


    Instead of entering, the person stood at the door, silently looking at the room, ¡°I said not to touch my people!¡±


    ¡°When did I ever touch your people? Don¡¯t forget, that prostitute was trained by me!¡±


    The old man was clearly furious!


    His face flushed and his neck thickened.


    The man remained defiant, ¡°I saidst time that she is mine! Naturally, this includes the people around her!¡±


    The old man became furious, mmed a palm down on the table, causing the items on it to jump along.


    He immediately pointed at the man¡¯s face and berated, ¡°I think you¡¯ve gone mad! Don¡¯t forget that she might very well be your own younger sister! How could you do that to your own sister?¡±


    ¡°My own sister? Hmph! Is it even confirmed yet?¡±


    What if she were his sister?


    Whoever Nan Tianzong had his eye on, even if it were Buddha himself, couldn¡¯t stop him!<div>


    Yes! This young man was none other than the owner of the bookstore, and Liu Sisi¡¯s sworn brother, Nan Tianzong!


    ¡°You might as well save it. You failed 30 years ago, and now you¡¯ve grown old. Do you still think you can seed again in thirty years? Even if you do seed, how much longer could you enjoy it?¡±


    His sneer deeply hurt the old man!


    The old man, like an exploding hedgehog, suddenly jumped up, ¡°Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Don¡¯t think that because you¡¯re my son, I can¡¯t kill ¡ªyou!¡±


    His anger was so intense that he actually used ¡°I,¡±, which showed he was really annoyed.


    Nan Tianzong raised his eyebrows, and the sneer at the corner of his mouth grew thicker, ¡°For someone who could kill his own wife, what¡¯s so strange about killing another son? Not letting someone like you, who treats life like grass, sit in that position would be divine justice!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! ¡±


    Unable to hold back, he swung a palm, instantly shattering the table and turning it into dust and debris.


    His tone suddenly became gentle and soft, but the murderous intent in his eyes was chilling, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you here to argue with me today? Every time I want to do something, you have to disagree. What¡¯s the principle here?¡±


    A huge pressure, without exception, fell on Nan Tianzong.


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s face darkened, a sh of pain appeared in his eyes, so fast that one couldn¡¯t catch it before it disappeared without a trace.<div>


    He suddenly started tough. His clear voice carried a mournful and choking tone, and hisughter grew louder, ¡°Kill! Just kill me! By killing me, you¡¯ll annihte your descendants, how nice! Killing me will let you be punished in this life, how nice! Why don¡¯t you kill me? Kill me! I¡¯ve had enough of living! Enough!¡±


    His words made the old man pause, stunned on the spot!


    ¡°The generals who followed you are dead, the wives who followed you are dead, and the children are either dead, crippled, or scattered. Why don¡¯t you think about it? Why don¡¯t you really think about it! You¡¯re about to enter the earth, and you¡¯re still making pointless trouble! You¡¯re just stirring up trouble! Hahaha¡­ ¡±


    Nan Tianzong suddenlyughed bitterly, not caring about the ck face behind him,ughing out of the bamboo house and running into the depths of the mountains.


    The old man finally came to his senses, only to find that there was no one left in the bamboo house!


    He was so angry that he roared, ¡°You bastard! Come back to me! Come back! ¡­¡±


    On the other side.


    Fleeing-death Little Cui shivered in the pavilion.


    She was covering her chest, which was so painful that she could hardly breathe. Even without checking, Little Cui knew she had suffered internal injuries, and they were severe.


    It took her several attempts to struggle to her feet. Just as she was about to leave, with her hand on her chest, she looked up only to be shocked by the figure standing at the edge of the pavilion!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The person was no ordinary man. He was the shopkeeper of Silver Pavilion and also the famous Sixth Grandmaster on the ck Dragon Mountain.


    Little Cui was almost startled!


    She quickly forced out a smile, ¡°I¡¯m scared! So it¡¯s¡­ Shopkeeper Gu. Why are you not resting sote in the night?¡±


    Shopkeeper Gu stood less than two feet away from her, smiling and observing her, clucking his tongue in unison.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk! The Master really doesn¡¯t hesitate, to hit such a beautiful woman like a flower, ready to kill in one breath. How pitiful, pitiable, and tragic!¡±


    Little Cui¡¯s eyes shed with coldness, and immediately the handkerchief in her hand was spread out in the air, brushing Shopkeeper Gu¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Shopkeeper Gu has really seen a joke! Little Cui did something wrong, and Master punished Little Cui. This is justified. Little Cui dares notin¡­¡±


    Her voice trembled heavily, and though she said she didn¡¯t darein, her tearful eyes gave away the feeling of injustice.


    ¡°Oh? Really noints? Well, it¡¯s such a pity for a little beauty like you to have these two ck thumbprints on her face. Come on! Let big brother help you heal your wounds! Hehehe¡­ ¡±


    Shopkeeper Guughed obscenely while reaching out towards Little Cui.


    Little Cui was frightened! Instinctively, she wanted to dodge.

 Chapter 347: Ah-Hua is back!

    Chapter 347: Ah-Hua is back!


    Trantor: 549690339


    Unexpectedly, Shopkeeper Gu, who seemed fat, had quick skills. No matter how she dodged, she couldn¡¯t escape from his grasp, and he pulled her into his arms.


    ¡°Little beauty, no woman I¡¯ve set my eyes on has ever escaped my palm before. Come, let me give you a kiss¡­¡±


    As he spoke, his fat head and big ears pressed down towards Little Cui¡¯s pitiful and pretty face.


    ¡°No! Let me go! I¡¯m already married and have turned a new leaf. Let go of me, let¡­ let go of me!¡±


    Little Cui struggled fiercely. The two engaged in fisticuffs, with lively back and forth exchanges. Every move she made was preempted by him, giving himplete control and the upper hand.


    The violent struggles worsened her injuries, causing darkness to sh before her eyes and a trickle of fresh blood to fall from the corner of her mouth.


    Such pitiful beauty only made Shopkeeper Gu¡¯s eyes widen with desire, disregarding everything else, and directly pinning Little Cui down at the edge of the pavilion.


    ¡°Hehehe! Little beauty! I advise you to submit to me! Otherwise¡­ I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t have a sweet life. Hehe!¡±


    ¡°No! No! Let me go¡­¡±


    As she resisted beneath him, unbearably, she pulled a silver hairpin from her head and fiercely stabbed it towards his heart¡­


    However, his movements were even quicker. Before she could see what he did, her wrist throbbed with pain! Unable to hold back, she screamed in agony, and the silver hairpin fell to the ground.


    p! p!


    Two resounding psnded left and right on Little Cui¡¯s face!


    Immediately, her head throbbed from the blows.


    Shopkeeper Gu cursed fiercely, ¡°Just a whore who¡¯s been ridden by thousands and crushed by tens of thousands! How dare you think of resisting? It¡¯s an honor for me to take you. If you resist again, I won¡¯t mind sending you to meet the Buddha. If you cooperate, I might even give you a taste of pleasure afterward. Hahaha¡­¡±


    As he spoke, his hand reached for the cor of her clothes¡­


    Little Cui¡¯s eyes widened, and she let out a shrill cry: ¡°No! ¡­¡±


    After the cold winter morning, although the snow had melted, there was still frost every morning, making people unwilling to leave the warmth of their quilts.


    The sky had not yet brightened when Di Yelei went to the governmental office.


    Before leaving, he had brought the well-prepared soup medicine and watched Liu Sisi drink it down, then reluctantly left.


    As soon as he left, Liu Sisi went to sleep and didn¡¯t wake up until her stomach growled, then got up.


    Now that the days were cold, and because she had checked the ounts yesterday, Liu Sisi had nothing else to do, so she picked up the textbooks and continued teaching Di Xuan and YingEr.


    Soon, Ah-Juan and Ah-Min also came by, so Liu Sisi took the opportunity to teach them all together.


    After noon, when Liu Sisi was teaching Liu Zhi¡¯er how to sprout beans and nt soilless vegetables, Guihua and Ms. Xin came over.


    Seeing Liu Sisi teaching Liu Zhi¡¯er, the two also gathered around.


    ¡°Sisi! Your vegetable nting skills are simply amazing! ording to your nting method, if we specialize in nting for wealthy families, we could make a lot of silver, right?¡± Guihua couldn¡¯t help but speak her mind today.


    It must be said that Guihua has sharp eyes!


    Liu Sisi smiled. In fact, how could she not have thought of Guihua¡¯s proposal? But people, including her, have limited energy. She could make money in any field, but no matter which one, she had to devote her time and energy to seed!


    Liu Sisi admitted that nting her own vegetables was fine, but if she had to work in the fields all day, she would go crazy!


    So, she had never taken this path before.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t specialized in growing and selling vegetables before either. Nowadays, as I¡¯m pregnant, I¡¯m even less willing to do it. If any of you want to try it, feel free.¡±


    Liu Sisi was quite generous: ¡°Of course, if you have any questions, you can ask me anything, and I¡¯ll be more than happy to help.¡±


    If it could benefit everyone, it would be a good thing.


    ¡°If we really want to do this, we definitely won¡¯t be polite with you.¡±


    Guihua spoke and thenughed.


    Ms. Xin, who was next to her, alsoughed behind her hand: ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? Third sister-inw knows so much and keeps us in stock of fresh vegetables even in the cold winter.¡±


    Today, Ms. Xin¡¯splexion was not good, and her spirit seemed sluggish. While talking, she looked for a chair and sat down.


    As she moved her body to one side, Guihua, who was standing beside her, immediately noticed the injury on her face, and pointed at it.


    ¡°Ms. Xin, your face¡­ what happened?¡±


    Ms. Xin hastily covered her face in panic: ¡°No, nothing¡­ really! Ah-Bao just got too excited and drunk yesterday. He didn¡¯t do it on purpose, I swear!¡±


    Her attempt to conceal the truth only made her look more suspicious, causing everyone¡¯s imagination to run wild. Seeing her dodgy behavior, everyone could only sigh quietly.


    Guihua couldn¡¯t help patting her hand: ¡°Hey, men will be men. When he drinks a few sips of alcohol, just tolerate him and don¡¯t make a fuss. Once he sobers up, everything will be fine.¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ms. Xin smiled bitterly, nodding lightly, and dabbed her eyes with the towel in her hand.


    Liu Sisi neither agreed nor disagreed, but she thought something was off about Ms. Xin today. However, she couldn¡¯t pinpoint the reason, and she felt sleepy again.


    But she couldn¡¯t say anything since they had guests at home.


    Instead, it was Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was sitting on the side busily making shoes for everyone, who noticed her drowsiness and quickly asked, ¡°Sisi, are you sleepy? Do you want to lie down for a while?¡±


    After taking the medicine Zhang Peng brought, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s voice had significantly improved, and her pronunciation was much clearer.


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll just sit for a while longer! Sleeping all day isn¡¯t good either.¡±


    Liu Sisi said after thinking for a moment.


    As they spoke, they suddenly heard Ah-Huang¡¯s excited barking from outside. The intense barking pierced the sky, audible from far away.


    Immediately, a crashing sound against the door came through.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is Ah-Huang hitting the door? Has he gone crazy?¡±


    Several people stood up in surprise and looked towards the yard door, only to see Ah-Huang trying to break through the door like he was mad.


    ¡°Ah-Huang! Ah-Huang, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you making such a fuss?¡±


    YingEr¡¯s scolding came from the hall. It turned out that the children who were studying had alsoe out of the house.


    As everyone wondered what was happening, another familiar barking came from outside the yard door.


    Liu Sisi gasped!


    Next to her, Xuan¡¯er and YingEr also shouted excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s Ah-Hua! That¡¯s Ah-Hua¡¯s bark, Ah-Hua is back!¡±

 Chapter 348: Ah-Hua is back!

    Chapter 348: Ah-Hua is back!


    Trantor: 549690339


    It is! It¡¯s Ah-Hua¡¯s dog barking!


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but feel excited, and quickly walked towards the yard door. Everyone hurriedly followed, even the father with the crutch came along. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A few children had already run to the front and opened the main entrance.


    As soon as the door was opened, a light brown figure immediately came running in from outside. Ah-Hua excitedly entered from outside and immediately began ying with Ah-Huang affectionately.


    Its tail wagged happily nonstop, as if it would break from all the wagging.


    ¡°Ah-Hua! It¡¯s Ah-Hua. Ah-Hua, I miss you so much! Ah-Hua¡­¡±


    Ying¡¯er could no longer contain her excitement and rushed towards Ah-Hua.


    Upon seeing Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er, Ah-Hua immediately leaped on them and knocked Ying¡¯er to the ground. It then extended its tongue and quickly licked Ying¡¯er¡¯s face. It kept whimpering, wagging its tail as if was going to snap, and licked Ying¡¯er¡¯s entire face.


    ¡°It really is Ah-Hua! Ah-Hua is actually still alive!¡±


    Everyone present was excited!


    When Ah-Hua heard everyone calling its name, it immediately jumped off Ying¡¯er and ran happily towards them,pletely overjoyed!


    At this moment, Liu Sisi took a closer look at Ah-Hua.


    Ah-Hua had lost a lot of weight and was almost skin and bones. Before it was plump and strong, but now one could clearly see the ribs beneath its skin. Likewise, everyone could now see the wound on its abdomen¡ªa deep gash that exposed the bone!


    ¡°Ah-Hua¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but squat down and gently stroke Ah-Hua. Ah-Hua also whined and rubbed back and forth against her hand, rubbing its back against Liu Sisi. Tears visibly streamed down its eyes¡­


    Liu Sisi felt her eyes getting hot and swelling with tears, unable to hold back the tears rolling in her eyes: ¡°Ah-Hua, you¡¯re still alive! That¡¯s just great! It¡¯s wonderful!¡±


    Ah-Hua continued to wag its tail happily, and Ah-Huang, who was nearby, also came over and kept grooming Ah-Hua¡¯s wound while whimpering softly.


    ¡°Quick! Don¡¯t crowd around it anymore. Ah-Hua must be starving. Hurry and get some warm food for it to eat!¡±


    Sister Guihua, whose eyes were also red, hurriedly called out.


    It was then that everyone remembered the task at hand.


    After another session of affection, Ah-Hua¡¯s meal was finally brought over.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it will overeat, so I¡¯ve brought arge bowl of meat soup and rice for now. We can feed it moreter. This way, its stomach and intestines will feel better¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er brought the bowl over, and as soon as Ah-Hua smelled the fragrance, it plunged its head into the bowl and ate voraciously without stopping, clearly starving.


    It wasn¡¯t until this moment that Guihua remembered something important.


    ¡°Huh! Wait a minute! Ah-Hua originally fell into the cold cave while biting Old Man Li¡¯s leg. How did it climb out of the cave? Ah-Hua is still alive, but¡­ what about him? Is he alive too?¡±


    Guihua¡¯s words immediately silenced everyone present.


    Everyone knew who she was referring to.


    Especially Liu Zhi¡¯er, her face turned pale, and her whole body trembled for a few moments.


    Upon seeing this, Liu Sisi quickly raised her voice, ¡°Sister Guihua, what are you talking about? That¡¯s a cold cave, Ah-Hua can climb out, but it doesn¡¯t mean a person can. Besides, even if Old Man Li climbed out, he would still have prison time waiting for him at the county government. Everyone, rest assured!¡±


    She said this mainly for Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s sake.


    Guihua realized she said the wrong thing, so she quickly corrected herself, ¡°Yes! That must be it. My husband Zhang Peng said that the cold cave is even bigger than two rooms, and the strong wind inside sweeps everything nearby. It¡¯s impossible for a person to climb out of there, that¡¯s just dreaming!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right! His leg is crippled too, so there¡¯s even less chance of survival!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s attempts tofort Liu Zhi¡¯er didn¡¯t seem to help, as her face turned pale and she couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. Covering her mouth, she turned around and ran into her room.


    Silence fell upon everyone for a moment.


    Seeing that things had gone badly, Ms. Xin hurriedly left, ¡°Third Sister-inw, it¡¯s gettingte, Ah-Bao should be sober now. I¡¯ll go home and check on him.¡± After saying that, she left the yard door.


    With Ms. Xin gone, Guihua also left in embarrassment. Before leaving, she dragged Zhang Yun away with her.


    Then Ah-Juan and Ah-Min left one after the other.


    When only their family remained in the courtyard, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know what to say.


    As evening approached, Di Yelei returned home. Seeing Ah-Huaing to greet him, he was overjoyed, and Ah-Hua jumped almost three feet high, nearly kissing his chin.


    It seemed that her strength had recovered a lot!


    Seeing the return of Ah-Hua and the happily wagging tail of Ah-Huang, Di Yelei was absolutely delighted!


    ¡°Sisi! Ah-Hua is actually alive! Hahaha! That¡¯s great! So great! It¡¯s just too good, Ah-Hua didn¡¯t die, and I¡¯m so happy that she¡¯s alive¡­¡±


    As Di Yelei excitedly spun around in ce for quite a while, he finally noticed theck of joy on everyone¡¯s faces and realized something was wrong.


    He stopped and closely examined Liu Sisi¡¯s expression, then curiously asked, ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Liu Sisi, who was leaning against the head of her bed, sighed and exined what had happened.


    ¡°Is Old Man Li dead or alive? If Ah-Hua can run out alive, is he still alive too? You know how Second Sister feels. If Old Man Li is still alive, it¡¯s like a thorn in her side, so¡­¡±


    Upon saying this, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t continue.


    Di Yelei pondered for a moment, ¡°The chance Old Man Li can get out where Ah-Hua escaped is not great. Ah-Hua has a small body, and as long as there¡¯s a small hole, she can escape, but people can¡¯t. How about this! After having dinner tonight, I¡¯ll go to the mountains to see if I can find anything!¡±


    ¡°Tonight? Let¡¯s wait until tomorrow¡¯s daylight. If he really climbed out, it wouldn¡¯t be just one night. The visibility is low at night, and you¡¯re going to that pitch-ck, bottomless cold cave. You can¡¯t be careless.¡±


    Di Yelei thought about it and then nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true! I¡¯ll have my day off tomorrow, so I¡¯ll call Zhang Peng and Li Wu to join me, and we¡¯ll also bring some hemp ropes to ensure nothing goes wrong.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s better, and take some warm clothing too, didn¡¯t you say that the cold cave was freezing cold? It¡¯s always good to be prepared¡­¡±


    This husband and wife were talking on a makeshift bed in the corner of the kitchen. Outside the kitchen, Liu Zhi¡¯er listened in silence and didn¡¯t speak.


    She looked up at the silent night outside and seemed lost in her thoughts.

 Chapter 349: Zuo Xingyu’s Visit, Sisi Changes Color!

    Chapter 349: Zuo Xingyu¡¯s Visit, Sisi Changes Color!


    Trantor: 549690339


    Liu Sisi yawned with fatigue.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea! Perhaps, tomorrow you can bring Ah-Hua with you.¡±


    If Ah-Hua could escape from there, she must know the way in. Bringing her along would certainly be helpful.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t bring Ah-Hua, it¡¯s just¡­ I think Ah-Hua has had a tough time these days, better let her rest at home.¡±


    Thinking of Ah-Hua¡¯s emaciated appearance that he had seen earlier, and the clearly visible knife edge that could reach her bones, Di Yelei genuinely couldn¡¯t bear to let Ah-Hua suffer again.


    Liu Sisi pondered for a while and nodded silently, ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    A gentle sigh escaped from her mouth.


    ¡°Right! You lie down for a while first, I¡¯ll bring her some food. She¡¯s so thin, we need to properly nourish her back to health.¡±


    Di Yelei thought about it and still felt uneasy about Ah-Hua. He got up again to prepare dog food for Ah-Hua.


    ¡°Don¡¯t put too much meat in it! Be careful not to hurt her stomach as it might be weak!¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly shouted from behind him.


    ¡°I got it!¡±


    Di Yelei responded, warmed the food, and then left the kitchen.


    Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua¡¯s dog houses were located on either side behind the door of Di¡¯s yard, each with their own dog house. At the moment, Ah-Hua was lying in her own dog house, with Ah-Huang whining non-stop and licking her fur.


    During the time that Ah-Hua was missing, Ah-Huang had been very lonely and sad, always whimpering listlessly.


    Now that Ah-Hua was back, Ah-Huang was so excited that it couldn¡¯t stop, constantly cleaning her around.


    ¡°Ah-Hua! It¡¯s mealtime!¡±


    Di Yelei shouted, pouring the carefully prepared meat porridge for Ah-Hua into her feeding trough.


    Ah-Hua opened her eyes and barked joyfully twice, took a couple bites from the feeding trough, and theny back down in her dog house, seemingly drowsy.


    This dog really is tired!


    After carefully examining the clearly medicated wound, Di Yelei gently patted Ah-Hua¡¯s head, and patted Ah-Huang as well, before he finally got up to check on the jujube red horse and went back inside the house.


    Is Old Man Li alive or dead?


    No matter what, he won¡¯t let him go!


    Early the next morning, the sky was still gray.


    Although it wasn¡¯t snowing, the frost that condensed every morning was truly cold!


    Di Yelei called Zhang Peng and Li Wu. The three people discussed for a long time. They all felt that the cold cave had a strong suction force. It was not advantageous to have arge group, so they didn¡¯t bring any extra people. They each brought tworge bundles of ropes, led their own hounds, and headed towards the mountain!


    As soon as Ah-Hua saw all the hounds were there, she wobbled out of the dog house and joined in, seeming to want to follow everyone up the mountain.


    Li Wu looked at Ah-Hua and sighed, ¡°How did this dog get so thin? Look at her siblings and then look at Ah-Huang¡¯s size, they could wrap around her twice. Let¡¯s just leave her at home!¡±


    Everyone unanimously agreed with this.


    Di Yelei also gently patted Ah-Hua, ¡°Ah-Hua! You stay here and guard the house, we¡¯ll bring back some delicious food for you when we return, okay?¡±


    As he spoke, he pushed her back into the dog house.


    Ah-Hua whined and wagged her tail. After walking a few steps, she picked up the leash with her mouth, and wailed pitifully at Di Yelei, her tail wagging forcefully.


    Everyone felt a pang of sorrow, even Li Wu changed his mind: ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s take it with us. Anyway, we¡¯re not hunting today. It should be fine as long as we don¡¯t let it off its leash to prance about.¡±


    With that decided, the trio then proceeded to head towards the mountains grandiosely.


    Shortly after they left, an unexpected visitor arrived, breaking the tranquility of Liu Sisi¡¯s life.


    When Zuo Xingyu appeared before Liu Sisi, she was ying with Da Mao.


    Da Mao, the child, was quiet and unobtrusive, so much so that one could hardly sense his presence. He would always y slowly on his own, without making a sound or speaking to anyone. No one else couldmunicate with him apart from YingEr.


    This situation made Liu Sisi worried. Was he autistic?


    She was trying to get Da Mao to talk when Zuo Xingyu came in.


    With a displeased look on her face, Liu Zhi¡¯er approached Liu Sisi and whispered: ¡°Sisi, why are you¡­ still mingling with him? If your brother-inw and outsiders find out, then¡­¡±


    ¡°I had no idea he wasing today! He might be here to see Ye Lei.¡±


    She also felt quite helpless, right?


    However, she still remembered that she had instructed Zuo Xingyu during theirst parting that there would be a price to pay for their next meeting. She wondered if he had brought enoughpensation this time.


    Zuo Xingyu was still dressed as usual, in a jet-ck cloth clothing, his deep ck eyes filled with coldness!


    His thin lips were tightly pressed, like an eagle standing quietly on a mountain in the night, arrogantly aloof, yet with a dominance that looked down upon the world in solitary defiance!


    There was a teacup at his side, evidently filled by Liu Zhi¡¯er.Y0u can read sh0rt, t0uching, and r0mantic st0ries ab0ut c0uples, as well as children¡¯s st0ries f0r free 0n sitest0rys(.)c0m


    ced on the other side of the table, just out of his reach, it was clear that he had not touched the teacup.


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er came in with some unease, catching hold of Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Second Sister! You go out first! Sisi isn¡¯t a child anymore, she knows how to handle things herself!¡± The peculiarly assuring smile on her face cated Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was coaxed into leaving the room.


    Turning around, Liu Sisi looked into the pair of inquisitive eyes of the man before her.


    She raised the corner of her mouth, but did not say anything. She walked over to sit in the chair across him, casually ying with the handkerchief in her hand. She really didn¡¯t understand why the women of this era were all fond of having handkerchiefs in their hands. Was it for wiping things conveniently?


    In the standoff between the two, Zuo Xingyu was the first to concede, unable to refrain from making a fist greeting.


    ¡°I heard Mrs. Di is pregnant, congrattions!¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Regarding his congrattions, Liu Sisi epted it as a matter of course: ¡°Constable Zuo, you wouldn¡¯t havee here today just to congratte me, would you?¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s gaze was heavy: ¡°Of course not, I from the Zuo family came here today to return something to Mrs. Di.¡±


    In saying that, he leaned slightly, took a blue handkerchief from his chest, put it on the corner of the table, and slowly pushed it towards Liu Sisi while looking into her eyes.


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows in surprise, looking at the bulging center of the handkerchief. It seemed to wrap a small box.


    She curled her lip, casually took the handkerchief, lifted it, and indeed, a small box was revealed.


    ncing up at him, Liu Sisi threw aside the handkerchief covering the box, and casually opened it.


    Zuo Xingyu sat as usual in his ce tapping the arm of the chair lightly, a look ofcency on his face.


    Liu Sisi looked down, peeked into the box, was startled, immediately stood up from her chair, her face turned pale and she froze on the spot!

 Chapter 350: Zuo Xingyu’s Visit, Sisi Changes Color!

    Chapter 350: Zuo Xingyu¡¯s Visit, Sisi Changes Color!


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zuo Xingyu appeared indifferent.


    With a sweep of his starry eyes, he stretched out his long arm, picked up the teacup beside him, directly uncovered the lid, and slowly blew on it to cool it down. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It took Liu Sisi a while to recover, and the color on her face gradually returned to normal. She couldn¡¯t help butugh lightly.


    ¡°Constable Zuo, are you here today just to deliver this thing? It¡¯s a pity, Sisi is undeserving and cannot ept such a good thing. I really can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    Having said that, she closed the small box in her hand, threw it casually onto the table.


    The small box fell on the table, and the lid bounced open, revealing the item inside. A bright pearl, slightly smaller than a longan, was spinning inside, reflecting mesmerizing radiance.


    A softugh came from Zuo Xingyu¡¯s throat as he put down the teacup in his hand.


    ¡°During the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet the other day, there was amotion from the other side of the official residence. It turned out that a group of bold assassins had entered to carry out an assassination. As a constable, my steps were naturally faster than others. I arrived at the scene before the others, and at the scene, I found this pearl slightly smaller than a longan.¡±


    ¡°So what? Haha!¡±


    Liu Sisi sneered twice. Too many things had happened at the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet, and it was chaotic everywhere. It wasn¡¯t until she returned home in the evening that she discovered a pearl was missing. However, these pearls were gifts from Prefecture Princess Luo, and there were quite a few of them ¨C although there were only about tenrge ones.


    If the other party wants to make an issue out of just this one pearl, they¡¯re overly wishful thinking!


    ¡°At the scene of the assassination the other day, this East Pearl was left behind by those assassins. It¡¯s just not known who these assassins were, that they would leave such a precious item at the scene.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu appeared to be well-prepared, narrating leisurely.


    ¡°Oh? There¡¯s such a thing?¡±


    Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Perhaps Mrs Di doesn¡¯t know about this kind of pearl? This is the top-grade Southern Ocean East Pearl! In order to find out about this pearl, I even went to investigate.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu didn¡¯t give up but continued to press on, ¡°I found out that half a year ago, a foreign merchant from the Southern Ocean came and offered a batch of jewels to the ruler. Among them were these Southern Ocean pearls. These Southern Ocean pearls were just the size of longans, with a round and bright luster. His Majesty was so delighted that he rewarded several favored concubines and princesses in the Imperial Harem. In addition, five dou (about 2000 seeds) were given to Prefecture Princess Luo. Among them, 24 top-quality pearls were specially bestowed to express His love. Prefecture Princess Luo was very fond of them and took them out on several asions to y with. This time, she also brought this batch of East Pearls with her on her trip. I have investigated, and Prefecture Princess Luo still has 12 top-quality Southern Ocean East Pearls in her possession. In addition, Madam Gan Senior has six, and as for the final six¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he nced at Liu Sisi.


    The more Zuo Xingyu talked, the sweeter the smile on Liu Sisi¡¯s face became.


    With a seemingly shallow smile on her face, she secretly clenched her fists in anger! Never in a million years would she have thought that what she believed to be just a few insignificant pearls actually had such a significant origin!


    This was indeed her own carelessness!


    Even in her previous life, though she didn¡¯t have many chances toe across such things, they were not rare in shopping mall disy cabs. Each pearl became bigger and more beautiful, causing her subconscious to think that they were just pearls and nothing extraordinary!


    But she instinctively forgot that this was an era without so many artificial pearls!


    How precious must these six equally-sizedrge pearls be!


    And she, unknowingly possessed such a treasure!


    ¡°Constable Zuo, your storytelling skills have improved greatly, and you have truly frightened this ignorant married woman! Sisi doesn¡¯t know anything about Southern pearls or Northern pearls. Although it was a gift from Prefecture Princess Luo, Sisi is not an expert and doesn¡¯t recognize good things. I heard that pearl powder has a beautifying effect, so I took out two small ones to try first. After taking them, I found no change. So, I took tworge ones, ground them into pearl powder, and ate them!¡±


    A sh of light flickered in Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes, and a surprised look crossed his face.


    ¡°Ah! Now that I¡¯ve heard what you said, Constable Zuo, my heart aches. If you had told me earlier, I would have kept all these pearls.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed sweetly.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s face darkened, and he stared at Liu Sisi, ¡°So are you or are you not admitting that you didn¡¯t get this top-grade East Pearl, Mrs Di?¡±


    Liu Sisiughed lightly, ¡°Constable Zuo, you¡¯re joking. How can I admit something that isn¡¯t mine?¡±


    ¡°Fine! Since Mrs Di said so, then I shouldn¡¯t havee here today! When I return to the county governmentter, I¡¯ll definitely present this item to Prefecture Princess Luo. I believe she will be interested in this pearl. Constable Zuo takes his leave!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu finished speaking, got up immediately, and reached out to grab the box.


    But another hand was even faster!


    Liu Sisi had already snatched the box before he could, her face filled with a smile as beautiful as a flower.


    ¡°Constable Zuo, as an esteemed constable, how can you be so impatient? Didn¡¯t Sisi just say that everyone has a love for beauty? Although Prefecture Princess Luo loves beauty, she is already a stunning beauty. If you give her the East Pearl, it would just be the icing on the cake. But if you leave it for Sisi¡­¡±


    ¡°Humph! If you wanted it, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu haughtily flicked his robe and sat down again.


    Picking up the cup of tea, he didn¡¯t care that the water inside had long gone cold, and drank it all in one gulp, then put the cup down casually before turning his head to look at Liu Sisi.


    He¡¯d figured it out by now. Liu Sisi was clearly trying to make things difficult for him, knowing his purpose foring!


    ¡°Alright! Now that we¡¯ve said so much, let¡¯s be straightforward with each other! Going around in circles is giving me a headache.¡±


    Liu Sisi blinked her eyes innocently, ¡°It seems that it was Constable Zuo who brought up the topic, right?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu was stumped for a moment and shook his head helplessly, ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s my fault. I apologize to Mrs Di.¡±


    ¡°Constable Zuo, you¡¯re too serious.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly returned the fist greeting and deliberately asked him as if in opposition, ¡°Constable Zuo, what is the purpose of your visit?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyebrows were knotted, and talking to such a woman was tiring!


    ¡°Mrs Di, aren¡¯t you ying dumb? How can you not know Constable Zuo¡¯s purpose? Please speak clearly, Mrs Di, how about that?¡±


    Liu Sisi finallyughed from the bottom of her heart! She had been waiting for these words!


    ¡°Alright! Constable Zuo, whatever you want to know, I don¡¯t mind telling you. However, there is one thing Sisi would like to ask you for help.¡±

 Chapter 351: Zuo Xingyu’s Visit, Sisi Changes Color!

    Chapter 351: Zuo Xingyu¡¯s Visit, Sisi Changes Color!


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s about my Second Sister.¡±


    Liu Sisi sat down on the chair again and gently recounted the story of Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    Starting with the man surnamed Dong, to Old Man Li, and then to the divorce, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t hide any details from Zuo Xingyu, except for some details that were not appropriate to tell others. She understood that it was better to tell him everything clearly, which seemed more sincere than letting him investigate on his own.


    ¡°¡­My Second Sister has suffered so much, and now she has finally escaped the fire pit, but she can¡¯t let go of Er Mao and San Mao, the two children sold by her own father. I don¡¯t ask for much, just that you keep an eye out and inform me as soon as you have any news about the two children.¡±


    At first, Zuo Xingyu was filled with resentment, but as Liu Sisi spoke, his anger subsided bit by bit. He pondered for a moment.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I, Zuo someone, will promise you openly, but secretly not help you find the children?¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled faintly: ¡°Just because you said that, I know that you are not that kind of person, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu looked deeply into Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, a sh of admiration crossing his gaze.


    ¡°Hehe¡­ Alright! Since you trust Zuo someone so much, I ept this task! I promise I will do my best to find Er Mao and San Mao and bring them back to you. Now, isn¡¯t it time for you to tell me who you are looking for?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I have no idea who you¡¯re looking for!¡±


    Liu Sisi spread her hands open, finally telling the truth.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s face changed, and he asked through gritted teeth!


    ¡°You!¡­ Are you ying me?¡±


    Liu Sisiughed and stood up: ¡°However, I can tell you in detail about what happened on the way up Heilong Mountain and the people I met along the way, as well as what happened on the day of the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet. Whether you can find clues from that information is now up to you!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu:


    By the time Zuo Xingyu left the Di family on horseback, it was already dark. Di Yelei and the others had not returned yet.


    Old Mr. Di, worried, slowly moved out of the courtyard with his crutch, looked out in the distance several times at the crossroads, but still saw no one, before returning in disappointment.


    Liu Sisi was tutoring Ah-Juan and Ah-Min in their studies, supervising their handwriting and arithmetic. Her thoughts, however, flew far away, as she carefully recalled her conversation with Zuo Xingyu, wondering if she had missed anything. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It wasn¡¯t untilte in the night, when Ah-Juan¡¯s elder brother came to pick them up, that Liu Sisi realized how much time had passed.


    Looking at her Second Sister, who was quietly sewing shoes on one side, and Da Mao, who was sitting quietly withoutughing or making noise, Liu Sisi gently touched Da Mao¡¯s head: ¡°Second Sister, today I asked Zuo Xingyu to help us find Er Mao and San Mao. Although Ye Lei is already looking for them, having an extra person help is always a good thing. I believe we should get some good news soon.¡±


    ¡°I know, I heard it all.¡±


    The tone of Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s voice was very light, like talking about a stranger she didn¡¯t know.


    How much did she hear?


    ¡°You didn¡¯t lower your voice when talking to him, and I was sitting at the doorway embroidering. How could I not hear?¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s tone was as calm as ever.


    ¡°Second Sister!¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly grabbed her hand: ¡°Second Sister, are you ming me for telling him about your situation? He is a constable, even if I hadn¡¯t told him today, he would have found out within two days¡­¡±


    ¡°I know! I know you¡¯re doing it for my sake, to help me find Er Mao and San Mao.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er interrupted her, then stood up: ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and Da Mao is tired. I¡¯m taking Da Mao to rest, and you should go to sleep early too.¡±


    After speaking, without waiting for Liu Sisi to respond, she took Da Mao¡¯s hand and led him into the room.


    ¡°Second Sister, Second¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi felt a bit disheartened. Had her good intentions backfired again?


    ¡°Second Sister, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I just wanted to find the children earlier. Being an orphan is really hard to bear¡­¡± Just like her past.


    After going back to her room, Liu Zhi¡¯er settled herself and Da Mao down and began to recall the past events.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s life was getting better and better now. Her brother-inw at home spoiled and cared for her, putting her first and being concerned about her. His ex-wife had left a son and a daughter behind, but the two children were well-behaved, understanding, smart and clever, making people envious. There were parents-inw at home, but the father-inw never talked much, and although the mother-inw was not easy to get along with, she was not her own flesh and blood. Now she was even pregnant¡­


    How could she not be envious and jealous of such a perfect and happy life? It even brought out two points of resentment.


    Why? Why did she alone get all the good things and all the bad things were left to herself?


    And now she¡¯s spreading gossip about her own affairs to outsiders, and it¡¯s such a familiar person!


    Where could she put her face?


    But thinking about Sisi doing this in order to find Er Mao and San Mao, she felt that she was making a mountain out of a molehill and secretly med herself for being unreasonable.


    After countless tossing and turning, it was almost dawn when she finally fell asleep.


    Liu Sisi also slept lightly all night, and when she woke up in the morning, she got up as usual, but her stomach churned and she started to retch.


    She vomited a puddle of sour water and, feeling weak in her hands and feet, had to crawl back to the head of the bed and fall asleep in a daze.


    In her daze, a loud voice woke her up.


    In the middle of the courtyard, Miao Cuihua shouted loudly: ¡°Where is Sisi? I don¡¯te here for nothing, I¡¯m here to see her for a special reason! Howe she¡¯s still not up? Is she in here? I¡¯ll go look for her myself¡­¡±


    Miao Cuihua went towards the other side, the original bedroom.


    Anxious voice of Liu Zhi¡¯er followed: ¡°Why are you so unreasonable? Sisi is not here! Hey¡­ I said! Hey! Why don¡¯t you listen¡­¡±


    In the midst of their scuffle, the voices of the two quickly approached the direction of the kitchen.


    Liu Sisi struggled to get up, not yet fully dressed, when she saw the sturdy Miao Cuihua lift the curtain ande in. She saw Liu Sisi, who was poking her head out and looking around, and then smiled.


    ¡°Hey! Sisi, why are you sozy? The day is already bright, and you¡¯re still sleeping in!¡±


    These words really made Liu Sisi feel both likeughing and crying, but considering Miao Cuihua¡¯s personality, she just let it go.


    ¡°You¡¯re here in my house today, is it just to discuss this matter with me?¡±


    ¡°Of course there¡¯s something else. It¡¯s because of my Skinny Monkey, that¡¯s why I came to see you today specifically. It¡¯s like, like¡­¡±


    Seeing such a giant Miao Cuihua suddenly act coy really blinded people¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°My Skinny Monkey¡­ has been working at a bookstore in town for so long now! I think it¡¯s almost the end of the year, isn¡¯t it time for him to take a break ande home for a festive New Year?¡±


    Liu Sisi covered her forehead and remembered!


    It was almost the end of the year, and she hadpletely forgotten about it in her daze!

 Chapter 352: Speculation

    Chapter 352: Spection


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Cuihua, Shou Hou is working at the bookstore. Are you satisfied or not with how things are going?¡±


    As soon as the matter was mentioned, Miao Cuihua¡¯s spirit was immediately lifted!


    ¡°Sisi! Look at how you talk. With Shou Hou working at the bookstore, he can earn over one tael of silver every month, which is great. I¡¯m naturally satisfied. But¡­ It¡¯s just that he¡¯s been gone for so long, I can¡¯t help but miss him,¡± Miao Cuihua¡¯s voice lowered as she spoke, her face filled with shyness and coyness.


    Liu Sisi was filled with confusion.


    ¡°Cuihua, since you know that Shou Hou is working at the bookstore to make money, and you also know that it¡¯s the end of the year, where businesses in the bookstore are booming, and it¡¯s the time to make money, do you n to ask him toe back?¡±


    ¡°Of course not¡­ but, but¡­¡±


    Miao Cuihua was at a loss for words.


    ¡°There are still so many days left before the New Year! When it¡¯s time for the New Year, the bookstore will naturally give Shou Hou a holiday toe back.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she thought to herself that with Di Cheng guarding the bookstore, there was no need for Shou Hou to stay in the shop every day. It would only be a matter of some leg work to go in the morning and return home in the evening. The reason why Shou Hou had been using work at the bookstore as an excuse not toe home was probably due to some secret, right?


    It seemed that she would have to ask Shou Hou a few questions the next time she visited the bookstore, so as not to cause disharmony between the couple because of work.


    Miao Cuihua was visibly conflicted, wanting Shou Hou toe home and yet unable to part with the monthly ie of over one tael of silver.


    In the end, she left hesitantly with frequent backward nces.


    With Miao Cuihua¡¯s disturbance, Liu Sisi was naturally unable to sleep, so she quickly got up to tidy up her room, only to find that Liu Zhi¡¯er had already organized it neatly.


    ¡°Second Sister, I¡¯m d you¡¯re here. Otherwise, just tidying up the room would be enough to tire me out with this pregnancy.¡±


    Liu Sisi said sincerely.


    Liu Zhi¡¯erughed: ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. I eat and live in your home, and my sister-inw doesn¡¯t mind. If it were someone else, who knows what they¡¯d say? I feel at ease doing what I can to help.¡±


    You! Look at what you¡¯re saying¡­ are we still sisters?¡±


    Liu Sisi was sweating, and her thoughts suddenly turned to another issue: ¡°Second sister, would you be interested in trying to work at the bookstore? It¡¯s just a matter of greeting customers daily, then tallying the sold items in the ount book, verifying the amount of silver is correct. How about it? Are you interested in giving it a try?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er stopped her embroidery momentarily, her eyes visibly brightened. However, a momentter, she hesitated and shook her head: ¡°I can¡¯t, I¡¯m illiterate. How could I keep books? Besides, having me stand on the main street and greet customers¡­ I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s hopeful look dimmed: ¡°That¡¯s true, but we¡¯ll take it slow.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter if she was illiterate now. After she felt better, she could teach her how to read and write.


    Upon hearing this, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face also showed a disappointed expression, and silently continued her work.


    ¡°Second sister, don¡¯t worry! If you don¡¯t like working at the bookstore, I¡¯ll help you find a job you¡¯re satisfied with after the New Year, when I feel better. A job that will not only make money to support yourself but also allow you to save a little. At that time, with money by your side, you won¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er didn¡¯t respond, only giving an ambiguous smile.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t press her further, knowing that changing someone¡¯s mindset couldn¡¯t be done in one or two days.


    It wasn¡¯t until the afternoon that Di Yelei and the others returned from the mountain.


    Upon returning, each of them carried one or two pieces of game on their shoulders.


    ¡°We originally wanted to hunt for a while longer, but since we have to go to the government office tomorrow, we had to rush back.¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisiing over, Di Yelei casually lifted the game in his hand and grinned. He had two wild rabbits and one badger.


    Liu Sisi nced at him and turned toughingly greet Zhang Peng and Li Wu: ¡°Brother Li Wu, Brother Zhang, you should bothe in and rest for a while, and have some water before you leave.¡±


    ¡°Sister-inw, you don¡¯t need to be so polite. We get together every two or three days. Our families don¡¯t know what to think, so we won¡¯t rest for now. Goodbye.¡± The two declined the invitation, leading their hunting dogs and carrying their quarry away.


    Liu Sisi closed the room door and saw that Di Yelei had gone to the well to deal with the game. Liu Zhi¡¯er was peeking around, clearly wanting to know the conclusion of their investigation, so she quickly followed.


    ¡°Ye Lei, what exactly happened?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked as she approached him.


    ¡°What do you mean? Are you asking about this beast meat? Of course, we¡¯re going to eat it.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Stop pretending you don¡¯t understand!¡±


    Liu Sisi stamped her foot angrily, ¡°I¡¯m asking if you guys got into the cold cave? What did the investigation reveal? Did you find Old Man Li or not?¡±


    Di Yelei paused in his cleaning, then shook his head.


    ¡°We did enter the cold cave and followed it all the way down until all the ropes we brought were used up, yet we haven¡¯t reached the bottom nor found anything. Looking at the seemingly bottomless cavern, we couldn¡¯t continue going down and had to retreat along the original route.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you can¡¯t be sure whether Old Man Li is dead or alive?¡± Liu Sisi frowned.


    ¡°I think¡­ he¡¯s most likely dead.¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Yelei rinsed his hands in the water, then took a cloth strip out from his arms: ¡°Look, isn¡¯t this the same fabric as the clothes Old Man Li wore when he escaped?¡±


    Liu Sisi took it and examined it back and forth: ¡°Where did you get this?¡±


    ¡°We found it about halfway down our descent in the cold cave, where a reddish-brown bloodstain and this cloth fragment were sticking to a protruding boulder. Luckily, it was sheltered from the wind there, so it wasn¡¯t blown away by the whirlwind inside the cave.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at it closely: ¡°It should be, but I¡¯m not entirely sure. Or maybe we should show it to Second Sister to know for sure.¡±


    ¡°These are the clothes he wore. Even if they were reduced to ashes, I could recognize them, especially with the disgusting smell on it!¡±


    Behind her, Liu Zhi¡¯er wore a face full of grief and hatred, as if she wanted to swallow it all up.


    With a sudden step forward, she snatched the cloth fragment from Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, took a nce, then looked up and asked Di Yelei: ¡°Brother-inw, where exactly did you find this?¡±


    ¡°We found it about one li vertically down from the entrance of the cold cave. We¡¯ve used up all the ropes we brought, and there¡¯s no other discovery. It¡¯s too deep to plunge into. Even if he didn¡¯t fall to death, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯d have died at the bottom of the abyss,¡± Di Yelei exined.

 Chapter 353: Mistaking Feng Jing for Ma Liang

    Chapter 353: Mistaking Feng Jing for Ma Liang


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Second Sister! Did you hear that? In such a deep ce, he must have already¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi grabbed Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand in an attempt to give her the courage to face the situation.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er cried andughed, ¡°That¡¯s right! He¡¯s dead; he¡¯s already dead! Dead!¡±


    This scene left Di Yelei and Liu Sisi speechless, and they could only silently apany her tofort her.


    In the following days, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s spirit noticeably declined, and she became more and more silent.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s morning sickness symptoms became more severe, but her spirit seemed to have improved significantly.


    On the 21st day of Lunar December, the jujube red horse finally carried a drunken Di Yelei home, long after the sky had turned dark.


    The man was so drunk that no amount of shouting could wake him up. Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t move him on her own, so she called Liu Zhi¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er to help. The three of them supported him, practically half dragging and half carrying the unconscious man into the kitchen.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face turnedpletely red. Although she was only helping him like this, his strong body, even withyers of clothing, still made her feel heat and warmth through their close contact. This heat transmitted to her brain, making her feel feverish and hot all over, as if she were someone else entirely.


    Barely managing to drag him to the temporary bed next to the kitchen, they put him on the head of the bed. Liu Zhi¡¯er hurriedly let go of him like she was holding a hot potato.


    But immediately, a feeling of loss arose in her heart, causing her to feel a sudden panic.


    Everyone was exhausted and sat down gasping for breath.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look that heavy! Why is he so heavy? Ouch! I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    Liu Sisi nearly copsed at the head of the bed.


    ¡°Right! Dad is so heavy, my arms are sore.¡± Di Xuan also shook his arms.


    Liu Sisi felt that using so much strength caused an unbearable pain in her lower abdomen: ¡°The exhaustion is bearable, but my stomach¡­ sucks! ¡­ it hurts so much¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you just use too much force and¡­ cause a miscarriage? What are we going to do?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, who had barelye back to her senses from her daze, panicked upon hearing this: ¡°You should lie down, lie t and rest, see if it gets any better. Don¡¯t move around anymore.¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°It should be fine¡­ it¡¯s¡­ much better now.¡±


    Liu Sisi held onto her lower abdomen, waiting for the wave of pain to pass, her forehead already covered in cold sweat.


    However, she did not hold a grudge against the baby in her stomach and quicklyy down to rest as advised.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m going to visit Brother Zhang¡¯s house and ask Brother Zhang toe and check your pulse. If it¡¯s really¡­ that wouldn¡¯t be good.¡± As Liu Zhi¡¯er spoke, she rushed out of the room.


    ¡°Second Sister, don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Before Liu Sisi could stop her, Liu Zhi¡¯er had already run far away.


    Elderly Mr. Di stood outside the grass curtain, worried but hesitating to enter at the risk of damaging his daughter-inw¡¯s reputation. He could only stand outside in distress.


    ¡°Third Child¡¯s daughter-inw, don¡¯t get agitated¡­ take a deep breath¡­¡±


    The more anxious Elderly Di became, the more unresponsive his tongue grew.


    ¡°Mom, are you alright? Is your stomach very painful?¡±


    Di Xuan also looked anxious. Although he was not happy about the arrival of the child in his mother¡¯s womb, when he heard that the fetus was indeed in danger, he became nervous! He hoped that this little brother or sister could grow up well and peacefully.


    ¡°Mom, listen to Second Aunt, take deep breaths!¡±


    Liu Sisi tried to smile and ease her tense mood.


    Child, you must be good, alright? You know?


    She gently caressed her belly.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er did not bring Zhang Peng, but brought Guihua instead.


    As soon as Guihua entered, she observed Liu Sisi¡¯s condition, opened a pack of medicine and handed it to Liu Zhi¡¯er to decoct it.


    ¡°Your Brother Zhang is also drunk like Brother Ye Lei, but he is better than Ye Lei. He managed to ride his horse back home by himself, cleaned up and then went to bed. Just now, Second Sister came over but couldn¡¯t wake him up no matter how much she called. Look at you, why did you have to help him? He should have just slept on the ground. If something really happened to the child, what would you do?¡±


    Although Guihua was quick to scold, her hands were very gentle as she carefully massaged several acupoints on Liu Sisi¡¯s body.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, it¡¯s my fault for making you worry.¡± Liu Sisi said earnestly.


    She always troubled Guihua to run around for her, making her feel sorry.


    ¡°What are you talking about, worrying or not worrying? We¡¯re like family. These acupoints helped me when I was pregnant with Zhang Yun and identally fell and saw blood. Your Brother Zhang gave me acupuncture and massaged these points every day. It¡¯s a pity I don¡¯t know how to do acupuncture, so I can only help you massage for a while.¡± Guihua said somewhat shyly.


    ¡°No, Sister Guihua, your massage is very effective. The pain in my stomach has lessened a lot.¡± Liu Sisi hurriedly said.


    And indeed, it had improved a lot.


    Only then did Guihua breathe a sigh of relief: ¡°This is your first pregnancy, and it¡¯s within the first three months, so of course you need to be careful. When the baby is four months old and more stable, it will naturally get better.¡±


    After Liu Zhi¡¯er cooked the soup medicine and Liu Sisi drank it, her stomach finally settled downpletely and she fell into a deep sleep under the effect of the medicine.


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s condition, the baby should be fine, so Guihua finally let out a sigh of relief before going home.


    At midnight, Di Yelei began to vomit, and the stench of post-drunken vomit filled the room. The drunk and the drugged sleeper naturally had no idea, but it was a real hardship for Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    She quickly cleaned up the vomit on the ground, and upon seeing Di Yelei¡¯s dirty clothes, she couldn¡¯t bear to see him lying there filthy, so she reached out to unfasten his outer robe¡­


    Her hands trembled uncontrobly, barely able to grasp his waistband. After some effort, she found the opening to try to unbuckle his waistband.


    Just as her hand touched the waistband, it was immediately grabbed by a pair of strong hands!


    Even in his drunkenness, Di Yelei still maintained a basic level of alertness.


    As Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand touched his waistband, he quickly reached out and grabbed her hand, almost causing her to scream out loud. Fortunately, she stopped herself in time.


    Groggily, Di Yelei opened his hazy, drunken eyes, trying to see who he had grabbed.


    In his drunken state, he mistook Liu Zhi¡¯er for Liu Sisi.


    He couldn¡¯t help butugh, and pulled her into his arms: ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m so happy and excited today. My colleagues asked me to treat them. I¡¯m happy, happy¡­¡±


    And with that, he fell back into his drunken slumber.

 Chapter 354: How sour can this question get?

    Chapter 354: How sour can this question get?


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ow! It hurts¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, swept off her feet by him, crashed directly into his chest, prompting an involuntary cry from her.


    In a state of disarray, she tried to rise from him, but his iron arm kept her pinned down. The push-up she had just managed catapulted her back into his arms, causing her face to explode with embarrassment.


    Near her cheek was his heart, and the strong pulses that emanated from his chest gave her an unusual sensation.


    She was dumbfounded for a while before clumsily trying to rise again.


    The sudden void at his chest made Di Yelei grumble iprehensibly, and he flung his arms around, coincidentally clutching Liu Sisi¡¯s hand who was sleeping on the other side. sping it tightly, heughed contentedly!


    ¡°Sisi, the office of the County Magistrate has suspended its operations and we¡¯ve gotten the day off. Today is a joyful day¡­ both knees at the door! Happy¡­ mumbling¡­¡±


    Nonsense spilled from his drugged lips. Liu Zhi¡¯er listened, but soon lost interest and ran off to her own room without a thought for the dirty stains on his clothes, casually flinging a quilt over the two of them.


    Sitting on the bed beside the still asleep Da Mao, Liu Zhi¡¯er took a while before she found the courage to start untangling the sash from her clothes.


    Her trembling hands struggled for a while before she managed to remove her outer clothing.


    Lifting her clothes, she gazed at the hidden ce where a pink scar had just started to heal. A wave of sadness overcame her¡­


    Unable to contain her destion, she encircled herself, weeping quietly, struggling to suppress any audible sounds of grief.


    In the middle of the night, Di Yelei was awakened by an excruciating headache.


    Simultaneously, he detected a strange and unpleasant odor.


    After a great deal of effort, he opened his eyes, looked at Sisi¡¯s hand wrapped in his, shook his heavy head and tried to recall the events of the day but found he had no memory of even returning home.


    Fearing that the smell of wine on his body would offend Liu Sisi, he hastily got up to wash himself, only then noticing the stains on his clothes.


    Baffled!


    How did these stains get onto his clothes? He couldn¡¯t remember at all!


    Shaking his head, he changed into clean clothes and returned to the room refreshed.


    When he got back, he found that Liu Sisi seemed to have just woken up and was looking around in confusion.


    ¡°Ye Lei!¡± She called out softly.


    ¡°Sisi, yesterday was the 21st day of Lunar December. The Imperial Astronomical Observatory chose an auspicious day and notified the governmental office to cease operations. All officials started to take leave. On the day of the seal yesterday, the County Magistrate joked and asked me to host a banquet for my colleagues. I couldn¡¯t refuse, so I invited everyone to the First-ss Fragrant Restaurant for a merry gathering. They all urged me to drink. If it weren¡¯t for Zhang Peng helping me avoid some drinks, I would probably not even have the strength to climb onto the horse,¡± he exined.


    ¡°Are you proud of that? You got leglessly drunk. You werepletely asleep on the horseback. When the jujube red horse brought you back, we couldn¡¯t get you into the house. Thankfully, Second Sister arrived and managed to get you inside with the help of Sister Guihua. Look at you, your drunk antics worry the entire family. It¡¯s pointless and harms your health, what for?¡±


    Liu Sisi red at him, and thought better of telling him about her close brush with losing the baby.


    Anyway, now she was fine, why bring up something that could only add to the agitation?


    ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re right, Sisi. Your husband will always keep that in mind and will never dare to forget it.¡±


    Di Yelei, wearing a mischievous smile, climbed into the bed and casually brought her into his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep a little more! Look at you, so sleepy you can¡¯t even open your eyes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, everyone says it¡¯s like this when you are pregnant.¡±


    Liu Sisi leaned into his arms, unable to resist fiddling with his prominent Adam¡¯s apple, teasing him sporadically.


    ¡°By the way, Ye Lei, back then¡­ when Ms Dou was pregnant with Xuan¡¯er and YingEr, was she also suffering from morning sickness like this?


    ¡°Why do you suddenly bring her up?¡±


    Di Yelei seemed somewhat taken aback. He just realized that he had been gradually forgetting Ms. Dou¡¯s memory for quite some time, he could barely even remember her appearance orughter.


    ¡°Come on! Tell me, I want to hear.¡±


    If this were the Liu Sisi from before, she would never have asked such a question to upset herself.


    Because no matter what the answer to this question was, the one who would end up feeling ufortable would definitely be herself. Why would she trouble herself and disrespect to the dead?


    ¡°You really want to hear?¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Yelei chuckled, lightly scraping her tiny nose, and as expected, saw Liu Sisi wrinkle her nose in response.


    ¡°Stop messing around! I really want to hear! Quick!¡±


    Liu Sisi urged him on.


    ¡°I suppose it happened by chance when I married Ms. Dou.¡±


    Di Yelei thought about it, ¡°When I was young, I had a big appetite but often did not have enough food to eat. Once during the winter, the ground was covered in ice. I identally slipped on the ice while carrying a bucket of water and smashed it. She punished me by not allowing me to eat. After being cold and hungry for two consecutive days, I was extremely famished, so I set my sights on the chicken coop at Zhang Peng¡¯s house. The weather was too cold at the time, and the chicken wasn¡¯tying any eggs. I was so hungry that I couldn¡¯t bear it, and in my nearly blinded state, I ended up wringing the chicken¡¯s neck and drinking its blood¡­¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, his eyes began to well up.


    ¡°What does this have to do with Ms Dou?¡± Liu Sisi asked curiously.


    ¡°After I had recovered a bit, I looked up and saw Zhang Peng standing in front of me. He didn¡¯t me me for killing his chicken, instead, he brought me a bowl of hot rice to eat. He was just over ten years old at the time and wasn¡¯t married to Sister Guihua yet. He watched me hungrily devour the rice, then Zhang Peng asked me: ¡®Do you want to go hunting? If you learn to hunt, you won¡¯t have to worry about going hungry again.¡¯ It was these words that firmly decided my path of making a living by hunting.¡±


    Liu Sisi listened quietly, rubbing her head against his chest lightly.


    ¡°Perhaps because I was hungry, or perhaps I was naturally cut out to be a hunter, the very first time I went up the mountain I caught a rabbit. We didn¡¯t have hunting dogs in my house, so I relied on my own two legs to chase the wild rabbit, and finally managed to catch it head on, making it my meal. That was the most satisfying meal I remember having ¨C I finished an entire wild rabbit by myself.¡±


    There was a sense of pride in Di Yelei¡¯s words.


    ¡°I remember it was my third hunting trip. As usual, I was checking the traps like Zhang Peng taught me, when I unexpectedly rescued Ms Dou who had fallen into one. I didn¡¯t give it much thought at the time and let it pass. However, after my betrothed Ms Qiao passed away from illness, Ms Dou sent someone to propose for a marriage to me. This led to what happened next.¡±


    ¡°When she married into the family, the two of you must have had a good rtionship, right?¡±


    Without even realizing it, Liu Sisi¡¯s question came out sounding as sour as it could be.

 Chapter 355: Celebrating Minor New Year

    Chapter 355: Celebrating Minor New Year


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°How is that possible? Ah! Speaking of which, Dou Family really suffered a lifetime.¡±


    Di Yelei sighed and raised his hand to wipe his face.


    ¡°Dad and Mom asked me to go hunting in the mountains, so I went up there every day, leaving Dou Family alone at home. It wasn¡¯t untilter when Dou Family had a miscarriage and lost her life¡­ then I realized how much suffering she had endured at home. I was young and naive back then¡­¡±


    Looking at the sentimental Di Yelei, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, even though she¡¯s not here anymore, she definitely still hopes for your well-being. In the future, we will treat Xuan¡¯er and YingEr well, and raise them to be adults.¡± As she spoke, she yfully smeared his face.


    He took advantage of the situation to grab her small hand and gently kissed it.


    ¡°I understand! In the years after Dou Family¡¯s death, I kept asking myself, what have I missed? I also figured out a lot.¡±


    ¡°What did you figure out?¡±


    Her eyes were bright and twinkling, unblinking as she stared at him, making him unable to help butugh.


    ¡°Of course, I figured out that the daughter-inw I married is not just for show but to be cherished and pampered. I must treat her well and not let her be wronged. Most importantly, our children must be born safely¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes! Surely it will!¡±


    Liu Sisi held his hand back, her face full of determination.


    That lost child had always been a hidden pain in his heart! But at this moment, in the arms of this little woman, his wounds seemed to have miraculously healed.


    ¡°Yes! This is our child, it will definitely be! Definitely¡­¡±


    How she fell asleep again, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know.


    She woke up in the scent of sweetness, Di Yelei was busy making sugar, while Liu Zhi¡¯er was helping him by the side.


    At the moment, he was cooling the cooked glutinous rice on the bamboo strips, then adding the cut germinated barley malt to ferment, then pressing it to get maltose.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, are you awake? The medicine soup is ready and is over there for you to drink.¡±


    Liu Sisi drowsily walked out, heard Liu Zhi¡¯er talking, and quickly responded.


    Seeing the maltose the two were making, Liu Sisi thought: ¡°We¡¯re out of the white gourd candy we madest time. With the New Yearing soon, why don¡¯t we buy another white gourd and make some? I saw that the Chen Family outside the vige had some, why don¡¯t we buy one to make?¡±


    Di Yelei thought: ¡°It¡¯s already finished? We¡¯ll have to make some more white gourd candy. It can not only be stored, but also used for entertaining guests and ourselvester.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought! Let¡¯s make some more pastries for ourselves too. I¡¯ve been craving various foods recently.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s tastes have been particrly strange recently, she would crave something but then not want it once it was in her mouth, and then want some other food, going round and round.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go buy the white gourd, you guys just wait. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    While speaking, Di Yelei took off his apron and left the kitchen.


    After thinking for a while, Liu Sisi smiled and said to Second Sister: ¡°Second Sister, let¡¯s take advantage of the empty pot and make some pastries. Let¡¯s check if any chinese chives have grown, and let¡¯s make some chive pies. I¡¯m craving them today.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯erughed: ¡°Look at you, craving all these things, you must be having a boy. That would be perfect!¡±


    ¡°Daughters are even better, aren¡¯t they? If a daughter is as intimate and caring as YingEr, that¡¯s great!¡±


    Listening to theughter and ying sounds of YingEr and the children outside the courtyard, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, on the other hand, was unimpressed: ¡°That¡¯s short-sighted of you. No matter how good a daughter is, she will eventually get married and leave. Just like you and me, once a woman gets married, it¡¯s difficult to see her parents again¡­¡±


    As she spoke, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s expression darkened, and the smile on her face faded.


    Liu Sisi quickly reached out to hold her hand tightly, ¡°Second sister, after the New Year, I¡¯ll apany you back to our parents¡¯ house, all right?¡±


    ¡°All right¡­ No, not all right! I won¡¯t go back, how can I go back like this¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er forcefully pulled back her hand and, turning her body, silently added more firewood to the stove.


    The light in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes dimmed as she too understood Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s thoughts.


    She silently walked over to the stove and began beating eggs, mixing them, and preparing chive pies. Both of them didn¡¯t speak and busied themselves with their tasks.


    By the time Di Yelei returned with a huge white gourd, the chive pies were already made.


    ¡°Wow! How big is this white gourd? It must be around 100 pounds!¡±


    Liu Sisi was shocked by the size of the white gourd.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually 130 pounds! I picked thergest one! I figured since we¡¯re going to eat it, might as well buy a big one and make more since we have so many people in our family.¡±


    Di Yelei put down the white gourd, wiped the sweat from his brow, and then started cutting and peeling it. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi added half a pot of water to the pot and prepared to cook the white gourd.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! This year will definitely be a lively year. While we have many people around, let¡¯s make more useful food, so we don¡¯t have to spend our silver on the street. The sugar candies on the street are not cheap.¡±


    Liu Sisi said this immediately, trying to ease the stifling atmosphere in the room.


    ¡°Exactly, a sugar butterfly on the street costs 3 copper coins, how much maltose can be used for that?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er nearby hurriedly smiled and replied, understanding Liu Sisi¡¯s meaning.


    What Liu Zhi¡¯er was talking about was sugar butterflies, one of the favorite treats for children during festivals. Most vendors would pick up a shoulder pole, shake a drum while walking through the streets, with a pot of sugar syrup at their side. They would also have a t stone b for drawing patterns. Once a child paid to spin the wheel, the vendor would use a spoon to draw an exquisite pattern on the heated stone b.


    With just a few copper coins, children could get a maltose-made sugar butterfly, sugar monkey, sugar goldfish, sugar deer¡­


    Not only are they beautiful, but they are also extra sweet. As soon as the New Year came around, such vendors would make a fortune.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. We have lots of kids in our family, so it¡¯s good to make more. After a few more days, I¡¯ll make even more, and then our Lunar New Year will be quite grand.¡±


    Liu Sisi was looking forward to it with excitement.


    The happy chatter of the group quickly passed, and it was the 23rd of December in the lunar calendar.


    Before dawn on this day, Di Yelei took the whole family up to the small town. Di Cheng had sent a letter early yesterday that the bookstore was very busy and needed some help.


    Thinking about it, Liu Sisi realized that it was the Minor New Year and the couplets and spring couplets in the bookstore would definitely sell well, so she went early to help out.

 Chapter 356: Ye Lei’s Appeal, Sisi Takes Action

    Chapter 356: Ye Lei¡¯s Appeal, Sisi Takes Action


    Trantor: 549690339


    Unexpectedly, as soon as the family arrived at the doorway of the bookstore, they were amazed by the crowd blocking the entrance!


    Noise filled their ears as people struggled to squeeze into the bookstore, causing Di Yelei to frown.


    ¡°Sisi, there are too many people in the front; let¡¯s go in from the back door.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes lit up! This was indeed a good idea.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll go around this way.¡±


    Liu Sisi led everyone around to the back of the bookstore, knocking fiercely on the door for quite a while before someone came to answer it.


    It was Shou Hou, who was sweating profusely. Seeing Liu Sisi and others arriving, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief: ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here; we couldn¡¯t hold on much longer.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Completely overwhelmed?¡±


    Liu Sisi entered the bookstore while speaking.


    There were many people inside the bookstore, and those buying paper were crowding within. Even more people were crowding at the entrance!


    Di Cheng was at the counter collecting money, and Nan Tianzong, who hade to help, was sitting outside the main entrance, writing spring couplets for the multitude of people who came to buy them.


    It was indeed a chaotic mess!


    Seeing this situation, Liu Sisi immediately suggested a solution.


    ¡°Close the extra doors immediately, leaving two doors on one side. One on the left for entry, and one on the right for exit. Ye Lei, you go and handle the crowd at the entrance and calm everyone down. Shou Hou, you stand at the exit and watch for any items that leave without being paid for. Second Sister, you and I will stand at the front entrance and help call people. Di Cheng, you continue collecting silver. As for the middle area that¡¯s so congested¡­ leave it to Brother Nan to write the spring couplets!¡±


    With her instructions, everyone quieted down strangely and began to find their positions.


    ¡°Ye Lei, your voice is loud, so hurry up and shout a few times, and then close the middle doors. As for father, please take care of the three children for the time being. Either stay in the inner room or go out shopping.¡±


    Di Yelei immediately agreed and went to the entrance to shout, ¡°Quiet! Everyone, stop the noise and chaos! I am a constable from the county government office; everyone listen to mymand! Quiet!¡±


    The tall, burly man stood high and waved his arm, which was truly eye-catching.


    Upon hearing that he was a constable from the county government office, the townspeople instinctively feared the government. The noisy crowd quieted down and watched him silently.


    Di Yelei stood on a high stool and immediately directed the crowd: ¡°Those who want to enter the store to make purchases, enter from the left side. After purchasing items, go to the counter to check out and exit from the right side. Everyone, please be orderly and check your items carefully to avoid any omissions!¡±


    As his words fell, Shou Hou had already closed the extra doors, leaving only the left and right two doors for entry and exit.


    Those who wanted to make purchases immediately began to move, and the scene instantly became much quieter.


    Di Yelei looked at the many people who still hadn¡¯t moved and hurriedly shouted again: ¡°If you n toe and write couplets, line up in front of the closed middle door in three rows. Everyone, don¡¯t worry and don¡¯t panic!¡±


    After saying that, he thought about it and added: ¡°This year is a bumper harvest year, and there is no corveebor from the government. Although there are some taxes,pared to previous years, we are much better off! We constables may sound nice, but aren¡¯t we just errand boys for the Old Master of the county? Ah! Everyone line up, line up!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s words made everyoneugh, and they began to line up.


    ¡°Hey! I must say, every year near the end of the year we used to have corveebor, but not this year. I was wondering why!¡± A man walked into the queue for writing spring couplets.


    A nearby auntie didn¡¯t agree: ¡°How can you talk like this? Isn¡¯t it a good thing that there¡¯s no corveebor? Why do you care about it?¡±


    Her words amused the crowd: ¡°Isn¡¯t it! If there were no corveebor every year, that would be a good thing!¡±


    ¡°You wish! Eight characters forward in the office, we don¡¯t believe it just by watching it here. There¡¯s no forcedbor before the New Year this year. The corveebor in early spring will definitely be early, no doubt!¡± another man said loudly.


    Upon hearing this, Di Yelei hurriedly followed up with a loud voice: ¡°Whatever happens next year will be next year¡¯s business! The government has already sealed the seal this year. Anyway, we can spend afortable, good year this year. Everyone, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! Yes!¡±


    The crowd in the center of the scene became lively!


    The order outside was quickly maintained, which surprised Liu Sisi inside the room.


    Who would have thought! Di Yelei¡¯smand was so strong! He was simply a born leader.


    First, he used his identity as a constable to awe the crowd. Once they were obedient, he immediately let them know that he shared their sentiments, further arousing their resonance¡­¡¯This approach was much stronger than Liu Sisi¡¯s!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, worried that the passing crowd would bump into Liu Sisi¡¯s stomach, stood firmly behind her, smiling and greeting the people.


    ¡°Uncle! Enter the bookstore through here.¡±


    ¡°This brother,e in through here.¡±


    ¡°Dear sir, could you please exit from there?¡±


    Liu Sisi saw that Liu Zhi¡¯er was handling everything so smoothly, and along with Di Cheng and Shou Hou¡¯s presence, as well as Di Yelei watching everyone from a high position, she thought for a moment, opened the middle door, and went to Nan Tianzong¡¯s side.


    ¡°Brother Nan, how are you doing here? Can you handle it? Do you want me to help write too?¡±


    Nan Tianzong waspletely overwhelmed at the moment!


    Although there were three queues, who wouldn¡¯t want to get their spring couplets early? Especially since these couplets needed to be thought of, written, and sold on the spot, it really kept Nan Tianzong very busy.


    At the moment, when he heard Liu Sisi¡¯s words, it was like seeing his savior. He quickly pushed a set of four treasures of the study towards her.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re right on time! Hurry up and help write a few more. I¡¯m really too busy over here!¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t refuse and sat down beside him. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Alright! Who wants me to help write?¡±


    Her words suddenly silenced those around her!


    In this era, women were generally illiterate, except for the daughters of wealthy families who studied poetry and books. It was no wonder that a woman like Liu Sisi suddenly came forward to write spring couplets, and no one spoke up.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mind, picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote on the cut red paper: ¡°Upper line: Happy living in a blessednd for a thousand years. Lower line: Fortune shines on family doors for ten thousand things. Horizontal batch: Weing the New Year.¡±


    These spring couplets would be sold at a stall every year at the end of the year when her grandfather in her previous life was still alive.


    Although the spring couplets in her mind weremon, they were still inrge quantities.

 Chapter 357: 357: Sisi’s growing prestige; the Old Madam comes knocking again

    Chapter 357: 357: Sisi¡¯s growing prestige; the Old Madames knocking again<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    She didn¡¯t stop there but continued to write a few more.


    ¡°Upper couplet: Good luck throughout all four seasons of the year. Lower couplet: Wealth from all eight directions entering the door. Horizontal inscription: Family harmony and prosperity in all things.¡±


    ¡°Upper couplet: Smooth sailing with auspicious stars. Lower couplet: Everything goes well, and fortunees to your doorstep. Horizontal inscription: Wealthes in abundance.¡±<div>


    ¡°Upper couplet: Grace the neighborhood, doors wee spring, summer, autumn, winter¡¯s fortune. Lower couplet: Sincerely treat worldly talents, households receive wealth from east, south, west, north. Horizontal inscription: Auspicious stars shine brightly.¡±


    Beautiful Zhuan flower script, the rounded and squared regr script, and bold cursive¡ªfour spring couplets in three different fonts.


    A professional shows her skills at a nce!


    Her casually picking up the brush and writing these couplets was naturally much faster and more unrestrained than Nan Tianzong, who was customizing spring couplets for clients nearby!


    Her writing immediately attracted the attention of many onlookers.


    As her brush fell, she picked up a few clips without any hurry. Casually attaching the couplets to the rope behind her, she calmly sat down again.


    The onlookers recited the spring couplets and were immediately stunned.


    Even Nan Tianzong, who had been busy beside Liu Sisi, took a moment to look back at her in surprise.


    A young man next to them suddenly eximed! ¡°I remember now! She is the former female tutor of Miss Gan¡¯s family andter was favored by Elder Madam Gan and taken in as her granddaughter, Miss Liu! No wonder she has such good literary talent!¡±


    This remark immediately stirred up a sensation!


    No wonder she writes beautifully, turns out she¡¯s a female tutor who happens to be admired by the Gan family¡¯s old madam¡­


    Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up at once!<div>


    ¡°I want two spring couplets in this font!¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and give me five more! One of each type, they¡¯re so beautiful!¡±


    ¡°And me! I want four more¡­¡±


    In an instant, almost everyone rushed toward Liu Sisi, eager to buy her spring couplets.


    Liu Sisi wore a calm expression, watch and learn!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This work she had done in her previous life, could she be stage frightened when she came here?


    Immediately she waved her hand: ¡°Queue up! Queue up ande one by one!¡±


    The crowd quickly lined up and waited.


    However, Liu Sisi sat there so long that even by noon she had not moved. When she reached back to grab more pre-cut red paper, she realized there wasn¡¯t any left.


    ¡°Excuse me, everyone! I¡¯ve run out of red paper. Let me cut some more in the back before continuing.¡±


    She had been sitting there for too long, and she felt back pain and even some difort in her lower abdomen. She quickly used this as an excuse to leave and went into the inner room.


    Di Yelei had alreadye down from the high ce and was helping Liu Sisi. As soon as she entered, he immediately followed.<div>


    ¡°How are you? I¡¯ve seen you sitting there for so long without moving. Are you okay?¡±


    There was no one else in the room, and it seemed that Elderly Mr. Di had taken the children out shopping. Liu Sisi was really tired, so she hurriedly sat down in a nted position on the reclining chair and shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just a bit tired. Today is Minor New Year, so naturally, there are more people.¡± While speaking, she took out the red paper to cut.


    ¡°Leave this cutting job to me, you rest for a while. Earning money is important, but your health is more important.¡±


    Di Yelei disapproved, but quickly took the scissors and started cutting.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, noticing that there were obviously fewer customers outside. Although Nan Tianzong was busy, he should be able to handle it.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine! You can cut some more red paper, and then deliver it to Brother Nan. On your way, tell him that I¡¯m going to have lunch, and I won¡¯t be writing for a while.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good! Now that you mention it, I¡¯m feeling hungry too. Should we invite your Second Sister as well?¡±


    The reason he asked was because Liu Zhi¡¯er was obviously still busy at the front at the moment.


    Though Liu Zhi¡¯er was illiterate, her pleasing appearance made it easy for her to simply greet customers. After working one morning, she was already adept at it. She was also helping to take care of the business at the front now.


    ¡°Of course, we have to call her. I can¡¯t leave her here alone.¡± Liu Sisi said, narrowing her eyes slightly.


    Her body had indeed been easily fatiguedtely.<div>


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you lie down for a while, and I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m done cutting?¡±


    Liu Sisi naturally agreed: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll rest for a while.¡± She then closed her eyes and actually fell asleep.


    Di Yelei finished cutting the entire stack of red paper before calling Liu Zhi¡¯er and leaving the bookstore through the back door.


    At the back door, Grandma¡¯s business was also booming today. Liu Sisi only greeted her from a distance and didn¡¯t have time to talk before turning onto the street.


    Even now, well past noon, the street outside was still bustling with peopleing and going, hawkers shouting, people bargaining,ughing, and ying¡­ Countless chaotic noises pierced the eardrums, making it feel as if one were in another world.


    Di Yelei carefully guarded Liu Sisi as they moved forward, passing two food shops that were packed with people.


    Finally, the two stopped in front of Juxian Restaurant.


    Although the restaurant was also crowded at the moment, it originally belonged to the Gan Family, so there should be a ce for Liu Sisi to dine.


    ¡°Shall we go in?¡± Di Yelei asked without thinking, noticing Liu Sisi¡¯s hesitation.


    Liu Sisi hesitated for a moment: ¡°Let¡¯s not go in after all, let¡¯s go.¡±


    If she were still the female tutor of the Gan Family, she wouldn¡¯t mind going in. But now that she was a nominally adopted daughter, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to do so.


    But circumstances were not on her side.<div>


    As the two turned to leave, a waiter came running out from inside, blocking their way.


    ¡°Eldest Miss, Elder Madam of Gan Family invites you to the elegant room on the third floor.¡±


    ¡°Elder Madam? Is she the only one there?¡± Liu Sisi frowned.


    The waiter replied humbly, ¡°I¡¯m only responsible for passing messages, Miss. I don¡¯t know about the rest.¡±


    Liu Sisi nced back at Di Yelei: ¡°In that case, lead the way.¡±


    The two followed the waiter to the third floor where they discovered that the room was actually quiet, with only Madam Gan Senior present. In contrast, the room next door was full of noisyughter, including Gan Miaoruo¡¯s delicate voice.


    Liu Sisi and Di Yelei quickly went forward to pay their respects.


    Madam Gan Senior looked kindly at them: ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Sisi. Come, sit down and let¡¯s have a good chat.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your love and kindness, Grandma.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly got up and sat down next to Madam Gan Senior.


    Madam Gan Senior¡¯s face wrinkled withughter, and looked back at Di Yelei: ¡°Ye Lei, you go and eat some cooked dishes in the next room while we talk. They are all ying together, and you are of simr age, so you should get along well.¡± It was a tant attempt to get rid of him!


    <div>

 Chapter 358: 358: Absolute Release

    Chapter 358: 358: Absolute Release<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    He just met Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes and then took his leave. Before leaving, he could not help but take a worried nce at Liu Sisi.


    Madam Gan Senior, who was sitting next to them, seemed oblivious and casually picked some delicacies from the bowl: ¡°Come,e,e, this is one of our signature dishes at Juxian Restaurant ¨C drunken duck with mushrooms. Give it a try, is it delicious?¡±<div>


    While talking, she put several pieces of duck meat into the bowl in front of her.


    ¡°Thank you, grandmother.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled and then picked up the bamboo chopsticks to start tasting.


    ¡°And this braised fish in soybean sauce, you should also try¡­¡± While talking, she picked up a chopstick of fish meat and put it in front of Liu Sisi.


    The strong smell of fish immediately rushed into Liu Sisi¡¯s nostrils, and she felt sick to her stomach immediately. She covered her mouth with her hand and retreated to the corner of the room.


    At this sight, Madam Gan Senior immediately understood what was happening.


    ¡°Oh my! Child, are you pregnant?¡±


    The olddy hurriedly stood up from her chair and poured a cup of hot water.


    Liu Sisi did not hide, after all, this was something she could not hide. She nodded shyly: ¡°Yes, the doctor said it¡¯s still early¡­ so¡­ the pregnancy is not very stable.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Come on, sit down, we¡¯ll talk slowly.¡±


    Madam Gan Senior rushed to help her sit down and ordered the servants to remove the fish dish.


    ¡°Feeling sick at the smell of fish ismon during pregnancy, are you feeling better now?¡±<div>


    Madam Gan Senior had a face full of smiles, a sh of radiance in her eyes, and she gently patted Liu Sisi¡¯s hand: ¡°Look at you, silly child. Now that you are pregnant, why are you still carrying this filthy and dirty thing? If this thing really hurts the baby, you won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡±


    ¡°Grandmother¡­ what do you mean?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked surprised. She genuinely did not expect this.


    She believed that Madam Gan Senior wouldn¡¯t say this without reason.


    Madam Gan Senior casually lifted a sachet hanging from the corner of her skirt, chuckled coldly: ¡°Grandmother doesn¡¯t have many skills, but my nose is quite sensitive and can smell things that shouldn¡¯t exist. However, this sachet you¡¯re wearing contains harmful things like musk. I can¡¯t believe that you, being pregnant, are still carrying this damaging sachet, I¡¯m¡­ speechless!¡±


    At the moment, Liu Sisi¡¯s face could only be described as pale, her body was slightly trembling.


    After quite a while, she pointed at the sachet and gritted her teeth: ¡°Grandmother, are you saying that this¡­ could really cause¡­¡±


    ¡°Short-term inhtion might not matter much, but if you wear it for a long time, this harmful thing will not only cause miscarriage, but may also result in a malformed child. No one around you has taught you these things, so it¡¯s understandable that you know nothing about it. Keep this away. Even if grandmother doesn¡¯t know who gave this to you, I fear that person harbors ill-intent towards you. You must be very careful!¡±


    Madam Gan Senior repeatedly instructed, and then passed on to her many unheard harmful methods.


    Afterwards, she sighed and held her hand: ¡°You have been Ms. Gan¡¯s granddaughter for a while. It¡¯s just that your grandmother has been busy and hasn¡¯t had the time to tell you about the severity of this matter. It¡¯s my fault, I have failed in my duties as a grandmother. I feel ashamed!¡±


    This statement made Liu Sisi even more embarrassed.


    She had seen a lot of pce rivalries in her previous life where people were harmed by such sachets, but she always thought it was far from her, until this moment she was shocked to realize that she had unknowingly entered such a plot.<div>


    ¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t worry, Sisi will keep in mind grandmother¡¯s teachings and never forget!¡± Liu Sisi said earnestly.


    ¡°Very good! With your words, grandmother is at ease!¡±


    Madam Gan Senior smiled with squinted eyes: ¡°Wait until the New Year, when visitorse to the capital city, you will be formally added to the Gan family tree. This way, others will not gossip.¡±


    Does this mean she officially recognizes me as her goddaughter?


    ¡°Thank you, grandmother.¡±


    When Liu Sisi bid farewell to Madam Gan Senior and left Juxian Restaurant, a feeling of heaviness that she had never felt before filled her heart.


    She looked down at the sachet in her hand and handed it to Di Yelei: ¡°Here, you hold this for now, we are going to Old Doctor He¡¯s Clinic.¡±


    ¡°What is this? Where did you get this? By the way, Sisi, could you make a sachet for me one day?¡± Di Yelei blocked her way with a shy face.


    ¡°Get out of the way! There¡¯s filth in there, let¡¯s go! Don¡¯t talk anymore!¡±


    After saying that, she walked towards Old Doctor He¡¯s Clinic.


    ¡°Filth?¡±


    Di Yelei stared at the sachet for a long time, almost throwing it away, but then remembered Liu Sisi¡¯s words and hurriedly followed.<div>


    In the elegant room on the third floor of the Juxian Restaurant, an additional figure appeared across from Madam Gan Senior.


    The figure stood facing the window, looking down at Liu Sisi and Di Yelei walking away from below until they were out of sight before he started speaking.


    ¡°What do you think? Was she telling the truth about everything just now?¡±


    ¡°When she was talking about what happened at ck Dragon Mountain and the Chrysanthemum Banquet, her aura was very calm, not like she was faking it. And what she said was close to our investigation, so she probably wasn¡¯t lying.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t ignore this matter.¡±


    The person still didn¡¯t turn around, he thought for a moment: ¡°Is there really something wrong with the sachet on her body? Or¡­ are these just words you said casually?¡±


    You tter me too highly, I the old. It¡¯s just a sachet. How could I resort to such a crude method to hurt someone?¡±


    Whoever would want to harm her yet leaves so many tails, should the perpetrator be called foolish, or should Liu Sisi be called lucky that she does not even know these basic things?


    If Liu Sisi was here, wouldn¡¯t she jump up in anger!


    Are there really people who harm others with sachets?


    This was something totally unexpected, so she wasn¡¯t prepared for it at all.


    Liu Sisi hurried to Old Doctor He¡¯s clinic. Today, there weren¡¯t many people in the clinic, just one sitting doctor.<div>


    The medicine pageboy recognized Liu Sisi and quickly went into the inner hall to invite Old Doctor He.


    Liu Sisi looked a little apologetic: ¡°Old Doctor He, today is Minor New Year. I¡¯m sorry to disturb you and your family during mealtime, Sisi really feels bad. Sisi¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough, we¡¯re good friends, there¡¯s no need for these words.¡±


    Old Doctor He shook his head: ¡°You didn¡¯te to my clinic today just to chat, did you? Let¡¯s get to the point, get the treatment done earlier, then chat.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, Old Doctor He!¡± Liu Sisi was overjoyed when she heard this!

 Chapter 359: 359: Should I Go Back or Not?

    Chapter 359: 359: Should I Go Back or Not?<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Doctor, could you please take a look and see if this sachet can be worn by a woman who has never been pregnant? Will wearing this sachet hinder their ability to have children?¡±


    ¡°Has Miss from the Liu Family be pregnant? That¡¯s really joyful news.¡±


    Old Dr. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, stroked his beard, and took the sachet to examine carefully. The more he inspected it, the tighter his brows furrowed, almost forming wrinkles that couldn¡¯t be smoothed out.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Di Yelei¡¯s face turned the ugliest. He silently stepped forward, gently tugging Liu Sisi¡¯s sleeve, and whispered.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡­ what is going on? Can you tell me?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi shook her head: ¡°Wait a moment, wait until Dr. He says the result.¡±


    No matter how anxious Di Yelei was, he could only wait patiently.


    It wasn¡¯t until Dr. He put down the sachet and looked at the two of them that Liu Sisi approached him.


    ¡°Dr. He, what do you think about this?¡±


    Dr. He shook his head: ¡°Miss from the Liu Family, sit down and let me check your pulse.¡±


    Liu Sisi naturallyplied and sat down.


    After a round of diagnosis, Dr. He sighed, ¡°There is not only musk in this sachet but also a trace of dreamy flower and Indian thornapple. We all understand the effect of musk, so I won¡¯t exin it. Indian thornapple, also known as jimsonweed, has a pain-relieving effect and is used in anesthesia. However, consuming too much can cause unsteady gait, drowsiness, blurred consciousness, delirium, incontinence, restlessness, and even convulsions and excitement.¡±


    He nced at the two and continued, ¡°As for the other ingredient, dreamy flower, it¡¯s actually the yellow picotee morning glory. Excessive contact with this flower can make people unable to extricate themselves from sleep and may eventually lead to death due to extreme physical weakness. Just one of these is already dangerous, and you have three in your sachet¡­ Sigh! It¡¯s better to avoid contact with such deadly, invisible things.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face turned pale!


    No wonder she had been feeling drowsy recently, no wonder she was always weak and dizzy, no wonder¡­ it was all because of this thing!


    ¡°Fortunately, this was discovered early, and the fetus in your belly is fine. Just be more careful in your daily life and pay attention to rest. I¡¯ll prescribe you some medicine, take it home and it should be fine.¡± After saying this, Dr. He began writing the prescription.


    ¡°Thank you, Dr. He, for your guidance.¡±<div>


    It wasn¡¯t until she received the prescription that Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Dr. He, I mean, if this sachet had not been discovered, what would the consequences be?¡±


    ¡°The consequences would be one of two things: either the fetus would be miscarried or there would be a high chance of giving birth to an unhealthy child. In the future, it¡¯s best to avoid touching such stimting fragrances while you¡¯re pregnant.¡±


    Liu Sisi remained silent before taking the medicine sack, expressing her thanks and leaving.


    As soon as they left the clinic, Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help himself and grabbed Liu Sisi¡¯s arm, ¡°Sisi, who gave you this? Can you hurry up and tell me?¡±


    ¡°What should I say? There¡¯s nothing to talk about.¡± Liu Sisi bypassed him and continued walking forward.


    ¡°Sisi ¡ª ¡±


    Di Yelei stubbornly grabbed her, refusing to give up.


    ¡°Let go! Who else could it be? It¡¯s the meeting gift from your good sister-inw!¡±


    After saying this, she pushed away his hand holding her arm and quickly walked towards the bookstore.


    Di Yelei never imagined that the answer would be this!


    Snapping back to reality, he hurriedly caught up with her: ¡°No! Sisi, sister-inw¡­ why would Ms. Xin give you something like this? She didn¡¯t know you before giving you the meeting gift, so why would she want to harm you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m curious too! She didn¡¯t know me at that time, so why would she want to harm me?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi also asked in return, but her footsteps didn¡¯t slow down at all.


    It seemed that only Ms. Xin knew the answer.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes flickered. He had known early on that there was something wrong with Ms. Xin, but he hadn¡¯t realized that she was hurting everyone before. Perhaps it was time to uncover some things!


    When the two returned to the bookstore, Dad and a few children had also returned. There were noticeably fewer people in the shop. Instead, there was still a long line of people outside the door waiting to buy spring couplets.


    ¡°This pair of spring couplets is 10 copper coins, and there is already a lot of money earned from selling spring couplets today!¡±


    Di Cheng counted the silver, extremely happy: ¡°Especially the window paper-cuts and fortune children cut by Second Aunt. A pair of window paper-cuts is 6 copper coins, and a pair of fortune children is 8 copper coins. They sell particrly well. I never realized that Second Aunt had such skills.¡±


    Di Cheng¡¯s Second Aunt is naturally Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er had originally nned to go to dinner with Liu Sisi, but she was called away by Madam Gan Senior. As she wandered around the small town looking for a restaurant, she saw another shop selling spring couplets with window paper-cuts and fortune children. She bought a pair of each to copy, not expecting them to sell so well.


    ¡°Second Sister! Your skills are truly impressive! I never expected you to have such good craftsmanship!¡± Liu Sisi eximed sincerely!


    ¡°Third Aunt, the shopkeeper said that however many window paper-cuts and fortune children Second Aunt cut, all the money earned, apart from the cost of red and colored paper, will be counted as Second Aunt¡¯s!¡± Di Cheng couldn¡¯t help but speak up from the side.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand movements did not stop, but her cheeks turned red.


    ¡°That won¡¯t do. I can¡¯t be so extravagant. No, absolutely not!¡±<div>


    ¡°Second Sister is right, that really isn¡¯t right.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Liu Sisi then said: ¡°Although the shop only provides the paper, we are still using the shop to sell, right? Even the rent for the shop has to be paid for, right? I think we should do it like this! For each pair of window paper-cuts that Second Sister sells, she gets 5 copper coins, and for each pair of fortune children, she gets 6 copper coins. The extra money can be counted as sharing the rent cost.¡±


    ¡°Alright, this n is good, this is fine. The rent for the shop does cost quite a bit of money, so let¡¯s do it like this.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er nodded repeatedly.


    This method made her feel relieved, and her whole person felt much lighter.


    It also left Nan Tianzong, who was busy writing spring couplets at the door, speechless. He could only shake his head and sigh: ¡°You¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Everyone, get busy! Today is Minor New Year, so let¡¯s close the shop early and go home to reunite with our families. We¡¯ll open the shop again early tomorrow morning.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she gave Shou Hou a special look. Shou Hou avoided her gaze, pretending not to see it.


    Liu Sisi was busy tallying the ounts and collecting the money. Today was the Minor New Year, and everyone would go home with money, which would surely make their families happier.


    It wasn¡¯t until the crowd waiting in line to write spring couplets at the door of the shop had dispersed that Liu Sisi and the others began their journey home.


    Liu Sisi looked back and saw Nan Tianzong standing alone at the entrance of the bookstore, a feeling she couldn¡¯t describe welled up in her heart.


    Today was Minor New Year, a day for families to celebrate together.


    Whenever Nan Tianzong thought of theirst unhappy parting, he felt a headacheing on. Should he go home? Or was it better not to go home?<div>

 Chapter 360: 360: Da Mao Starts Talking

    Chapter 360: 360: Da Mao Starts Talking<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    The happiest person in the group must be Liu Zhi¡¯er!


    She tightly held the one tael of silver in her hand, looking down at it from time to time, unable to believe it!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Her paper-cut window decorations and fortune children were originallycking some amount to make one tael of silver, but Boss Nan saw the blisters on her cutting-hand and decided to give her a full tael of silver directly.


    It¡¯s actually one tael of silver!


    Carefully thinking, when had she ever touched one tael of silver since childhood?<div>


    No matter how she looked at it, it just didn¡¯t feel real!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er kept sneaking nces at the silver in her hand, how could Liu Sisi not notice it?


    She couldn¡¯t help but recall her own experience when she first arrived, when she hated not being able to split a copper coin in half to spend.


    ¡°Second Sister, since you have this skill, let us handle the cooking tonight, and you can focus on cutting paper. Keep the money you earn for Da Mao¡¯s snacks, or save it up for emergencies, which is not bad either.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er thought about it, and the desire to make money in her heart ultimately overcame her reason: ¡°Alright, Little Sister, then I will have to trouble you all with tonight¡¯s meal. I¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Fine! Just focus on cutting the paper! Don¡¯t we still have so many people here? But your hands are already blistering, you should wear gloves when cuttingter.¡± Her blisters looked painful to see.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er picked up her hand and looked at it: ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s just a few blisters, it¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t worry.¡± She even smiled as she spoke.


    Liu Sisi looked at her second sister¡¯s expression and found that Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s spirit today was extraordinarily full, possibly due to the sudden extra money, which made her whole persone alive all at once.


    Looking back, she remembered her own sachet¡­


    It¡¯s Minor New Year today! There¡¯s no hurry; she has plenty of time to slowly settle ounts with her!


    When they got back home, Liu Zhi¡¯er naturally went to cut paper, while Di Yelei began preparing for the Minor New Year rituals ording to tradition.


    First, he boiled the pork, which was a chunk of half-fat half-lean pork cut into squares, then cooked and ced on a te.<div>


    Additionally, there was a freshly ughtered young rooster, which was originally one of the many chickens they bought. Since it was well-fed and had enough food, it now weighed two to three catties, which was perfect for making soup and tender chicken meat!


    Many farm families let the chickens roam freely and search for their own food, only giving them a little bit of feed. The advantage of this method is that it saves money and grain, but the disadvantage is that the chickens are small, thin, andy fewer eggs. Naturally, they could not bepared to the plump and tender chickens in Di Family¡¯s yard.


    Seeing that the sky had already darkened, Elderly Mr. Di, who couldn¡¯t stay idle any longer, urged Di Yelei to finish preparing rituals. So, Di Yelei ced Lord Stove, Granny God of Stove, and the children on either side of her up on the stove.


    Liu Sisi busied herself by taking out the fruits they had bought today, which included tangerines, pomelos, and apples. She arranged them all on tes,id out the altar with incense, candles, and paper money, preparing to worship the ¡°God of Stove.¡±


    ording to local customs, there is a tradition of ¡°men don¡¯t worship the moon, and women don¡¯t bid farewell to the stove.¡± After offering sacrifices to the God of Stove, New Year begins!


    Various offerings were arranged on the table, with ¡°stove sugar¡± at the front, which was actually maltose made and baked just yesterday. In addition to stove sugar, offerings in the middle included head-meat and a whole chicken, with fruits on both sides. There was also a bundle of grain straw, a te of fried beans, and a bowl of clear water, said to be prepared for Lord Stove¡¯s heavenly ride. A whole table was filled with these assorted offerings.


    All the food at home was ced on the table, even the back of the altar was lined with horses and puppies made of sorghum stalks as preparation for Lord Stove¡¯s heavenly journey.


    Seeing this, the three children who had been ying in the courtyard gathered around, staring at the numerous offerings on the table, and couldn¡¯t help but reach out their little hands¡­


    ¡°Go ahead and wait until the Stove God is worshipped before¡­ you can eat!¡±


    The children¡¯s grandfather, who had been always keeping an eye on them, spoke first.


    Everyone could not help but look back, seeing YingEr, who had her little hand pped, pouting her mouth, and everyoneughed.


    When everything was ready, Di Yelei handed the first three sticks of incense to Elderly Mr. Di: ¡°Dad! You¡¯re the most senior here, so you should be the first to worship the Stove God. Here!¡±<div>


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s body trembled involuntarily, and after a quite a while, he took it with trembling hands: ¡°This¡­ okay! Okay, fine¡­ ¡±


    As Elderly Mr. Di bowed down, Di Yelei also held up three sticks of incense and bowed, before calling Di Xuan toe forward and bow.


    Then, it was time to apply maltose to the mouths of Lord Stove and Granny God of Stove, symbolizing the sweet speech of Lord Stove.


    After all the rituals were finished, the Stove God¡¯s statue was taken down and burned along with dogs and horses outside, to ¡°ascend to heaven¡±. Then firecrackers were hung and lit, a ¡°send-off¡± for Lord Stove and his entourage.


    As soon as the firecrackers¡¯ sound began here, the entire Upper Vige burst into jubtion, with firecrackers exploding everywhere!


    With every firecracker sound heralding the end of the old year, Liu Sisi also experienced her first Minor New Year in this world.


    ¡°Firecrackers! Firecrackers¡­ Mom, firecrackers!¡±


    Da Mao, who always kept silent, unexpectedly caught Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand, shaking it and pointing at the exploding firecrackers with excitement.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was instantly stunned!


    ¡°Da Mao! You¡­ Da Mao, you spoke? Da Mao is talking! Da Mao is talking, that¡¯s great! That¡¯s great¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er hugged Da Mao tightly and couldn¡¯t help but cry andugh, unable to say whether she was happy or sad.


    Da Mao, this child, had never cried or made a fuss no matter what he encountered, which had really scared everyone. Now that he suddenly spoke, how could Liu Zhi¡¯er not be excited?<div>


    ¡°Second Sister, you should be happy when Da Mao speaks. Why are you crying?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes filled with a touch of bitterness as well, and she hurriedlyforted her.


    ¡°Yes! You¡¯re right; this is something to be happy about! Aren¡¯t I happy? Really¡­ I¡¯m so happy, Da Mao has finally spoken, I¡¯m so overwhelmed with happiness¡­ ¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er wiped her tears desperately, but no matter how she wiped, tears kept rolling down, making her cry andugh at the same time. Finally, she hugged Da Mao and cried out loud.


    Da Mao apparently didn¡¯t understand why Liu Zhi¡¯er was crying but instinctively knew she was upset.


    He raised his thin, bony little hand and clumsily wiped Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face. After hesitating for a long time, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, hush¡­ not painful¡­ ¡±


    These words made Liu Zhi¡¯er cry even harder.


    ¡°Oh, my poor child!¡±

 Chapter 361: 361: Watching the Drama, Di Yelei’s Show-off!

    Chapter 361: 361: Watching the Drama, Di Yelei¡¯s Show-off!<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Upon seeing this, Liu Sisi immediately yed with Da Mao, ¡°Da Mao, good boy, call your aunt quickly. If you call aunt, aunt will give you delicious candy.¡±


    Da Mao buried his head in Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s shoulder, sneaking a peek at her through the gap. As soon as he noticed Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, he quickly retreated back into Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s arms, still not speaking.


    ¡°Looking at Da Mao¡¯s expression, he¡¯s clearly much more spirited. If we guide him well, he will definitely be able to talk andugh like other children and grow up safely.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Definitely! Absolutely!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er nodded vigorously, unable to helpughing, and blushed with embarrassment: ¡°Look at me, I¡¯m so happy that my tears¡­ I¡¯m just too happy.¡±<div>


    ¡°I understand, we¡¯re sisters, how could I not understand!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly patted Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand, and the two sisters exchanged a smile.


    On the other side, Di Yelei didn¡¯t stop after setting off the firecrackers. He brought out rice and led Di Xuan and his son to the vige entrance, where they sprinkled rice and lit incense candles and paper money before returning home.


    However, just as he turned back to the doorway, he brought good news.


    ¡°Hey! Tonight is going to be incredible! Mr. Land Officer is paying for it, and there¡¯s going to be a big performance at the grain-drying field in the vige for all of us to watch. Everyone¡¯s bringing their stools and heading over there! They¡¯re almost filling up the field! Let¡¯s hurry and join them!¡±


    Di Yelei was full of excitement, and as he spoke, he hurried inside to fetch benches.


    Upon hearing that there was excitement to be witnessed, YingEr was the first to jump for joy: ¡°Dad! Wait for YingEr too, YingEr wants to go! YingEr wants to go!¡±


    While talking, she began following her father and ran into the house.


    As soon as he heard themotion, Da Mao began to struggle in Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s arms, quickly breaking free and following closely behind YingEr.


    Worried, Liu Zhi¡¯er called out, ¡°Da Mao, run slower!¡±


    This was not an era of constant entertainment, so even Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but be tempted!


    Such a rare chance for entertainment couldn¡¯t be missed.<div>


    The whole group proceeded down the hill together.


    Leading the way was Di Yelei, who was carrying a stack of wooden stools and a torch, followed closely by Elderly Mr. Di with Xuan¡¯er¡¯s help, then YingEr who was chattering as she walked, and Da Mao who was trailing behind her like a little drag cart.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but ce a hand on her abdomen, fearing its safety in the crowded situation. What if something happened and the baby was hurt?


    Unable to resist her inner desire, she decided to stand far away and watch the performance.


    Feeling that someone was missing, she turned around and saw that Liu Zhi¡¯er hadn¡¯te along.


    ¡°Second Sister, why aren¡¯t you following? Aren¡¯t you going to watch the show?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er quietly retreated two steps: ¡°Little Sister, I¡­ How can I leave the house unattended? I¡¯ll stay home and look after it, and maybe¡­ maybe cut some window paper-cuts.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Liu Sisi naturally understood.


    Instinctively, she wanted to persuade her otherwise, but changed her mind at thest moment: ¡°You¡­ That¡¯s fine, I¡¯m just worried about leaving the house unattended. But you don¡¯t have to worry too much, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua are at home too, you can just close the door.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I got it!¡±


    With that, Liu Zhi¡¯er happily turned around and went back into the house.


    It seemed like Second Sister was genuinely happy!<div>


    But it was a good thing that she has the motivation. At least this way, it showed that she hade out of the shadows and started her new life.


    Liu Sisi walked slowly, and by the time she got halfway down, Di Yelei had alreadye back with a torch. Seeing Liu Sisi slowly walking on the road, his tone was slightly unpleasant: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take a torch? What would you do if you identally slipped?¡±


    He certainly hadn¡¯t forgotten how Dou Family¡¯s woman had lost her life!


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, just look over there, it¡¯s so bright, this path isn¡¯t dark at all, I can see it clearly.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you can see the path clearly,e! You take the torch, I¡¯ll carry you!¡±


    As he spoke, he handed the torch in his hand to her. As she reached for it, he quickly crouched down, intending to pick her up.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face turned red all of a sudden, but luckily it was night time, and her embarrassment was well concealed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t¡­ There are so many people on this grain-drying field, if the fellow vigers see this, who knows what they¡¯ll say.¡± It might even be a topic of conversation.


    ¡°Why are you afraid? We are husband and wife, let them gossip all they want, as long as we live happily in our daily life.¡±


    Without discussing further, Di Yelei carried her and strode towards the grain-drying field.


    ¡°You¡­ of course you won¡¯t hear it!¡± Liu Sisi pouted: ¡°It¡¯s only when women are together that they talk about these things. You men, these big tough guys, run out all day long, how would you know about this? Hmph!¡±


    Liu Sisi, lying on his back with her arms around his neck, bit his shoulder in defiance.<div>


    ¡°Ouch! Ouch, that hurts¡­¡±


    Di Yelei pretended to cry out: ¡°Sisi, I bet you bit off a big chunk of meat from my shoulder, you can see the teeth marks!¡±


    Liu Sisi was also amused by him and couldn¡¯t help but loosen her grip: ¡°Nonsense! I didn¡¯t bite hard, what are you yelling for?¡±


    ¡°Who says it¡¯s not painful? Although my shoulder doesn¡¯t hurt, my heart does! Sisi¡­¡±


    Di Yelei intentionally teased Liu Sisi, and the two of them chatted andughed all the way. They soon reached the edge of the grain-drying field, where the sound of gongs and drums had already started.


    Although it was night time, the grain-drying field was very well lit, and the stage was brightly lit by the burning torches.


    Even under these conditions, Di Yelei carrying Liu Sisi was still seen by quite a few people.


    Teasing voices soon spread.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Yo! Di Yelei, I never knew! It turns out you have such great skills in managing your wife. You¡¯re so afraid of her, huh?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Uncle Di, if you didn¡¯t carry her tonight, watch out for her making you kneel down for her when you get back home tonight! What are you going to do then?¡±


    ¡°I bet he hasn¡¯t had dinner yet! Hahaha¡­¡±


    Thisment suddenly made everyone burst intoughter.<div>


    Di Yelei boldly let Liu Sisi down and showed no sign of awkwardness.


    ¡°Go away! Hehe¡­ What do you youngsters know? Your Aunt Di is pregnant now, so I¡¯m worried she might slip and hurt the child in her belly if she walks in the dark!¡±


    His voice was incredibly loud, and he looked triumphantly around at the people nearby.


    People beside him were attracted by his words, and they all turned their eyes away from the stage.


    ¡°Yo! Brother Third Son Di, that¡¯s manly! So, Auntie is pregnant! Congrattions, congrats indeed.¡±


    Everyone around gave a thumbs up and praised, making Liu Sisi too shy to raise her head.


    Di Yelei next to her grinned andughed louder, showing off even more, his tail almost reaching the sky!

 Chapter 362: 362: The Annoying Miao Cuihua

    Chapter 362: 362: The Annoying Miao Cuihua<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Thank you, thank you, everyone! When we have a chance, let¡¯s get together for a drink and celebrate properly, have a good time!¡±


    His words immediately gained enthusiastic praise from everyone.


    ¡°Great! With your words, brother, we¡¯ll definitely call you when we have a drink next time!¡± Di Yelei said,ughing heartily and patting his shoulder.


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll be waiting for Third Brother Di¡¯s fine wine!¡±


    While the men chatted happily, Liu Sisi had already been pulled into the group of women.<div>


    ¡°Sisi! Come over here, there¡¯s a spot!¡±


    Just as Guihua was about to sit down with Liu Sisi, a burly figure squeezed in, pushing Guihua to the side and almost knocking Liu Sisi down. Fortunately, she quickly moved aside and sat on the other side of the bench.


    ¡°Excuse me, I want to sit here.¡±


    As Miao Cuihua sat down, she almost sat on Liu Sisi, scaring her!


    Almost everyone immediately turned against her when they saw who it was.


    ¡°Miao Cuihua, what are you doing? Sisi is pregnant now, how can you still be so reckless? If you hurt Sisi, can you afford the consequences?¡± The one who spoke first was not Guihua, but Ms. Xin sitting by her side.


    A cold light quickly shed across Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes before disappearing. This Ms. Xin actually dared to harbor ill intentions towards her; she must not be indulged!


    Miao Cuihua was frightened by Ms. Xin¡¯s stern words, but only for a moment, and then she leaned towards Liu Sisi again without any concern.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I just didn¡¯t see her, and it was not on purpose! Besides, it¡¯s just pregnancy, when I was pregnant with my Fatty, I also worked up and down the hills, and nothing happened¡­¡±


    While speaking, she moved closer to Liu Sisi: ¡°Sisi! I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you, did I?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡±


    With an awkward expression, Liu Sisi quietly moved to the other side of the bench. Miao Cuihua was rough, and she couldn¡¯tpare to before, it was better to keep her distance.<div>


    The fellow vigers on the side couldn¡¯t stand it any longer andughed sarcastically, ¡°Miao Cuihua, do you still have the nerve to ask? With your weight, if something really happened, how could she still be sitting here talking to everyone? It¡¯s a shame you still have the face to sit here.¡±


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I? My rtionship with Sisi is very good! It won¡¯t be affected by your few words!¡±


    Miao Cuihua seemedpletely oblivious to people¡¯s displeasure and spoke proudly.


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know yet, do you? Sisi is not only Madam Gan Senior¡¯s granddaughter but also has a share in the small-town bookstore. Even my Shou Hou works at her shop. This month, he also brought back more than 3 taels of silver. That¡¯s right, you heard it right, just this month, Shou Hou brought back 3 taels of silver, enough for you to chew on for a long time!¡±


    Miao Cuihua¡¯s voice was originally loud, and at this moment, the roles on the stage just happened to be changing tune. Thus, her voice instantly spread throughout the entire grain-drying field, immediately attracting everyone¡¯s attention.


    For a moment, all eyes turned and fell on Liu Sisi.


    With Liu Sisi suddenly bing the focus, an array of astonished, envious, jealous, excited, and incredulous gazes came her way. As various thoughts surged among the onlookers, the crowd fell into aplete silence.


    Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Liu Sisi hurriedly tried to stop it.


    ¡°Miao Cuihua, what nonsense are you talking about? That bookstore belongs to Brother Nan, and I just have a share in it. The way you casually said it, it seemed like the shop has be mine. Do you even know how to speak?¡±


    ¡°Eh! If you have a share, isn¡¯t it your bookstore? Besides, the silver that Shou Hou brought back isn¡¯t fake!¡±


    Miao Cuihua had a look of smug satisfaction on her face: ¡°Sisi! If there¡¯s any good work opportunity, don¡¯t forget about me! I might not have many talents, but I do have strength. You can count on me!¡±


    Miao Cuihuaughed heartily and proudly pounded her chest a few times.<div>


    Liu Sisi frowned repeatedly, but Miao Cuihua still felt good about herself.


    ¡°Enough, stop messing around! Sit down, you¡¯re blocking everyone¡¯s view of the opera.¡±


    Fed up with her antics, Liu Sisi quickly pulled her down, seating her beside herself. Liu Sisi then red at her and whispered into her ear, ¡°If you keep talking nonsense, after the new year begins, Shou Hou won¡¯t need to help in the bookstore anymore!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t, Sisi¡ªI know you think my Shou Hou is a good person, so you specially introduced him to help out in your bookstore! I, Miao Cuihua, understand all this!¡±


    It was then Miao Cuihua realized Liu Sisi¡¯s expression had changed. Cuihua immediately stopped talking and leaned over with a ttering smile.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t youe to me initially, asking me to find work for Shou Hou? Why are you saying this now?¡±


    Liu Sisi was angry and feeling increasingly ufortable!


    Miao Cuihua was absolutely inconsiderate of others. When Liu Sisi first came to her, asking her to help find work for Shou Hou, the bookstore just happened to need someone. It was strange how the words came out of Miao Cuihua¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Sisi, I didn¡¯t mean it that way! I¡­ I¡¯m not good with words, so please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Miao Cuihua wanted to exin, but seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s expression change in the firelight, she didn¡¯t know how to begin.


    ¡°Enough! Watch the opera.¡±


    Liu Sisi could not help but shift a little away from Miao Cuihua, and without saying more, she lifted her head to pretend to watch the stage performance in seriousness.<div>


    In fact, she was not really paying attention to what was happening on stage.


    Miao Cuihua tried to chat several times but stopped when she realized Liu Sisi was not paying her any attention.


    At first, Liu Sisi felt okay sitting there, but after some time, she started to feel suffocated. Especially the performers on stage, their singing was like noise, and sitting there made it unbearable.


    ¡°Sisi, here, eat some of this. You¡¯ll feel better.¡±


    Guihua, seeing the uneasiness on her face, quickly handed her something to put in her mouth. Instantly, a sour taste spread over her tongue, refreshing her expression.


    ¡°This is sour plum. Its sour and sweet taste is really good. Moreover, it¡¯s homemade and perfect for pregnant women. It not only satisfies cravings but also refreshes the mind.¡±


    Guihua chuckled softly, making Liu Sisi feel grateful and smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Guihua. You understand me the best.¡±

 Chapter 363: Suspicion

    Chapter 363: Suspicion


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°I¡¯m just an experienced person after all, so¡­shall we go outside for a break?¡± Guihua suggested.


    ¡°That sounds good, I¡¯m feeling ufortable. Let¡¯s go! We can take a trip to the restroom as well.¡±


    Liu Sisi hesitated for a moment before agreeing and standing up, talking to Xuan¡¯er and Ying¡¯er beside her, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, Ying¡¯er, you two stay here and watch the y, don¡¯t run around, ok? Mom will be back soon.¡±


    Guihua naturally stood up as well.


    Seeing this, Miao Cuihua quickly followed suit and shouted, ¡°Sisi, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Do I need to report to you where I¡¯m going?¡±


    Liu Sisi was really angry. Was Miao Cuihua nning on spying on her?


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom, do you want toe with me too?¡±


    After saying that, Liu Sisi took Guihua¡¯s hand and turned to leave.


    Miao Cuihua, being thick-skinned, didn¡¯t realize Liu Sisi was being sarcastic, and instead followed her, ¡°Going to the restroom? Actually, I am really full tonight, having eaten some meat twice, so I couldn¡¯t help but eat two more bowls of rice. My stomach is heavy. It¡¯s perfect to go to the restrrom and relieve myself.¡±


    Looking at this unshakeable caramel, Liu Sisi was really amused!


    ¡°Miao Cuihua, is there no end to it? Are you not feeling sick? If you want to go to the restroom, go yourself, don¡¯t continue following me.¡±


    While speaking, she left with Guihua and out of the crowd.


    Miao Cuihua was obviously stopped by Liu Sisi¡¯s shouting, she stood there stunned, causing the nearby people to whisper and point at her. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    From the other side, sitting in the midst of the men, Di Yelei naturally noticed Liu Sisi¡¯s movement, but he didn¡¯t speak up for her. His wife should be able to handle such a situation herself, right?


    On the contrary, the thin monkey Shou Hou beside him was so anxious that his face flushed red, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into!


    Having such a wife was the worst decision of his life.


    After leaving the crowd, the cold wind whistled outside, with a chill that invigorated Liu Sisi, making her feel so much morefortable.


    ¡°Although Miao Cuihua is ruthless with her words, she actually doesn¡¯t have a bad heart. She¡¯s much better than some people who look kind but keep doing evil things.¡±


    Guihua spoke softly, ¡°However, when Miao Cuihua almost sat on you just now, she didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Instead, someone suddenly stretched out their leg and tripped her, causing her to nearly fall on you.¡±


    ¡°You, you mean¡­someone used her as a pawn?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath, ¡°Did you see who it was? Whose leg was it?¡±


    ¡°I, I didn¡¯t see clearly. It was quite dark.¡±


    Guihua evaded her gaze, not daring to meet her eyes, suddenly realizing there was a restroom nearby, she hurriedly said, ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°Sister Guihua¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi called out intuitively, but saw that Guihua slipped away faster than a rabbit.


    From Guihua¡¯s appearance, it seemed that she recognized the person. So she didn¡¯t say anything because¡­ Liu Sisi¡¯s thoughts raced, the only person that could cause harm and make Guihua instinctively defensive and afraid to speak was her!


    Liu Sisi touched the ce where the sachet had originally been hanging, and couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed at herself.


    ¡°Third sister-inw, why are you alone here? The actor on the stage is a famous one, and people often can¡¯t get a chance to hear him perform. Aren¡¯t you going to listen?¡±


    Liu Sisi turned around and saw Ms. Xin, smiling at her from three steps away.


    Her eyes quickly shed with a glint. ¡°It turns out it¡¯s my sister-inw. She likes the songs of this famous actor so much, so why did shee out?¡±


    Ms. Xin chuckled and walked two steps forward, stopping next to Liu Sisi.


    This really startled Liu Sisi!


    Was Ms. Xin so cornered that she wanted to attack her unborn child directly?


    Thinking of this, she instinctively protected her stomach, ¡°You, what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Third sister-inw, Little Cui has something to tell you.¡±


    Ms. Xin looked left and right, and then whispered in her ear, ¡°Third sister-inw, Miao Cuihua didn¡¯t sit down on her own earlier, someone tripped her from behind. You have to be careful in the future! Beware of falling into someone¡¯s trap.¡±


    Liu Sisi was dumbfounded! She never expected that Ms. Xin would have the audacity to y the thief crying ¡°stop thief¡±!


    At this thought, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh coldly twice, ¡°I appreciate your concern. However, I wonder if my sister-inw has seen who it was that tripped Miao Cuihua.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t see it.¡±


    Ms. Xin hesitated, rushing forward to grab Liu Sisi¡¯s arm, looking extremely anxious, ¡°But please believe me, third sister-inw, someone is really trying to harm you. You must be more careful in your daily life!¡±


    What¡¯s going on, is she getting anxious because she can¡¯t lie anymore?


    The two people walked back to the stage unperturbed, both lost in their own thoughts. The climax of the y gradually came to an end, and Liu Sisi didn¡¯t pay attention to what the y had actually performed.


    After lying down in their room, Liu Sisi told Di Yelei what happened and continued, ¡°Today, I let her off the hook. However, what can be done once should not be done twice, and what can be done twice should not be done three times. If it happens again, I will definitely not show any mercy and make a big fuss!¡±


    Di Yelei thought for a while, ¡°That¡¯s good. We¡¯ve given her a chance to correct herself. If she still doesn¡¯t know any better and insists on getting into trouble, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to send her to the authorities!¡±


    Liu Sisiughed out loud, ¡°Great! Just remember, you said it yourself! When the timees, don¡¯t me me, Liu Sisi, for being heartless!¡±


    ¡°When has my word, Di Yelei, ever not counted? Don¡¯t worry!¡±

 Chapter 364: Picking Up a Treasure

    Chapter 364: Picking Up a Treasure


    Trantor: 549690339


    The next day, early in the morning, Di Yelei climbed up the roof to start repairing the house.


    Yesterday was the Minor New Year, ording to the local tradition, people start cleaning the house today to prepare for the Lunar New Year.


    He removed the straw from the roofpletely and reced it entirely.


    However, since he had reced the straw in the bedroom a few days ago, today¡¯s work was much easier for Di Yelei.


    Since the Di Family didn¡¯t have anynd to grow rice, they had no straw. But luckily, he had already exchanged a piece of preserved beast meat for a haystack of straw with the vigers. While he was outside changing the straw, Liu Sisi took YingEr, Liu Zhi¡¯er, and Da Mao with her to help out at the bookstore in the small town.


    As she expected, the bookstore was packed today as usual; even those who usually didn¡¯t go out in the vige hade out of their homes.


    The best-selling items in the bookstore were finished products like spring couplets, window paper-cuts, and fortune children. The other most popr items were raw materials like red paper, colored paper, rice paper, and calligraphy tools.


    Today, since Di Yelei wasn¡¯t there to help, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t offer customized spring couplets. She directly wrote the spring couplets and sold them.


    Because of everyone¡¯s word of mouth, they all knew about Liu Sisi¡¯s reputation as a female tutor, so many people came just for that reason.


    When her written spring couplets were put on disy, they were often sold before they were even hung up properly.


    Everyone was busy untilte afternoon when the customers gradually decreased, and they were all exhausted.


    Nan Tianzong shook his wrist and threw the brush-pen far away: ¡°This is really exhausting! Even more so than studying for a whole day!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worn out too¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi felt her right arm trembling and didn¡¯t want to move as she leaned against the chair.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how much money we made today! While it¡¯s New Year¡¯s time, we¡¯ll distribute the earnings daily¡ªeveryone will have peace of mind and be cheerful about using the money and doing their work!¡±


    Nan Tianzong happily started counting, and the amount of money on the ount was indeed quite a lot, several times more than usual days.


    ¡°Fortunately, we hoarded enough supplies before this period. Otherwise, we would have run out of goods to sell!¡± Liu Sisi said excitedly.


    Nan Tianzong alsoughed: ¡°That¡¯s the result of your excellent nning and decision-making. When I came to the shop the day before yesterday, I was shocked by the amount of goods you had squeezed in! I never thought you would have such a big appetite!¡±


    What Nan Tianzong said was true. The original break room inside the shop was piled high with goods, leaving only a bed and a passageway. How much courage must Sisi have to stockpile so many goods?


    ¡°Does this kind of thing require courage?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked curiously with a calm expression, ¡°Take red paper for example. Although few people buy it on regr days, its sales during festivals are three to five times more, let alone during the Lunar New Year. My family rarely buys red paper, but don¡¯t we still get fifty sheets for the New Year? By putting myself in their shoes, I coted the statistics for the whole year,pared them, and calcted the demand. Naturally, I came up with such arge amount.¡±


    Liu Sisi exined it as if it were reasonable, while everyone else listened,pletely confused and not understanding what she was talking about.


    A sh of radiance appeared in Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyes, followed by a smile.


    It seemed that he had inadvertently picked up a treasure!


    The ounts were soonpleted. After deducting costs, tenant fees, Li Wu¡¯s one tael of silver, and Zhang Peng¡¯s share, Nan Tianzong divided the profit into ten parts ording to their prior agreement. He took four parts, Liu Sisi took three parts, and Di Cheng took three parts.


    Liu Sisi received her share and carefully counted it, totaling more than 163 taels of silver, which genuinely startled her!


    ¡°This¡­the ie for today is even more than what we make in a month on ordinary days? It¡¯s just unbelievable!¡± She held the silver money, unable to believe it was real, no matter how she looked at it.


    ¡°Pfft! Little Sister, now you understand my feelings, right?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was sitting at the doorway cutting window paper-cuts, couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Liu Sisi alsoughed: ¡°I really do understand now!¡±


    It was just too far beyond her expectations. She pressed her sore waist, unable to help but furrow her brow in exhaustion.


    Her fatigue was caught by Nan Tianzong, who immediately said, ¡°Sisi, are you tired? There¡¯s no end to making money, and your health is more important. Why don¡¯t you take a break starting tomorrow? I¡¯m nning to go back to the county seat to check on the two shops anyway. I bet they¡¯ve been very busy.¡±


    The busy nature of just this small town could give them an idea of how hectic the silver and wine-houses in the county were!


    After considering her proposal for a moment, Liu Sisi said, ¡°How about this? You can go into town tomorrow to check on the two shops. Tonight, I¡¯ll write spring couplets at home. I¡¯ll bring them over to sell in the morning, so everyone won¡¯t be so tired. In a couple of days, I can go help out in town again. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good! You¡¯re pregnant, so you mustn¡¯t tire yourself out, okay?¡± Nan Tianzong couldn¡¯t help but remind her once again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t work myself too hard,¡± Liu Sisi assured him with a smile.


    When she and Liu Zhi¡¯er returned home that night, they found that Di Yelei, Zhang Peng, Li Wu, and the others had gone up to the mountain for hunting.


    Of course, Zhang Yun had gone with them too.


    Di Xuan had chased after them for quite a distance before eventually being sent back by Di Yelei with several backward nces.


    Seeing the clean house with a new roof, Liu Sisi felt somewhat dazed, and even Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was standing next to her, gaped.


    It took them a while to find their words: ¡°Brother-inw¡­is so amazing! When we only had three thatched huts in my family, it would take me two days to clean them all, but he¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, isn¡¯t it? Second Sister, you should have seen who he is married to!¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    With a smug expression, Liu Sisi held her head high and entered the courtyard.


    Her words caused the smile to fade from Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face. She seemed to still feel the lingering warmth from when Di Yelei, drunk that night, had grasped her hands. Her cheeks flushed as she thought of his sturdy build and tense muscles¡­


    She shook her head forcefully, trying to rid her mind of those inappropriate thoughts.


    She couldn¡¯t think about it! She shouldn¡¯t, and it wasn¡¯t right for her to think about it either!


    After all, he was her brother-inw. This affair wasn¡¯t something she could ept, let alone expose to the world.


    She forcefully pped her flushed cheeks and took a couple of deep breaths before following Liu Sisi into the courtyard.


    In the courtyard, YingEr, who had entered just before her, was happily ying with Da Mao¡¯s hand; her radiant smile made her look like a beautiful flower bud.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel a heartache. How wonderful it would be if her three children were by her side right now?

 Chapter 365: A Night Talk Between Sisters

    Chapter 365: A Night Talk Between Sisters


    Trantor: 549690339


    In YingEr¡¯s hand was thentern that Liu Sisi bought for her on August 15th, which she was ying with.


    ¡°Da Mao, look, this is thentern my mom bought for me, isn¡¯t it beautiful? My mom is really nice to me! When New Yeares, I will ask my mom to buy one for you too, okay?¡±


    With thentern aloft, Di Ying danced excitedly, bursting into a string of silveryughter.


    As Liu Sisi pulled open the door curtain, she casually asked her: ¡°YingEr, how did you find thentern?¡±


    ¡°Mom! I didn¡¯t find it! I saw it on the table as soon as I came in!¡± YingEr¡¯s crisp reply came.


    The reply from Di Xuan, who was originally in the house, was: ¡°Mom, dad found it when he was tidying up the house today.¡±


    As soon as Liu Sisi walked into the kitchen, she felt the whole kitchen brighten up considerably.


    When she looked up, she instantly noticed that the makeshift bed that had previously been ced in a corner of the kitchen had disappeared, reced by a bright and spacious kitchen. Where the bed had been, now stood table and chairs,den with fragrant dishes.


    And her father, leaning on his crutch, was setting out the bamboo chopsticks.


    Seeing a table full of fragrant meals, Liu Sisi was genuinely startled!


    ¡°Father! How¡­you must sit down and rest. Sisi can do these things! It won¡¯t take too much time.¡±


    In the meantime, she hurriedly set down what she was holding and rushed over to help.


    Elderly Mr. Di smiled broadly, his face full of wrinkles: ¡°No¡­I¡¯m just idle¡­nothing to do¡­eat, have dinner.¡±


    ¡°Mom, the food grandfather made is also really delicious. The lunch was made by grandfather, it¡¯s spicy, and delicious!¡± Di Xuan came over with the bowls of rice and started to set them out.


    ¡°Is that so¡­I guess the meal made by grandfather suits your little greedy kitten¡¯s taste, right? You can go quickly and call your Second Aunt for dinner!¡± After receiving the tes from Di Xuan, Liu Sisi swiftlyid out the rest of the dishes.


    By all ounts, the meals cooked by her father-inw were actually delicious!


    Not only was the heat sufficient, the most important thing was the meals had enough vor. It was spicy!


    On cold winter days, the moment you eat these spicy warm dishes, you immediately break into a light sweat, the entire person warming up instantly!


    Everyone cleared the table of dishes, and at the end, they were all belching contentedly.


    ¡°Father, do you like eating spicy food? I didn¡¯t know about it all the time¡­¡± Liu Sisi looked a little embarrassed: ¡°But I won¡¯t make the mistake again, I will prepare some spicy dishes from now on.¡±


    In her previous life, her grandfather also loved eating spicy food, but as he got older, his stomach didn¡¯t agree with him, so Liu Sisi didn¡¯t make much of it.


    ¡°No need. I only eat it asionally¡­¡±


    Her father-inw made a strenuous gesture with his hand.


    This means he will want to eat it again in the future!


    Liu Sisiughed!


    After cleaning up the kitchen and looking at the now sparkling room, she looked up at the small attic on the roof where the beast meat was stored. It was also cleaned up. Rows of bacon were hanging down, almost filling the entire roof. It was truly a joyous sight.


    After thinking a little, she took down two pieces of meat from the roof, carried them down, called XuanEr and handed him the pieces.


    ¡°You take these two pieces of meat to the old house on the other side. Therge piece is for your grandmother, and the smaller one is for your Second Uncle, got it?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ Mom, why do we have to send the meat to that old house? Isn¡¯t grandfather already living with us?¡±


    Di Xuan refused to reach out his hand, clearly unwilling to give the gift.


    ¡°Silly child, no matter what, she is your grandmother. Since she is your grandmother, you should show her respect.¡± Liu Sisi gently patted his head.


    ¡°But¡­ she treated YingEr and me so badly before¡­¡±


    Di Xuan retorted, lowering his head in difficulty.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed softly and held him in her arms: ¡°Silly Xuan¡¯er, although she wasn¡¯t kind to you, her status as an elder is always there. Think about it. If you behave in a non-courteous way because she was unkind to you, not greeting her when you meet her, not sharing delicious food with her, not sending gifts during festivals¡­ When such behavior falls into the eyes of outsiders, wouldn¡¯t they think that you, as a junior, are not respectful enough, rather than the elders did something wrong?¡±


    Di Xuan thought for a moment and lowered his head again without speaking.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about how she treats you, you just need to fulfill all your responsibilities as a descendant. As long as you are true to your conscience and do not give others a chance to find fault, isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Liu Sisi guided patiently. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Alright, Mother! Xuan¡¯er will remember.¡±


    Di Xuan nodded earnestly, took the meat, and quickly left the room.


    Her words also fell into the ears of Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was sitting aside cutting paper window decorations. She couldn¡¯t help but look up at Liu Sisi and then lowered her head again to continue her task.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t notice, but she grinded the writing brush,id out the red and colored papers, and began to write spring couplets.


    She had many spring couplets in mind and casually selected one to write.


    Here, there was no one to disturb her. With uninterrupted thinking, she wrote the spring couplets much more quickly than she did in the shop.


    As she got busy, she lost track of time.


    It was not until she realized that the papers she had brought back were all used up that she found out that it was alreadyte at night.


    Liu Sisi looked around and saw Liu Zhi¡¯er was still cutting paper window decorations without break.


    The fire in the stove and the bonfire were burning brightly. Mr. Di was sitting at the kitchen door, nodding off constantly. The surroundings were silent.


    She quickly rose to tidy up the written spring couplets, restoring the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, while softly calling Mr. Di.


    ¡°Father, father! It¡¯ste, you should go back to the room and rest.¡±


    Only then did Elderly Mr. Di raise his head and look at Liu Sisi, who was tidying up, and agreed before slowly heading back to his room.


    ¡°Second Sister, stop cutting too. Look at your hands, they¡¯ve been chafed until the blisters broke. You can¡¯t keep doing this.¡± In the meantime, Liu Sisi also went forward to help Liu Zhi¡¯er tidy up the cut window decorations.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s just a few broken blisters. Compared to the hardships we¡¯d been through before, this is nothing.¡±


    As she spoke, Liu Zhi¡¯er raised her head, rubbed her eyes, and said with a slight smile: ¡°I remember you used to be very proud back then, and you always looked down on me for cutting paper. But when you needed patterns for your embroidery, you had no choice but to ask me. I used to enjoy watching you swallow your pride to ask me for the patterns. That¡¯s why I practiced so hard at cutting paper. Looking back, the fact that I have the skills I do today is all thanks to you.¡±


    It seemed that Liu Zhi¡¯er was lost in memories, with a smile on her lips.


    Liu Sisi rubbed her forehead, ¡°Was I really that¡­ghastly then? Oh, I can¡¯t even remember.¡±


    ¡°Actually, you weren¡¯t ghastly.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er shook her head: ¡°Back then, you seemed proud on the outside but you were very soft on the inside. You often hid in the dark and cried secretly. The you now, however, might seem weak at first, but as I spent more time with you, I found you very strong. You always manage to earn people¡¯s trust in ways they never seeing, much like how running water erodes the strongest rock, you are strong just like that water.¡±

 Chapter 366: Preparations Before the New Year Festival

    Chapter 366: Preparations Before the New Year Festival


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Will that happen?¡± Liu Sisi paused in her work, taken aback.


    A cold sweat was breaking out on her brow, why hadn¡¯t she sensed this?


    ¡°Better if you don¡¯t remember, the past you was pretty unlikeable,¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er responded, then buried herself back in her paper cutting.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, stop now. It¡¯s gettingte, what if you overwork yourself and fall ill?¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke, moving forward as if to take the scissors from her.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er hastily concealed them behind her back, a slightly ingratiating smile on her face, ¡°Good Sisi, let me cut for a little while longer, I promise I¡¯m going to bed soon, okay?¡±


    That smile was too powerful! Liu Sisi¡¯s outstretched hand froze in ce.


    ¡°Alright then, but remember, just a little bit longer then bedtime.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just a little longer. I¡¯ll finish cutting this piece and then go to bed.¡±


    Liu Sisi moved her mouth, but said no more, then left the room.


    She scooped some barley, grabbed a handful of hay, and turned to go feed the horses.


    Unbeknownst to her, light snow had started falling quietly outside. It must have been for quite some time, as a thinyer of snow had already umted on the ground.


    The jujube red horse neighed at her approach. Liu Sisi gently patted it, feeding it two sugar cubes before turning to look at Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua. These two puppies were snuggled together for warmth, with Ah-Huang sleeping on the outside to block the wind and Ah-Hua inside, hidden behind most of Ah-Huang¡¯s body. On noticing Liu Sisi looking at them, they just whimpered a little, wagged their tails, and went back to sleep.


    Liu Sisi smiled; these two puppies shared a strong bond!


    After stoking the fire to make it burn brighter, Liu Sisi returned to her bedroom.


    The moment she entered her old room, a chilly aura struck her.


    The room had no signs of life, more importantly, itcked Di Yelei¡¯s presence.


    Taking off her clothes, she climbed into the cold bed, shivering under two quilts.


    Without Di Yelei nearby, she was always ufortable. Without that person in her heart, the room felt unbearably cold.


    Unable to resist, she got up and spread out another quilt,ying on one and covering herself with two. Hugging her knees, she forced her eyes shut, wondering how Di Yelei was faring now?


    She tossed and turned all night, only managing to fall asleep as dawn was breaking.


    But just as she dozed off, the recurring nightmare that hadn¡¯t gued her for a long time invaded her dreams once again.


    Blood! So much blood, a shocking crimson, everything in sight was stained red!


    The repeated dream once again yed out, causing Liu Sisi to struggle in her sleep, trying to escape from the nightmare.


    But the nightmare continued, Zuo Xingyu¡¯s hideous face and the dagger held high, shing fiercely¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Liu Sisi jolted upright in bed, gasping for breath, covering her face.


    The nightmare hadn¡¯t visited her for many days. She thought she had forgotten about it, yet with Di Yelei¡¯s absence today, it had returned!


    Shey back down and grasped for the nket, just then realizing that her entire body was soaked through, clearly she had been scared quite significantly.


    What exactly was this dream about? Why did it cling to her so persistently?


    Was that scene of wielding a dagger in her dream reality? Or simply a creation of her mind?


    She didn¡¯t have an answer.


    After daybreak, the light snow not only didn¡¯t abate, instead it seemed to be getting heavier. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Zhi¡¯er looked at the road outside and adamantly refused to allow Liu Sisi to apany him to the small town.


    ¡°The road is icy in this snowy weather. If you slipped and fell on a normal day, it would be okay, but right now you¡¯re not the same as before, if you really were to¡­ encounter any kind of ident, what would you do?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er asserted with all seriousness.


    ¡°But I¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi hesitated, she was already carrying an unstable pregnancy, if anything were to happen¡­ she simply dared not imagine it!


    ¡°Alright! I won¡¯t go today, be very careful on the road, ande back early in the evening. Don¡¯t stay out toote. Understand?¡± Liu Si instructed him again and again.


    ¡°I understand, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    As they spoke, Liu Zhi¡¯er put on his bamboo hat and briskly left.


    Da Mao attempted to chase after him, but YingEr caught a hold of his hand. He could only yowl pitifully at the doorway, ¡°Mum! Mum! Mum¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er halted for a moment, but didn¡¯t look back, he determinedly strode away quickly.


    Da Mao let out a wail and burst into tears!


    Liu Sisi quickly stepped forward to hold him, trying hard to calm him down.


    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t cry for too long. The baby beside him was soon calling out to him, ¡°Da Mao, should we go y together? Please don¡¯t cry! If you keep crying, I won¡¯t y with you!¡±


    ¡°Come on, Da Mao! Would you like to y with thentern? Your mother will return tonight! Please don¡¯t act like this anymore! Come on, Da Mao¡­.¡±


    Only after a long while, did Da Mao reluctantly get off Liu Sisi, though he refused to y, and stubbornly stood guard at the entrance of the yard.


    Only at noon when it was time to eat lunch, did he reluctantly leave the doorway.


    In truth, was it only Da Mao who was waiting?


    Liu Sisi was also waiting for Di Yelei and Liu Zhi¡¯er to return home.


    ording to the local customs, today was the 25th day of Lunar December ¨C the day to ¡°wee the Emperor Jade¡±. Everyone believed that after the God of Stove ascended to heaven, the Emperor Jade would personally descend to the mortal world on the 25th day of Lunar December to inspect the good and evil of mankind, and to determine the fortune or misfortune toe in the next year. Hence, every household must make offerings to pray for blessings, also known as ¡°weing the Emperor Jade¡±.


    On this day, everyone must be exceedingly cautious in their eating, living, and speaking, trying their best to win the favor of the Emperor Jade in hopes of being blessed with favorable weather and a bountiful harvest for the year ahead.


    Early in the morning, even before daybreak, Elderly Mr. Di had already soaked the soybeans, in preparation to grind them into tofu.¡¯


    Once Liu Sisi managed to soothe Da Mao, she saw Elderly Mr. Di, leaning on a crutch, adding soybeans into the grinding hole.


    ¡°Father, let me handle this. I¡¯ll grind the beans. You should go and rest for a bit.¡±


    This stone mill was specifically bought by Di Yelei for grinding beans. It only weighed about ten-plus kilograms, hence it was extremely easy to handle. However, the ground bean flour wasn¡¯t very smooth, requiring them to repeatedly pour it into the grinding hole to grind it a second time.


    Elderly Mr. Di refused to leave, insisting on helping to add the beans to the mill. No matter how Liu Sisi tried to persuade him, he wouldn¡¯t leave.


    When Guihua arrived, Liu Sisi finally felt relieved: ¡°You¡¯vee at the right time, you can help with grinding the beans.¡±


    Guihua alsoughed: ¡°I came over here yesterday and you weren¡¯t here, so I thought you should be here today. Making tofu is not an easy task. I thought we could cook together, and I could also chat with you, it saves a lot of trouble.¡±


    Seeing Guihua arriving, Elderly Mr. Di finally left, yet he then grabbed a broom and headed to the courtyard to sweep the snow.


    ¡°Your father-inw is quite a restless person, I really envy you. As for my big brother Zhang, we don¡¯t have any elders here, even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t be envious.¡±

 Chapter 367: 367: Preparations Before the New Year Festival

    Chapter 367: 367: Preparations Before the New Year Festival<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Regarding this, Liu Sisi really had nothing to say.


    When Elderly Mr. Di first came, his legs were clearly not agile, and it was difficult for him to speak and eat.


    But after these days of recuperation, his body had gradually improved a lot. He ate faster, walked more nimbly, and even did household chores much more quickly.


    Thinking of this, Liu Sisi took the opportunity of Guihua grinding the mill, adding a spoonful of soybeans mixed with more than half hot water into the mill, and then opened her mouth to speak.


    ¡°Dad has been doing much better recently, but he always insists on doing things himself. I¡¯m really worried about him getting tired.¡±<div>


    Guihua happily pushed the mill and couldn¡¯t help butugh: ¡°How could that be? You probably don¡¯t know, right? When your father was young, he was famous for being capable. Just look at Brother Ye Lei, he¡¯s just like your father when he was young. I heard people say that when your father was young, the big mill in Land Officer¡¯s home spun like crazy! That was a big stone mill, weighing two or three hundred pounds!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°What! So much strength! It¡¯s true¡­ you can¡¯t judge a person by their appearance!¡±


    No wonder Liu Sisi felt unbelievable!


    Although Dad looked lean, he didn¡¯t seem as mighty and burly. He looked like an ordinary old man, and it was hard to imagine that he had such great strength when he was younger!


    ¡°There¡¯s so much more you don¡¯t know!¡±


    Guihua continued to work and talk without stopping: ¡°For example, Di Family¡¯s old house used to be a big family. Before Ye Lei was born, Di Family not only had countless fertilends but also many maids and women-servants. But all of these were brought by your real mother-inw, Ms. Hu, as dowry. I heard that on the day your mother-inw married, the rouge spread ten miles. One end was already in Di Family, while the other end with rouge carrying pole was still in the small town. That was really¡­ amazing!¡±


    ¡°Was it really that much?¡± Liu Sisi also became interested.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? The stable in your house was one of the dowries brought by your real mother-inw, Ms. Hu. What do you think?¡±


    Guihua gave her a look: ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Ms. Hu¡¯s sudden ident during childbirth and her death, maybe your father would be an official by now. Because at that time, Brother Ye Lei¡¯s uncle had already donated the official position for your father. When your mother-inw died, your uncle was furious and almost killed your father on the spot. Naturally, the matter of bing an official came to an end.¡±


    It turned out that there was such a secret!


    Liu Sisi suddenly remembered that the current Ms. Zhao was the cause of the death of the real mother-inw, Ms. Hu. No wonder! No wonder Elderly Mr. Di gave the impression that he would never forgive her!


    The two talked andughed, and soon they ground tworge pots of soybeans into soy milk.<div>


    Up next was Liu Sisi lighting the fire and Guihua making tofu.


    Taking advantage of the boiling soy milk and before it turned into tofu, Liu Sisi deliberately left half a pot of soy milk, added white sugar, and the pure and unpolluted soy milk was really appetizing.


    She gave a bowl to Dad and called several children to have a bowl each. Everyone enjoyed drinking it happily.


    Guihua was drinking soy milk while making tofu on the side. The local people used brine to make tofu instead of gypsum. Her movements were fast, and the tworge iron pots were full of boiling soy milk. It quickly solidified into tofu under her hands. When the soy milk turned into clear water, there was a thickyer of tofu at the bottom of the pot.


    It took sixrge pots of soy milk to make all the tofu. Guihua was exhausted and couldn¡¯t get up as she sat down: ¡°This much tofu is enough for our two families to eat until the Lantern Festival. We don¡¯t need to worry about not having vegetables to eat.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! So you¡¯ve been working so hard because you¡¯re worried about not having vegetables to eat? Well, you guessed wrong. How could we run out of vegetables? Come on, let me show you.¡±


    Liu Sisi said, then walked out with a mysterious face.


    Guihua hurriedly chased after her worriedly, ¡°Sisi, where are you going? It¡¯s snowing outside, be careful not to catch a cold¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going far away, I¡¯m just right here. Youe over and have a look.¡±


    Liu Sisi said with a smile.


    Guihua followed her into the chicken coop and was immediately stunned.


    Inside what seemed to be a chicken coop, there were densely packed rows of horizontally ced bamboo tubes.Trimmings The bamboo tubes were growing lush rows of turnips, spinach, and baby bok choy. The rows of verdant green were so pleasing to the eye, making people feel refreshed and eager to eat them all.<div>


    ¡°Sisi, you¡­ you actually!¡­ This is simply incredible!¡±


    Guihua looked at the rows of green and had no idea what to say about it!


    She finally found her voice: ¡°So many vegetables, it must take a lot of effort, right?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, it¡¯s actually verybor-saving. Look, these bamboo tubes are made from thick Moso Bamboo, cut directly in half, and the joinerintosh is used to set up the rack, which is the mostbor-intensive part. Then, we scatter seeds directly in the bamboo tubes, and cover them with a thinyer of soil mixed with farmyard manure. We only need to water the top row of bamboo tubes with warm water once a day.¡±


    Guihua watched with amazement, thought about it, and said, ¡°Hey! Wait, howe it¡¯s so warm in your chicken coop?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled mysteriously: ¡°There¡¯s underfloor heating below that leads to the stable. In winter, the chickens have a small moving range, so I concentrated them on the inside part of the coop and used the middle distance between the two areas to grow these vegetables.¡±


    ¡°This is simply unbelievable!¡­ Sisi, what are you thinking about? How did youe up with something like this?¡± Guihua was full of curiosity.


    ¡°Well¡­ I saw someone grow nts like this in a book, so I followed their methods.¡±


    Naturally, Liu Sisi would not tell her about the numerous greenhouse vegetables in the future, nor would she mention her cousin¡¯s love for gardening in her previous life. On her home balcony, she had rows of drainage systems made from discarded stic tubes. In addition to nting flowers, they also grew a remarkable number of vegetables.


    In short, what she did was just mimic someone else!


    ¡°By the way, since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you pick some vegetables to eat? My space is not veryrge, and even though the amount of vegetables is small, it¡¯s enough for all of us to have a side of green.¡±<div>


    As she spoke, she picked some vegetables for Guihua to take home.


    Guihua¡¯s family was also having a tedious time eating steamed cornbread with pickles and preserved beast meat. At the moment, she saw the verdant vegetables and could not refuse.


    ¡°Great, thank you, Sisi!¡±


    Guihua said happily.


    As she headed home in the afternoon, she carried tofu in one hand and a bamboo basket of green vegetables in the other.


    By coincidence, she bumped into the Land Officer¡¯s wife on the way home and naturally attracted her attention with the basket of vegetables.


    Guihua didn¡¯t hide it and told her what had happened. When the Land Officer¡¯s wife learned it was Liu Sisi who had grown the vegetables, she shamelessly went to her house and asked for a basket as well.


    Soon, the news of the Di Family¡¯s green vegetables spread quickly throughout the Upper Vige.

 Chapter 368: 368: Preparations Before the New Year Festival

    Chapter 368: 368: Preparations Before the New Year Festival<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Liu Zhi¡¯er didn¡¯t return until it was almost dark.


    When she got home, Liu Sisi and the others had long since cooked a meal.


    As she cut window decorations, Liu Zhi¡¯er told Liu Sisi about what happened in the bookstore today.


    Da Mao, who was probably left at home alone during the day, was clinging to Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s clothes and refused to let go even for a moment after she returned.


    ¡°The shop has brought in quite a bit of money, and Di Cheng keeps a count! Since nothing happened while neither you nor Boss Nan were present, it¡¯s better to wait until the 27th day of Lunar December after attending the big market to distribute it together.¡±<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was very excited, as if she hadpletely changed her demeanor from when she first arrived at Di Family. It was like she had be a different person.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. That saves me from running around so much.¡±


    Liu Sisi was also happy: ¡°By the way, was there enough help at the bookstore today? Have all the spring couplets been sold? And how well did your window decorations sell?¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s business wasn¡¯t as good as yesterday or the day before, but it was still pretty good. I was in charge of selling spring couplets and window decorations. Many customers today bought in sets. There are still some spring couplets left from the ones you wrote yesterday, but not many. On the other hand, there are still quite a few window decorations left. Sisi, do you think we should write a little less tonight, considering that we didn¡¯t even sell out during the day?¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, then shook her head: ¡°Today is the 25th day of Lunar December. It¡¯s normal for there to be fewer people. But on the 27th day of Lunar December, when everyone is killing chickens and attending the big market, the sales volume will probably skyrocket! I think we should take advantage of tonight and tomorrow night to stock up more. If there¡¯s any leftover, we can just use it ourselves.¡±


    Her words made Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyes light up!


    She nodded repeatedly: ¡°That¡¯s a good idea! Tonight, I¡¯ll also cut more window decorations so we can make more money before the New Year!¡±


    ¡°I had a nap during the day today, so I¡¯m feeling refreshed now. I will write more spring couplets, too.¡±


    The two sisters immediately got to work together on their respective tasks.


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t my brother-inw returned yet? Didn¡¯t he say he¡¯d be back today?¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er asked without stopping her work.


    Liu Sisi was silent for a moment before she sighed: ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m worried too. Ye Lei and the others are still nowhere to be found, and the heavy snow just keeps falling. What if the snow blocks the hills?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡±<div>


    As the two of them were talking, there was a knock at the main entrance of the courtyard. They brightened.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ye Lei¡¯s return!¡±


    Liu Sisi was so delighted that she jumped up.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was happy too: ¡°You should sit down! The ground is icy, and the roads are slippery. I¡¯ll go open the door. ¡±


    However, before Liu Zhi¡¯er could go out, Di Yelei had already walked in with big strides. It turned out that Elderly Mr. Di had opened the door for him before the sisters could.


    ¡°Sisi! Sisi, how have you been? Have you been feeling unwell these past few days? I¡¯ve missed you so much¡­¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t even bother to put down the game he had hunted first and came to her side right away.


    Seeing Di Yelei¡¯s first concern being her well-being, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but smile!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother-inw. Sisi has been feelingfortable these past few days.¡±


    Before she could speak, Liu Zhi¡¯er beside her interrupted, ¡°Look at you two, like a newlywed couple after a short separation. I¡¯ll go back to my room first. Be careful, Sisi¡¯s body is different now, not like before.¡± After speaking, she covered her mouth andughed. Picking up her things, she went into her room.


    ¡°Second Sister, you¡¯re so mean!¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi stamped her foot, but before she could finish, Liu Zhi¡¯er had already returned to her room,ughing. From inside the room came a low, softughter, making Sisi¡¯s face turn red. Turning around, she found herself staring into Di Yelei¡¯s grinning face, and she quickly red at him.<div>


    ¡°Why did it take you so long toe back this time?¡±


    ¡°The harvest in the past two days has been great. Not only did we catch two wild boars, but we also caught a good number of small games. We each divided some of them. Everyone can have a good year!¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he wrapped his arms around Liu Sisi¡¯s waist and smoothly touched her lower abdomen.


    ¡°Little guy, have you been behaving yourself in your mom¡¯s stomach these past two days? Have you been naughty? If you dare to be naughty, wait until youe out and see if I won¡¯t give you a few ps.¡±


    ¡°Youy off, how can he possibly understand what you¡¯re saying when he¡¯s so tiny? You¡­ugh!¡±


    Liu Sisi hadn¡¯t even finished speaking when she suddenly pushed him away, vomiting profusely.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you vomiting again?¡±


    Di Yelei was panicked and hastily moved closer to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°You¡­ stay away! You smell so strongly of blood! Ugh¡­¡± Liu Sisi shooed him away.


    Turns out it was the smell of blood on him that had annoyed her!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Yelei finally realized!


    ¡°Sisi, continue on your work here. I¡¯ll go take care of the game first, then take a bath ande back.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei finished speaking and quickly left the hall, heading to the kitchen. In just a moment, they could hear the conversation between him and Elderly Mr. Diing from the kitchen.


    As expected, once the smell of blood on him was gone, she no longer felt nauseous.


    Once Liu Sisi felt morefortable, she continued writing the spring couplets.


    Meanwhile, Di Yelei was busy running around, first cutting the beast meat into strips and hanging them up, then cutting the tofu in the kitchen into squares, soaking them in water, and finally taking a bath.


    By the time Di Yelei finished his tasks and came to the hall, Liu Sisi was dozing off.


    ¡°All done? Oh, I forgot to mention earlier, there are two families in the vige holding celebrations tomorrow. One is getting a daughter-inw, and the other one is marrying off their daughter. I think we should attend both.¡±


    While holding his hand as they return to their room, Liu Sisi whispered.


    ¡°Which two families?¡± Di Yelei casually asked.


    Liu Sisi thought for a long time before remembering, ¡°The Ding Family and the Xiao Family. I heard it from the Land Officer¡¯s wife. I¡¯m not sure what to do, so I thought I¡¯d tell you.¡±


    ¡°No problem, we haven¡¯t interacted much with these two families. Just look up their past gift records tomorrow and return double the amount when attending their events. That should be sufficient.¡± Di Yelei casually said.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡±


    ¡°I need to go to the city tomorrow. A colleague of mine is also getting married tomorrow, and I have to attend. So for these two families here in the vige, I¡¯m afraid you will have to trouble yourself.¡±<div>


    ¡°Three families are getting married at the same time? What kind of special day is it tomorrow?¡± Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Following Di Yelei¡¯s footsteps to the bedside, she sat down.


    Just having him by her side today brought warmth to the entire room, making her feel exceptionallyfortable.


    ¡°Ye Lei, when you go to the city tomorrow, please help me bring back some sour plums. I want to eat them¡­¡± Liu Sisi only remembered this important matter just before falling asleep.


    ¡°Got it, sleep now!¡±


    Di Yelei gently patted her back.


    However, neither of them realized that the next day, an unexpected message wouldpletely derail their ns.

 Chapter 369: 369: It’s Nice to Enjoy the Shade Under the Big Tree

    Chapter 369: 369: It¡¯s Nice to Enjoy the Shade Under the Big Tree<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    It was early in the morning and still dark outside when someone came to the door.


    The visitor was dressed like a houseman and bowed to Liu Sisi as he entered.


    ¡°Miss, the Old Madam has sent me to bring you a message. The pawnshop will close this afternoon and will not reopen until next year. The silver and dividends will be settled tomorrow. Since Miss also holds a share of the profits, the Old Madam sent me to invite you toe and arrange a meeting between you and the Old Master.¡±


    ¡°The Old Master is back? Which Old Master?¡±


    Liu Sisi frowned.<div>


    The houseman hurriedly bowed again: ¡°Replying to Miss, it is the Old Master who is currently a fourth-rank official, ranked 7th in the family. Miss, you¡­ don¡¯t know about this?¡± The houseman asked hesitantly.


    These words immediately made Liu Sisi¡¯s face turn red!


    How could she tell them that she couldn¡¯t care less about the people of the Gan Family?


    However, thinking about how she was still parading around with the reputation of being the Eldest Miss of the Gan Family, she felt ufortable in her heart.


    But on second thought, although Elder Madam of Gan Family had her intentions when she adopted Liu Sisi as her goddaughter, she had not caused her any harm. Instead, Liu Sisi had gained some benefits from the Gan Family, so it would not be right to refuse.


    ¡°In that case, please let the little brother convey my message to my grandmother that I will go to the county town on time tomorrow, and ask her not to worry.¡±


    As she spoke, she took half a copper coin from her arms and handed it to the houseman.


    The houseman epted it generously and bowed farewell: ¡°In that case, I will take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead!¡±


    Liu Sisi naturally would not detain him any longer.


    After leaving the Di family¡¯s yard and leading his horse, the houseman turned around and walked down the mountain path until he reached the foot of the slope. He couldn¡¯t help but look up and spit out his saliva,ining bitterly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Tsk! Nothing but a countrywoman from a poor and remote area, how did she manage to catch the eyes of the Old Madam and be her goddaughter? I¡¯ve been working my ass off for the Gan family for so many years, and the Old Madam hasn¡¯t even given me a nce! It¡¯s really the different fates of different people! How can I not be jealous? Sigh!¡±<div>


    As hemented and shook his head, he finally jumped on his horse and left.


    Liu Sisi, of course, was not aware of any of this, and even if she knew, she would just smile lightly and let it go.


    Right now, she was struggling to listen to Di Yelei¡¯s ¡°make-up lesson¡± for her.


    ¡°¡­There are a lot of people in the Gan family. Lord Gan Senior and Lord Gan are currently holding government positions. Lord Gan Senior, Gan Jingtong, is said to have been promoted to Minister, while Lord Gan, Gan Jiayou, is Assistant Minister of Ministry of Personnel. The father and son have renowned reputations. The Old Master the houseman mentioned earlier should be none other than Assistant Minister of Ministry of Personnel, Lord Gan. When I had some free time before and did some odd jobs, I often heard people mention it¡­¡±


    Di Yelei was naturally more familiar with the Gan family.


    As he thought about it, his brow did not rx: ¡°Regardless of the reason why you were adopted as a goddaughter by the Elder Madam of Gan Family, since you are Lord Gan¡¯s goddaughter, you should go see your father when hees home. Are you really nning to go again tomorrow?¡±


    These words made Liu Sisi feel helpless!


    ¡°The New Year is almost here, and there are still so many things to prepare at home. How can I actually go to an outsider¡¯s house? I haven¡¯t even seen my own biological parents once since I got married, and now I have to regard others as my parents. It¡¯s really stifling!¡±


    Liu Sisi pouted as she spoke and couldn¡¯t help but sighed.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a helpless move? You¡­ don¡¯t you think about it? Bing the Eldest Miss of Gan Family is a blessing that many people want but can¡¯t have, yet you are still unwilling to ept it.¡±


    Di Yelei smiled and teased her by lightly pinching her nose.


    Liu Sisi impatiently brushed his hand away: ¡°The point is that my parents are still alive, so what kind of blessing is this?¡±<div>


    ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t be so stubborn. It is said that it¡¯s good to take shelter under a big tree. Lord Gan is a fourth-rank official, so by epting you as his goddaughter, you¡¯ll have an extra big tree to rely on, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m just venting.¡±


    Liu Sisi rubbed her face with a bitter smile: ¡°Since I have to go to the county tomorrow, and today is the cannon market on the 27th day of Lunar December, how about I attend the big wedding of the two families at noon today, and then go to the bookstore in the afternoon to settle the ounts and close for the day? Then I¡¯ll head straight to the Gan Family. Depending on the time, I¡¯ll decide whether to stay overnight there ore back.¡±


    ¡°That works! I¡¯ll go to my colleague¡¯s house at noon, and we can meet in the bookstore in the evening, then go to Gan Mansion together.¡± Di Yelei thought for a moment and said.


    After the two made their ns, they naturally began to act separately.


    Di Yelei rode straight to the county, while Liu Sisi took out the old ount books. The Ding and Xiao families had initially given 20 eggs and a piece of cloth each. Liu Sisi put together 40 eggs and ten fine cotton cloth pieces, and a silver ornament for each family, then she and her father-inw went to each family separately.


    Di Xuan went with his father to the Ding family, while she led YingEr and Da Mao to the Xiao family.


    The Xiao family was marrying off their daughter. When Liu Sisi arrived, the bridegroom¡¯s family had already arrived with the wedding sedan chair and were ying door games. Liu Sisi hurriedly approached to give her gift, seeing the bride happily beam with joy and the groom blushing. Both sides seemed to be more than satisfied with this marriage, didn¡¯t they?


    ording to custom, the dishes prepared by the bride¡¯s side were just some simple meals. The family had directly cooked a big pot of porridge with pickled cucumber. To eat well, they had to go to the bridegroom¡¯s side.


    Liu Sisi and YingEr didn¡¯t follow the bride¡¯s side to the groom¡¯s home. As soon as the wedding sedan chair left, they quickly headed to the small town.


    Today was the day of the big market, the cannon market, and Liu Sisi had long calcted that there were many things she needed to buy apart from going to the bookstore.


    She led YingEr with her, Guihua helped carry Da Mao, and Little Chubby Miao Cuihua followed Liu Sisi, chatting non-stop. Moreover, countless fellow vigers joined the crowd heading towards the small town.<div>


    Miao Cuihua was so excited today that she didn¡¯t care about Little Chubby¡¯s mischief on her back, and she shouted to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Sisi! Are you going straight to the bookstore when you go to the market today? Or are you going to check out the market first?¡±


    Her loud voice attracted the attention of everyone around her.


    An unknown aunt also couldn¡¯t help butugh: ¡°Sisi! Your family¡¯s life is getting better and better. I heard that you¡¯ve bought arge piece of fertile farnd. Are you going to lease it out? Please don¡¯t forget about us, your fellow vigers!¡±


    ¡°Dear aunt, please rest assured! I, Liu Sisi, know that very well!¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly responded: ¡°After the New Year, we have just taken over the farnd and will lease it out. So my family and I have decided that for the first year, the vigers who lease ournd will pay one dou(one-tenth of a hectoliter) less grain per mu. As thend is limited, the leasing will end once capacity is reached.¡±

 Chapter 370: 370: The Hustle and Bustle of the Busy Market Day

    Chapter 370: 370: The Hustle and Bustle of the Busy Market Day<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    The reason she said this was simple.


    Even though thend was fertile, she didn¡¯t know how to farm. Given that Ye Lei had a decent ie from his job at the government office, she was considering finding a reliable long-term tenant to farm thend. As for the hot spring farm on the property, she hadn¡¯t quite decided the best way to handle it.


    As soon as Liu Sisi made this proposal, it was immediately endorsed by the people around her.


    ¡°Is Sisi serious about this? If she is, we will definitely choose hernd first for tenancy.¡±


    ¡°Your newly purchasednd is quite far from Upper Vige, isn¡¯t it? It seems inconvenient for us to travel to and from for farming.¡±<div>


    ¡°I happened to hear about this too. Apparently, it¡¯s on the official road not far from the county, and it¡¯s primend.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s mentioned there¡¯s a hot spring adjacent to a farm on thend. Sisi, how much silver did your family spend to buy it? This is goodnd.¡±


    People were chattering away,ughing and discussing as they made their way to the small town.


    The Aunt leaned in close and whispered in Liu Sisi¡¯s ear, ¡°Sisi, I heard that your father received some goodnd as well. How about leasing it to my family for farming? Your father is very meticulous about farming. You don¡¯t have to reduce the rent, just give it to me at the original price. We will still adhere to the vige¡¯s customs and pay you an annual rent, okay?¡±


    Liu Sisi was taken aback. She had forgotten that her father had also received a share of wet and drynd. If fully cultivated, it would certainly be enough for her family¡¯s needs.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling to lease thend to you. But thisnd ultimately belongs to my father. Even if I wanted to lease it out, I, as his daughter-inw, would have to ask him carefully first, right? However, I can promise you that if my father agrees, I will immediately draft a contract with you. What do you think?¡±


    Li Susi¡¯s words naturally left the other party speechless. With a forcedugh, she said, ¡°Agreed! It¡¯s settled. Please ask your father when you get home. If Elderly Di agrees, please lease thend to me. I am the second daughter-inw of the Sun Family who lives at the entrance to the vige. Please tell Elderly Di, he will surely know my houseowner.¡±


    The second daughter-inw of the Sun Family? She made a mental note of that.


    Naturally, Liu Sisi agreed repeatedly. She cheerfully arrived at the small town, then headed straight for the bookstore.


    Following her, along with Guihua, was of course Miao Cuihua!


    No matter where Miao Cuihua went, her loud voice could be clearly heard, even in the bustling market.


    ¡°Sisi, my family ughtered a fat pig yesterday. Does your family like ¡®blood Wang¡¯? Shall I send a few pieces to your home tonight?¡±<div>


    ¡®Blood Wang¡¯ referred to pig¡¯s blood, and ¡®a few pieces¡¯ meant a few blocks of it.


    Miao Cuihua¡¯sment amused Sister Guihua, ¡°Miao Cuihua, we hunt. We won¡¯t becking a few pieces of your pig¡¯s blood. Stop joking, will you?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ this is different from what you have. I know you have meat to eat, that¡¯s why I said I¡¯ll send ¡®blood Wang¡¯, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Miao Cuihua, not feeling embarrassed in the slightest, was grinning wide when talking about food, ¡°It¡¯s very filling. Especially during the New Year, it¡¯s great for making soup. If you don¡¯t understand food, then stop talking nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Who, who do you think will cherish your measly blocks of pig¡¯s blood? Every house that ughters a pig for the New Year will have a basin full!¡± Guihua muttered, refusing to submit.


    ¡°Alright, stop fighting, look at the crowd. Let¡¯s hurry and go.¡±


    The reason Liu Sisi said this was because the bookstore was arrayed with people wanting to buy things. It was jam-packed and imprable.


    Ignoring everything else, she quickly pulled Sister Guihua to the back door and went into the inner room, while the towering Miao Cuihua had long been lost in the dense crowd.


    In the bookstore, Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was in charge of selling spring couplets and window paper-cuts, was covered in sweat despite the light snowfall, entirely due to being surrounded and barricaded by the crowd.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t bother about anything else either, she quickly pushed her way in and immediately began to busy herself with all sorts of tasks, working herself into a state of confusion and exhaustion.


    Only when it was getting dark in the afternoon did the number of customersing to the bookstore start to decrease.


    ¡°Oh no! I haven¡¯t bought the items needed for the New Year yet, I wonder if there¡¯s anything left to buy now!¡± Liu Sisi said, annoyingly pping her forehead.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurry, look, I think I¡¯ve bought everything that needs to be bought, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    A voice suddenly came from the corner. Liu Sisi turned around and saw Di Yelei walking towards her with arge basket on his back, a smile on his face. He put down the basket, spread out the items inside, revealing firecrackers, incense, rice, flour, salt, oil, as well as various toys and gifts for the children. It looked quiteplete.


    ¡°Where are the fireworks? Didn¡¯t you buy a few to bring back? At least leave something for the children to remember.¡±


    Only after looking did Liu Sisi say: ¡°Buy some more red paper and burnt paper in the shop, and after we go back, I¡¯ll write the spring couplets and you¡¯ll seal the money, which could save us some silver.¡±


    Sealing money refers to the practice in old times of imprinting the design of burnt paper onto paper money using a tool.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll get it and then settle the ounts.¡±


    Di Yelei worked quickly, quickly getting enough quantities and paying.


    Miao Cuihua, who was standing next to them, squeezed in and said: ¡°Sisi, isn¡¯t this your shop? Why do you still have to pay silver?¡± It was really hard on her to have waited until now.


    The Thin Monkey, who was busily working next to them, red at her: ¡°If you can¡¯t talk, shut up! No one thinks you are mute!¡±


    ¡°You? Eh¡­ I say, have you eaten bear¡¯s heart and leopard¡¯s gall or what? You¡­¡± Miao Cuihua, regardless of the customers in the shop, was about to start cursing with a raised voice.


    Liu Sisi next to them couldn¡¯t help but reprimand: ¡°Shut up! This is a shop, if you two, husband and wife, want to quarrel, go home and do it. If it¡¯s not enough, you don¡¯t have toe after the New Year!¡±


    This person was really good at taking advantage of the situation. The more you gave in to her, the more vainglorious she became.<div>


    When Miao Cuihua heard these words, and realized things were about to go south, she immediately moved closer with a smiling face. ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be mad at me. I, Miao Cuihua, naturally have a loud voice. I¡¯m not arguing with the Thin Monkey. Thin Monkey, you¡¯re not dead, you know how to speak, don¡¯t you?¡±


    When the Thin Monkey heard that his job was at stake, he hurriedly came over and chimed in: ¡°Yes, yes, Sisi, you know what Cuihua¡¯s personality is like¡­ she¡¯s just not worth fussing over.¡±


    Well! It turned out that I was meant to be the bad guy!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi simply yed the viin to the very end: ¡°This shop belongs to Brother Nan, and I only hold a small share. If you don¡¯t learn to watch your mouth, I will directly fine the Thin Monkey by deducting it from his wages!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I¡¯ve remembered! It¡¯s just my mouth, inviting trouble! Inviting trouble!¡±


    Miao Cuihua pretended to p herself twice, giggling foolishly.


    In her heart, however, she truly regarded Liu Sisi for the first time. It was only now that she noticed that the seemingly harmless girl could be terrifying, she was indeed frightening!

 Chapter 371: Year-end wage settlement, a good harvest year!

    Chapter 371: Year-end wage settlement, a good harvest year!


    Trantor: 549690339


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face showed no trace of a smile, her expression tense.


    She finally realized that this Miao Cuihua was someone who remembered the beatings but not the blessings. If you gave her a bit of dye, the dye workshop idea would quickly bloom in her mind.


    ¡°You better remember what you said today. Otherwise, you won¡¯t even realize why your wages were deducted when the timees.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke so heavily, but Miao Cuihua stillughed carelessly, which was simply intoxicating.


    Seeing that everyone else had stopped talking, Di Yelei hurriedly stepped forward to mediate: ¡°Alright, let¡¯s all say a little less. Di Cheng, have you finished settling the ounts on that side?¡± There were more customersing to settle their bills.


    ¡°Almost done, it will be ready soon.¡± Di Cheng answered hastily.


    As Miao Cuihua turned and exited the shop, Liu Sisi burst intoughter: ¡°Oh my! Shou Hou, your Cuihua really makes my stomach cramp fromughter. She¡¯s too funny.¡±


    Shou Hou was a little caught off guard and chuckled awkwardly.


    ¡°I know Cuihua doesn¡¯t mean any harm, but she¡¯s always going on about this shop being mine. I¡¯ve told her twice, but she doesn¡¯t listen. I don¡¯t want to argue with her, so I can only wrong you. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve seen your abilities! The bustling business in this shop today is thanks to your management, as well as Di Cheng¡¯s. I know how hard you work, so just rest assured and work in the shop. We¡¯ll open a new shop right after the Lunar New Year!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words immediately brightened Shou Hou¡¯s mood!


    Among all the tasks in the bookstore, he was most satisfied with receiving customers and doing some light cleaning. Even more importantly, working here allowed him to avoid his wicked mother-inw. The wages for working in the store for one month were much higher than carrying stones for three months.


    How could he ever give that up?


    ¡°Di Family¡¯s Third Sister-inw, you¡¯re just teasing me, Shou Hou. If we¡¯re talking about who works the hardest in this shop, it¡¯s Di Cheng. He¡¯s really diligent! I just help out here and there, not taking all the credit.¡±


    Shou Hou¡¯s words made Di Cheng almost knock over the inkstone, causing quite a bit of chaos.


    He stuttered: ¡°Third Aunt, don¡¯t listen to Uncle Shou Hou¡¯s nonsense, I just¡­I¡­that¡¯s not true¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright! Third Aunt understands the hard work you both put in. But once we close the shopter, be sure to properly hide your wages. In the future, when you want to get married and have kids, you¡¯ll have to rely on that money.¡±


    Liu Sisi joked with him, but in fact, she was also reminding him.


    Di Cheng had never been favored by Ms. Wang. After the Lunar New Year, the boy would be 16 years old but still no sign of Ms. Wang arranging for a matchmaker. Most likely, she was nning to use Di Cheng to make more money for her.


    A bitter smile appeared at the corner of Di Cheng¡¯s mouth. After settling the ounts for thest customer, he said sadly, ¡°My mom¡­ she borrowed my wages from this month¡­¡±


    It was called borrowing, but taking by force would be more appropriate. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ms. Wang came to the bookstore and took two taels of silver, fearing Liu Sisi wouldn¡¯t give him his wages. Di Cheng chased after her and forcefully took back one tael, which led to Ms. Wang chasing and cursing him down the street, making everyone in the neighborhoodugh.


    ¡°No problem, your share of the money won¡¯t be less this month.¡±


    Seeing that it was gettingte, and there were no more customers, Liu Sisi went to the inner room to settle the ounts.


    She wasn¡¯t used to using an abacus, but her mental arithmetic skills were exceptional. When everyone had finished tidying up, she had finished the ounts.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve calcted our ounts. From the 24th of Lunar December, there are three more days left. With that, each person¡¯s share¡­ Di Cheng, you get 10%, so that¡¯s 103 taels and 4 maces of silver. Congrattions! This month, you can have a good Lunar New Year celebration with ease!¡±


    While talking, she carefully counted the silver coins and handed the silver taels to Di Cheng.


    She actually had 413 taels and 7 maces, which was quite a lot! Adding the silver coins from a few days ago, it was indeed like celebrating a bumper harvest year!


    However, Liu Sisi naturally wouldn¡¯t unt her wealth openly, but she still showed Di Cheng the ounts.


    Di Cheng happily took them and then took out 15 taels of silver from the inside to give to Liu Sisi, his face full of embarrassment: ¡°Last time Brother Gao came, he took a set of calligraphy tools without paying for them¡­¡±


    While he spoke, he felt his face burning hot, deeply embarrassed to have such a rtive.


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Cheng and pursed her lips without saying anything, then took the silver, tossing it into the cost column without a care.


    She had already said a lot, and saying more would be too much of a busybody!


    She then takes out 7 taels of silver and carefully puts away the public ounts and the portion belonging to Nan Tianzong before leaving the inner room.


    Miao Cuihua was sneakily peeking from the doorway. When Liu Sisi opened the door, she almost bumped into her. Sheughed awkwardly and stood up straight.


    Outside, Shou Hou had already organized the goods and was putting the shop door panels back one by one, leaving thest two for people to enter and exit.


    Liu Sisi took out Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s share and handed it to her: ¡°Here, Second Sister, this is the silver you earned.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s share of silver was as much as 4 taels, obviously more than usual, and this was the result of Liu Sisi¡¯s favoritism.


    People say the human heart is soft, and Liu Zhi¡¯er has had a hard life. Within her means, Liu Sisi gave her 4 taels of silver, which was only 2 maces more than usual.


    However, deep inside was her sincere wish for her second sister¡¯s wellbeing.


    ¡°Thank you, Sisi¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyes welled up with tears as she quietly took the silver, clutching it tightly in her hands without speaking for a long time.


    ¡°This is the result of your hard work. These past few days, you¡¯ve hardly slept at night, spending all your time cutting window decorations and fortune children. You deserve this.¡±


    After she finished speaking, Liu Sisi turned around and handed 3 taels of silver to Shou Hou: ¡°Your wages were paid on the 23rd of December, but the Lunar New Year ising up in a few days. On behalf of Brother Nan, I¡¯m giving you a bonus, hoping that you will work hard next year and not ck off.¡±


    Shou Hou took the silver while trembling in excitement, stuttering: ¡°Thank you, thank you¡­ I¡¯ll definitely work hard next year¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Liu Sisi also smiled sincerely.


    Miao Cuihua, who was standing beside them, was staring wide-eyed. As soon as Shou Hou finished speaking, she snatched the silver from his hands and carefully tucked it into her arms.


    Then she closed the door of the shop and prayed with incense for a while before finally finishing this year¡¯s business.


    As she looked around, the neighbors on both sides had also closed their shops. Everyone greeted each other with fists, wishing for a prosperous New Year and thriving business!


    Since the two of them needed to rush to the Gan Mansion, they asked Shou Hou and Guihua to help carry the New Year goods back, while Liu Zhi¡¯er took the two children along.


    It was not until they could no longer see the figures of the others that Di Yelei and hispanion led their horses and turned towards the direction of the Gan Mansion.

 Chapter 372: The Unwillingness of the Weak Meow

    Chapter 372: The Unwillingness of the Weak Meow


    Trantor: 549690339


    At the moment, the Gan Mansion was brightly lit and bustling with activity.


    When a fourth-rank official returned to his hometown, even if he kept a low profile, it would still attract numerous local gentry to visit.


    Not to mention the endless big and small banquets held by the Gan Family for the elders.


    When Liu Sisi and Di Yelei arrived, the gatekeeper immediately greeted them as soon as he saw them.


    ¡°It turns out that it¡¯s Eldest Miss who hase back. Old Master has been waiting in the front hall for a long time. Pleasee inside, Miss and son-inw.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The two didn¡¯t hesitate, handed the reins of their jujube red horses to the gatekeeper, and quickly entered the front hall.


    Before they walked in, they heard a burst of heartyughter, and a middle-aged man strode out from inside. It was Lord Gan Jiayou, the fourth-rank Assistant Minister!


    Liu Sisi looked up and saw a man wearing a fur hat adorned with a crown of beads, a well-tailored dark blue silk brocade jacket over a hemp-colored ramie robe, and a white jade belt around his waist. He had a goat beard, and although there were slight wrinkles at the corners of his mouth and eyelids, they added a mature and masculine charm to him.


    His thick eyebrows flew into his hair bun, and his two eyes were bright and spirited. His actions exuded an extraordinary air that set him apart from ordinary people.


    And behind him, there was a familiar face, none other than Gan Miaoruo.


    At a casual nce, his gaze fell on Liu Sisi and Di Yelei, with a boomingugh!


    ¡°I heard from the servants that my daughter Sisi is returning to her mother¡¯s home today. I, the Official, couldn¡¯t wait, so I came out to have a look. As expected, you both are good children.¡±


    Liu Sisi also showed a warm smile, quickly stepped forward and bowed down in front of Lord Gan, ¡°Sisi, along with her husband Ye Lei, greets Father.¡±


    Di Yelei also quickly kowtowed, ¡°Ye Lei pays his respects to Lord Father-inw!¡±


    ¡°Good, very good! Sisi, please get up, dear son-inw, please get up. Come,e, let¡¯s talk inside!¡±


    Gan Jiayou was indeed a fourth-rank official, with proper etiquette in every movement.


    ¡°Elder Sister, you arete today!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo came forward, holding Liu Sisi¡¯s hand with a smile sweet enough to drip honey.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, it¡¯s my fault, I really arrivedte today. I hope Father can forgive me.¡±


    Liu Sisi said softly, also holding Gan Miaoruo¡¯s hand in return.


    Although she only gently held her hand, Liu Sisi sensitively noticed that Gan Miaoruo¡¯s hand trembled slightly, as if instinctively wanting to avoid her touch, but she stopped in time.


    The two walked hand in hand ahead, while Liu Sisi followed behind, holding up her skirt and Gan Miaoruo¡¯s hand. This scene, witnessed by everyone in the front hall, drew praise for their filial piety and sisterly affection.


    Once in the hall, the guests were divided by gender and seated. Naturally, Liu Sisi¡¯s seat was at the right hand of Old Madam Gan, next to Gan Miaoruo.


    This seating arrangement made Liu Sisi shiver inexplicably, but she managed to steady herself in time.


    Looking at Liu Sisi, Old Madam Gan smiled gently, ¡°This is my newly acknowledged granddaughter Liu Sisi. Sisi is virtuous and gentle, modest and quiet, which pleases me very much. Come, let everyone get acquainted. Here are Third Aunt Jin, Fourth Aunt Lv, and Ninth Aunt Qian. You, concubines,e and pay respects to Eldest Miss.¡±


    Liu Sisi originally intended to kowtow, but she was suddenly reminded by Old Madam Gan¡¯s words, a chill running down her spine, and inexplicably breaking out in a cold sweat.


    How could she have forgotten that thesedies were likely the concubines her father-inw brought back from the capital city? In a wealthy family, concubines should pay their respects to the misses. If she had really bowed just now, it would have been an embarrassment for more than just herself!


    Liu Sisi looked up and saw the deep eyes of Old Madam Gan. Especially the slightly upturned corners of Gan Miaoruo¡¯s mouth at the lower end of the table, which made Liu Sisi feel extremely humiliated!


    Several concubines naturally lined up and paid their respects: ¡°We concubines greet Eldest Miss!¡±


    ¡°Several aunts, please rise, Sisi is ashamed.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly returned the courtesy with a half bow.


    Then, she paid respects to several rtives, which almost made Liu Sisi¡¯s head spin!


    Thankfully, when the male guests started eating, Old Madam Gan finally let Liu Sisi go, and everyone ate quietly. The dishes at Gan Mansion were exceptionally delicious, showing that the Head Chef was truly extraordinary. However, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t enjoy the taste, and casually used her bamboo chopsticks a few times. When Old Madam Gan put down her chopsticks, she followed the others and stopped eating.


    At the moment when bowls and chopsticks were reced with fragrant tea, Gan Miaoruo wound her arm around Liu Sisi¡¯s, smiling at Old Madam Gan.


    ¡°Grandmother, Ruo Ruo remembered that she has a gift to give to Eldest Sister. We¡¯ll go y for a while ande back soon.¡±


    ¡°Ruo Ruo¡­ You¡¯re being unruly again!¡±


    Although Old Madam Gan¡¯s words were scolding Gan Miaoruo, her affectionate tone changed the expressions of many people nearby.


    ¡°No! Grandmother¡­ Ruo Ruo will just take Eldest Sister for a little while, it won¡¯t be long! Let¡¯s go, Eldest Sister, let¡¯s go!¡±


    While speaking, she didn¡¯t care about the embarrassment on Liu Sisi¡¯s face and dragged her out of the front hall.


    When they reached the small pavilion where Gan Miaoruo used to learn, she waved everyone away, and then released Liu Sisi¡¯s arm, leaning against a pir with her arms crossed and a face full of contempt.


    ¡°Alright! There are no outsiders here, you can stop your disgusting act!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo¡¯s words were naturally unpleasant.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, what¡¯s wrong? Do you have some misunderstanding about me?¡±


    Liu Sisi took a deep breath, then slowly walked to her side and sat down with her in the pavilion.


    Gan Miaoruo flicked her hand and directly shook off Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Let me go! Don¡¯t face me with that fake pretense! I hate you! I hate you, hmph!¡±


    ¡°Why do you hate me?¡± Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Gan Miaoruo pursed her lips and didn¡¯t speak for a long time. Liu Sisi was also very patient, not saying a word. The two sat in silence, neither willing to give in.


    It wasn¡¯t until the darkness deepened that Liu Sisi sighed and got up, turning to walk outside the pavilion.


    ¡°Hey! You¡­ Why are you leaving?¡±


    Behind her, Gan Miaoruo couldn¡¯t help but speak.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t turn her head, but paused as requested.


    ¡°I am not called ¡®hey¡¯! Also, a teacher for a day is a father for life. As your teacher, I ept, but as the so-called Eldest Sister in your mouth, I Liu Sisi refuse!¡±


    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want to be my Eldest Sister, why don¡¯t you tell my grandmother, why¡­?¡±


    Gan Miaoruo asked curiously.


    ¡°Why? Haha, you tell me why?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly turned her head, took two steps towards Gan Miaoruo, and her face appeared gloomy under the reflection of therge redntern: ¡°You should ask your grandmother, right? Don¡¯t you already have an answer in your heart? Why should I say it?¡±

 Chapter 373: Patterned Paper Flower

    Chapter 373: Patterned Paper Flower


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°I, I¡­¡±


    Gan Miaoruo dodged Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze and suddenly sat back down in the chair, unable to regain herposure for a long time.


    After sorting out her thoughts, she spoke in a low, soft voice.


    ¡°Actually, the rumor that I went back to my hometown to recover from illness ispletely false. The truth is, I couldn¡¯t stand my Second Sister, whom my dad dotes on, showing off in front of me and scolded her. But I didn¡¯t even touch her, and she fell into the lotus pond by herself. Her concubine mother went to my dad and cried that I pushed her into the pond. My dad didn¡¯t care about right or wrong and directly punished me to copy scriptures in the Ancestral Hall. I naturally didn¡¯t want to and started arguing with my dad¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmph! You didn¡¯t use your brain when in that position and got framed by others. Can¡¯t me anyone but yourself! I think the punishment from your dad to copy scriptures in Ancestral Hall is too light!¡±


    Liu Sisi directly added fuel to the fire.


    ¡°You!¡­ I can¡¯t believe you would say that too!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo¡¯s eyes began to redden.


    ¡°Did I scold you wrongly? She is merely your concubine¡¯s sister. As a Lineal Elder Sister, if your sister does something wrong, you should punish her directly, give her 10 nks first, then make her reflect in the courtyard with the door closed. If any servant dares to resist secretly, just grab them, give them 20 hits of boards and sell them off. I want to see which concubine¡¯s sister dares to show off in front of you!¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi said with disappointment, ¡°But instead, you let a concubine¡¯s sister frame you and use such a trivial matter to trouble your dad. If it were me, I would definitely beat you with five nks and starve you for a few days to see if you learn your lesson!¡±


    Isn¡¯t this the punishment my dad first decided on?


    ¡°You, bastard! I hate you, I despise you!¡±


    Gan Miaoruo suddenly started crying, covering her face while sobbing and arguing, ¡°What do you know, she caught the seventh prince¡¯s favor and ns to marry her as a Secondary Concubine when shees of age¡­¡±


    ¡°There are only a few types of prominent marriages. Either this woman is genuinely loved by him, or the woman he wants to marry can benefit his career.¡±


    Liu Sisi took a few steps forward, ¡°The other party is the Seventh Prince, and the woman he wants to marry is an underage concubine¡¯s daughter. Logically speaking, the most reasonable person for him to marry would be you, right? Hehe, I¡¯m afraid this is nothing more than a scheme for their mutual interests.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that! He already has a Principal Princess Consort, and my dad wouldn¡¯t let me marry him as a Secondary Concubine. So¡­¡± Gan Miaoruo wiped her tears and retorted.


    ¡°So you see, your dad is the one that loves you the most and doesn¡¯t want you to marry as a Secondary Concubine and suffer, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Liu Sisi softened her tone, ¡°Speaking of which, who was the one who always wanted to marry Brother Nan?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t have me¡­¡±


    With those words, both of them fell silent, tears streaming down their faces.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯tfort her, just sat quietly beside her. After a while, she wiped her tears and whispered.


    ¡°You¡¯re really annoying. You don¡¯t coax me or go along with me like they do, but I feel closer to you, which is strange.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth twitched, feeling like she had nothing to say.


    Gan Miaoruo wiped her tears and said, ¡°After the New Year, probably on Lunar February 2nd, I will have to leave with my dad to enter the capital. I heard that this time the pce ns to choose a few age-appropriate studyingpanions for the two princesses, and the candidates will be selected among the ministers¡¯ daughters. My dad¡¯s idea is for me to try my best and secure a spot. Even if I fail this time, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll stay in the capital to find a husband and won¡¯t have a chance to return to Liuping Town.¡±


    She didn¡¯t finish her words, but sobbed and cried.


    ¡°Silly girl, this is a happy event! When a girl grows up, doesn¡¯t this day alwayse?¡±


    She¡¯s still just a little girl, and yet she has to face such hardship! Liu Sisi sighed silently, holding her gently and patting her back, ¡°When you settle down in the capital city, remember to send me a letter to let me know you¡¯re safe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡­ I will¡­¡±


    Gan Miaoruo nodded heavily in her arms, crying uncontrobly. Only the fiery redntern emitted a flickering red light.


    It wasn¡¯t until an hourter that Gan Miaoruo finally calmed down. The two returned to the front hall hand in hand, where most of the guests had already left. Seeing the pair return, there was another round of farewells. Seeing that it was gettingte, Liu Sisi decided to say her goodbyes as well.¡±


    Gan Miaoruo insisted on sending her to the doorway.


    Her personal maid brought arge package of items and handed them to Liu Sisi, ¡°These are all the things I¡¯ve prepared for you, and they represent my heartfelt wishes. Please keep them.¡±


    ¡°How coincidental, I have something to give you as well.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled and took out a piece of patterned paper from her bosom and handed it to Gan Miaoruo. Written on the paper was Li Qingzhao¡¯s ¡°To the Tune ¡®As If In a Dream¡¯: Often Remembered Pavilion,¡± which Liu Sisi had prepared on a whim beforeing here. Unexpectedly, it turned into a parting gift.


    Gan Miaoruo took it and held on tightly to Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, unable to keep herself from crying again, causing Liu Sisi¡¯s tears to fall as well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry! Silly girl, if we¡¯re meant to be, we will definitely meet again in a foreignnd. Trust me!¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she squeezed Gan Miaoruo¡¯s hand before saying goodbye tearfully.


    It wasn¡¯t until Liu Sisi and Di Yelei mounted their jujube red horse and rode off into the distance that Gan Miaoruo finally turned back, looking lost and disoriented.


    ¡°What¡¯s that in your hand?¡±


    A voice came from the side, and Gan Miaoruo looked up to see her father, Gan Jiayou, staring at her with red eyes. She quickly lowered her head again.


    ¡°It¡¯s patterned paper, a parting gift from my elder sister.¡±


    A look of surprise shed across Gan Jiayou¡¯s eyes, and he reached out his hand, ¡°Oh? It¡¯s even patterned paper. Let me see!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Gan Miaoruo wanted to object, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t resist her father¡¯s authority and handed over the patterned paper.


    He casually took the patterned paper, and the contents written on it immediately caught his eye: ¡°Often remember the twilight by the stream pavilion, intoxicated with no knowledge of the way back. The fun ends as the boat returnste, drifting into the depth of the lotus flowers, struggling to cross the waters, startling a flock of egrets. Haha, I can¡¯t believe that Sisi is actually a talented woman! I must have picked up a treasure.¡±


    As he spoke, he stroked his short beard.


    It seemed that Liu Sisi¡¯s background was indeed problematic, and she might have a promising future after all!


    ¡°Dad, this patterned paper is a gift from Elder Sister¡­ ¡±


    Gan Miaoruo stretched out her hand, trying to take back the patterned paper from Gan Jiayou. However, he casually tucked it into his pocket.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep this for now and give it back to youter. It¡¯s gettingte, you¡¯d better go back to your room and rest. From now on, you¡¯re a grown-up, and you can¡¯t be as immature as you used to be. Understand?¡± Gan Jiayou lectured sternly.


    The light of hope in Gan Miaoruo¡¯s eyes dimmed, ¡°I know, Dad.¡±

 Chapter 374: Holding Up A Piece of Heaven

    Chapter 374: Holding Up A Piece of Heaven


    Trantor: 549690339


    Di Yelei and Liu Sisi rode on, taking the small path outside the bookstore to head home.


    The snow grew heavier, almost blinding their eyes.


    The horses were cautious as they ran, fearing that a slip might cause them to fall.


    ¡°Wait! Stop!¡± Liu Sisi shouted.


    Di Yelei quickly reined in his horse and looked back: ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Sisi?¡±


    ¡°The snow is too heavy. It¡¯s not too bad here, but how can we cross the wind hole in the mountain hollowter? Let¡¯s not go home. Let¡¯s turn back! Let¡¯s go back to the bookstore to rest for the night and head directly to the county tomorrow.¡±


    Within a short moment, the heavy snow fell upon their clothes, forming small pockets.


    Looking up at the sky, all they could see was a silvery white.


    Di Yelei reached out and touched Liu Sisi¡¯s cold little hand and quickly held it in his palm.


    After thinking for a while, he said: ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. The snow this year is really unusual, too heavy. But this jujube red horse ¡­ will have to go hungry tonight.¡±


    As he spoke, he tightened the reins and turned back towards the bookstore.


    Although he had an instinctive hostility towards Nan Tianzong, going to the bookstore to rest meant staying on the other¡¯s territory.


    But after a few days of repeated investigation, the deeper he dug into the other¡¯s identity, the more frightened he became. Eventually, he traced it back to the current Eighth Prince. However, various warnings followed ¨C even the County Magistrate Su came to him, and he realized that he had touched some hidden secrets that should not be touched. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Only then did he stop his investigation, thought for a while, and maintained a suitable distance from Nan Tianzong to observe him.


    The two quickly returned to the bookstore and entered directly from the back door. The jujube red horse was tied outside the house, and the warmth enveloped them as soon as they stepped inside.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was pale from exhaustion and cold.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t care about anything else and quickly tidied up Di Cheng¡¯s usual bed, spread the quilt, and helped her lie down.


    ¡°The conditions here are limited, Di Cheng is frugal, and besides the quilt you bought for him, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any extra quilts here.¡± Di Yelei said as he flipped over the cab where the quilts were stored, finding a tattered cotton wadding in the end.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, this cotton quilt is warm enough, use those cotton waddings for the jujube red horse,¡± said Liu Sisi casually.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking too.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he left the room. By the time he returned after a round of preparations, Liu Sisi had already taken a short nap.


    Feeling warm, Liu Sisi suddenly felt refreshed.


    ¡°Something strange happened today. Madam Gan Senior didn¡¯t talk to me alone, how odd.¡±


    ¡°Of course she didn¡¯t talk to you, because she talked to me.¡±


    Di Yelei took off his clothes andy down beside Liu Sisi, hugging her small body in his arms: ¡°After you and Miss of Gan Family left, Lord Gan and Madam Gan Senior talked to me. They asked about some things from our past.¡±


    ¡°What did they ask?¡±


    Liu Sisi rolled into his arms, curling her entire back into his warm embrace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about these things, Sisi. You and I are husband and wife, and I entrust the affairs of our home to you. As for the outside world¡­ even if the sky fell, Di Yelei would still be there to support you! Because you are my wife, and your husband will take good care of you, and also¡­ ¡±


    Hisrge palm silently covered her still t belly, ¡°and our children too, supporting a world for you all. Trust me, Sisi!¡±


    ¡°Mm, I trust you!¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed softly, and although she wanted to know what everyone had talked about, she felt his burning closeness!


    His strong body was like a big brazier, instantly warming her heart in such a cold winter day. Soon, she found a safe position in his arms, resting on his iron arm, and fell into a deep sleep.


    Di Yelei carefully held the small woman in his arms, unable not to tighten his arm. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to say it or didn¡¯t tell Sisi the details; instead, the situation in the court was so changeable and fast. With Sisi still pregnant, telling her would only cause her worry and strain without any benefit.


    It would be better to tell her everything when things be clear in the future!


    Di Yelei pressed the center of his brow. Since ancient times, those who were involved in the struggle for imperial power either became rich and powerful or ended up with broken families and destroyed lives. Nowadays, both he and Sisi were involved, and it was not easy to withdraw safely.


    After tossing and turning all night, the next day had not yet dawned when the two quickly washed up and headed towards the county.


    The first stop for the two was not the Gan Family¡¯s pawnshop, but rather the newly opened Drunken Fairy Restaurant by Nan Tianzong!


    Although the Drunken Fairy Restaurant had been open for quite some time, this was Liu Sisi¡¯s first visit. The restaurant used red as its base color, with red pirs and exposed beams, and in the center hung a heavy que with the words ¡°Drunken Fairy¡± written in a dancing dragon and phoenix script! Even in the early morning, the restaurant was bustling with peopleing and going, full of excitement.


    The waiter stood at the entrance, and when he saw the two dismounting, he immediately came to wee them.


    ¡°Please, both of our guestse in. Our Drunken Fairy Restaurant not only provides a ce to rest for horses but also offers amodations for travelers. We guarantee both of you will be satisfied¡­¡±


    As the waiter rambled on, the two entered the courtyard.


    Most of the tables around the courtyard were upied by people having breakfast. Liu Sisi found an empty table and sat down, asking curiously, ¡°Waiter, what kind of breakfast do you have here?¡±


    The waiter hastily brought over a pot of hot tea for the two, and poured it, ¡°Customer, we have many things in our shop, such as meat and vegetable buns, soy milk, fried dough sticks, dumplings, wontons, glutinous rice dumplings, spicy noodles, hot and sour rice noodles, ned noodles, hand-pulled noodles¡­ What would both of you like to eat?¡±


    Liu Sisi was a bit dumbfounded, ¡°Waiter, your breakfast seems to be a bit¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that our shop¡¯s breakfast has dishes from both northern and southern regions? This is just the specialty of our restaurant, trying to meet the needs of different customers. What do both of you n to eat?¡±


    The waiter still smiled warmly.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just have one of each.¡±


    Di Yelei, who was sitting next to her, spoke first, ¡°Waiter, our horses weren¡¯t fed yesterday, so make sure to add some good feed. Don¡¯t worry about the silver.¡±


    ¡°All right, we have someone specially in charge of feeding the horses, so both of you can rest assured! One of each type of breakfast for both guests ¡ª ¡±


    As the waiter spoke, he quickly ran downstairs.


    Only then did Di Yelei lean closer to Liu Sisi, ¡°How do you feel? Are the people all right? I must say, this shop of yours is quite well operated.¡± He remarked with admiration.

 Chapter 375: Supporting a Piece of Sky

    Chapter 375: Supporting a Piece of Sky


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°I didn¡¯t help at all. You know this is my first timeing to this wine-house too.¡±


    Liu Sisi cast him a nce and took in theyout of the wine-house.


    This wine-house was originally located on a main street near the county government offices, and just around the corner, at a crossroad. There were six shops in a row, and in the middle of the courtyard was a stage. A young girl was singing a little tune on it, while an old man further away was strumming and singing. There were as many as four floors above, which was not like a regr wine-house.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes shed: ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t you think your Brother Nan is quite capable? To set up such a luxurious wine-house and silver pavilion in less than a month is quite an incredible feat, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, which was pouring the tea, paused, and she couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows: ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°I mean to say, Nan Tianzong¡¯s identity¡­¡±


    Before Di Yelei could finish his sentence, a waiter approached with a tray: ¡°Here is your meal ¨C the two of you, please enjoy!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, waiter.¡±


    After the waiter put down the food and left, Di Yelei brought the soy milk in front of her: ¡°Don¡¯t drink tea, soy milk is better.¡±


    Liu Sisi obeyed and took a sip before looking up at him: ¡°We have discussed the issue of his identity before. No matter what it is, I just treat him as my big brother, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Di Yelei nodded silently and sighed in agreement. The two ate breakfast in silence, and only when they were full did they call the waiter to pay the bill.


    ¡°Waiter, is your boss here?¡±


    The waiter was clearly stunned by Liu Sisi¡¯s question before bowing with respect: ¡°You both know our boss? Ah! It¡¯s such a pity, he left just yesterday to go home for the New Year.¡±


    ¡°We are acquaintances. If he isn¡¯t here, it would be fine to ask Shopkeeper Qu instead.¡¯


    ¡°Letting Shopkeeper Qu know is, of course, possible¡­¡± The waiter hesitated.


    Liu Sisi smiled and took some copper coins from her pocket and handed them to the waiter: ¡°Thank you for your trouble, waiter.¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°No problem, no problem. Wait a moment, the two of you.¡±


    The waiter happily epted the copper coins and left.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention our identities earlier? Is it to see his attitude towards customers?¡± Di Yelei asked curiously.


    ¡°Not entirely. Actually, I wanted to see the quality of the food in the shop and how it tasted.¡±


    Liu Sisi pointed at the breakfast on the table and thenughed: ¡°But after trying it, I found that, as expected, this big shop serves delicious, fragrant food.¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help butugh: ¡°Haha! Don¡¯t you think,ing to this kind of ce is going to be more expensive than eating outside.¡±


    Soon after, Shopkeeper Qu hurried over and, upon seeing Liu Sisi, quickly bowed in greeting.


    ¡± Greetings to Boss Liu! I did not know Boss Liu was gracing us with her presence, please excuse my poor hospitality!¡±


    This scared the waiter who immediately stepped aside, stealthily watching the conversation in the corner.


    Liu Sisi stood up from her chair and helped Shopkeeper Qu up: ¡°Shopkeeper Qu, please rise. I came today to see Brother Nan; is he in the shop?¡±


    ¡°Boss isn¡¯t in the shop! Last night he went over to the Silver Pavilion after going through the ount books. The Silver Pavilion has been overwhelmed with business as the end of the year approaches, so¡­ the boss went to guard the Silver Pavilion.¡±


    ¡°I see! Thank you, Shopkeeper.¡±


    After receiving the exact information, Liu Sisi exchanged a nce with Di Yelei, each seeing the intention in the other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I have other matters to attend to in the county today, so you don¡¯t need to attend to us, Shopkeeper Qu.¡±


    Shopkeeper Qu repeatedly bowed: ¡°Boss Liu, please wait a moment! The boss has instructed me that, if Boss Liues, I must give this to you.¡±


    As he spoke, he took a thick envelope from his pocket and handed it to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Liu Sisi flipped through it without much interest.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Shopkeeper Qu discreetly stepped back, still keeping his head low, looking up at her for a moment before lowering his head again.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t press him for an answer and handed the envelope to Di Yelei before leaving the wine-house. Shopkeeper Qu wanted to say more, but seeing that she was not interested, he had no choice but to return to the shop.


    It wasn¡¯t until after Liu Sisi and Di Yelei had mounted their horses and disappeared from sight that the waiter emerged from the shadows, patting his chest in relief!


    ¡°Oh my gosh! That scared the heck out of me! She is actually Boss Liu? She came and didn¡¯t even announce herself, and I asked her for a tip, this¡­Am I lighting a candle in atrine ¡ª am I seeking death? I wonder if she¡¯ll remember me in the future, sigh!¡±


    After speaking, he sighed for a while before continuing to attend to the new customers.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to open the envelope and have a look?¡±


    Seeing that they had walked down the street and were about to reach the pawnshop, Di Yelei finally couldn¡¯t help but ask about the lingering question on his mind.


    Liu Sisi merelyughed: ¡°What¡¯s there to look at? Even without looking, I know that the envelope must contain the dividends from the wine-house and the Silver Pavilion.¡±


    ¡°How do you know? You haven¡¯t even opened it.¡±


    ¡°I can guess without opening it. Brother Nan always acts so mysteriously. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can open the envelope and see if there¡¯s anything off about what I said.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it, let¡¯s wait until we get home.¡±


    Di Yelei wanted to open it, but considering they were on a public street, he decided against it.


    The light snow that had stopped in the morning started to fall again. Scattered snowkes drifted in the sky, and when a cold wind blew, it was quite cold for those riding horses.


    However, they soon arrived at Gan Family¡¯s pawnshop.


    Compared to going to Gan Family, this time it was much easier for Liu Sisi to meet Old Madam Gan.


    Upon arriving at the pawnshop, she was immediately led by a house servant through the back hall to Old Madam Gan, who was seated by her side.


    Next to Old Madam Gan were Third Aunt Jin and County Magistrate Su, and surprisingly, Thirteenth Luo of Prefecture Princess Luo!


    She hesitated for a moment and then resumed her usual behavior as she and Di Yelei stepped forward to greet them.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re here just at the right time. Come quickly to your grandmother.¡± Old Madam Gan said with a wide smile.


    ¡°Yes, grandmother.¡± Liu Sisi responded as she approached.


    Everyone chatted aimlessly, touching on various topics from north to south, without a single mention of the ounts. It was only as noontime approached that Thirteenth Luo and County Magistrate Su took leave.

 Chapter 376: Celebrating the New Year (1)

    Chapter 376: Celebrating the New Year (1)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Liu Sisi was about to take her leave, but Madam Gan Senior held her hand with a loving smile on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite busy during the end of the year, and I haven¡¯t had the chance to talk to you! Ruo Ruo is a very strong-willed girl, and she will be going to the capital with your father after the New Year. I¡¯m worried about her being inexperienced. I¡¯m d you¡¯re by her side to guide her. I¡¯m saying thank you on behalf of Ruo Ruo.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s forehead broke out in a cold sweat! Was her conversation with Ruo Ruo yesterday overheard?


    Feeling a sense of unease, she forced a smile: ¡°Why is Grandmother saying such things? Ruo Ruo and I are good sisters. It¡¯s only natural for me to give advice to my younger sister. I don¡¯t deserve your gratitude.¡± As she spoke, she bowed slightly to Madam Gan Senior.


    ¡°You deserve it, you deserve it! s! I¡¯m old and don¡¯t have much to look forward to. But for Ruo Ruo, I have high hopes. I just wish her to be safe and sound.¡±


    As she spoke, Madam Gan Senior took out a red envelope from her bosom and handed it to Liu Sisi¡¯s hand: ¡°Here! This dividend belongs to you. Keep it well, and don¡¯t refuse it for being too little.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grandmother.¡±


    Liu Sisi reached out and took it. She quickly scanned the contents, and surprise shed in her eyes!


    She could hardly believe her eyes. Wasn¡¯t it just one portion of profits? It turned out to be as much as 1,000 taels! How could she not widen her eyes in shock? After a moment, she quickly hid her surprise and thanked the olddy again.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. Just remember that this dividend is what you deserve.¡±


    At the moment, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t understand what she meant.


    When she finally understood the implications, it was already a long timeter.


    They left for two days, noting back full-loaded until the afternoon.


    The heavy snow was increasing, and the visibility was almost zero. The two of them braved the snowstorm to return home. By the time they dismounted, Liu Sisi was almost frozen stiff.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t worry about the jujube red horse and directly carried Liu Sisi, who was wrapped in his arms, into the house.


    ¡°Quick! Add more firewood to the fire! Sisi is frozen!¡±


    As Di Yelei lifted the curtain while speaking, he took two big strides and ced her beside the bonfire.


    As soon as she entered the suddenly warm room, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but sneeze twice, tears and mucus streaming down her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s so¡­ cold outside¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was busy in the room, saw them and quickly made the bonfire ze: ¡°Why did you rush home in such heavy snow? Isn¡¯t the New Year not until the day after tomorrow? You could¡¯vee back tomorrow.¡±


    Old Man Di beside also hurriedly made the underground heating more robust and heated the charcoal stove at the corner of the room to warm them.


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t care less and went straight to the bedroom to fetch a long coat to put on Liu Sisi, wrapping her tightly.


    ¡°How are you feeling, Sisi? Still cold?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s teeth were chattering, and her body was shivering. She reluctantly shook her head: ¡°Not cold¡­ I¡¯ll be fine soon. You should go check on the jujube red horse¡­ don¡¯t let it get frostbite.¡± Her words were almost incoherent.


    ¡°Alright, Xuan¡¯er, bring your mother a bowl of boiled water quickly.¡±


    Di Yelei yelled and lifted the curtain to go out again.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Di Xuan replied and quickly stepped forward to fetch the hot water.


    Little Ying beside Liu Sisi, worriedly moved closer when she saw how much she was shivering, hugging her body tightly: ¡°Mom, Ying¡¯er will hold you to warm you up. You won¡¯t be cold anymore.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­ good child¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi wanted to speak normally, but she simply couldn¡¯t.


    Once the hot water entered her stomach, she slowly warmed up and felt as if she hade back to life.


    ¡°Come on! The stewed meat in the pot has been cooking for a long time. I was worried about you guys getting cold, so eat some quickly before we continue talking.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er handed over the bowl and chopsticks.


    Even Da Mao, who was beside them, knew to bring over a stool, causing everyone tough for a while.


    When Di Yelei came in from outside again, he brought in a big package. Excitedly raising it, heughed out loud: ¡°This year is a harvest year! At least we don¡¯t have to worry about not having enough food to fill our stomachs!¡±


    ¡°Dad, what are you holding in your hands? Ying¡¯er wants to see!¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ying¡¯er jumped around Di Yelei, trying to get a clear look at the items inside the big package.


    ¡°When your mother came back from the county, she prepared a gift for everyone in the family. Even Da Mao has a gift!¡±


    ¡°Dad! I want it! I want a gift! Dad¡ª¡±


    Ying¡¯er was the happiest, jumping around asking for her gift.


    ¡°Oh! Not now, these gifts are only for the Lunar New Year! If I give you the gift today, there will be no surprise on New Year¡¯s Day, right? Ying¡¯er, be good!¡±


    Di Yelei coaxed Ying¡¯er while putting the big package into the bedroom.


    ¡°Dad¡­ you¡¯re so bad, Ying¡¯er won¡¯t care about you anymore! Humph!¡±


    Ying¡¯er stomped her foot, pouted, and looked unhappy.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er beside her hurriedlyforted her, trying to coax her for a long while without sess. In the end, it was Di Xuan who gave her a toy cricket made of grass that finally made her smile.


    Watching everyone¡¯s warm and affectionate gathering, Liu Sisi felt a warm feeling in her heart and felt that all the hardships and tiredness of these days had been swept away.


    Di Yelei seemed not to know what it meant to be tired. After finishing his meal, he began refining the b oil he had bought today, preparing to fry crispy meat, meatballs, small fish, crispy strips, sticky rice balls, and other deep-fried foods. Meanwhile, on the other side, he started making rice cakes and steamed buns.


    Luckily, with the couple¡¯s busy preparations over the past few days, the dough had been well-prepared, and even the glutinous rice had been soaked in advance and turned into flour ¨C this was a must-have item for the Lantern Festival, and it was almost a staple food for every household, no matter how poor.


    Di Yelei was quick to act, and soon the b oil was in the pot, and he began to shape rice cakes while Elder Mr. Di helped to build the fire.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was busy making the glutinous rice balls on the side. The filling in boiled sweets was made with b oil, sesame, peanuts, and other ingredients. They were fried together, then mixed with green plum, Guihua, white sugar, and brown sugar. The mixture was wrapped with water-milled glutinous rice flour, and then put into the oil pan to fry. When the sugar heart inside formed some sugar bubbles and turned golden yellow, they were taken out of the pan.


    These deep-fried glutinous rice balls had a crispy outer skin, soft and glutinous in the middle, while the filling was full of syrup and very delicious!


    Seeing that there was too much work to do on the stove, Liu Sisi hurried to help knead the rice cakes when her body was warm enough.


    The rice cakes were steamed in Bamboo Steamer. During the Lunar New Year, Bamboo Steamer was loaded with fouryers, apparently nning to make lots of delicious food.


    ¡°Sisi, your body is heavy. Don¡¯t keep yourself busy. We still have a whole day tomorrow. We¡¯ll have plenty of time!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er took a moment to wipe her sweat and spoke.

 Chapter 377: Celebrating the New Year (2)

    Chapter 377: Celebrating the New Year (2)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°It¡¯s alright! I¡¯ve recovered too. Besides, it¡¯s much warmer in this room than outside.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed sincerely, her heart filled with joy.


    When the first batch of rice cakes was ready, Di Yelei filled arge bowl with them and let everyone help themselves.


    The rice cakes had a subtle sourness and sweetness, which made them both delicious and filling. Made from rice, they were perfect for the children as they wouldn¡¯t cause indigestion, even Da Mao had a few.


    Everyone chatted andughed, and once the b oil was ready, they scooped out the oil residue and began to fry crispy strips. Crispy strips were made by wrapping fatty meat with sweet potato flour and then frying them in an oil pan until golden brown.


    Following that were the crispy meats, made by frying lean meat coated with sweet potato flour. Then came the fried balls, made mostly from vegetables and small fish. The small fish were covered in a thinyer of cornstarch and then fried. Finally, they made sticky rice balls and deep-fried cakes¡­


    After steaming the dishes three consecutive times in the steaming basket, Di Yelei handed the task of frying the balls to Liu Zhi¡¯er and began to kill the chickens and rabbits with boiled water.


    Being ustomed to these tasks, Di Yelei quickly ughtered five chickens and three rabbits, stuffing their insides with various homemade seasonings, and cing them in the steaming basket to steam the dry chicken and rabbit dishes. He also prepared the front and hind legs of the pig, pig head, pig tail, pig tongue, pig heart, pig stomach, and pig liver, cing them in the steaming basket ording to custom.


    Once everything was cooking, things quieted down.


    ¡°Today we¡¯ve prepared all the food, so anything we want to eatter can be heated up directly from the pot¡ªit¡¯s so convenient!¡±


    Di Yelei said with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Absolutely, with so much food and all that meat, we wouldn¡¯t be able to finish it all by the Lantern Festival,¡± Liu Sisi said, ncing at him slyly.


    ¡°Hehehe! It¡¯s better to have more and set some aside. In the past few years, there hasn¡¯t been enough food at home and every New Year¡¯s Eve has been tight. Now everything is better, we have lots of food, so of course, we will have avish New Year¡¯s Eve dinner!¡±


    Di Yeleiughed heartily.


    Since the dishes in the pot wererge and required steaming for at least six hours to be fully cooked, they steamed them overnight. Di Yelei naturally took on the responsibility of tending the fire.


    By the time Liu Zhi¡¯er started frying the fish, the smell made Liu Sisi nauseous, and she ended up washing up and going to bed.


    As the familyughed and chatted, the night passed by unknowingly.


    When Liu Sisi woke up, Di Yelei was still asleep, hugging her tightly. She gently crawled out of bed and saw Liu Zhi¡¯erbing her wet hair.


    ¡°Little Sister, you¡¯re awake. I¡¯ve heated water in the pot and already washed YingEr clean. Do you want to wash up too?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, freshly bathed, exuded a gentle aura, leaving Liu Sisi mesmerized.


    She suddenly realized that her Second Sister was not even 20 years old yet. In her previous life, she would have been a young girl like a budding flower¡ªyet now, she dressed and acted like an old woman.


    Perhaps it was because she had been staring at her for so long without speaking that Liu Zhi¡¯er looked at her curiously and, with a confused expression, fixed her hair behind her head.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I not clean myself properly?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er quickly checked herself.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I just realized how beautiful, pure, and gentle my Second Sister is. It¡¯s beyond my ability to describe¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words seemed like a dream, causing Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face to turn bright red!


    This blush added a touch of rouge to her face, making her look all the more delightful!


    ¡°You¡­how dare you, making fun of your Second Sister. Watch me tear your mouth apart¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er teased and pretended to pounce on her.


    Liu Sisi instinctively dodged, and the sistersughed and yed together: ¡°Ouch! Don¡¯t treat me like this. I¡¯m most ticklish¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom! Second Aunt!¡±


    Di Xuan peeked out from the bathroom and saw the twoughing, unsure of what was happening.


    ¡°Alright, alright, stop ying¡­¡±


    After the sisters had enough fun, they stopped. Liu Sisi leaned against the wall, wiping the tears from herughter.


    ¡°I saw you two washing your hair and taking a bath, so I thought I might as well do the same.¡±


    Although she had washed not even two or three days ago, with the end of the year approaching, she ought to take a good bath.


    As Liu Sisi went in to bathe, Liu Zhi¡¯er tidied her hair and put on her thick clothes.


    These were new clothes, bought by Liu Sisi, a water-red Zhijin long skirt embroidered with white lotus flowers at the hem. The slender waist was held by a green Zhijin waistband. Though the water-red color was pleasant to the eye, Liu Zhi¡¯er hesitated, wondering whether she, an old woman, was worthy of such tender colors.


    She was lost in thought when she suddenly heard amotion at the main entrance, followed by the barking of Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua.


    ¡°Ah-Huang, Ah-Hua, stop barking! What¡¯s going on today? Why are you barking so loudly?¡±


    As Liu Zhi¡¯er spoke, she drove away the two dogs and then opened the courtyard door. But then her smile turned to horror, and she let out a scream.


    The scream startled Liu Sisi, who was taking a bath, and Di Ye Lei, who was asleep.


    Almost instantly, he hurried out of bed, not even bothering to put on his clothes properly. He scrambled to put on his shoes and rushed out the door.


    ¡°What happened? What happened? Did something happen to Sisi?¡±


    With his waistband still in hand, he charged over to the courtyard door. Looking up, he saw someone who shouldn¡¯t have been there ¨C Dong Chang!


    At that moment, Dong Chang was trying to drag Liu Zhi¡¯er out of the door while she wailed nonstop.


    ¡°Let her go! Let her go, Dong Chang, you bastard, you son of a bitch! Let go of Da Mao! Let her go!¡±


    It was at this moment that Di Ye Lei finally saw what the two were fighting over ¨C Da Mao, who was between them!


    Di Ye Lei was furious! He strode forward and lifted Dong Chang off the ground with one hand!


    ¡°Dong Chang! What do you think you¡¯re doing? You better let Da Mao go, or else don¡¯t me me for being rude!¡±


    ¡°Let go, Di, don¡¯t think I¡¯m afraid of you. I¡¯m telling you, I, Dong Chang, am not afraid of you! Heh, heh, heh¡­ What have I got to lose now? If you dare, just hit me! Aim at my chest! Let¡¯s see who¡¯s afraid of who!¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Dong Chang was determined! He didn¡¯t back down but instead pressed forward!


    As the saying goes, a barefooted person is not afraid of someone wearing shoes!


    Dong Chang was like a dead pig not afraid of being scalded by boiling water, acting like a hooligan in front of Di Ye Lei!


    ¡°It hurts! It hurts so much! Boo hoo¡­¡±


    Da Mao kept crying; even the little fellow who was usually quiet and well-behaved was constantly sobbing today.

 Chapter 378: Celebrating the New Year (3)

    Chapter 378: Celebrating the New Year (3)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Bastard will you let go or not?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s iron arm muscles bulged one by one, his thick ck sword-like eyebrows raised at an angle, as he grabbed Dong Chang with one hand. His tightly clenched fist was raised high, itching to strike down on the face he loathed.


    ¡°Come on! Hit me! Let¡¯s see if I, Dong Chang, am afraid of you today! Come on!¡±


    He waspletely defiant, throwing all caution to the wind!


    Originally, when Liu Zhi¡¯er divorced him, Liu Sisi had topensate him with several taels of silver in order to take Da Mao with her. At first, he had fun with the money, but it wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy him. In just a short amount of time, not only did he lose all of it, but he also rued gambling debt!


    With the end of the year approaching and nothing left in his thatched hut, he didn¡¯t dare return to his friends, because he knew that they would take his life!


    Out of options, he thought of Da Mao and set his sights on him!


    This was his son, the offspring of his Dong family. Even if Liu Zhi¡¯er took him away, he would still be a Dong!


    Realizing this, he rushed to Di Family, but the heavy snow hindered his journey and he lost his way in the hills. When he finally arrived at the Di¡¯s doorstep, the fragrant aroma from the house stopped him in his tracks.


    Unexpectedly, this Di had a tremendous amount of strength, so it seemed that he had other ns!


    ¡°What do you want to do here today?¡±


    Di Yelei asked, forcibly suppressing the anger in his heart.


    ¡°Heh! What can I do? Naturally, Ie to take back my own woman and my own son¡ªmy, Dong Chang¡¯s son!¡± Dong Chang dered proudly.


    Di Yelei scoffed: ¡°Dong Chang, do you think I don¡¯t understand thew? Liu Zhi¡¯er has long divorced you. If you dare to take her, I¡¯ll send you straight to prison for human trafficking!¡±


    Dong Chang¡¯s eyes darted around: ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t take her. But Da Mao is my seed. I¡¯m taking him with me today!¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly reached for Da Mao, who was closely following Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er instinctively moved Da Mao aside: ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it! Dong Chang, let me tell you, as long as I, Liu Zhi¡¯er, live for one day, you¡¯ll never take Da Mao away!¡±


    ¡°You filthy bitch! Have you been sleeping with others and even let their son call them father? You¡¯re quite capable, eh!¡±


    Da Mao instinctively dodged him, which enraged Dong Chang! He suddenly grabbed Da Mao¡¯s wrist and tried to snatch him away.


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts! Wuu¡­¡±


    Da Mao¡¯s cries grew louder!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was rmed and hurriedly let go of Da Mao¡¯s hand, unable to stop herself from crying. She knelt down in front of Dong Chang, desperately trying to pry his hand away.


    ¡°Dong Chang, I beg you, please let go, let go! Da Mao¡¯s arm is about to break! Please let go! Dong Chang¡ª¡±


    Just as Liu Zhi¡¯er spoke, Da Mao¡¯s eyes rolled back in pain as Dong Chang held him tightly and struggled weakly.


    ¡°Let go of Da Mao! Dong Chang, have you gone mad? This is your son! It¡¯s me, me that will beat you! You damn hybrid! I¡¯ll kill you¡±


    Di Yelei was practically driven mad!


    With a sudden raise of his hand, he threw a punch, hitting Dong Chang directly in the face, knocking out a tooth and causing half of his face to swell. He did not stop there, and quickly followed up with a hand dagger chop on his arm¡­


    Crack! The crisp sound of a bone breaking rang out.


    ¡°Ahh!¡­¡±


    A pig-like scream erupted from Dong Chang¡¯s mouth as his hand, gripping Da Mao, immediately went limp. The bone from his now broken arm jutted out.


    ¡°Da Mao? Da Mao, my Da Mao! Da Mao, wake up¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er let out a wailing cry.


    Da Mao had already passed out from pain and was unconscious.


    Di Yelei acted quickly, gently stroking Da Mao¡¯s back and then giving him a hard pat on the chest.


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­ Mom! I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    Da Mao finally burst into tears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! Don¡¯t be scared, your mom¡¯s here. Da Mao, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t be scared!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er held Da Mao, gently patting him and holding him tightly, her tears falling endlessly.


    At this moment, Liu Sisi, who was taking a bath inside, finally put on her clothes and rushed out, followed by Elderly Mr. Di and the two children.


    ¡°Dong Chang! It¡¯s you, you bastard! Even a tiger wouldn¡¯t eat its cubs, but you, a beast, want to kill your own child! What won¡¯t you do?¡±


    Her hair was still wet and dripping with water.


    The heavy snow outside couldn¡¯t extinguish the anger in her heart.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Why are you still being polite to such scum? This time you¡¯ve crippled one of his hands and now both his hands are useless. Let¡¯s see how he can gamble now! Hmph! If he dares to harass Second Sister again, break one of his legs. If hees again, break another one. I want to see who¡¯s tougher, him or me!¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Her hair scattered, she looked pure but was as fierce as a shrew, causing Dong Chang¡¯s vision to grow dark from the pain. Yet, he still stubbornly reached out to Liu Sisi, wanting to fight her to the death, mumbling iprehensibly!


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! All this is caused by you. If you weren¡¯t here, if it wasn¡¯t for you¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t even touch the corner of Liu Sisi¡¯s clothes before Di Yelei delivered a flying kick, sending him out of the yard door. He copsed on the ground and rolled down the hillside for several turns beforeing to a stop.


    ¡°Ah! Did you¡­ did you kill him? You¡­¡±


    Pale-faced, Liu Zhi¡¯er stood up hurriedly, wanting to rush over, but was grabbed by Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, good people don¡¯t live long, but disastersst forever. He just fainted, and he¡¯ll be fine,¡±


    Di Yelei quickly assured.


    ¡°Ye Lei, go back to your room and get dressed. Damn it! There¡¯s actually a father who treats his own child like this, utterly shameless! ¡­But, throwing him out like this, won¡¯t he be frozen to death?¡± Liu Sisi was also worried.


    ¡°Sisi, your hair is wet! Get back inside now!¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but yell. Why was this little woman so careless about herself?


    ¡°As for that scum, I¡¯ll keep an eye on him. Even if he wants to die, he has to ask me, Di Yelei, for permission!¡±


    Di Yelei patted his chest with a guarantee.


    It was indeed cold!


    Back in the house, Liu Sisi quickly washed her hair again but felt dizzy afterward, wondering if she had caught a cold.


    Di Yelei carefully examined Da Mao¡¯s arm and found that apart from a few thumbprint bruises, there were no major injuries thankfully.


    ¡°At least he had a shred of conscience!¡±


    Upon learning of this, Liu Sisi heaved a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 379: 379: Celebrating the New Year (4)

    Chapter 379: Celebrating the New Year (4)N?v(el)B\\jnn<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    She ced the ginger soup bowl down and checked Da Mao¡¯s arm, ¡°Da Mao, does it hurt?¡±


    Perhaps the love and care from everyone before had dissolved Da Mao¡¯s defenses. He didn¡¯t refuse Liu Sisi¡¯s touch. Instead, he followed her stroking motion and directly went into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms.


    Such a well-behaved Da Mao made Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s tears overflow from her eyes.


    ¡°Why are you crying? Look at Da Mao, although he was pinched and bruised by Dong Chang, he now likes to be close to people even more. I¡¯m thinking! Was it because he witnessed Er Mao and San Mao being sold, and he was always worried about it? Now that he knows he won¡¯t be sold, his heart is more open?¡±


    Liu Sisi estimated and said.<div>


    These words made Liu Zhi¡¯er unable to cry, she hurriedly looked at Da Mao¡¯s expression.


    Indeed, as Liu Sisi said, Da Mao at the moment, although his face wore tears, it also carried a bright smile that he didn¡¯t have before!


    His little hand circled Liu Sisi¡¯s neck, imitating YingEr¡¯s movements, he approached her cheek, quickly withdrew it, and carefully observed Liu Sisi¡¯s expression. When he found out she was staring at him, he hurriedly buried his little face into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms.


    Such behavior really delighted Liu Sisi; she continuously rubbed Da Mao¡¯s hair, her face filled with satisfaction.


    ¡°Da Mao is really better now, he¡¯s really better¡­Ooh¡­ I¡¯m so happy¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was crying uncontrobly, the huge joy overwhelming her.


    She took Da Mao out of Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, and then hugged him tightly, sobbing loudly.


    Da Mao is her life, her root, her hope for survival. Seeing Da Mao get better, there is nothing happier for her as a mother!


    ¡°Look at you as a mom, happy and crying, sad and crying, it has made our Da Mao dizzy. And since Da Mao is better now, this can also be considered a blessing in disguise, adding a great fortunate event to our lives. What is there to be sad about?¡±


    Liu Sisiforted her, and Di Yelei also came over tofort the mother and son for a while. The two of them only wiped away their tears, and their whole demeanor became more rxed.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er also showed a sincere smile, giving a ceremonious salute to the two.


    This surprised the two. Liu Sisi quickly went over and helped her up: ¡°Second Sister, what are you doing? Why are you suddenly giving us a courtesy? Isn¡¯t this killing us?¡±<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er still gave a ceremony, then stood up and said.


    ¡°Sisi, brother-inw, these days Second Sister has caused you a lot of trouble. Not only did you treat my injuries, you also gave me a little money and helped me take care of Da Mao¡­ Second Sister knows you both have kind hearts. I have nothing to repay you, so I simply paid my respects to both of you, to express the gratitude in my heart!¡±


    After Liu Zhi¡¯er finished, she was about to salute again but was stopped by Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Second Sister, we are sisters. Why are you being so distant with your little sister? If one day your little sister is in trouble, wouldn¡¯t the Second Sister extend a helping hand?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Since the Second Sister wouldn¡¯t stand by and watch while her little sister is in trouble, isn¡¯t it normal for your little sister to help?¡±


    Liu Sisi interrupted Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s unfinished words: ¡°Since we are sisters, we naturally need to be closer than others. Da Mao¡¯s condition has also improved, and Sisi is genuinely happy for him. You just live with peace of mind at my home, and if you are at ease, just feel free to leave Da Mao at home and find something to do to earn some money. After some time has passed, find a good family, and the two of you can live happily ever after, how nice!¡±


    These words made Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s smile on her face freeze for a moment, her gaze stealthily nced at Di Yelei, then she smiled again.


    ¡°Second Sister is just thinking about raising Da Mao well, earning some silver and saving it for his future marriage. As for finding another family and such, Second Sister has not considered it.¡±


    ¡°But how could that be? You¡¯re not even twenty yet, are you going to waste away your best years? Second Sister, let me tell you¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi could not help but patiently persuade her sister, determinedly trying to change Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s mind. The two sisters were chatting andughing, with time swiftly passing until noontime.


    After lunch, Liu Sisi felt feverish and sleepy, so she went back to bed.<div>


    She slept for a while before remembering the money she received yesterday. She couldn¡¯t help but get up and carefully count it.


    Some days ago, the family boughtnd, and they still owed money to the Land Officer, Brother Zhang, and a few others.


    Adding up what they took on the 23rd, the amount from the bookstore, and Di Yelei¡¯s monthly sry and dividends¡­ there was a total of 936.7 taels of silver. However, they spent quite a bit during the New Year, leaving less than 850 taels. Old Madam Gan¡¯s 10% bonus came as a silver ticket from Baoli Bank worth 1000 taels of silver.


    Oh! What about the money in the envelope given by Brother Nan?


    Liu Sisi got off the bed and started searching. At that moment, Di Yelei walked in and hurriedly asked, ¡°Sisi, what are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Yelei, you arrived at just the right time. Where did you put the envelope that Brother Nan gave yesterday?¡± Liu Sisi continued searching as she spoke.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it under the nket?¡±


    Di Yelei casually covered the room door, took a few steps forward, and found the envelope with a nce, handing it to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Yes, this is it. Let me see how much silver is inside¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke while tearing open the envelope.


    As expected, she saw a stack of neatly folded papers. Unfolding them, she found a 500-tael silver ticket and five 100-tael silver tickets!


    The two were surprised and exchanged nces, seeing amazement in each other¡¯s eyes.<div>


    ¡°The shops have only been open for less than a month, how has so much silver been made?¡± Di Yelei asked with curiosity.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either!¡±


    She carefully searched the envelope again, but aside from the 1000 taels of silver, there wasn¡¯t even a single word.


    ¡°Look, we earned 936 taels with the bookstorebined with your monthly sry and dividends. After expenses, there¡¯s 850 taels left. With these 2000 taels, we have a total of 2850 taels. However, you still owe more than 100 taels to your colleagues and Zhang Peng, the Land Officer¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already paid back the money I borrowed from my colleagues, just need to repay Uncle Land Officer and Zhang Peng¡¯s home. But even after all that, this year we¡¯ve made 2700 taels of silver! It¡¯s¡­ simply unbelievable!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s voice trembled as he spoke.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s brow didn¡¯t rx, after thinking it through, she took out 150 taels of silver and handed 130 taels of it to him.


    ¡°Take advantage of the time before the New Year and use this silver to repay Uncle Land Officer and Brother Zhang. Keep the rest on you, as tomorrow is the New Year, and we may need gift money for visiting others. There¡¯s also your mother¡¯s retirement sry, I¡¯ll leave some here in case of emergency.¡±

 Chapter 380: 380: Celebrating the New Year (5)

    Chapter 380: Celebrating the New Year (5)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    While they were talking, she also put the remaining 20 taels of loose silver into her pocket. She then began to separately store the remaining silver tickets and bills, keeping the silver coins securely stashed away.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, this year isn¡¯t like the previous years. It¡¯s New Year¡¯s tomorrow, we can¡¯t put off preparations.¡±


    Di Yelei chuckled sincere.


    He couldn¡¯t help but remember the Days of the New Year¡¯s past, feeling a surge of emotions.


    ¡°Exactly! With this sudden windfall of silver, how should we spend it?¡±<div>


    ¡°How to spend? I don¡¯t n on touching the 1,000 taels from Madam Gan Senior. Who knows if there will be anyplications? Better to hold on to it for now.¡±


    She¡¯s always been somewhat wary of Madam Gan Senior. Maybe it¡¯s the hawkish glint that asionally shone within thetter¡¯s genial facade that put her on guard?


    ¡°That¡¯s wise! The silver dide in a peculiar way. We should just keep it and not touch it, as we don¡¯t really need to.¡±


    Di Yelei nodded repeatedly.


    After putting away the silver, Liu Sisi stood up and seeing Di Yelei still standing in ce, she couldn¡¯t help but curiously look at him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you still standing here?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I just waiting for further instructions from my little kitten?¡±


    Jokingly, Di Yelei said as he turned and started to walk outside, ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll go pay back the borrowed money to Uncle Land Officer and Brother Zhang, then I¡¯ll head over to the old house, give mom her retirement money, ande back for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good, you should go now! Anyter and you might end up crashing someone¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯sment immediately tickled Di Yelei!


    He couldn¡¯t resisting back, bending down to nt a kiss on Liu Sisi¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Sisi, our home is doing well today, all beacuse I, Di Yelei, married you. You truly are my lucky star!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    As he spoke, he nted another kiss on her little mouth and it looked like he was gradually moving downwards.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly pushed him away, dodging him.


    ¡°Quit fooling around! That tickles¡­ It¡¯s gettingte, you better leave quickly! Are you really nning to go crash someone else¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve meal?¡±


    ¡°Sisi, my little kitten¡­¡±


    His face kept getting closer as if intentionally being mischievous.


    She dodged!


    He chased!


    She couldn¡¯t help but dodge.


    He followed persistently!


    Constantly teasing her petite body.


    She was all along trying to fend off and avoid him, being fearful that he could inadvertently hurt the baby inside her belly.


    ¡°Mmm¡­let go¡­Ye Lei¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t move about, I won¡¯t hurt the baby. I just want to have you more, don¡¯t hide¡­mmm, let me kiss you, so fragrant¡­¡±


    His mouth refused to leave her lips for a moment, continued deepening the kiss. Hisrge hand stoked the fan of desire on her body, sneaking down her cor and silently moved to the source of that bliss¡­


    She anxiously grabbed her clothing. ¡°Stop! If you keep this up, I¡¯m really going to get angry¡­¡±


    Although her words sounded harsh, they came out almost like a deted balloon, so broken they barely made sense.


    ¡°Little kitten, my little kitten, you are so sweet and beautiful!¡­¡±


    His eyes were filled with love and desire. He looked at her for a long time, lost in his infatuation, before murmuring these words. Finally, he buried his head in her neck, unable to move for a long time.


    Liu Sisi did not say anything more. She wrapped her arms around his waist, silently apanying the man lost in his love.


    After quite a while of affection, Di Yelei reluctantly let her go and left the room.


    The blush on Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks was prominent, and she couldn¡¯t help but keep the faint smile on her lips.


    It took a while for her to calm her racing heart before she left the room to start preparing the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner.


    The New Year¡¯s Eve dinner was almost all prepared yesterday, Liu Sisi nned to stir-fry a couple of vegetables, make a clear soup, and call it done.


    As soon as she walked into the kitchen, she found that Liu Zhi¡¯er was already busy on the stove. She was full of joy, and she was nothing like the depressed person she was a few days ago.<div>


    When she turned her head and saw Liu Sisiing in, she quickly greeted her, ¡°Up already, Sisi? I just made you a bowl of ginger soup. Drink some more and sweat a bit. Getting a cold during the New Year would be bad.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay now, I already sweated before.¡±


    Said Liu Sisi as she proceeded into the kitchen.


    Today, surprisingly, Xuan¡¯er also put down his books and came out of the room. He was ying with Da Mao and YingEr, while Elderly Mr. Di sat by the brazier, watching Xuan¡¯er enthusiastically telling stories to the two little ones.


    The vegetables in the greenhouse were still doing well. Probably because the underfloor heating passed through this area, they were still vibrant green.


    She picked some from each type and fried them separately. She also took out some pickled cabbage, pickled turnip leaves, and pickled small radishes from the pickling jar and sliced a whole te full. This was great to stimte the appetite and help with greasy food; how could the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner be without it?


    Once everything was ready, everyone started to help set up the tables and chairs.


    Based on Sisi¡¯s suggestion, they¡¯d have the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner in the kitchen, it was warmer. But Dad thought that the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner should naturally be eaten in the hall to be formal. So everyone brought the food to the hall, ced a charcoal stove under the table, and set up braziers in the four corners of the house. The charcoal was stoked, and the house warmed up quickly.


    Elderly Mr. Di was on the side, plunking away on the chopping block, making paper money. Liu Sisi tried to help but was told by Elderly Mr. Di to step back.


    The incense and firecrackers were also prepared; once Di Yelei was back, they would start the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner!


    Not long after, Di Yelei indeed returned!


    But who came back with him was a massive crowd from the old house!<div>


    ¡°Sisi, I¡­¡±


    Di Yelei pulled Liu Sisi aside, an embarrassed look on his face, ¡°Earlier I went to the old house, I was nning to give my mom her retirement money ande right back, but then¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow.


    He looked nervously at the crowd that had just entered the hall, ¡°Then¡­Then my Second Sister-inw said that today is a great day for family reunion, and naturally we should all be together. So she suggested that wee to our house and eat New Year¡¯s Eve dinner together.¡±


    Liu Sisi turned her gaze to Ms. Xin, who was smiling smugly at her, then to Ms. Wang, who was acting like she had stolen something, and finally to Ms. Zhao, who stubbornly stood at the doorway of the hall refusing toe in. Finally, her gaze fell on Di Cheng, who was supporting Ms. Zhao. Di Cheng seemed to be talking with Di Gaoyuan, who had just stepped through the door, his face full of bitterness.


    Liu Sisi took a deep breath, turned to look at Elderly Mr. Di, who was struggling to stand up with his crutch, and suddenlyughed.


    ¡°Today is indeed the New Year¡¯s Eve, it¡¯s a time for family reunion, peace and harmony! Having a big family eating reunion dinner together is even more lively! You should hurry up and invite everyone to take a seat.¡±

 Chapter 381: Celebrating the New Year (6)

    Chapter 381: Celebrating the New Year (6)


    Trantor: 549690339


    It has always been heard that the inhabitants of the wing room would go to the old house for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, but never heard of the old house¡¯s upantsing to the wing room for it!


    The one to suggest this must be affiliated with Ms. Wang¡¯s maniption, even without Liu Sisi present would know this for sure!


    But this works out just fine!


    She noticed that despite her father¡¯s slightly angered expression, more of joy was mixed within.


    Even the way he looked at her held a subtle plea. She had seen this pleading look also in her grandfather¡¯s eyes in her previous life. It was when her parents had passed away, and those so-called rtives came to kick her while she was down, her grandpa had shown such a look!


    This look often shed in her mind during those midnight dreams. Seeing her father show such a look, Liu Sisi¡¯s heart immediately softened.


    ¡°You should be the one to handle this!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was red, even his darkplexion couldn¡¯t hide his embarrassment.


    ¡°Chuckles! You¡¯re shrinking back like this, where¡¯s the behavior of a man of the house?¡±


    Liu Sisi was amused by him!


    ¡°I meant what I said earlier, no matter what, that¡¯s your brother, and they are your family. Plus, guests have arrived, and who has the principle to shun them away? Isn¡¯t the purpose for everyone to gather to celebrate reunion? Go ahead and greet them!¡±


    Even while speaking, she gave him a gentle push.


    Seeing Liu Sisi was serious, Di Yelei finally loosened up and showed a big smile.


    ¡°Good Sisi, you are truly my Di Yelei¡¯s lucky star!¡±


    He stretched out his arms to hug her. But when she red back, he quickly let go and startedughing. He then turned around, calling out loudly to wee everyone to their seats.


    ¡°Come on everyone! Come quickly and gather. First, let¡¯s offer our respects to our Di ancestors, then we can start eating¡±


    His voice was particrly loud and excited!


    It was also filled with so much pride that it made Liu Sisi raise an eyebrow in surprise.


    It turned out that such matters could make him so joyful!


    Ms. Wang¡¯s eyes were darting around. This matter was naturally her idea..


    Hum! Who would let that damned elderly woman make such a nonsensical suggestion of having this year¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner at her ce? Where she wouldn¡¯t lift a hand and incessantly talk. Not to mention Di Ah-Bao, thatzy freeloader or the flirt that¡¯s always promiscuous, she didn¡¯t care for them, not one bit!


    Procrastinating while the day was gradually growing darker, her stove hadn¡¯t started burning, she was helplesslymenting over the scarce meat. At this time, Di Yelei rushed into the courtyard.


    Her eyes shifted, seizing the opportunity of that elderly woman always wanting to be by her father-inw¡¯s side. Sure enough, a few of her words provoked them, saving herself from wasting any meat and instead got to feast on a huge table of delicious food!


    She couldn¡¯t help but rub her hands together, with a snicker on her face. This Ms. Wang was truly visionary!


    Elderly Mr. Di didn¡¯t say a word, and sat down while lighting the incense to offer to their ancestors, inserted the incense, and burned some paper money, then lighting the firecrackers¡­


    Afterpleting a series of trivial andplex tasks, they started to worship the ancestors from the oldest to the youngest, from thergest to the smallest.


    Once more they thanked their ancestors, burning paper money and the firecrackers sounded once again.


    It wasn¡¯t until the incense was removed that the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner formally began!


    Ms. Wang, sitting nearby, couldn¡¯t wait any longer and sat down at the table even before Elderly Mr. Di had a word.


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di coughed heavily, shooting her a re.


    Ms. Wang, oblivious to the fact that everyone in the room was looking at her, picked up her bamboo chopsticks and looked at the dishes on the table with excitement.


    This disrespectful behavior embarrassed Ms. Zhao sitting next to her! She med herself for not disciplining her properly. The old man had never liked her, and now he was even more displeased. This thought made her fury grow, and she couldn¡¯t help but yell at her!


    ¡°Wang! Are you a starving ghost or what? Are you going to starve to death if you wait for a moment?¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It really seems like if she isn¡¯t scolded for three days, the roof will copse!


    Only then did Ms. Wang reluctantly get up: ¡°I¡­I¡¯m just starving¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! Today is the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, no talking about life or death¡­everyone sit down and eat¡­¡±


    It¡¯s not terrible to not know the value of something, what¡¯s terrible is topare it!


    Comparing Ms. Wang and Liu Sisi side by side, one is crafty, and the other is stunning. One is shying away, and the other is elegant. The extreme-fashion daughter-inws standing together make Elderly Mr. Di shake his head and lose his expectations for his daughter-inw!


    Once Elderly Mr. Di sat down, everyone naturally returned to their own ces.


    Because many extra people came over today, the two tables were directly joined together to form a rectangr table. Naturally, Elderly Mr. Di and Ms. Zhao sat at the top, with Di Gaoyuan, Di Yelei, Di Ah-bao, Di Cheng, Brother Gao (Gao Brother), Di Xuan, and Di Jie arranged on both sides.


    However, Elderly Mr. Di swept his gaze over and pointed at Brother Gao and Di Jie: ¡°You two, go over there¡­let Sisi and the Second Sistere and sit¡­¡±


    This surprised everyone!


    As soon as Elderly Mr. Di finished speaking, Brother Gao immediately objected, he sat down on the stool and began to refuse: ¡°Why should I go over there? I want to sit here. I want to eat this bowl of steamed chicken, and¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Di Yelei reached out and grabbed his cor, lifting him in the air. With a casual throw, Brother Gao hadn¡¯te to his senses when he was thrown out of the hall, falling all over the ce!


    Di Yelei stood inside the hall, looking down at him: ¡°You can either eat or not, it doesn¡¯t matter! This is my house. If you want to be naughty, you can go back and be naughty in your own house!¡±


    After speaking, he red at him again.


    Liu Sisi saw this scene and couldn¡¯t helpughing with her eyes squinted.


    Brother Gao had always behaved recklessly under the protection of Ms. Wang, she had long thought of teaching him a lesson. Seeing Di Yelei take action today, she was genuinely happy!


    With Brother Gao taken away, Di Jie, who was young, sat down at thest seat.


    In fact, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t really feel any difference sitting at the head or the tail of the table. However, in such a situation, she naturally wouldn¡¯t ruin the good deed of her father-inw setting up prestige for her, and directly sat down on the position that everyone had moved away from.


    So this time around, on Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s left hand side, the seats in order were upied by Di Yelei, Liu Sisi, Liu Zhi¡¯er, Di Xuan, Di Ying. Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s arms were still holding Da Mao, and the rest of the people were all squeezed to the right side.


    Di Gaoyuan didn¡¯t look too pleased!


    He still remembered clearly that atst year¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, Di Yelei was sitting at thest seat!

 Chapter 382: Celebrating the New Year (6)

    Chapter 382: Celebrating the New Year (6)


    Trantor: 549690339


    And he, he sat to the left of his dad, while to the right of his mom was Di Ah-bao¡¯s ce.


    This sudden change from being at his mom¡¯s side to her right made his face somewhat unable toe down from the stage.


    However, in just a moment, he collected the strangeness on his face and looked at everyone with a smile.


    ¡°Third Child, you speak, say a few words.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di called and gestured to Di Yelei.


    ¡°This¡­ This is not good, right? Dad, you should speak!¡±


    Di Yelei looked at everyone and said.


    Elderly Mr. Di shook his head and said nothing. He found it difficult to speak and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°I, what should I say? Alright! I¡¯ll just say two things.¡±


    Di Yelei saw this and turned to Sisi: ¡°One is that I am very grateful to dad, it was dad and Guihua who persuaded me again and again to marry such a good daughter-inw like Sisi. The other is to thank Sisi! Sisi is my Di Yelei¡¯s lucky star, she not only gave me a home again but also took care of Xuan¡¯er and YingEr. Now she is even pregnant, so I¡­ I thank her, for being with me through hardships and suffering, being with me¡­ ¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, tears welled up in his eyes, and he wiped them with his hand, quietly wiping away the overflowing tears.


    ¡°Alright, I Di Yelei wish to have today every year and today every age! Today, we are all happy, eat as we please, drink as we please! Eat with open stomachs!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di smiled with satisfaction and picked up the bamboo chopsticks, taking the lead in eating, and everyone else picked up their chopsticks and began eating.


    Two big tables full of dishes made everyone unable to stop their chopsticks.


    Midway through the meal, everyone was seven or eight full, and then they began to pour wine and y games of drinking and gambling. Elderly Mr. Di did not speak but ate the dishes in silence.


    Outside, there were firecrackers everywhere, and from time to time beautiful fireworks shed through the sky and exploded.


    Some of the children could not sit still, but none of the adults moved, and no one dared to move.


    Not until Elderly Mr. Di finished eating and left the table did the children get down from the table and start running outside,ughing and frolicking nonstop.


    Liu Sisi did not hide the purchased fireworks and firecrackers. She handed out two to each child.


    Brother Gao had a thick skin. Liu Sisi handed him two but he still wouldn¡¯t leave. He extended his hand and wanted more. Seeing that today was New Year¡¯s Eve, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t bother to argue and gave him two more.


    The sky outside was still falling with light snow, reflecting the surroundings in a bright, snowy light.


    ¡°Sisi, let¡¯s go out and join in the fun!¡±


    As soon as Liu Sisi finished handing out the fireworks and firecrackers on this side, Ms. Xin came over and quietly wrapped her arm around Sisi¡¯s, making Sisi¡¯s heart subconsciously tighten.


    However, after a moment, she casuallyughed and pretended to press down on the spring couplets by the door that were slightly flying up, avoiding her embrace.


    ¡°Sister-inw, you really like to y. Unfortunately, Third Sister-inw has a heavy body, so I won¡¯t go out.¡±


    The spring couplets were her own handwriting, the window paper-cuts were cut by Liu Zhi¡¯er, and the fortune children on the door were very lovely with theirughing faces.


    ¡°Who would still be hiding at home on New Year¡¯s Eve? We¡¯re just going outside to watch the fireworks and firecrackers, not walking far. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Ms. Xin came over again, forcibly took Liu Sisi¡¯s arm, and walked outside.


    ¡°Sisi, wait for me, I¡¯ll join you as well.¡±


    Behind her, Liu Zhi¡¯er caught up swiftly, wrapping her arm around Liu Sisi¡¯s arm, briefly holding her hand to assure her to feel at ease.


    ¡°It¡¯s great to have Second Sister join us. The more the merrier! Besides, today is such a special day, let¡¯s enjoy it to the fullest!¡±


    Ms. Xin said happily.


    The group of them quickly walked out of the courtyard and went outside.


    ¡°Hurry up! Hurry up! Brother, where¡¯s the fire? Are you ready?¡±


    Not far ahead, Ying¡¯er could not help but bounce around while urging Di Xuan incessantly.


    ¡°Here ites, don¡¯t worry! Look, I brought just the right thing for lighting the fireworks.¡±


    Di Xuan sprinted over excitedly with a burning incense stick in his hand, attempting to light the firework in Ying¡¯er¡¯s hand while speaking.


    Worried, Liu Sisi hurriedly shouted from the side: ¡°When lighting the fireworks, stand far away and don¡¯t face the fireworks! Be careful and stay safe!¡±


    She could not help but shout the same warning three times. Upon seeing the children gradually grasp the technique, she finally rxed.


    As the fireworks erupted into the sky and exploded here, countless children began to run and gather around quickly, enchanted by the fireworks in the hands of several children.


    Although fireworks were avable during this time, not many households could affrord them.


    Soon enough, not only children but also adults huddled in the courtyard of Di¡¯s family, watching the beautiful scenery of fireworks exploding in the sky.


    ¡°What a dazzling disy of fireworks lighting up the night sky!¡±


    Liu Sisi murmured softly, raising her eyes to the sky, as if reminiscing about the countless times she had seen such sights in her previous life.


    ¡°Oh! Sisi, these fireworks and firecrackers must have cost a lot of money, right?¡±


    Ms. Wang came over and eagerly squeezed through the crowd, stretching her neck curiously to look at her, appearing as if she wished to im the fireworks for herself.


    ¡°Not that much, really! Second Sister-inw, Di Wei doesn¡¯t know how to set off the fireworks. Why don¡¯t you go help? These fireworks cost half a tael of silver per piece! We can¡¯t let them go to waste!¡±


    Liu Sisi casually found an excuse to dismiss Ms. Wang.


    ¡°What? Half a tael of silver for one firework?¡±


    Ms. Wang suddenly screamed, immediately attracting the attention of many around her. Almost all eyes in the scene turned to look at them.


    Liu Sisi maintained a calm smile: ¡°Isn¡¯t that so, Second Sister-inw! You may not know, but even though these fireworks cost half a tael of silver per piece, they are actually priceless items. These were given to Sisi by our grandmother out of care and affection, several dozen fireworks, and while you can find firecrackers for sale, there aren¡¯t these types avable!¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi wasn¡¯t lying with those words. Even though the fireworks were half a tael of silver per piece, they initially frightened her because of the cost.


    However, considering the risks involved in producing fireworks and the danger of working in such conditions, coupled with the fact that these were all 36-shot fireworks, they somehow justified their price!


    Upon hearing this, Ms. Wang¡¯s eyes widened. But in a moment, she suddenly rushed forward and snatched all the fireworks and firecrackers from Di Wei and Di Jie¡¯s hands, causing the two children to cry loudly.


    ¡°Crying! All you know is how to cry! These are half a tael silver-per-piece fireworks and firecrackers, and they shouldn¡¯t be wasted like this by you!¡±


    After saying that, she didn¡¯t bother about the two crying children and simply took the fireworks and ran off.

 Chapter 383: Busy with New Year’s Greetings

    Chapter 383: Busy with New Year¡¯s Greetings


    Trantor: 549690339


    Liu Sisi just smiled indifferently. It wouldn¡¯t be normal if Ms. Wang didn¡¯t do something strange unless the sun rose from the west.


    Little Ying beside her was quite generous, walking to Di Wei and handing her a firework: ¡°Cousin Weiwei, don¡¯t cry, here! You can y with my firework.¡±


    Having received another firework, Di Wei clenched it in her hand for a long while without moving.


    ¡°Cousin Weiwei, why aren¡¯t you ying with it?¡±


    Little Ying asked, tilting her head.


    ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s too expensive, I don¡¯t dare to y with it.¡±


    Di Wei said softly, touched it earnestly, and returned the firework to Di Ying: ¡°Here! You y with it yourself!¡±


    After saying that, she directly stuffed it into Di Ying¡¯s arms and ran away.


    The smile on Liu Sisi¡¯s face gradually disappeared. This child didn¡¯t have an easy life with a mother like that.


    Soon, Guihua, Zhang Peng, and others came over. Even Mr. Land Officer and Madam came out. Di Yelei invited all the men like Land Officer and Zhang Peng into the house. They yed finger-guessing games and drank rice wine, making a lively atmosphere!


    Everyoneughed and talked while watching the fireworks and listening to the sound of firecrackers. Especially in the direction of the county, sessive shes of white light made everyone point and talk about the beautiful sky.


    The festive atmosphere was overwhelming!


    It didn¡¯t take long for Liu Sisi to feel extremely sleepy. Thinking about the custom of staying up on New Year¡¯s Eve, she had no choice but to force herself not to fall asleep.


    Finally, when it was the turning point of the midnight, everyone who had been drinking and staying in the house returned to their own homes. They began to bid farewell to the old year and wee the new one.


    Di Yelei hung a string of firecrackers outside the courtyard of the Di family, each one bigger than a thumb. When the time came, he used the incense to make a salute, scattered the paper money, and lit the firecrackers.


    Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!


    In addition to the sound of the Di family¡¯s firecrackers, the outside firecrackers exploded even louder!


    Chickens flew and dogs jumped in the courtyard! They were clearly scared by the deafening firecrackers!


    Everyoneughed, covering their ears while still feeling earache, even the floor was constantly trembling!


    The sound of firecrackerssted for almost the time it took to burn a few incense sticks before it gradually subsided.


    Everyone then went back to their rooms to sleep.


    However, the elders and middle-aged people in the family retained the custom of staying up all night until daybreak.


    Carrying her pregnancy, Liu Sisi was extremely sleepy. As soon as the turning point had passed, she went straight to bed and fell asleep almost as soon as shey down. When she opened her eyes again, she was awakened by the sound of firecrackers.


    Perhaps no one slept wellst night. Di Yelei lit firecrackers every two hours until daybreak.


    Liu Sisi yawned continuously, but Di Yelei, who hadn¡¯t slept, was energetic and didn¡¯t look tired at all.


    After freshening up, Liu Sisi finally freed herself from the embrace of the Duke of Zhou and gave New Year greetings to Elderly Mr. Di, happily receiving double red envelopes, which delighted her for a long time!


    Only then did sheb the hair of Ying¡¯er, who also couldn¡¯t stop falling asleep.


    ¡°Ying¡¯er, be good! Today is not like any other day. If you keep sleeping, you won¡¯t have time to yter.¡±


    Liu Sisi deliberately coaxed her.


    But Ying¡¯er, who hadn¡¯t rested wellst night, wouldn¡¯t wake up no matter how much Liu Sisi messed with her, still deeply asleep.


    Soon, Liu Zhi¡¯er woke up too, came out of the house with her hairpin still in her hair, and smiled shyly: ¡°You see, I fell asleep too. Sisi, you didn¡¯t even bother to wake me up either.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, today is the New Year, it¡¯s fine to sleep a little longer.¡±


    After painstakingly styling YingEr¡¯s hair into two buns and securing them with two rose-gold, hollowed-out magnolia hairpins, she ces a gold-ted starburst earring on her ear, hangs the longevity lock, and ties the jade bracelet. Finally, she finishes dressing her up.


    At the side, Liu Zhi¡¯er is already adding firewood, nning to reheat yesterday¡¯s leftover food.


    ¡°What should we cook for breakfast today?¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er casually asks.


    Liu Sisi thinks for a moment: ¡°How about we follow the tradition? Let¡¯s have red-filling sticky rice balls and red-yolk eggs for breakfast. How does that sound?¡±


    Calling these sticky rice balls ¡°red-filling¡± doesn¡¯t mean their filling is red in color. When cooked in the snowing weather, the finished product has a reddish hue, hence the name.


    ¡°Sounds good! I haven¡¯t checked on the chicken coop today. I wonder if the chickensid eggs this morning after being scaredst night?¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er says offhandedly.


    ¡°There should be some, but definitely fewer,¡±


    Liu Sisi replies matter-of-factly.


    Since the hens were frightened enough yesterday and they were just over half a year old, the number of eggs they produced was already low. With this scare, it¡¯s likely there will be even fewer.


    However, the two of them don¡¯t mind, and start making the sticky rice balls.


    Seeing that YingEr is still unwilling to wake up, Liu Sisi lets her lie down on herp as she starts rolling the sticky rice balls.


    ¡°I can handle these tasks on my own. You¡¯re pregnant, so don¡¯t worry about it. Just leave these easy tasks to me,¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er urges her nervously.


    Liu Sisi doesn¡¯t mind and smiles casually, ¡°It¡¯s just rolling some sticky rice balls. Will it tire me out? By the way, where¡¯s Da Mao? Has he not woken up yet?¡±


    ¡°Of course he hasn¡¯t. He yed so crazilyst night that he can¡¯t wake up this morning.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er is full of happiness.


    ¡°By the way, just leave me to watch the house today. You guys can go wherever you want without worrying, I¡¯ll take care of everything at home,¡± she reassures them.


    Since Liu Zhi¡¯er can handle it, Liu Sisi doesn¡¯t hesitate. She nods slightly, ¡°That works. I just don¡¯t know what ns Ye Lei has for today.¡±


    The two of them chat while working, and soon the sticky rice balls are ready.


    As expected, the sticky rice ballse out bright red after boiling. Round sticky rice balls and round shelled eggs together in a bowl symbolize the wish for reunion throughout the year.


    Di Yelei goes out for a stroll, and returns long after the sticky rice balls are ready.


    Seeing therge bowl full of sticky rice balls and eggs, he picks up his bowl and starts eating without saying anything.


    His father-inw just had two pieces in the morning and put down his chopsticks. Liu Sisi didn¡¯t bother urging him to eat more since there were plenty of delicacies at hometely and no one would be hungry.


    Just as they¡¯re eating, there¡¯s a knock at the door.


    It¡¯s Di Cheng¡¯s loud voice: ¡°Grandfather, Third Uncle, Third Auntie! Di Cheng is here to wish you a happy and long life!¡±


    That¡¯s right!


    The first day of the New Year has begun! N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Red envelopes, red envelopes, New Year¡¯s greetings for the New Year¡¯s money!¡± Before Di Cheng¡¯s words have settled, several other children rush in from outside the door ande to pay their respects.


    As for the New Year¡¯s money, Liu Sisi has long prepared it. She epts Di Cheng¡¯s bow and hands him a red envelope.


    Although many regions have dumplings on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Di family has a tradition of eating sticky rice balls¡­

 Chapter 384: Sisi’s Embarrassment

    Chapter 384: Sisi¡¯s Embarrassment


    Trantor: 549690339


    Elderly Mr. Di had prepared early, eagerly handing out various types of candy, pastries, and snacks to the children as they arrived.


    Today, these children¡¯s pockets must have beenrge and bulging with their New Year¡¯s clothes, paying New Year¡¯s greetings to everyone in turn.


    Once they received the goodies, they would take them home and then pay New Year¡¯s greetings to their elders in the vige one by one.


    Because Liu Sisi was pregnant and tired, she really got up toote. When she saw the ground covered in red in the courtyard outside, she couldn¡¯t help butugh!


    ¡°Did you set off the firecrackers this morning? I fell asleep and was so confused.¡±


    While a group of children were crowded in front of their father to pay New Year¡¯s greetings, Liu Sisi whispered to Di Yelei.


    He was wearing a dark blue outfit today, tightly wrapping his majestic chest. His angr features, against his bronze-colored skin, appeared even more simple and honest. Only in his dark and deep eyes, a fleeting brilliance silently revealed his inner wildness, charm, and wanton!


    Di Yelei had a rosy glow on his face, full of energy: ¡°Of course I set them off. I went out to pay New Year¡¯s visits to the elders and came back in a circle. Look, the window paper-cuts, fortune children, Door Gods, and spring couplets are all ready. It¡¯s normal for you to be tired now that you¡¯re pregnant.¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    While talking, he lowered his gaze to see a freshly dressed Liu Sisi.


    Today¡¯s Liu Sisi was different from her usual makeup-free appearance. Her hair was piled up high, revealing her smooth forehead. Her eyebrows were lightly swept, and her apricot eyes were filled with the warmth of spring. Her skin was delicate, smooth, and as soft as jade with a gentle glow, exuding maternal radiance.


    Following custom, she wore a magpie plum blossom hairpin in her hair. Her upper body was in a green tight-fitting robe with short sleeves, and her lower body was a green grass pleated skirt embroidered withrge bright red pomegranate flowers. With just a nce and a smile, she captivated Di Yelei¡¯s heart, making him unable to take his eyes off her!


    Liu Sisi raised her head and looked at the rednterns hanging at the entrance of the hall. Especially at the main entrance, the tworge rednterns and the four smallernterns next to them, with therge fortune knot in the middle, made the atmosphere rich with New Year¡¯s vor.


    In the midst ofughter, the children finished paying their New Year¡¯s greetings to Elderly Mr. Di and turned to pay their greetings to Di Yelei.


    ¡°Hey! What are you daydreaming about? Didn¡¯t you see Di Cheng paying his New Year¡¯s greetings to you?¡±


    Seeing that Di Yelei was still lost in thought, Liu Sisi hurried to nudge him with her elbow.


    Di Yelei finally came to his senses, chuckled a few times, and hurriedly took out the prepared red envelope from his arms and put it in Di Cheng¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Very good! Happy New Year, great luck and great wealth, try to find a good wife this year and have a big fat boy soon!¡±


    These words made Di Cheng¡¯s face turn red with embarrassment as he took the red envelope, bowed his head, and thanked, ¡°Thank you, Third Uncle and Third Aunt, for your kind wishes.¡±


    ¡°Di Cheng, you should take your Third Uncle¡¯s words seriously. You are already seventeen this year, and it¡¯s about time to consider getting married. Today, I shall have a good talk with your Second Sister-inw. When the timees, you can¡¯t leave out your Third Aunt¡¯s toast!¡±


    These words brightened Di Cheng¡¯s eyes! He immediately bowed with joy, ¡°Thank you, Third Aunt!¡±


    His gratitude was genuine, as he understood what Liu Sisi meant.


    But before anyone could say more, a group of children crowded around and asked for red envelopes one after another. Liu Sisi happily took out the small amounts of silver she had prepared earlier, giving ten copper coins to each child who came to greet the New Year. The delighted children giggled and quickly covered their wallets before running out of the Di Family home to spread the news to the other children!


    In general, people here only give melon seeds and peanuts as New Year¡¯s gifts, or else candy or a single copper coin.


    And Liu Sisi¡¯s ten copper coins as ordinary New Year¡¯s red envelopes were already considered top tier in Upper Vige! No wonder these children werepeting to spread the news!


    As expected, even before Liu Sisi tidied up and prepared to go out and greet people for New Year¡¯s, she saw arge group of children rushing towards the Di Family¡¯s house.


    The Di Family¡¯s unique house was located on the edge of the mountain, away from the vige. Watching arge group of children running over, the people in the house exchanged nces and startedughing as they took out their wallets.


    ¡°Elderly Mr. Di, Happy New Year! Wishing you good health!¡±


    ¡°Third Uncle Di, hello, we havee to pay you New Year greetings! May you be promoted and rich, with your sesame growing taller and taller every season!¡±


    ¡°Third Aunt Di, may you have a better year every year than thest!¡±


    Countless little mouths were talking, and countless little ones were paying their New Year¡¯s respects.


    With the few people inside the house not stopping to answer, Liu Sisi just had time to hand out silver coins to the constantly moving little heads, not remembering any of them.


    It took a great deal of effort to distribute the New Year¡¯s money to every child and send them away. Before everyone could catch their breath, another flood of people came from outside.


    But this time, it was not children who came, but their peers.


    Of course, it was another lively scene!


    This lively scenested until close to noon. Liu Sisi nced at the sky. It was still snowing lightly outside, but it did not deter the enthusiasm of the crowd. The Di family¡¯s kitchen, hall, and wing rooms were all filled with countless people greeting and celebrating together, either in groups of three or five, ying poker or Go, or bragging about their experiences outside, creating an extraordinarily lively atmosphere.


    There was no sign of Liu Sisi and others being able to leave the house to pay their New Year¡¯s respects.


    Liu Sisi thought about it and pulled Di Yelei over: ¡°Since everyone is gathering at our house and it¡¯s almost noontime, I think we should not go out to pay our New Year¡¯s respects. Instead, we can steam the food on the stove and invite everyone to eat.¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯sing to our house because of my father¡¯s favor, to save face for us. We shouldn¡¯t be stingy.¡±


    Di Yelei whispered softly.


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrow: ¡°So in the past at the old house, everyone in the vige would gather in the old house?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! In the past years, everyone gathered at Mr. Land Officer¡¯s house.¡±


    Di Yelei smiled proudly, whispering into Liu Sisi¡¯s ear, ¡°I¡¯m guessing! People are giving you face! They are treating you as the highest authority in our Upper Vige!¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? If people hear this, they¡¯llugh at you!¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly nced at him, then looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to them. ¡°You can¡¯t talk about this freely.¡±


    ¡°Sisi, do you think your husband is talking nonsense?¡±


    Di Yelei quietly approached her, grinning smugly, ¡°If not, you can exin why the people in the vige are gathering at our house. Or maybe you can go and ask them?¡±


    ¡°But, it seems that half of the people in the vige havee, right?¡±


    In addition to the people inside the house, the courtyard outside was also filled with people, especially in front of the Di family¡¯s stable, where it was almostpletely surrounded by a circle of people.

 Chapter 385: Reach Out a Helping Hand

    Chapter 385: Reach Out a Helping Hand


    Trantor: 549690339


    Di Yelei also turned his head to look at the crowds outside, feeling a little anxious.


    ¡°Will¡­will there be enough food?¡±


    ording to tradition, no new rice can be cooked, no cleaning can be done, and no dirty water can be spilled on the first day of the Lunar New Year.


    Although Di Family prepared a lot of dishes, the amount of rice¡­was only a big pot of rice after all!


    Both of them stared at each other, both encountering the situation before them for the first time and feeling a little confused.


    ¡°How about this! Before serving the cooked dishes, let¡¯s cook sticky rice balls and eggs for everyone to eat a bowl first. This way, everyone will definitely eat less rice, and then serve rice cakes to fill everyone¡¯s stomach first when we serve the dishes¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi said this with a bit of a blush on her face!


    Not having enough rice to eat, how awkward does this have to be?


    ¡°That seems like a good idea¡­¡±


    Di Yelei had a different idea from Liu Sisi. The rice at home was cooked for a family of two days of portions, so it was really impossible to feed so many people. If it really wasn¡¯t enough, they had to cook another pot of rice!


    Once the decision was made, Liu Sisi nodded to Liu Zhi¡¯er who was looking over, and the two went to the kitchen.


    The sound of people ying poker in the kitchen was deafening, surrounding the bonfire tightly.


    Seeing Liu Sisiing in, everyone greeted her with their New Year wishes, all with inexplicable excitement and full of smiles on their faces.


    The two didn¡¯t say much, went directly to start the steaming basket, and began to heat it. Meanwhile, they started to cook the sticky rice balls and eggs. Guihua and Ms. Xin squeezed over to help as well.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, let¡¯s help too. Are all these eggs going to be cooked?¡±


    With that said, she picked up the eggs.


    ¡°Of course, they have to be cooked, with so many people to feed.¡± It¡¯s still uncertain if the number of eggs will be enough once they¡¯re all cooked.


    Guihua also helped on the side, looking at the excited people ying poker and said, ¡°Sisi, it seems that all our fellow vigers from Upper Vige havee to your house.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Third Sister-inw is no ordinary person now; she¡¯s a proper official¡¯s wife.¡±


    Ms. Xin, whose eyes shed with radiance, hurriedly continued, ¡°Moreover, just the bookstore that Third Sister-inw opened in the town, it seems that she will need to hire help when she gives birth this year, right? It¡¯s just not clear who she has in mind as suitable candidates.¡±


    Her remarks left Liu Sisi momentarily stunned; she had actually forgotten to consider what to do after she gave birth.


    However, Ms. Xin¡¯s words alerted everyone who had been ying openly and secretly, and they all pricked up their ears to pay attention to the situation.


    Seeing all this, Guihua immediately scolded.


    ¡°Ms. Xin, isn¡¯t it too early to talk about this when Sisi¡¯s pregnancy hasn¡¯t even started to show yet?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just right to consider it now, so that we won¡¯t be too busy when ites to the crunch?¡±


    Ms. Xin¡¯s face still contained a charming shallow smile, and within the shimmering light, she took in the expressions of the people nearby.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not discuss this today since it¡¯s the New Year. Let¡¯s take a quick look at the pot and see if it¡¯s time to put the sticky rice balls in?¡± Liu Sisi said with a light smile, dissolving the tension around them.


    Actually, Ms. Xin¡¯s words were really spot-on; this matter could indeed be considered slowly.


    The bookstore was Brother Nan¡¯s shop, and even if she needed to hire help when she gave birth, it should be Brother Nan who took care of it. Now that they had so little silver left, they hadn¡¯t even had a chance to look at the farnd they had just bought before the New Year. They could think about it after the New Year!


    When the sticky rice balls and eggs were served, Di Yelei naturally invited everyone to start eating.


    Those who wanted to stay for dinner got their bowls and took their seats, while those who wanted to leave and eat at home understood their intentions and asked for permission to leave. Naturally, Di Yelei had to try to keep them from leaving again and again.


    No kidding, maybe it was because of that bowl of sticky rice balls. When the steaming meat dishes were served, everyone ate more meat and less rice than usual.


    Seeing that more than half of the rice was left, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the issue today was resolved perfectly.


    After dinner, taking advantage of people gradually dispersing, Liu Sisi opened her paper umbre and made an appointment with everyone to go to the Land Officer¡¯s home to celebrate the New Year together.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s status had changed significantly today. Not only did the Land Officer¡¯s wife take her to sit in the inner room alone, she also sent her all the way to the vige entrance before turning back. In the Upper Vige, this was an unprecedented courtesy.


    Afterward, she went to the old house to pay her respects to Ms. Zhao.


    Ms. Zhao didn¡¯t make any sarcastic remarks today and just handed Liu Sisi a red envelope with a casual ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Liu Sisi reached out to take it, pinching the corner of the envelope, she felt a copper coin and immediatelyughed!


    Only Ms. Zhao would dismiss her daughter-inw with just one copper coin! It¡¯s hard to find a second person like her!


    As she left, Ms. Xin hurriedly caught up with her.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, wait for me. I¡¯ll walk with you.¡±


    She affectionately took Liu Sisi¡¯s arm: ¡°Mom gave me a red envelope early this morning too. I found it auspicious, so when Brother Gao came to celebrate the New Year, I handed it to him in passing.¡±


    While speaking, Ms. Xin took out her handkerchief andughed while covering her mouth.


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh as well.


    ¡°Then Brother Gao cursed at the spot for a while, mom¡¯s face turned very ugly, as if she had been angered.¡± Ms. Xin¡¯s face showed an innocent expression.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head helplessly before both of them startedughing again. Eventually, Ms. Xin changed the subject: ¡°Third Sister-inw, are you going back to your mother¡¯s house tomorrow?¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t say anything, just looked at her with a cautious expression in her eyes.


    Ever since that night when something almost happened, she had been instinctively avoiding Ms. Xin. However, the other party seemed to intentionally sing a different tune and kept approaching her.


    Ms. Xin rolled her eyes and smiled bitterly, lowering her head: ¡°I-I don¡¯t mean anything else, just asking casually. I¡¯m so envious that you have a mother¡¯s house to go back to¡­¡±


    Unexpectedly, had it not been for her mentioning it today, Liu Sisi would havepletely forgotten that tomorrow is the day for married women to return to their mother¡¯s houses.


    Should she go back to her mother¡¯s house? N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t even know herself.


    She walked silently, her feet feeling unsteady on the ice as she suddenly slipped and fell down the slope!


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Her instinct was to scream, but she soon realized that her body was suspended in mid-air and hadn¡¯t fallen down to the bottom of the slope.


    When she looked back, she saw that her right hand was being grabbed by Ms. Xin!


    At that critical moment, it was Ms. Xin who reached out a helping hand to her! Ms. Xin was pulling her, with her waistband wrapped around a big tree by the roadside!


    Ms. Xin¡¯s face was deathly pale, not caring about her own condition. She carefully checked Liu Sisi up and down, showing a worried look.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, are you okay? Have you hurt yourself anywhere? Third Sister-inw, please say something. Don¡¯t scare me¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you! Cui¡¯er.¡±


    Liu Sisi sincerely thanked her.

 Chapter 386: What a Fortunate Encounter

    Chapter 386: What a Fortunate Encounter


    Trantor: 549690339


    She never expected Xin Shi to extend a helping hand to her!


    This surprised her so much!


    In her opinion, Xin Shi should have hated her enough to wish something bad happen to her directly, but in the face of the ident just now, Xin Shi ignored her own injuries to save her. Why was that?


    Is it a tactic of catching by letting go?


    But her instincts told her that Xin Shi genuinely saved her! There was no pretense at all.


    ¡°As long as you are fine! Tsk ¨C Ouch! It hurts so much!¡±


    As Xin Shi¡¯s spirits rxed, she finally realized that she had scraped the skin off her elbow, the pain struck her intermittently. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Oh, how are you feeling? Does it hurt a lot? It¡¯s not far from my home, you cane with me, and I will help you with the medicine.¡±


    Ignoring everything else, Liu Sisi took her hand and led her towards home.


    ¡°No need, it¡¯s just some superficial injuries. I¡¯ve been used to it all these years.¡±


    Xin Shiughed indifferently, sped her hand, and casually covered the wound: ¡°Let¡¯s go! Your home, Third Sister-inw, is so warm; I never want to leave when I sit in your house. We ran out of firewood at home long ago, so I¡¯ve been picking up firewood to use for these days. It takes quite a while to light a fire¡­¡±


    Everyone yed at the Di Family¡¯s home untilte at night before dispersing.


    Lying in Di Yelei¡¯s arms, Liu Sisi could not fall asleep even after tossing and turning, thinking about the events that happened this afternoon.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡±


    Di Yelei gently patted her back, asking her curiously.


    Unable to sleep, Liu Sisi simply propped herself up, lit the candle, turned to face him, thought for a while, and ultimately didn¡¯t tell Di Yelei about what happened in the afternoon, instead she changed the topic.


    ¡°My sister-inw mentioned today that tomorrow is the day to return to my mother¡¯s home. I¡¯m thinking, should I go back? But even if I do, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°Are you ming them for selling you initially? Sisi, do you¡­ regret marrying me, Di Yelei?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s arm suddenly tightened, obviously very nervous about the answer to this question.


    ¡°To say unwilling, that¡¯s impossible. However, speaking of regretting marrying you, I did think that once.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed out loud, causing ripples throughout his body: ¡°Do you remember at first, I once said I wanted a divorce? At that time, I really regretted knowing you. It¡¯s all because you deliberately made me upset!¡±


    ¡°Injustice! Sisi, I wasn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Di Yelei cried injustice, but before he could finish, Liu Sisi covered his mouth with her hand: ¡°Later, I figured it out, especially when you were on the back mountain. When you wouldn¡¯t let go of me, I understood that I, Liu Sisi, was fortunate to meet a good man! A good husband! A good son-inw!¡±


    After saying that, she smiled yfully and hugged his waist.


    Her words immediately made Di Yelei feel much better!


    His mouth also curved into a big smile, unable to resist tightening his arms: ¡°Sisi, how lucky I, Di Yelei, am to have met you! You are my lucky star, my beloved little kitten¡­¡±


    No longer able to suppress the emotions in his heart, he aimed for her little mouth and kissed her, continuously grinding her. His big hand tightly wrapped around her still slim waist, pulling her firmly into his embrace.


    His clever tongue quickly captured her little tongue, unceasingly plundering.


    His tongue was like a dexterous fire snake, constantly lingering on her mouth, gently biting her little mouth.


    Tonight, Liu Sisi was also exceptionally quick to be emotionally moved by him and couldn¡¯t help but respond softly.


    Her response further ignited the raging fire in his heart, and it suddenly burned intensely!


    ¡°Sisi, I want you, I really, really want you! It¡¯s been so long since we¡¯ve¡­¡±


    Taking advantage of the pause for breath, Di Yelei whispered to her, then leaned in and kissed her lips once more.


    His hands were far from idle, easily undressing her with a tug and effortlessly untying the string from her small pocket, revealing the delicate, white beauty of her chest to his eyes.


    The trembling, fleshy buds trembled even more, impatiently breaking free from their confines and quivering in the cold wind, making her shiver involuntarily.


    ¡°Mmm! Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi felt a chill on her body, as her small frame was suddenly exposed to his burning gaze.


    She couldn¡¯t help but curl up, instinctively stretching her hand out in front of her to block his vision, shyly looking into his eyes which were filled with timidity and unease.


    Her whole body blushed with a faint pink hue, making her even more alluring.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cover it! Good girl, my little kitten¡¯s body is so delicate¡­ Be a good girl and let your husband take a closer look!¡±


    His eyes werepletely glued to her, unable to look away.


    He reached out with his slightly trembling hand and, without hesitation, ced it directly over her erect nipple, subjecting it to his whims, asionally flicking it with his fingers.


    Pulling it outward and suddenly releasing it, watching it change into various shapes he desired in his bronze-colored hand.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡ªoh, be gentle, it hurts¡­ Be careful not to harm the baby in the belly¡­¡±


    The slight pain mixed with waves of tingling relentlessly assaulted Liu Sisi¡¯s mind.


    She couldn¡¯t help but bend her knees, grinding them together in difort, hoping to alleviate the tingling sensation in a certain area.


    ¡°It won¡¯t, trust your husband, be a good girl.¡±


    He gently coaxed her.


    His long beard turned into a small brush, bringing up dense itches with every nibble.


    She moaned in frustration from the sudden surge of desire, unable to help but close her eyes and savor the sensation of him, tightly grasping his strong arm.


    ¡°We can¡¯t, umm! The doctor said thest time, this pregnancy isn¡¯t stable due to the baby¡¯s young month, we can¡¯t¡­ share a room!¡±


    Having barely managed to utter those words, Liu Sisi had already be breathless, her eyes zed over with lust.


    ¡°Damn it! Damn that old man!¡±


    Di Yelei muttered curses under his breath, his previously tense nerves suddenly rxing as he copsed despondently onto Liu Sisi¡¯s body.


    After a while, Liu Sisi regained her senses and began tough softly, which gradually grew into heartyughter.


    ¡°Well! You did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you? Deliberately arousing my desires, then leaving me wanting yet unable to have, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Di Yelei looked as if he had just discovered her intentions and began to tease her, tickling her incessantly.


    ¡°Stop! No more! It¡¯s so itchy, stop it now!¡±


    Liu Sisi struggled while the two yfully wrestled with each other for quite a while before Di Yelei reluctantly let her go and carefully dressed her, tying her skirt once more.


    ¡°You just wait and see! If I have to keep holding back like this, I¡¯m going to go crazy!¡±


    Di Yelei wore an unsatisfied expression as he hugged her slender waist tightly, still unwilling to give up, giving her a good pinch on her little butt.

 Chapter 387: Returning to Mother’s Home

    Chapter 387: Returning to Mother¡¯s Home


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Is it true or not?¡±


    Liu Sisi giggled, deliberately stroking his chin, and touched the just-emerging stubble, which prickly pricked her palm.


    ¡°What do you think? You little rascal! Come, you touch and see¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he caught her little hand and guided her to his burning location, constantly rubbing against it, and immediately uttered a gasp!


    Liu Sisi tried to withdraw her hand but failed several attempts.


    ¡°Sisi¡­ hurry up and help me¡­¡±


    His voice was particrly impatient, urging her continuously, guiding her little hand to keep moving.


    His mouth also pressed down, eagerly seeking her little mouth and couldn¡¯t wait to kiss it.


    The rubbing was persistent!


    Nibbling!


    Full of affection, not willing to let go¡­


    The fatigue on Liu Sisi¡¯s small hand was undeniable, she urged him on as well.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you done yet? Hurry up! I can¡¯t take it with my hand!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop! Suck¡±


    His face was exceptionally grim and twisted in pain. He was very terrifying!


    A momentter, a muffled growl came from deep in his throat, followed by a sudden violent shudder!


    After more than a dozen times, he finally stopped.


    Damn! So tired, my hand is so soft, this thing has a fishy smell, sticky, so annoying¡­


    Before he could finish tidying up, she had already sunk into dreand.


    Early in the morning, the whole family got ready together and prepared to return to the mother¡¯s home. In addition to Di Yelei, Di Xuan, and Di Ying, Liu Zhi¡¯er was also forcibly brought by Liu Sisi.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er had no intention of going back but couldn¡¯t resist Liu Sisi¡¯s persuasion.


    Liu Sisi was sold to Di Family by her eldest brother and elder sister-inw. Wasn¡¯t Liu Zhi¡¯er the same? The two sisters weighed the same and naturally had no intention of returning to their mother¡¯s home.


    However, they couldn¡¯t resist the deep longing in Liu Sisi¡¯s heart and decided to go back once.


    After getting married with Sisi, due to the initial high fever anda, Di Yelei never took her back to her mother¡¯s home, and he had not visited her mother¡¯s home even once.


    ¡°What? You mean you¡¯ve never been to the Liu Family? Then how did you marry me?¡±


    On the way, Liu Sisi was shocked to hear this.


    Di Yelei nodded naturally!


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Our family was poor back then, and I managed to save some silver and gave it directly to Matchmaker Wang. Two dayster, Matchmaker Wang asked their boy to tell me to bring ten taels of silver to pick up the person. Coincidentally, Zhang Peng went up the mountain that day, so I had no ce to borrow silver. So I had no choice but to find Second Brother, borrow ten taels of silver, and follow Wang¡¯s boy. When I arrived at Wang¡¯s house, you were lying there sound asleep and motionless.¡±


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t suspect anything?¡±


    Liu Sisi stared contemptuously at him. How stupid must this man be to have been duped?


    ¡°Um! At that time¡­ ahem!¡±


    Di Yeleiughed somewhat embarrassingly!


    ¡°Matchmaker Wang said the person I would choose was lying right there, and if I was satisfied, I could take her away. If I wasn¡¯t satisfied, she would help me find another candidate. You were lying there motionless at the time, but you caught my eye, so I took you home,¡± he exined.


    Di Yelei chuckled proudly, frequently looking back at Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi suddenly understood!


    It was probably because he had taken a fancy to her original body!


    ¡°Brother-inw, did you fall in love with my little sister at first sight?¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was beside them, couldn¡¯t help but tease.


    ¡°That didn¡¯t happen at the time! Her face was a mess back then, all green and purple, so I couldn¡¯t see what she really looked like,¡± said Di Yelei.


    Di Yelei recalled the situation at the time: ¡°Actually, I was quite torn back then. But Matchmaker Wang said that you had eloped with someone and were caught by your headmistress. Your family thought it was humiliating, so they let your brother and sister-inw sell you. She said if I didn¡¯t buy you, she would arrange for you to be sold somewhere foul! It was thisment that ultimately made me decide to buy you!¡±


    He turned to look at Liu Sisi and said, ¡°At the time, I thought following me, Di Yelei, would be better than going to that dirty ce. I didn¡¯t expect to gain such a fortune and get a young maiden! Haha¡­¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His heartyughter caused Liu Sisi to puff up her cheeks and re at him with wide eyes, her lovely face turning crimson.


    ¡°Di Yelei! Do you want to eat braised pork ribs? Or stir-fried bamboo shoots and pork? Or a fragrant meal?¡±


    The warning in her eyes finally stopped Di Yelei¡¯s smugughter, but the irritating grin on his well-defined face remained. Instead, he reached out to grab her little hand and refused to let go.


    This scene caused the light in Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyes to dim as her footsteps slowed while walking behind the two of them.


    It turns out that men really care about marriage matters¡­


    The three children walking ahead, on the other hand, were happily jumping and ying around, urging the adults to hurry up.


    ¡°Dad! Mom! Second Aunt, hurry up! Hurry up!¡±


    The group set off before dawn and arrived at Liu Family¡¯s Mansion nearing noontime.


    As the Liu Family Courtyard came into view, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but look at the other side of the hill.


    That was where South Mountain Vige, Di Ruoning¡¯s home, was located!


    And there was also the detestable Zuo Xingyu¡¯s house over there. She wondered if she would encounter any bad luck by seeing him today!


    She had only caught a glimpse of Liu Family Mansionst time she came, but as she gradually approached it now, she noticed how grand it was, surrounded by emerald bamboo and pine and cypress trees.


    Layer uponyer of houses were neatly arranged in the mountain hollow, looking exceptionally distinctive.


    The roofs were covered in ayer of white snow, while a thin, un-meltedyer of snow also umted on the green bamboo and pine trees, adding a touch of silver-white to the greenery.


    As they drew closer, Liu Sisi still looked around in confusion, not recognizing her surroundings.


    ¡°Little sister, you¡¯re going the wrong way. You should go this way.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, who had caught up from behind, hurriedly stopped them from going any further and pointed to the other side: ¡°Our parents¡¯ room is in the left wing courtyard.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Why is it on the left side?¡±


    No wonder she found it strange. ording to the local customs here, the left side was usually allocated to the main family, while the right side was for the wing families. Why did her parents stay on the left side if they wanted to sell her?


    Before Liu Sisi could ask for rification, Liu Zhi¡¯er had already led the group to stop in front of a row of four houses.


    At the moment, an older woman with graying hair stood in front of the door, clucking and calling to the chickens while scattering grain from the dustpan in her hand.


    At the sight of this, Liu Zhi¡¯er, with a face full of excitement, hurriedly stepped forward and said, ¡°Mom! We¡¯re back! Little sister and I came to see you.¡±

 Chapter 388: Came to the Wrong Place!

    Chapter 388: Came to the Wrong ce!


    Trantor: 549690339


    That married woman¡¯s hand, which was originally spreading coarse grains, paused in mid-air as she slowly turned around, facing Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face.


    ¡°Zhi, Zhi¡¯er¡­ Are you back?¡±


    As the married woman Yao turned her head, she looked at her with a surprised and happy expression on her face. She then stretched out a withered and thin hand, slightly trembling, trying to touch Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face.


    This allowed Liu Sisi to see her face clearly as well.


    Her face and figure indeed resembled her own by seventy to eighty percent, especially those eyes. Although they had experienced numerous hardships, their eyebrows were carved from the same mold!


    But even so, she still had no memories about the other person,pletely unfamiliar.


    ¡°Mom! It¡¯s Zhi¡¯er who¡¯s back, it¡¯s Zhi¡¯er who¡¯s back, Mom¡­¡±


    While Liu Sisi was still standing there in a daze, Liu Zhi¡¯er had already cried and rushed into Yao¡¯s arms, crying out loud.


    After the two cried for a moment, it was Da Mao, who was close to Liu Zhi¡¯er, that couldn¡¯t help but tug at her sleeve and call out to her.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    Only then did Liu Zhi¡¯er regain her consciousness. She let go of the married woman, looked back at Da Mao and said, ¡°Da Mao, this is your grandmother, hurry up and greet her!¡±


    Da Mao still leaned against Liu Zhi¡¯er in fear and didn¡¯t speak.


    Yao lowered her head and coaxed Da Mao, ¡°Da Mao, Da Mao, quickly call grandma! What¡¯s wrong with Da Mao? Why don¡¯t you even feel happy when you see your grandmother? Right, where are Er Mao and San Mao? Why didn¡¯t you bring them back? And, Dong Chang didn¡¯te back together, but¡­¡±


    While talking, she raised her head and immediately met a pair of inquisitive eyes!


    Liu Sisi hurriedly withdrew her gaze and unconsciously stepped back two steps until she leaned against Di Yelei behind her. Then she turned her head and looked at a few people, silently watching the people in front of her.


    ¡°Mom, these are my little sister and brother-inw¡­¡±


    Yao¡¯s face was full of surprise, and it took her a long time to recover. She hurriedly stepped forward two steps, carefully looked at her for a while, and her tears flowed down!


    ¡°Sisi! My Sisi, you are finally back¡­¡±


    She hugged her and cried loudly!


    The sound of crying outside the house naturally attracted the attention of people inside. Immediately, a middle-aged man wearing both hands inside his sleeves came out from the room. It was Liu Sisi¡¯s biological father, Liu Quan.


    As soon as Liu Quan¡¯s gaze caught Liu Sisi, he froze for a moment, various thoughts flickered quickly in his eyes, and his expression changed mysteriously!


    But after a short while, he tightened his face, sternly pointed at her and scolded!


    ¡°How dare you! You still have the face toe back here? Get lost! Get far away! Don¡¯t dirty my Liu Family¡¯snd! Don¡¯t dirty my Liu Quan¡¯s eyes!¡±


    This usation left Liu Sisi somewhat stupefied!


    She became furiously amused: ¡°It¡¯s really strange, if you hate me so much, why didn¡¯t you just kill me when I was born, instead of getting angry now!¡±


    She had always been resentful of the Liu Family members, because they were the ones who sold her to Di Yelei!


    Angered by the other party¡¯s scolding, her anger began to gather deep in her heart.


    Di Yelei, who was behind her, frowned even more tightly. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Liu Quan was his father-inw, he might have already taken action!


    Thement enraged Liu Quan as well.


    ¡°You¡­ very well! Good! You, Liu Sisi! Now that your wings are hard and mighty, you¡¯ve even learned how to talk back! Watch me not beat you to death!¡±


    Liu Quan, furious, was about to grab some bamboo strips to hit someone!


    Realizing the situation was getting out of hand, Liu Zhi¡¯er next to him hurriedly grabbed his clothes and knelt down: ¡°Dad! Dad, Little Sister was framed initially! Today is the first time Little Sister and brother-inw step inside, and Little Sister is pregnant now. Please don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to turn the heavens against me?! I, Liu Quan, have never had such a disgraceful daughter! Let go¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he really picked up a wooden stick from the side and raised it, ready to strike down.


    Ms. Yao next to him was shocked! She quickly went forward and grabbed Liu Quan¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Old man, old man, listen to me. Today is the New Year, and it¡¯s rare for the two children to return to their mother¡¯s home. Please just calm down and let theme inside. Let¡¯s talk about it inside, okay? Ah, old man?¡±


    Ms. Yao was almost begging desperately.


    ¡°Let go! Who knows who the bastard in her belly is? Good riddance if I hit her¡­ Ow!¡±


    His anger still hadn¡¯t fully vented, and he suddenly felt a pain in his arm, only to find that his wrist had been grabbed by someone!


    Di Yelei firmly held his arm, and with a twist, directly turned his hand behind his back.


    ¡°Who did you just call a bastard?¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He had long been annoyed by the arrogance of the other party, and now that he heard him insulting Sisi and the child in her belly, he couldn¡¯t help but stand up.


    ¡°Ouch! Ouch! Let go! Let go!¡±


    Liu Quan was in so much pain that his face was covered in sweat, trying to struggle but finding that he had no room to move.


    ¡°For the sake of you being Sisi¡¯s father, I won¡¯t say anything this time! But you better remember what I told you! Sisi was a pure and innocent girl when she married me, Di Yelei! And the child in her belly is my, Di Yelei¡¯s, flesh and blood! Humph!¡±


    With a cold snort, Di Yelei finally let go of his hands and pushed him with one hand.


    Liu Quan staggered two steps before barely standing still, and only then did he notice Di Yelei standing here for the first time. As soon as he saw the strong body and imposing aura of the other party, his expression wilted immediately.


    He didn¡¯t know where his eyes had been just now. Such an overbearing person was standing right in front of him, and he hadpletely ignored it!


    ¡°Who¡­ who are you?¡±


    Liu Quan stuttered nervously.


    Themotion here soon attracted the neighbors, and many people were peeking and looking at the situation here from the side, noticing the movement in this ce.


    Seeing this, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyes turned swiftly and she cried out loud: ¡°Dad! Initially, Little Sister was framed by someone! The imperial nanny named Xu, who was specially responsible for examining the girls sent to the Pce in the county, had examined Little Sister, and Little Sister was indeed innocent! She was framed by someone! How could you side with those evil people and falsely use Little Sister indiscriminately?¡±


    ¡°This is what she said herself! Her bad behavior disturbs the whole family and keeps them restless. Today, I, Liu Family, will not let such a shameless person enter the main entrance!¡±


    Liu Quan¡¯s anger was sky-high, and he stubbornly refused to give in.


    ¡°Enough! Second Sister, since he doesn¡¯t want to admit it, I, Liu Sisi, don¡¯t want to admit it either!¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at the scene with cold eyes, trying hard to ignore the bursts of pain from the bottom of her heart, and couldn¡¯t help but shed two tears.


    This was the sadness left by her original self. Perhaps she never imagined that her father could be so cold-hearted!


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t havee today! Yelei, let¡¯s leave here!¡±


    Having said that, Liu Sisi turned around and left.

 Chapter 389: 389: Gains Must Come with Losses

    Chapter 389: 389: Gains Must Come with Losses<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    How could she not have thought that parents who could let their daughter get married and not care for her in more than half a year, how could they be good?


    If they really cared about her and valued her, they would have longe to check on her!


    She shouldn¡¯t have held onto any illusions!


    The so-called ¡°the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment¡±; that must be her situation right now, right?


    Feeling angry, she naturally walked very fast.<div>


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, don¡¯t be like this¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er chased after her from behind, grabbing Liu Sisi¡¯s arm and stopping her from continuing to walk forward.


    ¡°Little Sister, look, you¡¯re still trying to convince me toe back to see our parents. Yet, when we reach the door of our home, you¡¯re the one who wants to back out! Just like you said, it¡¯s only being scolded a few times, it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll lose a chunk of meat. Our Dad is still our Dad! No matter what he did wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, he gave birth to me and raised me, but he also sold me like selling a pig, a chicken, or a duck, like he did with me, Liu Sisi.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s pent up anger did not dissipate, and was stuck in her chest!


    She turned her head and swept her gaze over the crowd surrounding her: ¡°Tell me, is a pig that has already been sold still considered part of the original owner¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°This, this matter, of course, doesn¡¯t count, but¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er dodged and hesitated, not knowing how to respond.


    ¡°So you see, people are even worse than pigs!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth curled up in a shallow smile, but there were two tear streaks on her face.


    ¡°He was actually right just now! Since a sold pig is no longer considered part of its original family, then I, a person sold by the Liu Family, should not be considered a member of the Liu Family either!¡±


    As she forced a smile and tried to lighten the mood, she carefully unsped Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s fingers, one by one, and looked at her with a pained expression, unable to find the right words tofort her.<div>


    ¡°Since I am not a member of the Liu Family, naturally, I should not enter the Liu Family¡¯s main entrance¡­ Second Sister, I¡¯ll go first!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand dropped dejectedly, looking at her, at a loss.


    Liu Sisi let out a mournful smile, forcibly holding back her tears, and turned around to stride away.


    It wasn¡¯t until she had taken several quick steps around two bays that her anger had somewhat subsided, and her pace finally slowed down.


    Although she said beautiful words, deep down, she too hoped to receive her parents¡¯ love and care, to have a joyous and peaceful family reunion during the New Year.


    ¡°Sisi! ¡±


    A mournful call suddenly came from behind her, causing Liu Sisi to stop involuntarily.


    Mrs. Yao caught up with her, grabbing her hand and couldn¡¯t help but cry out.


    ¡°Si¡¯er, do you really not want me, your mother¡­?¡±


    Hearing these words, Liu Sisi¡¯s heart ached, but she stubbornly refused to turn around.


    ¡°I know it was my fault for making you get married in a hurry. In the beginning, you were taken by Businessman Zhang¡­This was the best solution I could think of. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m useless and couldn¡¯t go against your father and your big brother. I didn¡¯t want you to get married so soon, but¡­¡± Mrs. Yao sobbed, shaking Liu Sisi¡¯s hand while covering her own mouth with the other.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±<div>


    Unable to control herself, Liu Sisi turned around and cried out, throwing herself into her mother¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Mom, Sisi knows it¡¯s not your fault¡­¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It was alreadymendable that Ms. Yao had managed to marry herself off under such circumstances, withstanding the pressure from the rest of her family!


    ¡°Si¡¯er, my poor Si¡¯er! To see you safe and sound, it¡¯s worth it even if I have to die for it¡­¡±


    Instead offorting Ms. Yao, these words made her cry even louder!


    Tears welled up in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.


    The mother and daughter hugged each other for a long time, unwilling to let go.


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t cry! We¡¯re reunited today; we should be happier.¡±


    After a while, Liu Sisi finally came back to her senses and wiped away Ms. Yao¡¯s tears. Though she had no memory of her existence, the bond between a mother and daughter was unbreakable, and she could still feel the genuine love Ms. Yao had for her through her words and actions.


    ¡°Yes, you are right, it¡¯s my fault!¡±


    These words prompted Ms. Yao to quickly wipe away her tears, smiling happily as she held her daughter¡¯s hand, ¡°Si¡¯er, let¡¯s go home. I made starch-steamed meat and braised pork trotter today, so you have to eat moreter.¡±


    ¡°No! Mom, Sisi doesn¡¯t want to go back.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi pouted, her face stubborn. Even though she knew logically that she should agree, her pride deep within her refused to do so!


    ¡°Si¡¯er, don¡¯t be silly, just go home and have a few bites. Just a few bites of the dishes your mother made, okay? Just a few bites¡­ or do you want your mother to kneel before you before you agree?¡±


    As she spoke, Ms. Yao slowly began to kneel, which shocked Liu Sisi and made her kneel down as well.


    ¡°Mother! What are you doing? Are you still my mother? What kind of mother would kneel before her daughter? Please get up¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s tears finally fell.


    ¡°No, unless you agree to forgive your mother, I won¡¯t get up.¡± Ms. Yao sobbed, ¡°Si¡¯er, do you know how long your mother has been waiting for you toe back? Si¡¯er, you heartless girl, you left without even entering the house when you returned home. You really want to kill your mother, stab her heart with a knife¡­¡±


    Ms. Yao¡¯s crying was so intense that she could barely catch her breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for letting you down, and for letting you and your sisters down. I tried my best, but I can¡¯t fight against your father and your brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop talking! Mother, I promise you! Sisi promises.¡±


    Ms. Yao¡¯s heartbreaking cries finally touched the string in Liu Sisi¡¯s heart, the string called family ties.


    ¡°Si¡¯er, you¡­ what did you just say? You promised your mother? You really promised me? That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great! Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go home quickly¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sisi promised Mother.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi softly replied, wiping her mother¡¯s tears away with a handkerchief, ¡°Most things in life don¡¯t go as we wish. I, Liu Sisi, am already fortunate to have a mother who truly loves me. How could I dare to ask for more?¡±


    Compared to having a loving mother, the presence of trashy rtives like her father and brother was insignificant!


    ¡°Ah, Mother is so happy to have such a well-behaved child like you¡­ let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Ms. Yao was overjoyed, pulling Liu Sisi¡¯s hand as they turned to go back.


    Having seen through the true nature of her family, Liu Sisi felt surprisingly calm when she turned around to face her father again.


    The world was like this; to gain something, one must inevitably lose something.


    Having such a wonderful mother, she, Liu Sisi, no longer cared about the trashy rtives she had.

 Chapter 390: 390: The Stubborn Liu Quan, Sisi’s Provocation

    Chapter 390: 390: The Stubborn Liu Quan, Sisi¡¯s Provocation<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Di Yelei stood still with a stern face in front of the Liu Family¡¯s main entrance, holding the hands of two children.


    At the same time, Liu Quan was being pulled aside by Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was whispering something to him.


    In the hidden corner of the house, a considerable number of people were watching, pointing and whispering in their direction. This only made Liu Quan¡¯s face turn even worse.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi and Ms. Yao returned, and their presence made his anger reach its peak. Ignoring Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s tugging, he violently pushed her away.


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts¡­¡±<div>


    Without any warning, Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was pushed to the side, stumbled back several steps and fell to the ground, also bringing down Da Mao.


    Da Mao was frightened, and bursting into tears, Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but get up and nervouslyfort him.


    Liu Quan didn¡¯t care about the crying behind him at all and pointed at Liu Sisi, shouting angrily!


    ¡°You actually have the nerve toe back! Get lost!¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t Ie back? I just came to see my mom; what right do you have to interfere?¡±


    Liu Sisi wouldn¡¯t yield a single inch!


    She held her head high, lifting her graceful swan neck, looking so noble and charming!


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Liu Quan raised his trembling hand, pointing at her, and angrily said, ¡°There¡¯s no disgraceful daughter like you in the Liu Family!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re actually right; your daughter, Liu Sisi, has long been dead.¡±


    Liu Sisi chuckled and took two steps forward, the corners of her mouth raising a faint smile: ¡°What¡¯s standing in front of you now is just someone with the same name and the same appearance. Even if you want to feel the disgrace, it¡¯s already toote!¡±


    Wasn¡¯t she already dead? Otherwise, how could today¡¯s her havee through and been reborn?<div>


    ¡°Sisi, you should stop talking. Ah?¡±


    Ms. Yao had a pleading expression on her face and gently tugged Liu Sisi¡¯s sleeve.


    Looking at everyone¡¯s faces, Liu Sisi realized that no one took her truthful words seriously. She couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the original owner of the body. What kind of family did she live in?


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry! Since Sisi hase back with you, I will definitely have the meal you cooked before I leave!¡±


    She raised her voice deliberately to let Liu Quan hear, challenging his authority.


    Liu Quan was naturally furious.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even dare! There¡¯s no ce for you in our family¡¯s cooked dishes! Stand still, stand still!¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t care about his yelling at all; on the contrary, she smiled proudly! While being dragged by Ms. Yao, she swaggered into the Liu Family¡¯s home¡ªwhere the original owner of the body grew up.


    At first nce, the Liu Family didn¡¯t seem affluent; there were four adobe brick rooms, with a small amount of firewood piled under the eaves. Although there were spring couplets and window paper-cuts pasted on the door and windows, and a huge character of happiness on the two door panels to bring joy, it still felt gloomy without any vitality.


    Seeing that she had gotten her daughter into the house, Ms. Yao hurried back to greet Di Yelei.


    ¡°You, you are from the Di Family¡­¡±


    Ms. Yao felt exceptionally awkward as she didn¡¯t even know the name of the person in front of her by now, and she didn¡¯t know how to talk to him.<div>


    Di Yelei noticed it as well, realizing that this mother-inw did genuinely love Sisi.


    He hurriedly sped his fists and bowed, speaking politely and generously, ¡°Mother-inw, you can just call me Yelei.¡±


    Since Di Yelei was willing to speak, it put Ms. Yao¡¯s hanging heart at ease: ¡°Yelei, you can go inside and rest for a while. Oh, right, these are my two lovely grandsons, aren¡¯t they? Come, follow your grandmother inside to y. We have lots of delicious foods at home; your grandmother is going to get some for you¡­¡±


    Ms. Yao, just like Liu Sisi, had an innate affinity; looking at the married woman who resembled her mother so much, YingEr quietly ced her hand into hers.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t pay much attention to it; when entering the main entrance, he nced back.


    Outside, Liu Zhi¡¯er was talking to Liu Quan, dragging him along.


    He suddenly smiled; his father-inw was really interesting!


    He genuinely wanted to break free from Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s grip; wouldn¡¯t it only take a casual effort to do so? Yet Liu Quan was roaring thunderously with little rain here. Perhaps his heart wasn¡¯t as ruthless towards Sisi as he appeared to be?


    He wondered if Liu Quan was aware of this himself.


    Inside the house, Ms. Yao had already taken out many snacks and ced them in front of the two children.


    ¡°Come,e, these were all prepared by your grandmother in advance. See if there are any goodies you like. Here, this is dried sweet potato, stir-fried with aged river sand, very crispy! And this is steamed cake, also bought by your grandmother. This is¡­¡±


    Ms. Yao kept stuffing food into the hands of the two children.<div>


    ¡°Thank you, grandmother.¡±


    Di Xuan and Di Ying politely thanked her. Their hands were both full, and Ms. Yao was still taking out more food incessantly.


    ¡°Mom, we have plenty of food at home, and the children¡¯s pockets are already full. Please keep these for entertaining guests.¡±


    Previously inspecting the decorations in the house, Liu Sisi turned around just in time to see this scene.


    ¡°No problem! These things are meant for eating anyway. Come, Ye Lei! Just treat this ce like your own home, don¡¯t be formal, feel free to take and eat.¡± Ms. Yao was busy inviting Di Yelei, spinning like a top non-stop.


    ¡°Mother-inw, we understand,¡± Di Yelei didn¡¯t say much.


    Ms. Yao hurriedly brought out some hot tea, finally breathing a sigh of relief: ¡°You all can sit for a while, I¡¯ll go cook. You must eat enough today before returning.¡± After that, she left the room, secretly wiping her tears.


    With no outsiders around, the family stared at each other, and finally, Di Yelei took the initiative to break the silence.


    ¡°Your mom really loves you, you can tell; she cares a lot about you.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded earnestly: ¡°I can also see that. Although I can¡¯t remember the past, I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°Mom, should we really have a meal hereter?¡±


    Di Xuan leaned over and whispered.<div>


    He was not young, and naturally knew right from wrong. He noticed that their grandfather didn¡¯t seem to be happy about their visit.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him! We¡¯ll have our own meal, let him vent his anger. Just remember that we¡¯re visiting your grandmother¡¯s home today. As for him ¡­ just ignore him.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke directly.


    Considering that he was her original father, she wouldn¡¯t hold grudges against him, but that didn¡¯t mean she could forgive his endless bullying!


    ¡°Are you teaching your children that? Don¡¯t you always tell Xuan¡¯er to treat his grandmother well? Howe it changed when ites to your grandfather?¡±


    Di Yeleiughed from the side.


    Liu Sisi pursed her lips and didn¡¯t say more.


    As a few people were talking, Liu Quan also came in.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you have entered the Liu Family¡¯s door, I will forgive you! I, Liu Quan, do not have a daughter like you! Let me tell you, my home¡¯s food and dishes will never be given to someone like you!¡±


    Besides being angry, there wasn¡¯t much he could do to Liu Sisi, as he jumped around like a furious monkey.

 Chapter 391: 391: The Needle Against the Wheat, Sisi from the private school busily investigates

    Chapter 391: The Needle Against the Wheat, Sisi from the private school busily investigates


    ¡°You¡¯ve got that wrong. Today, I¡¯m all in for this meal!¡±<div>


    Right as Liu Sisi was stepping into the kitchen of the Liu family through the side door, she paused upon hearing this and turned around with a radiant smile.


    ¡°Not only am I going to eat, but I¡¯m also going to eat my fill. Furthermore, I¡¯m also nning to take away a generous portion!¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­You are so shameless¡­¡±


    Liu Quan, pointing at her nose, was so angry that he was lost for words.


    ¡°How am I shameless? I¡¯m eating my Mom¡¯s home-cooked food. Is it because you think that Sisi can¡¯t eat much and that¡¯s making you upset? Lord Father, rest assured! Not only is Sisi going to eat, but she¡¯s also brought your favorite son-inw to eat together.¡±


    Father and daughter were in a showdown: ¡°You don¡¯t want me to eat, so I¡¯m going to eat. You don¡¯t let me in, so I¡¯m going toe in anyway. I¡¯ll eat you out of house and home, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ll do then.¡±<div>


    With that, she held her head high and went directly into the kitchen to help.


    The left-behind Liu Quan, his mouth wide open, shaking his outstretched finger in disbelief, finally lowered his arm after a while.


    Upon turning around, he came face-to-face with the father and son, who were sitting leisurely on the other side of the room, enjoying the drama.


    YingEr was eating her Fried Dough Twist, which was crispy and delicious, and she loved it. When she looked up and saw Liu Quan looking at her, she instinctively thought that Liu Quan wanted some too.


    She took a Fried Dough Twist from the fruit te, reached out and said, ¡°Here, try this! It¡¯s so crispy and delicious! You can have a taste too.¡±


    At the sweet and innocent sound of her voice, Liu Quan was caught off guard.


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t respond, YingEr picked up the Fried Dough Twist, took two steps forward, grabbed his hand, and stuffed it in.


    ¡°Grandfather, please have a taste! Grandfather always praises YingEr, saying that anything YingEr offers is especially delicious!¡±


    Liu Quan¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at YingEr, speechless.


    ¡°YingEr,e back quickly!¡±


    The nervous Di Xuan came forward and protected YingEr behind him.


    The movement made Di Yelei¡¯s muscles tense, and even his hand instinctively grasped the back of the chair, leaning forward, ready to rush forward at any moment.<div>


    However, YingEr was oblivious to all this. She still smiled sweetly, ¡°Grandfather, you must hurry up and eat! If you wait any longer, it will be lunchtime. Mom says, we are not allowed to eat snacks during lunch, otherwise, we¡¯re not good kids.¡±


    After saying that, she sweetly smiled at him again, and then trotted back to the fruit te to pick out more treats.


    Liu Quan looked down at the Fried Dough Twist given by YingEr, and as if a kitten had taken away his tongue, he didn¡¯t say anything for a long time.


    ¡°What¡¯s so delicious about this, cough cough! These are all snacks, and eating too many of them will damage the teeth.¡±


    He said this very seriously, then lifted his hand and put the Fried Dough Twist into his mouth, slowly chewing it.


    It seemed as if the Fried Dough Twist had a special vor, it was incredibly delicious!


    The crisis was over, and Di Yelei sat back down in his chair, appearing more rxed.


    Liu Quan nced at him and evaluated him from top to bottom. The more he looked, the more worried he became: ¡°You are Di Yelei? The one who is notorious for causing his mother and wife¡¯s death in the Upper Vige?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, then rxed again. He stood up and bowed to Liu Quan.


    ¡°Son-inw pays respects to Lord Father-inw.¡±


    Liu Quan coldly snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t you go around iming rtives. I, Liu Quan, have not had a wedding recently, I dare not have a good son-inw like you!¡±


    So his tone was ming him for noting back after getting married? Di Yelei found this secretly amusing.<div>


    What a difficult person!


    He bowed again respectfully, ¡°After I got married with Sisi, she was suffering from continuous high fever, which led to the loss of her past memories. Many things happened afterwards, only until today was I able to bring Sisi back for a visit. I hope you can forgive us, Lord Father-inw.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Only now you know you were wrong?¡±


    Liu Quan didn¡¯t show any good face, as he sternly stared at him, ¡°How are you ying the role of a husband? How could you let her suffer from unending fever that even damaged her brain?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Talking about this, Di Yelei also had a pained expression, ¡°This matter, ah, it¡¯s a long story¡­¡±


    Putting aside the conversation between the two men, Liu Sisi had entered the kitchen. Ms. Yao was busy preparing food by the stove. Liu Zhi¡¯er was busy helping out, closely followed by Da Mao, who was like a shadow or a small tail.


    Seeing Liu Sisiing in, Ms. Yao urgently called her, ¡°Why are you here too? Go back to the hall and rest. Your body is important; be careful you don¡¯t slip on the kitchen floor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I just came to chat with you.¡± Liu Sisiughed lightly and walked to the stove to help add firewood.


    Unlike the Di Family, who had plenty of firewood and warm heating, Liu¡¯s house was definitely colder inparison. Sitting by the stove was actually much warmer.


    She quickly changed the topic ¡°Mom, can you tell me about my past? After I got married into the Di Family, I had a severe fever and almost forgot everything about my past.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember anything at all? I thought¡­ I thought you were just kidding¡­¡± Ms. Yao¡¯s tears started flowing instantly.


    ¡°Mom! We just got together as a mother daughter trio after so long. You need to stop crying quickly.¡±<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was anxious to console Ms. Yao.


    Narrowing her eyes, Ms. Yao said through her tears, ¡°I seem to have gotten some dust in my eyes. Speaking of the past, I have to mention this kitchen.¡± Ms. Yaoughed through her tears, ¡°I remember you used to dislike staying in the kitchen because of the smoky oil fumes. I didn¡¯t expect that after you got married, you¡¯d be more understanding¡­¡±


    ¡°And besides being interested in embroidery, the only other thing you used to be interested in was secretly listening to the sses conducted in Wu Family¡¯s school.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er jumped in excitedly and continued the conversation.


    ¡°Oh, what school? Is there a school nearby?¡± Liu Sisi was interested in this.


    ¡°The school is a private one, it¡¯s right next to the Ancestral Hall of Liu Family¡¯s Mansion. The teacher is Mr. Wu, so everyone calls it ¡®School of Wu Family.¡¯¡±


    Ms. Yao exined in detail, ¡°Teacher Wu would give a day off from school every 1st and 15th day of the Lunar month¡ªtwo morning sses and one afternoon ss. Except for holidays and busy farming periods, he teaches our Liu Vige children tirelessly all year round.¡±


    Such a conversation made Liu Sisi suddenly interested, she was eager to try, ¡°Where is this private school? I want to go and see.¡±


    ¡°This wild girl, you still haven¡¯t changed your curious nature even though you¡¯ve lost your past memories. Think for a moment, the school is on break for Spring Festival right now, there¡¯s no one in the ssrooms. What could you possibly see there?¡± Ms. Yao shook her head with amusement.


    That¡¯s right! It¡¯s currently New Year¡¯s and all schools are on summer break!


    Liu Sisi patted on her forehead regretfully, as she realized she had made an impulsivement!


    She yfully stuck out her tongue, ¡°I was just being curious, forgot that it¡¯s New Year. Mom, tell me what else I liked back then. Please tell me more.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure, we do have time, let¡¯s chat.¡±<div>


    Ms. Yao heartilyughed!

 Chapter 392: 392: Deep Love, Serious Responsibility

    Chapter 392: Deep Love, Serious Responsibility


    In the middle of their conversation, Liu Zhi¡¯er suddenly emitted a slight sound of surprise.<div>


    ¡°Right, Mom! Why didn¡¯t Eldest Sistere back today?¡±


    Upon mentioning this topic, the smile on Ms. Yao¡¯s face disappeared.


    ¡°Just before New Year, your Eldest Sister, Liu Xuer, sent a message saying that a few days ago, her mother-inw hurt her back and was bedridden. She needs someone to take care of her, so she couldn¡¯te back for the New Year this year.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Didn¡¯t her mother-inw just hurt her back oncest New Year? How can this be such a coincidence, another injured back?¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er directly asked.


    Looking at Ms. Yao¡¯s dim eyes, she quickly changed the subject with a light cough: ¡°Since Eldest Sister can¡¯te back today, it¡¯s a good opportunity for us sisters to enjoy ourselves, eat and drink heartily!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Your brother and sister-inw took their two children back to their mother¡¯s home. Since they were conveniently passing by Xuer¡¯s house, I asked your brother to drop by and see if they needed any help¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°He offered to help? It would be better if his help didn¡¯t make things worse.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er mumbled next to her, but didn¡¯t go into much about this matter.


    ¡°Right, mom! You probably don¡¯t know yet, do you? Little Sister¡¯s life has also improved a lot. A few days ago, they even bought a manor with a house in it, there is even a hot spring inside, all of it is fertilend, their life is improving.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was typical of one who would share happy news but not the bad.


    ¡°Yes, mom! When you have time, Si Er will take you over for a few days of fun, and let you out to rx.¡± Liu Sisi immediately joined in.


    ¡°Where would your mother need to rx?¡±


    Ms. Yao¡¯s face broke out in a full smile: ¡°There are so many things to take care of at home, and your brother¡¯s two children also need looking after. How could I be away? It¡¯sforting enough that you have this intention.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t my brother¡¯s two kids also under the care of my sister-inw, why can¡¯t you leave?¡±


    Liu Sisi squinted her eyes, she was very curious about the big brother and sister-inw who had caused so much harm to her former self, but until now she has not had the chance to meet them, which was truly a regret!


    ¡°Your brother and his wife, they¡­¡±


    Ms. Yao fell silent at this statement, and even the smile on her face disappeared.


    The sisters exchanged a nce and asked curiously, ¡°Mom, did something happen?¡±<div>


    ¡°Why would something happen? There¡¯s nothing wrong! My, my, the thing is the two children are not fond of your sister-inw, so¡­¡±


    Ms. Yao¡¯s gaze wandered: ¡°Right! I forgot to ask you, where¡¯s your husband Dong Chang? Why didn¡¯t hee along today? And what about Er Mao and San Mao? Leaving two little ones at home like this, what does that say about you! How did I raise you to be?¡±


    Once this matter was mentioned, Ms. Yao adopted a lecturing tone.


    It seems that she still doesn¡¯t know about Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s misfortune.


    Liu Sisi was about to open her mouth when Liu Zhi¡¯er preempted her.


    ¡°Mom! You are right to scold me, Zhi¡¯er should not quarrel with him and should not have left the children at home. Rest assured that when I go back, I will take good care of the children and will not upset you anymore.¡±


    At her words, Liu Sisi looked at her, swallowing what she had been about to say.


    Ms. Yao gave her a reproachful nce: ¡°I know it¡¯s my fault. Ah! In the rush to get your brother married, I married Xuer off in haste, and now I can¡¯t see her throughout the year. And for your two nephews, I had Zhi¡¯er married too. That Dong Chang is even a cripple, my heart is¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom! These are all things of the past, let them go!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er forced a smile and swallowed her bitter tears.


    ¡°Right, right, right, we have to look forward. Sigh¡ª¡ªfortunately Sisi is doing well now. I see Di Yelei, although he is a widower and his first wife left him with two children, at least your family is leading a better life now, whichforts me.¡±


    Ms. Yao patted her chest, her face full of joy.<div>


    A sarcastic smile crept to the corner of Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth, strictly speaking, wasn¡¯t the original Liu Sisi the most unfortunate?


    She had died immediately after getting married, what was good about that?


    But of course, she wouldn¡¯t voice these thoughts!


    When mealtime came around, the table was indeed filled with cooked dishes.


    As they sat down for the meal, Liu Sisi thought that Liu Quan wouldunch into a tirade. She was prepared for a father-daughter showdown.


    Surprisingly, Liu Quan just huffed audibly, and directly took the main seat. Furthermore, he directly picked up YingEr and ced her next to him, soothing her.


    ¡°Come, sit here with grandfather, whatever you want to eat, let Grandfather get it for you.¡±


    Although his face was stern, his voice was extremely gentle when he cajoled YingEr.


    ¡°The old man has always wanted a granddaughter. However, after Eldest Sister-inw gave birth to her second childst time, she was injured and there has been no good news these years. Today, thankfully, YingEr is here, making everythingplete.¡± Ms. Yao cheerfully added, quickly filling up Di Yelei¡¯s cup with rice wine.


    Di Yelei hastily stood up, ¡°Lady Mother-inw, please sit down. Please don¡¯t trouble yourself with me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m happy today. You all must eat more. Here, this is Sisi¡¯s favourite braised pork feet. Try some.¡±


    Ms. Yao kept serving Everyone: ¡°Here, Zhi¡¯er, these are your favourite chicken feet. Eat quickly.¡±<div>


    ¡°Sisi, here¡¯s your favourite starch-steamed meat. You need to eat for two now, so don¡¯t go hungry. ¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re called Xuan¡¯er, right? Let grandmother serve you some fish lips, they are the best¡­¡±


    The meal slowly concluded in a harmonious atmosphere.


    Liu Sisi only regained her senses after putting down her bowl and chopsticks, and after shedding tears to bid farewell to the Liu Family.


    Didn¡¯t her dad say she was not allowed to eat?


    Why did he not say a word when we actually sat down to eat?


    ¡°Sisi, look!¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly called out from beside her.


    Everyone turned to follow Di Yelei¡¯s gaze. A familiar figure was standing at the vige entrance, bidding them farewell. If it wasn¡¯t Liu Quan, then who could it be?


    ¡°Dad is seeing us off.¡±


    Standing beside her, Liu Zhi¡¯er, holding Da Mao¡¯s hand, bent down and picked up Da Mao: ¡°Sisi, Dad has always loved you the most. You¡¯re always saying Dad doesn¡¯t care for you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? He¡­loves me?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi was somewhat unable to snap back to reality.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s true. When you all went to the kitchen, Lord Father-inw repeatedly asked me about what had happened after you married me. Although he didn¡¯t say it, I could tell he is very concerned about you.¡±


    ¡°¡­.If he cares about me, why would he scold me?¡±


    Liu Sisi, who had been an orphan in her previous life, couldn¡¯t understand at all.


    The group continued onwards in silence. When they reached the bend in the mountain hollow and were about to turn, Liu Sisi looked back and saw her dad still standing in the snow, watching as they gradually moved further and further. His figure turned into a small ck dot and then disappeared from view as they turned the corner.


    ¡°Perhaps, his love is deep, hence the stern admonishment.¡±


    Di Yelei murmured.

 Chapter 393: The news brought by Zuo Xingyu

    Chapter 393: The news brought by Zuo Xingyu


    This made Liu Sisi¡¯s nose feel somewhat sour, and the few of them continued to walk in silence, none of them speaking.


    ¡°By the way, have you given the New Year¡¯s gifts to your mother-inw?¡±


    Di Yelei asked whileing close.


    ¡°I did. A set of clothes for Dad and Mom, and gifts for our two nephews. I also gave an extra one tael of silver as a festival gift. I also gave Mom 20 taels of silver in secret to protect herself, I didn¡¯t discuss this with you beforehand, you won¡¯t me me, will you?¡±


    Liu Sisi was somewhat unsure.


    ¡°Silly, if it weren¡¯t for my Lady Mother-inw¡¯s insistence back then, how could we have what we have now? Giving her some silver to protect herself is the right thing to do.¡±


    Di Yelei was smiling and not at all angry.


    As the two of them walked and whispered to each other, Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was carrying Da Mao on her back, looked down and sullen.


    She could deceive her parents for a while, but how could she deceive them for a lifetime? She wished that the day they discovered the truth woulde a littleter.


    As the group gradually moved forward and climbed up the mountain hollow, Liu Sisi looked up and saw Di Ruoning¡¯s home, and after a moment of hesitation, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I wonder if Little Sister has returned? Since we¡¯re all passing by here, why not take a small detour and see if she¡¯s at home? This way we can be at ease.¡±


    Actually, Di Yelei had the same intention. Once Liu Sisi suggested it, he agreed right away.


    ¡°Fine, it¡¯ll only take a pot of tea¡¯s time, let¡¯s go over.¡±


    The group changed course and walked towards the Yuan Family¡¯s home.


    Compared to the lively atmosphere of the neighboring homes, the Yuan Family¡¯s ce was exceptionally quiet. Even the main entrance had no traces of firecracker residue, let alone the character of happiness, spring couplets, window paper-cuts, or Door Gods!


    The main entrance was tightly closed, Di Yelei knocked on the door for a long time, but no one came to answer.


    Just then, someone happened to pass by, and Di Yelei hurriedly called out to them.


    ¡°Brother, do you know if Yuan Mengbai, who lives here, has returned to his mother¡¯s home today?¡±


    The man looked Di Yelei up and down: ¡°You must be from the Di Family, right? The Yuan Family moved away long before the New Year, they were said to have moved into the city, but they didn¡¯t tell us where they were going.¡±


    ¡°Moved away? When did this happen?¡±


    Di Yelei and Liu Sisi asked in unison.


    ¡°I think it was before the Winter Solstice, it¡¯s been a long time, how could outsiders like us know the specifics!¡±


    The man nced at Di Yelei and shook his head as he walked away. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Yuan Mengbai actually moved with Di Ruoning long ago, why didn¡¯t he inform us? This is really strange!¡± Di Yelei¡¯s eyebrows were almost knotted.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°Could it be that Dad and Mom knew, but didn¡¯t tell us?¡±


    This was quite possible!


    Di Yelei nodded: ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡±


    On the way back, the few people didn¡¯t know what to say and continued to walk in silence. Di Yelei took the opportunity to carry Ying¡¯er on his back, and they hurried home in the gradually intensifying wind and snow.


    ¡°Huh? Ye Lei, why are you all¡­?¡±


    A familiar voice came from the diagonal path, turning his head to see Zuo Xingyu, dressed as a constable, walking from the other side of the road.


    Di Yelei hurriedly greeted him: ¡°So it¡¯s Xingyu, why are you dressed like this? Is there something going on at the governmental office?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu swept his gaze over Liu Sisi and Liu Zhi¡¯er behind him, his unsmiling face frowned, ¡°It¡¯s not a matter from the government office, but rather the matter entrusted by the Honorable Ladyst time has made progress.¡±


    This ambiguous statement made everyone¡¯s faces turn rather unpleasant.


    It took Liu Sisi a while to react, and she was overjoyed immediately!


    She hurriedly stepped out from behind Di Yelei, ¡°What did you say? There is progress in that matter? Have you found Er Mao or San Mao? Or is there news about both children?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er trembled all over and rushed out vigorously, grabbing Zuo Xingyu¡¯s sleeve in a panic.


    ¡°What you just said, is it true? Have you really received news of San Mao?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is news of San Mao.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu looked up at the increasingly heavy snow and wind, pointing to the thatched hut at the corner, ¡°The wind and snow are getting heavier; it¡¯s better to take shelter in my humble dwelling for a moment and talk in detail there. How about it?¡±


    Naturally, everyone had no objections to this proposal.


    Although the thatched hut was small, it was tidily arranged.


    As the group entered, Mother Zuo was feeling her way around trying to greet everyone, ¡°Yu Er, have you brought your friends? This blind old woman¡¯s vision is not so good, so I may seem negligent in entertaining you esteemed guests. Please, sit down quickly and have a cup of hot tea.¡±


    As she spoke, she tried to find her way to boil water and make tea.


    ¡°Auntie, let me do it!¡±


    Although Liu Zhi¡¯er was anxious, she also understood that nothing could be rushed at this moment.


    ¡°Let me do it instead; how can we make the guests do such chores?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu took over the task instead.


    As he quickly boiled water and poured tea, he talked about the results of his investigation, ¡°A few days ago, as I was investigating another case, I asked around if anyone had bought two children recently. Surprisingly, I did find some clues. One of them specializes in raising male concubines for wealthy families. These people usually choose good-looking children and start training them from a young age. Because of this, the investigation was particrly difficult.¡±


    As the water boiled, Zuo Xingyu skillfully picked up the teacup and prepared hot tea, ¡°But, fortunately, the person I entrusted was also from their circle. I promised a hefty reward, and they agreed to help. However, it turned out that more than ten simrly aged children had been bought in the past few days. Their suggestion was for me to go and identify which one was San Mao in person. But as I don¡¯t know San Mao, I had to put the matter on hold for the time being.¡±


    He was going to be trained as a male concubine?


    Upon hearing this, Liu Zhi¡¯er almost dropped the teacup in front of her, and tears started to flow.


    ¡°Constable Zuo, you have to help me, you must help me! San Mao is so young; how can they do that to him¡­ ¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er covered her mouth, crying uncontrobly.


    ¡°What else did they say?¡±


    Liu Sisi considered further, ¡°Did they demand silver or ask you to do them a favor?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite right!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu put down the teapot, with an approving look at Liu Sisi, ¡°The male concubines they collected were all from different ces, meaning they were all bought from different people. With all these transactions, even with the help of a friend, it would probably cost 500 taels of silver to get San Mao out!¡±


    ¡°500 taels! Why don¡¯t they just rob someone?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face changed, ¡°Even if I were sold, I wouldn¡¯t be worth 500 taels of silver! My poor Da Mao¡­¡±


    ¡°We can find another way to handle the silver issue. Xingyu, what are the chances of sess in this matter? Can San Mao definitely be rescued?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s question hit the crux of the issue.

 Chapter 394: Mother Zuo’s Chest Beating and Foot Stomping Meal

    Chapter 394: Mother Zuo¡¯s Chest Beating and Foot Stomping Meal


    Zuo Xingyu pondered for a moment before sitting down on a stool.


    ¡°The friend I trust has a lot of influence in that area. Besides, San Mao is only a little over one year old, and the other party hasn¡¯t started training him yet. As long as we¡¯re willing to pay, they¡¯ll most likely let him go.¡±


    ¡°So your suggestion now is that in order to save San Mao, we should give the money directly to you?¡±


    Liu Sisi squinted her eyes slightly and looked up at him.


    Zuo Xingyu reluctantly stood up, but sat down again after a moment: ¡°The most important issue now is that I don¡¯t know San Mao personally. If we want to find him from the inside, we might need to directly ask someone familiar with him to help us identify him. Because we only have one chance!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m his mother, let me go. I¡¯m sure I can recognize him!¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er said eagerly.


    ¡°No! Second Sister, you can¡¯t go! That¡¯s too¡­ too dangerous!¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively refused, even giving Zuo Xingyu a fierce re as she spoke.


    What was Zuo Xingyu up to? She had a natural aversion to him now. It¡¯s hard to deal with such a dark-hearted man. She wouldn¡¯t feel at ease letting her second sister go with him!


    ¡°No! I must go. As long as there¡¯s the slightest hope of finding Er Mao and San Mao, I won¡¯t give up!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er had a determined look on her face, then turned to Zuo Xingyu: ¡°Constable Zuo, when do we leave? Do we need to leave now?¡±


    ¡°Second Sister¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi anxiously tugged Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s clothes.


    As she looked up, she met Zuo Xingyu¡¯s gaze, and his seemingly amused expression made Liu Sisi¡¯s face feel a bit hot. She immediately red at him angrily.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s starry eyes flickered as he stood up, ¡°During the Lunar New Year period, the child should be safe for the time being. You don¡¯t have to worry. Besides, even if we go there, the other party will only release the child after they see the silver leading.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s meaning was clear ¨C to save the child, they must first have the money!


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    As soon as silver was mentioned, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s spirits visibly drooped.


    That¡¯s a whole 500 taels of silver! Even selling herself wouldn¡¯t cover the cost!


    ¡°I said it earlier, we¡¯ll figure out the money issue, but we can¡¯te up with the silver right now. We still need to gather it. This might take a few days. Xingyu, is it okay to leave in a few days?¡± Di Yelei asked directly.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s thin lips were tightly pursed, a hint of mockery shing in his eyes as he heard Di Yelei¡¯s question before coughing lightly.


    ¡°I, Zuo Xingyu, will not ept that ill-gotten money.¡± He nced at Liu Sisi and continued, ¡°It¡¯s fine! These two days¡¯ dy doesn¡¯t matter. I just returned today and would like to rest for a little while longer before waiting for my friend¡¯s confirmed news. We¡¯ll probably leave after the 15th day of the Lunar New Year. Please make sure you guys are prepared as well.¡±


    As he spoke, Zuo Xingyu picked up a teacup.


    Seeing his intention to send them off, Di Yelei naturally stood up and thanked him.


    ¡°We are grateful to you for your help, Xingyu. I¡¯ll definitely find time in the future to treat you to some good drinks and catch up on our brotherly bond!¡±


    ¡°No problem, no problem! I¡¯m not helping you just for a couple of drinks!¡±


    Even though he was joking, the corners of Zuo Xingyu¡¯s mouth barely lifted in a smile.


    They said their goodbyes to Mother Zuo and left the thatched hut.


    Just before leaving, Liu Sisi left some snacks given to her earlier by Ms. Yao.


    When she entered the kitchen to boil water earlier, she saw, in just a fleeting moment, a bowl of grains rice with sweet potatoes on the stove!


    During the Lunar New Year, Mother Zuo was still eating such food. Times must be tough for the Zuo Family. She thought about leaving some silver, but seeing Zuo Xingyu¡¯s sharp nce, she didn¡¯t take it out in the end.


    Zuo Xingyu and Di Yelei walked side-by-side, escorting everyone to the intersection.


    ¡°The child is still young and there¡¯s no need to worry about them for now. Even for those selected to be sent to the pce, the selection process won¡¯t start until the early spring of March,¡± said Zuo Xingyu to Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was, of course, extremely grateful and thanked him before saying goodbye and leaving.


    Liu Sisi deliberately slowed her pace and walkedst. As she passed Zuo Xingyu, she whispered softly, ¡°At least you have a conscience!¡±


    It was funny how she initially traded conditions with Zuo Xingyu for his help in finding Er Mao and San Mao. Now, Zuo Xingyu appeared as the good guy in Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyes.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s gaze darkened, but he didn¡¯t say anything more, watching as the group gradually walked away before turning back to enter the house.


    ¡°The few people who came just now, their voices sound familiar. Have I met them before?¡±


    As soon as he walked in, Mother Zuo groped her way out of the room, holding in her hand arge glutinous rice dumpling that Liu Sisi had left behind, even bigger than a fruit te. She asked Zuo Xingyu about it.


    Zuo Xingyu hurriedly went over to help her: ¡°Mother, why have youe out? Have you eaten lunch? I¡¯ll cook for you.¡±


    Mother Zuo grasped Zuo Xingyu¡¯s hand back, her half-blind eyes staring in his direction, a delighted expression on her face.


    ¡°I ate already. I¡¯m old and can¡¯t eat much. But why don¡¯t you tell me about the girls that were just here? What did the one with the crisp voice look like?¡±


    Could Mother be talking about Liu Sisi? Zuo Xingyu hesitated for a moment, an inexplicable irritation rising in his heart.


    ¡°Which girl?¡±


    ¡°You think you can fool me? I watched you grow up.¡±


    Mother Zuo gently patted Zuo Xingyu¡¯s arm, her face beaming with a bright smile, ¡°On normal days, you¡¯re a quiet, introverted guy, but today you not only talked a lot but also agreed to help others find someone. I heard one of them calling the other girl ¡®Second Sister.¡¯ Have you taken a liking to their little sister?¡±


    ¡°Mother! What are you talking about? If others hear this, who knows what they¡¯ll think!¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As if he had been burned, Zuo Xingyu furiously shook off his mother¡¯s hand and unintentionally moved away, only to turn back momentster.


    ¡°Mother, please don¡¯t talk nonsense. That¡­ That woman is married! Her husband is the man who was talking before. You mustn¡¯t ruin her boudoir reputation!¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­ the girl you like is already married? Oh dear! Why have all the good girls been taken by others? And they¡¯re married, too! What a pity¡­¡±


    Mother Zuo pounded her chest and stomped her feet, sighing repeatedly, ¡°Why are you so slow in making a move?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu didn¡¯t say much, but casually grabbed the glutinous rice dumpling and headed to the kitchen.


    ¡°Mother, you rest first. I¡¯ll cook the glutinous rice dumplings for you.¡± After speaking, he disregarded Mother Zuo¡¯s call and practically fled the scene.

 Chapter 395: 395: Borrowing Money, Liu Sisi’s Worries

    Chapter 395: Borrowing Money, Liu Sisi¡¯s Worries


    As soon as he entered the kitchen, Di Yelei picked up the cutting board, ced the glutinous rice dumplings on it, and couldn¡¯t help but space out as he picked up the kitchen knife.<div>


    The sound of his mother¡¯s nagging still came from the other room, making Zuo Xingyu¡¯s heart heavier and heavier.


    He couldn¡¯t understand how, in the blink of an eye, the little woman he didn¡¯t care about at all, didn¡¯t take seriously, and casually abandoned had suddenly changed and was instantly radiant!


    Just like a blooming plum blossom in the cold, ice-cold and jade-pure, she stood alone against the cold.


    It was also like a mysterious orchid in the valley, suddenly unfolding her unique and beautiful colors, dazzlingly beautiful.


    Involuntarily, people were drawn to her and gradually fell for her.


    He was no exception!<div>


    Since seeing this little woman again, her shadow had been haunting his mind all the time, refusing to leave.


    That little woman originally belonged to him, but¡­ but in the end¡­


    No! He won¡¯t regret this!


    His big hand tightly gripped the kitchen knife.


    Zuo Xingyu had never done something that made him regret it, including this matter, and he would never allow himself to regret it!


    Only when a sudden pain came from his palm did he realize that the handle of the knife in his hand had been broken into several pieces, deeply embedded in his palm, and he suddenly came to his senses.


    Outside, his mother¡¯s nagging still continued.


    ¡°¡­Just listening to that woman¡¯s voice makes people feel particrlyfortable. If she could really marry you, even just talking with me would be a pleasure.¡±


    ¡°My old bones might be soil any day now. If such a lovely girl really became my daughter-inw, maybe in less than a year, this old woman could have a grandson¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! Stop it!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu couldn¡¯t stand the anger in his heart anymore and roared furiously!


    It scared his mother quite a bit. A momentter, she fumbled her way over to the kitchen.<div>


    ¡°Yu Er, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you suddenly so angry today? Did something upset you outside?¡±


    Looking at his mother staggering into the kitchen, a wave of remorse washed over Zuo Xingyu ¨C he had actually lost his temper at his own mother!


    He wiped his face and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing! I just remembered that I still have some unfinished business. I¡¯m going to take care of it now.¡± Then, he practically fled the kitchen!


    ¡°Yu Er, where are you going? When will you be back? Yu Er¡­¡±


    He shut out the criesing from behind him and rushed out of the thatched hut.


    He looked back at the low, humble thatched houses that made broken wind-like noises as the snow blew, and a sense of inferiority rose in his heart.


    Taking a deep breath, Zuo Xingyu looked around, suddenly feeling as though there was nowhere for him in this big world.


    The snow falling from the sky intensified!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The ice and snow mixed with the wind, making him shiver all over and feel as if he had lost control of his hands due to the cold.


    The few people rushing home at the moment were taking three steps and then slipping, braving the wind and snow as they moved forward.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s words gave Liu Zhi¡¯er hope, but at the same time plunged her into deep conflict. She struggled to lift Da Mao up and walked forward silently.


    She initially felt that having earned several taels of silver before the year, the amount was not small and could be saved for Da Mao to get married in the future.<div>


    But suddenly there was news of San Mao, and giving up the search was truly too difficult for her!


    Even if she were to search for San Mao, the 500 taels of silver were also a big problem.


    Even if her younger sister¡¯s husband was willing to lend her the 500 taels of silver, she might not be able to repay it in her lifetime after borrowing it!


    Torn between options, her worried look naturally fell into Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes.


    Liu Sisi also found it extremely difficult to walk, her feet were so frozen that they didn¡¯t feel like her own anymore. She worried about falling, so she specifically broke off a tree branch to support her. Seeing her second sister looking sad at the moment, she hurriedly spoke to distract her.


    ¡°Second Sister, you must also know how Zuo Xingyu treated me back in the day. We don¡¯t know much about him, even if you go with him, be extra cautious, don¡¯t be deceived by him, alright?¡±


    Although it seemed that the other party would not do anything inhumane, men¡¯s desires always came suddenly, and she really couldn¡¯t rest easy about Liu Zhi¡¯er being together with Zuo Xingyu.


    But Liu Zhi¡¯er next to her mistakenly thought that Liu Sisi was talking about not being deceived by money, and immediately nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sisi, your second sister knows!¡±


    Liu Sisi wanted to say a few more words, but she thought of the shadow that Old Man Li had left on her and stopped speaking.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, on the other hand, thought more deeply and made a secret determination. Once they found the two children, she would repay this silver by working like an ox and horse for her little sister for the rest of her life!


    Everyone, weighed down by their own concerns, slipped and slid their way back home.<div>


    Once they got home, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t bother to freshen up and dragged Di Yelei into the room to take out the silver.


    ¡°Second Sister needs to save San Mao and she has no silver. I n for us to help out with this silver. Then have her write an IOU, as for when she¡¯ll be able to repay, nobody can say for sure.¡± ¡°I had the same idea, the child needs to be saved first.¡±


    Di Yelei considered things moreprehensively: ¡°As for this silver, if she can repay it in the future, then she will. If she can¡¯t, we¡¯ll just treat it as if we earned a few hundred taels lessst year. What do you think?¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°Mm! It¡¯s fine like this, but the IOU still needs to be written. Whether we can get the money back is another matter! The reason I insist on her writing an IOU is actually to guard against that shameless Dong Chang!¡±


    As she spoke, Di Yelei nodded repeatedly: ¡°Yes, yes, yes! It¡¯s necessary to guard against this person. Didn¡¯t I cripple his other hand the other day? I thought he had really passed out, but when I went to check him out within half an hour, he was long gone. I¡¯m afraid even his fainting was feigned.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s such a despicable man! That day, he should have had his legs broken too!¡±


    Liu Sisi gritted her teeth with hatred: ¡°After selling his own flesh and blood, he still made us help him find people without saying, and also made us worry and toil. If I see him again in the future, I, Liu Sisi, will beat him every time I see him to see if he dares toe again!¡±


    As they spoke, they took out the 500 taels of silver from inside, put away the small box that held the money, and then left the room to find Liu Zhi¡¯er and handed her the silver.


    At the same time, they also informed her of the decision they had made.


    ¡°Yelei and I share the same sentiment, and the reason we write an IOU is to guard against Dong Chang plotting against the children again, so don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er shook her head non-stop, tears rolling down continuously: ¡°No, I understand! I am already grateful and weeping for you lending me the money, how could I possibly overthink it¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Rest assured! For this silver, I, Liu Zhi¡¯er, will try my best to repay it even if it means my death!¡±<div>

 Chapter 396: 396: Farewell

    Chapter 396: Farewell


    ¡°What are you saying about dying or not dying! We are sisters, not enemies.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi red at her fiercely: ¡°It¡¯s just 500 taels of silver. Once you find San Mao, Sisi will introduce you to a good job. We¡¯ll settle down first and then n for other things.¡±


    ¡°Hmm! My dear sister, from now on, I¡¯ll entrust everything to you!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er sped her hand and said seriously.


    She had already made up her mind to work hard and earn money to pay off her debts!


    ¡°Teacher, is the teacher at home?¡±


    As the two were talking, they heard a faint calling from outside. It was Ah-Juan.<div>


    Ah-Juan was particrly festive today. She came in from the outside and bowed her head: ¡°Ah-Juan pays respect to the teacher.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Ah-Juan who hase. Hurry up,e and sit here and let¡¯s talk. Why didn¡¯t you go back to your grandmother¡¯s house today?¡± Liu Sisi warmly greeted her.


    Ah-Juan had a joyous look on her face. She obediently got up and sat down on the chair.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go back! My mom and dad asked me to stay at home to prepare for the wedding, and they didn¡¯t let me wander around! They have already calcted that the 18th of the first lunar month ispatible with my birthdate information, so they set the wedding date on this day. So, this year, Ah-Juan can no longer listen to the teacher¡¯s teachings.¡±


    As she spoke, Ah-Juan took out a red invitation from her arms and presented it with both hands.


    ¡°I hope the teacher can spare the time to grace us with your presence. I would be honored.¡±


    Liu Sisi reached out and took the invitation, frowning frequency: ¡°Ah-Juan, can you please speak normally with me? It¡¯s very¡­ ufortable.¡±


    Ah-Juan nced around and stuck out her tongue, patting her chest: ¡°This is what my dad asked me to say to you. It made me so embarrassed. Teacher, will youe on that day, on the day of my wedding ceremony?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will definitely be there, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment and couldn¡¯t help but instruct her: ¡°You call me ¡®teacher¡¯, but I haven¡¯t taught you much. Today, I will give you a piece of advice, which can be considered as fulfilling our predestined rtionship.¡±


    ¡°Please do tell, teacher.¡±


    ¡°Ah-Juan, you have a sharp and strong character, and your unwillingness to admit defeat is not a good thing. But being too sharp can backfire. You must remember that in any situation, do not be impulsive, and do not force anything. Then you can definitely turn the tide!¡±<div>


    Ah-Juan grinned dismissively and then bowed in gratitude: ¡°Ah-Juan thanks the teacher for the advice.¡±


    Looking at the as-yet-unappreciative Ah-Juan in front of her eyes, Liu Sisi sighed inwardly, hoping this girl could have a safe and peaceful life.


    The days of a small family¡¯s daughter-inw were not easy, let alone those of a wealthy family!


    That night, Liu Sisi casually mentioned Ah-Juan¡¯s visit, to which Di Yeleiughed indifferently: ¡°There are many self-righteous people in this world. They believe they are born to be different and are meant to marry into a good family to enjoy a good life. Everyone has different thoughts, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it too much.¡±


    ¡°I understand, it¡¯s just that she is my student after all, and I really can¡¯t bear to see her stumble, so I said a few more words.¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed: ¡°But you¡¯re right, I was too attached.¡±


    She sincerely hoped that every one of her students could walk a longer and farther path.


    The next day, the snow was getting heavier!


    The Gan family was up early and bustling about. Today was the day the entire Gan family was to enter the capital.


    Gan Jiayou originally wanted to stay a few more days, but his vacation time was running out. Moreover, the weather was unusually cold this year, and it was snowing non-stop. Plus, the selection of studyingpanions for the princess could not wait. Unable to resist the anxiety in his heart, he set out for the capital ahead of schedule.


    Before dawn, the caravan began to set off slowly.


    They would not pass through the county but would instead head north directly to the capital city.<div>


    Along the way, Gan Miaoruo asionally lifted the carriage curtain to look outside, hoping to see the familiar figure.


    Time and time again, she opened the carriage curtain with high hopes, only to let it down in disappointment, feeling lost and despondent.


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, what are you doing? Constantly lifting the curtain. It¡¯s so cold outside.¡±


    Madam Gan Senior in the carriage couldn¡¯t help but scold her.


    Gan Miaoruo hurriedly approached Madam Gan Senior and held her arm: ¡°Grandmother, I was thinking, ??thinking¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking about? How could your grandmother not know? But you two have already said goodbye that day, and with the weather so cold today, she couldn¡¯t possiblye.¡±


    Gan Miaoruo lowered her head in disappointment: ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    The caravan gradually moved from the path onto the official road. After everyone had made some arrangements, the horse-drawn carriage began to move quickly. The pace was naturally different from their previous walk on the path.


    Gan Jiayou sat in the carriage at the front, his eyes closely watching everyone¡¯s faces. He then casually let down the carriage curtain andmanded in a deep voice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The manager beside him quickly shouted: ¡°Set off!¡±


    Immediately afterward, various sounds came from the caravan, and the carriage began to move slowly.<div>


    ¡°Wait! Ruo Ruo! Ruo Ruo! ¡ª¡±


    Afar, a rider rushed forward, galloping and quickly approaching, speeding alongside the convoy.


    ¡°Grandmother, grandmother, listen, is someone calling me?¡±


    Gan Miaoruo suddenly became excited, happily shaking Madam Gan Senior¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Stop it, there¡¯s no one around on this big cold day. Who would call you? Stop daydreaming.¡± Madam Gan Senior scolded her. Out in the wild, she obviously heard nothing. Could it be that some filth had attached itself to Ruo Ruo?


    Gan Miaoruo, who was not willing to give up, bent her ear to listen, and then quickly stood up, lifting the carriage curtain and shouting.


    ¡°There is someone calling me! Stop the carriage! Stop!¡±


    The carriage did not stop, and it kept moving forward. Gan Miaoruo, unwilling to give up, leaned out the window and suddenlyughed!


    She couldn¡¯t help but wave her hand and shout loudly: ¡°Teacher! Teacher, I¡¯m here! I¡¯m here!¡±


    The approaching rider was indeed Liu Sisi and her husband, Di Yelei. They were riding a horse, speeding along the edge of the official road towards the carriage at the front.


    Today was Gan Miaoruo¡¯s day to enter the capital, and Liu Sisi wanted to send her off, so she got up early.


    She had wanted to go to Gan Mansion to send her off, but when they arrived at Gan Mansion, they found that they werete. The caravan had already left Gan Mansion. Liu Sisi, unwilling to give up, chased after them.<div>


    Fortunately, Di Yelei was familiar with the nearby roads, and he rode a horse, leading Liu Sisi along the shortcut to the official road. Luckily, they finally caught up!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As the carriage continued to move forward, Ruo Ruo extended her arm, waving it continuously towards Liu Sisi.


    Di Yelei controlled his jujube red horse, sticking closely to the side of the carriage, and made an effort to move forward side by side with the carriage.


    The tightly wrapped Liu Sisi in his arms struggled to tear off her veil hat and leaned out from inside.

 Chapter 397: 397: Discussing the Car Purchase

    Chapter 397: Discussing the Car Purchase


    ¡°Teacher! Teacher, you have finallye to bid me farewell!¡±<div>


    Gan Miaoruo¡¯s excitement brought forth torrents of tears.


    Liu Sisi noticed the hastened speed of the caravan. Clearly, the carriage was not going to stop. Not caring about the onlookers, she bellowed out loudly!


    ¡°Ruo Ruo, catch this!¡±


    As she spoke, a bundle flew into the window.


    Gan Miaoruo instinctively reached for it, but missed. The bundle fell into the car.


    She quickly bent over to pick it up. Waving it frantically at Liu Sisi, she said, ¡°Teacher, you must remember what you promised me. You have to visit me! Teacher!¡±<div>


    ¡°Ruo Ruo! Take good care of yourself, okay? Ruo Ruo¡­¡±


    She put her hands to her mouth in a trumpet shape, shouting loudly.


    Di Yelei steered his jujube red horse forward, closely following the carriage.


    Up ahead, the manager noticed the scene and couldn¡¯t help but report to Gan Jiayou, ¡°Your Honor, the Eldest Miss and the son-inw are chasing after the carriage. Should we stop and wait?¡±


    Gan Jiayou was initially resting with his eyes closed. Upon hearing the news, he slowly opened his eyes, stretched out and opened the curtain of the carriage to look outside.


    From his direction, he could see the jujube-red horse on the wharf galloping in pursuit, its flying mane and dancing hooves desperately chasing after everyone.


    He casually let down the carriage curtain and closed his eyes again. ¡°No need to stop. We have already dyed enough time getting to the capital city. We cannot linger on the road any longer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor!¡±


    The manager took his leave.


    Liu Sisi and her twopanions chased the carriage for quite some time. They ran until they reached a mountain bay where the terrain suddenly narrowed, making it impossible to ride beside the carriage. With no other choice, Di Yelei pulled back on the reins, watching as the caravan gradually moved further away.


    ¡°Sisi, should we keep chasing?¡±


    ¡°No more chasing. Let¡¯s go back.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi gently shook her head, her body deting as she snuggled back into His warmth.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Di Yelei simply agreed. He pulled on the horse¡¯s reins and turned it around, heading back the way they hade.


    ¡°Sisi, why don¡¯t we buy a carriage while we still have some money at home? What do you think?¡±


    Jolted by the wind earlier and then a fast run, Liu Sisi was freezing. Hearing Di Yelei¡¯s suggestion, she was immediately interested.


    ¡°Getting a carriage would be great. But, where will we find one, and where will we find a coachman?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. Doesn¡¯t the old woman, Nanny Wang in the county city, deal with ves? I mean, we could first buy two ves, like Ruo Ning, for you tomand. As you get heavier with pregnancy, you may find these people quite useful. By the time you give birth and go through confinement, it would be very convenient.¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but turn around, staring in surprise at Di Yelei.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Di Yelei lowered his head and looked at her curiously, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you staring at me like that?¡±


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect¡­ didn¡¯t expect you to think about these things.¡±


    Liu Sisi really didn¡¯t expect it. Di Yelei, who used to seem so naive and honest, actually nned to buy ves. Speaking of buying ves, her modern-educated mentality found it a bit hard to ept.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect that we would buy ves? This is quite normal. When my mother was alive, she had an old woman and a maid to serve her. There were also a fewborers. It was only when my mother passed away that the Di family fell on hard times.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei casually talked about it as if it was someone else¡¯s business, tightening his hold on Liu Sisi in his arms.


    ¡°So, do you mean we should buy people first, or buy a carriage? How much money would that take?¡±


    She really didn¡¯t understand these things.


    ¡°What if we go to Nanny Wang¡¯s first and bring some people back with us?¡± Di Yelei suggested with excitement.


    ¡°But¡­ when we left home today, I didn¡¯t bring much money. I only brought about 5 taels of silver. What can we buy with that?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter. Let¡¯s just go see and ask around. If it doesn¡¯t work, we can always bring money tomorrow to buy whatever we need. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Di Yelei was thrilled! He instantly turned his horse around and started heading back.


    Liu Sisi squinted. She felt as if the man behind her had been nning this for quite some time.


    The two of them entered the county city along the official road, then headed directly to the west.


    The ce where Nanny Wang lived looked like a typical farmers¡¯ home. You wouldn¡¯t be able to tell at a nce that it was a ce for ve trading.


    ¡°Nanny Wang frequents the government office quite often, so I know her. She not only sells maids, but she also sells long and short-termborers, both on dead and open contracts. Let¡¯s look around and if we find something satisfactory, then we can discuss further.¡±


    Upon entering the courtyard, while no one came out, Di Yelei whispered to Liu Sisi.<div>


    Liu Sisi gave him a look. ¡°It¡¯s the New Year, anding here to bother these people seems rather unkind.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this her busiest time of year for business? If no onees to her during this time, that would be strange. It would mean she has a poor reputation, and her business wouldn¡¯tst long.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    There was such a saying! Liu Sisi remained silent.


    Shortly after, a middle-aged woman dressed modestly arrived. After catching sight of the two visitors, her eyes sparkled!


    ¡°I heard the magpies chirping first thing this morning, and now I know why. The constable has graced me with his presence. Such a rare guest, such an honor! Your presence truly adds glory to my humble home.¡±


    Nanny Wang was quick to pay her respects.


    ¡°No need to fuss, Nanny Wang. We are thinking of buying a carriage for transportation. But we need a capable hand to drive it. Do you have anyone to rmend?¡±


    Nanny Wang¡¯s eyes subtly shifted towards Liu Sisi.


    Usually, matters like these were dealt with by the women in the house. But seeing the constable taking the initiative, it seemed that the matter would not be easy to handle.


    ¡°If you two only need a carriage for transportation, there¡¯s no need to buy one. The Carriage Shop in the East City not only sells carriages but also offers rentals. If you trust me, Nanny Wang, I can help introduce you to some options.¡±


    ¡°Nanny Wang, could you exin the difference between the two options and their respective advantages?¡±<div>


    Seeing the determination in Yelei¡¯s eyes, Liu Sisi¡¯s sharp gaze transformed into a solemn question.


    ¡°There certainly are differences. If you only need to rent a carriage, you can rent it daily or even for a month or a year. If you only need the carriage temporarily, this method would be cost-effective. However, if you intend to use it in the long-term, it¡¯s better to just buy a carriage and horses, then hire a long-termborer. Theborer can not only help take care of the carriage but also feed the horses. This is not only convenient but also very hassle-free and less tiring, solving the problem once and for all.¡±


    That¡¯s indeed a good n!


    ¡°Nanny Wang, how much would the whole package cost?¡±


    She only brought 5 taels of silver, would it be enough?

 Chapter 398: 398: Adding People Through the Door

    Chapter 398: Adding People Through the Door


    ¡°There are generally several prices for carriages, starting roughly from 5 taels of silver, without a maximum limit. Then there are the horses. To my knowledge, the lowest grade ones used for pulling carriages range from 2 to 15 taels of silver. Of course, this doesn¡¯t include the thousand-mile good horses. As for buying people, it depends whether it¡¯s an open contract or a dead contract, and the specific individual.¡±<div>


    Nanny Wang spoke without any reservations.


    ¡°So Nanny Wang, if we were to purchase a set based on the Carriage Shop¡¯s usual standards, how much would the carriage and horse cost? We only need a robust, young male horse. As for the person, we¡¯ll have to see first.¡± Liu Sisi asked her questions one by one.


    ¡°The carriages of the Carriage Shop are generally priced at 6 taels of silver, which is also their best-selling price. A robust male horse would be most cost-effective at about 5 taels of silver. As for the person, Madam, are you hoping to choose someone older or younger to drive the carriage? Would you like to see the person now or buy the carriage first?¡±


    Liu Sisi pondered for a moment, since they had alreadye this far, it was better to see the person first.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see the person first.¡±


    ¡°Alright, please follow me.¡±<div>


    Nanny Wang immediately lead the two to the backyard without hesitation.


    Along the way, Nanny Wang was exceptionally talkative, casually chatting about all sorts of things as she unhurriedly guided them. After passing through several archways and turning several corners in narrow alleys, they entered a small courtyard and pushed open the door.


    ¡°Please wait a moment; I will bring someone for the two of you.¡±


    Without taking much time, Nanny Wang led a group of twenty or so people up.


    ¡°It¡¯s the end of the year, and everyone who¡¯s still here is present. Please take a look to see if anyone catches your eye.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Nanny Wang had a smile on her face, and she turned around and instructed the group, ¡°Don¡¯t crowd together. If you can drive a carriage, step forward.¡±


    Upon her words, the crowd began to shuffle. Among them were men of all ages, and only a small portion knew how to drive a carriage. The initial twenty or so were instantly narrowed down to roughly ten.


    Liu Sisi nced over the few who stepped forward, and asked sternly, ¡°Who among you wants to sell yourselves as an open contract or a dead contract? Those who want to sell as an open contract, stand on the right side. Those who want to sell as a dead contract, stand on the left.¡±


    At her words, the remaining dozen or so people immediately dispersed to their respective sides.


    Most of these people were selling themselves as an open contract. Surprisingly, only four wanted to sell as a dead contract.


    Among these four was an old man with white hair, a teenager not older than fourteen or fifteen, and the remaining two were roughly in their twenties and forties respectively.


    She casually asked a few more questions, ¡°Those of you selling themselves as a dead contract, are your families aware?¡±<div>


    In such an era, selling oneself as a dead contract meant bing the property of the owner, a personal belonging. Even if one were beaten to death, the government could not intervene.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The four replied simultaneously.


    Liu Sisi was rather conflicted; she wasn¡¯t sure who to choose.


    ¡°Ye Lei, do you see anyone satisfactory?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face remained expressionless. Upon hearing her words, he casually nced over the crowd and pointed at the middle-aged man, ¡°You say you can drive a carriage; did you often drive before? If I were to ask you right now to get on the carriage and drive, could you do it?¡±


    The man immediately rejoiced, ¡°To answer the Old Master, my family originally had a carriage and I was the one driving.¡±


    After asking some specific details, Liu Sisi and Yelei turned their attention to Nanny Wang.


    Since the beginning, Nanny Wang had been standing quietly. At this moment, she smiled and gestured, ¡°Let¡¯s go over to the side hall for some hot tea.¡±


    Of course, the two had no objections.


    ¡°Nanny Wang, how much was that middle-aged man asking for?¡±


    ¡°The middle-aged man is selling himself willingly, and his physique is good, so he is asking for 10 taels of silver, which is very reasonable¡­¡±


    Nanny Wang had a sly smile on her face, appearing extremely amicable and approachable.<div>


    Di Yelei, standing to the side, remainedpletely unaffected, still wearing his naive expression.


    ¡°Nanny Wang, we are indeed intending to buy, so there¡¯s no need to embellish. We know the truth. This Carriage Shop and you are both owned by the same boss. We just want to purchase a set, including the carriage. How much are you asking for?¡±


    The two groups bargained back and forth. Eventually, they reached an agreement. The middle-aged man, including the carriage and horses, cost a total of 20 taels of silver.


    ¡°This set of carriages should not be priced at 20 taels. However, in consideration of your gracious patronage, we naturally need to give you a discount. Just remember, if you ever need anything in the future,e to Nanny Wang first!¡±


    Nanny Wang looked pained.


    ¡°Alright! If we need anything else in the future, we will surelye to you, Nanny Wang.¡±


    Di Yelei took a silver ticket out of his pocket and handed it to Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi took it and her eyes widened in surprise. There were 20 taels of silver!


    She squinted her eyes. Di Yelei had a lot more money hidden on him than she thought. She had thought he was modest, but it turned out that he knew how to amass wealth. He actually had up to 20 taels of silver?


    By the time they left the gate after the transaction, the middle-aged man they had bought was already waiting outside the entrance.


    ¡°We have to register the dead contract with the government office. The governmental office hasn¡¯t started their seal yet, so I¡¯ll send it over when they do.¡±


    Di Yelei said as he took the dead contract and casually put it in his pocket. ¡°Oh right, I still don¡¯t know your name?¡±<div>


    ¡°To answer the Old Master, my name is Old Cheng.¡±


    ¡°Old Cheng? Good! Since you know how to drive, you¡¯ll be in charge of the carriage today!¡±


    Di Yelei casually assisted Liu Sisi onto the carriage, ¡°For today, you¡¯ll just have to sit like this temporarily. We¡¯ll buy some more items to put in the carriageter.¡±


    The reason he said this was because the inside of the carriage waspletely empty.


    Liu Sisi swallowed the words she wanted to say. She would exin everything slowly when they returned home.


    They detoured to the north of the city and bought a carpet and some misceneous items before making their way home. With a carriage to sit in instead of riding a horse, the journey was much morefortable. However, the swaying nearly put Liu Sisi to sleep.


    With an additional person to amodate, problems arose. Only when they returned home did Liu Sisi realize there was no ce to put him. In desperation, Liu Sisi thought of the kitchen corner again.


    Unexpectedly, Old Cheng refused.


    ¡°Old Master, I¡¯ve been used to hardship since I was young. Just now, I saw that there¡¯s a warm corner in your firewood room, so how about letting me sleep there instead?¡±


    The corner of the firewood room that Old Cheng mentioned was indeed next to the kitchen wall, so it was definitely warmer.


    However, despite the warmth of the firewood room, Liu Sisi could not make up her mind. Di Yelei, on the other hand, agreed without hesitation.


    Once he went to clean up the room, Di Yelei spoke seriously, ¡°It¡¯s good that he wants to stay in the firewood room. After all, a servant is a servant and cannot surpass the master.¡±<div>

 Chapter 399: 399: Sisi Tames Her Husband

    Chapter 399: Sisi Tames Her Husband


    Liu Sisi nced at him: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where he lives, what matters is whether you¡¯ve forgotten to tell me!¡±<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Di Yelei looked confused.


    Liu Sisi red at him and pinched his ear hard, pulling it down: ¡°Speak clearly, don¡¯t pretend to not know, thinking you can avoid it by giving me a flowerless daffodil!¡±


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts¡­ Sisi! How could I pretend? Be gentle, be gentle¡­¡±


    Di Yelei cried out in pain, but his eyes were full of affection, and his mischievous smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°Sisi, my little kitten, if you want to punish your husband, wait until we are in bed tonight, and then slowly torture me. We¡¯re outside now! Ouch, ouch, ouch. Little kitten, can¡¯t you spare your husband¡¯s dignity?¡±


    ¡°Pfft! -cough, cough¡­ You still have face left?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh, but released his ear as she said: ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! You made me, such a gentle person, lose myposure. You have topensate me!¡±


    While speaking, she looked around and didn¡¯t see anyone witnessing their antics, which reassured her.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Your husband will definitelypensate you. My little kitten, how do you want me to do it?¡±


    Di Yelei smiled shyly, pulled her into his arms, and held her slender waist tightly: ¡°By apanying you like this, or like this, or like this¡­¡±


    As he spoke, his big hand fanned the mes on her body, constantly roaming.


    ¡°You, you bastard! Let go of me now!¡±


    Liu Sisi struggled, her face quickly flushed with embarrassment.


    What exactly does this despicable man want to do, it¡¯s daytime and outside!


    ¡°I can only think of kissing you, loving you, and savoring every inch of you¡­¡±


    His eyes shed a light, looking at the little woman in his arms who wanted to struggle but couldn¡¯t, and raised his eyebrows with satisfaction.


    ¡°Enough, stop fooling around! I have a serious question for you, be serious!¡±


    Liu Sisi forcefully pped his iron arm; his arm was holding her so tightly that she couldn¡¯t escape. She was irritated, so she raised her hand and twisted it hard against his arm.<div>


    ¡°Hurry up and let go of me! I really have something to tell you.¡±


    Her delicate voice rang in his ears, and her breath like orchids continuously caressed his ears, making Di Yelei restless. He looked at her tense little face, deliberately teasing her, just like teasing an angry kitten!


    ¡°Could there be anything more important than what we¡¯re doing now?¡±


    Seeing her rounded apricot eyes, heughed in a ¡°hehe¡± manner and finally released his grip, scraping her nose gently.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I let you go. Little kitten, tell me what you wanted to say to your husband?¡±


    Liu Sisi was annoyed and pped away the teasing hand on her nose.


    ¡°Be serious. Tell me honestly! Where did the 100 taels of silver you used to buy the carriagee from? Tell me!¡±


    She had agreed to manage the household finances, yet he dared to secretly stash away money!


    Where should her credibility as the housekeeper be ced?


    ¡°This silver was given to me by Xingyu yesterday. It¡¯s not mine.¡±


    ¡°Really? Would that surnamed Zuo be so kind to give you silver?¡±


    Liu Sisi had a disbelieving expression.<div>


    ¡°He didn¡¯t give it to me; he gave it to another colleague of mine. It was for official matters, so I didn¡¯t mention it.¡± Di Yelei had a candid expression.


    ¡°¡­Why do I feel like you¡¯re lying to me?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked unconvinced, but she took the silver and handed it to him: ¡°Here¡¯s 50 taels of silver. Excluding the previous 20 taels, keep the remaining 30 taels. Since you¡¯re working at the governmental office now, there will always be gatherings and stuff that require money. It¡¯s more convenient to have some silver with you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need that much¡­¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly pushed the silver back: ¡°Even when I attend gatherings with colleagues, it only costs a little money. If I carry too much silver, aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯d go flirt with other women?¡±


    ¡°You know what, I¡¯m not afraid!¡±


    Liu Sisiughed proudly: ¡°If I find out, I won¡¯t have an adverse reaction. Instead, I¡¯ll deliver you to your lover¡¯s doorstep. How¡¯s that? I¡¯m pretty good to you, huh?¡±


    ¡°Are you really that good?¡±


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true, when have I, Liu Sisi, ever lied!¡± Her mouth curved, her face full of bright smiles.


    ¡°Chh! ¡­ Cough, cough! Sisi! Your husband knows you must be telling the truth, but could you be a little lighter? My waist must be turning purple.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Di Yelei showed a bitter smile.<div>


    ¡°You know, I wouldn¡¯t just send you to her; I¡¯d offer a gift as well. That is¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi chuckled coldly: ¡°I¡¯d cut off your manhood and kick you away. Then I¡¯d send you to her bed together. I¡¯d like to see whether she dares to ept a man Liu Sisi doesn¡¯t want anymore!¡±


    Although Liu Sisi said it casually, the seriousness in her eyes was painfully sharp!


    Di Yelei unconsciously clenched his legs, feeling chills down his spine!


    Why did he feel pain in that certain ce just by listening to her description!


    ¡°Ah! Little kitten, do you have to be so heartless? I am your husband, don¡¯t you care about our happiness for the rest of our lives?¡±


    ¡°What should I do with a man who dares to betray me, Liu Sisi? Just kick him away! Hmph!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth turned up high, looking especially happy.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hold your past against you, but from the moment you met me, if you dare to let me find out you¡¯re cheating on me¡­¡± Her eyes suddenly narrowed into the shape of a needlepoint: ¡°I¡¯ll make you understand that little kittens have ws too!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, my little kitten has sharp ws! How could your husband dare to mess around! Your husband can¡¯t even handle a single kitten, where would I find the mood to provoke others?¡±


    He lowered his head and looked at the 20 taels of silver, pocketing it and pushing the remaining 30 taels back into Liu Sisi¡¯s hands.


    ¡°You keep this extra money. When we need silver, your husband wille to you for it.¡±<div>


    ¡°But ¡­ If you don¡¯t carry some silver, won¡¯t your colleaguesugh at you for being henpecked?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyshes fluttered, her face innocent and adorable.


    ¡°How could that be! Who would say such nonsense!¡±


    Di Yelei lowered his head, looking at the crab-like hand on his waist and loudly denying it.

 Chapter 400: 400: Totally Screwed!

    Chapter 400: Totally Screwed!


    ¡°A man should earn money to support his family. Our little kitten at home is carrying a child, so your husband naturally has to save some silver in preparation for the children. My colleagues have all been through this, so they understand.¡±<div>


    ¡°Sisi, do you think what your husband said is right?¡±


    Di Yelei had a face full of ttery.


    Liu Sisi chuckled and went along with it, lifting her hand and gently swirling her slender fingers on his chest.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°True, Xuan¡¯er is about to go to school, and when Ying¡¯er gets older, I n to hire a teaching nanny for her to learn etiquette. There is never enough money for all these expenses.¡±


    She carefully adjusted his clothes, a perfect example of a virtuous wife and good mother.


    ¡°Yes, yes, oh! I remembered, I have something to talk to Zhang Peng about too, so I might be backter. I¡¯ll leave first.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei suddenly pped his forehead, hurriedly leaving Liu Sisi behind and fleeing at full speed.


    How could this gentle and weak-looking woman have such a strong aura, almost giving him away!


    But wait, what did she mean when she spoke earlier? Did she discover something?


    Di Yelei frowned!


    Looking at the increasingly heavy snow outside, he couldn¡¯t help but curse under his breath.


    He was seeking his own troubles!


    At present, right when the day was getting dark and everyone was with their wives and children during the New Year celebrations, he just had to bring this upon himself by running out the house.


    Going to Zhang Peng¡¯s home was now out of the question. Where could he hide for half an hour before returning?


    Going out on such a cold night was not a smart move.


    Behind him, Liu Sisi stared at the tightly closed main entrance, her lips firmly pressed and no smile on her face.


    Di Yelei was hiding something from her!


    Although she didn¡¯t know what it was, a woman¡¯s intuition was sometimes very urate!<div>


    He hadn¡¯t shown any unusual behavior in the past two days and hadn¡¯t met anyone. The only thing that could have changed his expression must be during the brief moment when he left Zuo Family and Zuo Xingyu saw him out!


    This Zuo Xingyu was really not a good person!


    Liu Sisi thought angrily and went into the house.


    Did he refuse to take the silver she gave him as a show of stubbornness?


    That was fine, it would save her some trouble.


    Di Yelei did not return until midnight, covered in frost and drenched in sweat. He heated some water to wash up before entering the room.


    Liu Sisi had already fallen asleep. He quietly slipped into the quilt, and the sudden cold made Liu Sisi instinctively curl up, waking up from her sleep.


    She squinted at him and asked with a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°Why did you take so long? What did Brother Zhang say?¡±


    Di Yelei, who was pulling the quilt, paused for a moment, then hurriedly said, ¡°He, what can he say, it¡¯s all just official business. Don¡¯t bother with these trivial matters, it¡¯ste, let¡¯s get some sleep!¡±


    As he spoke, his big hand reached out, directly hugging the soft fragrant little body into his arms.


    ¡°Let go! Don¡¯t press on me! You¡¯re freezing cold all over.¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly got angry and pped his arm heavily, then struggled hard to break free from his embrace.<div>


    Di Yelei lowered his head and looked at himself, then nodded after thinking for a moment.


    He had juste back from outside, covered in wind and snow. How could he not be cold?


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll cover this quilt, hehe! It¡¯s always okay to hug you through the quilt, right? That way, it won¡¯t be cold.¡±


    After saying that, his big hands and feet wrapped around her again, bringing Liu Sisi and the quilt together into his arms, then he sighed contentedly. Having the little woman in his arms reassured him, even just holding her like this made him feel incrediblyfortable all over!


    ¡°I say, when will you ever stop?!¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly got angry, sat up from the bed, and pushed him forcefully: ¡°You¡¯re too heavy! How can I sleep with you pressing on me like this?¡±


    By now, Di Yelei could finally understand that Sisi was angry. Otherwise, he would need aplete overhaul.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t press on you. You quickly lie down. It¡¯s freezing outside the quilt. If you catch a cold and hurt yourself, it would be terrible.¡±


    He hurriedly raised his hands in surrender, with a smiling face.


    Liu Sisi red at him several times, staring daggers at him. Then, shey down again with her back to him, wrapped the quilt tightly, and went back to sleep.


    Di Yelei looked like a baffled monk. He thought he had already appeased her when he left, but from the looks of it, she seemed even angrier now!


    No matter, when she fell asleep in the middle of the night, she would roll over into his arms anyway.<div>


    Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but smirk.


    It wasn¡¯t until the next day that he understood why Liu Sisi was so angry and finally realized that it was just the beginning!


    After having breakfast, Di Yelei was cleaning up his soap boots.


    These boots were excellent in the rain as they kept his feet dry, but they were covered in a thickyer of mud and became heavy and unsightly. While he was making efforts to clean them up, he saw Zhang Peng and his family of three walking in.


    ¡°Huh! You guys are up early today. Where are you heading?¡±


    His gaze fell on the considerable amount of incense candles and paper money in Zhang Peng¡¯s hands.


    Zhang Pengughed: ¡°Yelei, you must be still half-asleep. Didn¡¯t Ie to tell my sister-inwst night that we would go to the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple to offer incense today? Your memory can¡¯t be so bad that you¡¯d forget something in just half a day, right?¡±


    Di Yelei was a little slow to react: ¡°You mean, you came overst night?¡±


    Why did he suddenly feel like it was getting darker?


    Zhang Peng was still clueless, going on and on: ¡°I mean, aren¡¯t you pushing yourself too hard going up to the mountain in such cold weather? You should be more careful from now on, alright? ¡­ When I camest night, your sister-inw had just arrived. We had agreed to go to the temple together today, having fun and helping each other out along the way.¡±


    Seeing his expression, Guihua on the side hurriedly added: ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Sisi? Is she up yet?¡±


    ¡°Sister Guihua, I¡¯m here. I have prepared everything we need to take up the mountain. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t forget.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi emerged from the inner room with a sly smile on her face, walked past Di Yelei, and put all the things on a nearby stool. Then she stood up and smiled.


    ¡°Yesterday, Ying¡¯er said she wanted to get up early, so I¡¯ll go and check if she has finished washing.¡±


    After finishing, she turned around again, looking solemn, as she moved to the inner room, lifting the curtain to enter. The curtain swayed continuously, just like Di Yelei¡¯s heart at the moment.


    He slowly raised his head and looked at the baffled family in front of him, screaming miserably: ¡°Zhang Peng, those few words you said today have screwed me over!¡± Clearly, he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, right?


    He clutched his forehead in annoyance, with only one thought in his mind.


    I¡¯m dead now!

 Chapter 401: 401: Fulfilling a Vow, Making a Wish!

    Chapter 401: Fulfilling a Vow, Making a Wish!


    Having bought a new horse carriage yesterday, they naturally have transportation for their trip up the mountain today.<div>


    On the carriage, Liu Sisi hugged YingEr on the left side, Second Sister held Da Mao on the right side, while Guihua and Ms. Xin sat next to them. Di Yelei and Zhang Peng led the way on horseback, apanied by Zhang Yun and Di Xuan.


    YingEr wanted to ride a horse too, but was restrained by Di Yelei and kept in the carriage.


    Liu Sisi looked at the light snow still falling outside and swallowed the words she wanted to say.


    It took quite a while to appease her.


    Originally, Guihua wanted to sit next to Liu Sisi, but Ms. Xin had moved faster. Before Guihua could approach, Ms. Xin had already grabbed a seat and clung to Liu Sisi¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, I never expected your family to buy a horse carriage just like that. It is so convenient to have a carriage tomute in the future. How nice!¡±<div>


    Ms. Xin squinted her eyes and smiled.


    Liu Sisi smiled warmly: ¡°This carriage isn¡¯t that expensive, just a little over ten taels of silver. I heard that when Ah Bao was helping his sister-inw out initially, he spent a lot of money. So I guess it¡¯s not that difficult for them to afford a few dozen taels of silver.¡±


    Guihua, who was sitting opposite of them, had a sneer in her eyes and eagerly chimed in: ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right! I used to hear people talking about how their ce was a gold mine. I¡¯m sure Ah Bao¡¯s family must have made quite a bit of money, right?¡±


    If Liu Sisi¡¯s words were a veiled jab, Guihua¡¯s words were a tant, naked sarcasm!


    Ms. Xin¡¯s face didn¡¯t show any change of expression, she remained charming and innocently smiling.


    ¡°Auntie Guihua is right, that ce is indeed a gold mine, and afortable nest for men. However, since Cui¡¯er got married, everything there and its past are now unrted to me. Please, Auntie Guihua, don¡¯t mention it again.¡±


    ¡°To bring the matter back, with Ah Bao¡¯s ability, it¡¯s not a matter of whether he can afford a horse carriage or not, but rather that he couldn¡¯t maintain the horse and the coachman even if he could afford them.¡± Ms. Xin sighed.


    Indeed, buying a horse carriage was easy, but the subsequent expenses were quite a bit of money!


    ¡°¡­Hmph!¡±


    Guihua wanted to stab her again, but seemed to recall something and eventually held back her words.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was sitting beside them, had a heavy heart and never revealed a smiling face.


    When theyst visited the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple, climbing up the mountain had been more difficult; they had to ascend the stone steps leading from the foot of the slope one step at a time.<div>


    This time, some rode horses and some sat in carriages, so the journey was much faster.


    When they arrived at the foot of the slope, they didn¡¯t stop to climb the stone steps from the previous visit, but rode horses and drove carriages along the mountain path towards the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple.


    Liu Sisi gently lifted the curtain and looked at Red Maple Ridge, which was covered in lush maple trees that had shed their brilliant foliage and put on a clean white gown.


    The fine snow continued to fall from the sky like countless white grains of salt being sprinkled by an invisible pair of hands, densely covering the earth in ayer of silvery white.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At the moment, it was still early, and they could see the monks cleaning the road, but the mountain path was already crowded with peopleing to offer incense!


    The carriage had toe to a halt when it reached the area near the waterfall.


    Having no other choice, everyone had to get off the carriage and proceed on foot.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know if it was because of her pregnancy, but recently she had been experiencing bouts of dry heaving in the mornings, especially when she was jostled around while riding in the carriage. As soon as she got off the carriage, her legs went weak and she squatted down on the side of the road, dry heaving until she threw up all the food she had eaten that morning.


    ¡°Sisi, how are you feeling? Are you still very ufortable? How about we go over there and sit for a while?¡±


    Guihua, who had been patting her back gently, said with concern, ¡°I also had severe morning sickness when I was pregnant, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be as serious as yours.¡±


    Liu Sisi forced herself to stand up, rinsed her mouth with a few sips of clear water, and shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine, there¡¯s no need to sit anymore. Let¡¯s continue up the mountain and offer the incense first.¡±


    Although she had initially vowed before the Buddha not to have children.<div>


    But when there was truly a little life growing slowly inside her, she prayed for his safe growth, and once he was born, she would raise him well.


    Di Yelei, who had originally squeezed to the front, turned back and found out the unusual situation here, hurriedly jumped off the horse and strode over.


    ¡°Sisi, are you feeling ufortable again? Come! I¡¯ll carry you up.¡±


    As he spoke, he came to her, ready to lift her up into his arms.


    Liu Sisi stared at him with a cold face.


    ¡°Get away! Don¡¯t touch me with your dirty hands!¡±


    As she spoke, she pped his outstretched hand away, supporting her body to climb up the mountain.


    The coldness in her eyes stopped him, making him feel at a loss, and his outstretched hand froze in ce.


    This caused not only Di Yelei but also the others nearby to notice the issue.


    Everyone¡¯s probing gazes focused on Di Yelei, who could only force a bitter smile, as this matter could not be exined in a few words!


    Going up the mountain, following the crowd to burn incense and worship, they came to the statue of Goddess of Mercy, and Liu Sisi finally bowed deeply.


    In the blink of an eye, she had been in this strange world for quite some time, and now she had a little life connected to her bloodline in her belly. No matter why she came to this world initially, she was truly grateful ¡ª grateful that Heaven had given her a home, a child connected to her bloodline.<div>


    After arranging the incense and candles, she looked back and saw that Liu Zhi¡¯er was still kneeling on the pumpkin, knocking his head continuously while sincerely praying.


    ¡°I beg the highlypassionate Goddess of Mercy to show mercy, allowing me to find my two children and reunite our family. If I can find my children, even if it means shortening my life by three years, I will have noints. I beg the Goddess of Mercy to grant my request. I beg the Goddess of Mercy!¡±¡­


    As she spoke, her head knocked loudly, causing Liu Sisi, who was standing beside her, to feel heartache.


    Looking up at the kind and merciful Goddess of Mercy, Liu Sisi sighed inwardly.


    Everyone came to ask the Goddess of Mercy for help, but if She could help with everything, even with a thousand hands, She couldn¡¯t manage all the injustices in the human world!


    After all, we must rely on ourselves.


    Everything depends on our efforts!


    After leaving the temple, Liu Sisi was already starving. They had eaten breakfast early and vomited the remaining food, and her stomach was churning with hunger at this moment.


    Today, their group didn¡¯t go to the temple for dinner; instead, they went to a snack stand not far from the temple to eat.


    The food at the snack stand was very simple: millet porridge with pickled cabbage. Eating it, Liu Sisi felt it was no less delicious than rare delicacies. After devouring two bowls, she finally put down her bamboo chopsticks.


    ¡°This millet porridge is so delicious! We have millet at home too, but I¡¯ve never discovered that millet porridge can be this tasty!¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 402: 402: Ms. Xin’s Calculation

    Chapter 402: Ms. Xin¡¯s Calction


    When Liu Sisi put down her bowl and chopsticks, she still seemed reluctant to part with them.<div>


    ¡°Pfahaha! Cough cough cough¡­ ¡±


    Ms. Xin sitting beside her identally sprayed her food out, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.


    ¡°Ms. Xin, could you be any more disgusting?¡±


    Guihua angrily put down her bowl, fuming. She was sprayed all over, who could still eat? Now this half a bowl of corn porridge was wasted!


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it. It¡¯s just that Third Sister-inw told this story so pitifully.¡±


    Ms. Xin also hurriedly took out a towel and wiped everyone¡¯s face while covering her mouth: ¡°Those who know her situation understand that she eats rice every day. If they didn¡¯t know, they might have thought her family ate wild vegetables every meal. This bowl of corn porridge was described so deliciously, but I don¡¯t feel anything while eating it.¡±<div>


    Guihua was not pleased and brushed away her hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wipe it! Who knows what your towel has touched, you are going around wiping stuff everywhere. You¡¯re not grossed out by its dirtiness, but I¡¯m afraid of catching some disease.¡±


    Afterwards, she red at Ms. Xin. She was bing more and more intolerant of her.


    Apart from her affected behavior and relying on her pretty face to please people, she was always causing unnecessary trouble.


    Little Ying beside her saw the dirty bowls and quietly put down her chopsticks. She turned to look at Liu Sisi with a wronged face.


    Liu Sisi patted her head and led her away by hand.


    After thinking about it, she bought a sticky rice roll for each of the few children, bought some candied haws, and took one herself.


    This sour and sweet taste was still the best!


    ¡°Sisi¡­ ¡±


    She heard a soft call from behind and saw Di Yelei¡¯s face filled with a sorrowful look that she directly swept past and focused on Liu Zhi¡¯er instead.


    ¡°Second Sister, let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go to the waterfall and take a look. I heard that it¡¯s beautiful there!¡±


    The reason why Liu Sisi said this was because of her overhearing on the way about the beauty of the waterfall.<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er naturally wouldn¡¯t object to her, and hurriedly led the children forward.


    While walking and talking, they gradually separated from the slow-moving men behind them.


    ¡°I think I saw them lingering near the juggler¡¯s stage earlier. Xuan¡¯er was riding on Di Yelei¡¯s shoulders and didn¡¯te over.¡±


    Ms. Xin had great observation and casually mentioned what she had seen.


    ¡°That¡¯s good too. Let¡¯s just go y and have fun. We¡¯ll leave when we¡¯ve finished.¡±


    Liu Sisi felt stifled in her heart and pulled Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand to walk towards the location of the waterfall.


    In the winter, the waterfall had a small flow with numerous ice crystals in mid-air.


    Layer uponyer of transparent ice crystals as clear as water were incredibly charming.


    Being washed by the continuous stream of water, it was hard not to marvel at the wonders of nature.


    Though the waterfall was beautiful, no one seemed interested in admiring it as they were lost in their thoughts.


    Liu Sisi felt an inexplicable sense of frustration in her heart, a sense of suffocation!


    Did that hateful man really not n to exin anything to her? She had been waiting for him for half a day, yet his mouth remained tightly shut, not saying a single word.<div>


    How hateful! How irritating!


    She viciously bit into thest candied hawthorn in her hand, chewing it forcefully, as if she were chewing on his flesh!


    She was preupied and naturally didn¡¯t notice the nces of Ms. Xin beside her, who kept darting her eyes at Liu Sisi from time to time.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, look! They have popcorn in their paper bags, don¡¯t they? It looks so fragrant and delicious.¡±


    Following Ms. Xin¡¯s pointing finger, Liu Sisi indeed saw a little girl holding a paper bag and eating popcorn. The sweet and fragrant taste wafted over with the wind, making her mouth water immediately.


    ¡°There really is popcorn! It should be over there. Let¡¯s go buy some!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! It¡¯s so crowded here. If we all go, what if Third Brotheres and can¡¯t find us?¡±


    Ms. Xin suggested, ¡°How about this? We send one person to go buy and the rest of us wait here. What do you think? Or¡­ I¡¯ll go buy. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± As she spoke, her eyes swept over everyone.


    Everyone immediately raised their hands in agreement.


    Guihua thought for a moment, ¡°Ms. Xin is right. But let me go buy it! It should be sold over there. Just don¡¯t wander too far. If I can¡¯t find you when Ie back, it won¡¯t be good.¡±


    Liu Sisi wanted to stop Guihua from leaving, but after a moment, she eventually agreed. ¡°That¡¯s fine, hurry back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not a kid anymore.¡± Guihua hurried off after speaking.<div>


    As soon as Guihua left, the most powerful person in the group who still remained was Liu Zhi¡¯er. Ms. Xin rolled her eyes and gave a light cough before saying with an unusually embarrassed smile, ¡°Ah! Third Sister-inw, do you know where the restroom is? I¡­ I have a sudden urge to go to the restroom.¡±


    Liu Sisi hadn¡¯t felt the need before Ms. Xin mentioned it, but now she suddenly felt the urge to go as well and hurried to stand up.


    ¡°It¡¯s just as well that I want to go too. Let¡¯s go together; it¡¯s safer that way. Second Sister, just wait here with the children, and we¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er also wanted to go, but she stopped when she heard Liu Sisi¡¯s words. The two of them walked, one after the other, toward where Liu Sisi remembered the restrooms were.


    ¡°When we came herest time, I recall there being a restroom nearby. Let¡¯s see if I remember correctly. It should be¡­ Look over there! Let¡¯s hurry.¡±


    Liu Sisi said excitedly. Ms. Xin beside her became secretly anxious. Where were the people who were supposed to wait here? She couldn¡¯t see their shadows.


    She wanted to find an excuse to dy, but she was involuntarily led into the restroom.


    When Liu Sisi came out of the restroom after relieving herself, she saw a boy dressed as a young servant approaching with a bow.


    ¡°Good day, Madam. Someone asked me to deliver this letter to you.¡±


    A letter?


    Who would send her a letter? How strange!


    Before she could ask, the letter carrier disappeared into the crowd. She looked at the thin envelope in her hand, and unable to suppress her curiosity, she tore it open and carelessly scanned the contents. Her face changed drastically, and she hurriedly ran towards the back of the restroom.<div>


    Just moments after she left, Ms. Xin came out of the restroom and saw Liu Sisi gradually disappearing in front of her. She gave a coldugh of relief.


    Finally trapped. No wonder she had arranged so much in advance.


    On the other side, Di Yelei and the others werepletely mesmerized by the acrobatics performance.


    When the acrobatics finally ended and were reced by a dance, Di Yelei began to search for Liu Sisi and the others around him.


    ¡°Huh? Where are Sisi and the others? Did you see Sisi? Howe they¡¯re gone?¡±


    He was mad at Sisi earlier and focused on walking, then was distracted by the performance. It wasn¡¯t until now that he realized the others were missing.

 Chapter 403: Goodbye to the Man in the Black Robe

    Chapter 403: Goodbye to the Man in the ck Robe


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say they were going to see the waterfall? They probably went over there.¡±


    Zhang Peng said, and the two exchanged a quick nce, rushing towards the direction of the waterfall.


    On the other side, Guihua came back after buying popcorn, only to find Liu Zhi¡¯er in a daze. Da Mao and YingEr were ying with small stones they had picked up somewhere, and Liu Sisi and Mrs. Xin were nowhere to be found. She couldn¡¯t help but get angry. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Second Sister, Second Sister! Where are Sisi and Mrs. Xin? Where did they go?¡±


    As she shouted, YingEr, who was ying nearby, ran over like a swift wind, stretching her hand out: ¡°Auntie, Auntie, YingEr want popcorn, YingEr want to eat!¡±


    Da Mao also came moring.


    Guihua quickly lifted the popcorn high: ¡°Look at your little hands, they¡¯re so dirty. How can you eat food like this? Wait a moment, first wash your hands with water before eating!¡±


    While she spoke, she then put down the popcorn and led the two children to wash their hands under the waterfall.


    Perhaps because of groundwater, the waterfall had notpletely frozen. Even so, the children¡¯s small hands were frozen red.


    After drying their hands, she returned to give the popcorn to the two children, and then turned to look at Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sisi? How long have they been gone?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t pay attention. It seems like it has been¡­quite a while¡­¡± Her voice became smaller and smaller.


    At the moment, Liu Zhi¡¯er seemed panicked, looking around anxiously.


    Guihua¡¯s voice suddenly raised by an octave: ¡°They didn¡¯t just leave when I was gone, did they? It¡¯s been such a long time!¡±


    From the time she went to queue for popcorn until now, it¡¯s probably been almost two quarters of an hour.


    Would it take so much time to go to the toilet?


    Guighua¡¯s thoughts were racing. She swiftly picked up YingEr: ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s hurry up and see! Which direction did they go in? Why aren¡¯t you hurrying up?¡± Guihua urged anxiously, her heart burning.


    Mrs. Xin¡¯s not a decent sort! And with her affected attitude, who could tell what sinister thoughts she might be hatching. Sisi is now pregnant and must not have any mishaps!


    Here, Liu Zhi¡¯er was also in a panic!


    She quickly wrapped up the things, picked up Da Mao, and started chasing.


    Just a while after the two set off, Di Yelei and his party arrived. They searched carefully around the bottom of the waterfall and the viewing pavilion, including the nearby resting area. As expected, they did not see anyone.


    Now, not to mention those extremely anxious people searching for someone here, Liu Sisi was currently rushing towards the back mountain through the mountain forest.


    Exerting force to hold on to a small tree, she used her hands and feet to climb the slope. Not even bothering to wipe off the sweat on her forehead, she took a couple of deep breaths and quickly jogged towards the mountain ridge.


    As she just crossed the small mountain ridge, she involuntarily stopped.


    Just in the not too distant area, on a small stone, sat a man in a mysterious robe, facing sideways. His left leg was bent, his right hand holding a sword. He was facing the deste, cold wind and light snow, his clothing rustling in the wind.


    The surrounding green trees had turned into branches, and the snow had turned it into a silver-white scenery. His ck robe looked even more striking against this.


    ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯te. Really didn¡¯t expect, you would be so bold?¡±


    The man in the mysterious robe turned around, revealing a creepy judge¡¯s mask on his face. The corner of his lips was slightly raised under the mask, and a glint ofughter could be seen in his mesmerizing eyes.


    Liu Sisi felt the chill hitting straight in her face, quickly took over her mind, and rapidly spread throughout her body.


    There are many riddles in her heart that she allows the person in front of her to unravel, so even though she clearly knows the danger, she hase without hesitation!


    She took a deep breath, her fingernails digging into her palms.


    In front of such a strong man, she forced herself to stand tall, facing him confidently, and never allowing herself any sign of timidity!


    She gave a faint smile: ¡°In this age, the timid starve to death, and the bold die of overeating, don¡¯t you know?¡±


    The man evidently didn¡¯t expect her to answer like this, hesitated for a moment before chuckling.


    ¡°Your words are quite interesting!¡±


    ¡°But I am more interested in your identity.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke slowly while walking forward, step by step, closing in on the man.


    A light shed in his eyes but quickly disappeared.


    ¡°Unexpectedly, youngdy is interested in me. Could it be that since west parted, youngdy has fallen for my charming demeanor, unable to sleep at night, yearning for me day and night, so when you got my invitation, you rushed over here¡­¡±


    While he spoke, he stood up from the rock and step by step came closer to her.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyelids flickered, concealing the thoughts behind her eyes. A smile bloomed on her face.


    ¡°Brother, you should have heard that narcissism is a disease, it needs to be treated! Don¡¯t go out before it¡¯s cured, or if someone mistakes you for a mad dog and kills you, it would be a great pity!¡±


    The man approached closer with each step, stopped less than two feet in front of her, leaned in, close enough for Liu Sisi to smell his scent. A mocking expression shed in his eyes, paired with that terrifying judge¡¯s mask, creating an inexplicable chill.


    ¡°You say¡­ I¡¯m a mad dog?¡±


    As he spoke, he extended his left hand and gently touched her chin.


    The left hand, covered with a silk glove, left a chill. It lingered on her chin.


    ¡°Mad dogs never admit they are mad dogs, psychos never think they are sick. Hey, which house did you run from, you should get back and take your medicine!¡± Liu Sisi mocked with a turn of her face.


    The man in the mysterious robe shook his head with a chuckle: ¡°Are you thinking that because I spared your life back then, I wouldn¡¯t dare to kill you now? So, you¡¯re deliberately testing me, trying to provoke my bottom line. Hmm?¡±


    While he spoke, he roughly gripped her chin with his long slender hand, mping it so hard that Liu Sisi almost couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°Err! Let go¡­¡±


    She struggled to push his hand away. Clearly, he didn¡¯t intend to embarrass her. He let go of his grip with the flow.


    ¡°Nobody has ever dared to talk to me like that. You are the first! Brave!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always a first for everything. Shouldn¡¯t being the first in this case warrant a firecracker celebration?¡±


    Tch! Damn it, will definitely have a bruise on my chin by tomorrow!


    The man¡¯s gaze was heavy, instinctively moving his hand on the hilt of the sword,ughing in triumph: ¡°That idea is not bad. If you want firecrackers, the Firecracker Shop in City West has good ones. If you buy a lot, there¡¯s also a discount, it¡¯s very economical¡­¡±


    ¡°Could you stop it? Cough, cough, cough¡­ You should be clear about what I¡¯m saying.¡±


    Not wanting to listen to his nonsense, Liu Sisi interrupted him: ¡°I¡¯ll just ask you one question, and you¡¯d better answer honestly! Who are you on ck Dragon Mountain?¡±

 Chapter 404: Everything in the World Can Be Given Up!

    Chapter 404: Everything in the World Can Be Given Up!


    The other party didn¡¯t seem to care about Liu Sisi¡¯s question at all.


    ¡°Your question is strange. Heilong Mountain is so vast and has been around for countless years. How could I possibly be someone from Heilong Mountain? Wouldn¡¯t that make me an old monster?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to say it, do you? Fine! Since you won¡¯t say it, I¡¯ll take my leave!¡±


    Having said that, Liu Sisi turned to leave without any hesitation.


    ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t go.¡±


    The other party suddenly reached out and grabbed Liu Sisi¡¯s arm, pulling her back forcefully.


    ¡°Let go!¡±


    Liu Sisi was prepared and quickly slid her hand, cutting the back of his hand. The silk glove ripped, revealing a white hand.


    The other person apparently had no defense, and her cut left a bloody mark on his hand, with fresh blood seeping out immediately.


    ¡°Wow! Women truly have poisonous hearts, as the saying goes!¡±


    He didn¡¯t even furrow his eyebrows, instead raising his hand, licking the blood off with the tip of his tongue, and lifting his head to smile enchantingly: ¡°Little beauty, are you so eager for me to take care of you?¡±


    Such a captivating smile, paired with the judge¡¯s mask, looked utterly out of ce.


    ¡°Are you done messing around? Can we just speak openly?¡±


    Liu Sisi crossed her arms and red at him: ¡°Who are you, really? Why did you spare me back then? Why have you helped me so much since? And, were the people that came to the County Magistrate¡¯s residency your men? Why have youe to see me today?¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­ You have so many questions, and your grievances run deep.¡±


    The other person suddenly listened for a moment before saying with a smile, ¡°Some small fries are approaching. Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll find another ce, and I¡¯ll tell you everything you want to know.¡±


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t talk, just follow me!¡±


    In a sh, Liu Sisi felt herself being lifted into the arms of the other person. They leapt into the air and flew away.


    As she turned, she saw two familiar figures slowly climbing up the slope from below.


    She opened her mouth to shout, but suddenly felt a pain in her ribs and her body was immobilized.


    All her words were stifled, transformed into unvoiced sobs. She could only let the other person carry her through the air, as the biting cold wind scraped her face, making it impossible for her to open her eyes.


    Finally, the wind stopped. She opened her eyes and found herself in a garden.


    Facing the biting cold and the falling snow, the garden was filled with proud plum blossoms. Their fragrance was so rich and elegant, such an ice-cold jade beauty. The white blossoms resembled the snow, the red ones shone like fire, the yellow ones were more splendid than gold and silver, and the pink ones looked like colorful clouds filling the sky. Dancing in the cold wind and falling snow, the plum blossoms exuded a fresh and elegant scent, making one feel incredibly refreshed and exhrated, unable to contain themselves.


    Amidst the breathtaking scenery, Liu Sisi suddenly forgot everything around her, not even realizing that she had regained her ability to move.


    ¡°This whole plum garden was personally nted by me for her. She loved plum blossoms, especially the cold blossoms that bloomed facing the chilly wind. Unfortunately, now the plum trees remain, and the plum blossoms are still in full bloom, while she has long turned into a handful of yellow earth. I no longer have the scenery for appreciating the plum blossoms, allowing the flowers to bloom and wither with each year passing faster than thest.¡±


    As the words were being spoken, an old man strolled in from behind, apanied by the seemingly never-ending light snow, and came to stand in front of her, smiling at her.


    His gaze was deep, as if looking through her at another person, filled with reminiscence.


    Liu Sisi naturally recognized that this man was the old gentleman who had gifted her the painting in the small pavilion!


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly felt her throat was terribly dry, and when she opened her mouth, she realized that she had regained her freedom of movement.


    Twisting her already sore neck, she carefully looked at him.


    Unlike his cloth clothing and restrained aura fromst time, today, he wore a purple-ck, gold-trimmed long banner, a golden crown and luxurious attire, with magnificent eyebrows and nose, disying an indomitable noble spirit.


    Indeed, the old saying ¡°A Buddha needs gold, and a person needs clothes¡± rang true!


    Liu Sisi breathed a sigh of relief with countless thoughts in her heart, and smilingly paid her respects: ¡°So the old gentleman¡¯s residence is here. Sisi was just momentarily stunned by the beautiful scenery and has been quite rude. I hope the old gentleman will forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Get up, get up! There is no need for such formalities between you and me. Today, I had people bring you here so that you could appreciate the beauty of the full bloom of the cold plum blossoms in the garden!¡±


    As the old gentleman spoke, he personally reached out to help Liu Sisi up.


    ¡°Old gentleman, you are too kind!¡±


    Liu Sisi took the opportunity to bow and gracefully retreated two steps, keeping a distance of about two feet from the other.


    The old gentleman didn¡¯t mind, waved his hand, and directly tapped his palm lightly.


    Then heughed and said, ¡°Seeing your thin body and slender waist, how can you bear such severe cold with such weakness? You should take care of your body.¡±


    ¡°Sisi has long been ustomed to such cold. Thank you for your concern, old gentleman. Initially, you kindly gifted me the painting scroll. After returning, I had it carefully framed. It now hangs in my study so that I see it every night, never forgetting.¡±


    Her cheeks were smiling, her gaze seemingly demure, but secretly, she clenched her fingers tightly.


    As expected, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. At the outset, she inadvertently epted the painting and soon brought her so much trouble. It really made one want to spit blood!


    ¡°Hmm! I naturally understand this. You sent the painting to Gan Family¡¯s shop, where, because of my seal on it, it caught the attention of the Gan Family, which led to the subsequent events.¡±


    The old gentleman spoke lightly, as if it was nothing worth mentioning.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mind shed with a possibility, and she couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°So, you are the former Crown Prince everyone talks about, and those assassins back then were you¡­!¡±


    The old gentleman stroked his beard andughed heartily, without denying it. ¡°The youngster can be taught!¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle repeatedly. Various thoughts raced through her heart, as she tried to deduce what had happened in reverse.


    Initially, during her escape, she had left the painting scroll in the small wooden house, which might be the reason why it was discovered by the assassins who chased after herter, inadvertently saving her life!


    It really was thanks to this painting scroll!


    However, knowing the real origin of the incident afterward, she found herself at a loss for words!


    The old gentleman, who was actually the former Crown Prince, saw the changing expressions on her face, andughed heartily, saying, ¡°You need not worry about anything else! With me protecting you, you can go anywhere in the world!¡±

 Chapter 405: 405: Hidden Murderous Intent!

    Chapter 405: Hidden Murderous Intent!


    He spoke with a bold and vigorous spirit, his eyes filled with sincerity!<div>


    ¡°Now I¡¯ve been a former Crown Prince for a long time. You can call me Elder Leisure!¡±


    His words didn¡¯t convince Liu Sisi at all; on the contrary, they made her even more fearful and flustered, waving her hands continuously.


    ¡°No, no, no¡­ This is absolutely impossible! Sisi is already married and has children. How can she travel all over the ce? This n is definitely not feasible!¡±


    Even if it could work, she wouldn¡¯t dare trouble him!


    It turned out to be the former Crown Prince himself! If she really relied on him and the news got out, she probably wouldn¡¯t have a peaceful life in the future.


    This was truly an unexpected misfortune!<div>


    She never intended to do such a thing, right?


    ¡°Hmph! That husband of yours who killed his mother and abandoned his wife?¡±


    The former Crown Prince, Elder Leisure, snorted coldly, ring, ¡°What¡¯s the use of keeping such a man? It would be better to divorce him directly, and I can help you find someone who is truly intimate. I guarantee you two will live happily together in harmony!¡± It was evident that he had no fondness for Di Yelei!


    These words angered Liu Sisi!


    Her face was full of fear and reverence, as she hurriedly bowed, ¡°Your Highness, please do not mention this matter again. Sisi and Ye Lei¡¯s love is as strong as metal, and I have already pledged my life to him alone, not to marry another. I beg Your Highness to take back your decree!¡±


    He was nothing more than a former Crown Prince, and yet he was so overbearing!


    An attendant carrying a tray approached, overhearing Liu Sisi¡¯s words. The attendant was so frightened that their body shivered, their head almost buried in their chest, standing at the junction with trembling legs, not knowing whether to move on or retreat.


    ¡°Is this your true heart?¡±


    Elder Leisure¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, his face disapproving. It was evident that he was annoyed by Liu Sisi for opposing him so openly, making him lose face.


    The sound of such harsh words above her head made Liu Sisi shudder involuntarily.


    But she had no choice but to grit her teeth and persist, ¡°This is Sisi¡¯s true heart. Our husband and wife are as strong as metal, our hearts connected. I beg Your Highness to take back your decree!¡±


    ¡°You dare to defy me, who gave you such courage! Do you really think I wouldn¡¯t dare to kill you?¡±<div>


    The former Crown Prince suddenly scolded with a low roar!


    An overwhelming pressure and murderous intent emanated from him, almost crushing Liu Sisi¡¯s delicate body. One moment he spoke kindly, and the next he wanted to fight and kill, proving that being with a ruler is like being with a tiger!


    ¡°Your Highness, please forgive me! Please forgive this ignorantmoner who is unable to ept your grace. Please have pity!¡±


    She forced herself to kneel on the spot, her head lowered without budging, immovable like a mountain, refusing to relent.


    After a while, the pressure on her body suddenly eased, and Elder Leisure¡¯s voice rose again.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Fine! You remember what you said today. I would like to see how strong your love is, how connected your hearts are! Get up, the ground is cold, be careful of hurting your knees when you get older.¡± While speaking, he extended his hand again to help her up from the ground.


    His words were calm, but they hid a deadly intent, making Liu Sisi¡¯s heart sink.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness, for your mercy!¡±


    Looking at the mud stains on her knees, Liu Sisi broke out in a cold sweat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! This is a mink fur long banner that I ordered for you some days ago. What¡¯s more, the quality of this fur is very good, with an even color. Here, let me put it on you.¡± As he spoke, he took the mink fur long banner from the tray held by an attendant nearby, put it directly on her shoulders, and flicked off the umted snow on her shoulder.


    With the fur on her body, even the cold was kept out, bringing warmth.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t refuse his kindness any longer and bowed in gratitude, ¡°Thank you for your reward, Your Highness!¡±<div>


    Elder Leisure didn¡¯t stop there. His gaze lingered on Liu Sisi¡¯s face for a long time, as if recalling something through her. Finally, he picked a beautiful plum blossom from a nearby branch, observed it carefully for a moment, and then helped her insert it into her cloud bun.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart raced!


    She knew she should refuse, she should make a move, but it was as if her feet were rooted to the ground, and she couldn¡¯t move at all.


    ¡°So beautiful¡­¡±


    After a while, he finally withdrew his hand from her cloud bun, sighed, and turned away, a forlorn look on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame; you¡¯re not her¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about, Your Highness?¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t hear the words clearly and subconsciously asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I called you here just to see if you¡¯re doing well. Now that I¡¯ve seen you healthy, I can rest assured. You may go!¡±


    Having said that, he waved at her, picked a plum blossom at random, and gradually walked into the depths of the plum grove, disappearing into the still falling, fluttering snow.


    It was at this moment that Liu Sisi felt all her strength drained, and she could hardly stand upright.


    He¡¯d said that she could go back, but with all the plum trees around her, she didn¡¯t know where to go!<div>


    However, she didn¡¯t have to wander for long, as two maids appeared before her and bowed.


    ¡°Young Lady, please follow us two ves. We are ordered to take you back.¡±


    Liu Sisi breathed a sigh of relief ¨C thankfully, someone hade to guide her!


    Elder Leisure walked a long way before stopping, gazing at the broken plum branch in his hand, lost in thought for a long time.


    Some things cannot be avoided just because you want to!


    God is fair, and many things are destined from the moment you are born.


    And you, Liu Sisi!


    The daughter of the former king, do you still wish to live a peaceful life?


    How could that be possible?


    ¡°Since you were so reluctant to part with her, why did you kill her at first?¡±


    Suddenly, a cold male voice came from behind, causing him to turn around involuntarily. Sitting on a tall red plum tree was a familiar figure, staring coldly at him.


    Upon seeing who it was, he couldn¡¯t help but frown deeply, crushing the plum blossom in his hand and tossing it to the ground.<div>


    ¡°Hmph! Must I teach you how to do things?¡±


    ¡°Hehe! You are the former Crown Prince, who would dare to teach you? However, don¡¯t forget that she is your daughter after all! I advise you to keep those inappropriate thoughts to yourself, otherwise¡­ Hmph!¡±


    The figure fluttered down, revealing a sarcastic face, ¡°Nan Tianzong, do you really think I wouldn¡¯t dare to kill you? Even if I became childless, I can still make her child the heir, and inherit my Zhao Family¡¯s empire!¡±


    His eyes were filled with chilling malice and an intense killing intent.


    Nan Tianzong visibly faltered, a fleeting sadness in his eyes as he looked up at the sky.


    The snow in the sky grew heavier, covering everything like a nket, making it difficult to see the other¡¯s silhouette.

 Chapter 406: 406: Stolen Destiny

    Chapter 406: Stolen Destiny


    ¡°Big Brother is dead, and Second Brother and Third Brother also couldn¡¯t escape death¡¯s grasp. Living to this day, I have stolen the years from my brothers and borrowed ten more from the heavens! If you want to kill me, just take my life! However¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°You! ¡±


    Elder Leisure wanted to speak, but the words got stuck in his throat.


    Nan Tianzong suddenly turned his head, his sharp gaze shooting straight into Elder Leisure¡¯s eyes: ¡°As long as I, Nan Tianzong, live for one more day, I will never allow you to hurt her! Hurt my only family in this world! Otherwise, whether it¡¯s regicide or parricide, I, Nan Tianzong, don¡¯t mind trying!¡±


    After he finished speaking, he didn¡¯t wait for the other party to respond, and immediately rose up and flew away.


    With a high-pitched roar, he leaped onto the tip of a plum tree, stepped once more, and shot up into the sky. When hended again, he was already dozens of feet away. After a few leaps and bounds, he disappeared into the depths of the plum grove.


    ¡°You! You¡­damn bastard!¡±<div>


    Elder Leisure, who was left behind, took a while to shout out in anger! He clutched his chest in pain, gasping for breath.


    After a while, he stood in ce with a dejected expression, murmuring to himself.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er, did I do wrong?¡±


    ¡°For so many years, I have been filled with regret for what happened back then. But why can¡¯t he try to understand me! They were my children too¡­ Losing them, my heart¡­¡±


    ¡°Xin¡¯er, did you see it just now? Our child has grown up. I promised you at the beginning that I would send her to an ordinary farmer¡¯s family, allow her to live a safe and carefree life like an ordinary person.¡±


    ¡°I thought that she was, after all, my descendant, and that a phoenix would still be a phoenix even if it fell into a chicken coop. It was only at this moment that I discovered I had overestimated her!¡±


    ¡°She is afraid of me, and she is on guard against me! I want to tell her that I am her father, but¡­I promised you that I would never reveal her true identity. I promised to never disturb her life for the rest of her life. But this time, she brought it upon herself. I did not break my promise.¡±


    ¡°Xin¡¯er, is it cold over there? Wait for me to pick another plum branch for you. Slow down, and wait for me. Once I fulfill my long-cherished wish, I¡¯ll definitelye down to apany you¡­¡±


    The heavy snow was still falling, fluttering down to the ground.


    Liu Sisi followed the two maids as they walked out of the plum grove. The maids finally stopped their steps.


    ¡°Young Lord, walk straight ahead, and you will find the back hill of the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple. We won¡¯t send you any further. Take care.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi hurriedly bowed in gratitude: ¡°Thank you, girls, for the escort.¡±<div>


    However, there was no one speaking out in front of her. Liu Sisi looked up and only saw messy footprints on the ground. The two maids had already disappeared from sight.


    Following the direction the two maids pointed out earlier, Liu Sisi started walking while pondering all the events that happened today. Suddenly, she remembered something.


    Where did that person wearing the judge¡¯s mask go?


    She hadn¡¯t walked far when she arrived at the back hill of the Zen temple. Soon, she encountered a few frantic people who were looking for someone on the hill.


    Seeing her figure, Di Yelei didn¡¯t care about the others around. He directly embraced her without a word, almost crushing her entire being into his body.


    ¡°I know it was my fault, I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you yesterday. But I really didn¡¯t mean to lie! The 100 taels of silver were really given to me by Zuo Xingyu, andst night, actually, I did¡­ I did have something important to do¡­¡±


    Di Yelei was shivering all over and kept talking into her ear, repeating many sentences incoherently.


    ¡°Alright, alright! Let go of me, everyone is watching you¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi struggled twice but couldn¡¯t break free from his embrace.


    Thankfully, this was the back hill of the Zen temple, and there were very few passers-by. Otherwise, who knows what kind of scandal would have been caused.


    ¡°Sisi, I really care about you, I really didn¡¯t mean to deceive you, I¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s expression remained incredibly agitated and couldn¡¯t calm down. He still clung tightly to her, and a warm liquid trickled down his face and into her neck, burning her heart. Her heartbeat became inexplicably disordered for several beats!<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry! Ye Lei, don¡¯t be sad. I didn¡¯t me you, really! My leaving has nothing to do with you, I¡­ I was kidnapped¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Di Yelei finally let her go but suddenly raised his voice by several octaves. Without caring about his tears, he pushed her away from his arms and looked at her face.


    The people nearby all turned to look at themotion.


    Di Yelei snapped back to reality, didn¡¯t care about anything else, and quickly took Liu Sisi with him, calling everyone else to hurry down the hill.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll talk when we get home!¡±


    He had a feeling that the content of what Liu Sisi was about to say was of utmost importance!


    The group returned to where the carriage was parked, got in, and headed home quickly without any dy. Once they reached home, Liu Sisi silently entered the house.


    Upon arriving home, Di Yelei didn¡¯t bother with anything else. He jumped off the horse, didn¡¯t even bother tying it up, and pulled Liu Sisi inside, shutting the room door behind them.


    ¡°Sisi, what on earth is going on? Who kidnapped you? How did you escape danger and return safely?¡±


    He had thousands of questions and didn¡¯t know where to start.


    ¡°It was the old man who gifted us the painting scroll back then. He was the one who kidnapped me. Here¡¯s how it happened: I went to the restroom and came out, and a child handed me a strip of paper¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t hide anything and quickly recounted everything from going to the restroom to receiving the paper strip, then going to the back hill and meeting the old man.


    After hearing her story, Di Yelei took the plum blossom from Liu Sisi¡¯s hair and threw it to the ground.


    Finally, his eyes fell on the mink fur long banner on Liu Sisi¡¯s body, and his gaze instantly dimmed. Who would have thought that it would be such an invaluable object? Why was that person treating Sisi so well? What was his real intention?


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the old man who gifted us the painting at theke is the former Crown Prince, and it was because of the seal on the painting that those people recognized you and spared your life? And the Gan family also recognized you as their goddaughter after that?¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded vehemently: ¡°Yes, although it sounds long-winded, I think it¡¯s mostly true after thinking about it!¡±


    Even if her deduction was wrong, it shouldn¡¯t be too far off.

 Chapter 407: 407: Discussing the Secrets of Heilong Mountain Again

    Chapter 407: Discussing the Secrets of Heilong Mountain Again


    ¡°Alright! You don¡¯t need to handle this matter. I¡¯m going to discuss it with Zhang Peng first, then we¡¯ll move on.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei turned to walk outside. Halfway there, he turned back again.


    After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice, ¡°In the next few days, you should just rest at home. As for others, just say¡­say that you were tired from climbing the mountain and slightly affected your pregnancy, so you need to rest for a few days. We will talk about the others once I have the results. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please remember to be very careful when you are investigating¡­¡± Liu Sisi carefully instructed.


    Although she felt Di Yelei couldn¡¯t find anything, this move at least instinctively gave her a sense of safety: ¡°If you¡¯re in danger, whether you find anything or not, remember to retreat immediately. Promise me!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I promise you. Be a good girl!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In the midst of their conversation, suddenly he bent down, biting down fiercely on her lips, passionately and wildly kissing her.<div>


    His force made Liu Sisi¡¯s chest ache painfully.


    He easily pried open her teeth, swiping his tongue around her mouth, leaving a silver sheen. He then let go of her, panting heavily.


    His gaze was incredibly deep, and the sight of the enchanting Liu Sisi in front of him seemed to arouse his primal desire.


    Taking a deep breath, he resolutely turned around and left the room quickly, quickly mounting a horse and disappearing at the entrance of the courtyard.


    The snow on this day was incredibly heavy!


    The heavy snowpletely blocked everything in sight; when looking up, only the surrounding area could be seen clearly.


    At night, Di Yelei didn¡¯te back.


    Liu Sisiy in bed tossing and turning, thinking about things.


    Holding this mink fur long banner, carefully recalling the look in the former Crown Prince¡¯s eyes towards her, Liu Sisi recalled the scenes of their visits to ck Dragon Mountain several times. A vague thought quickly shed through her mind. This thought passed too quickly for her to grasp, she had no time to consider it clearly.


    Where exactly did it go wrong?


    Half asleep, she drifted back to sleep again.


    Like every time when Di Yelei was not by her side, nightmares found her again.<div>


    But this time, the nightmares had changed!


    The person wielding a knife in her dream changed into the former Crown Prince. He appeared much younger in the dream, while she was herself. It seemed as if she said something, crying hysterically. However, in the end, he lifted the dagger in his hand, showing a ferocious face, and stabbed it down¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡­.¡±


    Liu Sisi struggled again in her nightmare. Surprisingly, this nightmare didn¡¯t stop at this point.


    The scene in her dream changed, as if she had be a bystander. She saw herself being stabbed in the chest, fresh blood was flowing out, and the unstoppable fresh blood flowed rapidly, dyeing the surrounding white snow into a bright red.


    The crimson red was even brighter than the red plum, dazzlingly bright, so red that it hurt her eyes, almost blinding her.


    ¡°Ah! ¡­cough, cough, cough¡­¡±


    She sat up abruptly from the head of the bed! Finally, she woke up from the nightmare, her body was already soaked with sweat. It took her quite a while to fully wake up from the dream. She lifted her hand to cover her face, but found it wet.


    She couldn¡¯t tell whether this was sweat or tears!


    She cleansed herself of the sweat and changed her wet clothes for dry ones before lying down again.


    Why did the dream suddenly change like this today? Not only it got longer, but the characters in it had alsopletely changed!


    The only thing that hadn¡¯t changed was the dagger.<div>


    The dagger, with onerge and three small pearls embedded in its handle!


    Could it be that this is not a dream at all, but something that really happened in the past? However, the original body is clearly still alive, and that deep stab into the heart ¨C even if Hua Tuo was alive, he couldn¡¯t possibly save her!


    Perhaps, she should look for that dagger. Such a valuable item is definitely not something an ordinary family can afford!


    At this thought, she couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. She sat up from the bed, dressed, ground ink, and brushed, drawing the dagger from her dream.


    Only then did she lie down again with peace of mind, waiting for the appropriate opportunity. She must find out if this dagger really exists!


    The next day and the day after, Liu Sisi did not go out, she was anxiously waiting for news from Di Yelei.


    Guihua came over every day, chatting with Liu Sisi. However, Zhang Peng also went out with Di Yelei, the two of them were equally anxious.


    Besides these two, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s situation was not any better, the family often sat together in silence.


    Luckily, there were some kids ying in the courtyard, which added much joy to the Di family.


    On the afternoon of the third day, Di Yelei came back.


    Only when he dismounted did Liu Sisi notice that although he looked ragged, his spirit seemed fine.


    Without even stopping to take a sip of water, he said: ¡°Zhang Peng and I checked carefully, and we did find some clues. However, these clues were obtained too easily. It¡¯s as if someone deliberately put them there, waiting for us two to discover¡­¡±<div>


    Di Yelei furrowed his brows, hesitating, not wanting to say it.


    ¡°Are you trying to kill me with suspense! What did you find? Go on, say it!¡± Liu Sisi red at him, urging him on.


    Di Yelei took a sip of water: ¡°Regarding the former Crown Prince, many aspects of it involved imperial court secrets, so naturally, it was hard to investigate. But, we did find quite a few documents. Like I said, it was like someone deliberately let us discover them¡­ back then, when the former Crown Prince was escaping, he took a woman with him, this woman¡¯s surname was Lin, named Xin¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°Lin Xin¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Lin Xin¡¯er was intelligent and beautiful, she was favored deeply by the former Crown Prince. It can be said that she had monopolized his favor. What the imperial family has always dreaded the most, is this kind of sole favoritism. The former Crown Prince¡¯s favoritism for her naturally aroused the displeasure of the Crown Princess Consort. Consequently, while thete Emperor was seriously ill, she began to arrange everything, nning to bypass the former Crown Prince and directly make her son the Emperor after the death of thete Emperor. It was for this reason that the former Crown Prince was pushed to the forefront.¡±


    ¡°Intrigues and conflicts aremon in the imperial family. Disputes within the court factions result in either you die or I die. The former Crown Prince was facing ambitious brothers on the one hand, and on the other, the Crown Princess Consort held him back. After thete Emperor died, the situation got out of hand. After a series of twists and turns, the former Crown Prince finally fled. Yet, even in such a situation, he took this woman named Lin Xin¡¯er with him, and escaped the imperial court, eventually settling on ck Dragon Mountain.¡±


    ¡°The matter did not end there. The current emperor raised the banner of capturing the prince and led his troops in pursuit, chasing all the way to ck Dragon Mountain. No one knows the specifics of their conversation, but from then on, ck Dragon Mountain became a secret of the imperial court and was heavily concealed. And this woman named Lin Xin¡¯er was pregnant at this time.¡±

 Chapter 408: 408: The Speculations of Sisi and the Two

    Chapter 408: The Spections of Sisi and the Two


    ¡°Then what? Aren¡¯t these all things from thirty years ago? What¡¯s the use of talking about them?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi urged him repeatedly.


    Di Yelei chuckled disapprovingly: ¡°The story hasn¡¯t ended here. Although this woman named Lin Xiner was pregnant at the time, she gave birth to several children, but none of them are alive now. Even Lin Xiner herself died of a sudden illness sixteen years ago, and the cause of the illness is unknown.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with me?¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment and then asked. She felt that there was something strange about the matter, so she asked him to investigate, but she didn¡¯t expect that after several days of investigation, all they brought back were these irrelevant old stories.


    ¡°And you, as it turns out, look remarkably simr to this woman named Lin Xiner.¡±


    Di Yelei said this in a subtle way, raising his head to look at her for a moment, his mouth drawn into a thin, straight line.<div>


    That look made Liu Sisi instinctively lower her head to look at herself: ¡°What do you mean by looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s gaze was somewhat evasive.


    Liu Sisi frowned: ¡°You don¡¯t mean to say¡­ that the former Crown Prince¡­ has something for me?¡±


    She thought about it and then immediately denied it: ¡°Impossible! I don¡¯t think so. His gaze toward me was very kind, as if he was looking at someone else through me. If he really had such a dirty mind, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t have felt it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s really hard to say. In theory, it shouldn¡¯t be because of the age difference, but who knows about these things.¡±


    Di Yelei still remembered the appearance of the old man, who was both strong and restrained, clearly no ordinary person. He just didn¡¯t expect him to have such an identity.


    However, it¡¯s not certain that he might have regarded Sisi as a substitute for Lin Xiner.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve been looking closely at that painting for thest two days, and I haven¡¯t found anything special.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she took out the painting scroll that had originally hung in Xuan¡¯er¡¯s ce, carefully spread it out, and carefully examined it: ¡°Look! ording to him, it¡¯s this painting that made everyone see something. But when I looked closely, the seal on it didn¡¯t seem to have anything special!¡±


    Following along the painting scroll that Liu Sisi had spread out, Di Yelei looked carefully, but it just looked like an ordinary mountain full of maple trees,rge swaths of bright red. He really couldn¡¯t see anything special about it.


    ¡°Could it be because of this symbol?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi pointed with her finger at an inconspicuous spot in the corner, where there was a pattern that looked like a broken maple leaf, and asked.


    ¡°This¡­ shouldn¡¯t it be a symbol? It¡¯s a maple leaf, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Di Yelei said this without much confidence.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment and shook her head: ¡°No! Given the urgency of the assassins¡¯ pursuit at the time, even if they had discovered this painting, it must have been easy to identify it as the former Crown Prince¡¯s property. Otherwise, where would they have had the time to search for markings slowly?¡±


    That¡¯s a good point. The two of them stared at each other for a long time, nearly turning cross-eyed, but couldn¡¯t find anything special about the item.


    After a moment of eye contact, Liu Sisi could only roll up the painting scroll again and carefully store it away.


    Just let it go if you can¡¯t figure it out!


    Many things in this world don¡¯t have answers!


    On the other side.


    The snow had stopped at some point.


    Inside the bamboo house deep in the Xiangfei Bamboo Forest, it was as warm as spring.


    The candlelight flickered slightly, casting a tall figure on the windowttice with the character of happiness pasted on it. The owner of the shadow seemed particrly anxious, pacing back and forth in the bamboo house as if waiting for someone¡¯s arrival.<div>


    ¡°Master, I have something to report to you.¡±


    Suddenly, a deep voice came from outside the bamboo house.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    As the Master spoke, his tone was extraordinarily decisive.


    The subordinates, who were already familiar with his character, naturally understood that this was a sign that the Master was about to get angry!


    At that moment, they didn¡¯t dare to dy and hurriedly reported, ¡°Reporting to your lordship, a spy from over there has revealed the hidden secrets of the past to the inquirer. The progress is going smoothly.¡±


    ¡°I got it, you may leave!¡±


    The Master impatiently waved them away.


    The man who hade to report said again, ¡°Master, Little Cui is outside asking to see you. She says she has something to report. Your lordship, should¡­¡±


    ¡°Let here in!¡±


    Finally, that person had arrived! Elder Leisure inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on a chair.


    Sometimeter, Ms. Xin came to the door and paid her respects.<div>


    ¡°Speak up! What have you discovered again? Hmph! I don¡¯t keep useless people around me!¡±


    Ms. Xin couldn¡¯t help but shiver all over, and hurried to gather herself while trying to keep a kneeling position: ¡°Reporting to your lordship, it¡¯s about the young miss. A lot of things happened when she returned to her mother¡¯s home a few days ago. It took a lot of effort for your subordinate to find out the exact news, so I came to report it to your lordship!¡±


    This news seemed to attract the Master, who raised an eyebrow in surprise: ¡°Oh? What¡¯s going on? Tell me in detail, and if you do a good job, I will reward you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your grace, Master.¡±


    Feeling relieved, Ms. Xin rxed and thought to herself that she had made it through this hurdle!


    The next day was the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.


    Today was the grand opening of the year¡¯s flourishing market, a great day to start a business!


    Before dawn, Liu Sisi and her group got up early to wash and dress, then set off for the small town.


    Firecrackers and incense had been prepared, and as the auspicious time arrived, they lit the firecrackers and opened the shop¡¯s main entrance.


    The crackling sounds of the firecrackers signified the booming business in theing year!


    Not only their shop but also many others were opening today. Looking around, the entire street was decorated with rednterns, lit firecrackers, and incense to wee the God of Wealth.


    The businessmen here took the annual opening ceremony very seriously. Everyone was in high spirits, greeting the fellow shopkeepers with fists outstretched. Each of them was nning for good fortune in the new year and hoping to make even more money.<div>


    On the opening day, as soon as the shop¡¯s door was opened, customers came in even before the cleaning waspletely finished.


    For the first day, Liu Sisi had prepared red envelopes early on. Regardless of whether the customers would buy anything or not, she handed out the red envelope first, seeking a good omen.


    Upon receiving the red envelope, the other party naturally understood her intentions, and they couldn¡¯t stop saying auspicious words.


    Soon enough, the first day¡¯s opening went by with a lively atmosphere!


    Liu Sisi, who was constantly thinking about San Mao¡¯s affairs, asked Di Yelei to go and find Dong Chang again to learn about who exactly he sold the two children to back in the day.


    Upon his return, Di Yelei¡¯s brows were tightly knitted, and he cursed in anger!


    ¡°Dong Chang is nothing more than a beast! Not only did he refuse to reveal the whereabouts of the two children, he evenughed proudly! If it wasn¡¯t for¡­ I would even suspect that the child wasn¡¯t his own!¡±


    He angrily pounded a fist on the table, obviously unable to contain his rage!


    His words made Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was at his side, tremble and identally prick her finger with a needle. She quickly put it in her mouth to suck, and the gaze of her eyes darkened instantly.N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 409: 409: The Sneaky Di Yelei

    Chapter 409: The Sneaky Di Yelei


    Liu Sisi was currently leaning on a chair nearby.<div>


    These past few days, she had be more and more sleepy and felt increasingly weak, nodding off while doing tasks or walking.


    At that moment, she opened her eyes just in time to see Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s movement, and the radiance in her eyes dimmed.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get a result from the questioning?¡±


    ¡°I did. People like him will only tell the truth if you give him a beating. I gave him a few punches directly, and then I found out from the confirmation of a Dong family elder that one of the two children was sold to Granny Qin, who is specifically involved in the human trafficking business. The other child was sold to a passing merchant, but the specific whereabouts are unknown.¡±


    ¡°It should be easier to find someone from Granny Qin since she specializes in human trafficking. On the other hand, it might be more difficult to find the passing merchant since we don¡¯t know their residence, right?¡±


    Liu Sisi intuitively felt that the situation had be moreplicated.<div>


    ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s the case. But you can¡¯t expect to achieve everything at once. This can¡¯t be rushed. Let¡¯s find San Mao first, and then we¡¯ll gradually deal with the rest!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er sat silently on the side, continuing to stitch with her needle and thread.


    She was currently sewing thick-soled shoes for herself. She didn¡¯t know how far she would need to walk with Zuo Xingyu, so she tried her best to prepare thoroughly for their journey to avoid any unnecessary difficulties on the road.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze fell on her, and she originally wanted to say something, but she hesitated and didn¡¯t say it. Instead, she changed the subject: ¡°Second Sister, doing needlework sote at night will hurt your eyes. You should rest earlier. Xingyu also said that he won¡¯t leave until after Lunar New Year, so there¡¯s no need to rush the production of shoes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m just idling anyway. There are only a few stitches left, and the shoes will be done soon.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er smiled with the corner of her mouth, and then continued to work on her task at hand.


    Di Yelei casually looked around, stood up, and picked up the straw raincoat and bamboo hat hanging behind the door. He turned and walked outside: ¡°I¡¯m going out for a walk. Sisi, if you¡¯re tired, remember to rest early. In this extremely cold weather, there¡¯s no need for any extra matters.¡±


    After saying that, he had already put on the straw raincoat and bamboo hat, and lifted the door curtain to leave the room.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi called out, but the other party had already walked away.


    Even Liu Zhi¡¯er stretched her body to look outside: ¡°Where is your husband going sote at night when it¡¯s snowing outside?¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know either. She got up and walked to the doorway, lifted the curtain, and looked outside. Old Cheng, who was holding a dustpan, had just returned from the stable. Seeing Liu Sisie out, he hurriedly called out, ¡°Madam!¡±<div>


    Old Cheng was the newly bought coachman.


    Liu Sisi walked out of the house and peeked outside: ¡°Old Cheng, have you seen the Old Master leave? Did he ride a horse?¡±


    Old Cheng hurriedly knelt down: ¡°Madam, Old Master indeed went out. I just came out from adding horse feed in the stable, and Old Master walked out without riding a horse.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I know.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s expression turned deste as she turned around and went back inside.


    Old Cheng nced at the tightly closed yard door, then at the still slightly swaying door curtain, shook his head, and returned to the firewood room.


    ¡°It seems like your husband has been going outte at night recently?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er casually mentioned, looking at Liu Sisi before lowering her head back to the needlework in her hands.


    Liu Sisi was slightly distracted and let out a soft sigh when she heard what was said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth. He¡¯s been going out in the middle of the night for several nights in a row, and I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s busy with. Second Sister, I can¡¯t bear it anymore. Let¡¯s go to rest too.¡±


    As she spoke, she yawned heavily.


    ¡°You go back to your room and sleep first! I only have a few more stitches left, so when I¡¯m done, there will be one less thing weighing on my mind, right?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er casually responded, her head down and hands working quickly with the cotton thread.<div>


    ¡°Then you should sleep early after you finish sewing. Every time I get up, I see you haven¡¯t rested yet. Finding someone is not something that can be resolved in a day or two. If you wear yourself out like this and ruin your health, wouldn¡¯t it be a case of gains not being worth the loss?¡±


    Liu Sisi earnestly advised her before returning to her room.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Watching the room door close, Liu Zhi¡¯er seemed to lose her backbone, her body instantly weakened. She couldn¡¯t help but cover her face, quietly sobbing, but trying hard not to let herself cry out loud.


    After a while, she wiped away her tears, her eyes red as she sewed thest few stitches. Only then did she tidy up her things and return to her room.


    Instead of resting, she went to the wooden tub that had been soaking for a while and began washing the clothes.


    It wasn¡¯t until she had hung up a whole tub ofundry that she went back to her room to lie down, but she couldn¡¯t sleep no matter how she tossed and turned.


    Not long after, the whining of Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua came from outside, followed by the sound of footsteps and the opening of the room door. Someone entered the room and faint voices could be heard from the other side. Only then did she close her eyes and sleep peacefully.


    In the room, Liu Sisi struggled to push away the figure trying to envelope her.


    ¡°Let go of me! Are you trying to freeze me to death with your coldness?¡±


    She didn¡¯t hesitate to p his hand away.


    Di Yelei looked helpless as he retracted his hand,id t on his back, and closed his eyes, resting with his hands under his head and a bitter smile on his face.


    He knew Sisi was angry and he knew why she was angry.<div>


    However, there were some things he didn¡¯t n on telling Sisi, as he didn¡¯t want her to worry about these issues while pregnant.


    Theck of movement from the man behind her made Liu Sisi feel stifled. She wished she could p him twice. If she didn¡¯t know that he was hiding something from her with his nightly sneaking out and sneaking back in, she would be dead already.


    Actually, she didn¡¯t want to know exactly what he was busy with; it was just that being kept in the dark felt terrible.


    Suddenly, she missed the past, when she had juste here, and how the man behind her used to cherish and love her to the utmost.


    The more she thought about it, the angrier and more wronged she felt. She couldn¡¯t help but use the pillow under her head as a vent, angrily pulling and tearing at it, as if she were tearing at his flesh.


    Suddenly, arge hand gripped her small one, and he hugged her from behind, enveloping her entire body in his embrace.


    ¡°My little kitten, if you¡¯re angry with me, just hit me! Just don¡¯t stifle it in your heart, because if you get sick and harm your body, your husband would be heartbroken, right?¡±


    ¡°Get away! I don¡¯t need your concern!¡±


    Liu Sisi struggled desperately, refusing to give in.


    Di Yelei chuckled twice and held her even tighter: ¡°Even if there¡¯s no light, your husband knows that my little kitten must be pouting right now. Be good! Don¡¯t be angry, I¡¯m really busy with important matters. If it¡¯s something you need to know, your husband will definitely tell you. How about that?¡±


    ¡°No, Di Yelei, don¡¯t you know how hateful you are?¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 410: 410: Zhi’er Searches for His Child, Sisi Encounters Trouble

    Chapter 410: Zhi¡¯er Searches for His Child, Sisi Encounters Trouble


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but stop being angry, turning over and sitting up at the head of the bed, staring at him.<div>


    ¡°You always say you¡¯re busy with official business, but it¡¯s the Lunar New Year now, what official business could be so urgent at this moment? You should find a better excuse. And what official business requires you to go out in the middle of the night ande back secretly at midnight? If you don¡¯t want me to make wild guesses, then tell me the truth.¡±


    Di Yelei also looked helpless: ¡°Sisi, I really am¡­¡±


    She suddenly interrupted him and covered her ears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it, I don¡¯t want to hear it, I don¡¯t want to listen! If you don¡¯t want to tell me the truth, just shut up. You can talk when you think it through and want to tell me! Humph!¡±


    After finishing, she covered her ears and stopped talking, Di Yelei looked at her helplessly and didn¡¯t say a word either.


    Liu Sisi waited for a long time but did not get an exnation from him.<div>


    Out of anger, she went back to her bed head, and suddenly pulled the quilt over herself.


    Di Yelei sat there for a while but eventually didn¡¯t say anything.


    Early the next morning, Zuo Xingyu¡¯s sudden visit broke the peace of the Di family, and Liu Zhi¡¯er was also panicked and in a hurry.


    ¡°Originally, I from the Zuo family intended to wait until the 15th day of the Lunar New Year to leave, but I thought about the official work starting on the 15th, it¡¯s better to set off earlier. I just don¡¯t know if you are ready?¡±


    ¡°We have no problems on our side, I¡­ I¡¯m ready and can leave at any time. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m sorry to trouble Constable Zuo to help.¡±


    Before Liu Sisi could speak, Liu Zhi¡¯er stood up next to her and respectfully saluted Zuo Xingyu.


    ¡°Second Sister, why¡­?¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly tried to stop her, but before she could finish, Liu Zhi¡¯er shook her head.


    ¡°Little Sister, you don¡¯t have to stop me, you¡¯re also a mother now. You should understand my feelings. No matter what, as long as there¡¯s a glimmer of hope, I won¡¯t give up looking for Er Mao and San Mao!¡±


    Her determination was astonishing, shocking Liu Sisi and making her understand her resolve.


    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t try to persuade you anymore. Just be careful on the road!¡±


    Thest sentence, Liu Sisi whispered into Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s ear.<div>


    The man beside her was despicable! She didn¡¯t trust him to care for her Second Sister at all!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er obviously didn¡¯t think the same way and quickly packed up her things and walked out of the room with a luggage in her arms.


    ¡°Sisi, the journey ahead is long, and it¡¯s not convenient for me to take Da Mao, so I¡¯ll trouble you to take care of him.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er reluctantly stroked Da Mao¡¯s head.


    Da Mao seemed to sense that Liu Zhi¡¯er was going to leave, and he clung to her clothes desperately, unwilling to let go.


    He called out softly, ¡°Mom, mom¡­¡±


    ¡°Da Mao, be good! Mom is going to find your younger brothers Er Mao and San Mao. You must behave and listen to your young aunt and not cause her any trouble, okay?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was especially reluctant to part with Da Mao, and she couldn¡¯t help but hold him and rub her face against his.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave, mom¡­ Don¡¯t leave Da Mao¡­¡±


    Da Mao sobbed softly, surprisingly speaking such a long string of words, causing tears to fall from Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyes!


    ¡°Da Mao, be good! Da Mao is the most obedient. Mom can¡¯t bear to leave Da Mao either! But¡­Mom has to go and find your second and third brothers, have you forgotten? Be good!¡±


    After speaking, she forcibly held back her tears and pushed Da Mao, who was clinging tightly to her clothes, into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms. She then quickly turned around, picked up her baggage, and rushed out of the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­Mom!¡­¡±<div>


    Da Mao cried, and suddenly struggled, kicking Liu Sisi¡¯s stomach. The pain caused Liu Sisi to scream and inadvertently let go of Da Mao.


    Da Mao, not caring about anything else, directly ran out of the main entrance and searched around, only to see his mother¡¯s figure quickly running down the hill.


    Not waiting for anything else, he shouted and quickly chased after her.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was walking and wiping her tears along the way, turned her head when she heard Da Mao¡¯s cry. She saw Da Mao not only not stopping but running even faster!


    ¡°Don¡¯t chase! Your mother is going to find your brothers for you, be obedient!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s long limbs allowed him to catch up quickly, grabbing Da Mao and scolding him. Da Mao didn¡¯t care, and turned around, biting down hard on Di Yelei¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ouch! Let go!¡±


    The sudden pain made Di Yelei cry out. He reached out and pinched Da Mao¡¯s chin, finally freeing his hand as fresh blood oozed from the deep teeth marks.


    Inside the courtyard, Liu Sisi was clenching her stomach in pain, almost unable to stand straight, as beads of sweat slid down her body.


    ¡°It hurts so much! My stomach¡­ it hurts so much¡­¡±


    Her body swayed and fell, feeling a warm stream flowing from underneath her, her vision darkening as she crumbled to the ground.


    ¡°Mom! Mom, what¡¯s wrong with you? Mom, please don¡¯t scare me, wuwu¡­¡±<div>


    YingEr was the first to notice Liu Sisi¡¯s condition, and started crying loudly. Di Xuan and Elderly Mr. Di quickly rushed over, trying to support Liu Sisi¡¯s body.


    ¡°Oh! Blood! Why is there blood on mom¡¯s body¡­¡±


    A chaotic noise erupted as her original yellow dress quickly became stained with the bright red blood, so ringly red!


    ¡°Sisi! -¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s shocked cry was thest thing Liu Sisi remembered.


    In a daze, it seemed someone was talking by her ear, ¡°¡­ we need to prepare as soon as possible¡­ the adult and the children may not be safe¡­ if necessary, there¡¯s no choice but to choose one of the two.¡± There were also figures swaying, making it impossible for her to open her eyes, and she soon fell into darkness.


    When she woke up again, she felt utterly weak, especially in her eyelids, as if they weighed a ton.


    The lost consciousness gradually returned to her mind in a groggy state, and she suddenly remembered!


    The person speaking in her sleep, if it wasn¡¯t Ms. Xin who secretlymunicated with her, then who was it?


    It was Ms. Xin who always made a secret gesture at her! This realization made Liu Sisi¡¯s heart jolt, and she instantly woke uppletely from her sleep. She looked around and saw no one.


    Her hands trembled uncontrobly as she carefully covered her lower abdomen. Waves of cramping pain came from her belly.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her child! Was her child gone?<div>


    She clutched her stomach tightly, not daring to think, and not daring to do anything. A countless number of regrets surged in her heart.

 Chapter 411: 411: Interrogation

    Chapter 411: Interrogation


    Tears were rolling down her cheeks incessantly.<div>


    When Di Yelei came in with the soup medicine, he saw her covering her stomach and crying quietly.


    His expression darkened, he silently walked over, opened the curtain, carefully ced the soup medicine on the bedside cab next to him, and then sat down at the head of the bed. He looked at the silently weeping Liu Sisi and sighed softly before embracing her.


    ¡°Stop crying, you¡¯re crying like a little flower cat, you look so ugly!¡±


    These words not only failed to make Liu Sisi feel better but made her cry even harder.


    Why did hefort her? Shouldn¡¯t he scold her happily?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If that were the case, she would feel better in her heart, but his gentleness at the moment made her feel even more unworthy.<div>


    ¡°Alright! My little kitten, it¡¯s all in the past now. Look at you, always shedding tears, once this child is born, who knows he might be a crybaby too!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s movement suddenly paused, and she immediately stopped crying, reached out to grab him, disbelief thick in her tone!


    ¡°You¡­you¡­what did you just say? What were you just talking about?¡±


    Her child, her own child¡­


    ¡°What did I say? Sisi, what riddle are you solving?¡± Di Yelei was a little confused.


    ¡°The child, is my child still alive? He must be alright, right?¡±


    Liu Sisi copsed onto Di Yelei¡¯s chest, tightly clutching his sleeve, like a drowning person clinging to a lifeline.


    ¡°Silly girl, why would you think he¡¯s in danger? He¡¯s still healthy and growing inside your belly!¡±


    ¡°Is he¡­is he really safe in my belly?¡±


    Her voice was trembling so much that she could barely finish her sentence.


    Di Yelei smiled helplessly: ¡°You, you! Look at you, a mother, don¡¯t know how to take care of yourself. You know how slippery it is on the ground in the snow and ice, and yet you took a tumble. Luckily, everything is fine now, otherwise¡­¡±


    Di Yelei said softly, pulling her into his arms and stroking her head and back absentmindedly.<div>


    A hidden glint quickly shed in his eyes, and he didn¡¯t mention anything about Da Mao.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t refute his words, she just buried her head in his chest silently. Da Mao was young and the mistake was unintentional.


    Since she was fine, let this matter pass.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault¡­ I¡¯ll be extra careful in the future and never let anything like this happen again. Ye Lei, trust me, trust me, please!¡±


    ¡°I trust you, just by seeing how well you take care of Di Xuan and Di Ying, I know you¡¯ll be a great mom!¡±


    He gently patted her back,forting her.


    Liu Sisi leaned against his chest, closed her eyes again, and a smile blossomed on her face.


    ¡°Oh, right, I think I heard my sister-inwe by earlier, did she say something?¡±


    ¡°Xin visited you when you were asleep, but she left after chatting with Guihua for a while. What¡¯s wrong? Do you want her toe apany you?¡± Di Yelei asked in a low voice.


    ¡°No need¡­no, let here and apany me!¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head and nodded, gently cing her small hand on her belly.


    Their child was still there, so did Xin have no chance to make a move, or was there another reason?<div>


    ¡°Alright, first drink this fetal protection medicine! After that, have a good sleep, and we¡¯ll talk more after you wake up.¡± He handed her the soup medicine as he spoke.


    Since bing pregnant, she had grown ustomed to drinking this soup medicine every two or three days.


    With a tilt of her head, she drank the entire bowl of soup medicine.


    Di Yelei helped her lie down and tucked her in: ¡°Close your eyes and sleep again. When you wake up, everything will be fine. Good girl!¡±


    Watching Liu Sisi obediently close her eyes and quickly fall into a deep sleep, he leaned down and pressed a kiss on her forehead before picking up the empty bowl and quietly leaving the room, closing the door behind him.


    Thinking back to the scene where Xin was doing everything possible to save Sisi, Di Yelei was filled with various thoughts.


    Returning to the kitchen, not only was Xin there, but Zhang Peng and Guihua were as well, sitting in front of the stove with Elderly Mr. Di, who was puffing away on his dry tobo.


    None of them had spoken, silently looking at each other.


    Di Yelei washed the empty bowl, put it back in the bowl cab, and then turned around with his arms folded, facing Xin.


    After a while, Di Yelei spoke indifferently: ¡°Xin, have you figured out how to exin yourself?¡±


    As he spoke, a huge pressure rushed towards Xin.


    Xin¡¯s heartbeat skipped a beat, but she still gritted her teeth and endured, refusing to speak.<div>


    The other three people didn¡¯t interrupt).


    Di Yelei took a few steps, looked at Zhang Yun and Di Xuan, who were studying in the hall, and Di Ying, who was ying with Da Mao before he felt relieved.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk, then I¡¯ll hand you over to Xingyu directly or break all your meridians and send you to the county government prison for a year or more. After that, I¡¯ll let the prison guards use all the torture devices on you. By then, even if Ah-Bao still likes you, he won¡¯t like a crippled woman who has been in prison, right?¡±


    His words were especially cold, eyes firmly fixed on Xin, unblinking.


    Xin¡¯s face finally changed!


    ¡°You!¡­ Third Brother, even if your rtionship with Ah-Bao isn¡¯t great, but I am your sister-inw, who saved Third Sister-inw. Are you really going to repay kindness with revenge like this?¡±


    ¡°It depends on who I¡¯m dealing with! For someone like you, a hidden poisonous snake and nail who tries to get close to Sisi, it¡¯s better to get rid of you sooner! I advise you to honestly tell the truth. It¡¯s better than my doing it myself and dirtying my hands!¡±


    Di Yelei showed no mercy as he spoke.


    ¡°I have nothing to say, all I can say is I was blind. I originally saved Sisi with good intentions, but I didn¡¯t expect to be treated as an enemy by you. Now you¡¯re going so far as to disown me, even worse than treating me like a prostitute!¡± Xin¡¯s words became more and more miserable, especially with her excellent acting performance, which fully reflected a little woman¡¯s suffering.


    Unfortunately, Di Yelei was never a naive person, and Xin¡¯s efforts were doomed to be in vain!


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know, do you? Every night after you leave Upper Vige, I secretly follow you. At first, it was by ident that I bumped into you sneaking out. Then, I really grasped the key to your whereabouts. You have such great courage! Actually daring tomit evil deeds right under my nose, Di Yelei!¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 412: 412: Confrontation

    Chapter 412: Confrontation


    This remark did indeed cause Ms. Xin¡¯s face to change drastically!<div>


    She suddenly stood up from her stool, pointed at Di Yelei¡¯s face, and angrily scolded, ¡°You! You actually followed me?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! If I didn¡¯t follow you, how would I discover all these useful things? If you don¡¯t speak up, I won¡¯t mind letting your Master know that we¡¯ve already found you. I wonder if you can still see tomorrow¡¯s sun by then!¡±


    Ms. Xin¡¯s face turned from pale to green and then back to pale again, as she helplessly slumped onto the ground.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t! I never did anything to hurt Third Sister-inw. I swear to the heavens!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Xin, did you forget what you put in the meeting gift for Sisi on your first encounter? Do you need Third Brother to remind you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ What are you talking about? That sachet is something every girl in Yihong Courtyard has. I¡¯ve always worn it myself. Could there be a problem with the sachet?¡±<div>


    Ms. Xin¡¯s face turned grayish-white, and her expression didn¡¯t seem to be fake.


    Just then, Di Ah-Bao¡¯s knocking suddenly came from outside.


    ¡°Cui¡¯er! Little Cui¡¯er, are you there? Cui¡¯er,e and open the door, it¡¯s me, Ah-Bao! Hurry up and open the door!¡±


    Apanied by Di Ah-Bao¡¯s pounding, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua barked wildly.


    These two hounds were bing more and more understanding of humans and rarely barked indiscriminately at the Di Family when regr people came by.


    Only Di Ah-Bao, Ms. Zhao, and Ms. Wang were exceptions, causing the two dogs to go crazy and be uncontroble despite people trying to pull them back.


    Ms. Xin¡¯s face lit up, and she suddenly snapped out of her daze.


    Guihua nced at the two confronting each other and gently got up, tugging on Zhang Peng before saying,


    ¡°Brother Ye Lei, it¡¯s difficult for an upright and incorruptible official to meddle in family affairs. It¡¯s inappropriate for Auntie Guihua to speak too much about your family matters. Zhang Peng and I will leave first. As for Sisi, I¡¯ll visit her tomorrow morning.¡±


    As she spoke, she and Zhang Peng left the kitchen one after another, and upon going outside, they finally opened the yard door.


    Di Ah-Bao was exerting all his strength knocking on the door outside the yard. Guihua suddenly opened the door, which instead frightened Di Ah-Bao, causing him to lurch forward and almost stumble headfirst.


    ¡°I told you two were deliberately messing with yours truly, right? Well, are you here to start a fight or not?¡±<div>


    Di Ah-Bao had a rascal-like appearance, and the moment he spoke, people couldn¡¯t help but want to punch him twice.


    Zhang Peng furrowed his brows and was about to speak, only to be smoothly led away by Guihua beside him.


    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t make life difficult for Sisi and her husband. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    As Guihua¡¯s words fell, Zhang Peng didn¡¯t retort; instead, he obediently followed Guihua out of the Di Family¡¯s home and went in their own direction.


    However, Di Ah-Bao interpreted their withdrawal as fear and burst intoughter.


    ¡°Pah! What are you,ing to visit every two or three days, thinking you¡¯re some big shot? Heh heh heh!¡±


    After saying that, he staggered into the Di Family¡¯s hall.


    The children inside the hall had learned to avoid Di Ah-Bao, so naturally, they didn¡¯t provoke him. Di Ah-Bao turned his head and noticed that the kitchen area seemed lively, so he walked over.


    ¡°Speak up! There are no outsiders here now, so if you have something to say, hurry up. If you wait until my patience is gone, things won¡¯t end well.¡± Di Yelei threatened and coaxed.


    As they were talking, Di Ah-Bao barged in. Seeing Ms. Xin, his face immediately turned peachy, with the blossoming of wealth and honor type.¡¯


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a matter of whether there are outsiders.¡±


    A momentter, she raised her head and looked at the people present. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you! But you must promise me not to reveal anything that happens today! After all, I was just ordered to stay by Sisi¡¯s side, and I didn¡¯t do anything to betray her!¡±<div>


    ¡°Then, whose order did you receive?¡±


    A cold female voice suddenly came from behind, causing several people to turn their heads involuntarily. They saw Liu Sisi leaning against the wall at the doorway, the wind blowing her dark hair across her forehead, her demeanor dignified and awe-inspiring, as she stared at her intently.


    ¡°Sisi, why are you up? Your body is not well and shouldn¡¯t be moving around. Hurry back and lie down!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Di Yelei stepped forward quickly, trying to help her up.


    Liu Sisi did not refuse Di Yelei¡¯s kindness. As he helped her up, she turned her head to look at Ms. Xin.


    ¡°Ms. Xin,e with me.¡±


    Di Yelei bent down, directly picked up Liu Sisi, and carried her back to her room.


    Behind him, Ms. Xin did not refuse, but quickly followed.


    ¡°Little Cui, where are you going? I¡¯m here to take you home! Little Cui, don¡¯t leave!¡±


    Di Ah-bao, who was beside them, seemed like a child who had never grown up, shouting loudly and rushing after them. Ms. Xin had to stop and look back at him, soothing him softly.


    ¡°Ah-Bao, you wait here for me. Third Sister-inw and I have a few intimate words to share. After we finish, I wille to find you, but you must not be angry. If I find you like this again¡­¡±


    Ms. Xin¡¯s words carried a warning tone, making Di Ah-baough and shake his head repeatedly.<div>


    ¡°Little Cui, I¡¯m listening to you. Can¡¯t I listen to you? You want me to wait here, and I¡¯ll wait here. Hurry up and talk, and then we can go home. If anyone dares to bully you, just tell me. Even the Heavenly King himself couldn¡¯t bully a hair on your head, hmph!¡±


    His tone was as if it were a matter of course.


    Ms. Xin smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯re all family here. Who could bully me?¡±


    She walked into the room again. In less than two hours, so many things had happened.


    ¡°What kind of riddles are you ying? There are no outsiders here now, so tell me clearly, I want to hear!¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡±


    Di Yelei wanted to cover it up, but Liu Sisi red at him, forcing him to swallow his words.


    ¡°Let me say it then!¡±


    Ms. Xin gave a deste smile and walked to one side, sitting down on a small stool nearby.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to harm you, Third Sister-inw! I had juste out of the Yihong Courtyard when I gave you the sachet. The sisters there all had the habit of giving sachets to each other. The one I gave you was from one of my good sisters¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi squinted at her, examining her up and down carefully, and couldn¡¯t help but recall the days when she was constantly drowsy.


    ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡±<div>


    ¡°I swear by heaven, if I speak even half a lie, may I die a horrible death and have no ce to bury my corpse!¡± Ms. Xin vowed directly.


    Even though Ms. Xin made such a vow, Liu Sisi still felt there was a problem.


    ¡°Assuming what you said is true, what happened next? Why didn¡¯t you tell me about the sachet problem and let me wear it instead? Yelei, what you said earlier about chasing after Ms. Xin, what exactly was the matter?¡±


    There sure were a lot of ambiguities in that question!

 Chapter 413: 413: Chickens Flying and Dogs Jumping

    Chapter 413: Chickens Flying and Dogs Jumping


    She knew from early on that Ms. Xin would definitely not cooperate obediently. The sachet had been in her hand for a long time, and Ms. Xin could easily find an excuse to round it up.<div>


    Besides, such a sachet could hardly be counted as any evidence.


    On the contrary, she was more interested in the inside story of what Di Yelei and Ms. Xin had just mentioned about what master and what pursuit.


    As soon as she asked this question, Ms. Xin and Di Yelei nced at each other and lowered their heads.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just talk endlessly before? Why are you all silent now? Do I need to invite you to speak?¡± Liu Sisi frowned.


    It seemed that Sisi misunderstood something. Di Yelei sighed secretly, feeling somewhat helpless: ¡°Sisi, I¡­¡±.


    ¡°Shut up! We¡¯ll talk about our matterster. Ms. Xin, don¡¯t tell me you think that if Ah-Bao is waiting outside and you dy the time, I¡¯ll let you off? Hmph!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi bluntly used her.


    ¡°I never thought Ah-Bao¡¯s words could have any effect.¡±


    Ms. Xin said softly with a deste face. If she wanted to rely on that prodigal son¡¯s words, she, Ms. Xin, might have died countless times already.


    It seemed that she had made up her mind, and suddenly raised her head: ¡°Third Sister-inw, there are some words that are not suitable to be said in front of others. Little Cui wants to talk to you alone, do you think it¡¯s okay?¡± As she spoke, her gaze slipped over Di Yelei¡¯s body.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face suddenly changed, instinctively feeling that something was wrong! What crooked idea is Ms. Xin up to again?


    ¡°Mrs. Xin, if you really have something to say, just say it. Why do you need to hide and skulk about, and pretend to be mysterious!¡±


    ¡°So, does Third Brother mean to have Little Cui tell Third Sister-inw about what happened yesterday? Yesterday Third Brother treated Little Cui like this, and Little Cui¡¯s heart seems to be¡­¡±. Ms. Xin¡¯s eyes shone with a radiant light, looking utterly wronged like a frail woman clutching her heart.


    Di Yelei was slightly stunned, and then immediately became furious! His face instantly changed color, and he took two steps forward: ¡°Ms. Xin! I advise you to finish your words! Yesterday, when we struggled, I just pped you in the chest!¡±


    ¡°Third Brother, my sister-inw didn¡¯t say much! Just now, Little Cui said that yesterday Third Brother identally touched that part, which made Little Cui¡¯s chest still hurt!¡±


    Ms. Xin looked aggrieved, holding an embroidered handkerchief with a red plum pattern in her slender hand, seemingly coincidentally covering the special position on her chest. Her enchanting eyes shone brightly, perfectly portraying a suffering daughter-inw.


    ¡°You! You¡­ shrew! Poisonous woman!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face turned as red as pig liver,pletely unable to speak.<div>


    He once thought that Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang were unreasonable, but it wasn¡¯t until now that he understood what it means that a barking dog doesn¡¯t bite!


    Ms. Zhao was just hypocritical, and Ms. Wang was just eager to take advantage and gossip. But the Ms. Xin in front of him was exactly like a coiled poisonous snake, ready to bite you at any moment!


    ¡°Alright! You two don¡¯t need to continue acting.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it tiresome to be deadlocked here? She, Liu Sisi, was not a fool. If she couldn¡¯t see through such a simple trap, it would be in vain for her to watch so many ys in her previous life.


    Her face was calm and peaceful: ¡°Ye Lei, you go out first, let me talk to my sister-inw.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°But, this¡­¡±.


    Di Yelei wanted to say more, but he was stared down by Liu Sisi, so he had to leave the room reluctantly.


    However, he was still worried about what Ms. Xin would say. After leaving the room, he wanted to eavesdrop by the door, but the next moment, a fist suddenly flew from the side and hit his cheek, causing his eyes to see stars from the pain.


    The person who started hitting was not a bystander, but Di Ah-Bao, who was worried about Ms. Xin and hiding at the doorway to eavesdrop.


    Unexpectedly, what Little Cui had just said didn¡¯t reach Liu Sisi¡¯s ears in the room but enraged Di Ah-Bao so much that he had red eyes.


    He was originally a deadbeat, and when he saw Di Yeleiing out of the room, he couldn¡¯t bear the anger in his heart! Without a word, he exerted all his strength, swung his fist out, and heavily struck Di Yelei¡¯s right cheek.


    The howling wind made Di Yelei instinctively dodge, taking the opportunity to unload most of the force, but still, he was a step too slow.<div>


    Di Ah-Bao¡¯s movements were also fast, seeing that his punch was sessful, the anger in his heart did not dissipate, and he immediately aimed at Di Yelei and swung out a second punch.


    Di Yelei instinctively raised his hand and directly caught Di Ah-Bao¡¯s wrist, but upon reacting, he was furious!


    He immediately started fighting with Di Ah-Bao!


    Di Ah-Bao¡¯s strength and agility were far inferior to Di Yelei, but the soft couldn¡¯t stand the desperate. Di Yelei, considering brotherly feelings, although he unleashed his true anger, ultimately controlled his strength. However, Di Ah-Bao was different. Upon hearing that Little Cui was wronged and his Third Brother was involved, he became like a suddenly enraged lion, immediately confronting Di Yelei without a word!


    With thebination of one desperate and one restrained, Di Ah-Bao couldn¡¯t hurt Di Yelei, and Di Yelei couldn¡¯t do anything about the crazy Di Ah-Bao.


    The shing sounds of the fight naturally attracted several children and Elderly Mr. Di.


    ¡°Dad! Young Uncle, don¡¯t fight! Stop fighting¡­¡±


    YingEr, who was originally ying in the hall, immediately burst into tears and was picked up by Di Xuan.


    Turning his head to see that Da Mao was almost affected by the two¡¯s battle, he quickly dodged the entangled figures and hid Da Mao in the corner as well.


    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t fight anymore¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di hurried over from the kitchen, but his legs and feet were inconvenient, so how could he be in time!


    Di Yelei and Ah-Bao were fighting with fierce determination!<div>


    From the bedroom door to the hall, from the hall out to the main entrance, and then all the way to the small courtyard outside, the two entangled figures still didn¡¯t separate, and the banging sound of fists and feet kepting, causing utter chaos!


    ¡°Don¡¯t fight! You are¡­ brothers tearing each other apart!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di waved his crutch with a heartache, his face turning almost the color of pig liver from anger.


    Themotion of the fight outside didn¡¯t make Liu Sisi rx at all, her face waspletely calm.


    Underneath this calmness, her heart was like a raging sea of waves!


    Liu Sisi couldpromise on anything, but when it came to the matter of men, she was particrly fastidious!


    She could let go of the fact that Di Yelei had wives before he met her because she didn¡¯t know him then. However, if he dared to fool around after being with her, Liu Sisi would keep her word and never let him off!


    Once the idea was set, her heart became more peaceful, and she carefully observed Little Cui. Little Cui had just spoken with certainty, but the asional calction shing in her eyes betrayed her.


    The chaotic cries outside reached her ears, but Liu Sisi ignored them and looked at Little Cui.


    ¡°What did you want to say just now? Yelei has gone out, you can speak now.¡±

 Chapter 414: 414: Mask

    Chapter 414: Mask


    The two outside were fighting more and more fiercely, rolling in the mud all the way.<div>


    Elderly Mr. Di saw that the children were scared, so he didn¡¯t care about anything else. He limped over to them with his crutch, raised it, and started beating them wildly.


    ¡°Stop! Stop! Do you all want¡­ to anger me to death¡­?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was clearly furious, showing no sign of relenting. With a heavy blow, Di Ah-Bao finally let go after a scream.


    As Di Ah-Bao released his grip, Di Yelei naturally didn¡¯t continue to struggle. They finally separated.


    ¡°You brothers fighting like this¡­ going out there¡­ it¡¯s a joke for everyone! Huh?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di became angrier the more he spoke, raising his crutch and giving each of them a beating!<div>


    With a solid blow on Di Yelei¡¯s back, he didn¡¯t dodge or avoid, taking it all in. When he hit Di Ah-Bao, Di counterattacked by grabbing the crutch and nearly knocked Elderly Mr. Di down.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Di Yelei rushed forward and finally managed to support Elderly Mr. Di in time.


    ¡°Di Ah-Bao, what are you going crazy for?¡±


    Di Yelei was furious! He raised his hand and threw a punch, hitting Di Ah-Bao¡¯s left eye!


    ¡°Ah!¡± Di Ah-Bao¡¯s eye socket immediately turned purple.


    He then reached out to cover his eye, but this time he didn¡¯t fight back. He crouched down and copsed on the ground, gasping for breath.


    ¡°Di Yelei! Don¡¯t think you¡¯re great just because you¡¯re stronger than yours truly! I¡¯m telling you, if you dare to harm Little Cui, I won¡¯t let it go!¡±


    Even if he had no strength left and was in great pain, Di Ah-Bao wouldn¡¯t give up any chances, cursing loudly.


    ¡°Do you ever stop? With your family¡¯s¡­ that, do you think I, Di Yelei, am the kind of beast who doesn¡¯t recognize rtives and pounces on any woman I see? Bastard! -¡±


    Di Yelei became angrier as he spoke, unable to hold back from kicking Di Ah-Bao several times.


    ¡°Think about it with your pig brain, should you, as a younger brother, say such things? Are you trying to push your sister-inw to a dead end? Huh!¡±<div>


    As he said each sentence, he kicked him once!


    Di Ah-Bao, who was originally howling in agony, suddenly stopped when Di Yelei said this. He just stared at him fiercely with his eyes!


    ¡°You¡¯re still staring at me!¡±


    Di Yelei kicked him again: ¡°When has I, Di Yelei, ever done such disgraceful things? Damn thing!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di on the side was obviously also very angry, but seeing Di Ah-Bao looking like this now made him even angrier!


    ¡°Stop hitting him! If you hit him again, he¡¯ll¡­ die!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di pulled the furious Di Yelei, finally waking him up.


    Looking back, Di Xuan, Di Ying, and Da Mao were cautiously hiding behind the door, secretly watching themotion outside. As they met Di Yelei¡¯s furious and hideous face, they were frightened and quickly withdrew their heads.


    It seemed the children were scared!


    A moment of rity shed through Di Yelei¡¯s mind, and he finally sobered up from his rage.


    Immediately after, he hissed in pain, covering his swollen right cheek. The punch Di Ah-Bao threw earlier had gathered all his strength, and even though Di Yelei had unloaded some of the force, his face still swelled up like a steamed bun.


    He cursed softly, ¡°Bastard¡­ damn it! Who did I provoke? This is simply an unjust catastrophe!¡±<div>


    The non-stop noise from outside filtered into the inner room, but the two women inside remained motionless.


    After a tense standoff, Liu Sisi sighed softly, ¡°Won¡¯t you really say?¡±


    As she spoke, she slowly got up and walked toward the doorway.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it! I¡­ I just don¡¯t know how to say it¡­¡±


    Little Cui¡¯er was startled and cried out in a hurry, ¡°I¡­ I know I¡¯m in the wrong¡­ I know I shouldn¡¯t have gone out every night to make some extra money, but you know the situation in the old house. If I don¡¯t go out and make any silver, there¡¯s no way we can get by every day¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that what you wanted to tell me today?¡±


    Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow in surprise: ¡°Ms. Xin, today, I¡¯m giving you a chance to speak. If you don¡¯t seize the opportunity and tell the truth today, even if you want to talkter, I won¡¯t be in the mood to listen.¡± She turned around to look at her indifferently.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Her words became quieter and quieter, and she finally lowered her head, ¡°Yes, it was when I went back to report to my master that Third Brother discovered me. Then, Third Brother started to track me down¡­¡±


    ¡°Who is your master?¡±


    Xin¡¯s gaze shifted evasively, ¡°He is¡­ he is¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend, Little Cui¡¯er. If you really have such a small skill, your master wouldn¡¯t assign you to carry out tasks, would he?¡± Liu Sisi sneered.


    Secretly, she almost dug the flesh out of her palm.


    These words cracked Little Cui¡¯er¡¯s face, slowly, she raised her hand and wiped her face.


    After a moment, she sighed and chuckled, ¡°Third Sister-inw, don¡¯t me Little Cui¡¯er. It¡¯s just¡­ this mask has been worn for too long, and Little Cui¡¯er can¡¯t take it off anymore.¡±


    ¡°Oh, people! That¡¯s how it is to live in this world, talk to people like a person, talk to ghosts like a ghost.¡±


    As the other party changed their attitude, Liu Sisi naturally followed suit, her demeanor softened as she brought a fruit te nearby and ced it next to Little Cui¡¯er.


    ¡°Here! These are all homemade snacks, you should eat some too.¡±


    Little Cui¡¯er did not refuse, she smiled and reached out to take a piece of cloud cake and put it in her mouth.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Although she hid it well, Liu Sisi still clearly saw the slightly trembling hand of the other party.


    It seemed that the other party was not indifferent.


    After eating the cloud cake, Little Cui¡¯er¡¯s spirits improved a lot, and the screams from outside the window seemed to have turned into beautiful music, allowing her to gather her thoughts.


    ¡°Actually, I was doing just fine at the Yihong Courtyard before, but it was before that, someone suddenly came to find me and asked me to help them with something in exchange for the price of my ransom.¡±<div>


    ¡°Oh, there is such a good thing?¡±


    Liu Sisi frowned, a bad thought shed through her mind.


    A mournful smile appeared on Little Cui¡¯er¡¯ face, ¡°For us prostitutes who have been rolling in the dust, what could be a better way out than marrying someone and leaving this life! Although I was only selling my skills and not my body at that time, once you enter that gate, it¡¯s impossible to wash yourself clean no matter how much you try. Someone was willing to buy me out and marry me as a proper wife, and although Ah-bao is a bit wild, he is genuinely good to me¡­ So I didn¡¯t think too long before agreeing.¡±


    ¡°What did they want you to do?¡±


    ¡°What else could it be? Naturally, it was to protect your safety.¡±


    Suddenly, she knelt down with a thud, crawled forward, and grabbed Liu Sisi¡¯s dress, ¡°Third Sister-inw, they really asked Little Cui¡¯er to protect you.¡±

 Chapter 415: 415: Relaxing

    Chapter 415: Rxing


    ¡°They said, they¡¯re afraid you would get hurt, so they arranged for me to be by your side to protect you when necessary. I really had no intention of hurting you! Third sister-inw! You have to believe Little Cui!¡± She clung to Liu Sisi¡¯s skirt hem and wouldn¡¯t let go.<div>


    ¡°Who are ¡®they¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who they are, they didn¡¯t say ¡­¡± Little Cui¡¯s voice trailed off.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s head was a bit dizzy, but in a moment she understood that it must have been that person from Heilong Mountain who arranged this.


    They actually dared to reach out to the people around her! It was really infuriating!


    Her mind turned quickly: ¡°How often do you meet that so-called ¡®Master¡¯ every few days? Also, what¡¯s going on between Ye Lei and you?¡±


    ¡°Last night I went to see the master. As for who the master really is, as someone of low status I¡¯ve never seen him, so I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t pay attention to what was behind me when I went. I didn¡¯t know when Third Brother started following me. Not untilter did I hear that someone was found trespassing on the mountain at the checkpoint, and then a fight broke out. Someone pped me twice. I was driven down the mountain, and then I ran into Third Brother again¡­¡±<div>


    Little Cui had a face full of distress, and couldn¡¯t help but wipe her tears.


    Although the other party¡¯s words seemed reasonable, Liu Sisi felt intuitively that there was a problem, but it seemed that there was no point in further questioning.


    ¡°However, Third Sister-inw, there¡¯s nothing between me and Third Brother. Nothing at all. I¡­ I lied to you before¡­¡±


    Little Cui stuttered and lowered her head.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Little Cui was very shocked: ¡°You know? Do you really believe that Third Brother wouldn¡¯t¡­?¡±


    ¡°I believe Ye Lei is not the kind of person who would have impure thoughts about his sister-inw. He¡¯s too honest and simple, such twisted thoughts are not something men like him would have!¡± Liu Sisi said with full confidence.


    Instead, Little Cuiughed: ¡°Third Sister-inw! Men in this world are really unpredictable.¡±


    Liu Sisi bent over to help her up, but she wouldn¡¯t tell her that what she believed in was her own intuition.


    ¡°Stop beating him! If you continue, he will¡­die!¡±


    The angry roar of Elderly Mr. Di suddenly came from outside.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but look outside through the window, taking in the scene outside.<div>


    ¡°You should leave! If you don¡¯t get out now, I¡¯m afraid there will really be trouble.¡±


    Little Cui was immediately overjoyed! She quickly knelt down and kowtowed three times: ¡°Thank you, Third Sister-inw! Thank you for understanding Little Cui¡¯s predicament¡­¡± After she finished kowtowing, she wiped her tears and quickly got up to run out the door.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    The sudden call from behind made Little Cui stop in her tracks and look back at Liu Sisi: ¡°Third Sister-inw, you¡­ what does this mean?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Liu Sisi took two steps forward, staring straight at her, making Little Cui¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    ¡°I won¡¯t mention this incident again considering you are my sister-inw. However, from today onwards, all you need to do is to take good care of the old house. That would be the greatest care you can give to me. Understand?¡±


    Did she want her to stay away from her?


    Little Cui gave a bitter smile, then bowed: ¡°Third Sister-inw, rest assured, Little Cui understands.¡±


    She let out a sigh of relief after she left the room. She had narrowly avoided catastrophe this time, but how she should report to the Master in the future was a big problem.


    Liu Sisi breathed out a long sigh of relief, praying that Little Cui would take her words to heart.


    Di Ah-bao, although he might not have been perfect, didn¡¯t bear her any ill will after all. Ultimately, he was Ye-lei¡¯s brother and with Little Cui keeping him in line, she could worry less. Of course, this was all contingent on Little Cui staying out of her sight.


    Through the window, she watched Little Cui quickly moving out, desperately helping Di Ah-bao up, ceaselessly apologizing to the father and Ye-lei. She even half-carried Di Ah-bao and dragged him away.<div>


    As she was leaving, Little Cui caught Di Ye-lei¡¯s gazepletely by ident. His eyes full of wary warnings made her nearly trip and fall.


    It seemed he really was difficult to appease.


    As if he felt her thoughts, Di Ye-lei nced at the window only to meet Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze. He hastily smiled at her, but was met with a harsh re from Liu Sisi, whose figure then disappeared from the window.


    The smile on Di Ye-lei¡¯s face faded, but in the next moment, YingEr rushed out from the house and bolted straight into his arms, tears streaming down her face.


    Di Xuan stood a little distance away, still holding Da Mao¡¯s hand and looking towards the entrance, clearly still not recovered from the earlier scuffle.


    Elderly Mr. Di was still scolding Di Ye-lei, his intermittent voicebined with the asional movement of his crutch gave off the impression of a scolded child.


    Liu Sisi actuallyughed!


    Good for her father for disciplining him. It felt more satisfying than if she had done it herself. It was much more cathartic, no?


    Because of the injury on his face, Di Ye-lei spent several days recuperating at home.


    On that day, Di Ah-bao was helped back to the old house by Little Cui, unexpectedly being seen by someone.


    Even though everyone was unaware of what exactly happened, some had heard themotion at Di Family that day. Various versions of gossip swiftly propagated.


    The mostmon version was that Di Ah-bao had done something bad again and was disciplined by Di Ye-lei!<div>


    Yet, unlike his usual ndering of Di Ye-lei, Di Ah-bao maintained an atypical silence this time, refusing to provide any exnation.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t care about Di Ah-bao¡¯s abnormality, what she cared about was why everyone was hiding the fact that she had a pregnancy scare this time.


    Although everyone didn¡¯t tell her, how could Liu Sisi not feel the unusual signs from her own body?


    She definitely heard Little Cui¡¯s voice while she was unconscious, and it was she who saved her pregnancy. She also felt a warm flow from somewhere during the time Little Cui gently pressed on her abdomen. The flow circled around her lower belly three times before receding.


    But when she regained consciousness, everyone unanimously insisted that Little Cui did nothing more than visiting her.


    The inconsistencies raised many questions in her mind. If it were indeed Little Cui who saved her pregnancy, then her previous statement about not understanding the harm the sachet could do was a lie!


    After resting for a few days, and apart from some pregnancy sickness, she didn¡¯t experience any other difort. This allowed her a trip to the small town and county to check the ounts. She also brought back a pile of ount books, intending to read them during the times she rested for her pregnancy.


    With the carriage and coachman avable, it became much more convenient for Liu Sisi to go in and out.


    As for Di Ye-lei, he started cutting Moso Bamboo into bamboo strips and began makingnterns for the uing Lantern Festival, using his time resting at home productively.


    The locals here ce great importance on the Lantern Festival. Only after the Lantern Festival is over do they consider the New Year¡¯s celebrations to be trulyplete.

 Chapter 416: 416: Liu Baihan

    Chapter 416: Liu Baihan


    During the Lantern Festival, there are naturally several traditional customs that cannot be missed.<div>


    On the 15th day of the first lunar month, people light up thousands of colorfulnterns to express celebration.


    They also eat yuanxiao (glutinous rice dumplings), admirenterns, guessntern riddles, walk away illness, wee the Goddess of the Hearth, watch lion dances, perform dragonntern dances, walk on stilts, and chase mice toplete the festivities.


    Of course, some of these customs do not start on the 15th but earlier, such as lightingnterns and walking on stilts, which generally start from the 11th day of the lunar month and end on the 18th.


    Apanying the stilt-walking custom is the lion dance!


    The countryside bes lively a little slower, usually starting these celebrations on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year, while in the city, these customs start even earlier.


    Di Yelei prepared antern for each of the three children, with the frame made of bamboo strips and sorghum stalks. He made rabbit, puppy, and chickennterns, one of each kind.<div>


    While Di Yelei¡¯snterns had not yet beenpleted, Liu Quan and Ms. Yao had already sentnterns over.


    ording to tradition, the family of a woman who was married in the previous year should sendnterns to symbolize new members. Since Liu Sisi was already pregnant, they sent threenterns ¨C onerge and two small. The person who sent thenterns was none other than Liu Sisi¡¯s elder brother, Liu Baihan!


    Liu Baihan came with two boys around ten years old, and upon their entrance, the courtyard became chaotic!


    At ten years old, children should ideally be sensible. However, the first thing these two children did was to pull Ah-Hua¡¯s tail.


    Ever since Ah-Hua returned safely from itsst adventure, it has be the Di Family¡¯s favorite, and its body has gradually grown plump, regaining its former radiance.


    However, one thing remained¡ªAh-Hua¡¯s recent temper had grown even bigger!


    Upon entering the courtyard and grabbing a dog¡¯s tail, the two unruly children were provoking the hounds. Ah-Hua didn¡¯t bark, but bit back instead!


    Fortunately, they were wearing thick clothes due to the snowy weather, and Ah-Hua hadn¡¯t bitten down with great force, so no one was injured!


    However, the two rascals still didn¡¯t learn the lesson and continued to forcefully pull on Ah-Hua¡¯s tail. Ah-Hua¡¯s snarling and growling escted, and it seemed ready to bite again. Old Cheng, who had heard themotion, rushed out to scold them.


    ¡°Ah-Hua, Ah-Huang! Go, go, go¡­¡±


    In the end, Ah-Hua¡¯s tail was rescued from the children¡¯s grips. The dogs quickly slipped into their dog house, reluctant toe out again.


    Old Cheng then took a closer look at the visitors: ¡°Sir, who are you looking for?¡±<div>


    Liu Baihan¡¯s eyeballs swiveled a few times: ¡°Is this Di Yelei¡¯s house? You go tell him his brother-inw hase, let hime out and greet me!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Oh? I haven¡¯t heard that my madam has an elder uncle. Sir, are you sure you¡¯ve got the right house?¡±


    Old Cheng bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Get lost! You old fool, what are you blocking the way for? Don¡¯t you see who I, Liu Baihan, am? You just need to remember that my name is Liu Baihan. If you really annoy me, I have a hundred ways to make you suffer. If you want to try, I, Liu Baihan, don¡¯t mind ying with you!¡±


    When he said this, Liu Sisi had already heard themotion and put down her brush toe out of the room.


    Upon hearing his words, she immediately understood that the visitor must be the brother who sold off the original owner of her body, Liu Baihan.


    As the unsuspecting visitor kept running his mouth, Liu Sisi very nearly went over and pped him!


    Knowing the visitor¡¯s identity, as well as hearing the suffering yelps of the two dogs, she had no intention of leaving any face for him, quickly stepping forward.


    In just a short time, the naughty child who had just let go of Ah-Hua and Ah-Huang had already crawled into the stable. Hearing the jujube red horse snorting restlessly, her eyebrows furrowed even tighter.


    ¡°Do I, Liu Sisi, have a brother? Howe I don¡¯t know about this?¡±


    As soon as she spoke, Old Cheng immediately bowed in reverence, ¡°Madam.¡±


    ¡°Mm, you can step back.¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    Old Cheng did not leave but instead stood behind Liu Sisi. He could tell that the visitor would not be easily dealt with in just a few words.


    Liu Baihan nced at Old Cheng behind Liu Sisi, and his eyes lit up as their inner radiance grew: ¡°Ah! It¡¯s true that ¡®one should look at a person differently after three days¡¯! It hasn¡¯t been that long, and you already have people serving you. You¡¯re truly extraordinary!¡±


    Liu Sisi twitched her mouth corner! Is this really the original owner¡¯s biological brother? He even mispronounced the phrase ¡°one should look at a person differently after three days.¡± How ridiculous!


    ¡°This matter has nothing to do with you. I, Liu Sisi, have long been sold away. I don¡¯t have any brothers. Old Cheng, remember, next time don¡¯t let those crazy dogs in to bite people. Otherwise, it won¡¯t end well.¡±


    As she spoke, she turned and walked toward the house.


    Initially, when she was sold off for money and had not been visited for nine months since her marriage, she would never have believed that someone would suddenly visit her without some ulterior motive.


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    Old Cheng naturally agreed, then immediately began to drive the visitor away: ¡°Sir, our madam said she doesn¡¯t know you. Please leave immediately.¡±


    ¡°Bastard! What kind of tone is that? Is this how you serve? Get lost! Don¡¯t get in the way, lest you disgrace yourself!¡±


    Liu Baihan hade with determination, so how could he back down so easily?


    With one hand, he immediately pushed Old Cheng out of the way and said, ¡°Liu Sisi! Don¡¯t think that since you have married a good family, you can put on airs with me! Liu Baihan is not easy to bully. If you think you have the strength to y with me, go ahead and try! Watch as I have countless ways to ensure you can¡¯t even eat!¡±<div>


    At this, Liu Sisiughed!


    Do bullies only look for easy targets nowadays? Not showing her fierceness, do they think she¡¯s a sick cat?


    ¡°Old Cheng! Get a stick and beat him out of the house! Remember, aim for his leg bones. If he¡¯s injured or crippled, it¡¯s all on me. Just leave him with half a life so he can see who would eventuallye to pick up his corpse!¡±


    Liu Sisi was really furious! She had just dealt with an incident a few days ago, and now another idiot had shown up, causing her much anger and resentment!


    ¡°Don¡¯t! I¡­I came here today on a mission! It¡¯s my dad and mom who sent me! If you don¡¯t believe me, look at this¡­¡±


    Liu Baihan¡¯s shamelessness was truly thick-skinned, as he wailed like a ghost and howled like a wolf!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t soften at all, especially when she saw the naughty child who had crawled into the stable tugging on the horse¡¯s tail and trying to climb onto the horse¡¯s back. Her inner me of anger grew even bigger!

 Chapter 417: 417: Liu Baihan’s Farce

    Chapter 417: Liu Baihan¡¯s Farce


    Liu Baihan didn¡¯t care if she was angry or not. Heughed and took out three tattered flowernterns from behind him, handing them to Liu Sisi¡¯s face.<div>


    ¡°Sisi, look, I really came here to deliver the flowernterns on themand of Dad and Mom!¡±


    As he spoke, he handed the tatterednterns over to Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes.


    He hadn¡¯t talked about Liu Sisi being so angry yet. When her eyes fell on the flowernterns in his hand, she immediately became furious! Could that be called a flowerntern?


    At the moment, the rags in Liu Baihan¡¯s hands not only had broken red paper on the surface, but also exposed the sorghum stalks inside. In one of them, only a main stem and half a piece of red paper were left, tied together by a rope, fluttering in the wind with a rustling sound.


    Liu Sisi took a deep breath, looked down at the so-called flowernterns in his hand, couldn¡¯t help but spit out some air again, and then took two more deep breaths. She mustered up all her strength and shouted angrily.


    ¡°Liu Baihan! ¡±<div>


    Di Yelei, who was making flowernterns inside, heard themotion outside and rushed out without even putting down thenterns.


    ¡°Sisi! Sisi, what¡¯s wrong with you? You¡­ ¡±


    His gaze fell on the three so-called flowernterns, and couldn¡¯t get the rest of the words out.


    Following the flowernterns up, he met a face that wasughing heartlessly.


    That face and Liu Sisi looked somewhat alike. The moment it saw Di Yelei, it sized him up and down and then raised its head: ¡°So you¡¯re Di Yelei? You¡¯re just a widower who lost his wife, big and rough-looking, yet you¡¯ve been praised like a flower. What makes youpare to me, Liu Baihan?¡±


    His words left Liu Sisi so angry she couldn¡¯t even speak her own thoughts.


    ¡°You¡­ are you still my brother? Do you curse your own sister like this?¡±


    Calling him a widower over and over again, were these wordsing from his own brother-inw? No wonder he sold his own sister.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face also turned extremely ugly, and his fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly.


    If it weren¡¯t for Liu Sisi¡¯s sake, he wouldn¡¯t have beaten the man in front of him to the ground with a single punch, and he wouldn¡¯t be named Di!


    Liu Baihan beside them showed no awareness of being beaten and stillughed heartlessly.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your big brother-inw, where would you find a wife? You deserve to be a widower all your life and remain a bachelor.¡±<div>


    The anger building up in Di Yelei¡¯s heart finally burst, and he swung his fist to strike¡­


    ¡°Ah! Cough, help! Sob, sob¡­ ¡±


    The sudden cry for help from the stable immediately startled the three of them.


    Could it be that the child was attacked by the horse¡­


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart trembled, and she shouted anxiously, ¡°Quick! Go save the person!¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t even bother with the others. He took two steps and sprinted straight into the stable.


    In just a short time, the stable had changed drastically at the moment, and chaos reigned.


    Horse feed flew out of the trough, hay was torn messier than a chicken nest, and even the horse nket on the horse¡¯s back had fallen to the ground, covered in various stains. Even the restless jujube red horse was smeared with horse feces and urine for some reason, and at the moment, its tail was dangling a half-grown child, making the horse even more restless and constantly neighing.


    Anyone who had raised horses would know the consequences of grabbing a horse¡¯s tail. The horse would most likely kick you with its hooves. If you weren¡¯t kicked to death by those hooves, you¡¯d be considered lucky!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Fortunately, the jujube red horse hadn¡¯t gone wild just yet. It was a stroke of luck in the midst of misfortune!


    Upon seeing the scene before him, a shocked Di Yelei let out a loud roar!


    ¡°Watch out! Let go quickly!¡±<div>


    It was unclear whether it was the people who had scared the horse or its patience had reached its limit, but it suddenly raised its head and let out a long neigh, its body violentlyshing out and its hind hooves kicking fiercely¡­


    The half-grown child could no longer hold onto the horse¡¯s tail and was struck by its hooves, flying away¡­


    This scene was also witnessed by Liu Sisi and Liu Baihan, who were following close behind, and it startled them both.


    ¡°Hua Er¡±


    Liu Baihan couldn¡¯t care about anything else, he threw thentern out of his hand and stepped over it, rushing towards the direction where the child was thrown.


    Liu Sisi also wanted to chase after but suddenly turned back.


    Something was wrong! She clearly saw two children earlier, where did the other child go?


    The jujube red horse had gone crazy, breaking free from its reins in the stable and leaping out from the main entrance before galloping away.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t have time to worry about the runaway horse, she hurriedly searched the stable and finally found the trembling child in a straw pile in one corner. She quickly dragged the child out of the stable.


    The child was obviously quite scared. He couldn¡¯t stand still, trembling all over his body. His clothes were covered in horse urine and manure, as well as straw and debris, making it almost impossible to tell the original color of his clothes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good! The Di¡¯s family horse got frightened! I just saw your family¡¯s horse break its reins and run away!¡±


    From outside the door came the shout of a fellow viger, who quickly ran towards the Di Residence¡¯s gate. Once inside, he naturally saw the chaos everywhere.<div>


    Especially Liu Sisi and the child in her arms, their disheveled state frightened the viger, causing him to cry out in shock!


    Soon, many fellow vigers came to Di family¡¯s yard to watch the scene.


    The good thing about these simple vigers was that they would always help each other when someone was in trouble. However, at this moment, Liu Sisi really wished that these vigers weren¡¯t so enthusiastic!


    As the number of people surrounding the Di family¡¯s yard increased, Liu Sisi gave up trying to hide her embarrassing state and let everyonee and go as they pleased.


    From behind the stable, Liu Baihan¡¯s mournful cries still echoed.


    ¡°Hua Er, my Hua Er! You mustn¡¯t die! I¡¯m telling you, you have topensate for my Hua Er, you can¡¯t send me away with just seven or eight taels¡­¡±


    The heartbreaking cries continued to draw people out from their houses, including the vigers who had just entered the Di family.


    Liu Sisi, ignoring the child copsed on the ground, tried to stand up but was tightly held by the child by her clothes. The hands smeared with horse urine and manure not only waved on the child¡¯s own face but also smeared it on Liu Sisi¡¯s clothes.


    Seeing her clothes quickly bing a mess, Liu Sisi could no longer suppress the churning in her stomach and began to retch violently.


    Behind the stable, the child was lying on the ground with his back facing the crowd.


    The strong impact had knocked off the thick grass curtain that blocked the wind on the side of the stable. The long grass curtain fell, covering more than half of the child¡¯s body.


    ¡°You have topensate! I¡¯m telling you, Liu Sisi, if you don¡¯tpensate me 100 taels of silver today, you won¡¯t be able to send me, Liu Baihan, away! My poor Hua Er¡­¡±<div>

 Chapter 418: 418: Extortion

    Chapter 418: Extortion


    Liu Baihan sat paralyzed at the side, wailing loudly, not knowing whether to step forward and lend a hand.<div>


    His wailing finally caused the nearby vigers to lose their patience. They stepped forward and gave him a push: ¡°Hey! Are you the child¡¯s father or not? Since the child is in trouble, shouldn¡¯t you rush to save him instead of demandingpensation here? What¡¯s more important, the silver or the child¡¯s life?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the silver¡­¡±


    Liu Baihan seemed to realize that he had misspoken, naturally changing his tone, ¡°Cough, cough! I meant to say, of course, the child is more important than the silver! I was just trying to get some money for my daughter Hua¡­ Oh, my poor Hua, how could you leave me behind like this?¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡­¡±


    A weak cough came from under the grass curtain, causing the arguments among the surrounding vigers to stop.


    Everyone nced at each other.<div>


    Finally, the nearest viger cautiously said, ¡°I think I heard¡­ a man¡¯s voiceing from underneath¡­¡±


    Actually, everyone had heard it, but couldn¡¯t make it out clearly. They exchanged nces and began to slowly move in the direction of the grass curtain.


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­¡±


    A series of raspy male voices came from below the grass curtain. Then, the child¡¯s body moved!


    ¡°He¡¯s moving! He¡¯s still closing his eyes, but his body is moving! Is it a reanimated corpse or something?¡± A viger was so frightened that he blurted out his thoughts.


    ¡°The corpse is alive! Run!¡±


    Someone suddenly screamed, and the vigers who were crowded around scattered in all directions, running faster than rabbits!


    This even startled Liu Sisi, who was struggling to walk over,pletely disregarding her own disheveled appearance.


    Could the child really be dead?


    It looks like today is going to be troublesome!


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­ I¡¯m telling you, you little brat, my ribs are about to break from you hitting me! What are you still doing lying on top of me? Get off me now!¡±


    It seemed like the old injury had been hit rather than a rib break. The pain almost made him lose his breath.<div>


    ¡°Somebody¡¯s talking! There really is someone talking underneath¡­¡±


    The vigers who had been hiding huddled together, shrinking in the shadows of a nearby corner.


    This voice¡­


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart leaped with joy. ¡°Ye Lei? Ye Lei, is that you? Are you the one underneath? Answer me quickly!¡± she said, rushing forward to lift the grass curtain and searching frantically for the figure below.


    The grass curtain was made quite thick to keep warm when it was first woven, making it particrly hard to lift at the moment.


    ¡°Sisi! Cough, cough¡­¡±


    Sure enough, there came a response from below.


    ¡°Everybody help! It¡¯s Ye Lei, it¡¯s Ye Lei under there!¡± Liu Sisi called out in a hurry.


    When they saw the child not moving, the vigers were too afraid to help. But hearing Liu Sisi¡¯s cry, the fellow vigers immediately rushed forward, all hands on deck to lift the grass curtain.


    ¡°Brother Ye Lei, Brother Ye Lei, are you down there?¡±


    ¡°Ah! This grass curtain is too thick! How can I not find it?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡­You bit me? Whose family¡¯s mischievous child is this? Not only ying dead but actually biting people¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Throw him out!¡± It was clear that the mischievous child in everyone¡¯s mouth had angered the crowd.


    ¡°I see him!¡­There¡¯s Brother Ye Lei, quick, everyonee and help!¡±


    With a flurry of hands and feet, the crowd finally pulled the child away and helped Di Yelei up.


    Di Yelei was clearly in pain all over, even when he was pulled up by people, he still held his chest with his hand, his face pale.


    ¡°Ye Lei, are you alright? How are you?¡± Liu Sisi hurriedly stepped forward and asked anxiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just¡­cough, got hit a little.¡±


    Di Yelei coughed several times before looking back at the child being shielded by Liu Baihan.


    Liu Baihan¡¯s legs were trembling, and he forcefully questioned the crowd: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? He¡¯s just a child, you all are adults bullying a kid, have you no shame?¡±


    ¡°What kind of child is this? Lying there, pretending to be dead is nothing, but look at my arm, he bit me directly, leaving these tooth marks!¡± one of the fellow vigers said indignantly.


    Another viger was also enraged: ¡°I was bitten too! Look at this! This is ack of upbringing. We tried to save someone with good intentions, and in the end, we were bitten like this!¡±


    ¡°This is outrageous¡­¡± The surrounding vigers murmured and discussed.


    ¡°Enough! Everyone, quiet down!¡±<div>


    Seeing Di Yelei apparently unable to speak due to the pain, Liu Sisi hurriedly called for two vigers to help, supporting Di Yelei into the house.


    She then turned back to look at Liu Baihan: ¡°Liu Baihan! Let¡¯s not beat around the bush. What are you here for today?¡±


    ¡°I, I came to¡­ give younterns¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was at that moment that Liu Baihan remembered the previousnterns, and he hurriedly turned and ran back to pick up the threenterns, onerge and two small.


    At the moment, after being trampled by the crowd, these were hardlynterns ¨C only some red paper was still stuck to the sorghum stalks, even the handle had been broken.


    ¡°Liu Baihan, is this the so-calledntern you were talking about? Are you sure you came to delivernterns instead of making trouble?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was as ck as the bottom of a pot, her cold eyes ring furiously at Liu Baihan.


    ¡°This, this is¡­¡±


    Liu Baihan didn¡¯t know what to say. As he was going to give them away anyway, he hadn¡¯t taken the shabbynterns seriously. Though thenterns were a bit worn, they were still in better condition than now¡­ it was just too¡­ that¡­


    Liu Sisi was furious: ¡°Liu Baihan, back then you drugged my food, colluded with outsiders to sell your own sister! Not only that, but you deliberately tarnished and ruined your sister¡¯s reputation. Today, New Year, not only did you deliberately bring this brokenntern but also incited these two older children toe to Di¡¯s family to make trouble. Making trouble was bad enough! I¡¯ll bear it!¡±


    While speaking, she walked two steps forward: ¡°But what you absolutely should not have done is deliberately have your two older nephews make trouble. First, they bullied Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua, scaring the two dogs so they don¡¯t dare to leave the dog house. Fine! I¡¯ll bear it! But you should never, never have thought of money and aimed at the jujube red horse. What¡¯s more, you have this older child fake death to deceive and extort money from people!¡±


    As Liu Sisi¡¯s words fell, the surrounding vigers burst into discussions, talking loudly.<div>


    ¡°What? Sisi, this is the brother who sold you away? Does this person have no shame? After selling you, he dares toe and make trouble?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, everyone knows about the hunting hounds, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua. They are two very good hunting dogs, and you dare to bully them! Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution?¡±


    ¡°For someone who sells his own sister, would he be afraid of retribution?¡±

 Chapter 419: Extortion

    Chapter 419: Extortion


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid even his heart is ck. Where would he care about one more thing?¡±


    ¡°What a sin! Look at these two children now¡­Tsk tsk! For the sake of extorting money, he can actually do this to his own children!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no saving him! Beat him!¡±


    It was not known who shouted in the crowd, and suddenly one stone stirred up a thousand waves, with everyone echoing in agreement.


    ¡°Beat him! Beat him! Drive him out of our Upper Vige! Kill him!¡±


    The fellow vigers instantly became furious, rushing forward one after another, and the sounds of fists and kicks came immediately. Liu An and Liu Hua, the two nephews, werepletely terrified! For them, pretending to be dead and acting unruly was nothing new, but even when they were exposed, their dad had never been like today, so utterly miserable!


    Liu Sisi stood aside with cold eyes, watching everything in front of her, her mouth corners raised high, but her heart was full of thoughts.


    She had taken revenge for the original owner who had been wronged to death!


    It was the original owner who lost a life, and Liu Baihan was only severely beaten!


    Considering that he wanted to extort money as soon as he came today, she didn¡¯t beat him to death or maim him ¡ª she was already being kind in the eyes of Heaven!


    The sounds of fists and kicks continued over there. Liu Sisi saw Old Cheng groping in the chaotic crowd and secretly made a gesture at him.


    Old Cheng understood and nodded slightly, then continued to beat fiercely.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time to stop beating such a shameful person and drag him out. We must throw him out of the territory of Upper Vige! We cannot let such a person pollute our vige¡¯s water!¡± n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Old Cheng shouted in the crowd, and naturally, others responded!


    A few strong men directly picked him up like a dead pig, with one holding an arm and another a leg, and threw him out of the territory of Upper Vige.


    Taking advantage of the crowd¡¯s distraction, Liu An and Liu Hua wanted to slip away, but were stopped by Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Wait! You two don¡¯t hurry away. Although Liu Baihan has wronged me, his younger sister, you two nephews are innocent. If you walk out in these wet clothes, you will surely get sick. Xuan¡¯er, don¡¯t you have two sets of old clothes? Go get them for them to change into.¡±


    Liu Sisi had heard that these two nephews were about ten and a half and nine years old. At the moment, they seemed to be even smaller than Di Xuan.


    Di Xuan soon brought two sets of clothes.


    Liu Sisi stepped forward and personally changed the clothes for the two boys.


    She also took out some candies and food for them and gave each of them one corner of silver: ¡°Hold onto this silver, it is the meeting gift from your young aunt. Today, considering that you are juniors and were incited by your father, I will not hold a grudge against you. Go find your father now!¡± After confirming that they had kept the silver, she let the two go.


    Watching the two children running away quickly, Liu Sisi sighed in her heart that she was not a ruthless person, and she could not drive them away and kill them all.


    ¡°Everyone! Today, I thank you all for standing up for me and feeling indignant on my behalf!¡±


    As she spoke, she respectfully bowed to the crowd.


    Her actions even won the unanimous praise of her fellow vigers: ¡°No problem! We are all from the same vige! Sisi, since they sold you to our Upper Vige, you belong to us now! Rest assured, we people of Upper Vige will never let outsiders bully you. Everyone, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes, yes!¡±


    Everyone echoed in response.


    ¡°Thank you everyone, thank you so much. Ladies and gentlemen, pleasee into the hall to rest and have a couple cups of water wine to show our appreciation for your great help.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s warm invitation naturally made the fellow vigers excited.


    Who among the vigers didn¡¯t know that Liu Sisi¡¯s cooked dishes were so good that even Dr. He from the small town praised them with a thumbs up!


    The vigers happily enjoyed the food while Liu Sisi asked Elderly Mr. Di toe out and take the main seat.


    Not long after, the jujube red horse was also chased back by someone.


    Taking advantage of the vigers enjoying their meal, Liu Sisi went out to take a look. Old Cheng had already tidied up the courtyard. Then she went back into the room to check on Di Yelei, who was lying inside.


    Di Yelei was resting with his eyes closed. When he saw Liu Sisiing in, he hurriedly got up from the bed and closed the room door.


    Only then did he turn back and whisper in her ear, ¡°How¡¯s everything? It¡¯s all settled, right?¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­ weren¡¯t you injured?¡±


    Liu Sisi was a little slow to react.


    ¡°Hey! That was just for show!¡±


    Di Yelei smiled sheepishly, ¡°As soon as I heard his name, I remembered that it was him who sold you off in the first ce. What good could a person who could sell his own sister be? Besides, that child was pretending to be dead but kept looking at me from time to time. So I dared not move.¡±


    With his exnation, Liu Sisi finally let out a sigh of relief: ¡°At first, I saw the child being kicked out. Howe there were no injuries at all? What a strange thing.¡±


    ¡°Of course there¡¯s no injury, when the jujube red horse kicked, I had already rushed over. It was just the force of the impact that tore the grass curtain off.¡±


    Di Yelei chuckled and spoke proudly.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know whether tough or scold him: ¡°You really are something. If you were a little slower, wouldn¡¯t the horse have kicked you? How could you not care for yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine! I was in a hurry at that time. If your nephew got hurt here, it would be even harder to talk with your big brother given his personality.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the one who has the nerve to talk? Hmph! At first, he nearly killed me¡­ This ount is not that easy to settle.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke seriously, this was about a life after all, and it¡¯s not so easy to settle it!


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m fine now. You should go out to take care of the vigers first. Today, we have to rely on their help.¡± Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but give her a peck on the cheek.


    ¡°Alright, you rest first and don¡¯te out.¡±


    Only then did Liu Sisi open the door and leave.


    As soon as the room door closed, Di Yelei¡¯s expression changed, and his hand immediately covered his chest, apanied by a quiet cough.


    Damn it! The kick from that jujube red horse really hurt! Did it break his ribs again?


    Hopefully, there won¡¯t be any major problems. Otherwise, he didn¡¯t know how he would exin it to Sisi.


    Liu Sisi, who hade out, stared at the door for a long time. After a while, she silently returned to the hall to take care of the vigers.


    The vigers kept shouting and ying guessing games with each other, inexplicably excited. During the New Year, farmers usually gather together to eat and drink. They continued eating until the afternoon when the sky gradually darkened, then they each went home. Elderly Mr. Di was extraordinarily happy today and went to rest early.

 Chapter 420: Night Talk and Admission

    Chapter 420: Night Talk and Admission


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until this moment that Liu Sisi had some free time, so she cooked some more food and called the children out to eat.


    Di Yelei also came out and nced up at the elderly Mr. Di¡¯s room.


    ¡°Dad had a few drinks and went to bed early. Come and eat. Brother Zhang will be hereter,¡± Liu Sisi said while setting out bowls and chopsticks.


    ¡°Zhang Peng ising sote? It seems to be snowing outside again. Does he have something going on?¡± Di Yelei said in surprise, picking up the bamboo chopsticks as he spoke.


    Liu Sisi also sat down, picked up the bamboo chopsticks, and first served YingEr and Da Mao some food. Only then did she pick up her own bowl and quickly eat, taking advantage of the gaps between chewing to attend to the two children on either side of her.


    Now that the New Year had passed, YingEr was already five years old and could feed herself, but Liu Sisi still liked to help her pick out some easy-to-chew meat and bones.


    As for Da Mao, who was next to her, the child was younger than YingEr but particrly protective of his food.


    Before each meal, he always piled a heap of delicious food into his bowl, stacking it into a small mountain peak before starting to eat.


    Moreover, he always had to eat until his belly was round before he would put down his bowl and chopsticks. He always dropped rice from the corners of his mouth as he ate, and despite Liu Sisi¡¯s attempts to correct him, he remained unchanged.


    It really made Liu Sisi¡¯s head hurt!


    In the end, Di Yelei came up with a solution, filling a small bowl separately with Da Mao¡¯s favorite food and setting it before him, with the rice and meat in separate bowls, which improved the situation slightly.


    Di Yelei ate silently, only looking at Liu Sisi, who was feeding YingEr, after putting down his bowl and chopsticks.


    ¡°Is your eldest brother really sent by your father-inw and mother-inw today? We had someone beat him up. Will there be any problems?¡±


    What he really wanted to ask was whether his father-inw would be angry about this, but he couldn¡¯t quite bring himself to say it.


    ¡°What could happen? If he really cared about me, his sister, he wouldn¡¯t have disregarded those threenterns or been so focused on money¡­¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s voice trailed off as she spoke.


    During the New Year, a married daughter¡¯s family would send hernterns, naturally praying for her to add morenterns and members to her family. But he actually sent three brokennterns!


    Just based on this alone, no one would me them for beating him half dead and even more so considering what happened afterward¡­ n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Yelei reached out and held her hand, silentlyforting her, ¡°Don¡¯t be upset. Fortunately, you¡¯re married now. Getting angry with such a person will only hurt yourself. Even if you die from anger, he won¡¯t care about you at all.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Liu Sisi replied softly. She resentfully thought of the original body¡¯s dead end due to such an animal.


    However, just wait and see!


    She had plenty of time to slowly teach that person a lesson! She would definitely make him repay every debt he owed!


    Wiping away her tears secretly, she continued feeding YingEr, taking care of the wolf-like Da Mao, and suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°By the way, a couple of days ago, I heard from Di Cheng that a big customer came to the bookstore yesterday to buy the four treasures of the study for a teacher at the vige school. So, he casually asked, the vige school starts on the sixteenth. Today is the eleventh and tomorrow is the twelfth. I think I¡¯ll take Xuan¡¯er to the school to sign up tomorrow.¡±


    These words suddenly made Di Xuan, who had been silent on the side, widen his eyes, and his whole body tensed up instantly.


    Di Yelei looked at Di Xuan and was silent for a moment: ¡°The registration for the vige school is not urgent, it is still possible to register after the eighteenth.¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head: ¡°No! I thought about it, and I want to send Xuan¡¯er to study under Elder Mr. Xu¡¯s name!¡±


    These words made both Di Xuan and Di Yelei raise their heads in surprise, looking at her incredulously.


    ¡°Why suddenly want to send Xuan¡¯er under Elder Mr. Xu¡¯s name? I heard that his teaching is very strict, and he doesn¡¯t easily ept students. Plus, Xuan¡¯er is too young, and it¡¯s really inconvenient for him toe and go, isn¡¯t it?¡± Di Yelei frowned.


    The vige school in the small town was founded by Elder Mr. Xu, and almost all the students in the small town wanted to be taken under Elder Mr. Xu¡¯s wing.


    That¡¯s why, when Liu Sisi mentioned Elder Mr. Xu, Di Yelei showed a look of both hope and concern.


    ¡°I know, so I n to let Xuan¡¯er sign up for the vige school first. If he can gain Elder Mr. Xu¡¯s favor and be taken under his wing, that would be the best. If not, it¡¯s good for him to study with his peers.¡±


    Liu Sisi had clearly considered this for a long time: ¡°In addition, I n to rent a shop with a small courtyard in the small town. That way, we can not only run our own shop, but also save Xuan¡¯er the dailymute. The most important thing is that my body is still early in my pregnancy, and I can move around without any problem. But when the timees, it will be inconvenient to go to the county city.¡±


    What¡¯s most important is that she felt ufortable with Little Cui watching her every move!


    Now there is a legitimate excuse to move to the small town and get away from the other side¡¯s sight- why not take advantage of it!


    ¡°Will dad be willing to move to the small town? That¡¯s still uncertain,¡± Di Yelei was unsure.


    ¡°I will talk to you and Xuan¡¯er first to see if you think it¡¯s feasible. If you agree, I¡¯ll talk to my father-inw about it. Once we move to the small town, we will still do our best to take care of him and make sure he has afortable life. Besides, the small town is not far from the Upper Vige. From now on, we cane back here to rest on holidays and fulfill my father-inw¡¯s wish, right?¡±


    Di Yelei thought for a moment, looked at Di Xuan, and saw the excitement in his eyes. He patted his shoulder.


    ¡°The vige school will ept students even if they don¡¯t have a foundation. But to enter Elder Mr. Xu¡¯s door, it is said that you need to pass an assessment to be admitted. Xuan¡¯er has only been learning for these few days¡­ can he pass?¡± Di Yelei¡¯s words were hesitant.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was also hesitant. Although she had taught Di Xuan a lot of content, she was teaching him based on the teaching methods of herter life and using the textbooks here. Whether he could pass the exam, she didn¡¯t have a hundred percent certainty, but she felt there was a fifty percent chance.


    ¡°Who knows what the criteria are for Elder Mr. Xu to choose his students?¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment and said, ¡°How about this? I have to bring the ount book to the county tomorrow, so why not take Xuan¡¯er with me? If he passes Elder Mr. Xu¡¯s assessment, that would be even better. If not, we¡¯ll just sign up for the vige school. What do you think?¡±


    As they spoke, both of their gazes fell on Di Xuan: ¡°Xuan¡¯er, are you confident about passing the assessment?¡±


    ¡°Mom! I am confident that I can pass! But¡­¡±


    Di Xuan hesitated: ¡°But Zhang Yun and I promised to go to school together this year. If I pass the exam, what will happen to Zhang Yun?¡±

 Chapter 421: 421: Assessment

    Chapter 421: Assessment


    ¡°What about Zhang Yun? Haha¡­¡±<div>


    Zhang Pengughed as he lifted the curtain and came in from outside, looking amusedly at everyone.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang!¡±


    Di Xuan and Di Ying hurriedly paid their respects.


    ¡°Good, good, get up quickly, don¡¯t bow anymore. Come, let¡¯s sit down and talk.¡± After saying this, Zhang Peng casually found a stool to sit on.


    Di Yelei was actually delighted: ¡°Zhang Peng, your arrival is just in time! We were just talking about your son Zhang Yun, and then you came.¡±


    Zhang Peng¡¯s gaze swept around with a slightly stunned look, wasn¡¯t he asked toe and help check on the injuries?<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my Yun¡¯er? Is it that he got into trouble and didn¡¯t dare toe back and tell me?¡±


    His words immediately amused Liu Sisi standing beside him: ¡°Brother Zhang, Yun¡¯er is very sensible, not like what you described. What we¡¯re discussing now is about the enrolment for the vige school.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Look at my muddled mind! Yes, it¡¯s time for the vige school enrolment, right?¡±


    Zhang Peng pped his forehead, obviously annoyed by his own memory: ¡°Yes, Yun¡¯er did tell me a few days ago that he wanted to go to school with Xuan¡¯er. Guihua also said that it¡¯s good for the children to learn a few more characters. In that case, let Zhang Yun and Xuan¡¯er go to school together, so they can help each other and not be bullied.¡±


    In fact, ording to Zhang Peng¡¯s own inclination, he did not approve of Zhang Yun going to any school, thinking it was a waste of time. It would be better to go up to the mountain more often and hunt more game!


    However, being helpless that his arms couldn¡¯t twist his thighs, Zhang Yun and Guihua had both made up their minds, and in the end, he had to go along with their wishes.


    ¡°Yes, we n to have Xuan¡¯er sign up for the assessment tomorrow, what about your Yun¡¯er? Will he go together?¡± Liu Sisi said.


    Zhang Peng thought for a moment and scratched the back of his head: ¡°How about this! Tomorrow, I¡¯ll also go and have a look at what this school is like!¡±


    The next day, early in the morning, they all went to the vige school.


    Originally, Liu Sisi wanted to go directly to the county, but on second thought, she let Old Cheng turn his carriage and stop at the vige school.


    Last night, Zhang Peng had examined Di Yelei¡¯s chest, and although there was some damage, fortunately, no bones were broken. How lucky!


    At the moment, they were in front of the vige school, and Liu Sisi lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage, looking up to examine the surroundings carefully.<div>


    As for the vige school, it seemed to be a spacious courtyard, quiet inside, with no signs of people. Outside, there was a wide dam, surrounded by green trees, and behind the courtyard was a small grove. To the left was a small stream with clear water. On the que above the main entrance of the courtyard, the four big characters ¡°Xiyi Academy¡± were written!


    Liu Sisi turned around, got YingEr and Da Mao out of the carriage, and since only the father-inw was at home today, bringing the two children was a helpless move.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zhang Peng and Di Yelei also dismounted, standing beside Zhang Yun and Di Xuan.


    ¡°It¡¯s so quiet inside, could it be that there¡¯s no one?¡± Liu Sisi asked softly.


    ¡°Perhaps we came too early, so we can¡¯t see anyone. However, every year, the enrollment starts from the 12th day of the Lunar New Year, so there should be no mistake. Furthermore, several teachers live in this academy, so there must be people. Let¡¯s go in and have a look.¡±


    After saying this, Di Yelei casually threw the reins to Old Cheng, leading everyone inside.


    From the outside, the courtyard did not seemrge, but once they entered, they found out that the interior of this courtyard was really not small. In the center of the courtyard was a tform, on which stood a statue of Confucius, and below it was arge incense burner. A row of well-trimmed cypress trees looked exceptionally neat.


    Following the posture of everyone, Liu Sisi also bowed three times to the statue of Confucius before leading the two children to continue following the group.


    Through the window, she could clearly see the rows of desks inside, making Liu Sisi feel as if she had suddenly traveled through time and space, back to her hometown where the children were sitting in the room, reading their textbooks aloud¡­


    ¡°Sisi! Sisi! What are you dazed about? Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s call woke her from her trance, and when she looked back into the room, only the rows of desks and chairs were left, evoking her infinite loneliness.


    Sorting out her thoughts, she led the two children and quickly followed the footsteps of the others.<div>


    They walked to the left of the main hall, where Liu Sisi finally saw the first living person in the academy.


    He was a man in his forties, currently talking to Di Yelei. After examining Di Yelei from head to toe, a sh of contempt appeared in his eyes, but he hid it well.


    He stroked his goatee and looked over Di Xuan and Zhang Yun: ¡°Every year, countless students want to be epted under the tutge of Elder Mr. Xu, and some even don¡¯t hesitate to lower their status to be epted under his name. Are you sure you want to be a disciple under Elder Xu? Let me tell you frankly, even if Elder Xu does not ept your child, the registration fee will not be refunded!¡±


    ording to the rules, the registration fee was simr to the registration fee inter generations.


    Liu Sisi was determined to have Di Xuan epted under Elder Xu¡¯s name, so how could she care about this mere 500 copper coin registration fee!


    Di Yelei bowed quickly: ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Meng. We already knew about these rules before we came here, and we naturally wouldn¡¯t dare to mess with the academy¡¯s rules.¡± After saying this, he hurriedly took out the silver coins from his pocket.


    Zhang Peng was somewhat reluctant, but had no choice but to grit his teeth and take out the money.


    Mr. Meng didn¡¯t even bother to look at the copper coins, casually epting them and tossing them into the drawer before picking up his brush-pen and asking the two about their specifics.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name? Where do you live? How old are you? Who is in your family? Are you staying overnight¡­¡±


    After a series of questions, he took out two bamboo cards and threw them in front of the two: ¡°These are your ID waist cards. You two go in from here and head to the bamboo forest at the back. Naturally, someone will examine you. Go!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Meng! Thank you!¡±


    Di Yelei and Zhang Peng hurriedly nodded and bowed, then picked up their waist cards, turned around, and walked along the alley as Mr. Meng had pointed out.<div>


    ¡°Hold on! Just the two of them can go in, and the rest of you will have to wait outside.¡±


    Mr. Meng puffed out his beard and widened his eyes impatiently.


    ¡°You must think carefully, if it gets toote and the two children fail the test and don¡¯te out, this silver money won¡¯t be refunded by the old man!¡±


    ¡°Of course, we appreciate Mr. Meng¡¯s effort!¡± Di Yelei hurriedly bowed again.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Only then did Mr. Meng shake his hand and walk away towards the alley.


    Seeing Mr. Meng walk away, Zhang Peng immediately whispered to Di Yelei: ¡°Ye Lei, do you think the chances of these two kids passing the test are high or low? Should we¡­¡±

 Chapter 422: 422: Debate

    Chapter 422: Debate


    Zhang Peng spoke and pointed to the small door.<div>


    The few people exchanged nces, nodded, and walked towards the door.


    ¡°Wait! Only the two of them can enter, the rest of the misceneous people will wait.¡±


    Mr. Meng blew his beard and widened his eyes, looking impatient.


    After his gaze met Liu Sisi¡¯s, he couldn¡¯t help but re: ¡°Daring ignorant woman! This is the sacrednd of Confucius! How can it be allowed for such an ignorant woman like you to enter and exit freely? Get out! ¡±


    Liu Sisi was scolded and immediately looked stunned, not understanding the connection between this ce and her entering and leaving.


    Di Yelei saw it and hurried over to make peace: ¡°Mr. Meng, please forgive me! Today, my son came to register, and my wife was too anxious about the child¡¯s registration, so she forgot the rules and followed us in. Please forgive me, Mr. Meng!¡±<div>


    His words significantly improved Mr. Meng¡¯splexion, but he did not let Liu Sisi go: ¡°Considering your love for your child, I will not pursue this matter for the time being. However, as soon as the two peoplee out, you should leave quickly and not pollute this sacrednd!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s anger welled up inside her, who had she offended bying here?


    This teacher was so unreasonable, it was simply outrageous!


    With a twinkle in her eye, she stepped forward and said with a lightugh: ¡°Mr. Meng, you are wrong! I came here first of all because of my love for my child, so I followed him in. Secondly, I heard that you have great knowledge and are a rare schr. I have a question that I am unable to solve, so I came to ask for your advice!¡±


    As she spoke, she respectfully bowed to Mr. Meng.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s attitude was very satisfactory to Mr. Meng!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He spun around, sat back down in his chair, stroked his beard, and raised his chin: ¡°Alright, speak! What difficult question do you have?¡±


    Her knowing look almost made Liu Sisiugh.


    ¡°I am a vige woman who admires knowledgeable people. I heard that this is the sacrednd of Confucius, so I dared toe and ask today.¡±


    She raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a shallow dimpled smile: ¡°Yesterday, a few of us vige women were chatting about discussing the origins of the phrases ¡®Equal Education for All¡¯ and ¡®Judging People by Appearance,¡¯ and there were many disputes between us. In the end, it almost turned into a fight, so I dared toe and inquire today. Mr. Meng, do you know where these two sentencese from and what they mean?¡±


    Afterwards, she bowed respectfully again.


    A sincere attitude of seeking advice.<div>


    These words immediately changed Mr. Meng¡¯s face! He couldn¡¯t help but snorted angrily.


    It turned out that she had dug a pit for him to fall into!


    Just at this moment, two more people came to register. Mr. Meng waved his hand impatiently, wanting to send everyone away.


    ¡°Go away! Just a few trivial words from vige women¡¯s casual chat are not worth embarrassing ourselves in front of Confucius. Considering that you are a woman who doesn¡¯t understand books and rules, I will not me you today. Leave quickly! Don¡¯t block the way for the studentsing to register behind.¡±


    He wanted to fire a nk shot and run away!


    Liu Sisi immediately raised the corners of her mouth and countered: ¡°Teacher, you are wrong. I came to see you with sincerity today. Where did the words ¡®me¡¯e from in your words? I hope Mr. Meng can enlighten me!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s refutation immediately made Mr. Meng¡¯s face change drastically! But he had nothing to say.


    He nced over the few people present and had to forcefully calm himself down, staring at Liu Sisi hatefully: ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked innocent: ¡°It¡¯s just some idle words from a vige woman, but I would like to ask the teacher for help.¡±


    ¡°When the debate escted yesterday, someone asked: ¡®Confucius lost his father at the age of three and was raised by his mother. The old saying goes, ¡°A woman without talent is virtuous.¡± But without talent, isn¡¯t that the so-called ignorance? So, should Confucius¡¯ sacred family sweep his ignorant mother out of the house? What right does he have to talk about filial piety then?¡¯ ¡±


    ¡°You! You cunning woman, how dare you insult Confucius, I, I¡­¡±


    These words made Mr. Meng¡¯s face swell up like a pig liver, various colors changing constantly. He pointed at Liu Sisi but couldn¡¯t speak.<div>


    ¡°Mr. Meng, you are wrong. I¡¯m a woman with shallow knowledge, and I¡¯m arguing with my neighbors. It¡¯s just boring. If I offend you with the wrong words, I hope you will forgive me as I am a humble woman and sincerely ask for advice.¡± As she spoke, Liu Sisi smiled and bowed to him with an earnest face.


    But, this smile fell into Mr. Meng¡¯s eyes and became a naked p in the face!


    It made the suffocating anger in his chest almost unbearable!


    But she was so polite, and he was confused for a moment and couldn¡¯t find fault.


    It happened at this time that the boy who came to register curiously asked his dad: ¡°Father, what does ¡®Equal Education for All¡¯ mean?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The man scratched his head, looking embarrassed: ¡°It should mean teaching people with no ss, right?¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    Little Ying besideughed out loud but immediately covered her mouth.


    The boy looked curiously at Ying¡¯er: ¡°Little sister, do you know the meaning of this sentence?¡±


    Ying¡¯er looked up at Liu Sisi and saw that her mother didn¡¯t say a word. She then lowered her head and shook it slightly.


    On the side, Di Yelei saw Mr. Meng¡¯s worsening face and immediately said goodbye with a fist greeting: ¡°Since there are more studentsing to register, we will wait outside for the time being. Farewell!¡±<div>


    Mr. Meng could hardly hold back hisughter, squinting his eyes and staring at Liu Sisi viciously.


    He forced the words through his teeth: ¡°Alright! Alright!¡±


    It was only then that everyone left the room.


    Ying¡¯er looked back puzzled: ¡°Mom! Didn¡¯t you teach Ying¡¯er the meaning of ¡®Equal Education for All¡¯? That it means: education shouldn¡¯t exclude anyone based on wealth, nobility, intelligence, goodness, or evil, and education should be given to all? Why don¡¯t they understand?¡±


    At this moment, only one meter away from the door, Mr. Meng in the room choked for a long time before coughing repeatedly.


    A little girl could even understand what was so difficult to ask him?


    Liu Sisi chuckled, picking up Ying¡¯er on the way: ¡°Our Ying¡¯er is so smart! Come on, let¡¯s go over there and wait for your brother to return triumphantly!¡±


    Upon reaching the pavilion on the other side, Liu Sisi put Ying¡¯er down, looked up, and saw Di Yelei hesitating to speak. She curiously asked: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have something to say?¡±


    Di Yelei sighed softly: ¡°That Mr. Meng is famously stingy. You just confronted him, and if Xuan¡¯er and Yun¡¯er don¡¯t pass the examination and have to study under him, what will we do?¡±

 Chapter 423: 423: Test

    Chapter 423: Test


    Liu Sisi pursed her lips and sneered coldly!<div>


    ¡°With such a teacher, can he teach his students well? It¡¯s the failure of a father to provide and theziness of a teacher who doesn¡¯t discipline! If that¡¯s the case, it would be better for me to teach Xuan¡¯er and Yun¡¯er myself. At least, I don¡¯t have to worry about leading them astray. It would be toote to correct it then!¡±


    She spoke these words righteously, without feeling like she was bragging at all!


    Two men walked by the small pavilion, inadvertently hearing what Liu Sisi said, and looked inside.


    Di Yelei and the other¡¯s faces still showed no improvement.


    ¡°The current problem is, Xuan¡¯er and Yun¡¯er have been inside for a long time. Will this Elder Mr. Xu let them pass?¡±


    Liu Sisi also felt secretly anxious: ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much, Xuan¡¯er is naturally intelligent, and Yun¡¯er is honest. Even a thousand-mile horse needs a knowledgeable rider. As they say, there are plenty of thousand-mile horses around, but knowledgeable riders are hard to find. Whether or not he is one, let¡¯s wait and see the results of Elder Mr. Xu¡¯s selection.¡±<div>


    The two men who had passed outside the small pavilion had already left, but they still looked back at everyone before stepping into the side door.


    On the other hand, Zhang Peng was secretly very happy. He was, in fact, the one who least supported Zhang Yun attending school. At the moment, knowing that it was very likely that he would not be able to study because of this, he could hardly hold back fromughing out loud three times.


    When he looked up, he was immediately attracted by a figure who had just stepped through the main entrance. He hurriedly tugged at Di Yelei and muttered, ¡°Hey! Yelei, look over there! Isn¡¯t that Zhang¡­ Zhang¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi turned her head and followed Zhang Peng¡¯s direction, her eyebrows immediately furrowing.


    The person entering the main entrance was none other than Zhang Shixin.


    Zhang Shixin¡¯s mood today was also quite low. He was originally sleeping soundly in Concubine Sixth¡¯s bed but was forcibly called back by the wicked Shen Qiu, escorted to enroll his eldest son, Zhang Chengping, into school. To think that his family, one of the top in Macheng County, would have to condescend to visit this birdless vige school to pay respect to an old teacher. It was a disgrace to Businessman Zhang¡¯s face!


    However, as hateful as the olddy Shen Qiu was, he dared not disobey her. So, he came here early this morning.


    When he walked into the main entrance, he casually looked up, and his eyes widened!


    It was Liu Sisi and the others!


    As it happened, Liu Sisi turned her head just then, facing each other, lightning shed and thunder rolled in an instant, and a storm arose in the center of the scene.


    On the other side, Di Xuan and Zhang Yun entered the backyard along the alley. The inside was not as mysterious as they imagined. On the contrary, it was quiet and deserted.


    After searching for a long time, Zhang Yun was particrly curious, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, do you think we took the wrong path? It¡¯s not here, right?¡±<div>


    ¡°But, the teacher pointed us this way, it can¡¯t be wrong.¡±


    ¡°What if we go inside the house and sit for a while? The wind outside is getting stronger, and it¡¯s so cold.¡± As Zhang Yun spoke, he shivered.


    ¡°No! Since the owner isn¡¯t here, we can¡¯t break into the house. If we¡¯re mistaken for thieves, wouldn¡¯t that be a disaster?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s really so cold here¡­¡±


    In just a moment, Zhang Yun couldn¡¯t bear the cold any longer.


    It¡¯s no wonder that this ce is cold because the cold wind that blows through the alley meets the wind from the backyard, creating an even colder draft. No wonder Zhang Yun couldn¡¯t bear the cold.


    ¡°Bear with it, don¡¯t move around. If the teacher sees it, he¡¯ll get angry.¡±


    As the two little guys were bickering, two men came in from behind and surveyed them, ¡°You are here to be disciples?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Di Xuan immediately pulled Zhang Yun, and the two turned around to respectfully greet the neers: ¡°Yes! We are here to be disciples of Elder Mr. Xu.¡±


    The two neers looked at each other and shook their heads with a smile: ¡°Oh? Then tell us, why do you want to be disciples of Elder Mr. Xu?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Why did they want to be disciples of Elder Mr. Xu?


    This question stumped Di Xuan. Could he say that beforeing here, he didn¡¯t even know who Elder Mr. Xu was?<div>


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking? Little guy!¡±


    The elder of the two men came forward and patted Di Xuan¡¯s head.


    Di Xuan instinctively turned his head to avoid the man¡¯s hand: ¡°My mother says that a good mirror can straighten clothes, a good history book can reveal patterns, and a good teacher can not only be a mentor but also make Xuan¡¯er¡¯s future smoother and avoid many detours.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Listen to the little guy, it¡¯s always my mother. He¡¯s not stage-frightened at all; this courage and insight are quite good.¡±


    The older man couldn¡¯t help butugh three times.


    The younger man beside him alsoughed, ¡°So, little guy, why is it always your mother? Don¡¯t you have your own ideas?¡±


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er¡¯s mother is my first teacher, so not only is she my mother, but also my first honorable teacher.¡±


    Di Xuan tilted his head, smiled confidently, and spoke eloquently: ¡°If Xuan¡¯er were to say it himself, I don¡¯t need to be sessful, I only need to be a true man who acts conscientiously!¡±


    The two men didn¡¯t expect Di Xuan¡¯s answer to be like this. They looked at each other and asked curiously, ¡°Who taught you this?¡±


    ¡°My Dad said that since I was born a man, I have my own mission. For our respective missions, we may have to do many things we don¡¯t want to do. But, as long as we hold on to our beliefs and act righteously in the face of heaven and earth, and our parents and siblings, then we are true men!¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s voice was very loud and clear, and his eyes were bright, almost dazzling the two men.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ what an interesting little guy. Well, do you know who I am?¡± The elder man asked with augh.<div>


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Di Xuan shook his head honestly.


    ¡°I am Elder Mr. Xu!¡±


    Outside, by the flower stand.


    Zhang Shixin¡¯s face was particrly terrible, and his mind was full of Old Madam Gan¡¯s warnings!


    Last time, he had encountered Liu Sisi in Gan Mansion and fell into the water, causing him to catch a cold and suffer from a high fever in the cold winter. Afterward, he couldn¡¯t stop coughing and stayed sick in bed for more than a month. He almost spent the New Year in bed.


    But after learning that his father-inw had returned, he tidied himself up and prepared to go and pay his respects, only to be scolded.


    And the reason for the scolding was, of course, because of Liu Sisi in front of him now!


    As soon as he got back home, that wicked old woman Shen Qiu further humiliated him, showing no mercy. He didn¡¯t know where to put his face.


    And the person who caused all of this, was standing right in front of him, abination of new and old grudges. How could he not be angry?

 Chapter 424: 424: Fight Every Time We Meet

    Chapter 424: Fight Every Time We Meet


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows in surprise!<div>


    She nced at the gritted and grinning Zhang Shixin, then casually looked away.


    It had been a long time since she had seen the other party bouncing in front of her, and she had almost forgotten the existence of this character.


    ¡°Ye Lei, let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll go to the alley over there and wait for Xuan¡¯er and the others toe out.¡±


    Liu Sisi said indifferently, and turned to take the two children¡¯s hands, ready to leave.


    ¡°Stop! Liu Sisi, you gossiping woman who only speaks ill of others, do you feel guilty now that the businessman is here?¡± Zhang Shixin¡¯s anger was already burning, and her actions even more provoked his nerves. His rage suddenly erupted.


    Liu Sisi stopped in her tracks and looked back at him, then chuckled: ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you are a petty person, everyone in this world is like you and likes to be petty. As for people like you, one nce is enough to dirty my eyes. Who would be interested in speaking ill of you?¡±<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t deny it, Liu Sisi, let me tell you! Don¡¯t think that by telling my wrongdoings to your father-inw, you can get away with it!¡±


    Zhang Shixin¡¯s face showed a smug expression: ¡°I heard that you thought you could get benefits by entering Madam Gan Senior¡¯s name, so you followed the carriage entering the capital for dozens of miles, but you didn¡¯t get any benefits. To say that you have no shame, Liu Sisi, you must be the first!¡±


    These words made both Liu Sisi and Di Yelei¡¯s faces ugly.


    At the beginning, they did chase the carriage, but it was to send off Gan Miaoruo and give her some gifts. However, their intention was misunderstood as asking for things. They did ride for a distance, but to say they chased for dozens of miles would mean they had left the boundary of Macheng County. That would be too exaggerated, right?


    ¡°Speaking of shamelessness, Zhang Shixin, if you were to im second ce, I¡¯m afraid no one would dare to im first.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed twice: ¡°Zhang Shixin, if you have anger in your heart, it¡¯s best to vent it on your concubines. This sacrednd of Confucius is not the ce for you to spout nonsense! It¡¯s not a ce where you can call a few thugs to fight!¡±


    As the words became more and more stiff, Di Yelei and Zhang Peng stood to the left and right of Liu Sisi, staring intently at Zhang Shixin with their fists clenched, wishing they could swing them directly.


    Zhang Shixin looked even more arrogant, his face full of contempt as he stared at the group.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°In this tiny Macheng County, there¡¯s no one that I, Zhang Shixin, want to hit who can escape! Hmph! Liu Sisi, just a short time apart, and you have two men left and right, really capable! No wonder you¡¯re like this¡­¡±


    Spit!


    Before his words were finished, a fist hadnded on his chin. Di Yelei and Zhang Peng didn¡¯t hesitate. Years of hunting had resulted in a tacit cooperation between the two, who swung their fists left and right, beating Zhang Shixin without giving him a chance to cry out in pain.


    Even the little boy Zhang Chengping, who was quietly standing beside him watching the excitement, shivered all over, and a stain of yellow quickly spread between his feet.<div>


    After a while, he managed to scream: ¡°Dad! ¡±


    This scream rmed the people who were in the house and those who were rushing to register, and they all ran towards the ce where the scream came from.


    ¡°What happened? What is happening? This school is a sacred ce, not a ce for idle people to make trouble!¡±


    Teacher Meng scolded as he walked out from the house and saw Zhang Chengping standing still in a daze.


    ¡°Who was screaming just now? Was it you? Oh¡­ oh, whose child is this? You¡¯re so old and still standing there peeing, hurry up and take him home, don¡¯t even think about dirtying our vige school!¡±


    Zhang Chengping had been pampered since childhood and had never heard such harsh words before.


    When he was frightened by Teacher Meng¡¯s words, he immediately pouted and started crying loudly.


    The crying made Teacher Meng dig in his ears and frown repeatedly.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know whose child this is, so he must belong to their family?¡±


    Di Yelei, who was standing beside them, had a look of innocence as he pointed at the ground.


    Curious, Mr. Meng took a few steps forward and saw a figure half-crouched at the edge of the flower stand. Due to the angle of his previous position, the figure against the edge of the flower stand had been blocked from his view.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? This is¡­¡± Mr. Meng hesitated to proceed.<div>


    Liu Sisi hurriedly chimed in: ¡°Ah! I know what happened! Just now, he suddenly went berserk and rushed in from the main entrance, roaring at us. Then he seemed to have fallen ill and copsed on the ground, which seems quite severe. The medical bills might cost quite a bit¡­¡±


    Upon hearing about the need for medical expenses, Mr. Meng hurriedly backed away and flicked the dust off his sleeves.


    ¡°Since he is ill, contact his family, and have him taken home immediately. Is he trying to extort money by lying on the ground in this freezing cold weather?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t his family members already crying?¡±


    Zhang Peng pointed at Zhang Chengping with resignation, who was still crying incessantly.


    Zhang Chengping was indeed terrified by the crowd and couldn¡¯t care about anything else. Turning his head away from Zhang Shixin, he sprinted out of the main entrance.


    ¡°This! This¡­ can¡¯t be taught at all!¡±


    Mr. Meng pointed at the fleeing Zhang Chengping with a pained expression, then shook his head and reentered the house.


    Di Yelei and the others secretly exchanged nces and snickered quietly.


    Liu Sisi looked down at the still unconscious Zhang Shixin, recalling his boastful promation: ¡°If I see you again, I¡¯ll beat you every time!¡±


    Well, now it hase true, right?


    It¡¯s just that the roles of the attacker and the attacked have switched ¨C they simply changed roles. Who knows what kind of face he¡¯ll have when he wakes up!<div>


    ¡°Dad! Mom! We¡¯re out!¡±


    Zhang Yun and Di Xuan came out with reluctant expressions.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, Yun¡¯er, you are out? What¡¯s the result? Did you pass the assessment?¡± Di Yelei hurriedly asked, his face full of hope.


    The two children looked at each other, and then hung their heads in silence.


    ¡°This is¡­ did you fail?¡± Liu Sisi said in surprise.


    Was there something wrong with her own tutoring? Did the children here not learn what she taught?


    Liu Sisi was unsure now.


    ¡°Father, mother, it¡¯s my fault. I let you down,¡± Di Xuan said, his face dejected, his head hung almost to his chest.


    It would be a lie to say they weren¡¯t disappointed. However, seeing the two dejected children, Liu Sisi kept her extra words to herself.


    She gently stroked Xuan¡¯er¡¯s head: ¡°This assessment doesn¡¯t matter. If you fail, fail! You are still young; there will be plenty of opportunities to try again. We¡¯ll fight again next year!¡±


    Please check out my friend¡¯s writings: ¡°The Poisonous Phoenix: Evil King¡¯s Favorite Wife,¡± ¡°A Bewitching Beauty: The Emperor¡¯s Beloved Consort,¡± ¡°Spoiled by the Emperor: A Secret Love Affair with a Fiery-tempered Little Wife,¡± and ¡°The Ultimate Wealthy Wife: The BOSS¡¯s Private Honey Trap.¡± Feel free to give them a read!<div>

 Chapter 425: 425: Making Things Difficult

    Chapter 425: Making Things Difficult


    While Di Ye Lei wallowed in sadness, Zhang Peng on the other side broke into loudughter.<div>


    ¡°Yuner, it¡¯s alright to fail this time. We¡¯ll return home, wait for the snow on the mountain to melt, then I¡¯ll take you hunting. With ourbined effort, in just a few years, you can surely be one of the best hunters around¡­¡±


    ¡°Tss, Tss, Tss¡­¡±


    Zhang Yun, standing by, suddenly burst outughing.


    Hisughter dumbfounded Zhang Peng!


    ¡°You little rabbit! What are youughing at? Are you possessed or something?¡±


    Zhang Yunughed even more joyously: ¡°Hehehe, Dad! Xuan¡¯er and I both passed the test. Elder Mr. Xu said that we coulde back to school on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month.¡±<div>


    ¡°What? You two have passed the test?¡±


    Several people expressed their astonishment simultaneously. While Di Ye Lei and Liu Sisi were excited, Zhang Peng was incredibly annoyed.


    ¡°Of course! We all passed the test!¡±


    It was just now that Di Xuan raised his head, and saw his face beaming with joy. Where was there the slightest bit of earlier sadness?


    This prank seemed to have stunned Liu Sisi and Di Ye Lei for a while, before Di Ye Lei reacted by extending his hand and giving a sharp knock on Di Xuan¡¯s head.


    ¡°What is wrong with you, boy? Who told you to deceive people like this? Don¡¯t you know that your Mom and Dad were worried sick?¡±


    Indeed, Liu Sisi was still recovering from the shock.


    Di Xuan looked at Liu Sisi, licked his lips, and then bowed before her.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have yed such a prank which worried not only you and Dad, but also everyone else.¡±


    Liu Sisi managed a feeble smile, squinted her eyes, and looked at him: ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Kids should be lively. Moreover, you¡¯ve passed the test conducted by Elder Mr. Xu. Even in Macheng County, there aren¡¯t many fortunate students like you. Let¡¯s go now! We¡¯ll submit the education gift and return home.¡±


    Her words naturally gained a consensus from everyone, and they all briskly headed towards their next destination withughter and joy.


    At this moment, the figure lying at the edge of the flower bed moved, and after a while, Zhang Shixin slowly propped himself up.<div>


    His consciousness was still hazy and hadn¡¯t fully recovered from the sudden incident. Just as he was just crawling to his feet, he fell back to the ground, unconscious.


    From his original prone posture to now lying on his back, his identity was revealed to all.


    ¡°Eh? That person looks familiar. Have I seen him somewhere?¡±


    ¡°I recognize that face, too. Judging from his clothes, he seems to be someone important.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wait! Isn¡¯t that Zhang Shixin, the prominent businessman of the town? His family is really a wealthy one. What is he doing here? Did hee to register his son? But that can¡¯t be. Families like his would typically hire private tutors for their children. There¡¯s no way they¡¯d send their child here to endure hardship.¡±


    ¡°I also think he¡¯s not supposed to be here¡­¡±


    The crowd chattered, but not a single person offered a hand to help him up.


    Zhang Chengping and his houseman rushed in from outside, only to find themselves hindered by the crowd that was pressing in from all directions.


    ¡°Make way! Make way, let us through! Old Master Businessman¡­¡±


    The houseman shouted, iling his limbs about. They picked him up and carried him straight out of the main entrance to the carriage they had ridden in this morning.


    Feeling the rocking motion, Zhang Shixin woke up in a daze, looking out through half-open eyes at the buildings fading into the distance. The clear voice still echoed in his heart.


    ¡°But he passed Elder Mr. Xu¡¯s examination,¡±<div>


    The voice was like a clear spring flowing slowly into his heart.


    Passed Elder Mr. Xu¡¯s test, huh?


    Hmph!


    Liu Sisi, I, Zhang Shixin, am not done with you!


    This time, I, Zhang Shixin, will show no mercy; it¡¯s either you or me!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After Liu Sisi and the others paid their education gift, the vige school was unlike those private schools, it specifically provided fertilend for the teachers for their daily meals and expenses.


    These fertilends are specifically allocated by the small town and are exempt from levies and corveebor.


    Every child whoes to enroll is referred to as a student. The student must pay a certain amount of money to the school teacher as tuition. The age of admission and examination for the student does not matter. As long as they pass the ¡°Institutional Examination¡± of the Prefecture City or County, they will obtain the schrly honor once they meet the pass standard. Then they can be assigned to a county or government school to continue their studies.


    Once the schrly honor is attained, they are deemed ¡°official persons,¡± who need not pay homage to officials nor pay levies.


    Truly, when one man attains the Dao, his poultry and dogs rise to Heaven!


    Since Di Xuan and Zhang Yun were admitted into Elder Mr. Xu¡¯s school, their education gift alone was double that of others!


    Fortunately, both families had some savings. Facing the five-tael education gift for each, although it was somewhat painful, they could still afford it.<div>


    After all procedures were taken care of, they were about to leave when they were stopped by Mr. Meng.


    ¡°Please wait a moment!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Liu Sisi amongst others looked at each other, then turned their heads to see.


    Mr. Meng, with a triumphant look, said: ¡°There is still some money you have not paid.¡±


    ¡°What money?¡±


    Several people asked in unison.


    Mr. Meng had a cunning smile on his face: ¡°Everyone, all students in our school wear uniforms. Two sets are required for each season. Each set costs five taels of silver. Now, because only winter uniforms are being purchased, it¡¯s ten taels per person!¡± As he spoke, he stretched out his hand towards them in a beckoning gesture.


    ¡°Two sets of winter clothes for ten taels? Why don¡¯t you just rob?¡±


    Zhang Peng immediately burst out in anger! The education gift was only five taels of silver, and here they wanted another ten taels? How could the uniform be so expensive?


    Mr. Meng withdrew his hand and immediately rolled his eyes: ¡°How can you say that? Our school has always charged this way. Can you go to school for free? That¡¯s a huge joke!¡±


    Liu Sisi wiped away her sweat secretly, no wonder people said, the whole family had to pull together to support one schr studying!


    Such expenditure was indeed unbearable for farmers who had no profit and could only struggle on their farnds!<div>


    ¡°Humph! We¡¯ll pay!¡±


    I¡¯d like to see what else you have in store for us to spend money on!


    After paying another ten taels of silver, Liu Sisi and the others finally sighed in relief.


    Di Yelei was obviously running out of patience too: ¡°Mr. Teacher, is there anything else we need to prepare?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Don¡¯t forget, when school starts, prepare a set of the ¡®four treasures of the study¡¯ for the child, understand?¡±

 Chapter 426: 426: Joyous Event

    Chapter 426: Joyous Event


    This really wasn¡¯t a problem for Liu Sisi!<div>


    There were plenty ofplete sets of the four treasures of the study in the bookstore, so how could they becking just one or two sets?


    She nced deeply at Mr. Meng, and the group finally took their leave.


    Watching the departing backs of the people, Mr. Meng finally put down the brush in his hand and ran over quickly to close the room door, taking out the silver money and carefully counting it.


    ¡°Hehehe¡­ Country bumpkin is really country bumpkin! For bundling education gifts, only two taels of the five taels need to be handed in, and only two and a half taels for a set of clothes worth five taels. Adding up the two, they just made a profit of eleven taels of silver! Hehe, haha¡­ It stilles faster with silver! I can buy a pot of wine and have a good time tonight¡­¡±


    He flicked the abacus in his hand, the beads making a pattering sound, as he raised his eyebrows triumphantly.


    Of course, Liu Sisi and the others who had already left were unaware of all this.<div>


    Liu Sisi got into the carriage, Di Xuan also climbed onto Di Yelei¡¯s back, and sat on the back of the jujube red horse. On the other side, Zhang Yun also climbed onto Zhang Peng¡¯s back.


    The group slowly proceeded toward the three-way intersection.


    Liu Sisi, after some thought, lifted the carriage curtain: ¡°Brother Zhang, why not simplye with me and take a trip to the bookstore. Take a look at which kind of four treasures of the study Yun¡¯er likes, carefully choose a set, and consider it a gift from Ye Lei and me to congratte him on passing the test of Elder Mr. Xu and bing a disciple under Elder Mr. Xu¡¯s guidance!¡±


    ¡°How can this be? A set of four treasures of the study is indeed not cheap, this is too valuable!¡±


    Zhang Peng repeatedly declined and refused to ept.


    At the side, Di Yelei became angry, intercepting Zhang Peng aside: ¡°Zhang Peng, don¡¯t decline any more. This gift is given to your son Zhang Yun, not to you, and you have nothing to do with it, so you don¡¯t need to speak.¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­ Ah! Alright! Yun¡¯er really did achieve something today, and has actually be a disciple of Elder Mr. Xu.¡±


    Zhang Peng, also extremely happy, loudly shared what he had learned: ¡°Previously, I had heard some things. Elder Mr. Xu has been teaching for more than 20 years, and has taught a total of 186 students. Among them, 152 passed the Cultivated Talent exam, 62 became Rmended men, and 8 even became Imperial Schrs. Such a high proportion of passing the exams is the real ability of him. As a result, every year at the beginning of the year, countless aspiring studentse to pay their respects to him. And Elder Mr. Xu generally only choses a few people each year, and there are even times when no one is selected for several years in a row.¡±


    The endless words of Zhang Peng made everyone marvel, ¡°To have such a high proportion of passing the exam for fame, no wonder everyone is scrambling to get ahead.¡±


    ¡°In fact, I still can¡¯t believe that the two children were able to pass the test, even now it¡¯s still foggy and I don¡¯t dare to believe that this is true.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I can¡¯t believe it either, it¡¯s not just you, sister-inw,¡± Zhang Peng replied, holding the reins and curiously asking Zhang Yun behind him, ¡°What test did Elder Mr. Xu give you two today?¡±


    Di Xuan shook his head in confusion: ¡°He didn¡¯t give us a test. At that time, we entered the alley, and there was no one in sight. Who knew that while we were discussing, two men came¡­¡±<div>


    Di Xuan naturally recounted the events, with Zhang Yun asionally supplementing on the side.


    As Liu Sisi had said, when they arrived at the bookstore, she naturally let Zhang Yun choose a set of the four treasures of the study. Zhang Yun finally set his eyes on a set after much picking and choosing.


    Liu Sisi picked it up and saw that although the price was slightly more expensive than the ordinary ones, it was still a waste considering that no baby would be using it in the next few years.


    Without further ado, Liu Sisi went to fetch a considerable amount of paper and handed it to him.


    ¡°Come! Take a look at these, this is a gift I prepared for you early in the morning. Now it¡¯s just right for you. See if you like it or not?¡±


    Liu Sisi gave a mysterious smile, handing over the four treasures of the study to him, and said nothing more about the matter.


    She went into the inner room and brought out another set of items, handing them to Zhang Yun.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Zhang Yun asked as he curiously unwrapped the gift.


    ¡°It¡¯s a drawing board and rice paper!¡± An excited Di Xuan said nearby. ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted to learn painting, haven¡¯t you, Zhang Yun? Now you can!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I really like this gift. Thank you, Third Aunt.¡±


    Zhang Yun was thrilled, holding the drawing board fondly.N?v(el)B\\jnn<div>


    ¡°By the way, Xuan¡¯er and Yun¡¯er. Traditionally, after joining the vige school, you two should choose a course in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting to learn. Which musical instrument do you n to learn?¡± Di Yelei, who had more knowledge, asked.


    ¡°I want to learn the qin.¡± Zhang Yun chimed in first.


    Di Xuan thought for a long time but still seemed uncertain. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know yet. Let¡¯s wait and see.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Xuan¡¯er, it¡¯s good to be cautious. This is rted to personal preferences.¡± Zhang Peng naturally praised them both.


    Liu Sisi was also smiling, packing up two sets of all the items the children would need and bringing them home.


    Besides themselves, the bookstore was full of parents and childrening to select the four treasures of the study.


    The best-selling ones were the more affordable ones.


    This made Liu Sisi sigh; it seemed that the four treasures of the study had always been costly for ordinary farmers¡¯ families!


    When their packing was finished and they were about to head home, Liu Sisi checked the time. It was gettingte, so it would be better to visit the county tomorrow!


    However, the sounds of excitement from outside streets poured in, making the atmosphere lively and bustling.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s so lively outside. Shall we go and take a look?¡±


    YingEr¡¯s sharp ears had already heard the excitement outside.<div>


    ¡°Outside, they are performing dragon-lion dances and stilt-walking. They started yesterday. When they reached our shop, I gave them 100 copper coins, but they still wouldn¡¯t leave. In the end, I had to give another 100 coins before they moved on.¡±


    ¡°Oh? How many people are performing the lion dance?¡± Liu Sisi asked curiously, looking toward the door.


    ¡°There are six lion dancers and countless stilt walkers. Cheng¡¯er didn¡¯t know what to do, so he had to use money to get rid of them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good then. Everyone is praying for a good harvest in theing year. It¡¯s just some money, and it can bring about a festive and fruitful year, so why not?¡± Liu Sisi was happy too.


    Di Cheng was also happy: ¡°That¡¯s what Cheng¡¯er thought too, so he didn¡¯t skimp on the reward money. By the way, Third Aunt¡­ ¡±


    Di Cheng¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly, hesitating a few times before speaking.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Just tell me, don¡¯t be so hesitant. Could it be that you want to find a wife? You¡¯re so shy.¡± Liu Sisi teased him.


    Di Cheng¡¯s whole face flushed, awkwardly scratching his head. ¡°Third Aunt, you really guessed right. It¡¯s about finding a wife.¡±

 Chapter 427: Marrying a Wife Should Be Marrying a Virtuous Woman

    Chapter 427: Marrying a Wife Should Be Marrying a Virtuous Woman


    ¡°YingEr, don¡¯t fuss! Let¡¯s listen to what your cousin has to say first.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Liu Sisi quickly pulled back YingEr who was trying to drag herself out.


    ¡°Di Cheng, which girl is it? There¡¯s no need to be so shy in front of Third Auntie,e on, just say it! So I can give you some advice!¡±


    ¡°Wow, Di Cheng, you¡¯re not bad! We¡¯ve been living and eating together every day and I didn¡¯t even know about this. Which girl is it? Hurry up and tell! Let me tell you, when marrying a wife, choose a virtuous one. Don¡¯t make the same mistake I did, I¡­ ¡±


    From the side, Shou Hou, who had been busy, squeezed over and climbed onto Di Cheng¡¯s shoulder with a face full of experienced advice.


    His bitter gourd-like face made everyone present want tough but held it back, as they were worried about hurting his feelings. Holding back theirughter was quite hard.


    ¡°Shou Hou, to be honest, Cuihua isn¡¯t that bad to you. Don¡¯t take your blessings for granted!¡±


    Afterughing for a while, Liu Sisi finally held back herughter and said seriously.


    ¡°What blessings! Not only is she strong, but she also brings a string of troubles everywhere she goes. I¡¯m already so tired just cleaning up her messes¡­ ¡± Shou Hou said with a dejected face.


    ¡°Although she¡¯s strong, doesn¡¯t it perfectly make up for your weakness? As for her ability to cause trouble¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled and said, ¡°When has she ever let you get hurt? Hasn¡¯t she always protected you and stood in front of you? It¡¯s true that she has arger figure, but that¡¯s what her parents gave her. She¡¯s never wronged you. You mustn¡¯t get stuck in a dead end and not be able to climb out.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words left Shou Hou speechless, and he froze on the spot.


    After a while, he sighed softly and rubbed his face: ¡°Each family has its own problems that you would not understand.¡± After saying that, he walked away with a despondent expression.


    Di Cheng looked at his retreating figure with an expression of pity.


    ¡°Just a few days ago, when work started¡­ Cuihua came to ask for money again¡­¡±


    Di Cheng wanted to say more but stopped.


    Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow in surprise, nced at Shou Hou who was pretending to be busy on the other side, and was left speechless too.


    ¡°So, which girl is it, and has your mother gone to propose marriage yet?¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She brought the conversation back.


    Di Cheng shook his head gently: ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Feng Qian¡¯er, the second daughter of the cksmith next door¡­ Her father has already said that if you want to propose marriage, you have to give 100 taels of silver, and also have property in the town or county. So¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow! Such high demands? Is Feng Qian¡¯er that beautiful?¡±


    Liu Sisi was also taken aback by this demand!


    To know that in this day and age, families willing to spend 100 taels of silver on a marriage proposal were basically wealthy! For ordinary farmers¡¯ families toe up with 100 taels of silver, selling their entire property wouldn¡¯t even be enough!


    Di Cheng¡¯s face grew even more embarrassed: ¡°Qian¡¯er is alright¡­ it¡¯s just that her father is really hard to deal with. So¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°Telling me about this doesn¡¯t do much good! Your parents are in good health and your grandparents are still alive. As your Third Aunt, it¡¯s not my ce to interfere. It would be overstepping. How about this: youmunicate with your mother first and see what she says before discussing anything else?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s even more impossible. Third Aunt, you also know the situation of our family.¡±


    Di Cheng¡¯s face turned from flushed to a bitter smile, ¡°Before the new year, it was good that you reminded me, so I hid that portion of the silver elsewhere. On New Year¡¯s Eve, when I arrived home, my mother searched me and even went through the quilt corner¡­¡±


    This was indeed something Ms. Wang was capable of!


    Seeing Di Cheng¡¯s heartbroken expression, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t bear it and came up with an idea.


    ¡°Even if it can¡¯t be said, it must be said. However, don¡¯t just approach her directly, choose a good day to do it, at least when your mother is too superstitious to make a scene. That way, even if she disagrees, Third Aunt and Third Uncle can help you¡­¡±


    After speaking, she taught him some more details thoroughly, and then led Da Mao and YingEr out of the bookstore.


    The small town was getting more and more prosperous recently. The sounds of gongs and drums outside were urging everyone on. Seeing Di Yelei and the others who had already loaded their required items onto the carriage waiting at the door, they called out with a smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s walk around the avenue before we go back!¡±


    Although they frequently went in and out of the small town, the family rarely went shopping recently, making this walk in the avenue a novel experience for everyone.


    In the middle of the avenue, people dressed in colorful makeup, wearing ghost masks, and walking on stilts passed by. Apanied by loud noises and gongs and drums, the team dancing the lion dance went from the beginning to the end of the street and then turned around from the other side of the street.


    Along the way, fortune children with red rouge on their cheeks were particrly amusing, asking for reward money.


    The group all watched happily, and when they saw the fortune children carrying trays, they took out scattered copper coins from their arms, ready to reward them.


    ¡°Mom! Let me give to the fortune children. Let me reward them!¡±


    YingEr tugged at Liu Sisi¡¯s sleeve, shaking it incessantly.


    Da Mao followed suit, shaking Liu Sisi¡¯s sleeve as well.


    ¡°Okay! You guys give. Come! Each of you give half¡ª¡±


    As she spoke, she handed out half of the money in her hand to each of them.


    On the side, Zhang Yun and Di Xuan were also beaming, cing the copper coins in their hands into the tray, making a rattling sound.


    The two children had sessfully passed Elder Mr. Xu¡¯s assessment today and were very happy. The action of giving reward money was exceptionally generous and carefree!


    After the fortune children thanked them, they continued on and walked in front of Liu Sisi. YingEr and Da Mao had already prepared the copper coins, eagerly throwing them onto the copper tray,ughing heartily.


    Da Mao especially, perhaps because of eating well and sleeping well recently, had not only be much stronger but also had a much rounder and rosy cheek, no longer showing signs of malnutrition and shrinking.


    Since Liu Zhi¡¯er left, Liu Sisi had moved him to sleep beside her at night. The child was indeed likable, always curling up into a ball and sleeping quietly in the innermost part of the bed, without turning over all night.


    At the moment, he and YingEr stood together, silentlyughing until their eyes were only two slits.


    He still couldn¡¯t change the habit of not liking to talk.


    Once the fortune children and the lion dance crowd had passed by, the group came in front of a sugar cake shop just as they were buying snacks for the children. Liu Sisi curiously looked at Zhang Yun as he took in his whole appearance and subsequently asked.


    ¡°By the way, Xuan¡¯er had a trace to follow for the test, but what about you, Yun Er? What did Elder Mr. Xu test you on?¡±

 Chapter 428: Visitors from Mom’s Home

    Chapter 428: Visitors from Mom¡¯s Home


    At the moment, Zhang Yun was ying with YingEr, holding two candies. Hearing Liu Sisi¡¯s question, a look of embarrassment at being caught shed across his face.


    He quickly handed the candies to YingEr before turning back to look at Di Xuan and then shaking his head with a face of confusion, ¡°Actually, I was very curious too. At the time, when Xuan¡¯er passed the test, the old gentleman asked my name and asked why I participated in the test. After thinking, I just answered truthfully.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Liu Sisi asked curiously.


    As Zhang Yun spoke, several people gathered around to listen to his answer.


    Zhang Yun looked at Di Xuan with some embarrassment, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything, I just said that because Xuan¡¯er participated, I participated. I want to protect Xuan¡¯er and never let him suffer!¡±


    ¡°Just like that? And he let you pass?¡±


    Liu Sisi was a bit incredulous.


    ¡°No! He then came closer and felt the muscles on my arms. He must have thought that my muscles were a lot, so he nodded his head and then let me pass!¡±


    It was clear that Zhang Yun was very happy.


    ¡°Why did he feel your muscles? Was it to feel your bones?¡±


    On the contrary, Di Ye Lei raised another idea. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Peng also scratched his head, ¡°This¡­ Shouldn¡¯t it? Going to vige school and feeling bones? This is the first time I¡¯ve heard someone say that.¡±


    Di Ye Lei was also a bit hesitant, ¡°I used to hear about it when I went out to do odd jobs for others. Some people can judge a person¡¯s honor and fortune by feeling their bones, as well as their future fortune. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true?¡±


    ¡°So you mean¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi swallowed her saliva, ¡°Elder Mr. Xu can judge a person¡¯s fortune and choose students by feeling their bones? That can¡¯t be right?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ I don¡¯t know, after all, no one knows the purpose of his actions!¡± Di Ye Lei hesitated as he spoke.


    Everyone stared at each other, unable to figure it out, they could only let it be.


    The next day, as Di Ye Lei was busy making thest smallntern, there was a barking sound at the entrance.


    ¡°Old Cheng, Old Cheng!¡±


    Di Ye Lei yelled twice, but didn¡¯t hear Old Cheng¡¯s reply. So he got up to open the door himself.


    Liu Sisi, who had just finished coaxing Da Mao to take a nap, also poked her head out from the room, ¡°I asked Old Cheng to send some preserved tofu to Land Officer¡¯s home, he should not be back yet. Who¡¯s here?¡±


    This preserved tofu was made from the leftover tofu from before the year. Liu Sisi had squeezed it out in her spare time.


    At that time, since there were two families to eat, Liu Sisi made so much tofu. Because there were no containers, she wrapped them in filter cloth and put them in one corner of therge water tank. After eating all kinds of meat for the year, there was still a lot of tofu left. Two days ago, when they opened the bottom ones, they found mold on the top. Seeing that there were so many moldy tofu left, it was a pity to throw them away, so Liu Sisi had a bright idea and decided to make preserved tofu.


    That¡¯s why she was busy this morning and happened to be seen by Land Officer¡¯s wife who was visiting. Smelling the fragrant seasonings, the woman couldn¡¯t help but drool, and Liu Sisi offered to give her a jar.


    So after sealing all the preserved tofu, she left a small jar and asked Old Cheng to send it to Land Officer¡¯s wife.


    As Liu Sisi asked, she looked towards the entrance to see who hade.


    As the courtyard door was opened by Di Yelei, an unexpected figure appeared.


    The visitor looked embarrassed, nced up at Di Yelei, and then at Liu Sisi, standing still and dumbfounded.


    ¡°It turns out that Lady Mother-inw is visiting. Pleasee in quickly!¡±


    Di Yelei was the first toe to his senses, hurriedly inviting Ms. Yao inside.


    Ms. Yao¡¯s head hung low, and after barely raising her eyes to look at Liu Sisi, she lowered her head again: ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    While talking, she subconsciously hid the threenterns she was holding behind her, onerge and two small.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze darkened slightly: ¡°Mom, did youe here alone? Oh my! Look at all the snow on you! Hurry! Come inside and rest, it¡¯s so cold outside!¡± Liu Sisi went forward and helped Ms. Yao into the house.


    Ms. Yao was shivering from the cold. With Liu Sisi¡¯s help, she cleaned the umted snow off herself and finally entered the house.


    Elderly Mr. Di also heard the noise at the entrance and came out with his crutch to greet Ms. Yao.


    After the greetings, Liu Sisi quickly helped Ms. Yao to sit down by the bonfire.


    She also helped her remove the outer straw coat and bamboo hat. Seeing that Ms. Yao¡¯s shoes were soaked, Liu Sisi hurriedly went back into the house and brought her own cotton shoes for Ms. Yao to change into.


    ¡°Mom, take off your wet shoes first. Cold feet can make your whole body freeze!¡±


    As she spoke, she bent down to put down the shoes, but Ms. Yao took the opportunity to help her up.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll be going back in a while. Your father is still waiting for me to cook at home.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®going back¡¯? On this cold day, you rarelye here. You should stay and rest for a few days before going back. Isn¡¯t your oldest daughter-inw at home? What are you worried about? Quickly, take off your wet shoes.¡±


    Liu Sisi became a little angry and tried to pull off Ms. Yao¡¯s shoes.


    Ms. Yao quickly reached out and grabbed Liu Sisi¡¯s hand. Her icy cold hand made Liu Sisi shiver involuntarily, but she couldn¡¯t break free. It¡¯s hard to believe, Ms. Yao looked petite, but her grip was exceptionally strong!


    ¡°Sisi! What about your older brother¡­ if I don¡¯t go back tonight¡­¡±


    Ms. Yao¡¯s words stopped abruptly.


    Mentioning Liu Baihan made Liu Sisi furious!


    ¡°Mom! How can you still spoil him? Look at what he¡¯s done!¡±


    Liu Sisi angrily recounted what Liu Baihan had done that day: ¡°If he hadn¡¯t sent antern, Sisi wouldn¡¯t have been angry. But what he sent was a stick with a noisy half-piece of red paper. How can that be called antern? All he ever talks about is money, and even his two young nephews have learned how to scam money by pretending to be dead. It¡¯s outrageous!¡±


    ¡°What? Is it really as you say?¡±


    Ms. Yao was surprised: ¡°But your brother said¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t know what my brother said. But the whole vige was watching at the time. In the end, the fellow vigers threw my elder brother out of Upper Vige. Mom, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask any viger about that day¡¯s events, and you¡¯ll know the truth.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good either.


    ¡°Is it really like that? I¡­ I¡¯ll ask about it in detail when I go back, and I won¡¯t let you be wronged.¡±

 Chapter 429: 429: Sisi Gets Beaten

    Chapter 429: Sisi Gets Beaten


    Even though Liu Sisi tried her best to keep herpany, Ms. Yao only stayed for a short while before getting up to say goodbye.<div>


    She handed over the threenterns, onerge and two small, to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Your father made thesenterns overnight, and I hurried to give them to you¡­ Your brother, he¡­ He doesn¡¯t know how to do things in moderation, and as his younger sister, you shouldn¡¯t be too upset with him¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom! What are you talking about?¡±


    Without waiting for Ms. Yao to finish, Liu Sisi stood up angrily!


    ¡°Mom! If someone else were to say these things, I, Liu Sisi, would let them go, but I cannot ept iting from you! In this world, is there any big brother like him who sells his sisters to curry favor? He sold Eldest Sister to get himself a wife, Second Sister to have a son, and me to indulge his own pleasures. In his eyes, is there any family affection left to talk about?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s furious usations left Ms. Yao at a loss for how to respond.<div>


    Tears streamed down her face as she quickly turned away, secretly wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. Her voice was filled with sorrow, ¡°Si Er, even if siblings break their bones, they¡¯re still connected by their tendons. No matter what, you and your big brother are still siblings¡­ Even if he¡¯s not a good brother, he¡¯s still your big brother! Besides, aren¡¯t your days now getting better and better? All of this is credited to your big brother¡­¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°What credit does my big brother get? If ruining me can be considered a merit, then his merit is truly great!¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t hold back her anger, as her tears blurred her vision.


    Thinking of how she was wronged and died at the hands of her elder brother, and how this so-called mother knew nothing, how sad! How pitiful! Howmentable!


    ¡°By indulging him like this, do you think you¡¯re spoiling him? You¡¯re wrong! What you¡¯re doing is harming him, do you understand? Do you know what it means to spoil someone to death? What you¡¯re doing now is spoiling him to death! Spoiling him to the point he¡¯swless, indulging him so much that he even climbs onto your heads to defecate, his excessive pampering has turned him into¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop talking! You stop talking! I told you not to talk¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Ms. Yao let out a sharp cry, raised her head, and with a ¡°smack!¡± pped Liu Sisi across the face!


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to speak of him like that!¡± Ms. Yao yelled at her!


    Although the p wasn¡¯t heavy, it still stung her cheeks!


    For a moment, she waspletely stunned.


    She covered her face, her eyes wide with disbelief!


    It took her a long time toprehend that she, she actually¡­ pped her!<div>


    Ms. Yao also slowly regained her senses, overwhelmed by what had just happened!


    She raised her hand, looking at the one that had struck the p, and slowly withdrew it, gripping it with her other hand, trembling all over.


    For quite a while, her pale lips quivered, unable to offer any exnation.


    ¡°Si Er, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t speak, her eyes wide with disbelief and surprise!


    This was the first time in her memory that she had been pped, and yet the person who pped her was her own mother, and for such a ridiculous reason!


    As she thought about this, she couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, which gradually grew louder and louder.


    However, the grief in herughter, inexplicably, made those who heard it feel heartache and dryness in their eyes.


    ¡°What happened? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    At the doorway of the kitchen, Di Yelei¡¯s tall and robust figure appeared. In two strides, he came to Liu Sisi¡¯s side, partially shielding her with his body.


    Di Yelei carefully hugged Liu Sisi, anxiously reaching out to see her covered cheek, constantly coaxing her.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t cry, be good! What¡­what happened to you?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi shook her head and pushed him away!


    She suddenly uncovered her face with her right hand and couldn¡¯t help but scream angrily at Ms. Yao.


    ¡°Since you protect him like this, why do you bothering here? Why didn¡¯t you just strangle me when I was born? Why raise me just to sell me off? I¡¯m just your sold daughter, we have nothing to do with each other long ago! My life or death, as Liu Sisi, has nothing to do with you! Just go dote on your precious son, and see how he treats you in the future! I, Liu Sisi, am waiting, waiting for the day you¡¯ll have nowhere to stand!¡±


    Ms. Yao¡¯s body trembled nonstop, but she barely managed not to cry: ¡°Si Er, I¡­I didn¡¯t mean to hit you, I was just too emotional just now. You shouldn¡¯t have said that about your brother¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no Si Er here, only the orphan Liu Sisi without parents. Madam, you¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else!¡± Liu Sisi snorted coldly.


    As she spoke, Liu Sisi strode forward, directly lifting the door curtain and turning her head to the side.


    ¡°Leave! Go far away! Since the moment I, Liu Sisi, was sold, I have been an orphan without parents! Don¡¯t im rtions with me!¡±


    Ms. Yao¡¯s body shuddered again, searching herself awkwardly.


    Seeming to find something, she ended up empty-handed, unable to find anything.


    Elderly Mr. Di and a few children appeared one after another at the kitchen doorway, peeking in at themotion inside.


    Di Yelei stood where he was, his tall figure giving an intense oppressive feeling, making it hard for others to breathe. His sharp gaze didn¡¯t blink, staring intently at Ms. Yao


    Ms. Yao, in the end, didn¡¯t say anything. She silently lowered her body and picked up the straw coat from the corner of the room, putting it on before donning a bamboo hat and finally, step by step, walked towards the doorway.<div>


    Passing by Liu Sisi, she paused for a moment and whispered,


    ¡°Si Er! Believe in your mother, I never thought it would turn out like this, I didn¡¯t mean to hit you on purpose¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a mother! My mother is long dead!¡±


    Liu Sisi turned around coldly, looking away and stating the facts.


    The originally weak blood ties seemed to vanish with her p.


    Ms. Yao whimpered softly, covering her mouth and crying as she left the kitchen. She couldn¡¯t bear staying in this ce any longer!


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    She heard Liu Sisi¡¯s cold-hearted call from behind her.


    Ms. Yao turned her head in surprise: ¡°Si Er, have you¡­forgiven me?¡±


    ¡°Haha! Mrs. Liu, you are too serious! I don¡¯t deserve such forgiveness! I just wanted to remind you, Mrs. Liu, not to forget to take what you brought here with you! Although my house is poor, we are not so poor that we cannot afford a fewnterns!¡±


    The joy on Ms. Yao¡¯s face quickly faded, and in the end, she was too ashamed to show her face.


    ¡°No need, if you¡­ if you don¡¯t like it, just throw it away!¡± After saying this, she turned around and tried to leave.<div>


    ¡°Wait! Mrs. Liu, even charity has to be given when the recipient wants it, right? Madam, here are thenterns, please take them back the way you brought them!¡±


    After saying this, Liu Sisi ignored Ms. Yao¡¯s refusal, forcefully shoving the threenterns back to her.

 Chapter 430: 430: Revealing the Pregnancy

    Chapter 430: Revealing the Pregnancy


    Unable to go against Liu Sisi¡¯s strong stance, Ms. Yao left with thentern, looking back three steps at a time.<div>


    As soon as Ms. Yao left, Liu Sisi¡¯s entire body seemed to have its backbone removed, and she could no longer stand firmly, her body copsing.


    Frightened, Di Yelei hurriedly and chaotically held her up: ¡°Sisi, Sisi, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Mom! Mom, what¡¯s wrong? Mom¡­¡±


    Little Ying from the side also cried and stepped forward, shaking Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    Liu Sisi had a hard time catching her breath, her face extraordinarily pale. She stretched out her hand and held Di Yelei¡¯s hand, whispering.


    ¡°Tell me¡­ why does my own mother still¡­ show such favoritism?¡±<div>


    Di Yelei¡¯s expression darkened, tightly holding Liu Sisi¡¯s hand. Although her words were only half-spoken, he understood the meaning behind them.


    She was talking about the conflict between him and Ms. Zhao. Ms. Zhao was, after all, a stepmother, which could be exined. But on her side, it was her own biological mother!


    ¡°Sisi, do you remember what you told me? You said that the fate between people is certain, and gaining and losing have always been equal. You lost that home but gained our current one. You lost those rtives, but gained the sincere treatment of me and the two children. You are not at a loss!¡±


    ¡°Yes! I am not at a loss, haha¡­¡±


    Liu Sisiughed, but whileughing, she began to cry again.


    Di Yelei did not know how tofort her, so he held her tightly in his arms, lightly patting her back, and silently apanied her.


    Elderly Mr. Di led the children away in silence and gave the couple some alone time.


    Wiping away her tears, and looking back frequently, Little Ying asked Di Xuan puzzledly, ¡°Brother, what do you think why does grandmother want to hit mom? It was clearly uncle¡¯s fault, so why did she hit mom?¡±


    Di Xuan was silent for a long time, ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    That night, while Liu Sisi was asleep, Di Yelei made manynterns overnight ¨C baby rabbits, small fish, puppies, kittens, lotuses, Guanyin¡­ various kinds ofnterns filled a table.


    When she woke up in the morning, Liu Sisi silently picked up thesenterns one by one, examining them carefully.


    Finally, she picked up a carp-leaping-over-dragon-gatentern and did not let go for a long time.<div>


    Ms. Yao yesterday also had an identicalntern¡­


    She sighed, perhaps she ultimately had no fate with parents? Her previous life¡¯s parents left early, and this life became like this. Once she let it go, her heart would not hurt anymore!


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re up! YingEr got up earlier than you today, even Cousin got up to eat.¡±


    Little Ying ran over, bouncing and jumping happily, and pounced into her arms.


    Liu Sisi cheered up, hurriedly hugged her, ¡°What about you? Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°No, mom, YingEr is waiting for you to get up and eat together.¡± YingEr hung on her arm and rubbed against Liu Sisi as they walked toward the kitchen.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In the kitchen, Di Yelei was not there. Only Elderly Mr. Di was sitting by the bonfire adding charcoal. Meanwhile, Old Cheng was on the side, digging into the fire pit, pulling roasted sweet potatoes out of it. Despite the hot and dirty conditions, he directly put them into his pocket, quickly umting several.


    ¡°Old Cheng, is there not enough food? If it¡¯s not enough, just let us know, and next time, we¡¯ll cook more.¡±


    Liu Sisi picked up the bowl and began to scoop rice, casually speaking as she did so.


    ¡°Madam, rest assured, there is plenty of food. I¡¯m already used to it. These yam eggs are delicious and filling. Whenever I¡¯m hungry, I just eat a couple, and they keep me warm. Hehehe!¡±


    Old Cheng continued to work non-stop, picking up two more sweet potatoes and putting them in his pocket as he spoke.


    Liu Sisi helplessly shook her head, not saying anything more.<div>


    ¡°Madam, if you don¡¯t need anything else, I¡¯ll be off to do some work.¡±


    Old Cheng pointed outside.


    ¡°Alright, you go do your work.¡± Liu Sisi naturally didn¡¯t keep him.


    It must be said that since Old Cheng entered the Di Family, he had taken care of feeding the chickens and rabbits in the courtyard. He seemed to particrly love horses, not only taking care of the carriage horse but also caring for Di Yelei¡¯s jujube red horse. He spent more time in the stable than in the house.


    As Liu Sisi ate her meal, Elderly Mr. Di next to her took out his pipe, intending to light it. However, seeming to remember something, he put the tobo leaves back and just held the empty pipe in his mouth.


    ¡°Many families value sons and belittle daughters. Third Child¡¯s daughter-inw, don¡¯t be upset about it.¡±


    Liu Sisi paused in the middle of picking up food, realizing that Dad was trying tofort her.


    She forced a smile and continued to eat silently.


    When they were done eating, Little Ying leaned over and said, ¡°Mom, Dad took Brother out for a walk.¡± As she spoke, she pouted.


    ¡°Your brother is going to school soon, so it¡¯s normal for your dad to take him out for a walk. Be good! Let¡¯s go, today I¡¯ll take you to Sister Guihua¡¯s house!¡± Liu Sisi patted her head.


    In the meantime, she looked back at Elderly Mr. Di, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m taking YingEr to Guihua¡¯s house. If wee backte, please eat lunch first.¡±


    The weather was cold, but the bonfire kept burning, and with the stewed meat and cooked rice, they wouldn¡¯t go hungry.<div>


    Seeing Elderly Mr. Di nod, Liu Sisi led YingEr out the door.


    The snow seemed to have stopped today, and although it had been snowing for many days, the umted snow was not as thick as the previous heavy snow.


    Mother and daughter each held a wooden stick and walked slowly towards Guihua¡¯s house. When they arrived, Guihua was busy pounding rice at home.


    Upon seeing them, her face lit up with surprise, ¡°It¡¯s Sisi! Oh dear, the road outside is slippery. How could you still wander around alone in your condition? What if something happened?¡±


    From surprise to concern, Guihua hurriedly came over to help her sit down.


    ¡°Sister Guihua, I¡¯ve been to your house so many times, and you¡¯re worried about this little distance?¡± Liu Sisi found it funny.


    Guihua replied seriously, ¡°It¡¯s not the same. Can youpare your previous body to now? Oh! By the way, how many months pregnant are you? You seem to be showing already, and your body is getting rounder.¡±


    As she spoke, Guihua deliberately examined her belly and waist closely.


    ¡°You really think my body has gotten rounder? Not like a water bucket waist, right? Is it true?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face turned into a crying one, imagining a plump pregnant woman in front of her, and suddenly felt that pregnancy wasn¡¯t so wonderful.


    ¡°Of course! You can really tell you have a belly now. Before, your waist was so thin it seemed like it would snap if you pinched it, but now look, it¡¯s rounder, and your face has some meat on it too, which makes you look even prettier!¡±


    Guihua sincerely praised, ¡°Judging by your belly, you should be more than four months along, right? Since this is your first child, you shouldn¡¯t be showing so quickly if you were a few months along.¡±<div>

 Chapter 431: 431: Mysterious Matter

    Chapter 431: 431: Mysterious Matter<div>


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re just looking like that, can you tell how many months it¡¯s been?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked thoroughly surprised.


    Guihua also appeared somewhat unsure: ¡°Even though I can¡¯t, your Brother Zhang surely can.¡± While saying this, she promptly called for Zhang Peng.


    Zhang Peng was obviously splitting firewood in the backyard, his head speckled with wood chips. He looked up to see Liu Sisi and her mother, and immediately called out to them.


    ¡°Oh! Is my sister-inw here?¡±


    As he spoke, he casually washed his hands: ¡°The ground is icy outside, be careful when youe and go. It¡¯s best to walk slowly and steadily.¡±<div>


    ¡°Alright, stop nagging!¡±


    Guihua rolled her eyes at him, and quickly pointed at Liu Sisi¡¯s stomach: ¡°Zhang Peng, take a look at Sisi¡¯s belly, isn¡¯t it more than four months? She¡¯s clearly showing now.¡±


    ¡°This is easy to determine, let me feel your pulse, it will tell me everything I need to know.¡±


    Zhang Peng casually swept his nce across, picked up a towel and carefully dried his hands, only then did he sit down on a chair.


    He covered her wrist with the towel and felt her pulse carefully.


    A momentter, he let go: ¡°Sister-inw, this fetus has settled now. However, even so, you should rest more and move less. You must be cared for thoroughly. There was this case of Ms. Qiao¡­.¡±


    Zhang Peng cut himself off halfway through the sentence.


    Guihua¡¯s face changed abruptly, she rushed forward and twisted Zhang Peng¡¯s arm hard. Zhang Peng cried out in pain.


    She hastily changed the topic: ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t mind what your Brother Zhang said, he never thinks before he speaks, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sister Guihua, I know Brother Zhang is concerned for me.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Liu Sisiughed: ¡°By the way, Brother Zhang, how many months pregnant am I now? What should I pay attention to recently?¡±


    Zhang Peng was a bit embarrassed for speaking out of turn, but when Liu Sisi asked he quickly smiled: ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s been more than four months. You don¡¯t need to worry too much, during thest check-up, your pulse was weak, but as I felt your pulse this time, this fetus is exceptionally robust, be at ease.¡±<div>


    In Liu Sisi¡¯s mind, the feeling of the warm current entering her lower abdomen in her dream resurfaced. Could this be the reason why this fetus was so¡­


    ¡°Oh my! It¡¯s really good that there¡¯s nothing wrong now! This crow-mouthed Brother Zhang is always saying that your body is too weak, afraid that something might happen. My heart was always fluctuating with worry. Now that you¡¯re over this hurdle, I can finally stop worrying.¡± Guihua patted her chest repeatedly.


    Liu Sisi finally realized: ¡°So you knew about this long ago, Sister Guihua? You¡­ didn¡¯t even tell me!¡±


    Guihua chuckled a little awkwardly: ¡°Sisi, it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to tell you, it¡¯s just that telling you earlier would have just made you more anxious and that wouldn¡¯t be good for your baby. It¡¯s better to let nature take its course. Don¡¯t you see, you¡¯re doing great now, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    With that said, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but feel ted!


    The group continued chatting andughing together.


    It wasn¡¯t until noon that Liu Sisi thought about leaving, however she couldn¡¯t resist Guihua¡¯s enthusiastic persuasions and decided to stay for lunch at Guihua¡¯s ce.


    The dishes Guihua prepared were different from those cooked by Liu Sisi.


    Upon learning that Liu Sisi hadn¡¯t had corn for a long time, Guihua used cornmeal to make steamed buns, apanied with spring rolls, which tasted really good.


    Recently, Liu Sisi¡¯s appetite had obviously grown. She ate three steamed buns, leaving her belly full.


    Zhang Yun, seated next to her, was taking care of YingEr, looking like he couldn¡¯t bear not to feed YingEr himself, which was a source of great amusement for everyone.


    After the meal, Guihua began to knit, and Liu Sisi also stepped forward to help, the two of them chatting about things from all over. However, Liu Sisi did not tell Guihua about what happened yesterday. It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t want to say it, but rather, she simply couldn¡¯t bring herself to. Di Yelei came in the evening to take them both home.<div>


    Zhang Peng pulled him aside, and the two of them talked for quite a while before they left.


    It was obvious that Di Yelei was extraordinarily happy.


    ¡°Sisi, Zhang Peng said that your pregnancy is stable now. As long as you are careful when you walk and go about your daily tasks, there will be no more problems!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes crinkled in a smile.


    ¡°I know, Brother Zhang already told me. Look how happy you are about it!¡±


    Liu Sisi shot him a nce.


    ¡°Hehehe¡­ Of course I¡¯m happy! By tonight, you¡¯ll see why!¡± Di Yelei said, a mysterious look on his face.


    Liu Sisi turned her head curiously to look at him: ¡°What exactly is going on? Can¡¯t you say it now? Why do you have to make it so mysterious?¡±


    The more she wanted to hear it, the more Di Yelei refused to tell her, acent look on his face.


    ¡°Wait until tonight, and I¡¯ll tell you slowly!¡±


    Liu Sisi was not happy about this, glowering at him angrily. This man was steadfast in his refusal to say what was going on, through dinner and the subsequent clean-up, he said nothing.


    Only when theyy down to sleep that night did Liu Sisi understand why he had been so smug.<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er had been gone for many days, and there¡¯s still no news of him. Da Mao, however, was a very obedient child. But it seemed like he treated Liu Sisi as his own mother. Every night, despite curling up and sleeping on the inside, he always preferred Liu Sisi to soothe him to sleep.


    Tonight was no exception.


    Liu Sisi was humming a luby softly to coax him to sleep.


    Da Mao, having apparently napped too much during the day, was having trouble falling asleep at night. He would open his eyes every now and then to see if Liu Sisis was still there, causing her arm to go numb, but he still hadn¡¯t fallen asleep.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? Why hasn¡¯t he fallen asleep yet?¡±


    Di Yelei entered the room, straightening out his own clothes. In the middle of his sentence, he had already removed his waistband and casually flung it to the side, before taking a seat on the edge of the bed.


    ¡°He should be asleep soon, right? Perhaps he slept too long in the day.¡±


    Liu Sisi casually turned over, propping up her somewhat heavy body to turn around. Looking at Di Yelei under the candlelight, she spoke softly, ¡°Brother Zhang said the baby is more than four months old. I calcted it, and if it¡¯s more than four months, it must¡¯ve been conceived the night of our first time.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s hands stilled for a moment on his clothes, before continuing to remove his coat.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter when the baby was conceived, what¡¯s important is that you¡¯ve carried it for four months now, and both the mother and child are safe. That¡¯s what¡¯s right.¡±


    As he spoke, he pulled off his trousers, then lifted the covers and leaned in.


    ¡°Sisi, weren¡¯t you curious about what Zhang Peng told me this afternoon? Come a little closer, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Di Yelei had a cunning smile on his face.


    Liu Sisi squinted her eyes at him, yet her curiosity won over: ¡°What are you keeping so secret? What is it you want to say?¡±


    Unexpectedly, Di Yelei gave a slight pull, directly drawing Liu Sisi onto himself. He held her close, nting a heavy kiss on her.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll tell you. Zhang Peng told me that your body has recovered well. We can ¡­ hehehe!¡±

 Chapter 432: 432: Mischief

    Chapter 432: 432: Mischief<div>


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was caught off guard, and was pulled by Di Yelei, falling directly onto him.


    Her little nose bore the brunt, bumping hard against his sternum, instantly turning red!


    ¡°Ouch! My nose¡­..¡±


    Amid her outcry, Di Yelei had already firmly embraced her gradually plump body,ughing heartily from his mouth.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s little nose was in pain, and her heart was in embarrassment. She pushed against Di Yelei¡¯s sturdy body, trying to get up, but she couldn¡¯t push him away.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! My little kitten, let your husband kiss you!¡±


    His iron arm encircled her, and before she could react, Di Yelei pulled her closer with his arms, and rolled over, pressing down on her.


    ¡°Oh no!¡±


    Amid Liu Sisi¡¯s outcry, Di Yelei¡¯s body was already pressing firmly against hers, enjoying thefortable feeling.


    Hisrge hand quickly moved to the area that was particrly sensitive due to her pregnancy. The warm and moist touch made both of them moan softly.


    ¡°Ah¡­stop it!¡±


    With his pinching, Liu Sisi¡¯s body started to weaken and she couldn¡¯t exert any force, this little pregnant body was shivering all over, worried that Da Mao beside her would suddenly wake up, she lowered her voice and rebuked.


    ¡°Stop messing around, let go of me!¡±


    Di Yelei found her not daring to shout, chuckled a few times, and became even more unruly. Left hand continued to knead, and right hand quietly moved down towards her skirt. Liu Sisi naturally noticed his actions, she quickly stretched out her hands to grab his right hand in panic, preventing him from seeding.


    ¡°Stop it! Um¡­be careful not to hurt the child.¡±


    Her stern rebuke, how could that stop him who hadn¡¯t tasted meat for a long time and was eager to taste it again?


    His big hands roamed all over her body, quickly provoking her natural response.<div>


    She wanted to refuse out of embarrassment, yet deep inside she couldn¡¯t help but crave it. One wave after another, her defenses were crushed.


    ¡°In such a hurry? My little kitten, Zhang Peng said, as long as I¡¯m careful, there won¡¯t be any problems¡­¡±


    He had a smile on his lips, and had already stripped off her clothes during the conversation.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but shiver slightly, this unfamiliar and frightening feeling made her feel strange, but the desire deep in her heart told her clearly what she longed for.


    It felt like a soft numbness, like ants scratching her heart.


    His force got heavier, drawing out her deep moans.


    ¡°Rx, it¡¯ll hurt a lot if you keep like this.¡±


    He patiently soothed her softly, his burning gaze swept over her beautiful body. The heat down there was getting stronger and stronger, about to burst out.


    ¡°Ah!¡± A low moan escaped from her throat, her hands tightly clung to his hair, instinctively hoping to draw him closer.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be afraid. I know your body is ready for me.¡±


    His deep and strong voice seemed to carry a strange power, making her even more desirous of him.<div>


    ¡°I am not¡­¡± She replied instinctively.


    Feeling an unusual object slowly invading her, she was instantly scared and stiffened her body.


    ¡°Um! Good Sisi!¡±


    With a sudden move, a burning foreign object rushed into her tightly sealed passage, immediately encapsted by the soft flesh inside.


    The intense craving came crashing in, the smooth and soft touch was making it increasingly hard for him to hold back.


    He moved carefully and slowly.


    She was pregnant with their child, so he gently covered her petite body, lovingly nibbling at her earlobe, whilst suppressing his desire to move more robustly.


    She felt an intense emptiness inside of her that longed to be filled, causing her eyebrows to furrow at the sudden intrusion.


    Yet, his movements gradually made her rx and savor the pleasure of the experience.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    Her hands draped around his neck, her blurry eyes squinting slightly, filled with anticipation: ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Her shy, soft-spoken words and her body¡¯s silent invitation immediately broke down hisst defenses.<div>


    ¡°If you want it, then I will satisfy you.¡±


    With a sudden push, he went deep into her, stuck tightly inside her, entangled, leaving him nowhere to back out.


    He flung about recklessly, guided by his primal instincts. Going deeper, even deeper, into the depths of her, pushing to the very end of her body.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    She was in pain yet ecstatic, her hands wrapped tightly around his neck, her eyes wide open.


    She felt as if her body was being pierced by his powerful actions.


    She could not help but shudder all over. Dazzling waves of emotion crashed against her body like turbulent waves, upying every inch of her from the top of her head to her toes.


    Liu Sisi swayed back and forth, resembling a small fish being washed ashore, then pulled back into the tumultuous waves again and again.


    She could not bear it anymore, if they continued, she feared she would die from the intensity.


    ¡°My kitten, be patient, we have plenty of time.¡±


    He began whispering into her ear, every word apanying an extreme joy, expressing his affection and delight.


    She shook her head, resisting the swelling emotions inside her that she was forced to suppress.<div>


    Suddenly, she felt as if a low-voltage current was passing through her depths. Her entire body was numb, surpassing her imagination, overloading all her senses.


    With every motion he made, she experienced ultimate pleasure.


    ¡°You¡­ Go easy, Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Her passionate cries worked like potent stimnts, urging him on to an even more ecstatic frenzy.


    Di Yelei threw back his head, panting for breath, his desire mounting. His body was drenched in sweat, rolling down his muscr contours and soaking into her skin.


    The me in his eyes burned brighter and deeper with each passing moment, reminiscent of a graceful cheetah in the night, eyes gleaming with excitement.


    ¡°You really are a little demon.¡±


    The wild movements did not loosen her grip, but rather, tightened even more around him.


    She was reaching her limit, her head lifted to sink her teeth into his shoulder.


    The sweet taste of blood spread in her mouth, and the pain in his shoulder spurred him into quicker motions, with louder, crazier moans from her in response.


    He buried his head deep into her neck, thrusting like a wild animal.


    In the end, after finally reaching his climax, he released his pent-up excitement deep inside her.<div>


    She feltpletely satisfied and rxed, lying in his arms, gasping for breath, squinting her damp, wide-open eyes.


    ¡°Does it hurt? My little kitten, do you want to go again?¡±


    His eyes sparkled as brightly as the stars in heaven.

 Chapter 433: 433: The Joy of Moving

    He wrapped his hand around her waist, leaned his nose against her hair, and took a deep breath. The corner of his mouth unconsciously rose, filled with satisfaction and happiness after.


    She was weak and tired, her eyes half closed.


    When she heard his voice, she immediately opened her big, wet eyes and tried to escape from his embrace.


    But heughed softly and caught her back again behind him.


    ¡°You bastard! You know I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡±


    His demands were so urgent and frequent, how could her delicate little body withstand it?


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, kitten! I was just talking. Hurry up and cover yourself with the quilt. What will we do if you catch a cold?¡±


    As he spoke, he quickly picked up the quilt and carefully covered her.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t stand it. She wriggled under the quilt and revealed her little head, filled with resentment.


    ¡°Bastard! I¡¯m all sticky, and I feel so ufortable!¡±


    As she spoke, she angrily red at him. It was all because of this bastard that her entire body felt limp, and she didn¡¯t even want to move her fingers.<div>


    A sweet and greasy feeling spread in Di Yelei¡¯s heart. Heughed heartily, leaned down, and kissed her little mouth again. He lingered for a while, teasing her until they both were panting, then finally let her go.


    ¡°You stay here for a while. I¡¯ve prepared hot water, and I¡¯ll bring it in for youter.¡±


    As he spoke, he got up quickly and left the room.


    Liu Sisi was dazed until a chill came from her skin, which finally woke her from her hazy slumber.


    She barely opened her eyes, then closed them again and fell back into a deep sleep.


    The next day, early in the morning, Liu Sisi was awakened by whining sounds.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She reluctantly opened her eyes and found that it was Da Mao beside her, leaning over and saying, ¡°Auntie, I need to pee¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi closed her eyes and opened them again, opening and closing several times before finally getting up resignedly. Only then did she find that her whole body felt as if it had been run over by a train, with no part not aching and no part not protesting.


    After dressing and taking Da Mao to the restroom, Liu Sisi looked around and couldn¡¯t find Di Yelei.


    ¡°Old Cheng! Old Cheng!¡±


    Old Cheng quickly ran in from outside, holding a rag in his hand: ¡°Madam, what can I do for you?¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at Old Cheng: ¡°Old Cheng, have you seen Ye Lei go out?¡±


    ¡°Madam, the Old Master went out before dawn. He seemed to say that he was going to look at houses in the town. He said that he had seen a set yesterday and was going to take a closer look today and settle the price.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s fine, you can go back to work.¡±


    Liu Sisi casually dismissed Old Cheng.


    Ye Lei had gone to the town to look for a house ¨C she didn¡¯t know if he had told his father about moving to the small town to live.


    She turned around, thinking for a moment, and found Elderly Mr. Di watching Di Xuan write in the hall.


    ¡°Father, Sisi has something to discuss with you.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi said softly.


    Elderly Mr. Di made a silencing gesture, and after leaving the hall, he looked back at her.


    ¡°Third Child¡¯s daughter-inw, you¡­ have something to discuss?¡±


    ¡°Father, Sisi does have something to consult with you.¡±<div>


    Only then did Liu Sisi tell her father-inw her decision, and continued, ¡°Ye Lei has already gone to the small town to look for a house. If the price is suitable, we n to stay temporarily in the small town. After all, my body is getting heavier day by day, and Xuan¡¯er is attending the vige school, and it¡¯s really hard to travel in this snowy weather. So, if Ye Lei finds a house, we¡¯d like to move in to it with you. What do you think¡­?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di looked at her nomittally, stood there looking up at the courtyard outside, and was silent for a long time.


    ¡°Father, Sisi and Ye Lei have thought about it, and on his days off from the governmental office, every five days, we¡¯ll live here for the day. On weekdays, we¡¯ll live in the small town. You have worked hard all your life, and now that you have a house full of children and grandchildren, it¡¯s time for you to enjoy yourself a bit. Living in the small town for a while may also help clear your mind and lift your spirits.¡±


    Liu Sisi had a reason for saying this.


    Although Elderly Mr. Di lived in the third family branch¡¯s house, he was always gloomy. From the initial trouble caused by Ms. Zhao to the current indifference, it made Elderly Mr. Di feel ufortable in his heart but also unable to let go.


    She could see that Elderly Mr. Di must have deep feelings for his original wife, Ms. Dou, but to say that he has no feelings for Ms. Zhao at all is a lie.


    Even a dog, after spending three years together, will develop some feelings; let alone a husband and wife who have lived together for decades!


    It¡¯s not good for the two of them to be at odds like this. It¡¯s better for Elderly Mr. Di to live in the small town for a while, instead of being gloomy all the time; maybe things will take a turn for the better.


    In fact, she doesn¡¯t want to see Ms. Xin¡¯s spy around her, so she wants to move to the small town.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    In the end, Elderly Mr. Di gave a nomittal answer, turned around, and walked to the well with his crutch.


    The sleeping fog in the well opening was steaming, the water temperature was pleasant, and even on this snowy cold day, washing clothes here was not cold and veryfortable.


    ¡°Father, Sisi really wants you to go out and walk around!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi called out to him from behind, but Elderly Mr. Di didn¡¯t answer.


    In the afternoon, Di Yelei returned and brought good news.


    ¡°I found a shop in the small town. The shop front is not big because it¡¯s upied by a grain and oil shop next door, but the courtyard inside is veryrge. Even if our whole family moves in, there is more than enough space. Because of the small shop front and the excessivelyrge courtyard, thendlord is asking for 30 taels of silver a year, but it¡¯s still vacant¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you seen the inside? Is there any problem with the house? Have you asked anyone else? For example, if there is someone inside¡­¡±


    Actually, what Liu Sisi wanted to ask was if anyone had died in that house.


    However, given it¡¯s right before the New Year, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to ask directly.


    Realizing what she meant, Di Yelei answered, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked people about it, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with the shop. I even asked Dr. He, who lives diagonally across from it. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    This surprised Liu Sisi.


    ¡°You actually found a shop diagonally across from Dr. He? This is going to be fun.¡±


    Mysteriously, she suddenly thought of the medicine pageboy and Dr. He, who loved to eat delicious food while nodding his head.


    ¡°If Father knew about this, he might be pleased!¡±


    Di Yelei alsoughed, ¡°Dr. He said that after we move in, we¡¯ll have to have a big meal to celebrate, and he specifically asked you to cook. ¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a big problem, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to ask Dr. He to spend more time with Father in the future!¡±<div>

 Chapter 434: 434: Having Fun on Lantern Festival

    That night, during dinner, Old Mr. Di had a somber expression on his face.


    After the meal, Di Yelei and Old Mr. Di had a long private conversation. Liu Sisi had no idea what they talked about.


    From the looks of Di Yelei¡¯s red eyes when he left the room, the conversation must not have been a pleasant one.


    After lying down, Di Yelei, for the first time, did not embrace her as they fell asleep. Instead, hey on his side facing away from her, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep for a long time.


    ¡°Did Dad tell you something? You look so ufortable.¡±


    In the darkness, Liu Sisi whispered to her.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t speak for a while. Suddenly, in the dark, there was the sound of rustling, and the flint lit a candle, illuminating Di Yelei¡¯s back.


    He paused for a moment before turning around to look at her: ¡°You¡¯ve known since early this morning, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Known what?¡±


    Liu Sisi was curious too. She rarely saw Di Yelei talk to her with such a serious expression.


    Di Yelei was silent, and after a long time, he finally whispered, ¡°I found out¡­ my mom was actually killed by Ms. Zhao.¡±<div>


    So Old Mr. Di had told him about it. No wonder both father and son looked off.


    Liu Sisi thought about it carefully and said truthfully: ¡°Well, actually, Mother-inw was indirectly killed by Ms. Zhao. She is responsible, but she can¡¯t be entirely med.¡±


    Di Yelei was furious!


    ¡°You¡¯re actually defending her!¡±


    His eyes suddenly reddened, and his emotions seemed extremely agitated: ¡°She killed my mom, and all these years she has pretended to be a good person and got married to my dad. And she expects me to respect her? Does she deserve it? Huh?¡±


    He yelled furiously at Liu Sisi!


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t get angry, knowing that he was venting his anger at Ms. Zhao.


    She thought for a moment and then raised her head to ask, ¡°Did Dad say what exactly happened when Mother-inw died?¡±


    Di Yelei red at her, his teeth clenched to make a grinding sound, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    Liu Sisi sighed and said, ¡°I heard it from Ms. Xin, she said Ms. Zhao identally let it slip. At that time, Mother-inw was pregnant with you and for some reason, they argued. Ms. Zhao pushed Mother-inw from the eaves, causing her death because of massive hemorrhaging during childbirth¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face muscles were constantly twitching. After a while, he closed his eyes and said, ¡°At the time, she had just lost her husband and came to kneel in front of my mom wanting to marry into Di Family as a concubine¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he bowed his head into his arms, his body trembling.


    Liu Sisi sighed and silently hugged him, gently patting his shoulder, and silently apanied him.


    After a long time, his voice came out from the crook of his arm, ¡°Before, I¡¯ve vaguely heard people say that Ms. Zhao wasn¡¯t a good person. My big brother broke off rtions with my dad for her, but even then, he didn¡¯t tell me the reason¡­¡±


    That night, Di Yelei spoke incoherently, and Liu Sisi quietly listened.


    The husband and wife held each other quietly, with their hearts, both hurt by family love, drawing closer. Theyforted each other and didn¡¯t know when they finally fell asleep.


    The next day was the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month.


    Before dawn, Liu Sisi had already gotten up. She took out the sticky rice ball dough that she had prepared in advance and started making the sticky rice balls, also known as Yuanxiao.<div>


    Since they had prepared in advance, the sticky rice balls were made quiterge and plentiful.


    While Liu Sisi was busy making sticky rice balls, Di Yelei returned with arge branch of por tree, cing it on both sides of the main entrance. He then took therge bowls of prepared wine, meat, and bean porridge and ced them in front of the entrance.


    After the sticky rice balls were cooked, Di Yelei took out Dou Family¡¯s que and offered a bowl of sticky rice balls directly in front of it. After burning incense and worshipping, he removed it.


    When everyone sat down again, Di Yelei changed his usual silence and said softly.<div>


    ¡°Today is the Lantern Festival, and we won¡¯t talk about anything else. Let¡¯s just have a good Reunion Festival. Tomorrow is the 16th day of the year, and ording to the almanac, it is suitable for moving. I n to move all the items into the backyard of the new tenant¡¯s shop. As for you, Dad¡­¡±


    Di Yelei paused: ¡°If you are willing to let Third Child support you, Third Child swears that as long as he has a bite of food, he will never let you drink soup again. If you don¡¯t trust Third Child and want to stay, Third Child will follow your wishes. Whether youe or go, Third Child will always listen to you, Dad.¡±


    After saying this, he picked up the bamboo chopsticks and took the lead to put a sticky rice ball into his mouth.


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Yelei and then at Elderly Mr. Di before she started eating with her bowl and chopsticks.


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s hands were trembling, but he picked up a sticky rice ball with his chopsticks and slowly brought it to his lips without biting it.


    ¡°Over there, in the old house, even if I die¡­ I won¡¯t step foot in there again!¡±


    After finishing speaking, Elderly Mr. Di finally put the sticky rice ball into his mouth and chewed vigorously.


    Di Yelei paused momentarily as he consumed the sticky rice ball, and looked at his father; joy appeared in his eyes.


    But he didn¡¯t say anything more, and simply continued eating heartily.


    Since it was the Lantern Festival, Di Yelei decided after some consideration that the whole family should go out for a stroll. Old Cheng drove the carriage, he and Zhang Peng rode horses, and they took the children and Elderly Mr. Di to the streets together.


    Guihua, too, was sitting in the carriage with them.


    In order to avoid suspicion, Elderly Mr. Di insisted on sitting up front with Old Cheng instead of in the carriage.


    Today, naturally, they went to the county town.<div>


    Although they originally nned to visit the Lake of Forgetfulness, when considering the dangers they had encountered twice on Heilong Mountain, it made Liu Sisi a bit wary of the ce. However, she realized that those on Heilong Mountain meant no harm and were instead trying to protect her.


    After thinking it through, she still decided to continue to the county town to watch thenterns.


    Every year during the Lantern Festival, although all ces hadnterns to admire, none were as lively as those in the county town.


    The children were all dressed in new clothes, with YingEr clinging to Guihua all day. In their hands, they each held twonterns,ughing and talking all the way.


    Liu Sisi, holding Da Mao, chatted intermittently with Guihua.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The carriage galloped into the city gate and didn¡¯t stop until they couldn¡¯t move forward anymore.


    ¡°Today is the Lantern Festival, and there is no curfew for three days in a row. The colleagues whoe here to stay overnight can get triple reward money. Let¡¯s just have a good time for a day and go back when it¡¯s daybreak.¡±


    ¡°Great! Today we can have fun for a whole day!¡±


    All the children were excited.


    Not to mention the children, even the adults were already captivated by the festive atmosphere all around.


    In the middle of the main road, a wide fence had already been set up using red cloth strips. On the outer side of the fence, there was a sea of people, everyone crowded and happy.


    Inside the fence, firecrackers kept sting, the sound of gongs and drums urging people on, and the lion and dragon dance teams were dancing in a festive atmosphere filled with joy and noise.


    <div>

 Chapter 435: 435: Having Fun on Lantern Festival

    While they were looking for spaces to park, Liu Sisi led the children off the carriage.


    Elderly Mr. Di seemed quite restrained, constantly adjusting the new clothes Liu Sisi had made for him.


    ¡°Father-inw,e this way. Be careful not to get pushed around in the crowd.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t just a bustling scene; it was simply overcrowded.


    They had initially been standing on the roadside waiting for others, but they were pushed by the crowd, involuntarily moving forward.


    In the end, they hid beside an architectural pir to escape the crowded streets.


    When Di Yelei and Zhang Peng found them after parking the horses and carriage, it was almost noontime. Meanwhile, the children were already snacking on various treats.


    Liu Sisi had bought the snacks from a candy shop behind them. As the children had been waiting for a while, she didn¡¯t skimp on spending silver for them.


    Soon, the children had each chosen their favorite snacks.


    When they finally caught up with Di Yelei and the others, Di Yelei was supporting Elderly Mr. Di, Zhang Peng was holding Da Mao, YingEr was holding Guihua¡¯s hand, leaving Liu Sisi empty-handed, and feeling somewhat embarrassed.


    The variety of trinkets and toys on the streets seemed endless, from dough figurines to monkey shows, candy to ribbon flowers, and food of all kinds. There were so many things it could be dizzying.<div>


    While small items were disyed at the roadside, the shops inside were filled with a dazzling array of products. The central avenue, separated from the main roads, was flooded with people performing lion dances, dragon dances, and stilt-walking performances. Each time they passed by, they would create a stir in the crowd.


    Especially when those dressed as the so-called Eight Immortals, the Jade Emperor, fortune children, and others passed by, they would generously scatter copper coins and candies, celebrating with the people. This caused even moremotion and excitement among the passersby.


    Liu Sisi was surrounded by everyone to protect her from getting pushed. She involuntarily moved along with the crowd.


    Finally, after much effort, they managed to break free from the crowded streets and found themselves by the river within the city.


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief!


    ¡°My goodness! It was so crowded this year that I almost couldn¡¯t get out of the crowd.¡±


    Everyoneughed and joked about it. Seeing a small noodle restaurant nearby, they decided to go in, since they didn¡¯t feel like pushing through the crowd again. They found an empty table by the window and sat down.


    The waiter came and started with a series of auspicious words.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Rednterns hang high, the thundering noise of firecrackers fills the air, fragrant dumplings bring happiness, sincere blessings for a safe journey. May the splendor of colorfulnterns, the festive cheer of celebrations, the warmth of gatherings, and the sweetness of tastes be with you. Wishing you all a happy Lantern Festival, good health, sess in all your endeavors, and a joyful reunion ¡­¡±


    The waiter¡¯s smooth speech made everyoneugh, and Di Yelei quickly thanked him.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s great, we¡¯re all celebrating together. Brother waiter, please tell us about your restaurant¡¯s delicious dishes, and we¡¯ll have one of each!¡±


    ¡°Dear customer! Our restaurant only serves one dish ¡ª ramen. Would you like one bowl per person?¡± The waiter replied cheerfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s not Lanzhou ramen, is it?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Liu Sisi immediately replied.


    ¡°Wow! You guessed it right! Our boss is from Lanzhou, and it¡¯s indeed Lanzhou ramen we¡¯re serving! Would you like to try some and see if it suits your tastes?¡±


    The waiter smiled with his eyes squinted.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for it! One bowl per person!¡±


    Liu Sisi made the decision first.<div>


    Soon, the ramen was brought up. As expected, the noodles were indeed topped with arge mutton slice, almost the size of a palm.


    After being in the crowd all morning, everyone was naturally hungry and thirsty. At the moment the ramen was brought up, they did not care about anything else, picked up the noodles, mixed it, and started to eat.


    These noodles were different from the Lanzhou ramen in the next life.


    Although it was also a clear broth, mutton, and pulled noodles, these noodles had a very strong texture. The most important thing was that the soup base contained nearly half a bowl of broad beans stewed in mutton bone soup until they were tender.<div>


    The few people didn¡¯t care about the heat and ate all of the soup, meat, and noodles without leaving a single bit. They couldn¡¯t stop smacking their lips, it was really too delicious!


    When it was time to pay, Di Yelei took out silver coins very freely and took an extra 200 copper coins as a reward.


    After leaving the noodle restaurant, everyone strolled along the inner river to slowly digest the food they had eaten earlier.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how good that soup was! It may not look like much, but it¡¯s so rich and delicious! Next time wee to the city, we should eat it again.¡±


    Guihua, who was standing beside her, also savored the taste.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, since we were all so hungry just now, the food naturally tasted delicious. Plus, the weather is cold, so the hot soup is naturally savory. I¡¯m afraid by the time wee back next time, you¡¯ll find the taste just so-so.¡± Liu Sisi looked back at the noodle restaurant, which was gradually getting farther away, and poured cold water on the enthusiasm.


    ¡°Sisi, why did you have to say that? Maybe next time wee to the city, it¡¯ll still be just as delicious.¡±


    Guihua clearly didn¡¯t like the cold water Liu Sisi had poured.


    Liu Sisi just smiled and didn¡¯t say anything more.


    ¡°Oh! What a coincidence, Mrs. Di is also out shopping and enjoying thenterns?¡±


    Suddenly, a surprised voice came from diagonally across, and Liu Sisi had to marvel at how small the world was.


    ¡°It turns out to be Mrs. Ran. I must pay my respects! I assume you are also here to enjoy thenterns? But why are you here alone?¡± Liu Sisi quickly greeted her and asked casually.


    The woman who greeted her was none other than the wife of the wealthy salt merchant, Mrs. Ran!<div>


    Mrs. Ran¡¯s eyes disappeared when she smiled: ¡°How could that be? I came out today to apany Prefecture Princess Luo and the County Magistrate¡¯s wife to enjoy thenterns. They are both waiting for me in the wine-house right now. By the way, Heir Luo is also with us. Why don¡¯t we all go there and sit for a while?¡±


    Mrs. Ran suggested while speaking.


    ¡°This¡­ wouldn¡¯t be too good, right?¡±


    Liu Sisi hesitated, she didn¡¯t want to go to the wine-house, where they would sit for half a day when they hade out to enjoy thentern riddles with everyone.


    Perhaps sensing Liu Sisi¡¯s difficulty, Mrs. Ran¡¯s eyes turned and she immediatelyughed!


    ¡°Look at how confused I am! Since you all came out as a big family, you must be here to enjoy thenterns together. How about we all sit at the wine-house for a while and then go shopping and guessingntern riddles together?¡±


    Liu Sisi wanted to refuse, but when she looked back at Di Yelei, he nodded at her instead.


    She changed her refusal words at thest moment and agreed to the invitation: ¡°That sounds good! It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen Prefecture Princess Luo that I¡¯m really starting to miss her. Now is the perfect opportunity to pay her a proper visit.¡±


    Everyone then followed Mrs. Ran toward the direction of the wine-house.


    This wine-house was not just any ce, as it was the newly opened one by Nan Tianzong. What a coincidence!

 Chapter 436: 436: Playing on the Lantern Festival

    Although this restaurant was not bad, it couldn¡¯t be considered as one of the top wine-houses in the county.


    After all, it was a newly opened wine-house, and its reputation was still weak.


    Yet today, on this special day, Prefecture Princess Luo and her party not only visited this ce but also gathered together here.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment and decided to leave everyone on the ground floor while she and Mrs.Ran went upstairs first.


    When Liu Sisi and Mrs.Ran were chatting and walking close to the third floor of the restaurant, they happened to see Prefecture Princess Luo looking extremely bored while listening to the County Magistrate¡¯s wife talking incessantly about something.


    Mrs.Ran quickly walked in and said loudly to the people inside, ¡°I have the honor to meet Prefecture Princess Luo. Prefecture Princess Luo, look who I have brought with me?¡±


    Hearing the voice, Prefecture Princess Luo casually turned her head to see a group of peopleing in and immediately brightened up, standing up.


    ¡°Aunt, it turns out that you have arrived. These servants are sozy that they didn¡¯t even send someone to inform me so that I could go downstairs to meet you.¡±


    Thirteenth Luo spoke while quickly moving forward to salute her.


    ¡°I have the honor to meet Prefecture Princess Luo. Is Prefecture Princess Luo feeling well?¡±


    Prefecture Princess Luo was dressed exceptionally simple today, wearing only a pale green dress with a fortune knot tied at the hem. On her head, she wore a single jade hairpin,pletely unlike the cold, and noble attire she wore when they first met.<div>


    Even her entourage had changed, with only one unfamiliar maidservant standing behind her.


    Noticing Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, the maidservant bowed and then stood up.


    ¡°Aunt, please get up quickly. You really shouldn¡¯t be treating Thirteen like this.¡± Prefecture Princess Luo reached out to help her but Liu Sisi hurriedly retreated half a step, narrowly avoiding her grasp.


    ¡°I apologize to the County Magistrate¡¯s wife.¡±


    Then she greeted the County Magistrate¡¯s wife.


    With no airs, the County Magistrate¡¯s wife said, ¡°Oh! Mrs. Di, don¡¯t be so formal, please take a seat. Let¡¯s talk after we sit down.¡±


    As they spoke, everyone took their seats and were served fragrant tea.


    ¡°By the way, my elder brother was here earlier, but he found the wine-house boring, so he went downstairs to enjoy thenterns and guess riddles. I don¡¯t know where he¡¯s run off to at the moment.¡±


    Liu Sisi seized the opportunity, ¡°That¡¯s right! Today, our whole family came to the city to enjoy thenterns and guessntern riddles. It was only after hearing Mrs.Ran mention that Prefecture Princess Luo was here that we specifically came to pay our respects.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, why are you being so formal? Aren¡¯t you overstating Thirteen¡¯s importance?¡±


    Prefecture Princess Luo shook her head with a smile before coughing lightly, ¡°Actually, I also feel that on such a good day, it¡¯s a bit of a waste to sit idly in a wine-house. How about I join you all to go shopping, enjoy thenterns and guess riddles?¡±


    As she spoke, Prefecture Princess Luo had already stood up, giving Liu Sisi no opportunity to refuse.


    The County Magistrate¡¯s wife also hurriedly stood up to mediate, ¡°Ah! Not to mention a young girl like Prefecture Princess Luo, even an old woman like me, on a day like today, has a heart that beats excitedly, wishing to go for a stroll.¡±


    Thirteenth Luo¡¯s gaze flickered, ¡°In that case, it would be better for us to go shopping together, enjoy thenterns and guess riddles.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no! I can¡¯t even recognize a singlerge character, so how can I participate? How about¡­ let me wait here for the Prefecture Princess toe back?¡±


    What a joke! It¡¯s all fun and games until someone loses their life. After spending so much time together, the County Magistrate¡¯s wife naturally understood her meaning: ¡°In that case, then County Magistrate¡¯s wife, you should go back to the residency first, and I¡¯ll find youter.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±


    As she spoke, Prefecture Princess Luo had already started walking towards the door.<div>


    ¡°Yes, Prefecture Princess Luo.¡± Liu Sisi reluctantly followed.


    However, seeing that the other party was sensible and didn¡¯t cause trouble, Prefecture Princess Luo kept Liu Sisi by her side.


    ¡°Mrs. Ran, why don¡¯t you join us for a walk?¡±


    Liu Sisi naturally couldn¡¯t refuse, so she got up, raised her eyes, and saw Mrs. Ran who had brought her here, and asked casually.<div>


    ¡°Oh¡­ No! I¡¯m thinking that I have things to do at home, so I won¡¯t go to thentern show.¡± Mrs. Ran answered casually.


    As they went downstairs, they saw Di Yelei casually chatting with a man who turned out to be Heir Luo.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Everyone came down, and after exining the situation, they followed Prefecture Princess Luo to the Lantern Festival streets.


    Thentern show in the county wouldst from today until the 18th day of the first lunar month, for a total of three days.


    As they walked, Liu Sisi, who was originally protected, stayed close to Prefecture Princess Luo, while Di Yelei and Heir Luo chatted and walked in front. The others followed behind them, with the rest of the crowd at the back.


    Because of Prefecture Princess Luo¡¯s presence, many original arrangements were disrupted.


    Although the bustlingntern-viewing streets were not on the main road, there were still people everywhere, and the Lantern Festival streets were even more crowded. The spectacr scene was not to be missed, so they went along the street closest to the restaurant.


    As soon as they entered the street, they were fascinated by thentern riddles on both sides.


    Liu Sisi picked up a riddle hanging under antern: ¡°An idental encounter with Qiuxiang, renamed to enter the Huafu. Guess an idiom, the answer is ¡®go with the flow¡¯. Only Seventh Sister can match Dong; Lang, guess an idiom, the answer is ¡®at aplete loss¡¯. Cooked rice turned into porridge, guess an idiom, the answer is ¡®shooting arrows from both sides¡¯¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem too difficult.¡±


    Perhaps because Liu Sisi read the riddles too fast, Prefecture Princess Luo came closer.


    ¡°Aunt, have you encountered any riddles you could solve? Those who can solve the riddles can not only getnterns but also other benefits.¡±


    Prefecture Princess Luo smiled, her eyes curving like crescents.


    Liu Sisi looked around and saw everyone looking at their own riddles. Of course, there were also many illiterate people who could buy their favoritenterns directly with silver if they wanted to.<div>


    ¡°I haven¡¯t found anynterns I can solve here, how about on your side, Prefecture Princess Luo? Any riddles you¡¯ve solved?¡±


    Prefecture Princess Luo waved the riddles in her hand and said with a smile: ¡°Look, I¡¯ve already got quite a few.¡±


    ¡°How about we split up and look around to see if there are any more riddles we can solve?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good, let¡¯s each do our thing.¡± Prefecture Princess Luo¡¯s small mouth smiled even sweeter now.


    As the two were talking, Di Xuan came over with several paper strips and bumped into Prefecture Princess Luo.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Di Xuan had long been displeased with Prefecture Princess Luo. At the moment, their past grudges collided, making him snort coldly and re at Prefecture Princess Luo.


    Prefecture Princess Luo looked around and found that nobody was paying attention to them, so she decided to tease him a bit.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? Why are you ring at me?¡±


    Prefecture Princess Luo didn¡¯t say much in front of Liu Sisi, but she didn¡¯t intend to back down in front of this hostile little brat.


    ¡°Who red at you? Which eye of yours saw me ring at you? Stop spouting nonsense and framing good people. But then again, it¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t framed others before.¡± Di Xuan finished speaking and turned away.


    Thinking of the time when YingEr had almost been punished by Prefecture Princess Luo, he couldn¡¯t help but feel angry.


    <div>

 Chapter 437: 437: Guess the Lantern Riddle

    Seeing that no one was paying attention to this side, Luo Thirteenth could no longer bear the anger in her heart and quickly chased after the culprit.


    The maid who followed closely behind her also hurriedly followed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t chase me! Aren¡¯t you just relying on your family¡¯s power and status to bully and kill others? Even at such a young age, you are so malicious. What kind of person would you be when you grow up?¡±


    How could Di Xuan miss this rare opportunity to undermine her?


    ¡°How daring, you troublemaker! How dare you yell at the Prefecture Princess? Don¡¯t you want to live?!¡±


    The maid by her side scolds in a hurry.


    Di Xuan nced sideways with a ¡°I told you I was right¡± look, looking disdainfully at Luo Thirteenth. He casually raised his hand to tear off the riddle paper from thentern, turned around, and continued to walk deeper into the crowd.


    ¡°Hey! You troublemaker¡­e back!¡±


    That maid Lan¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but shout.


    ¡°Shut up! Give yourself ten ps for this Prefecture Princess! Teach yourself a lesson!¡±


    With a gloomy face, Luo Thirteenth was fed up with the way these maids, who were transferred from the Princess Consort¡¯s courtyard, all looked down on her. They¡¯ve be more and more spoiled and arrogant, and it¡¯s time to discipline them!<div>


    Lan¡¯er was unconvinced and mumbled, ¡°Prefecture Princess, I am a servant sent by the Princess Consort¡­¡±


    Facing Lan¡¯er¡¯s dissatisfied face, Prefecture Princess Luo scoffed coldly!


    ¡°No matter what, he is still my cousin. You are just a maid who can be beaten and scolded at will. Since you dare to point fingers and speak disrespectfully to your Master, ten ps are already a mercy from this Prefecture Princess because of the Princess Consort¡¯s face. Otherwise, I would have ordered someone to cut off your tongue and feed it to dogs! Shut up or get ten more ps!¡±


    Having said that, she ignored the pale-faced Lan¡¯er behind her and quickly chased in the direction Di Xuan had gone.


    ¡°Hey! Little brat, don¡¯t run!¡±


    Although she was the Prefecture Princess, Luo Thirteenth still couldn¡¯t escape her youthful nature. When she saw Di Xuan, who had somehow realized he was being chased, she ran deeper into the crowd, and her anger swelled even more in her chest.


    ¡°Stop, stop, little brat! Don¡¯t run! Stop!¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? If I don¡¯t run now and you catch me, I¡¯ll be doomed. Humph!¡± Di Xuan muttered to himself as he quickly darted into the crowd.


    ¡°Damn kid, how dare you run! When I catch you, I¡¯ll skin you alive!¡±


    Prefecture Princess Luo was naturally unwilling to give up and chased after him quickly.


    The two of them zipped in and out of the crowd at high speed, unconsciously moving further and further away from where everyone was. The ces they walked became more and more crowded, and soon they were separated by two full streets from the rest of the group.


    However, neither of them noticed and continued ying their game of cat and mouse.


    Now that the kids were no longer distracting her, Liu Sisi became even more engrossed in solving thentern riddles.


    There were different difficulty levels for thentern riddles ¨C A, B, C, and D ¨C and naturally, the harder the riddle, the better the reward. At first, Liu Sisi solved anyntern riddles she saw. Gradually, she began focusing on the riddles in the center of thergernterns, where the difficulty level increased dramatically.


    Guihua wasforting Ying¡¯er who was particrly clingy to Guihua today. Ying¡¯er liked her today because Guihua acted as the errand runner buying snacks. Basically, anything Ying¡¯er took a fancy to and wanted, Guihua bought it for her.


    Fortunately, Ying¡¯er wasn¡¯t the type of spoiled little girl to take advantage of this, and she knew her limits when buying things.


    On the other side, Di Ye Lei supported Elderly Mr. Di, and Zhang Peng carried Da Mao on his shoulder, walking and talking at a leisurely pace, taking breaks along the way.


    It was only when darkness gradually descended that the group had finished wandering just over half of the street.<div>


    As night fell, numerousnterns were lit, and multiplenterns decorated the streets, making them extraordinarily resplendent. The heavens were also favorable, and the rare clear sky revealed a round moon looming overhead, adding another unique touch of beauty to the Lantern Festival.


    Liu Sisi was mesmerized before she knew it!


    At some point, Di Yelei silently approached her and gently took her hand.


    ¡°How are you feeling? Do you want to sit down and rest?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t even notice, but when he mentioned it, she suddenly realized her legs seemed to be filled with lead and couldn¡¯t move at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m really tired, let¡¯s eat something first, then continue walking!¡±


    As she spoke, she noticed her hand was holding a bunch ofntern riddle paper strips: ¡°Let¡¯s solve the riddles first and then go eat.¡±


    Di Yelei also noticed the paper strips in her hand and was stunned!


    ¡°Are you solving all thesentern riddles by yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I think¡­ I might have taken a few too many¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was also somewhat embarrassed. Aren¡¯t these twenty or thirty word puzzles? She didn¡¯t expect to unconsciously pull off so many riddles.


    Rather than a few, it was a lot more than a few!


    Guihua approached her from the side: ¡°Sisi, have you solved all these? If you guess the wrong answer, you have topensate a certain amount of copper coins ording to the amount of silver on the riddle¡­¡±


    She was worried Liu Sisi had forgotten the standard for guessingntern riddles and reminded her subconsciously.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be wrong. Let¡¯s go to the ce where the puzzles are solved and see. Won¡¯t that give us the answer?¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she pointed to the puzzle-solving area in the center of the square, where a long line had already formed of people waiting to solve riddles.


    Her words immediately cheered everyone up!<div>


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s line up, too.¡±


    To increase efficiency, everyone decided to divide the riddles amongst themselves and line up separately.


    At this moment, the square was somewhat empty, as it was dinner time, and many people were either at home or at a restaurant. Besides the crowd waiting to solve riddles, there weren¡¯t many pedestrians.


    ¡°Huh! Where are Xuan¡¯er, Ying¡¯er, and Yun¡¯er?¡±


    At this moment, Liu Sisi noticed that several children were missing. Subconsciously worried, she began to search for them.


    ¡°Oh right! What about Prefecture Princess Luo? Where did she disappear to?¡±


    Guihua from the side noticed more details: ¡°I saw Prefecture Princess Luo and Xuan¡¯er walking towards the other street, they should be solvingntern riddles there. As for Yun¡¯er and Ying¡¯er, Ying¡¯er was just thirsty, and there was no tea nearby. So Yun¡¯er led her to the other side of the street. You have nothing to worry about!¡±


    Knowing Ying¡¯er was with Yun¡¯er, Liu Sisi was relieved.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Zhang Yun was a mature and thoughtful young man, and Ying¡¯er was very fond of him. This was one of the reasons Di Yelei initially agreed to their engagement.


    Everyone chatted andughed, slowly moving forward in the line.


    Cheers and excitement from those who correctly solved thentern riddles came from ahead. There were also many couples who sessfully solved the riddles, happily holding theirnterns as they walked andughed.


    The waves ofughtering from the front made everyone itch with anticipation. Soon, it was Guihua¡¯s turn to solve a riddle.


    In the cold weather, Guihua¡¯s palms were sweaty. Although Liu Sisi had written the answers on the paper strips one by one, her hands were still trembling when she handed them in. She looked up at Liu Sisi with a pleading expression.<div>

 Chapter 438: 438: Guess the Lantern Riddle

    She signaled Guihua to calm down a bit, finally stabilizing her heart that almost jumped out of her chest.


    The riddle solver looked calm, but the people around thentern riddles gazed at Guihua in surprise and then buried their heads back into the riddles.


    As he took a look at the first answer, he casually shook the paper strip in his hand: ¡°No.1832 Bing Character Lantern Riddle answered correctly.¡±


    He picked up the second one and nced at it, tossing the paper strip into a nearby basket and squinting at Guihua: ¡°No.324 A Character Lantern Riddle answered correctly!¡±


    People in the surrounding crowd whispered to each other.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually No.324 A Character Lantern Riddle, such a high-rankingntern riddle has been answered correctly, it¡¯s simply amazing!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they just announce that the top 500ntern riddles wouldn¡¯t be solved by many even until the end? And that was not long ago¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s even a woman who managed to solve the riddles; these elder schrs have lost face now, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see about the others; are there any more who managed to solve them¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The whispers from the crowd didn¡¯t affect the riddle solver¡¯s actions, as he continued to announce the results while picking up the paper strips.


    ¡°No.4635 Ding Character Lantern Riddle answered correctly!¡±<div>


    ¡°No.869 Yi Character Lantern Riddle answered correctly!¡±


    ¡°No.156 A Character Lantern Riddle answered correctly!¡±


    As soon as these words came out, not only did the surrounding people suddenly fall silent, but even the riddle solver raised his head and looked at Guihua in surprise.


    The other riddle solvers also stood up, looking at the remaining riddles in the solver¡¯s hand!


    The riddles behind were naturally easy to solve, but the difficulty of the first 500 A Characterntern riddles was, of course, harder and harder. However, the seemingly ordinary married woman in front of them had cracked them open. How could that not be astonishing to the crowd?


    Liu Sisi subconsciously took two steps back; she didn¡¯t expect that solving a fewntern riddles would attract so much attention from everyone.


    It seemed that she didn¡¯t take this matter seriously enough herself, so she couldn¡¯t me others!


    With so many eyes suddenly focused on Guihua, she felt goosebumps all over her body, and subconsciously turned around to look for Liu Sisi¡¯s figure.


    As she scanned around, Liu Sisi was no longer where she had been standing, which made her even more anxious, as she searched left and right.


    Her expression immediately caught the attention of the crowd, who also started looking left and right.


    Over at the riddle solver¡¯s ce, it seemed like they all had a look at the remaining riddles and discussed for quite a while before continuing to announce the results.


    ¡°The remaining riddles are all answered correctly. ording to the rules, answering an A Characterntern riddle correctly earns a bigntern.¡±


    The riddle solver got up to greet her: ¡°Madam, since you answered the remaining riddles correctly, you will receive this year¡¯s first bigntern as a reward.¡±


    As he spoke, the riddle solver instructed his men to bring out a hugentern and hand it over to Guihua.


    Thisntern, carried by two people, was slowly moved to the front.


    ¡°It¡¯s so big? How¡­how am I going to take it away?¡±


    Guihua looked around for help but couldn¡¯t find where Liu Sisi¡¯s figure had gone.<div>


    ¡°Madam, if you think it¡¯s too hard to carry away, we can also convert it to silver for you. However¡­ after the conversion, the amount of silver you get will be halved. What do you think¡­¡±


    The riddle solver was quite happy!


    He hadn¡¯t expected someone to solve the riddles so quickly, so there was only this one bigntern on hand.


    If it were really taken away, he didn¡¯t know what to do if more people solved the riddlester!<div>


    Although the converted silver wasn¡¯t much, it was still a windfall, and Guihua was delighted.


    When she finally squeezed out of the crowd, she found out that Zhang Peng and Di Yelei, and the others, had already left the queue.


    ¡°Hey! Why aren¡¯t you queuing anymore? Oh, yes, where¡¯s Sisi? Where did she go?¡±


    Guihua, thrilled, greeted them with excitement.


    She handed the 20 taels of silver to Di Yelei without thinking: ¡°Brother Ye Lei, this is the silver Sisi deserves. I¡¯ll give it to you first!¡±


    Di Yelei took it casually¡ªit was actually 20 taels of silver!


    ¡°Sisi is over there waiting for us, let¡¯s go,¡± Di Yelei said as he led the group to the other side.


    They turned the corner, entered a wine-house not far away, where Liu Sisi had been waiting with Zhang Yun and YingEr sitting by her side.


    She had chosen a spot near the window and smiled at them as they approached.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here. I ordered some dishes, but I don¡¯t know whether they¡¯re to your taste.¡±


    As everyone arrived, Di Yelei handed the silver to Liu Sisi and casuallyughed: ¡°They say that money wouldn¡¯t fall from the sky, but look! Isn¡¯t this money that fell from the sky?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Liu Sisi asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡±<div>


    Guihua felt quite aplished today and happily told the story of what had just happened, with a bit of exaggeration here and there.


    ¡°Oh my! I¡¯ve never had such good fortune before! I was so nervous being stared at by so many pairs of eyes that I almost couldn¡¯t breathe. Luckily, I could convert the bigntern into silver taels and take them with me. I don¡¯t know what I would have done if I had to move that hugentern! But I was really surprised to get 20 taels of silver for just a few characters.¡±


    Liu Sisi just smiled and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Guihua was obviously very excited; it wasn¡¯t until the ordered dishes were served one after another that she finally sat down.


    ¡°Ah! By the way, why didn¡¯t you guys hand in all the riddle answers you had? If we handed in all these answers tonight, wouldn¡¯t we get hundreds of taels of silver?¡±


    After saying this, she picked up a teacup and took a few big gulps.


    Liu Sisi also picked up the teacup: ¡°I¡¯m afraid if we really handed in all these riddle answers, it wouldn¡¯t be that easy for us to leave peacefully.¡± After saying this, she took a small sip. The bitterness of the tea made her put down the teacup.


    She wouldn¡¯t drink the tea if she wasn¡¯t so thirsty, as it was not good for the children.


    ¡°Why? Is it because those people don¡¯t want to give away all that silver?¡±


    Guihua was a bit confused.


    Zhang Peng sighed beside her: ¡°Sister-inw means that if we submitted all the riddles, those elder schrs would think that sister-inw purposely meant to make them lose face. Do you think we can leave so easily?¡±


    Maybe in the end they would get some silver, but they would have to deal with their opponents for a long time.


    One of the reasons they handed out the 20 taels of silver was to make them concede and not pursue further.<div>


    ¡°Oh! So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡±


    Guihua suddenly realized! Liu Sisi looked at everyone with approval ¨C they all seemed to understand why she had destroyed the remaining riddle answers and didn¡¯t hand them in!

 Chapter 439: Searching

    Chapter 439: Searching


    ¡°Ah! I know now!¡±


    Guihua¡¯s face was filled with inexplicable excitement, ¡°These riddles posed by the old schrs are simply no match for our sister-inw! Does this mean that her knowledge is many times greater than theirs!¡±


    This statement made Liu Sisi break into a cold sweat!


    It was just because she had benefited from the highly developed inte of her previous life, that she could guess so many answers!


    She already knew the answers to thesentern riddles, and now when she saw the riddles, she could just write down the answers directly. Naturally, unlike the people here trying to solve the riddles, she didn¡¯t have to ponder for a long time!


    This also created the illusion that she had everything figured out!


    ¡°Sister Guihua, don¡¯t talk nonsense. If this gets out, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t even be able to stroll around tonight!¡±


    Guihua quickly stuck out her tongue and changed the subject with augh.


    Everyone chatted andughed for a while, and the cooked dishes on the table were finally served.


    ¡°Do you guys feel that someone is missing tonight?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly said.


    Everyone¡¯s fast movements of grabbing food stopped for a moment.


    ¡°Are you talking about Xuan¡¯er and Prefecture Princess Luo? They went to the street over there, and besides, Prefecture Princess Luo is surrounded by a group of guards and maids, so there shouldn¡¯t be any major problems.¡±


    Di Yelei indifferently said.


    It was no wonder he wasn¡¯t worried. The county of Macheng was originally under their jurisdiction as constables. And for his child Di Xuan, who was such a big boy, what could happen?


    ¡°Eat up, everyone! The food won¡¯t be tasty once it¡¯s cold!¡± Di Yelei called out to everyone.


    Liu Sisi also cast aside that sliver of worry in her heart and started eating the food cheerfully.


    On the other side.


    Di Xuan was chased relentlessly by Thirteenth Luo, and they both gradually moved farther away from Lantern Street.


    As Thirteenth Luo chased after him, cursing all the while, there wasn¡¯t a trace of the noble air that a Prefecture Princess should have.


    Di Xuan asionally turned his head to curse back, trying to shake off the sticky candy behind him.


    ¡°You little brat, stop right there for your aunt!¡±


    Thirteenth Luo¡¯s clear voice rang out, her footsteps getting closer and closer.


    Di Xuan sprinted with his head down, feeling as though his feet were weighed down by lead, almost unable to move.


    ¡°You shrew! If you dare to chase after me, someone will teach you a lesson!¡±


    He nced back, mustered his courage, and dashed into a dark alleyway beside him.


    ¡°You ¡­ despicable little demon!¡±


    Thirteenth Luo, who had caught up to the entrance of the alley, stomped her foot angrily. Looking at the dark entrance that seemed like the mouth of a tiger, she finally steeled her heart and followed him in.


    Not long after they had disappeared, several silhouettes suddenly appeared at the entrance of the alley.


    Seeing each other, they quickly went into the alley one after the other, their figures disappearing from sight.


    Di Xuan ran blindly, the alley seemed to have no end, and it was pitch ck and incredibly deep. Except for the faint moonlight from the dim full moon above, the entire alley was shrouded in darkness.


    He ran with all his might, and suddenly he found himself mming into a wall.


    ¡°Ouch! That hurts ¡­¡±


    He lifted his head, holding his forehead, and looked around.


    It turned out that he had already reached the end of the alley. This alleyway was actually a dead-end!


    How unlucky! Di Xuan reluctantly turned around.


    ¡°Huff, huff¡­ Haha! Caught you, didn¡¯t I? You little brat¡­ actually¡­ actually making me chase you so¡­ so far! Huff, huff¡­¡±


    She grabbed Di Xuan¡¯s cor, panting heavily.


    ¡°Let go of me! You crazy woman, chasing me so far, lunatic! Lunatic!¡±


    Di Xuan struggled, trying to break free from her hand.


    ¡°Hey! Aren¡¯t you a little lunatic too, leading me on such a long chase, not even afraid of losing your way back!¡±


    Thirteenth Luo did not relent in the slightest, tightening her grip on Di Xuan¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯ll get lost! You crazy woman! Besides using your status to oppress others and call for their punishment, what else can you do? Ouch! Crazy woman, you actually dared to bite me¡­ I¡­¡±


    In the darkness, the sounds of tussling quickly ensued.


    Not until a ¡°hiss¡± suddenly echoed in the alley, followed by firelight illuminating the entire alley, did the two entwined figures realize something was amiss. They hurriedly let go of each other, only to discover several shadowy figures standing behind them.


    Di Xuan trembled all over.


    ¡°Who¡­who are you?¡±


    Thirteenth Luo suddenly screamed in fear!


    Elsewhere.


    Liu Sisi and the others finished their meal before settling the bill and leaving the wine-house. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The darkness deepened outside, but not only did the crowd on the street show no signs of dwindling, it seemed to swell even more, packed with people!


    ¡°Should we go over there and look? Xuan¡¯er and Prefecture Princess Luo have been gone for several hours and we still haven¡¯t seen them. Could something have happened?¡± Liu Sisi remained uneasy.


    ¡°What could happen within our jurisdiction?¡±


    Di Yelei feltpelled to refute her.


    ¡°You guys, do you think they might have tried to find us too, but there were too many peopleing and going, and then we were queuing up and sitting down to eat, so they couldn¡¯t find us?¡±


    Guihua beside them also offered her opinion.


    ¡°It¡¯s very likely that¡¯s the case.¡±


    Everyone immediately chimed in agreement with Guihua¡¯s words. Boys will be boys, after all ¨C it¡¯s normal for them to be a bit wild while out having fun.


    ¡°But I still can¡¯t help but worry. Why don¡¯t we go and search for them too? Just in case we find them?¡±


    Liu Sisi insisted on her idea.


    Di Yelei thought about it and agreed: ¡°That¡¯s true, let¡¯s go look for them. It would be even better if we could bump into them.¡±


    ¡°How about we split up and search? Guihua and I can lead Da Mao and Yun Er down one street, while you guys take another. Whether we find them or not, we¡¯ll meet up at the carriage stop by daybreak. What do you think?¡±


    Everyone had no objections, naturally making their way down the two different Lantern Streets.


    Elderly Mr. Di seemed quite weary, but before they even reached halfway, he could no longer walk. Di Yelei bent down to carry him on his back as they continued forward.


    Liu Sisi, leading YingEr, also felt extremely fatigued. Her legs felt as if they were filled with lead as she walked and called out.


    Having reached the end of the street, Di Yelei put down Elderly Mr. Di and discussed with Liu Sisi.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do either. You guys wait here, and I¡¯ll go back for another look in case we missed something. If I don¡¯te back for a while, anyway, head to the carriage stop before daybreak, and make sure not to wander off and get lost again.¡±


    Liu Sisi, of course, nodded in agreement.


    As soon as Di Yelei had left, YingEr began to doze off. Liu Sisi cradled YingEr on herp, silently waiting for Di Yelei¡¯s return.

 Chapter 440: Kidnapping

    Chapter 440: Kidnapping


    In that shadowy alley.


    Flickering mes illuminated the nearby area.


    ¡°Who are you? Who sent you?¡±


    The cry of Prefecture Princess Luo brought Di Xuan, who was standing stupefied, back to his senses.


    His heart also trembled!


    Previously, he thought these shadows were people from Prefecture Princess Luo¡¯s house. It wasn¡¯t until he heard the cry of Thirteenth Luo that he realized things were not what he thought.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    Di Xuan instinctively yelled, quickly passing through the shadows, attempting to escape.


    How could the two half-grown kids escape with a dead alley in front of them and several shadows chasing them behind?


    Even with their desperate struggle, they were eventually caught and tightly bound by several people after suffering some pain.


    ¡°Damn! I didn¡¯t expect to run into fat sheep today! This should be enough for us to live worry-free for half a year! Move faster and don¡¯t dawdle!¡±


    A man forcefully shoved Di Xuan, almost causing him to stumble and fall face forward.


    He staggered a few steps, barely regaining his bnce.


    As he tried to move his sore and numb arms, he found them tightly wrapped by hemp ropes, unable to break free.


    ¡°Mmm¡±


    The situation for Thirteenth Luo walking in front was no better. Not only was she simrly tied up, but her mouth was also gagged.


    The shadows pushed them both every few steps: ¡°Hurry up! Don¡¯t even think about escaping! Want more marks on your faces?¡±


    As they spoke, they raised the knives in their hands.


    Rather than leaving the alley, they pushed the two people into a small door beside them.


    Di Xuan instinctively tried to run, but before he could escape, several people grabbed him and shoved him.


    He lost his bnce and fell forward onto Thirteenth Luo. The two of them tumbled to the ground and struggled for a long time before barely managing to climb up, only to be kicked several times by the shadows.


    Someone emerged from the small door, making a gesture to those around.


    ¡°Shh! What are you doing, making so much noise? If the night patrol finds out, we¡¯ll be in big trouble! Hurry up and get everyone inside!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, right away!¡± n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The two behind them carefully pushed the two captives through the door.


    On the avenue.


    Di Yelei, Zhang Peng, and the others refused to give up, searching frantically in the streets. Not only did they fail to find Prefecture Princess Luo and Di Xuan, but they also came across the distraught maid.


    This maid had been pped more than a dozen times by Thirteenth Luo and was naturally unhappy.


    She was originally a favorite of the Princess Consort and had been assigned to serve Prefecture Princess Luo. This made her feel extremely wronged, which caused her to consider herself superior to the other maid and woman-servants by Prefecture Princess Luo¡¯s side.


    This time, Thirteenth Luo took her alone on this trip, making her feel she was on top of the world.


    Unexpectedly, she ended up being punished by Prefecture Princess Luo in the end. If this were to get out, how could she continue to hold her ground in the prince¡¯s mansion?


    With resentment in her heart, her movement naturally slowed down. By the time she noticed, the two people in front had already disappeared.


    She suddenly jolted awake,pletely alert!


    If something really happened to Prefecture Princess Luo, she would not only lose her footing in the prince¡¯s mansion but also worry about whether her body could remain intact after death!


    However, she had survived in the prince¡¯s mansion for a long time and knew that it was not appropriate to make a big fuss about the matter at hand. So, she immediately went back and brought along her newly recruited confidantes, searching quickly on the streets.


    Seeing that Di Yelei and the others were also searching for someone, and considering their connections, she hesitated before stepping forward.


    She understood that informing Di Yelei and the others about this matter would be tantamount to telling the whole world. However, she was gambling that Di Yelei and the others would not dare to publicize the matter for Di Xuan¡¯s sake.


    And she was right!


    Upon learning of the situation, Di Yelei¡¯s head suddenly felt like it was swelling!


    If Di Xuan and Luo Prefecture Princess went missing together after their chase, even ten Di Xuans wouldn¡¯t be enough to pay for the consequences!


    But right now, the most important thing was to find both of them.


    So, he immediately contacted people in the government offices in secret and quietly spread a throughout the county to search for the two missing people.


    Liu Sisi and Elderly Mr. Di were anxiously waiting by the roadside.


    They had not felt cold while walking, but now that they stopped, the chilly wind started to blow into their cors, making them tremble all over.


    This could not go on!


    Liu Sisi called to wake up her sleeping father, then slowly walked toward the location of the carriage, carrying YingEr.


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s legs were not agile, and Di Yelei had been half-carrying him while walking. Now that Liu Sisi was carrying YingEr in her sleep, they could only move forward slowly.


    Finally, when they reached the ce where the carriage was parked, Liu Sisi realized that the ce was filled with carriages. She carefully looked around and finally found her own carriage in a sheltered area.


    Old Cheng was sleeping in the carriage. Liu Sisi woke her up, took YingEr and entered the carriage.


    The wind inside the carriage was much less, and she ced the nkets from the carriage to wrap YingEr up properly. Then, she lit the warming stove in the carriage, and the carriage immediately became warm.


    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s too cold outside. Come inside to get warm. It¡¯s fine with Old Cheng present, no one will gossip.¡±


    Liu Sisi called twice, but Elderly Mr. Di sat on the front bench, silently refusing.


    Old Cheng saw the situation and had an idea: ¡°Madam, there¡¯s still another brazier in the hiddenpartment. You can also add charcoal fire to it so that it can be used by Old Master.¡± He could also warm up by the fire.


    ¡°I had totally forgotten about the extra brazier!¡±


    Liu Sisi was also happy, as she hadn¡¯t put much thought into the extra brazier at the time. Now, she wouldn¡¯t have remembered it at all.


    Liu Sisi quickly took some hot charcoal and ced it into the small brazier before handing it to her father.


    Elderly Mr. Di shakily epted it, and the warmth from the brazier warmed his entire being, making his old face smile.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, then took out some water to heat up and handed it to Elderly Mr. Di: ¡°Dad, it¡¯s cold today. Have some hot water to warm up.¡±


    ¡°Good, good!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di happily drank the hot water with a wrinkled smile on his face, while Liu Sisi, not minding the hot temperature, drank half a bowl as well.


    Old Cheng was even more clever! Seeing that the charcoal fire in the brazier was burning bright red, he took out some sweet potatoes from a hemp bag underneath the front of the carriage and ced them around the brazier.


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s a waste to not use this charcoal fire. Roasting some yam eggs would be perfect.¡±


    Liu Sisi saw this and asked him for some sweet potatoes as well, which she ced around the brazier in the carriage to bake.


    Old Cheng, being an experienced carriage driver, had chosen a location that was sheltered from the wind. At this point, it was already halfway through the night, with howling cold winds. While the asionalint of freezing cold could be heard from the other coachmen, the people in the wind-sheltered area were warming up.

 Chapter 441: 441: The Heir’s Questioning, Ye Lei’s Response

    Chapter 441: The Heir¡¯s Questioning, Ye Lei¡¯s Response


    Outside, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t worry about being careful. She leaned crookedly in the carriage, hugging YingEr to keep warm. Only when she asionally woke up would she lean over and flip the roast sweet potatoes at the edge of the stove and add some charcoal.


    Outside, Old Cheng was chatting with the coachmen next to him, the noise bringing a touch of warmth to the quiet night.


    The sky gradually brightened!


    This night was a sleepless one for many people.


    Especially for Di Yelei and those who came to help search for her, it was even more so.


    The sky gradually brightened, and in everyone¡¯s hearts, it felt like a huge rock weighed down on them.


    Everyone felt uneasy. Zhang Peng walked over and saw Di Yelei¡¯s ckened face and sighed.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest for a while?¡±


    Seeing that Di Yelei still maintained his original posture without speaking, Zhang Peng patted his shoulder.


    ¡°Worrying here won¡¯t help. Do you want to inform Lord County Magistrate¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°No! We can¡¯t tell him yet!¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly stood up from the ground. If he informed the Lord County Magistrate, it would be like reporting the matter to the authorities. If they really reported it, whether Prefecture Princess Luo had any issues or safely returned, Xuan¡¯er would probably not be spared a punishment in the end.


    That wasn¡¯t the most important thing. He and Di Xuan had already discussed it. Di Xuan was determined to pursue the path of the imperial civil examination, and there could be no stains on his record.


    Moreover, Prefecture Princess Luo was a dignified princess of the dynasty, and Xuan¡¯er should not be involved.


    Zhang Peng naturally understood Di Yelei¡¯s intentions: ¡°Dawn is almost here. Even if we want to hide it, how long can we hide it? Last night, we could say they went out to y, but if they don¡¯t show up today¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! I know.¡±


    Di Yelei lifted his head and swept his gaze around, taking in the expressions of his colleagues who hade to help: ¡°Don¡¯t worry! If something really happens, it will be entirely my responsibility. I won¡¯t implicate any of the brothers who came to help. When the timees, you just im that I invited you to help find Xuan¡¯er, and you didn¡¯t know that Prefecture Princess Luo had an ident!¡±


    The constables nearby also sighed and came over tofort him.


    ¡°Brother Ye Lei, we don¡¯t care about another punishment. It¡¯s nothing in this line of work. We just worry about Xuan¡¯er, who is already over eight years old, and Prefecture Princess Luo, who is already ten. If someone with ill intentions spreads false rumors, what will you do?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s tongue was tied!


    ¡°That¡­ can¡¯t be, can it? My Xuan¡¯er is still so young¡­ how could it be possible?¡±


    His head felt dizzy, and it was true that if you want to condemn someone, there¡¯s no shortage of excuses!


    Seeing Di Yelei¡¯s face change, the constable quickly smoothed things over.


    ¡°Although that¡¯s the case, once the two are found and it turns out to be a false rm, there won¡¯t be any big deal.¡±


    As everyone was talking, the sky gradually brightened!


    Di Yelei had never hoped for a sudden snowstorm to darken the sky again as much as he did at the moment.


    His premonition was not wrong. In just the time it took for two cups of tea, the one person who shouldn¡¯t have appeared here showed up!


    As soon as he appeared, he brought a strong sense of oppression, apanied by a group of elite soldiers. They swiftly swept the surroundings, surrounding the constables and others on the scene, forming a tight circle.


    Even the maid was brought over and thrown into the center of the crowd.<div>


    Di Yelei clenched his teeth, standing still.


    The other party had a strong aura, and his gaze never left Di Yelei for an instant. In his eyes, there was nothing but mockery.


    ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re up quite early. Judging by the bloodshot in your eyes, I suspect you didn¡¯t rest well yesterday, did you?¡±


    As he spoke, he nced at the surrounding constables. Upon encountering his gaze, they all bowed their heads and knelt down.<div>


    In the face of such a critical situation, Di Yelei became calm.


    He suddenly smiled and greeted with a fist, ¡°So it¡¯s Heir Luo who has graced us with his presence. You¡¯re really up early, Heir Luo, how rare, how rare!¡±


    This sentence was clearly meant to mock the other party foring so early. Heir Luo¡¯s smug expression disappeared instantly.


    He snorted coldly: ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened here, but there are so many constables gathered. Is there a major case going on? So you called for such arge mobilization?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Thank you, Heir Luo, for your concern for all of us.¡±


    Di Yelei saluted with another fist bump, saying loudly, ¡°Last night was the Lantern Festival of the 15th day of the first lunar month, so my colleagues and I decided to gather here to celebrate the festival.¡±


    Upon hearing these words, his colleagues came forward to chime in.


    ¡°How dare you deceive your superiors! Who gave you such boldness!¡±


    Heir Luo suddenly became furious!


    He sternly reprimanded everyone, ¡°Humph! Don¡¯t think your little actions can escape my notice. I didn¡¯t grow up eating only vegetables.¡±


    Just as he was about to be angry, a servant-looking man quickly ran up to him and whispered in his ear. A sh of surprise passed through his eyes, and he immediately dismissed the servant.


    ¡°I advise you all to confess honestly. Have you found the Prefecture Princess or not? If you dare to hide anything, don¡¯t me me for being heartless!¡±


    Even County Magistrate Su had hurried over, it seemed that he was an old cat that had tasted meat as well!<div>


    Hopefully everything was still in time!


    ¡°Heir Luo is mistaken!¡±


    Di Yelei reported loudly, ¡°We¡¯re just here to celebrate the Lantern Festival, and we really don¡¯t know what Heir Luo is talking about. Just now, Heir Luo said he found the Prefecture Princess, could it be that Heir Luo lost his younger sister, Prefecture Princess Luo, and wanted us to help search for her?¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t know what the servant had said, judging from Heir Luo¡¯s expression, something had probably changed to their advantage?


    After thinking about it, the only possibility was that County Magistrate Su had received some news and had hurried over!


    As expected, as soon as Di Yelei¡¯s words settled, Su County Magistrate¡¯s figure appeared outside the crowd.


    ¡°I thought there must be some reason for such arge gathering here. It turns out that Heir Luo has lost his sister, Prefecture Princess Luo. This is a big deal. It should be reported to the higher-ups and soldiers should be dispatched to search.¡±


    County Magistrate Su hurried over with his clothes in tow, and bowed directly: ¡°Subordinate officer Su County Magistrate greets Heir Luo!¡±


    Seeing that Di Yelei had just turned the situation around with a single sentence, Heir Luo let out a cold snort, and his de-like gaze swept over everyone: ¡°Yesterday was the Lantern Festival, and I, Heir Luo, thought that it was time to strengthen my bond with my sister, so I went to invite her to celebrate the festival. But I couldn¡¯t find her anywhere. Instead, I saw this maid sneaking around, secretly summoning men and horses to search for Prefecture Princess Luo. That¡¯s when I realized something had happened!¡±

 Chapter 442: 442: The Heir’s Questioning and Ye Lei’s Response

    Chapter 442: The Heir¡¯s Questioning and Ye Lei¡¯s Response


    As Prince Heir Luo spoke, he strode forward and viciously kicked Lan¡¯er, who was kneeling on the ground.


    Lan¡¯er let out a miserable cry and copsed on the ground. She endured Prince Heir Luo¡¯s barrage of punches and kicks without moving, having clearly fainted from the pain.


    Prince Heir Luo was furious, and he did not hold back his strength.


    ¡°Prince Heir Luo, please stop! She¡¯s a witness and can¡¯te to harm!¡±


    County Magistrate Su went to intervene, but it was toote. Lan¡¯er was already motionless.


    When Prince Heir Luo finally stopped, County Magistrate Su went to check on Lan¡¯er, and found, unsurprisingly, that she was not moving at all.


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s face was filled with regret: ¡°This¡­ this is the witness! We need her to find Prefecture Princess Luo. Now¡­ Luo¡¯s Heir, look¡­¡±


    He sighed regretfully twice.


    Prince Heir Luo sneered internally¡ªyou didn¡¯t want this girl to talk, and as for that annoying girl who was always against him, it would be better if the kidnappers tore her apart¡­


    However, on the surface he wore a face of deep pain: ¡°Ah! In my haste, I was too heavy-handed. Imperial physician! Where is the imperial physician? Hurry up and summon the imperial physician to see her and try to revive her quickly.¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    A guard epted themand and left.


    The corners of County Magistrate Su¡¯s mouth twitched imperceptibly.


    This ce was in North City and the imperial doctor lived in North City. It would take at least two quarters of an hour for the guard to get the doctor to this ce. Seeking far away instead of taking advantage of what was near, it was clear that they did not want the maid to speak!


    County Magistrate Su stood upright, sadly¡ªwasting the maid¡¯s flower-like face!


    He quickly tried to smile: ¡°Prince Heir Luo truly sympathizes with his subordinates. Even for a lowly maid, he personally summoned the imperial physician to treat her. He¡¯s truly a model for all.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Hearing this, Di Yelei and the others lowered their heads to avoid looking at the opponent¡¯s disgusting face.


    Seemingly unaware, Prince Heir Luo¡¯s gaze swept over Di Yelei and the others once more.


    ¡°Although this girl cannot speak for now, there are still a few people here who know the situation. This maid previously mentioned that it was the cousin from the uncle¡¯s family who took Prefecture Princess Luo away.¡±


    The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and a killing intent shed in his eyes.


    The hairs on Di Yelei¡¯s body stood up. Years of dealing with wild animals in the field had made him highly sensitive to killing intent.


    At this moment, although the Prince Heir Luo was smiling heartily, the killing aura made Di Yelei¡¯s muscles tense up in an instant, instinctively on guard.


    ¡°Prince Heir Luo is too serious! Prefecture Princess Luo indeed went to visit thentern market with my wife and son, Xuan¡¯er. However, they were apanied not only by Xuan¡¯er but also by Aunt Zhang Guihua and her family¡¯s Zhang Yun, as well as my elderly father. Prince Heir Luo, please do not blindly believe in the words of a lowly maid and tarnish the reputation of the Prefecture Princess.¡±


    Everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that the matter could be resolved as such.


    Originally standing on the side, Zhang Peng hurriedly stepped forward from the crowd and knelt down.


    ¡°Your Highness, my wife also went to thentern marketst night. Please, Your Highness, discern the truth!¡±


    ¡°Oh? By saying this, do you imply that I have made a mistake?¡±


    Prince Heir Luo¡¯s smile grew even more amiable: ¡°Since you all im to have been together, please produce the Prefecture Princess! If there is any further dy, don¡¯t me me for not being polite!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s previously settled hearts were raised again, they couldn¡¯t help but lower their heads even more, fearing that the fiery anger would burn them.<div>


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Di Yelei hesitated: ¡°But after arriving at thentern market, we all dispersed to guess riddles¡­ We don¡¯t know anything about what happened afterward.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he spread his hands in a gesture of innocence.


    ¡°Enough of your nonsense! Hand over the person quickly! Don¡¯t think that just because this heir calls you uncle, you really consider yourself an elder of this heir.¡±<div>


    Heir Luo had a fierce expression, directly tearing off the facade. He looked Di Yelei up and down.


    As for Di Yelei, he had heard quite a lot about him and also knew that the Gan Family and others did not see them off when they entered the capital. It seems that they didn¡¯t like this so-called righteous daughter very much.


    Di Yelei had a faint smile on his face while refusing to let his guard down: ¡°Di doesn¡¯t dare to im random rtives.¡±


    He did not dare to acknowledge such a vicious rtive.


    ¡°Today you better obediently hand over the person.¡±


    Heir Luo naturally heard the ridicule in his words. He stepped forward two steps and immediately grabbed onto Di Yelei¡¯s throat with a merciless expression!


    ¡°If you still don¡¯t hand her over, be careful that this heir treats you as an aplice in the abduction of the Prefecture Princess and locks you up in the government¡¯s prison. Let you taste all kinds of torture punishments. This heir wants to see whether your bones are harder or your mouth is tougher!¡±


    As he spoke, his big hand clenched and squeezed, trying to crush Di Yelei¡¯s throat in his grip¡­


    These words made everyone around gasp! Their eyes widened in disbelief.


    Even County Magistrate Su¡¯s body trembled, he had always thought that Heir Luo was kind and affable, but he never expected that Heir Luo was ruthless when he turned his face!


    Zhang Peng and Guihua, who were hiding in the corner, also tensed up, feeling their throats tighten.


    ¡°Heir Luo, you truly are capable! In broad daylight, you dare to openly kill your own uncle! Did you borrow the courage of the heavens ten times over?¡±


    A voice as beautiful as the music of the immortals suddenly rang out from behind!<div>


    Although the neer was dressed in ordinary clothes and her hair only simply held up by a jade hairpin, her temperament was extraordinarily outstanding, and her appearance was exceptional. Though she was still young, she was undeniably a stunning girl. It was easy to see how, given time, this woman would be a beauty capable of causing the downfall of a nation.


    And beside her stood another figure, if not Liu Sisi, who else could it be?


    As soon as Liu Sisi appeared, her gaze stayed fixed on the figure gripping Di Yelei¡¯s throat. Her ten fingernails dug into her palms, but she kept her lips pressed tightly and remained silent.


    This sudden turn of events made everyone in the scene overjoyed! Especially Di Yelei, who seemed to havee back to life.


    Heir Luo trembled all over and let go of his hand before turning his head violently.


    Immediately afterward, his eyes narrowed into a pinpoint and then suddenly widened. He let out a coldugh, wearing a loving elder brother¡¯s concern on his face.


    ¡°Little sister! It turns out you¡¯re still alive, how happy your brother is! It¡¯s all the fault of this lowly maid! She came to report that you were kidnapped and your whereabouts were unknown. Your brother was so worried about you that he came to ask about your location.¡±


    As he spoke, he raised his foot and directly kicked the maid who was lying on the ground.


    With a scream, Lan¡¯er, who had just woken up, fainted once again.

 Chapter 443: 443: Joy of Moving to a New Place

    Chapter 443: Joy of Moving to a New ce


    This scene caused Prefecture Princess Luo¡¯s hands to nearly tear the embroidered handkerchief she was holding into two pieces.


    How could her younger sister¡¯s personal maid be subject to punishment by her elder brother?


    His actions were nothing more than a warning to her that he could crush her followers at any time!


    ¡°Elder Brother is too serious. Yesterday was Lantern Festival, and Thirteen apanied Auntie around thentern market for a while. Later, Thirteen was really tired and went to rest with Auntie.¡±


    Next to her, Liu Sisi also hurried forward and confirmed this: ¡°It was Auntie who failed to protect the Prefecture Princess. The Prefecture Princess just apanied Auntie to have fun for half a day, and some schemers took advantage of this opportunity. It¡¯s really¡­ it¡¯s really¡­¡±


    ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t me yourself. This matter is not your fault.¡±


    As Prefecture Princess Luo spoke, she walked over to the unconscious maid on the ground and looked down.


    ¡°Since this Lan¡¯er took advantage of being bestowed by the Princess Consort, she not only disobeyed me, but also threw tantrums. When I punished her with ten ps to the face, she fled from me. Considering she was bestowed by the Princess Consort, I might as well bring her back to the prince¡¯s mansion and let the Princess Consort dispose of her!¡±


    You think you can take away this lowly maid¡¯s life at will? Humph! You¡¯re not qualified!


    ¡°Indeed, only the Princess Consort should handle this!¡±<div>


    Heir Luo¡¯s eyes flickered, and immediately spoke with a righteous tone: ¡°It turns out that everything was caused by this lowly maid¡¯s mischief. Sister, you must not be angry with Elder Brother. Forgive me.¡±


    Prefecture Princess Luo smiled shyly: ¡°Elder Brother is too serious, how can younger sister dare to take it!¡±


    The siblings talked back and forth for a long time. Until the imperial physician arrived with a letter, Heir Luo led his followers to withdraw from the scene.


    As soon as Heir Luo¡¯s followers left, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    What had just happened was too thrilling!


    If they had arrived a littleter, the consequences would have been unimaginable!


    ¡°Ye Lei, are you alright?¡±


    Originally standing in ce, Liu Sisi only rushed over at this moment and directly plunged into his arms: ¡°You are the uncle of the Young Master Heir after all. How can you be so impulsive to kill him? What about grandmother¡¯s face? What about stepfather¡¯s face? This is really¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she whispered in Di Yelei¡¯s ear: ¡°Xuan¡¯er has safely returned.¡±


    Di Yelei gave a nearly imperceptible nod. The husband and wife had naturally developed a tacit understanding after all this time and he spoke with a pained expression.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t talk nonsense! Anyway, Young Master Heir is Young Master Heir, we are just ordinary people, we can¡¯tpare with him! Don¡¯t say anything more.¡±


    These words left Prefecture Princess Luo with a shamefaced expression: ¡°I¡¯m to me for thex supervision, Thirteen apologizes to Uncle and Auntie here.¡±


    As she spoke, she performed a light bow.


    ¡°Prefecture Princess, please stand up quickly, don¡¯t break Sisi¡¯s heart.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly went up to support Prefecture Princess Luo, and secretly gave her a meaningful look.


    Prefecture Princess Luo nodded imperceptibly: ¡°After ying for a night yesterday, I am really exhausted and want to go back to rest. Auntie, why don¡¯t you go back together?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be possible, as Father is still waiting in the carriage. We¡¯ll visit another day.¡±


    The two of them talked for a while and then said goodbye and parted ways.


    Meanwhile, Di Yelei was expressing his gratitude to his colleagues one by one: ¡°I¡¯m really grateful for everyone¡¯s help. Thank you all! In the future, if any of you ask for something, I will definitely do my best to help, as I promised!¡±<div>


    ¡°Brother Ye Lei, you are too serious.¡±


    One of his colleagues patted his shoulder casually: ¡°We all eat from the same bowl. If the bowl spills, none of us will escape. Don¡¯t you all agree?¡±


    Everyone naturally chimed in and agreed.


    ¡°Since everyone agrees, we can¡¯t let him off the hook so easily! In any case, Brother Ye Lei must treat all of us to a good drink. Don¡¯t you all think so?¡±<div>


    His words immediately received unanimous support from the crowd.


    ¡°Fine! Once Lord County Magistrate starts his seal, I, Di Yelei, will treat everyone to a good meal! We¡¯ll drink till we¡¯re drunk!¡±


    Di Yelei said with a heroic spirit.


    ¡°Great! We¡¯ll all look forward to your feast! By then, you must not say that you¡¯re bad at drinking and avoid getting drunk!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry! This time it¡¯s definitely drink till we¡¯re drunk. If anyone dares to cheat at the banquet table, from now on they¡¯ll have to squat while peeing like women¡­¡± At this, everyone burst intoughter.


    Everyone continued to chat andugh for a long time before they all said goodbye and went home.


    Zhang Peng, Di Yelei, and the others walked back. Seizing the opportunity when no one was paying attention, Di Yelei could no longer hold back his curiosity and whispered to Liu Sisi beside him.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really nothing. It¡¯s just that Xuan¡¯er and the Prefecture Princess were saved by someone. I¡¯ll tell you more in the evening.¡± Liu Sisi said casually and did not borate.


    As long as there was no problem!


    Di Yelei nodded and didn¡¯t continue to press for more information.


    Upon finally returning to the carriage parking area, sure enough, Di Xuan was sleeping soundly in the carriage, snoring softly.


    Meanwhile, dad was sitting on the front of the carriage, chatting with the coachman nearby, his face filled with joy.<div>


    It had been a long time since Di Yelei saw his father with such a radiant smile on his face.


    When the carriage went back, Elderly Mr. Di insisted on sitting at the front. Liu Sisi and Guihua inside were falling asleep, dozing off.


    The carriage didn¡¯t return to Upper Vige but stopped in front of a shop instead.


    Di Yelei looked back at the people getting out of the carriage and said, ¡°The auspicious time is at noontime today. We just made it in time!¡±


    As he spoke, he opened the door to the shop.


    Liu Sisi and the others took a look inside, finding that it had already been cleaned and even the furniture was ready. All they had to do wasy out the quilts, and it would be ready for people to live in.


    They were extremely surprised!


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that the people Old He sent were so diligent! They even made the inside neat and tidy!¡±


    Di Yelei said with astonished delight, ¡°It was Old He who helped us find the shop, and after finishing the tenant contract, he said that he would help us clean the house. It¡¯s like paying his meal money for next month in advance!¡±


    Everyoneughed at this!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Now dad can eat without worrying about having no one to talk to.¡±


    Liu Sisi was also very happy.


    Di Yelei quickly went out and in a short while, brought back a big stack of bedding.<div>


    He also went out to buy some firecrackers, lit them outside the shop at the auspicious time, and the loud crackling of the firecrackers awakened the drowsy people inside. The neighbors around were also woken up and gathered to congratte them.

 Chapter 444: 444: Joy of Moving to a New Place

    Chapter 444: Joy of Moving to a New ce


    Across the street, Old He had been looking forward to Liu Sisi and others moving in for a long time. As soon as he heard the sound of firecrackers, he immediately went over.


    ¡°Haha¡­ So it¡¯s you who have moved in! Why don¡¯t you need any help moving things?¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly went over and greeted: ¡°Old He! Wasn¡¯t it Lantern Festival yesterday? We just got back from the county and came straight here. We¡¯ll move the small items tomorrow.¡±


    Old He nodded repeatedly: ¡°That¡¯s fine! Those old things aren¡¯t worth much money, so it¡¯s good to change them. As they say, out with the old, in with the new!¡±


    As they were talking, Elderly Mr. Di walked out from the inside using a crutch,ughing and greeting them.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you, who would have thought you aged so much all at once! Fortunately, your spirit is still good, very good! Very good!¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di didn¡¯t say a word, just holding Old He¡¯s hand, unable to let go for a long time.


    Since it was a sudden move, Liu Sisi was not fully prepared, so she had to go to the nearby pastry and candy shop to buy pastries and candies to distribute to everyone.


    Everyone chatted andughed, and before they knew it, they were getting acquainted with each other.<div>


    Liu Sisi was busy weing the neighbors and distributing pastries and candies to the children. After a good night¡¯s sleep, YingEr had already started ying with the little girls next door.


    ¡°Is this your child? Such a good-looking face, a true beauty in the making!¡±


    ¡°Hello, aunties!¡±


    YingEr, with her beautiful looks and sweet-mouthed manners, was able to charm the neighbors.


    ¡°You aunties are beautiful too, and your daughters and little sisters are pretty as well!¡±


    However, Zhang Yun, who stood protectively beside her with a grown-up demeanor, wasn¡¯t very likable.


    How could the neighbors pass up such a good opportunity to tease?


    ¡°When this child grows up, I wonder which family¡¯s son will be lucky enough to have her¡­ When you¡¯re older, I¡¯ll definitely help you find a good family to marry into¡­¡±


    Everyoneughed and talked,pletely disregarding Zhang Yun¡¯s changing face,ughing until their stomachs hurt.


    ¡°Oh, this little one is so cute! Just look at how strong and sturdy he is, I can¡¯t help but want to pick him up and take him home to raise myself¡­¡±


    Neighbors¡¯ eyes shifted to Da Mao, YingEr¡¯s little tail. Da Mao¡¯s round body was even more adorable to the auntie neighbors, who rushed forward to tease him.


    Aftering to Di Family, Da Mao had a good life, eating and drinking well. His days were so different from before, making his small body round and his face chubby. Even his originally yellow, straw-like hair was bing darker and glossy.


    By the middle of the afternoon, Xuan¡¯er woke up. Naturally, the genteel and quiet Xuan¡¯er was praised by the neighbors, making Liu Sisi quite proud.


    More sharp-eyed folks noticed Liu Sisi¡¯s slightly bulging belly, which couldn¡¯t help but make them envious.


    Zhang Peng and Guihua were also busy helping and adding necessary items. As it was only a rented house, there was no need to be too particr about it.


    Due to Old He¡¯s presence, Liu Sisi warmly invited him to have dinner at their ce in the evening.


    Old He didn¡¯t hesitate, patting his thigh in agreement.


    Liu Sisi was also extremely happy. After thinking for a while, she asked Old Cheng to make a trip to the rice and grain shop in the small town to buy some pure flour, cut a piece of pork, buy some chopped buk choi, and casually wrap some dumplings to eat. She also used eggs to make omelets, filled them with cooked shredded turnip, and made spring rolls, which was enough to get through a meal.


    This meal, due to being hastily made, was not exactly top-notch deliciousness, but everyone, who had already been tired from a whole day, still ate up the two big pots of dumplings and two big tes of spring rolls.<div>


    In the end, everyone was stuffed and didn¡¯t want to move.


    The most interesting one was the medicine pageboy. He was originally helping at the clinic diagonally opposite and came running at the smell of the cooked dishes from this side. He didn¡¯t care about anything and directly came over with his own bowl, eating without asking, even ignoring the calls from the cashier there to go back and help close the shop.


    After putting down the bamboo chopsticks, Old He shook his head with satisfaction: ¡°Elderly Mr. Di, do you know what I envy you the most for? It¡¯s not having a good son, but having a good daughter-inw who can do things so well and cook such delicious food!¡±


    He said this with a sour expression on his face.<div>


    Elderly Mr. Di had a big smile on his face, obviously very happy.


    ¡°Sisi, she¡­ is knowledgeable¡­ good to the children, to Third Child, and to me¡­¡±


    Although it was difficult for him to speak, he spared no effort in praising his daughter-inw.


    ¡°I know, I know! She¡¯s good at everything. You see, my daughter-inw is also very filial to me, but she just¡­¡±


    Old He and Elderly Mr. Di went to the other side, grumbling about their daughters-inw.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mind everyone¡¯s yfulness. She was so sleepy that after washing the bowls and chopsticks, she went back to the room andy down.


    The shop¡¯s facade was not veryrge, but the backyard was indeed spacious. Most importantly, the furnishings in the room arranged by Old He were of extraordinary taste, and it was veryfortable to lie down and sleep, except for one thing!


    There was no underfloor heating in this room, and it was still not as warm as the Di family¡¯s home.


    Fortunately, a charcoal stove was lit in the room to keep warm, and it didn¡¯t feel that cold.


    Only after tidying up everything did Di Yelei return to the room quietly and get into bed, naturally waking Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Huh? I thought you were already asleep. Are you tired?¡±


    ¡°Tired, not only very tired but also my whole body is sore.¡±


    No wonder her whole body was sore, she had been ying madly all day yesterday, and spent the night curled up in the carriage.<div>


    ¡°By the way, how are the children? Have you checked on them? They must all be asleep.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re all asleep.¡±


    In the meantime, he took off his clothes and curled up in bed, ¡°Zhang Peng and Guihua¡¯s family have gone back, I originally wanted to keep them temporarily, but they insisted on going back.¡±


    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s no one to take care of our old home, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua, and those rabbits and chickens¡­¡±


    ¡°You, you really worry too much.¡±


    Di Yelei hugged her waist, ¡°After we came back, didn¡¯t I ask Old Cheng to go back and check? He¡¯s already looked after them, and you know how capable Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua are. I asked Old Cheng to untie their ropes. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Liu Sisi rested her head on his arm, and his muscles were tight and ufortable.


    She reached out and poked his hard chest, ¡°What are you tense about?¡±


    Having been a couple for so long, she naturally understood Di Yelei¡¯s bodynguage very well!

 Chapter 445: 445: It’s You!

    Chapter 445: It¡¯s You!


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m worried about.¡±


    Di Yelei buried his head on her shoulder and murmured.


    ¡°Are you asking about Xuan¡¯er¡¯s matter? Actually, I don¡¯t know what really happened either. I asked Xuan¡¯er, but he refused to tell me. Later when I pressed him again, it was Prefecture Princess Luo who intermittently told me a bit.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What did she say?¡±


    ¡°She said, she was also in the dark. After they were taken hostage, they were taken to a courtyard. Those people shoved them around, then suddenly someone recognized her identity. They grouped together, and I don¡¯t know what they discussed about. She initially thought it was over, but surprisingly, a figure suddenly dropped from the sky.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Who is this person?¡± Di Yelei quickly sat up.


    Liu Sisi shook her head, hesitating a bit: ¡°Prefecture Princess Luo said she didn¡¯t get a clear look at the person¡¯s face. Because the person was all in ck attire and had a masked face. However, she did hear Xuan¡¯er say a sentence.¡±


    ¡°What did he say? Don¡¯t keep me in suspense, quickly tell me!¡±


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er said: ¡®It¡¯s you!¡¯ Prefecture Princess Luo told me that Xuan¡¯er only said two words, and his expression didn¡¯t look good. The person quickly resolved those people and saved them. Afterward, when she asked Xuan¡¯er again, Xuan¡¯er adamantly denied having said this sentence.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­ Xuan¡¯er said that it was you, which means Xuan¡¯er knew the person who came to the rescue?¡±<div>


    ¡°ording to Prefecture Princess Luo¡¯s ount, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s the case.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded: ¡°After they got out, they didn¡¯t know where to find us, so Xuan¡¯er thought of the ce where the carriage was parked, and that¡¯s why they ran towards the carriage, leading to the incident afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ the question is, who exactly is this person? Xuan¡¯er stays at home every day, the people he knows logically, we should also know¡­¡±


    The more Di Yelei spoke, the more it made sense. He couldn¡¯t help but sit up from the head of the bed, turn over and get out of the bed to start dressing.


    ¡°You rest for a while, I¡¯m going to ask him.¡±


    ¡°Ye Lei, don¡¯t go. I asked him yesterday, and he refused to speak!¡± Liu Sisi hurriedly called out from behind.


    ¡°You rest. It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m just going to casually ask. Since the person saved Xuan¡¯er, it¡¯s a good thing after all. We should properly thank him.¡±


    After Di Yelei finished speaking, he pushed open the door and swiftly left the room.


    Liu Sisi looked at the tightly shut room door andy back down on the head of the bed.


    Who exactly is the man who came to save Xuan¡¯er?


    She pondered aimlessly, and sleepily fell asleep, she didn¡¯t even know when Di Yelei came back.


    Inside the hostel of Macheng County.


    Thirteenth Luo, dressed only in his middle clothes, was absent-mindedlybing through his ck hair with ab, yet his gaze was looking through the mirror, which showed off his young but stubborn face. His deep ck eyes were staring at her unwaveringly. It seemed as if he had a thousand words to say, but there was no way to start.


    ¡°Little brat¡­¡±


    She muttered, unconsciously reaching out to touch, until she touched the cold chill of the bronze mirror, then she suddenly withdrew her hand.


    Her heart suddenly thumped wildly!


    She was actually suddenly thinking of him, what the hell was going on?


    Before she could sort out her thoughts, a faint knock on the door sounded from outside: ¡°Prefecture Princess, the ve has something to report.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±<div>


    She casually ordered, then picked up theb again and slowlybed through her long hair.


    The one who came in was her personal maid, Xiang¡¯er. As soon as she entered, she quickly came forward and busied herself withbing Thirteenth Luo¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Prefecture Princess, let the veb your hair. These maids are all gettingzy, actually letting Prefecture Princess do it by herself, they should be punished.¡± While she was speaking, she had already taken theb and started tob it gently.


    ¡°No matter, I asked them to leave.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Thirteeth Luo looked at Xiang¡¯er in the bronze mirror: ¡°By the way, how are things going?¡±


    Xiang¡¯er was very efficient: ¡°Prefecture Princess, the ve has already passed the message as you had instructed. But regarding moving to the north in these three days, everyone still has to pack their things, will the time be too tight?¡±


    ¡°If not for giving everyone time, I would have hated not being able to go to the capital immediately! Humph!¡±


    Thirteenth Luo snorted lightly: ¡°By the way, how is Lan¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°To reply to the Prefecture Princess, the imperial physician said Lan¡¯er¡¯s life is saved. However, her internal organs have been damaged and she won¡¯t be able to leave the bed for a short while. Even if she recovers, her health will not be as good as before.¡±


    ¡°Getting back a small life is already due to her ancestors¡¯ blessings! Still thinking to return to the original state? If you want to me, you can only me herself for going against me, the Prefecture Princess, because she was spoiled by the Princess Consort! It¡¯s not surprising that there is today¡¯s disaster.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for her being a person of the Princess Consort, asking the imperial physician toe and treat her, she might have been a corpse at this moment.


    Isn¡¯t that indeed due to the blessings from their ancestors?


    When her hair had dried, and Xiang¡¯er had made the bed, Thirteenth Luo sent her away.


    ¡°You go as well! Tell everyone to move quickly. If there really isn¡¯t enough time, staying in Macheng County to retire isn¡¯t bad either!¡±


    Are these old folks from the prince¡¯s manor going to be left in this bird-less county to retire?


    Xiang¡¯er secretly gasped, hurriedly excused herself and left, quickly conveying the words of the Prefecture Princess.


    Thirteenth Luo raised her hand, looking at the newly dyed nails that were still notpletely dry, andughed lightly.<div>


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, juste out! Hiding like this will make others who see it think I¡¯m hiding a wild man in Thirteenth Luo¡¯s room!¡±


    There was a moment of silence in the room.


    After a moment, the curtain of the window lightly bobbed, and Lu Taiwan lifted the door curtain and walked in.


    ¡°Little sister¡¯s martial arts are indeed getting better and better, and this acting skill is even more so, not only did you fool everyone, even I, the elder brother, got included in your calctions, even all the reactions were calcted. Indeed, it¡¯s high! High indeed!¡±


    While speaking, he gave Thirteenth Luo a thumbs up.


    ¡°Good to hear, good to hear, this little sister also has no choice but to do this. If it wasn¡¯t for self-preservation, why would Thirteen risk her life as bait? My good heir brother, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    While Thirteenth Luo spoke, she got up and walked towards him.


    Lu Taiwan stared at her for quite a while, then picked at the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Heh! Aren¡¯t you afraid that you might really lose your life ying this game?¡±


    ¡°Well, I nearly lost my life indeed, but what about it? After all, I won the bet, right? My good heir brother!¡±


    Sparks flew as their eyes met mid-air!


    After a good while, Lu Taiwan withdrew his gaze: ¡°Good! You¡¯ve got guts! Thirteen Luo, I¡¯ll wait to see the day youe begging me! Humph!¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 446: 446: Standing by Your Side

    Chapter 446: Standing by Your Side


    Having said that, he turned and directly pushed aside the door curtain, striding away!


    Lu Thirteen wanted to remind him to be mindful of his reputation, but considering his temperament, he probably wouldn¡¯t care unless he had a full-blown bad reputation and no ce to bury his body!


    ¡°Lu Taining¡­ha ha. How could I, Lu Thirteen, not value my life? It is exactly because I want to survive, that¡­I¡¯m willing to risk my life. I hope¡­everything changes from now on!¡±


    She tightly held the hairpin in her hand, the tail of which had pierced her palm, but she didn¡¯t feel it.


    Her eyes were fixedly staring at the constantly swaying door curtain!


    Elsewhere.


    Di Xuan was alsoying in bed, spacing out.


    Hearing a knock on the door, he quickly closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.


    A momentter, the room door was gently pushed open, and the room immediately lit up.


    Di Yelei ced thempstand on the small table and looked down at Di Xuan sleeping at the head of the bed, remaining silent for quite a while.<div>


    The fact that his eyes were tightly closed, yet the pupils were still moving, indicated that he was not asleep at all and was merely avoiding Di Yelei.


    Di Yelei gently sat on the edge of the bed and tucked him in.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, as for who saved you, you don¡¯t want to tell its alright, but you must understand one thing ¡ª you¡¯re still young. Be careful not to make mistakes or go down the wrong path. Sometimes, if you take a wrong step, you can retrieve your footing. However, sometimes, any misstep could bring disaster not only to yourself but also to your family and n. Remember! Remember!¡±


    Having said that, he stood up, picked up the candlestick, and then turned back again.


    ¡°Should you encounter any insurmountable challenges, don¡¯t forget that I am your father, and I will always stand by your side!¡±


    Di Yelei looked at the small figure at the head of the bed, which remained motionless, sighed quietly, and left the room.


    Outside, the sky had started to lightly snow again!


    It was such a cold day!


    Early the next morning, Liu Sisi woke up to a bunch of shouting.


    Upon getting up, she saw that everyone was busy unloading goods.


    Old Cheng had originally set up the cart to enter the backyard through the side door of the shop, but the cargo on the carriage was stuck in the small alley. There were people and carriages travelling behind and in front of him, so Old Cheng was anxious and shouted twice.


    Everyone pitched in to help move the supplies into the house.


    Liu Sisi realized that the items on the carriage were all newly bought essentials, for instance, her father¡¯s rocking chair, water buckets, and pot¡­


    It was manageable on the first day she arrived, but it¡¯s not a good idea topromise every day. So, Di Yelei went shopping early in the morning.


    When all the items were moved, Di Yelei dusted off his clothes.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, why not sleep in a bit? You look so tired, apparently, you didn¡¯t sleep well.¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head: ¡°I¡¯m already awake. What about Xuan? Did he say anythingst night?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything and my questioning was to no avail. I thought about it, and well, he¡¯s grown up and not entirely under parental control anymore. I told him to be more cautious when he¡¯s out and ensure his own safety. He agreed.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded, ¡°Yes, that would be good¡­¡±<div>


    Beyond this, she didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the vigeter to chop some bamboo strips. When I have some free time, I¡¯ll weave some dustpans and trays. Those things are easy to weave, and I can finish them in my spare time in the evening. I also n to bring Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua over. As for the rabbits and chicks, there probably won¡¯t be many left after this winter anyway, so I might as well butcher them and bring them over. What do you think?¡±


    Liu Sisi thought carefully, ¡°We¡¯ve butchered the chicks and rabbits several times already. There should still be 14 chicks and 6 rabbits. This courtyard is big enough, why don¡¯t we clear up the space next to the stable in the courtyard? You can weave a fewrge cages and keep them all there.¡±


    Di Yelei pped his thigh: ¡°Sisi thinks moreprehensively than I do. The area near the outflow of the stable, is perfect for raising chicks and rabbits. It¡¯s a waste to leave such a big yard empty.¡±<div>


    Once the decision was made, Di Yelei didn¡¯t even bother to eat, ¡°Let¡¯s go out and buy some steamed buns to deal with this meal. Your body is important, so you should rest well.¡±


    Liu Sisi only had time to take a close look at theyout of the courtyard today, after being busy greeting neighbors all day yesterday.


    Although this is a courtyard with a shop, there is actually a small door on the side. Liu Sisi hasn¡¯t figured out what to do with the shop in the front yet, so she simply hasn¡¯t opened the shop, and everyone enters and exits through the small door.


    The small courtyard is built ording to theyout of a courtyard. The house is lined in a row in the front, the storage room is opposite and to the side of the house, and the stable is at the downwind.


    The stable in the courtyard was there when they moved in, indicating that the previous owner must have kept horses. Although the stable looks a little dpidated, it had been repaired.


    Liu Sisi was busy making breakfast.


    She had slept until daybreak yesterday because she was too tired. Making Di Yelei and Old Cheng hungry and busy today was very inconsiderate of her.


    She always liked cleanliness, and the reason she made dumplings yesterday was partly to minimize the use of kitchen utensils. Today, while she was cooking, she was cleaning at the same time, cleaning the inside and the outside again thoroughly.


    It wasn¡¯t until breakfast was ready, that she stepped out of the kitchen to call everyone to eat.


    She didn¡¯t know what Di Yelei and Xuan¡¯er had talked aboutst night, but when Liu Sisi went to wake him up, he was obviously very sleepy.


    On the contrary, YingEr and Da Mao were no longer in their rooms early in the morning. After searching the four corners of the building¡­


    Gosh!


    YingEr and Da Mao were sitting in the clinic diagonally opposite, gulping down their breakfast. Sitting next to Old He, grinning from ear to ear, who else could it be but her father?<div>


    When she thought about it, her father had lived a life of abundance in Di Family, but he didn¡¯t have someone to talk to. He had been stifled.


    Now that he¡¯se to this small town and seen Old He, like an old friend, he seems more lively. No wonder he came to the shop so early in the morning!


    Naturally, Liu Sisi greeted him, ¡°Good morning, Old He! Good morning, Dad and everyone.¡±


    Old He turned his head and looked at Liu Sisi with a big smile, ¡± Sisi! It¡¯s just the right time for you toe! Come on, sit down and have some meal with us. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Old He, Sisi also cooked meals and is waiting for Dad and the children at the house. We got up sote today that we missed breakfast time¡­¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi said this with a little embarrassment.


    ¡°No problem, you just moved here yesterday and must be tired. It¡¯s better for you and the children to lie down more¡­¡±


    Old He could not stop preaching.


    Looking at YingEr and Da Mao, her little follower, eating happily, and her father watching over them here, Liu Sisi had a light chat for a while, then excused herself from Old He and went back to the courtyard.

 Chapter 447: 447: A Happy Year of Abundance and Prosperity

    Chapter 447: A Happy Year of Abundance and Prosperity


    Xuan¡¯er had already set the food, and Liu Sisi sat down with him to have breakfast.


    Di Xuan obviously avoided her gaze today, keeping his head down. Liu Sisi didn¡¯t force him, and focused on eating her meal.


    After the meal, Liu Sisi called him: ¡°Xuan¡¯er, I¡¯ve looked at the arrangement of the rooms, and I n to leave the one on the left side for you to use as a study. The room has good lighting, which is better for reading without straining your eyes. Do you like it, or do you want to change to another room?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you decide is fine, mom.¡± Di Xuan didn¡¯t object.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll rearrange the room so that it¡¯s morefortable for you to study.¡±


    Liu Sisi was more particr about the lighting in the study than the ssrooms. Back in the Di Family, she had no choice but to ept what was avable. Now that they just moved in, she would carefully n the arrangement.


    There were no electric lights in this era. Natural light was used during the day, and candles and oilmps at night. Both candles and oilmps cost money, so most people here made their own candles.


    The production of such candles naturally required pine resin, which was obtained by cutting open the bark of ancient pines in the mountains. The pine resin was mixed with animal fat or vegetable oil, and then wrapped around an item such as bamboo or hemp to form a twisted shape. The item was soaked in the mixed fat and ced into various sized bamboo tubes or homemade candlesticks, forming a wick or candlestick.


    This method of making homemade wicks or candlesticks was more cost-effective than candles and oilmps. The only drawback was that they smoked a little more, leaving the ceilings ckened over time.


    When Di Yelei returned from his hometown, he saw Liu Sisi constantly changing the position of the desk, trying to find the best lighting spot.<div>


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t move it! I¡¯ll take care of the heavy stuff, it¡¯s not suitable for you in your current condition!¡±


    As he spoke, he pulled her aside and helped her sit down on a chair nearby.


    ¡°By the way, check out the vegetables that I brought back. I brought a lot of the good ones we nted, so we don¡¯t have to go out and buy any for the next few days!¡±


    Di Yelei was full of enthusiasm and energy: ¡°The move was so rushed, and when the vigers found out that we wereing to live in the small town, they all came to see us off, saying that we should go back to live there¡­¡±


    It was clear that he was quite reluctant to leave.


    ¡°We will definitely go back to live there. That¡¯s our root, how could we abandon it?¡± Liu Sisi said casually.


    She had devoted countless efforts to that home, how could she abandon it? This trip was merely temporary.


    ¡°Even Uncle Land Officer came! And look, he even gave us a basket of taro. I thought about it, and gave him two pieces of beast meat, asking him to help watch over our house.¡±


    In this era, the chances of thievesing to one¡¯s home were slim, as ordinary households didn¡¯t have much worth stealing.


    ¡°That¡¯s appropriate. Uncle Land Officer has helped us a lot, and what we gave him during the New Year wasn¡¯t much. Next time we go back, we¡¯ll bring him two more pieces of beast meat.¡±


    Liu Sisi supported her waist, feeling the difference since bing pregnant, as if something was always propping her up from her lower back.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much beast meat left. I left two pieces in the old house and brought the rest here. When we moved, I realized that our lives have improved so much without us even noticing.¡±


    Di Yelei straightened his back and stepped forward, gently embracing her and rubbing his cheeks against hers.


    ¡°Do you remember two years ago during the New Year, when I had to guard the mountain for two nights just to catch a nest of catfish eels? I sold two and kept two to barely get through the holiday. But this year, I finally knew what a prosperous New Year was like! Abundant meat and vegetables, white rice every meal! We even bought a car, hired people, and purchased farnd¡­ And all of this, was because I, Di Yelei, married you!¡±


    ¡°Sisi! You are truly my lucky star!¡± Di Yelei eximed sincerely.


    Liu Sisi alsoughed!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But as things were getting better at home, she asionally woke from her dreams, fearing that everything she saw was just a dream.


    And she couldn¡¯t tell north from south in her dreams!


    Even more afraid that after waking up, she would have to face the smoggy city of her previous life, the small and cramped tin houses as narrow as pigeon cages, and the cold high-rise buildings made of concrete and steel¡­<div>


    Only by snuggling in her husband¡¯s warm embrace did she feel real!


    Fi felt like a living person!


    Hearing him say all this, she gave him a funny look: ¡°Oh? Is it really as you say? Am I really that good?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely that good! Since marrying you, originally bad things have turned into good things, and our lives have be more and more prosperous. I, Di Yelei, feel like a blind bear who fell into a honey jar, soaked in a nest of fortune, not wanting to wake up!¡±<div>


    Di Yelei said confidently,ughing with a mouthful of white teeth.


    Such a smile made Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks slightly flushed, and she spat at him.


    ¡°Look at how happy you are¡­¡±


    Di Yeleiughed even harder, ¡°With such a virtuous wife, what more could a husband ask for! I¡¯m indeed delighted! Haha¡­¡±


    Hisughter infected Liu Sisi, and the sweetness spread in her heart.


    They cuddled for a while, and then he gently patted Liu Sisi¡¯s shoulder: ¡°All right! Go to the kitchen, the room is too messy. Let me handle the work here!¡±


    It seems that today, this man wouldn¡¯t let her touch the table!


    ¡°All right! You put these things here, and I¡¯ll go check the kitchen.¡±


    After Liu Sisi finished speaking, she went to the kitchen.


    As expected, there was arge basket of vegetables in the kitchen, garlic sprouts, baby bok choy, turnips, carrots, and bean sprouts¡ªa whole load. In addition, pickling jars for pickled cabbage, soybean paste, and preserved tofu were also ced in a corner of the kitchen. Even the potted Chinese chives had been brought over by Di Yelei!


    This man knows how to live a good life!


    Liu Sisiughed!


    She wasn¡¯t in a hurry. She first took out a wooden basin, soaked the soybeans in it, then covered it with a towel and ced it on the edge of the stove to grow bean sprouts.<div>


    These vegetables could solve the recent supply of greens, but getting more vegetables in the cold winter would be a big problem. She could manage not to eat meat, but she couldn¡¯t bear not eating vegetables!


    After getting everything settled, she first took out the bean sprouts, which wouldn¡¯tst long once they were picked, so they had to be consumed first. Next were the baby bok choy and garlic sprouts; finally, the turnips and carrots could be stored for some time, so she temporarily stored them in the bowl cab.


    A new home signified a fresh start, representing that everything needed to be rearranged and adapted. As she turned around to retrieve the kitchen knife hanging on the wall, she remembered that since they had just moved in, the knife was still in the bowl cab¡­


    One by one, gathering and adding, it seemed as if she hadn¡¯t done much, and it was already the 18th day of Lunar New Year.

 Chapter 448: 448: Plan

    Chapter 448: n


    On the 18th day of Lunar New Year, the governmental office officially reopened and Di Yelei returned to work. Most importantly, Di Xuan and Zhang Yun started attending the vige school.


    Early in the morning, Liu Sisi prepared cooked dishes for the two to eat before they left home.


    Since it was Di Xuan¡¯s first day at school, and considering the previous incident, Liu Sisi was worried about Di Xuan walking to school alone. So, she followed him after Di Yelei rode his horse out of the house.


    ¡°Mom! Go back! I know the way to school.¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s cheeks turned slightly red; after all, he was a grown-up boy and a male ¨C how could his mother apany him to school?


    However, Liu Sisi smiled gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll leave as soon as you¡¯re at school and won¡¯t go inside.¡±


    Thinking of the attitude of Mr. Meng, she had no intention of going inside.


    ¡°No! Mom¡­ Your body is heavy. You should go back and not apany me.¡± Di Xuan became a little irritated.


    ¡°No way! Who knows where those who kidnapped you came from? What if they show up again? I won¡¯t insist on anything else, I¡¯ll just send you to school today!¡± Liu Sisi insisted again and again.


    Di Xuan couldn¡¯t argue with her, so he simply sped up his pace while Liu Sisi quietly followed behind.<div>


    When they were not far from the vige school, they saw many studentsing one after another.


    There were ordinary students with patched clothes from poor families, noble children dressed in fine clothes apanied by a group of people and sedan chairs, lonely teenagers walking alone like Di Xuan, and young men apanied by attendant students or maids.


    However, it was natural for people to associate with those in simr situations, and the vige school was no exception.


    Seeing these groups of students moving forward, Liu Sisi¡¯s thoughts whirled in her head.


    It can¡¯t always be like this!


    Right now, Di Xuan was still young, but as he grew up, she wouldn¡¯t be able to take care of everything. Besides, she was a stepmother, and excessive interference might lead to criticism.


    Her eyes swept across the other students, and it was better to arrange an attendant student for him as soon as possible to take care of his daily life!


    Speaking of Di Xuan¡¯s attendant student, YingEr was already five years old, which was the appropriate age to have a maid. Moreover, her body was getting heavier, and she needed to find an old woman to help in the kitchen and a nanny soon¡­


    With such thoughts, Liu Sisi¡¯s head began to ache!


    If they were to hire so many people, the monthly expenses would be enormous!


    She calmed her emotions and decided that the most pressing matter now was to find an attendant student for Xuan¡¯er. As for the rest, she would deal with it one step at a time!


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er! You¡¯re finally here! I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time!¡±


    From a distance, Zhang Yun was standing by the side of the road, waving at Di Xuan and bowing politely to Liu Sisi when he saw her.


    ¡°Auntie¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhang Yun, you are really early!¡±


    Liu Sisi greeted him, ¡°By the way, what did your mother say about the thing I mentioned to her the day before yesterday?¡±


    Considering the long way the children had to walk to school, Liu Sisi proposed having the Zhang Family move into the small town, so Zhang Yun wouldn¡¯t have to walk so far. Guihua said she would consider it, but there had been no further development.


    Zhang Yun¡¯s smile disappeared at these words.


    ¡°Auntie, my dad said that it would be inconvenient to go hunting if we move to the small town, so¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi thought about it, Zhang Peng seemed nice, but his decisions were hard to change. She decided to take a different approach.


    ¡°How about this? You tell Sister Guihua that from now on, you can stay at our house when you go to school, and you¡¯ll go back home on holidays, alright?¡±


    The governmental office¡¯s holidays were once every five days, which meant working for four days and then having a day off. The vige school, on the other hand, took a break on the first and 15th day of the lunar month, as well as during holidays and busy farming days.


    ¡°My mother did say that I could stay at your house asionally, but I can¡¯t live there for an extended period¡­¡±<div>


    Zhang Yun was clearly a little disappointed.


    ¡°You two should go to school first. As for your mother, I¡¯ll talk to her again. Remember to focus on your studies!¡± Liu Sisi repeatedly reminded them.


    Zhang Yun immediately cheered up and eximed loudly, ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t worry! We will definitely study hard.¡±


    Watching their figures disappearing into the main entrance, Liu Sisi smiled and turned back.


    Instead of going straight back home, she detoured to the bookstore.


    Although it was still early, there were already quite a few students buying the four treasures of the study in the bookstore. When Di Cheng saw Liu Sisi, it was as if he had seen a savior.


    ¡°Third Aunt, you¡¯re just in time! I¡¯m too busy to handle everything!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It turned out that all these students were busy buying the four treasures of the study before going to school!


    After all the customers bought their items and left, Di Cheng finally sighed in relief, ¡°The sky wasn¡¯t even bright yet, and customers were already knocking on the door. This is really¡­¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Shou Hou?¡±


    Liu Sisi casually nced around, but she didn¡¯t see Shou Hou¡¯s figure, so she asked curiously.


    After hesitating for a moment, Di Cheng said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if Shou Hou had a conflict with Auntie Cuihua or if it¡¯s something else, but he often disappears for half a day. So¡­¡± He stopped there.


    Liu Sisi, who had been checking the ounts, looked up at him, ¡°What exactly do you want to say?¡±<div>


    Di Cheng nced around and then carefully whispered to Liu Sisi, ¡°Curious, I secretly followed Shou Hou yesterday, and I found that he seems to have rented a hut on the west side of town and settled a woman there¡­¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    Liu Sisi gasped!


    She hurriedly looked left and right, making sure that no one was nearby, and then she scolded Di Cheng in a low voice.


    ¡°This is a matter of life and death; don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±


    Di Cheng defended himself unwillingly, ¡°Third Aunt! Have I ever said anything carelessly? I really saw Shou Hou enter that room, and then he helped that woman¡­¡±


    ¡°Hush! ¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly stopped him from continuing, and whispered sternly, ¡°As the saying goes, ¡®It¡¯s better to dismantle ten temples than to destroy one marriage!¡¯ From now on, I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear anything, and you¡¯ll pretend you didn¡¯t say anything. As for the rest, let time be the judge!¡±


    Who would have thought that Shou Hou, who seemed so weak and timid on the surface, would do such a thing!


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Di Cheng telling her this, she would never have believed it!


    She suddenly felt inexplicably saddened for Miao Cuihua. Although Miao Cuihua was fierce and had a robust appearance, she managed everything inside and outside of the house and the education of her children. Still, she couldn¡¯t win her husband¡¯s heart, which was really¡­

 Chapter 449: 449: Ms. Xin Begs, Sisi’s Soft Heart Saves People

    Chapter 449: Ms. Xin Begs, Sisi¡¯s Soft Heart Saves People


    Perhaps it was this matter that stimted Liu Sisi. After she had checked all the ount books, Shou Hou still didn¡¯t show up, and she lost interest in staying longer.


    ¡°If Shou Houes, tell him that it¡¯s me who said this: if he still wants to do this job, do it seriously! If he¡¯s really too busy to work, go back earlier and rest! This bookstore can¡¯t afford such a big Buddha!¡±


    Blunt words but not blunt reasoning; this is running a shop, not ying around.


    Di Cheng agreed repeatedly: ¡°Cheng¡¯er will pass the message on to Shou Hou.¡±


    Leaving the bookstore, Liu Sisi walked along the street. As she passed by the cksmith¡¯s shop, she went inside and bought several suitable knives: a kitchen knife, a letter opener, a fruit peeler, and a boning knife. Then she left to head home.


    Not long after leaving, she was attracted by a figure by the roadside and stopped.


    Not far in front, Ms. Xin was dressed in a peach-pink dress, holding a light yellow paper umbre, adorned withrge, bright red peony flowers that caught the eyes of passers-by.


    She had been standing by the roadside for quite some time, and her clothing outside the paper umbre was soaked.


    She seemed to notice someone behind her, and as she turned her head, she happened to meet Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, which was slightly panicky. Nevertheless, she smiled at Liu Sisi.


    She timidly called out, ¡°Third Sister-inw¡­¡±


    It was raining and snowing today, and as soon as it fell on people, it immediately melted.<div>


    Liu Sisi pushed open the yard door and walked in. Closing the paper umbre, she casually ced it under the eaves and called out to Ms. Xin behind her.


    ¡°Just leave the umbre here ande in to talk!¡±


    Ms. Xin¡¯s gaze shifted slightly, taking in the entire small courtyard, as she ced the umbre down and stepped into the yard.


    In the room, Liu Sisi looked around and saw no one. She grabbed a towel and wiped her hands, then took a kettle off the brazier, filled a cup of tea water, and ced it next to Ms. Xin.


    ¡°My father-inw, YingEr, and Da Mao are all in the room. They must have gone to the clinic diagonally opposite again. Are you here to see my father-inw? You can wait for a moment, and I¡¯ll help you call him back.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she made a move to go out.


    Little Cui quickly stood up and called out to her, ¡°Third Sister-inw! Little Cui came here specifically to see you today.¡±


    ¡°To see me? I didn¡¯t know that we had anything to talk about.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth twitched, showing a sarcastic smile.


    Ms. Xin¡¯s face turned pale, but she still respectfully bowed: ¡°Third Sister-inw, I¡­ Little Cui is pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Congrattions! When the baby is born, I¡¯ll definitely prepare a gift toplete the friendship between Ye Lei and his brother.¡±


    The smile on Liu Sisi¡¯s face was bright, but it did not reach her eyes.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw! ¡±


    Ms. Xin¡¯s heart raced, and she could no longer care about the others. She kowtowed, her head hitting the ground with loud thumps.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, please! Please save Little Cui and the child in my stomach! Please, Third Sister-inw!¡±


    This action startled Liu Sisi for a moment, but she immediately became angry!


    ¡°Ms. Xin! What are you doing like this? If someone who doesn¡¯t know the situation sees this, they might think that I, Liu Sisi, am bullying you, my sister-inw, because I married earlier! Get up!¡±


    While speaking, she walked over and sat on a chair on the other side, without even reaching out to assist her.


    Liu Sisi really couldn¡¯t be med for this!<div>


    Once bitten by a snake, one fears the well rope for ten years!


    As for Ms. Xin, she really had to be cautious about her now!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s actions made Ms. Xin¡¯s whole body tremble, but she couldn¡¯t care about anything else. She crawled on her knees to Liu Sisi¡¯s feet, tears streaming down her face.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, Little Cui really has nowhere else to turn, so she came to beg you for help. Please, Third Sister-inw, save Little Cui for the sake of the Di Family¡¯s flesh and blood in my womb! Otherwise, Little Cui and this unborn child may not see tomorrow¡¯s sun! Third Sister-inw¡ª¡±<div>


    Ms. Xin hugged Liu Sisi¡¯s thigh, crying incessantly.


    ¡°How can I save you? Can I save you? Do you want me to offer up my life to be sold by you, so I can save you? Hmph! I, Liu Sisi, don¡¯t have that ability!¡±


    She was not Buddha, she didn¡¯t have thepassion to cut off her own flesh to save an eagle!


    ¡°No, no, no¡­ it¡¯s not like that, Third Sister-inw! Third Sister-inw, listen to me¡­¡±


    Ms. Xin hurriedly shook both hands and began to exin the whole story.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, I admit that when I first came to the Di Family, it was indeed because someone had redeemed me and allowed me to marry into the Di Family. But Third Sister-inw, I am just an ordinary woman. If there was a chance to escape my sufferings, I naturally wouldn¡¯t want to give it up. After marrying into the Di Family, I¡¯ve also diligently served my husband and respected my parents-inw. Now, I¡¯m even carrying Ah-Bao¡¯s flesh and blood¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face remained calm, silently watching Ms. Xin¡¯s excellent performance.


    As Ms. Xin spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but cover her belly: ¡°However, once those people learned that my whereabouts were exposed, they took out my indenture contract and forced me back to Yihong Courtyard. I, Xin Shi, am not afraid of death, but Yihong Courtyard is a ce where they eat people without spitting out their bones. If those people find out that I am pregnant, I¡¯m afraid they will force me to take an abortion pill without a second thought, I¡­¡±


    Ms. Xin¡¯s speech became more and more incoherent as she broke down into uncontroble sobbing on the ground!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Even so, it¡¯s still your own fault!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face also turned somewhat pale!


    Even though she didn¡¯t want to admit it, she had to say that Ms. Xin had touched her soft spot and moved her.


    She couldn¡¯t help but touch her slightly protruding belly,pletely unable to imagine the feeling of her child leaving her. Just thinking about it made her shudder!<div>


    ¡°Third Sister-inw¡ªI know! It¡¯s my fault, and I deserve to die! But this is a small life too. He hasn¡¯t even had a chance to see the world yet. It¡¯s my fault as a mother that I can¡¯t protect him. If I lose him, I¡­ I won¡¯t be able to live!¡±


    After saying this, Ms. Xin once again fell to the ground, kowtowing with loud bangs.


    Liu Sisi reached out to pull her up, but after several attempts, she still couldn¡¯t lift Ms. Xin from the ground.


    A stream of fresh blood slid down Ms. Xin¡¯s forehead, but she seemed to feel no pain as she continued to knock her head loudly against the ground.


    Liu Sisi closed her eyes. The fresh blood on her forehead inexplicably blended with her dream, the blood-red color constantly spreading¡­


    ¡°Fine! Stop kowtowing, I promise you, I will save you and the child in your belly!¡±


    Liu Sisi finally relented.


    The overjoyed Ms. Xin, who had nearly copsed, didn¡¯t care about the pain anymore and bowed down again: ¡°Thank you, Third Sister-inw, thank you, thank you¡­¡±

 Chapter 450: 450: Spring Military Recruitment

    Chapter 450: Spring Military Recruitment


    Gazing at the bustling scene in the small town¡¯s Carriage Shop, with the continuousing and going of people and carriages carrying goods nearby, Ms. Xin¡¯s words echoed in Liu Sisi¡¯s ear again.


    ¡°How can I save you?¡±


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, you just need to give Old Six from the Carriage Shop a letter, writing that Cui¡¯er now belongs to you.¡±


    ¡°Whose name should I write as the recipient?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to write a name for the recipient. When you give the letter to Old Six, just tell him to hand the letter to Ma Wu!¡±


    ¡°¡­Old Six is actually one of your people?¡±


    ¡°Old Six and Ma Wu are just paid contact persons! I¡¯ve also secretly investigated these two people, they can¡¯t be considered their people.¡±


    As the words still echoed in her ear, being actually in this ce made Liu Sisi hesitate.


    ¡°Watch out! Get out of the way quickly!¡±


    The man carrying a huge hemp bag almost bumped into Liu Sisi, shouting in horror.<div>


    Just as the man was about to hit Liu Sisi, the scene beside her suddenly shed, and she forcefully shifted two feet to the side, narrowly avoiding the man.


    ¡°So it¡¯s Mr. Liu. I don¡¯t know if Mr. Liu¡¯s visit to the Carriage Shop is for renting a carriage or carrying goods. In fact, you just need to send someone to ry a message to Old Six, and Old Six will definitely do his best to help you.¡±


    The one speaking was none other than Old Six!


    Liu Sisi blinked and then finally realized that the one who saved her was indeed Old Six.


    Old Six had a simple and honest smile on his face, even as Liu Sisi stared nkly at him, he didn¡¯t change color. He calmly stood in his original position without moving.


    ¡°Mr. Liu? Mr. Liu, are you all right?¡±


    Old Six called out to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Ah! I¡­I¡¯m fine. Old Six, I have a letter I¡¯d like to ask you to run for me.¡± Liu Sisi finally came back to her senses.


    Old Six eximed with a jovial expression, ¡°You just need to tell me what to do, Mr. Liu.¡±


    Liu Sisi lifted her lips and gave a faint smile. She took the letter from her arms and handed it over. ¡°Please help me pass this on to someone named Ma Wu!¡±


    Old Six¡¯s hand trembled imperceptibly, but quickly steadied itself. However, Liu Sisi was still able to catch the slight movement.


    ¡°Delivering letters is what I do best. Mr. Liu, rest assured! Old Six can guarantee that this letter will be delivered 100% on your behalf!¡±


    Old Six¡¯s face still disyed the same yful smile.


    ¡°Mmm, in addition to sending this letter, please inform Granny Qin, who deals with ves, that I n to buy some more people to use. Ask her if she has any suitable people in her hands!¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t linger after saying these words. She bid farewell and left after Old Six¡¯s repeated guarantees.


    Not far away, she turned back: ¡°By the way, tell that person that I don¡¯t like it when things that shouldn¡¯t appear around me do!¡±


    After Liu Sisi finished speaking, she ignored the surprised look on Old Six¡¯s face and left with her paper umbre.


    Although she didn¡¯t know why Ms. Xin said that Old Six wasn¡¯t one of them, Liu Sisi was sure, based on her intuition, that he was 100% suspicious.


    She nced up at the sky, and the light rain that had been falling since morning continued to drizzle down, mingling with half-melted sleet, making it bitterly cold.<div>


    As she passed by the clinic, Liu Sisi peered inside, only to find it empty and silent.


    When she got home, she discovered that her father and the two children had already returned. At the moment, Da Mao was nestled in Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s arms, seeming to be saying something; their bonfire lent warmth to the whole room. She went back to her room to change, and then began to prepare dinner.


    Old Cheng was sitting near the doorway, chopping firewood. Seeing Liu Sisi enter, he got up quickly to greet her. After arranging the firewood, he slowly withdrew from the kitchen.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    One of the most convenient things about living in a small town was that if something wascking, it could usually be quickly replenished.<div>


    The fragrant stewed meat was simmering above the bonfire, and Liu Sisi began steaming rice on the stove while taking down a piece of wild boar meat. She washed it, and then boiled it in a pot before cutting it into thin slices. She then stir-fried it in soybean sauce, adding garlic sprouts to the stir-fry in the pot.


    The sumptuous deep-fried pork was the ultimate stimulus for one¡¯s taste buds!


    Before the dishes were even served, Liu Sisi filled a te with bean sprouts saut¨¦ed in the pot. Baby bok choyy on the stove, waiting to be cooked into a clear soup when the sound of heartyughter rang out from outside the house.


    ¡°Old Di! Old He is here, drawn in by the delicious scent of your cooking! It smelled so good that I couldn¡¯t resisting over for a meal!¡±


    As the words fell, Old He¡¯s aged head appeared at the kitchen doorway.


    In front of strangers, Old He usually maintained a lofty and indifferent demeanor. But after tasting Liu Sisi¡¯s cooking, little by little, he began to reveal his true nature in front of the Di family¡ªgiggling andughing.


    Elderly Mr. Di naturally greeted and hosted him. By the time Di Yelei returned, everyone was happily eating with their bamboo chopsticks.


    Old He even took out some of his cherished nourishing wine to share with Mr. Di but refused to pour any more than a small ss despite being yfully used of stinginess.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it! This wine is full of nourishing ingredients, and just a little bit is very beneficial for your body. If you drink too much, not only will it not strengthen your constitution, but it will have the opposite effect, causing gradual emaciation. Giving you more would just harm you. Let¡¯s raise our sses! We can¡¯t let such delicious food go to waste¡­¡±


    Di Yelei happened to enter at that moment, and upon seeing everyone enjoying their meal, he couldn¡¯t help butugh and greet everyone in the room.


    He also instructed Old Cheng, ¡°The horse was cold today. When you clean upter, be careful to keep it warm and feed it some hot water. And don¡¯t get the horse nket wet¡­¡±


    Old Cheng repeatedly agreed and hurriedly left.


    Old He impatiently called out, ¡°Third Son Di, hurry up and dive in! The meal is only missing you, and it just doesn¡¯t feel as lively without you!¡±<div>


    The medicine pageboy, who hade over to freeload a meal, hastily picked up some food with his chopsticks. ¡°Third Uncle Di, this food is truly delicious. No wonder your body is so strong; it¡¯s all thanks to Third Aunt Di¡¯s good care!¡±


    These words elicited a burst of heartyughter from the crowd.


    Di Yelei raised his hand as if to hit the boy, ¡°You little devil, ndering me now, are you? Just you watch!¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly moved over and helped him take off his bamboo hat and straw coat. ¡°It seems you came back quitete today. Hurry up and sit down to eat.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it; these things are cold. Sit down and eat.¡±


    Di Yelei walked into a small side room while talking and returned more casually dressed, albeit still covered in frost. He sighed, shook his head, and finally sat down in his chair.


    ¡°The handling just began today, and we¡¯ve already been informed that since we didn¡¯t perform corveeborst year, it will begin at the start of this year with the spring recruitment,¡± he said, not minding everyone¡¯s curiosity, and began picking up his bowl and chopsticks to serve himself.

 Chapter 451: 451: Good Solution

    Chapter 451: Good Solution


    ¡°What on earth is going on? What are the guidelines for this year¡¯s spring conscription? What is the main work we¡¯ll be doing?¡±


    Elderly Mr. He from the side even forgot to eat in his haste to ask questions.


    ¡°Finish eating first, we can discuss in detail afterwards, the food won¡¯t be as delicious once it gets cold.¡± Liu Sisi hastened to say.


    Looking at Di Yelei, it was clear he was both cold and hungry.


    Naturally, no one had any objections, and they all chewed on their food, but the former light-hearted atmosphere gradually faded away.


    Only when the bowl and chopsticks were removed and tea was brought up, did Di Yelei finally exhale a deep breath.


    ¡°Last year¡¯s unexpected cold,pared to our Macheng County¡¯s three feet of ice, was even more severe for the outlying areas with higher altitudes. There were countless people who were frozen to death or injured from the cold. The imperial court decreed that this year, for every three men one must be conscripted, and for every five men two must be conscripted, for the Spring Labor Service, and it couldn¡¯t be reced with silver. The decree will be handed down tomorrow morning by the runners from various government offices.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about this? Themand in previous years was almost the same, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Elderly Mr. He curiously interjected.


    Although the County Magistrate of Macheng County was greedy, because of the presence of Heilong Mountain, the taxpared to those misceneous taxes from other prefectures, which were many and confusing, was rtively reasonable.


    Di Yelei smiled bitterly, ¡°You only know a part of it, not the whole story. The one out of three, two out of five conscription isn¡¯t like before when it took from the adult male poption between the ages of fifteen and fifty-five, this year every male who is counted in the official record, all must be included.¡±<div>


    ¡°Ah! No way?¡±


    Everyone was stunned!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s thoughts immediately turned, ¡°So by this logic, our family has to count as three people?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Wrong! We have five people in our house, you forgot about Old Cheng and Da Mao,¡± said Di Yelei with a bitter smile.


    After Liu Zhi¡¯er and Da Mao left the Dong Family, they temporarily moved in with the Di Family. Counting now, Elderly Mr. Di, Di Yelei, Di Xuan, Old Cheng, and Da Mao, naturally there are four men.


    ¡°This¡­ Da Mao is such a small child, they¡¯re counted too? Old Cheng also counts, does the government even want people to live?¡± Liu Sisi was furious.


    ¡°That¡¯s not right? Old Cheng is included too? Did you misspeak?¡± Even Elderly Mr. He who sat to the side frowned. ¡°I have quite a few people in my shop. If they calcted it like you said, then isn¡¯t it¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s eight people, Old Master,¡± interjected the medicine boy from the side.


    ¡°Then you need to send out three people, you can still manage that, but for us five out of two, where will we find the manpower?¡± Di Yelei¡¯s bitter smile was incessant.


    If they had to serve in conscripted work, the old and young would basically be setting off to die. The only ones who could go were Di Yelei and Old Cheng. When the two of them left, what would be of their home?


    ¡°You¡¯re a constable, can¡¯t you be exempted from conscriptedbor?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡±


    Di Yelei shook his head, ¡°The imperial court has rules that only families with an official status can avoid forcedbor. Although a constable works in the government office, they are not considered officials. The best they can do is avoid their own requiredbor. So by this calction, our family still needs at least one person to serve.¡±


    Liu Sisi immediately thought of someone: ¡°Your big brother¡­¡±


    She suddenly realized, the Di family had long split up, the fate of the old house was unrted to the third family branch. Even if they hadn¡¯t split up, Big Brother Di Hongyuan had been conscripted long ago and hadn¡¯t returned home since. The family just heard news of each other in passing, and these past years, they hadpletely lost track of where he was, no knowing whether he was alive or dead. Counting on such an unrecorded affiliation to avoid conscriptedbor taxation was next to impossible.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we substitute silver?¡± Elderly Mr. He asked.


    Businesses in previous years always reced their conscriptedbor with silver.


    ¡°We can¡¯t! This is also a regtion from the top. Even if silver could be used as a substitute, I¡¯m afraid it would be taken advantage of and reported to the higher-ups, and then we¡¯d still suffer losses,¡± Di Yelei said grimly.


    ¡°Exactly what hardbor is this year¡¯s spring conscription?¡±<div>


    Every year during the forcedbor period, the government not only forced themon people to work for free, but they didn¡¯t even treat them like human beings, they were used just like beasts of burden. During and after the forcedbor period, there were always countless who died from disease.


    ¡°This year¡¯s spring forcedbor is divided into two parts, one part is to reinforce the river embankments, the other is to transport goods. Reinforcing the river embankments means dredging the river channel to the north of Raoping County and Dacheng County, along with this tributary river channel here in Macheng County¡¯s territory. This duty is an annual urrence and doesn¡¯te as a surprise.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s words made everyone nod in agreement. They were all ustomed to this forcedbor and didn¡¯t think much of it.


    He looked at everyone: ¡°However, due to this year¡¯s heavy snow and ice, in order to prevent spring flooding, not only the river embankments have to be broken to dredge the river channel, but they also have to be heightened and thickened. It¡¯s a massive project. The others have to transport goods because the roads were blocked by the heavy snow, and a batch of grain that was transported from a few big cities in the border regions got stuck on the road, so they need to enlist strong men to go and pick up the goods, and deliver them to the capital city.¡±<div>


    Elderly Mr. He from the side furrowed his eyebrows: ¡°This is really strange! I¡¯ve lived for so many years, and I¡¯ve only ever seen grain transported from the capital city and local areas to the border cities. Now, surprisingly there is grain being transported from the border cities to the capital? That¡¯s really strange! Too strange!¡±


    It really was strange, Liu Sisi frowned, could there be some trick to it?


    Di Yelei could only smile bitterly: ¡°Yes! We all discussed it when we were at the governmental office, it really is fishy! There must be some big scheme behind this. Therefore, transporting the grain seems simple but it¡¯s actually extremely dangerous!¡±


    As he said this, everyone fell silent for a moment!


    Elderly Mr. He also stood up, shouldered with heavy thoughts, and excused himself from the group.


    ¡°Thank you, Third Son Di, for the meal. Elderly Mr. He thanks you!¡±


    After he finished speaking, he took the medicine boy and left inrge strides.


    Elderly Mr. He appeared to be thanking for the meal, but in fact, he was thanking Di Yelei for his candid sharing.


    Usually, these internal details are always discovered several steps toote by outsiders. By the time they hear about it, it¡¯s already toote! So, that¡¯s why Elderly Mr. He thanked him.


    Once Elderly Mr. He and the others left, everyone gathered again to discuss the matter.


    The first to start the conversation was Elderly Mr. Di: ¡°Third Child, for this Spring Labor Service¡­ I¡¯ll go. I¡¯m old and useless, you young ones need to stay behind!¡±


    ¡°Dad! What are you talking about? You can barely walk, let alone move heavy ice! You should just stay quiet and safe at home! We will figure things out.¡±


    The door curtain shook, and Old Cheng entered from outside, immediately bowing down: ¡°Old Master, let Old Cheng go! Although I am a bit older, I still have some strength left!¡±<div>


    ¡°If Old Cheng goes, who will drive the cart? Are we going to find someone else then? I think it¡¯s not feasible!¡±


    Liu Sisi immediately shook her head, vetoing the idea.


    ¡°You all don¡¯t need to worry, I¡¯ve thought of a good solution!¡±


    Ask for gifts! Ask for monthly tickets! This is thest day of the month, if you don¡¯t use your monthly tickets, it¡¯s a waste!

 Chapter 452: 452: Buying People

    Chapter 452: Buying People


    ¡°What good solution?¡± Di Yelei asked anxiously.


    Everyone else also looked up impatiently.


    Liu Sisi asked casually, ¡°Ye Lei, if you go for corveebor, will you only carry burdens by breaking the ice and moving stones? Is there any other kind of work?¡±


    ¡°There are some other jobs. For example, at the time ofst year¡¯s spring military recruitment, not only those who could read and write served as clerks, but also women reced their sons in service. When people are pushed to the limit, they always think of various ways.¡±


    The ability to afford schooling was not amon trait, so not many people could read and write.


    No wonder once someone could read, they were caught to be made into clerks to record some documents.


    Of course, Father had no intention to enlist, and Old Cheng looked like he couldn¡¯t read, so this path wouldn¡¯t work. It seemed that the only way was to change the method.


    Di Yelei saw Liu Sisi silent and naturally became anxious!


    ¡°Sisi, what good solution did you suggest? Please speak quickly.¡±


    Liu Sisi swept her gaze over everyone: ¡°Since the imperial court explicitly prohibits using silver as a substitute, everyone probably only has one way to go, which is to buy people! Purchasing someone to serve in ce is the only feasible method.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible to buy people, but¡­¡± Di Yelei stopped as he was about to say something.<div>


    ¡°Yesterday morning, I had Old Six send a message to Granny Qin, saying our family wants to buy someone. I hope the government¡¯s promation isn¡¯t too fast, giving us enough time.¡± said Liu Sisi indifferently.


    ¡°You ¡­ how did you think of buying someone yesterday?¡± Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but be amazed!


    No wonder, thest time they bought Old Cheng, they didn¡¯t think about buying more people. Sisi suddenly asked someone to go and buy people yesterday. How could he not be surprised?


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Xuan, smiled slightly: ¡°We should be thanking Xuan¡¯er. Yesterday, I brought Xuan¡¯er to school and saw many students who were apanied by attending students. I thought about YingEr ¨C her age is not small, it was time to find a maid to apany her. So, I asked Old Six to send a letter to Granny Qin. Unexpectedly¡­¡±


    Is there such a coincidence in the world?


    Di Yelei thought for a moment: ¡°Well, I can¡¯t speak for other ces. Tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll go to the county city earlier in order to dy the release of this news as much as possible. Hopefully, Granny Qin could be out by then.¡±


    Liu Sisi hesitated for a moment and then shook her head to decline.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s inadequate! Since you knew about this, it means that more people in the city have heard about it. This method can¡¯t have been thought of by only me. The only effective method now is to immediately go into the city and buy people from Granny Qin. This is the only feasible way. However, at the moment it¡¯s past curfew, so it may be difficult to enter the city.¡±


    Di Yelei stood up: ¡°It may be difficult for others to enter the city, but, for us constables, it¡¯s not a hard task. I¡¯ll go to the city first to deal with this matter.¡±


    Between words, he was already ready to pick up the bamboo hat on the wall.


    ¡°Wait! Wear a few more clothes. The snow mixed with rain is particrly cold. Can¡¯t let you catch a chill.¡±


    Liu Sisi stopped him, went back to the house and took two thick cotton clothes for him, helped him wrap up, and only then did she help him put on his clothes.


    As Di Yelei was about to leave, Liu Sisi called him again: ¡°Wait! Bring a few buns!¡±


    While speaking, she quickly lifted the steaming basket and took out the four remaining buns from it, wrapped them in oil paper, and stuffed them into his coat.


    ¡°The buns won¡¯t get cold here. When you get to the city, don¡¯t rush to discuss things. First eat a few bites of steamed buns to warm up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going out for the first time, so just rx!¡±


    Di Yelei smiled and a light quickly shed in his eyes. He secretly held her hand, then turned around to walk outside.


    ¡°Dad! You¡­¡± Di Xuan¡¯s words were filled with sobs.


    Di Xuan by his side was gradually proving his maturity. Just as Di Yelei was about to go out, Di Xuan hurriedly stopped him.<div>


    Di Yelei paused, turned back to pat Di Xuan¡¯s shoulder: ¡°You¡¯re a grown man now! When I¡¯m not at home, you have to take care of the house, understand?¡±


    Di Xuan held back his tears and nodded heavily.


    ¡°Yes, Dad, I know!¡±


    ¡°Good! You truly are my good son!¡±<div>


    Di Yelei patted his shoulder forcefully and resolutely disappeared into the echoes of the night.


    Outside, the rain mixed with scattered snow continued to fall. Old Cheng led a jujube red horse, already saddled, waiting by the stable.


    ¡°Was the horse fed to the brim?¡±


    Liu Sisi peered out through the raised door curtain, Di Yelei in the process of taking the reins from Old Cheng, casually asking.


    Old Cheng handed Di Yelei the reins and quickly answered,


    ¡°Master, the horse has been fed a hearty meal! It was given bean flour and buckwheat mixed with a small amount of hay, and I just fed it glutinous rice sugar. There should be no major issues.¡±


    ¡°Very well!¡±


    As Di Yelei talked, he led the horse out of the courtyard and jumped onto the horse¡¯s back.


    As he looked back, he met the vague silhouette of Liu Sisi illuminated by the candlelight. He waved his horsewhip at her and kicked his horse¡¯s belly. With a long neigh, the jujube red horse quickly disappeared into the night.


    The cold wind brushed against Liu Sisi¡¯s face, strands of her hair were blown into her eyes, causing a moment of dizziness, as if Di Yelei was still standing in front of her.


    She rubbed her eyes with her hand, dropped the curtain, returned to the bonfire, stoked it to make it burn brighter, and added a pot of hot water.


    ¡°Father, it¡¯ste. You should go to bed. And you too, Xuan¡¯er. You have to go to school early tomorrow. And YingEr, stop waiting for me to nag you to bed.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di looked up at Liu Sisi but made no move.<div>


    Di Xuan replied lightly and then finally returned to his room, turning back three times before leaving.


    After a while, he brought a book outside again: ¡°I forgot. My teacher asked me to copy the ¡®Three Character ssic¡¯ today.¡±


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows, knowing Di Xuan¡¯s talent, Elder Mr. Xu would have no reason to ask him to copy the ¡®Three Character ssic¡¯. She looked again and realized that what Di Xuan held in his hands was the ¡®Zhu Family¡¯s Instructions¡¯. The ¡®Three Character ssic¡¯, what was that all about?


    She didn¡¯t expose him, just turned her gaze back to YingEr. YingEr reluctantly returned to her room, and on the way, took Da Mao with her.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Da Mao, let¡¯s go back to the room to y!¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head helplessly and went to clean Di Yelei¡¯s wet clothes, scooping out hot water for a quick wash.


    The rain was heavy outside, and Di Yelei would surely need to change his clothes when he returned. They must be dried as soon as possible.


    Old Cheng ran in from the outside, confused upon seeing Liu Sisi not resting, he stood torn between his options.


    ¡°Madam¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Old Cheng. Come in and warm yourself. Keep Old Masterpany and chat!¡± Liu Sisi casually called out, then fully immersed herself in vigorous scrubbing.


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±

 Chapter 453: 453: Commitment

    Chapter 453: Commitment


    Old Cheng happily agreed and sat down by the bonfire after lowering the curtain, also throwing some firewood in casually.


    As he opened his pocket, there was a bunch of sweet potatoes.


    ¡°These yam eggs are good, you can eat them raw, roasted, fried, or boiled! They can fill you up any way you eat them. Very good! Good!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As he spoke, he had already ced a circle of sweet potatoes around the bonfire and began to roast them.


    The darkness of the night deepened.


    Outside, the rain continued to fall softly.


    Liu Sisi changed the hot water several times, finally finishing washing the clothes. She then moved the stove, lined the clothes up, and hung them on bamboo poles to dry.


    Old Cheng had a lot to say and was very cheerful. Many interesting words came out of his mouth, quickly attracting Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s attention. Elderly Mr. Di also asionally interjected, chatting idly with gestures.


    Seeing that Liu Sisi started to dry the clothes, Old Cheng also casually took one to help.


    ¡°By the way, Old Cheng, where are you from? Where is your hometown? How many people are in your family?¡±


    With nothing better to do and to prevent herself from getting lost in thought, Liu Sisi casually asked.<div>


    Old Chengughed heartily: ¡°My family has many mouths to feed, so I came out early to make a living. Later, I heard that it was easy to make money in Southern City, so I teamed up with a few people to try my luck. After a few years, I did make some money. I wanted to settle down, marry a woman, and have two children. But because I was busy making money to support my family, I neglected her, so I became even busier making money. What I didn¡¯t expect was that in the end, I just became a cuckold, raising someone else¡¯s child¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up in surprise, not expecting that Old Cheng had such a bitter past.


    But then she thought about it, since he could do something as desperate as selling himself, there must be a story behind it that no one would believe if he said he didn¡¯t have one.


    ¡°What happened after that? They¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was attracted and asked curiously.


    Old Cheng held the back of his head with his hand, sighing, ¡°What else can you do? Although that woman has done me wrong, I admit that I haven¡¯t taken care of them for years. So, I picked up the baggage they threw away, went to the Carriage Shop, and boarded a random carriage. Then, I came here.¡±


    Indeed, every family has its own bitter past!


    ¡°It¡¯s good toe out. Your easy-going disposition is great. Now, just settle down in Di¡¯s family. I, Liu Sisi, can¡¯t guarantee anything else, but I can promise you that after a hundred years, I will still be able to take care of you in this circle ofnd!¡±


    Old Cheng trembled, not even noticing that the sweet potato he was turning in his hand had fallen into the fire.


    His lips trembled several times before he asked, ¡°Is this true?¡±


    At this moment, the circle ofnd Liu Sisi was talking about refers to the ce where people are buried after they die. It was actually indirectly telling Old Cheng that he would not be wrapped in straw and discarded directly in the chaotic burial mound.


    For a ve who sells himself, this is precious!


    Wasn¡¯t what he saved up for by selling himself so he could have a ce toy his body after death?


    ¡°True!¡± Liu Sisi nodded seriously!


    ¡°But let me make it clear, this is all based on your sincere and hard work. If I find you cking off, ying tricks, and being disloyal¡­¡±


    Old Cheng finally came to his senses, disdainfully replied, ¡°When I, Old Cheng, do things, I always live up to my conscience! I would never do anything to betray my master for my own glory!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. From now on, just work hard. My Di family will definitely not treat you unfairly!¡±


    Liu Sisi also said seriously.


    It seemed that Old Cheng hadn¡¯t fully rxed from the conversation just now, reaching to pick up the sweet potato from the fire, and idently burning his hand. He quickly withdrew his hand, only to throw the sweet potato back into the fire.<div>


    He pulled back his burnt hand, rubbed it with his other hand, and pinched his ear for a while before casually picking up a piece of wood to scoop the sweet potato out of the fire and holding it in his hand.


    ¡°The reason why I, Old Cheng, sold myself is to have a ce to live before death and a ce toy my body after a hundred years. Since Madam has said so, I, Old Cheng, from now on, my life belongs to Di¡¯s family!¡±


    He said seriously.


    Liu Sisi alsoughed sincerely! She nodded seriously.<div>


    ¡°Good! Since your life belongs to the Di family, I¡¯ll entrust it to you for safekeeping. You must take good care of it and don¡¯t let anything happen to it casually every two or three days. Now it¡¯s not early, go to rest quickly!¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ No! I¡¯ll stay with Elderly Master tonight, and wait for the Old Master toe back before going to sleep.¡±


    Old Cheng insisted.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t force him, and slowly turned the clothes in her hands.


    Time was slipping away little by little. Outside on the street, the sound of the timekeeper¡¯s drum rang three times. The timekeeper shouted: ¡°The cold wave ising, turn off the lights and close the doors! ¡ª¡ªBang! Bang! Bang! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at the clothes in her hands, which were almost dry, and then got up to ask the others to rest.


    Lying back in bed, she thought she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep. But unexpectedly, her drowsy body since bing pregnant fell asleep as soon as it touched the bed.


    Once in dreand, that disgusting nightmare struck again!


    She tossed and turned all night, only to wake up and realize that the sky outside had already begun to lighten, and Di Yelei hadn¡¯t returnedst night.


    She followed her routine, doing chores, and after eating, only escorted Di Xuan to the doorway before watching him gradually fade into the distance.


    Raising her head, she noticed that the clinic diagonally opposite was still closed, apparently not yet awake.


    Liu Sisi stood for a while, then went inside to make a list, and called Old Cheng before leaving the house.<div>


    What she needed to do was simple: stock up on food!


    Although the Di family bought farnd and Elderly Mr. Di had dozens of acres ofnd, she could only nt vegetables. How would she grow crops on the ground?


    With the spring military recruitment beginning soon, who knows if the price of grain will skyrocket?


    She couldn¡¯t afford to run out of food at home, so it¡¯s best to stock up early!


    When she went out, it was still early, and the rice and grain shop hadn¡¯t opened yet. Liu Sisi let Old Cheng knock on the shop door directly. At present, prices were almost at par, and a dan of grain was priced at three taels of silver. Liu Sisi bought a whole carriage of grain at once, priced at one dan two taels and eight maces, and hurriedly loaded it on the carriage and brought it home before daylight.


    She didn¡¯t stop there. Instead, she went to two more rice and grain stores in the small town and almost bought all the grains from the three stores before finally closing!

 Chapter 454: 454: Buying People to Store Grain

    Chapter 454: Buying People to Store Grain


    She returned to buy cotton and cold-weather items, and after paying, she asked them to deliver the goods to her home, and then hurried back home.


    By the time she returned, the grains from the two rice and grain shops had been delivered one after the other.


    The towering pile of grainspletely filled two rooms, leaving Old Cheng stunned and somewhat tongue-tied!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Madam, why did you buy so much grain?¡±


    Liu Sisi peeked in, her eyes like serene autumn waters.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too much! With more people in our household in the future, these grains will just be enough for a year¡¯s consumption! Besides, this pile is not all rice; there are also quite a number of coarse grains!¡±


    She had calcted this based on the number of people.


    Pondering the money spent today, there were exactly 70 loads of rice and 70 loads of pure flour. A load is 100 jin (a traditional Chinese unit of weight), which is more than enough for a family to eat for two to three years. There were also buckwheat, corn, ck beans, etc., which added up to several dozen loads. Then, there were the expenditures on cotton, furniture, and various other sundries from the day before ¡ª all added up, she had spent nearly 500 taels of silver.


    The sheer amount gave Liu Sisi quite a scare! Was it really that much?


    It really isn¡¯t easy to earn money but so easy to spend it!<div>


    Actually, it wasn¡¯t that Liu Sisi was ruthless in buying so much, but when she arrived at the rice and grain store, her heart started pounding fiercely. Her instinct told her to buy this much grain. The intuition came too suddenly, so much so that she didn¡¯t know how to exin it. She could only follow her instinct and buy, and exin it to Di Yelei when he returned home.


    On one hand, she instructed Old Cheng to sort out the cer, on the other hand, she thought about how to store these grains.


    ¡°Madam, the cer is already filled with grains. The servant has already made two trips to bring back grains and put them in the cer in thest two days. How can we amodate so much more today?¡±


    Liu Sisi held her forehead, regretting. How could she forget about therge amount of grains they had brought back two days ago!


    Regret as she might, since the grains had been bought, they would have to be quickly divided and stored separately.


    However, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t regret for long before Di Yelei returned!


    And he brought back a big family with him.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly brought out the food, which the family eagerly took. Di Yelei stuffed a few steamed buns into his mouth before he finally caught his breath.


    ¡°This is a family of seven. Their house, pledged for a loan security, was buried in an avnche. In order to repay the debt, they had to sell themselves into servitude. They were priced at 55 taels of silver. I have already talked with them, the husband and younger brother will help with the spring military recruitment, although their price is 10 taels more expensive than others.¡±


    ¡°55 taels of silver? For their family of seven?¡± Liu Sisi looked surprised.


    She was struck by the thought that a family of seven was only worth 55 taels of silver, life was indeed cheap in these times! Even Di Yelei¡¯s ¡®old mother¡¯ looked like she was just over fifty years old.


    However, she remembered that when Di Yelei married her, it only cost them ten taels of silver. Thinking about it this way, it seemed quite reasonable.


    Di Yelei assumed Liu Sisi was implying that he had overpaid.


    He hastily exined, ¡°I paid 5 taels extra for each of these stout men, so that¡¯s 30 taels of silver. 2 taels for the old woman, 8 taels for the pregnant woman, and 4 taels for each child. In total, it¡¯s 54 taels. Plus, I gave Granny Qin 3 taels as a reward!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s expensive, it¡¯s just that during this famine year, human lives are as cheap as paper.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke with a deep sigh, expressing her heartfeltment.


    Watching the family of several people wolfing down their food, they must be truly starving!


    ¡°You¡¯re right, many wealthy families were picking people when I got there. Granny Qin told me that because you notified her in advance yesterday, she was able to keep this family for me. Many wealthy families were fighting over able-bodiedborous men.¡±


    ¡°Granny Qin didn¡¯t say anything else, did she?¡±<div>


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say much. This family¡¯s house was buried in snow, and by coincidence, one of the three men was due forpulsorybor service. Given that the woman was pregnant and they also had an elderly mother, many wealthy families didn¡¯t want to take them in, and that¡¯s how they ended up with me ¡­¡±


    Di Yelei was unabashed, stuffing his mouth with food as he spoke.


    ¡°After eating, I need to head back to the governmental office immediately. I was instructed to deliver a message to the small town, so I volunteered for this errand specifically to bring these seven family members back. The carriage was rented from the Carriage Shop and needs to be returnedter. I drove the jujube red horse all night yesterday, and I¡¯m worried that it might be exhausted.¡±


    Hearing this, Liu Sisi opened her eyes wide, her gaze unfathomably staring at him.<div>


    ¡°You are worried that the animals will get tired! Have you ever thought about your own health? After eating, you should rest for a while before leaving. Isn¡¯t the governmental office asking you to deliver a message to Liuping Town? They must have calcted the travel time. Today is such a cold day, either you return to the governmental officete, or you simply stay here and rest overnight.¡±


    Di Yelei thought about it and then shook his head: ¡°No can do! Because Constable Zuo didn¡¯t show up for work yesterday, County Magistrate Su was furious. I lied, saying that Constable Zuo twisted his waist after getting drunk during the New Year and has to rest for a couple of days, which barely mollified County Magistrate Su¡¯s anger. I asked Zhang Peng to do the errand to South Mountain Vige instead, and take some food and expenses to Mother Zuo on the way.¡±


    ¡°Hmm! That¡¯s a given! After all, we owe him for having helped us. It¡¯s only right to look after his family.¡±


    Liu Sisi chose to change the subject and not mention Zuo Xingyu any further, ¡°This morning I went out to buy some grain, thinking about how to store it in small amounts. As you said, this year¡¯s weather is really abnormal, with many people freezing to death or falling ill. It¡¯s probably a year of natural disasters. During such years, one would worry about theck of medicine, and secondly about the food shortage. Therefore, I bought a little more¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she felt a bit embarrassed.


    The sudden feeling made her unsure of how to exin to Di Yelei.


    Di Yelei¡¯s mind was clearly not there, he nonchntly nodded his head, ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll rest directlyter, and when I wake up, I¡¯ll hide these grains. You¡¯re heavy-bodied, rest first.¡±


    Old Cheng on the side wanted to offer a few reminders since the master was oblivious of the matter, but seeing that the master wasn¡¯t even looking in his direction, he had no choice but to hold his tongue.


    Di Yelei was indeed exhausted; as soon as he finished eating, he went straight to the bedroom to rest.


    The family of new arrivals were also exhausted. Liu Sisi didn¡¯t require them to start working immediately, instead, she had Old Cheng show them to their amodations. Luckily, the courtyard was well-constructed, next to the storefront were several servants¡¯ rooms. Though each room was the size of a pigeon cage, having a ce to take shelter from wind and rain was not too bad.


    Di Yelei slept soundly. By the time he woke up and got out of bed, he realized it was already dark outside.

 Chapter 455: 455: Teaching the Rules

    Chapter 455: Teaching the Rules


    ¡°Has Zhang Penge yet?¡±


    He hurriedly put on his clothes and left the room, asking casually.


    Liu Sisi was in the kitchen watching the newly bought old woman and the married woman cooking. She turned her head and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Brother Zhang, but Xuan¡¯er and Yun¡¯er are already off school. It is so cold today, I let them stay at my home and didn¡¯t send them back.¡±


    How would it be good for the children to run far away in such freezing weather, if they really caught a cold?


    ¡°It¡¯s really strange, how can no one be seen by now? Riding a horse back and forth from South Mountain Vige should be enough, is there any problem?¡±


    Di Yelei furrowed his eyebrows and went straight to the storage room.


    As soon as his figure entered, it immediately turned around and came out again, with an incredulous face he rubbed his eyes and looked around, then turned around and went in, then came out again.


    ¡°Sisi, this room¡­ this¡­¡±


    The surprise on his face infected Old Cheng, who turned away andughed secretly.


    Liu Sisi red at him, seeing Di Yelei¡¯s expression, she also felt as if she had made a foolish decision.


    ¡°If you think there¡¯s too much stuff, just take it out and distribute it to the passerby outside!¡±<div>


    She stomped her foot with a flushed face, and then went back into the kitchen and didn¡¯te out again.


    Di Yelei inhaled a nose full of dust, helplessly rubbing his nose, he had no choice but to go back to the storage room and call some more people to help.


    In the kitchen, Liu Sisi was instructing the new people on their rules.


    Her gaze swept over the old women, the married woman, and the children.


    ¡°You all are sold by Granny Qin and signed a dead contract, pressed your fingerprints and registered your sale at the government office. You should understand what a dead contract means. I Liu Sisi am not a malicious person, as long as you sincerely work, don¡¯t ck off, don¡¯t betray your master for glory, then you do not need to worry about food and clothing. My Di family may not be a wealthy family, but my eldest uncle is an official in another ce, and I Liu Sisi am also the goddaughter of the imperial court¡¯s Minister Gan. I assume Granny Qin has already introduced our background, so I won¡¯t borate on it.¡±


    It¡¯s not that Liu Sisi wanted to brag, but with these seven men, women, and children, she is afraid of what would happen if the servants stepped on their master.


    So, this is where discipline is needed!


    There are too many pitiful people in this world, and she is not a Bodhisattva, so she naturally can¡¯t save everyone.


    What she can do is not to deduct expenses on food and clothing, as long as she can take good care of these people, she will be at ease with her conscience.


    As Liu Sisi¡¯s words fell, the old woman hurriedly bowed and said with a smile.


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry, all these things have been exined by Granny Qin, you can rest assured!¡±


    In fact, Granny Qin¡¯s exnation was much more severe than Liu Sisi¡¯s!


    ¡°You must not underestimate the Di family just because you are going to the countryside. The eldest of the Di family is an official in another province and may return to his hometown at any time. You are going to the home of the third son of the Di family, and the eldest of the Di family loves his third brother dearly. This Mrs. Di is even more remarkable! She is the granddaughter of the Elder Madam of the Gan Family, and who is this olddy? She is the wife of the Hanlin Academy¡¯s Minister Gan. Mrs. Di has also been raised by Assistant Minister of Ministry of Personnel, Lord Gan. With such a status, it would be just as easy to crush you as it is to press a small ant to death¡­¡±


    Granny Qin is one of the top human trafficking dealers in Macheng County, handling countless transactions for wealthy families every year.


    Her sess in this industry is connected to her experiences when she was young.


    At that time, she was young and encountered a fugitive servant who had just switched hands. How could the wealthy family ept such a situation? Naturally, they found Granny Qin. Granny Qin immediately led a group to pursue the fugitive. After several days and nights of pursuit, they finally captured the person. In front of countless people, they stripped the servant bare, sliced off pieces of flesh, and executed them with a slow, painful death.


    The scene was a true river of blood, with screams echoing for a long time.


    The bright red blood stained the ground in front of Qin Family¡¯s home. The victims cried out in pain, begging for a swift death but unable to die nor live!


    Since then, not a single ve that had been bought or sold through her has dared to escape!<div>


    Speaking of this, it is also rted to the current imperial system. In this system, ves are private property of their masters. Even if they are beaten to death, it does not vite thew.


    Only then did Liu Sisi nod in satisfaction: ¡°Hmm! If Granny Qin has already exined to you, then I will not go into the details. When you prepare the food, be sure to carefully clean the ingredients. Also, the hygiene of this stove must be maintained. The food will be consumed, so there can be no carelessness.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Everyone naturally responded in unison.<div>


    After saying all this, Liu Sisi finally rxed her expression and carefully examined the three children.


    Among the three children, the boy was thergest, about eight or nine years old, slightly older than Xuan¡¯er, just right for being his Attendant Student. The two younger girls were also six or seven years old. At present, Da Mao had no one to take care of him, so it was better to send the older girl to take care of Da Mao¡­


    Seeing the current situation, Liu Sisi smiled and asked, ¡°What are your names? How old are you?¡±


    The old woman hurriedly greeted: ¡°Madam, my husband¡¯s family name is Hu, and I ammonly known as Granny Hu. My eldest son is named Hu Daniu, my youngest son is named Hu Erniu, and this is my daughter-inw, Ms. Gao. The three children are arranged in order: Eldest Son Hu, Hu Erya, and Hu Sanya. Please give them names, Madam.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°Granny Hu, Hu Daniu, Hu Erniu, and Ms. Gao have been using their names for decades, so there is no need to change them. The names of these three children are really not good. How about changing their names to Hu Leping, which means peace and happiness in one¡¯s life. As for the two girls, let¡¯s call them Hu Xun and Hu Xueyi!¡±


    Everyone naturally had no objections, and thanked her for the names.


    ¡°Thank you for the names, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Hmm! Prepare the food as quickly as possible. They have been busy for a long time and must be tired.¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at the woman Ms. Gao¡¯s stomach. Ms. Gao was extremely thin, her face pale, but her stomach seemed a bit bigger than her own. Perhaps her pregnancy was further along than her own.


    However, this was good. It would save her the trouble of finding a wet nurseter on!


    ¡°There are ready-made cotton quilts. After eatingter, there might be some rush to sew the quilts.¡±


    The more people there are, the more things there are.


    Di Family was just starting out, and various chaotic matters were numerous.<div>


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but sigh in secret. It was good that they had already moved out of the Upper Vige. If so many people were squeezed into the old house, it would be even more difficult to deal with other issues, let alone eating and living.

 Chapter 456: 456: Mother Zuo’s Misfortune

    Chapter 456: Mother Zuo¡¯s Misfortune


    When the cooked dishes in the kitchen were ready, Liu Sisi finally went down to check the cer.


    The residence¡¯s ground area was not small, and the underground cer was quite spacious.


    Di Yelei had carefully cleaned the cer after sprinkling quicklime, and then neatly piled up the grain on the shelves.


    Seeing Liu Sisiing in, Di Yelei hurriedly led her out.


    ¡°Why did youe down? The air in the cer is not good, and the space is narrow. What will happen if you identally bump into something?¡±


    In the meantime, he shook off the pure flour on his body, choking Liu Sisi with a cough.


    ¡°Bastard! Cough cough¡­ You did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you? Cough cough¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehehe¡­ I really did it on purpose¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he stealthily stole a fragrant kiss on her cheek, then grinned andughed.


    Liu Sisi twisted his waist hard: ¡°Look at you, an old man with no respect. What if the children see you? What then?¡±


    While speaking, she poked her head inside and took a look: ¡°How¡¯s it going? Have you finished stacking these grains in the cer?¡±<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s not that fast. I was thinking, why don¡¯t we dig another cer and put the grain in there. That would be better.¡±


    Di Yelei rolled up his sleeves and wiped a handful of sweat: ¡°If these grains are not stored properly and be moldy and deteriorated, then they will be useless.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°Instead of digging a cer here, why not bury some of the grain in the cer on our back mountain, seal the cer entrance after taking good moisture-proof measures, and use it as emergency food. What do you think?¡±


    These words made Di Yelei¡¯s eyes sparkle! He pped his thigh right away.


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! Didn¡¯t I dig two more cers back there? In addition to the original one, there are three cers in total. Although there are some sundries inside each, they are not many. It just so happens that I also rented a carriage from the Carriage Shop. I¡¯ll take them with me to transport the grain back overnight and then hurry back under cover of darkness. Tonight, the rain has stopped, and I can move the sweet potatoes in the cer back.¡±


    Di Yelei became more and more excited as he spoke, and turned to call people.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly reached out and grabbed him: ¡°Are you confused? How can you do it at this hour? Eat first, and do things when you have the energy.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I¡¯ll listen to my little kitten!¡±


    Di Yelei grinned with an honest face!


    Liu Sisi rolled her eyes at him: ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and fill this cer with grain, seal it, and get ready for dinner.¡±


    With that, she turned and left.


    ¡°Ai! Coming!¡±


    Di Yelei happily shouted with his throat, then cheerfully hummed a tune as he went back to the cer.


    After dinner, Liu Sisi brought out the cotton and bedding on one side for Granny Hu and Ms. Gao to renew the quilts, and even seven or eight-year-old Xue Lan and Xue Yi came to help. On the other side, Di Yelei led Old Cheng, Hu Daniu, Hu Erniu, and others to harness the carriages. Two carriages plus one horse were quickly loaded, and they quietly left the courtyard under the cover of darkness, heading straight for Upper Vige.


    Because the cotton had not been carded, Granny Hu and Ms. Gao used cotton thread to sew cross lines to renew the quilts, sandwiching the cotton wadding in between, a simr method to making cotton-padded clothes.


    The needlework of the two was extremely skilled, andpared to Liu Sisi¡¯s half-baked level, the difference was like day and night.


    Liu Sisi knew that her needlework was not good, so she assisted them from the side, helping with the cotton renewal.


    However, when she turned her head back and found that the cotton padding by Xue Lan and Xue Yi was much neater and more evenly thick than hers, she decisively let go, leaving the task to them.


    Only then did she return to Xuan¡¯er¡¯s room.<div>


    Today Zhang Yun was also there, upying one side of the desk with Di Xuan, writing under the oilmp. The newly bought attendant student Le Ping was grinding ink carefully beside them, his eyes widened, staring at the books in their hands, full of excitement. Sensing Liu Sisi, he wanted to bow down to greet her, but she stopped him with a raised hand.


    Liu Sisi walked up, took off the hairpin from her head, and gently turned up the oilmp to make it brighter.


    She casually nced at Di Xuan¡¯s homework, noticing he was studying the contents of the Zhu Family¡¯s Instructions.


    Perhaps Liu Sisi had been standing there for a while, Di Xuan straightened up a bit, saw Liu Sisiing, and hurriedly got up to greet her.<div>


    Liu Sisi waved her hand: ¡°Is there anything you don¡¯t understand?¡±


    Seeing Di Xuan¡¯s brows knit together, she didn¡¯t leave directly.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t understand this part, so I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time¡­¡± Di Xuan casually asked about his studies.


    This action made Le Ping, who was by their side, widen his eyes!


    Madam? She¡­ she can actually read? That¡¯s so unexpected!


    While Liu Sisi was answering Di Xuan¡¯s questions, there was a series of knocking sounds at the main entrance.


    ¡°Eh? Are Yelei and the others back so soon?¡±


    Liu Sisi then remembered that Old Cheng had also returned to Upper Vige, and there was no one outside to answer the door, so she got up and went out to open the door.


    As the door opened, she saw Zhang Peng¡¯s exhausted figure.


    ¡°Why is it you, sister-inw, who came to open the door? Where is Ye Lei? Something happened to Mother Zuo.¡±


    ¡°What happened? What¡¯s going on?¡± Liu Sisi hurriedly asked anxiously.


    Zhang Peng shook his head, a heavy expression on his face: ¡°It¡¯s hard to put into words. I¡¯ve brought Mother Zuo here, and she¡¯s now at Old Doctor He¡¯s Clinic. Sister-inw, you should go and see her.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment and said, ¡°Brother Zhang, wait a moment. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±<div>


    As she spoke, she went back and put on a cloak, then told her father-inw in the room before leaving the house.


    Seeing that Zhang Peng was talking to Zhang Yun and Xuan¡¯er about something, Liu Sisi came out, and he quickly drove the two children away: ¡°Go, go, go! Hurry back to your room and study. If you dare to ck off and make do, be careful with your skin!¡±


    When the two little guys went back to their rooms, he then led Liu Sisi outside.


    ¡°When I went to South Mountain Vige, I went to the town there first, then turned to the Zuo Family. When I got to the Zuo Family, I knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. Thinking that there was only an olddy at home, I apologized and opened the door myself. It¡¯s a good thing I did; otherwise, the consequences could have been unimaginable. Mother Zuo had already fainted by the bed. I couldn¡¯t wake her up despite calling her for a long time, and she was ice cold. Only after I boiled some hot water to warm her up did she catch her breath. It turns out she had already run out of food at home for several days, and had been living on the leftover pastries and sugar from the New Year¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but think of the pastries and candies she left at Zuo¡¯s house, and a line stretched across her forehead.


    What was Zuo Xingyu up to?


    Didn¡¯t he stay at home for a few more days before leaving? Was he even neglecting his own mother?


    ¡ª¡ª


    An additional chapter will be addedter today, thank you to the Dragon Phoenix Group for their rewards!

 Chapter 457: 457: Mother Zuo’s Appreciation (Extra for the Dragon and Phoenix combo)

    Chapter 457: Mother Zuo¡¯s Appreciation (Extra chapter for the Dragon and Phoenixbo)


    ¡°After that, I took some emergency measures, but my medical skills are just so-so, and the old woman¡¯s body is really weak. Out of necessity, I found a carriage and sent her to the small town.¡±


    Zhang Peng¡¯s footsteps unconsciously becamerger.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly stepped forward to keep up: ¡°It¡¯s my fault too. Constable Zuo was helping my sister find her child, but unexpectedly, his old mother was actually starving at home. I didn¡¯t take care of her properly.¡±


    ¡°How can you me yourself? He didn¡¯t ask us to help take care of her either. No one could have foreseen this.¡±


    Zhang Peng shook his head and casually asked, ¡°By the way, where is Ye Lei? Why isn¡¯t he here?¡±


    Liu Sisi hadn¡¯te back to her senses from her chaotic thoughts, and when she heard that, she quickly raised her head: ¡°Oh, he didn¡¯t see youing back, so he went back to Upper Vige.¡±


    The clinic was just diagonally across the street, so they arrived very quickly.


    At the moment the clinic door was ajar, Zhang Peng took Liu Sisi and gently pulled open a door panel, then stepped over the threshold.


    As soon as they entered, they saw the medicine pageboy fanning the stove fire to boil medicine, and inside the partition, there was a constantly swaying candle shadow.


    Without any hesitation, Liu Sisi followed Zhang Peng¡¯s footsteps and stepped into the small partition.


    As expected, Mother Zuo was lying crookedly at the head of the bed, her face pale and her expression extremely unwell.<div>


    When Dr. He saw the two of them enter, he quickly waved them over and then led them outside.


    ¡°Dr. He, how is Mother Zuo¡¯s condition now?¡±


    Upon seeing him, Liu Sisi hurriedly approached and asked.


    Dr. He looked up at Liu Sisi and sighed heavily.


    ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that she was brought in on time. If this woman had dyed another day, I¡¯m afraid there would be no hope for her. But luckily, you previously used the ginseng slice to keep her alive; it seems she wasn¡¯t meant to die just yet! By the way, she isn¡¯t your rtive, is she?¡±


    He still remembered her mother-inw¡¯s demeanor vividly and couldn¡¯t imagine her looking like this.


    As Liu Sisi hesitated to exin who Mother Zuo was, Zhang Peng quickly spoke up.


    ¡°Oh! This is the mother of one of our colleagues at the governmental office. His family is poor, and this time he happened to be on an official trip, so¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly added, ¡°To be precise, he is actually helping to find my poor nephew who was sold by his own father. So, if his mother has an ident, I can¡¯t help but feel¡­¡±


    Mother Zuo slowly woke up from her drowsiness and slowly opened her eyes.


    Her vision was blurry, and everything in front of her was hazy. Her memory slowly returned, and she hurriedly raised her head, trying hard to make out her surroundings.


    She heard Liu Sisi¡¯s clear voice outside.


    Her voice was so familiar that it put Mother Zuo¡¯s mind at ease for a moment.


    It¡¯s this woman again!


    How could she forget her? It was the food she left that allowed her to persevere until now.


    ¡°Ah! ¨C That¡¯s how it is!¡±


    Dr. He nodded in understanding.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Since she is the mother of Third Son Di¡¯s colleague and is helping with your family affairs, you cannot escape responsibility for this. With her condition, she will need to take some expensive medicinal materials long-term to regain her health. You¡¯d better be prepared.¡±


    Dr. He said this because he was considering the money issue.<div>


    These expensive medicines couldn¡¯t be solved with a few copper coins, and the main concern was that this money would be spent on outsiders.


    Back when the Di Family¡¯s old house was on the line to save Elderly Mr. Di, the Di brothers were unwilling to spend money, and he still remembered Di Yelei beating his brothers fiercely. As a healer, he had naturally seen a lot of such things. The recent improvement in the Di Family¡¯s situation and relocation to a small town surprised him when Di Yelei first mentioned it.


    But thinking about the personality and work ethic of the couple, who were both diligent and kind-hearted and always willing to help others, it was only a matter of time before they amassed their wealth. So he was no longer surprised!


    ¡°As for the money matters, Dr. He, please rest assured. I will cover all the costs, just use whatever is needed. The most important thing is to save the old woman!¡±<div>


    The voice of Liu Sisi is exceptionally clear and melodious, like the singing of an oriole, especially pleasant to the ear.


    Her words echoed in Mother Zuo¡¯s ears, and miraculouslyforted her.


    A warm current rising from her heart instantly warmed her heart fields. She only felt extremelyfortable as this warm current settled in her chest.


    They really met a kind-hearted person!


    With a smile on her lips, Mother Zuo drifted back into dreand.


    ¡°Good! With your words, I can proceed without worries! But frankly, to save this woman will cost dozens of taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Elder He, for your hard work!¡± Liu Sisi hurriedly bowed in thanks.


    When the soup medicine arrived, Liu Sisi carried it to feed Mother Zuo, who had no resistance as she recognized her voice.


    ¡°Aunt Zuo, please put your mind at ease and live here for now. This is a clinic, and Dr. He is a world-renowned doctor. In the early years, he even treated His Majesty. But due to mourning for a family member, he returned to Macheng County. His medical skills are top-notch, so please feel free to stay here. If you need anything, just ask!¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she brought the soup spoon to Mother Zuo¡¯s mouth.


    Mother Zuo drank the soup medicine and suddenly reached out to grab Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°My girl, I really can¡¯t thank you enough! If it weren¡¯t for you, my wife would have died in that thatched hut and nobody would have known. Thank you, really, thank you!¡±


    Liu Sisiughed: ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t thank me. If you want to thank someone, it¡¯s not me! Look at my heavy body, how could I go that far? It was Brother Zhang who saved you and brought you here. You should thank him if you really want to. Come! Drink your medicine.¡±<div>


    ¡°Heavy¡­ Are you pregnant? My goodness! In this big cold day, why are you running around outside while being pregnant? Better go back early and rest, or catching a cold will be troublesome.¡±


    Mother Zuo kept urging, and refused to drink the medicine despite any persuasion.


    With one wanting to feed and the other refusing to drink, the scene reached deadlock. The medicine pageboy peeped in from outside.


    ¡°Third Aunt Di, why don¡¯t you let me try to feed her the medicine? I¡¯ll be watching over her here anyway. Besides, your current body is not what it used to be. If something goes wrong because of the cold, it would be terrible.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment before reluctantly handing the medicine bowl to the medicine pageboy.


    ¡°Fine! Make sure to take good care of Aunt Zuo. When Ie to see her tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll bring you some delicious food.¡±


    ¡°Oh well! You mentioned it now!¡±


    The medicine pageboy immediately rejoiced: ¡°I want to eat deep-fried pork, starch-steamed ribs, shrimp sauce buns¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop! You dare to call out orders still? No way!¡±


    Liu Sisiughed and interrupted him: ¡°I¡¯ll just pack whatever is left for you tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Ah©`Really?¡­¡±


    The medicine pageboy exaggeratedly wailed and burst intoughter, which made Mother Zuo unable to contain herughter as well.


    ¡°Hurry back! It¡¯s getting cold and wet outside, don¡¯t linger any longer!¡±<div>


    ¡ª¡ª


    Thank you dragon-phoenix group for the two 1888 book currency rewards! I added an extra chapter as a thank you, muah muah! Hehe~~

 Chapter 458: 458: Hot Feet

    Chapter 458: Hot Feet


    Liu Sisi insisted on waiting until Mother Zuo had taken her medicine andy down. Only then did she leave the clinic.


    As soon as she lifted her head, she saw Di Yelei holding antern, quickly jogging towards her. Upon seeing Liu Sisi, he was immediately overjoyed!


    ¡°Sisi, how are you? Are you having pregnancy difort? I just got home and heard from my father that you were at the clinic.¡±


    Di Yelei wiped his forehead, unclear whether it was sweat or rainwater.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s not me who¡¯s in trouble! It¡¯s just too cold out here; let¡¯s get back home first.¡±


    As she spoke, her teeth were chattering uncontrobly.


    The temperature difference between inside and outside was simply too great!


    When they returned home, Liu Sisi found everyone unloading box after box from the carriage and moving them into the kitchen.


    ¡°Come on in quickly, look at your hands, they¡¯re freezing.¡±


    Di Yelei quickly ushered Liu Sisi into the house¨C the inside was considerably warmer, which prompted Liu Sisi to rub her hands together and stamp her feet, which were already stiff from the cold.


    ¡°You stay in your bedroom for now; I¡¯ll fetch some hot water for you to soak your feet.¡±<div>


    As soon as Di Yelei said this, he didn¡¯t wait for Liu Sisi to refuse¨C he headed straight for the kitchen, leaving Liu Sisi with no chance to stop him. Helpless, she returned to her bedroom.


    She took the hairpin from her hair, ced it in the dressing box, let her hair down, and it fell loosely over her shoulders. She then got up to shake out the quilt and carefully spread it out.


    Finally, she sat at the head of the bed, lost in her thoughts.


    The room door creaked slightly as Di Yelei returned carrying a water basin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll bring in the brazier as well. When we rented this ce, we didn¡¯t notice it wasn¡¯t as well insted as the old house. I¡¯m afraid you might get cold.¡±


    While speaking, he had already stepped out again. After a moment, he came back in with the brazier, casually shutting the door behind him.


    Noticing Liu Sisi still daydreaming, he curiously smiled: ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is it rted to where you went tonight? Father said something which I didn¡¯t quite understand. It seemed to be about Constable Zuo. Has there been any good news from his side?¡±


    As he spoke, he bent down, picked up a towel from the washbasin, carefully rubbed it clean, wrung it out, and handed it to Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow in surprise but didn¡¯t say much. She just opened the towel and wiped her face.


    ¡°Mother Zuo has had an ident. Didn¡¯t you tell Zhang Peng to go to Zuo¡¯s house to check on them? The moment he entered¡­¡±


    It was only then that Liu Sisi narrated the rest of the incident to Di Yelei in detail.


    ¡°Mother Zuo is seriously ill? Should I go to the clinic too? We can¡¯t afford any mishaps.¡±


    ¡°There is no need, she was already asleep when I left.¡±


    Liu Sisi hastily stopped him, passing back the towel to Di Yelei as she did so.


    ¡°What exactly is Zuo Xingyu doing? He can¡¯t possibly be so indifferent to his mother¡¯s well-being. He was away for so many days, over New Year as well, and he didn¡¯t even arrange any food for his mother. Didn¡¯t your office disburse the year-end wages? Or did he not receive his?¡±


    Di Yelei received the towel and gingerly washed it in the hot water, then wrung it out.


    ¡°How could that be the case? As a constable, he received almost 50 taels more in silver than any of us. I find it strange too. With the money he¡¯s made from being a constable in a year, he could easily afford a courtyard in the city, but he continues to live in that thatched hut¡­¡±


    Their conversation halted here, and both of them hesitated.


    ¡°¡­ Where did all his money go?¡± Liu Sisi asked softly.<div>


    She had long sensed that there was something off about Zuo Xingyu, but Di Yelei trusted him implicitly. She felt it was imperative to point this out so that he could think more deeply about it.


    There was some hesitation in Di Yelei¡¯s movements. He put down the towel, poured the water from the washbasin into arger basin, and then started to remove Liu Sisi¡¯s shoes.


    ¡°Perhaps he has his own unavoidable difficulties!¡±


    In the meantime, he had already taken off Liu Sisi¡¯s shoes and began to help her remove her socks.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ I can take them off myself!¡±


    Feeling the intent of the other side, Liu Sisi¡¯s face turned red all at once and she hurriedly resisted.


    ¡°Do not move! Your husband has never had the chance to help our little kitten warm her feet before, today fulfills my wish.¡±


    His movements were gentle yet firm, firmly holding Liu Sisi¡¯s small foot, taking off her shoes and socks, then he carefully looked at it and began to pour hot water to warm her feet.


    ¡°Yelei¡­ that tickles! Stop it¡­¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi bit her lower lip, looking at his movements somewhat helpless, feeling his rough fingers brushing over the soft soles of her feet, leading to a tingling sensation.


    He was actually warming her feet?


    This is not just warming feet, it was like warming her heart! It instantly warmed her heart! It also wetted the corners of her eyes, making them especially dry and ufortable.


    ¡°Rx a bit, our kitten¡¯s feet are white, small, and they are soft and chubby, incredibly cute.¡±


    Di Yelei praised sincerely, continuously ying with her small foot in his hand, he simply couldn¡¯t put it down.


    Liu Sisi waspletely embarrassed and couldn¡¯t speak, her face flushed, her soul seemed to have fled to the heavens!


    Although the other party was just ying with her small feet, it made her feel more embarrassed than if she were to lie naked under his gaze!


    A man who warms his woman¡¯s feet¡­<div>


    Should be a man who truly treasures her from the bottom of his heart, right?


    ¡°By the way, how long did Old He say it will take for Mother Zuo to recover?¡±


    As he spoke, he took a clean towel and carefully dried her small foot.


    Liu Sisi quickly withdrew, not caring about not having taken off her outer robe, she immediately retreated to the head of the bed, pulling the quilt over herselfpletely.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Old He didn¡¯t say, just said it would cost quite a bit of silver.¡±


    Her voice came from under the quilt.


    ¡°Hmm! Where money should be spent, it must be spent. Not to mention that she is Constable Zuo¡¯s mother, and Constable Zuo is helping us find Er Mao and San Mao, even if she was a stranger, knowing her situation, we can¡¯t let her freeze to death, can we?¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he picked up the basin of water and left the room.


    A momentter, he came back, took the washbasin and towel, and went out: ¡°You go to sleep first, there are many things I brought from home that haven¡¯t been sorted out yet, I need to get them in order first. I¡¯ll go to sleep after that.¡±


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t stay up toote, there will always be things that can¡¯t be done. Go to sleep earlier, don¡¯t wear yourself out.¡±


    Liu Sisi said worriedly.


    ¡°I know!¡±


    His reply was already outside the room door.<div>


    Only then did Liu Sisi get up to undress, and slowlyid back down on the bed.


    Zuo Xingyu and Second Sister have also been gone for half a month, I wonder how things are going on their end, whether they¡¯ve found the children and rescued them?

 Chapter 459: 459: Sharp-tongued

    Chapter 459: Sharp-tongued


    The next day, Liu Sisi got up early.


    The old woman and the married woman were also up early, kneading dough in the kitchen.


    Liu Sisi took over her work, quickly steamed some steamed buns, and also wrapped some buns. Afterwards, she fried some simple dishes in another pot, made a portion of deep-fried pork, and a cabbage stewed with rice noodles, ted them, and put them into the food box. Finally, she scooped a bowl of stewed meat from the bonfire and stacked theyers of the food box.


    This was the food promised to the medicine pageboy yesterday, which naturally had to be delivered early today.


    Looking back at the meat porridge being stewed separately in the stewing pot, it was already soft and tender, with a little added tonic, which was just right for the patient to eat.


    Only then did she fill a bowl and put it on top of the food box. She sealed the food boxpletely, picked up the umbre beside her, and turned back to exin to the others.


    ¡°The food in the stewing pot is prepared for my father, so when he wakes up, you can serve it to him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Also, when the Old Master has eaten and is ready to go out, remember to wrap up some buns for him to carry with him, so he doesn¡¯t go hungry.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    ¡°And when the Young Master wakes up, remember to help him pack his school bag, and you, Le Ping, remind him to take care of the Young Master.¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    ¡°And also¡­¡±


    ¡°Sisi, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to go earlier? Why are you still here?¡±


    Di Yelei had alreadye in from outside, holding a mane brush in his hand, apparently having brushed the jujube red horse, and looked at Liu Sisi with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s gettingte, I need to go.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurried out of the house and went straight to the clinic.


    Her face turned red, and she had really be an old mother, taking a long time to leave the room. Was it because she was pregnant? Even her temper had changed a lot.


    The medicine pageboy had been waiting at the clinic early on, and as soon as he saw Liu Sisi carrying the food box, he rushed across the street, almost running into a vendor carrying a carrying pole, which made the vendor curse loudly.


    The medicine pageboy stillughed hehe: ¡°Aunt, you really came, hehe, let me see what delicious food you have brought.¡±


    As he spoke, he pretended to steal the food box.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly hid the food box behind her: ¡°Don¡¯t mess around! Old He hasn¡¯t eaten yet, and you want to steal food? You¡¯re asking for a beating!¡±


    ¡°Ah! ¡ª Not really?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The medicine pageboy had a bitter gourd face and insisted: ¡°I just want to try it, just a taste!¡±


    ¡°Not even half allowed, it¡¯s so cold outside, and if opened for a while, it¡¯ll get cold. Hurry up and go inside!¡±


    As she spoke, she carried the food box into the clinic.


    It was still early, and there were not many people in the clinic. Liu Sisi opened the food box, took out the meat porridge on the surface, and covered the box again before handing it to the medicine pageboy.


    ¡°Go! You can have it. I¡¯ll take the porridge to my Aunt.¡±


    After saying that, she picked up the porridge.


    ¡°Pooh! It¡¯s so virtuous. If I, the medicine pageboy, could marry such a virtuous daughter-inw in the future, how wonderful that would be¡­¡±<div>


    After saying that, he also took the food box and went to the back hall with a swaying gait.


    Mother Zuo apparently had woken up, her dim old eyes were open, and she was groping around, trying to find something.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly went to help her: ¡°Auntie, what are you looking for? Let Sisi help you.¡±


    ¡°My girl, you¡¯re here. You¡¯re here so early. Don¡¯t worry about me, I just want a drink of water¡­¡± Mother Zuo¡¯s spirit seemed to be better, and there was a bit of a smile on her face.<div>


    ¡°Auntie, let me pour it for you!¡±


    While speaking, she didn¡¯t give the other party a chance to refuse, she directly poured half a bowl of water, carefully cooled it, and handed it to her mouth: ¡°Here, Auntie, have a drink.¡±


    Mother Zuo was obviously thirsty, and she drank all of the half-bowl of water before putting the bowl down.


    ¡°My girl, your name is Sisi? Our Yu Er used to have a fianc¨¦e named Si Er. But she wasn¡¯t as kind-hearted as you are.¡±


    Speaking of this, Mother Zuo even seemed a bit resentful.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s hand paused slightly before continuing to scoop the meat porridge. How was she supposed to respond to this?


    Mother Zuo didn¡¯t notice Liu Sisi¡¯s change, and instead continued toin.


    ¡°That Si Er relied on her good embroidery skills and never took others seriously, let alone broke off her engagement with our Yu Er because she was greedy for wealth, and shamelessly climbed up to¡­¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough! Auntie, this is the meat porridge I just made. I put some nourishing medicinal materials in it. You should eat it soon!¡±


    Liu Sisi interrupted her.


    Seeing that the other person was a patient, and also blind, she didn¡¯t want to argue with her.


    But anyone would find it unbearable to hear such things from someone in front of them, right? Interrupting the other party¡¯s words and not scolding them was already quitemendable!


    ¡°Alright, alright! Girl, let me do it.¡±<div>


    Mother Zuo groped for the bowl: ¡°You¡¯re such a good-hearted person, with a lovely voice and excellent cooking skills. Moreover, you take care of this blind old woman. It¡¯s really hard to find someone as kind as you¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi was quite amused. Was Mother Zuo praising her? Or being sarcastic?


    If she wasn¡¯t sure the other party couldn¡¯t see her looks, she might have thought Mother Zuo was using irony!


    Thinking about it, life is indeed full of irony sometimes!


    In the following days, Liu Sisi delivered food to Mother Zuo every day. Naturally, she also brought meals to Old He along the way.


    Old He indeed had a picky taste. One day, Liu Sisi was too busy to cook and asked Ms. Gao to help stir-fry some vegetables, which she then put in the food box and brought over. To Liu Sisi¡¯s surprise, Old He took a bite of the vegetables and immediately spat them out.


    ¡°Ptui! Ptui! What is wrong with today¡¯s vegetables? Sisi, this dish wasn¡¯t made by you, was it?¡± Old He asked pointedly.


    ¡°This¡­ I had something to do earlier, so I asked Ms. Gao to help stir-fry the vegetables¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi casually said as she picked up some clean bamboo chopsticks and took a bite. She couldn¡¯t find any difference in taste! How did Old He taste it? It¡¯s quite strange!


    ¡°Hmph! Do you think you can deceive my experienced taste? The food you cook has a heavenly sweetness, while this dish has a bitter taste. It¡¯s clearly not made by your hand. Old He isn¡¯t so old that he can¡¯t even taste the difference!¡± Old He huffed.


    Liu Sisi tasted again but still couldn¡¯t find any difference. She could only assume that Old He¡¯s taste buds were different from others!


    However, after that, Liu Sisi made all the meals she sent to the clinic herself.


    After returning home, Liu Sisi mentioned the matter to Di Yelei by chance. Unexpectedly, Di Yeleiughed aloud after hearing it.<div>


    ¡°I agree with Old He, the dishes you make are indeed delicious! Haha¡­¡±

 Chapter 460: 460: Hard Labor

    Chapter 460: Hard Labor


    After staying at the clinic for several days and recovering, Mother Zuo¡¯s condition finally stabilized. Liu Sisi thought it was not appropriate to stay in the clinic any longer, so she brought Mother Zuo back to her home and arranged for her to stay in the guest room.


    As Liu Sisi¡¯s pregnancy progressed, she asked the old woman to serve her.


    Mother Zuo tried to decline, but she couldn¡¯t refuse Liu Sisi¡¯s kindness, so she had to ept the arrangement.


    However, she secretly vowed to herself that she would have a good talk with her son Yu Er in the future so that he could find a good daughter-inw like Liu Sisi.


    Recently, Liu Sisi has been training the newly bought house servants.


    These house servants who had signed dead contracts were different from those who had signed open contracts. In the future, they would live in Di Family all year round. It was not good if they had ill intentions or were unwilling to put in their best efforts.


    Especially the necessary rules, which were even more important!


    Worried that she might not teach them well, she specifically asked Old He for advice. Old He used to be an Imperial Physician, and he should know more about these etiquette rules than ordinary people.


    Upon seeing a few servants, Old He directly lent her one of his personal old women to help at Di Family for some time. In fact, she came specifically to train these house servants.


    After being trained by the old woman, the servants showed remarkable improvement in their behavior and work.


    Old He earnestly advised, ¡°It¡¯s not good for you to do all the work and worry on your own. It would be better to find a professional ountant to help you manage your household finances. Besides, your gatehouse is now managed by the coachman, which is not good.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi reluctantly smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not that we can¡¯t afford it, but I don¡¯t know how to deal with the spring corveebor by buying more people.¡±


    ¡°Why did you buy all dead contracts? You could have bought open contracts. Open contracts seem simple, but they¡¯re actually more convenient than buying dead contracts.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until then that Old He told her some details she didn¡¯t know before.


    ¡°Open contracts usuallyst from one year to thirty or forty years, with strongborers earning half a tael of silver a year without needing to provide food and shelter. As for children around ten years old, signing a contract for twenty or thirty years would only cost 2-3 taels of silver. When the contract term is over, the child would have already started a family by then. You can give them a house servant, and as long as you¡¯re not a cruel master, they will stay with you forever.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I see!¡± Liu Sisi suddenly realized.


    These children were brainwashed from a young age in the master¡¯s family. With the desire for a stable life and having their own families, house servants were naturally passed down from generation to generation.


    ¡°What¡¯s even more important is that open contracts do not require registration with the government office and are still valid!¡±


    This struck a chord with Liu Sisi.


    At present, Di Yelei is working day and night, and it¡¯s all because of the spring corveebor. The promised holiday has also been canceled because of it.


    Fortunately, because of Di Yelei¡¯s connections, both Hu Daniu and Hu Erniu were assigned to corveebor on the riverside and engaged in rtively light work like digging trenches.


    Since the beginning of this year¡¯s early spring, there has been continuous rain without a sunny day.


    The umted snow on the mountain began to melt, and the water level rose rapidly. Di Yelei and others started living on the riverbank, and it had been three days since they returned home.


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry too much. This hardbor is the same every year, it¡¯s just tiring and exhausting, but generally, there are no problems,¡± Ms. Gao saw that Liu Sisi¡¯s eyebrows were tightly furrowed and couldn¡¯t helpforting her.


    ¡°Even so, this work is too tiring and exhausting,¡± Liu Sisi turned her head and asked, ¡°By the way, have you prepared the food to be sent to the riverbank?¡±


    During this hardbor, the imperial court doesn¡¯t provide food. There are people who are responsible for cooking, but that food is hard to swallow, so most families send food to the embankment. The meals provided by each family vary, so many people work on an empty stomach and get sick from exhaustion after a few days, eventually dying on the riverside.


    ¡°Madam, the food is ready. The steamed buns are still steaming, but they should be almost done,¡± After Ms. Gao finished speaking, she hurried back to check on the stove.


    After the food was ready, Liu Sisi put it in a carry basket padded with thick cotton wadding, carefully covering it with a lid to seal and keep warm. Then she called Old Cheng to help lift it onto the carriage, and then sent it to the riverside.


    Liu Sisi thought for a while and got onto the carriage: ¡°I have never been to the riverside before. Today, I will apany you to have a look at the bustle and see how the embankment is being built.¡±


    In fact, she was not going to watch others build the embankment, but to check on Di Yelei, who hadn¡¯t been home for several days.<div>


    ¡°Is it okay for Madam to go like this? Your body is heavy now, and the road is bumpy. What if something happens?¡± Old Cheng hesitated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t dawdle, are you not confident in your driving skills?¡±


    Please encourage rather than deny, Liu Sisi directly countered Old Cheng¡¯s question.


    ¡°My driving skills will certainly not be a problem!¡± Old Cheng immediately pped his chest in confidence.<div>


    The drizzling rain continued, and it seemed to be getting heavier.


    Since they were going to the riverside, Old Cheng tied straw to the carriage wheels in advance to prevent skidding, before steadily driving to the embankment.


    At first, they galloped all the way until they got off the official road and began running along the path. The carriage frequently got stuck in puddles, making the ride bumpy.


    ¡°Madam! You¡¯d better sit tight; there¡¯s no other way with this road¡­¡±


    This was originally a mountain path, which had been repeatedly trampled by countless carriage wheels. Coupled with the erosion of rainwater, the road finally became like a dancing ground for carriages.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°I know!¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she was bouncing around. She tightly held onto anything she could so as not to be thrown off the carriage.


    When they finally arrived at the embankment, Liu Sisi¡¯s buttocks were aching from the bumpy journey.


    Now, everyone was working on reinforcing a section of the riverbank between two mountains. From the terrain, it seemed that a breach had once urred here. The nearby rocks still faintly preserved the traces of erosion.


    There were people working everywhere on the embankment, with many foremen supervising the work and asionally waving whips in their hands.


    As soon as Liu Sisi got off the carriage, her arrival attracted many eyes.


    She didn¡¯t care and walked ahead empty-handed, while Old Cheng followed behind carrying the basket. Hu Daniu and Hu Erniu were easy to find, but despite scanning the crowd several times, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t spot Di Yelei¡¯s figure.


    ¡°Madam, are you looking for the Old Master? He¡¯s over there!¡± Hu Daniu noticed Liu Sisi and the others and hurriedly said something to the foreman before running over to them.<div>


    Following the direction Hu Daniu pointed out, Liu Sisi finally spotted Di Yelei.

 Chapter 461: 461: Delivering Meals

    Chapter 461: Delivering Meals


    Di Yelei seemed to be inspecting something, half-squatting on the riverbank, surrounded by a circle of people.


    Then, he got up, pointed at the river opposite and along the bank, as if saying something to the people around him. One person next to him said something too, but he quickly shook his head and spoke more.


    Due to continuousbor, his clothes were almostpletely soaked, clinging to his strong body, and revealing his bundled muscles in clumps.


    Scattered light outlined the extreme hardness of his side profile. Falling from the side of his hair, he didn¡¯t know if it was rainwater or sweat, but with a casual swipe, he added countless charms to his masculinity.


    Liu Sisi, somewhat dazed, followed her instincts and walked in his direction.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t notice her arrival and suddenly stepped forward, striding in the opposite direction to her. The people next to him immediately followed.


    Liu Sisi became anxious and tried to call out, but the noise on the embankment was too loud and too noisy, her call waspletely drowned out in the surrounding noise.


    She couldn¡¯t help but gradually quickened her pace, weaving through the crowd on the riverbank, causing Old Cheng behind her to call out repeatedly.


    ¡°Madam! Be careful! Watch your feet! Be careful of the carry basket near your feet¡­¡±


    In Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, there was only the retreating figure, which she pursued with determination.


    Her actions naturally disrupted the work of the people on the riverbank and naturally attracted the attention of the people around her.<div>


    Perhaps it was the strangeness of the crowd that finally caught the attention of the group ahead, and Di Yelei eventually stopped and looked over, his face immediately brightened up. He said something to the people around him and finally strode towards her direction.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart rxed, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile at him!


    Noises from the surroundings entered her ears.


    It was then that she realized she had run into a muddy area, sshing mud everywhere she went, causing trouble for the people around her. However, seeing her stomach sticking out, everyone unanimously stepped aside and made way for her.


    She hurriedly apologized and ran up the embankment.


    Di Yelei also hurried over: ¡°Sisi, why are you here? Be careful!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s foot slipped and she couldn¡¯t stop her momentum, sliding far away like a slide, almost falling to the ground. However, she was caught by Di Yelei in time.


    ¡°Who let youe? Is the riverbank a ce for you in this state? If you fall and something happens to the child, what are you going to do?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face turned pale with anger, yelling at her furiously!


    Liu Sisi shrank her neck, she herself was frightened by the just-urred events, almost breaking out in a cold sweat.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to fall¡­¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t mean to fall and you almost fell, what would have happened if you meant to? Don¡¯t you know your own body? You still have to travel this far in this kind of weather!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s anger was still raging as he yelled at her ears!


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but cover her ears and shiver!


    ¡°Are you trying to kill me? Are you trying to show off how loud you can yell? My ears are going to go deaf from your yelling!¡± Liu Sisi also lost her temper!


    Old Cheng from the side hurriedly stepped in to mediate: ¡°Old Master! Madam brought you food. It¡¯s still hot, so you should eat it quickly!¡± As he spoke, he pointed to the carrying pole on his body.


    Seeing the pole full of cooked dishes, Di Yelei¡¯s face finally eased a bit.


    Looking back at Liu Sisi, seeing her staring at him with her eyes, he raised his eyebrows with a perplexed expression, but didn¡¯t say anything else. He epted the carrying pole from Old Cheng¡¯s body.


    ¡°Go! Call Da Niu and Er Niu for dinner!¡±<div>


    After saying this, Di Yelei casually found an empty spot, uncovered the cotton cloth on top of the carrying pole, and lifted the lid. A strong aroma immediately wafted through the air by the riverside, causing everyone¡¯s saliva to churn uncontrobly.


    ¡°It smells so good!¡±


    ¡°These dishes must taste delicious just from the smell.¡±


    ¡°Heavens! I¡¯m drooling.¡±<div>


    ¡°I really want to taste it too¡­¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ordinary people could onlyment on the food, but a few of the governmental office¡¯s runners who were supervisors came over and asked with a shameless face.


    ¡°Deputy Leader Di! What delicious food did your sister-inw bring you? Let us taste some meat too, to satisfy our cravings and feed the hungry worms in our stomachs!¡±


    The teasing from the few runners made Di Yelei¡¯s facial expression a bit more pleasant.


    ¡°You sneaky monkeys, how did you smell it from so far away? There¡¯s not much food, just one piece of meat for each of you.¡±


    While he was talking, he had already taken out the meat from the carry basket, pretending to hand it to the runners.


    Liu Sisi quickly and skillfully took the dish, her face full of a shallow smile: ¡°Gentlemen, I¡¯m sorry for not bringing enough food today, there¡¯s only this much meat. I¡¯ll leave it to you, big brothers, to distribute it so that everyone can have a taste.¡±


    The runner beside her happened to be a clever one!


    He took the meat dish and shouted to the people on the riverside.


    ¡°Great! Sister-inw is such a kind person! Not only is she beautiful, but she also has a first-ss heart! What do you all say, isn¡¯t it true?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! Yes!¡±


    With food to eat, everyone naturally agreed.


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s distribute the meat! Don¡¯t push, line up!¡±<div>


    The runner shouted, and the crowd on the riverside immediately gathered.


    Liu Sisi saw that there was not enough meat to go around with so many people! She promptly came up with a solution.


    ¡°Everyone! There isn¡¯t much meat, so if you¡¯re lucky enough to get a share, please express your gratitude! For those who don¡¯t get any, we also have some small steamed buns in this basket. Half a bun per person can be distributed too. I promise, next time Ie to the riverside, I¡¯ll bring more delicious food for everyone!¡±


    Her words immediately gained everyone¡¯s approval.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mind; she had already considered therge number of people beforeing and had prepared extra food.


    Da Niu and Er Niu also came over, along with the runners, all wearing hee-hee smiles on their faces.


    Di Yelei chose a spot sheltered from the wind and then took out some other food from the carrying pole.


    There was rice at the bottom, and two more portions of meat chunks. Di Yelei, fearing that there wouldn¡¯t be enough meat to share, had someone bring another bowl over. The rest was poured directly into the rice bowl, mixed together, and then the meat soup was also poured in. After a hasty blend, he scooped up a bowl for each person and handed it to the people around him.


    ¡°Deputy Leader Di! You¡¯re so generous! Nice!¡±


    Everyone praised Di Yelei, and then they each picked a spot to squat down and ate their food with big bites.


    After everyone was served, Da Niu and Er Niu each got arge bowl, and only Di Yelei was left scraping the bottom of the pot for quite a while before he managed to scrape out a small half bowl.

 Chapter 462: 463: Di Yelei’s Dilemma

    Chapter 462: Chapter 463: Di Yelei¡¯s Dilemma


    Countless pairs of eyes were naturally staring at his bowl. At this moment, seeing that Di Yelei couldn¡¯t even eat his own food, they exchanged nces and turned away, eating their own cooked dishes in silence.


    Liu Sisi gave him a re and secretly took out a few peeled boiled eggs from her pocket, burying them at the bottom of his bowl, and red at him again in the process.


    Thankfully, she had been more attentive when she came!


    Otherwise, this man would have fattened everyone around him and starved himself!


    Di Yelei naturally saw Liu Sisi¡¯s small movements! His eyes lit up in front of him!


    He smiled gratefully at Liu Sisi, quickly picked up his bowl and dug into the food, his chopsticks quietly reaching into the bottom of the bowl and pulling the egg into his mouth to eat. Only then did he sit up straight and chuckle heartily, continuing to eat the food in his bowl.


    Da Niu and Er Niu, who were sitting next to them, naturally saw this scene too, but they didn¡¯t say anything.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t say anything. When she passed by them, she quietly dropped four eggs in their shells next to them.


    Da Niu¡¯s eyes lit up!


    He secretly hid the eggs, taking out two when no one was watching and handed them to Er Niu beside him.


    All of Er Niu¡¯s attention was on the bowl. When he was bumped by Da Niu, he looked around in a daze, still holding a baby bok choy leaf in his mouth.<div>


    ¡°Bro, you called uh¡­¡±


    He mumbled.


    Da Niu red at him and bumped him again, this thoughtless Er Niu.


    Only then did Er Niu notice the eggs, hurriedly snatching them up and quickly stuffing them into his arms, even looking around like a thief, making Liu Sisi, who noticed this scene, constantly hold her forehead. Er Niu was really funny!


    While everyone was eating, Liu Sisi finally noticed that the soil and stone materials for building the river embankment were all transported from the nearby two mountain tops. And the transportation tools were actually old-fashioned carrying baskets. The sight made Liu Sisi break out in a cold sweat.


    After observing the surrounding situation, a thought suddenly crossed her mind. Perhaps she could¡­


    ¡°Sisi! Thank you. I didn¡¯t mean to make you angry just now. I was scared when I saw you almost fall!¡±


    Di Yelei came over bashfully, smiling tteringly.


    Liu Sisi rolled her eyes: ¡°Are you done eating? Once you¡¯re done, it¡¯s good timing. This annoying thing should leave sooner rather thanter.¡±


    Having said that, she turned and left.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, you¡­ at least save me some face.¡±


    Di Yelei caught up and whispered in her ear.


    Liu Sisi looked up, realizing the countless pairs of watching eyes around her, immediately shaking off his hand and twisting his waist in the process.


    ¡°Hmph! Who cares about you! You wish! Wait until you get home, and I¡¯ll settle ounts with you carefully!¡±


    At that, she ranughing towards the carriage:


    ¡°Old Cheng! Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re going back!¡±


    ¡°Here ites! Madam, please walk slowly, be careful of your feet!¡±


    Old Cheng quickly followed, carrying the empty basket.


    ¡°Oh! Ouch¡­I¡¯m definitely going to be bruised on my waist¡­¡±<div>


    Di Yelei rubbed his waist with a bitter smile, helplessly smiling at the surrounding eyes that were watching the drama.


    In theughing crowd surrounding the scene, someone started talking crudely.


    ¡°Deputy Leader Di, I never would have guessed! Your rtionship with sister-inw is actually so good! If sister-inw¡¯s little hand could touch my flesh, even if it dug out a piece of my flesh, it would be worth it!¡±


    ¡°Oh dear! How can such a beautiful flower like sister-inw be inserted in a pile of cow dung? What a pity, a real pity!¡±<div>


    ¡°Deputy Leader Di, listen, Xiaoliang is saying that you are cow dung¡­ He said it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death, you little rabbit! Stop running! Freeze¡ª¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s roar came from the river embankment, along with theughter of everyone else and the two figures running at full speed.


    The scene in front of her eyes relieved Liu Sisi a lot. She gently let go of the carriage curtain and instructed Old Cheng.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Old Cheng, let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go back!¡±


    ¡°Alright! Madam, please have a seat. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Old Cheng raised his horsewhip, and the carriage gradually went away.


    It wasn¡¯t until the carriage disappeared at the end of the line of sight that the chased Old Liang stopped,pletely disregarding the dirt, sitting directly on the muddy ground.


    ¡°Alright! Ye Lei, your wife has gone far now. You don¡¯t have to pretend anymore.¡±


    Di Yelei also stopped, looked back, and suddenly, his strength seemed to drain from his body, so he slowly squatted down, panting heavily.


    He wiped away the sweat, took a look at the surrounding environment, and couldn¡¯t help but swear.


    ¡°The flood season ising soon, and in the past few years, there¡¯s only been a few slightlyrger snowfalls. The floodwaters broke through here, inundating more than a dozen nearby viges. Last year¡¯s heavy snowsted so long, and the umted snow on the mountain top hasn¡¯t melted yet. Once the flood seasones and the water level rises, if this ce breaks again, I¡¯m afraid we few who built this section of the project will be the first to be ghosts under the sacrificial knife!¡±


    Xiaoliang and the other two runners also came over.<div>


    ¡°But there are only so many hands, and the flood season is imminent. We¡¯d better think about how to reinforce this section of the riverbank as soon as possible within the shortest time! It¡¯s not just about the issue of our own heads. We all have elders and children. If there¡¯s a breach this year, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t just be solving the problem of more than a dozen viges!¡±


    Everyone nodded and sighed at this remark.


    ¡°Others look at us as government office runners with plenty of silver and power, how nice it is. Who can see that we are actually just punching bags for others and scapegoats for those above?¡±


    ¡°Alright! You can talk about this in our circle, but don¡¯t take it outside. If it really reaches the ears of those with ulterior motives, you won¡¯t be able to handle the consequences!¡±


    ¡°¡­Understood, Deputy Constable Di.¡±


    While Di Yelei wasboring on the riverbank, Liu Sisi, who was sitting in the carriage and rushing home, was also frowning.


    She lifted the carriage curtain and carefully examined the terrain of the two nearby mountains, secretly nning in her heart.


    ¡°Old Cheng! I just heard those people call something like Deputy Leader Di, what does that mean?¡±


    Old Cheng, who was driving the carriage, looked back: ¡°Madam, don¡¯t you know? Old Master was promoted after the new year, and he¡¯s now a Deputy Constable, so everyone calls him Deputy Leader Di.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s it, and I never heard him mention it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Old Master¡¯s instructions not to say. Old Master said, the monthly sry is just an extra 100 silver coins, and telling it would make peopleugh. He also said he would wait until he made more progress before telling you.¡±

 Chapter 463: 463: Romantic Affairs

    Chapter 463: Romantic Affairs


    ¡°Oh? What else did Old Master say?¡± Liu Sisi became curious, as Di Yelei had many ideas.


    Old Cheng said with pride: ¡°Old Master also said that Madam, you¡¯re capable and earn more silver in a month than he does in a year. He needs to earn more silver, so he won¡¯t be outdone by you.¡±


    This made the smile on Liu Sisi¡¯s face disappear.


    At the end of the month, when settling the ounts, she received more than 1200 taels of silver from her share of the wine-house, Silver Pavilion, and bookstore¡¯s profits during the Spring Festival. This terrified her!


    However, after some thought, she realized that businesses like wine-houses and silver shops usually have their biggest profits before and after the Spring Festival. On normal days, they mostly consume their own capital or even lose silver. With this in mind, she could understand.


    Of the 1200 taels of silver, she kept the small change and invested the remaining 1200 taels in the two shops. She had initially invested hundreds of taels of money when she started the business, and now she received so much in return, she felt a little embarrassed and naturally invested the money again to supplement her initial investment.


    At that time, Di Yelei just watched and didn¡¯t say anything.


    She always thought that he didn¡¯t care, but after hearing Old Cheng¡¯s words, she realized that he had been concerned about this matter all along.


    The carriage bumped along the official road and followed it to the small town. Upon arriving, she didn¡¯t go straight home, instead, she asked Old Cheng to park the carriage in front of the cksmith¡¯s shop.


    There were only two cksmith shops in the small town, and business at this one was rtively slow. However, it was closer to her home.


    As the carriage stopped, they could hear the sound of iron forging from inside the shop.<div>


    ¡°You go back first, prepare dinner, and tonight you can take a horse to deliver it to the Old Master; I won¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    Old Cheng agreed and drove away.


    Liu Sisi entered the cksmith shop and saw various iron tools hanging on the walls, such as hoes, sledgehammers, iron plows, sickles, kitchen knives, spats, ners, door rings, bubble nails, and door bolts. She even saw bows and arrows and knives and guns on the wall!


    It is worth noting that weapons like knives and guns were regted at that time, and being able to see them in this small shop showed how far they were from the Emperor¡¯s reach!


    She stood in the shop for a long time, and apart from the sound of forging inside, no one came out to greet her. Out of curiosity, she peeked inside.


    In the courtyard inside, there was a huge iron stove with a sweating cksmith hammering a hot iron block in his hand.


    ¡°Is anyone here? Shopkeeper!¡±


    Liu Sisi called several times before a married woman carrying a child came out slowly.


    ¡°Customer, what do you need? I apologize, the kid who used to sell ironware here has been conscripted for service, so our shop is short on hands¡­¡± The woman said with a shy smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam, I want to customize some iron tools. I wonder if you can make them ording to my design? Oh, we can negotiate the price.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Seeing the woman¡¯s hesitation, Liu Sisi quickly added thest sentence.


    Indeed, the woman thought for a moment before hesitating to say: ¡°I can¡¯t really make that decision. How about this! I¡¯ll get the houseowner to talk to you, Madam.¡±


    As she spoke, she went inside to call someone.


    Liu Sisi waited for a while before the man came out wiping sweat from his forehead. He spoke with a foreign ent.


    ¡°Madam, the government has recently requisitioned a batch of tools for embankment construction, and I really don¡¯t have time to make anything else. What do you think¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not much profit from the government¡¯s requisition of tools. Wouldn¡¯t it be just right to make up for the household expenses by taking on some private work?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words hit the shopkeeper¡¯s heart.


    He said helplessly: ¡°Madam, what kind of tools do you want to customize?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi confidently smiled: ¡°Do you have paper and pen here? I¡¯ll draw it for you. Just make it ording to my requirements, and I¡¯ll definitely not treat you unfairly regarding the wages.¡±


    ¡­


    Not knowing when, the drizzle began to fall again, apanied by a bone-chilling wind that made people shiver.


    Liu Sisi left the cksmith¡¯s shop and walked slowly along the street, checking out the shops in the small town. Now that she has rented a shop, she needs to find a business to open as soon as possible.<div>


    As she walked and looked around, she came to the end of the street and was about to turn back when a familiar figure caught the corner of her eye.


    Hey! Isn¡¯t that Shou Hou?


    At this time, shouldn¡¯t he be in the bookstore watching the shop? Why would hee here?


    Out of curiosity, Liu Sisi turned her body and followed Shou Hou as he entered the small alley.


    Shou Hou didn¡¯t notice anyone following him and walked quickly. He soon stopped in front of a small house, pushed the door open, and disappeared inside.


    Liu Sisi hurried to the front of the house, tried to push the door, and found it had been bolted from the inside, leaving her stomping her foot in anger.


    From inside came a woman¡¯s sobbing, which stopped Liu Sisi in her tracks.


    She listened carefully and heard a woman¡¯s crying indeed.


    Why would Shou Hou enter a house where a woman lived and lock the door right away upon entering?


    For some unknown reason, Di Cheng¡¯s words came back to her ears.


    Feeling a sudden urgency, she quickly looked around and saw a gap in the fence not far from the main entrance. Delighted, she rushed over, ced a brick under her feet, and peered over the fence into the yard.


    It was indeed Shou Hou!


    At the moment, Shou Hou was frantically pounding on the room door, shouting non-stop: ¡°Tong! Tong, please open the door! Listen to my exnation¡­ I really had no choice! Tong¡­¡±<div>


    The room door was suddenly pulled open from the inside, and a beautiful woman appeared.


    Liu Sisi took a closer look; the woman was young but looked sad, her tear-stained face making her feel pitiful.


    As soon as Shou Hou saw the woman, he was overjoyed and hurriedly called out: ¡°Tong! Did you forgive me? I knew you were the best, Tong! I¡­¡±


    Before Shou Hou could finish speaking, an oil-paper package flew out from inside, hitting Shou Hou¡¯s face directly. The package broke open, revealing a fragrant roast chicken dripping with grease, which sshed all over Shou Hou!


    ¡°Take your roast chicken and eat it with her! I can¡¯t stand it anymore! Wuu wuu¡­¡±

 Chapter 464: 464: The Greedy Miao Cuihua

    Chapter 464: The Greedy Miao Cuihua


    That woman was crying and pushing Shou Hou out before closing the room door again. The sound of her heartbreaking sobs kepting from inside.


    It was only at this moment that Shou Hou responded, and anxiously approached to knock on the door again, pounding hard.


    ¡°Tong! Tong! Listen to me, Tong! Tong!¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t watch any further. Instead, she lightly jumped over the courtyard wall and left.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to intervene, but judging from their conversation at the moment, it was already toote to do anything now!


    Moreover, Shou Hou was so much older than her. If he could really listen to her, he should have stopped when Di Cheng passed on her words initially, instead of ending up in such a situation now!


    Raising her head to look at the sky, the clouds were dense, and the dark clouds seemed to press down on the roof, making it hard to open one¡¯s eyes.


    It seemed that the rain wouldn¡¯t stop anytime soon! Braving the cold wind, she headed home. Before she could step into her house, Ms. Gao came over to report.


    ¡°Madam, two young wives are in the hall looking for you.¡±


    Which two young wives would be looking for her?


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi casually took off her cloak from her shoulders and handed it, along with the paper umbre, to Ms. Gao before she lifted the curtain into the hall. She immediately spotted Miao Cuihua, who was happily chatting to herself in the hall. Sitting opposite her was Ms. Xin, whom Liu Sisi had met a few days earlier.


    As soon as the two saw Liu Sisi entering, they hurriedly stood up from their seats.


    ¡°Sisi! Where have you been? We came to see you today, and we¡¯ve been waiting for you quite a while!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Miao Cuihua had a loud voice, and sheughed with her eyes nearly closed when she spoke. Comparing her to a woman named Tong, they were truly pr opposites!


    Ms. Xin beside her had a moment of embarrassment, but she quickly regained herposure and bowed slightly to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, Ms. Xin pays her respects, I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. Hearing that Sister-inw Cuihua wasing to see you, I took the liberty to follow and express my gratitude.¡± Ms. Xin¡¯s words had double meanings.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes shed with an underlying radiance as she sat down at the main seat and casually signaled the two with a raised hand.


    ¡°So it¡¯s both of youing, truly rare guests. We are all family, no need for such courtesy. Please, sit!¡± Liu Sisi took the opportunity to say.


    Miao Cuihua, who was sitting beside her, waspletely oblivious to the undercurrent between the two. She sat down in her chair and picked up a pastry from the serving te, shoving it into her mouth while gesticting with her hands.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Sisi! These pastries from your home are so delicious, I haven¡¯t had anything as tasty for a long time¡­ so delicious, delicious!¡±


    She was speaking while still stuffing pastries into her mouth. Seeing that the te would soon be empty, Liu Sisi gave Ms. Gao a nce. Understanding her signal, Ms. Gao left and quickly returned with more pastries. Seeing the new varieties, Miao Cuihua¡¯s eyes lit up, and she eagerly reached out with both hands, grabbing two pastries with each, and devoured them.


    This action made even Ms. Gao look away, unable to bear the sight.


    Ms. Xin next to her twitched the corner of her mouth and couldn¡¯t help but cough lightly, ¡°Sister Cuihua, these pastries are indeed delicious, but eating too many might cause indigestion, you¡­¡±


    ¡°No worries! I just love sweet treats! Eating more of these pastries won¡¯t cause indigestion!¡±


    Shepletely missed the hidden meaning in Ms. Xin¡¯s words.


    Liu Sisi smiled, not at all surprised by Miao Cuihua¡¯s move. She decided not to beat around the bush and bluntly asked.


    ¡°Cuihua, did youe today because you have something to talk about?¡±


    Miao Cuihua was startled for a moment, swallowing the pastry in her mouth before breaking into a big smile.


    ¡°Oh! Sisi, if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would have forgotten. I came today for Shou Hou¡¯s wages, hehehe¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Wages? Weren¡¯t Shou Hou¡¯s wages settled at the end of the month? You¡­¡±


    As Liu Sisi was speaking, Tong¡¯s face inexplicably shed before her eyes, and she couldn¡¯t say the rest of her sentence.


    Could it be that Shou Hou didn¡¯t give the wages to Miao Cuihua, but instead spent it all on that¡­


    Looking at the carefree Miao Cuihua in front of her, it was hard to imagine the scene if she knew the truth of the matter.<div>


    Thinking about it, the rest of her sentence could no longer be spoken.


    Ms. Xin, who was beside her, blinked curiously, noticing the change in Liu Sisi¡¯s expression.


    Miao Cuihua opposite herughed heartily and confidently patted her chest.


    ¡°I understand now! It must be because you moved into this residence, rented the shop, and bought people, so the silver was not enough to give my Shou Hou his wages? You should have said so earlier! I, Cuihua, am not unreasonable. If you¡¯re short of silver, just take it and use it first. You can give it to me next month! Hehehe!¡±


    Herughter caused Ms. Gao behind her to step back a little, raising her head to nce at Miao Cuihua for the first time before hurriedly lowering it again.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s smile could barely hang on her face,pletely at a loss for how tomunicate with Miao Cuihua.


    Did she look like someone who couldn¡¯t afford to pay a few taels of silver wages?


    Miao Cuihua brushed off the pastry crumbs from her body, stood up, and said, ¡°Alright! It¡¯s not early, and I have to go home and cook dinner for Little Chubby. Oh, right! Little Chubby loves these pastries the most, I¡¯ll take some back for him.¡± As she spoke, she directly opened her wallet and began packing the pastries.


    ¡°How about¡­ you stay here for dinner before leaving?¡±


    Liu Sisi courteously tried to keep her.


    She wanted to remind Miao Cuihua about Shou Hou and Tong, but there was no way to bring it up.


    ¡°Never mind! I¡¯m worried about Little Chubby being alone at home, what if someone bullies him?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Miao Cuihua had packed all the pastries from the fruit te into her wallet that she picked up a teacup from the side, drained it, and headed outside.<div>


    Ms. Xin, who was beside her, coughed lightly and bowed slightly, ¡°Third Sister-inw, I¡¯m truly sorry about today¡¯s incident. Also, Cui¡¯er came today to thank you for helping her, Cui¡¯er is very grateful to Third Sister-inw.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing! I spoke up for you only because of the child yet to be born in your womb,¡± Liu Sisi shrugged casually.


    Ms. Xin still bowed seriously, ¡°Nevertheless, Third Sister-inw saved Cui¡¯er¡¯s life, and I have to express my gratitude. It¡¯ste, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly stopped Ms. Xin, who was turning to leave.

 Chapter 465: 465: Whose Children?

    Chapter 465: Whose Children?


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, do you have any other orders?¡± Ms. Xin asked in a soft voice, turning around.


    Liu Sisi nced at her as-yet-undistinguished stomach.


    ¡°I remember yourst pregnancy didn¡¯t go well, and you lost the baby. This time, you need to be extra careful. Just outside the door is Heji Clinic, and Dr. He who runs it is very skilled. You should go see him, and let him help you adjust your health. Make sure to give birth to your child safely.¡±


    Ms. Xin still bowed her head, bowing again: ¡°Thank you for your concern, Third Sister-inw. Cui¡¯er will make time to visit him. Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Walk slowly. Things aren¡¯t like they were before.¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but add another sentence.


    ¡°Cui¡¯er knows.¡±


    Not until she left the residence did Ms. Xin loosen the embroidered handkerchief that had been nearly torn to pieces. She raised her head and let out a sigh of relief.


    She could not help but recall the humiliation she had suffered at Heilong Mountain, and slowly raised her hand to touch her lower abdomen, unsure of whether the child inside her was truly Ah-Bao¡¯s.


    Oh, heaven!


    How can you y with me like this? Since you¡¯ve given me a new life, why do you make me experience such things?<div>


    Oh, heaven, you¡¯ve blinded yourself!


    She closed her eyes tightly as she twisted the silk in her hand, and two tears involuntarily rolled down her cheeks.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Ms. Xin, what are you looking at? Hurry up and go, it¡¯ll be dark by the time we get home!¡±


    Ahead, Miao Cuihua repeatedly urged her.


    ¡°Coming! I¡¯ming!¡±


    She gently flicked away the two tears that had identally overflowed from her eyes and put on a gentle smile as she hurried to catch up.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just look up at the sky? It¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s hurry up!¡±


    As the two of them left, Liu Sisi sat down on the chair by the window, staring nkly outside.


    A vague sense of crisis surfaced in her heart. These days, even men like Shou Hou, who had no talent, money, or power, were tempted to cheat. What about Di Yelei? How honest is he, really?


    She let her thoughts run wild for a long time until it started to get dark and her father-inw returned from the clinic. That¡¯s when she snapped back to reality.


    She got up and went to the guest room to check on Mother Zuo, whose eyes could only see a blurry shadow. At the moment, Granny Hu was helping her sew a new garment.


    The fabric for the clothes was left by Liu Sisist year. Her sewing skills were terrible, so these fabrics were naturally set aside. Now Granny Hu and Ms. Gao both had excellent embroidery skills, and the fabrics came in handy.


    Liu Sisi generously took out two rolls of fabric and handed them to Granny Hu, letting her sew suitable clothes for them.


    When Liu Sisi entered, she happened to see Granny Hu sewing clothes while chatting with Mother Zuo.


    ¡°Madam.¡±


    Granny Hu hurriedly stood up to greet her.


    ¡°Never mind, you go to the kitchen and start the meal. Leave this to me.¡±


    Liu Sisi dismissed Granny Hu and stepped forward to help Mother Zuo: ¡°Auntie, let Sisi help you outside for dinner.¡±


    Mother Zuo obediently stood up, her face full of guilt: ¡°Sisi, I want to go back tomorrow. This old woman has been living with you, causing so much trouble these days. So I want to go back earlier, so I can wait for my Yu¡¯er toe back.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi supported her, not minding the other¡¯s words, and only chuckled lightly.


    ¡°Auntie, you can rest assured here. As for your thatched hut, Sisi has already asked someone to help take care of it, so don¡¯t worry!¡±


    In the process of speaking, she had already helped her to sit down at the edge of the dining table.


    Mother Zuo groped as she sat down on the chair and couldn¡¯t help but continue to say, ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean, Sisi! What I mean is¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Auntie Zuo, just rest assured and stay here. Sisi is very filial¡­you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di beside couldn¡¯t help but join the persuasion team as well.


    Upon hearing his voice, Mother Zuo quickly got up to pay her respects, ¡°So brother Di is here too, this old woman has been disrespectful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Auntie Zuo, sit down, sit down!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s speech had be more and more organized recently, and his words were apanied byughter, ¡°Xingyu has gone to help find someone, my Di family will take care of Auntie, don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Mother Zuo knew that Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s speech was not organized, but she understood his meaning as soon as she heard it.


    She smiled a little embarrassedly, ¡°Although my house is dpidated, it is still a nest, isn¡¯t it? As the saying goes, ¡®golden and silver nests are not as good as one¡¯s own dog nest,¡¯ I really can¡¯t get used to living here¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. After living here for a long time, you¡¯ll get used to it. Let¡¯s eat! Let¡¯s eat!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di called for several people to have dinner.


    During the conversation between the two, Liu Sisi had already called several children over, and the table suddenly became lively.


    Naturally, the main seat belonged to Elderly Mr. Di. To his left were Di Xuan and Zhang Yun, and below them were YingEr and Da Mao; to his right were Mother Zuo and Liu Sisi.


    Di family didn¡¯t follow the rules of wealthy families by having servants serve meals, but only left Granny Hu to take care of Mother Zuo, who couldn¡¯t see clearly. Even Da Mao ate by himself.


    The reason was simple: Liu Sisi felt that everyone should not bezy. If something could be done by themselves, they shouldn¡¯t bother others.<div>


    However, where servants¡¯ help was needed, she didn¡¯t hesitate at all.


    For example, in taking care of Di Xuan and Zhang Yun¡¯s studies, she had high expectations of Le Ping; grinding ink, organizing book bags, making beds, etc., no mistakes were allowed.


    She also modeled after the way servants here ced their attendant students and maids in each of the children¡¯s rooms to cultivate rtionships.


    As usual, she supervised the two children¡¯s studies for two hours before getting up and returning to her room.


    As she passed by YingEr¡¯s room, she heard YingEr and Xue Yi chatting happily inside.


    Shaking her head, this was like finding a ymate for YingEr!


    In the room, Ms. Gao had already made the bed. Seeing her big belly, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but frown: ¡°Ms. Gao, you should rest earlier. Your pregnancy is getting bigger, don¡¯t tire yourself out. It¡¯s important to take good care of your body.¡±


    Ms. Gao straightened her back and stood up: ¡°It¡¯s nothing! I¡¯m only a little over six months pregnant, and it¡¯s not time to give birth yet. Besides, this is already my fourth child; I have an idea, and I won¡¯t joke about my own health.¡±


    While speaking, she insisted on making the bed.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, you know much more about pregnancy than I do. I should be the one asking you for advice.¡± Liu Sisiughed sincerely.


    She was originally very confused about pregnancy, and she also had a stepmother who gave her no guidance. Now that she had someone to discuss motherhood with, Liu Sisi was naturally happy.


    ¡°¡­Madam, if you feel ufortable, just let me know, I do know a few things.¡±


    Ms. Gao was also rare to talkative, happily telling her about some matters to pay attention to during pregnancy.<div>

 Chapter 466: 466: Di Cheng’s Happy Event

    Chapter 466: Di Cheng¡¯s Happy Event


    Only after she had made the bed did she get up and moved behind Liu Sisi to help her undo her long hair and smooth it out carefully before excusing herself from the room.


    That night, a weary Di Yelei dragged his legs home.


    As soon as she heard the conversation between Old Cheng and Di Yelei outside, Liu Sisi was instantly awake! She hurriedly got dressed, headed to the kitchen to warm up his food.


    Di Yelei had already gone to the bathing room. By the time he had cleaned up, Liu Sisi had already warmed up his meal.


    ¡°Ye Lei! You must be hungry, right? Hurry up and sit down to eat!¡±


    On the other side, Da Niu and Er Niu also wolfed down their meals, clearly exhausted.


    ¡°Sisi, why are you still up? You go to sleep quickly, I can handle it here by myself.¡±


    As he spoke, he picked up the bowl and chopsticks and began to eat. He hardly took two bites before he began to doze off, clearly extremely tired.


    Liu Sisi, who had been talking to him, looked at him holding the bamboo chopsticks motionless with a mouthful of food, and hurriedly woke him up: ¡°Ye Lei! Ye Lei, wake up, wake up!¡±


    ¡°Mmm, Sisi?¡±


    After being called several times, Di Yelei barely opened his eyes, nced at Liu Sisi, and then buried his head and fell back asleep.<div>


    ¡°Wake up! Wake up and eat!¡±


    Liu Sisi was both amused and annoyed as she shook him awake again.


    Di Yelei was roused and ate several more times before he finished one bowl of rice, then he went back to the room, fell asleep at the head of the bed and slept soundly.


    He didn¡¯t even take off his clothes!


    Just how tired must he be to be in such a state?


    Liu Sisi was helpless, angry and worried! Angry that he never knew when to ck off and made himself so tired. She was also worried for this straightforward man. Didn¡¯t he know to rest on the dike?


    She sturdily tugged at his waistband, pulling it open, then removed his coat. With a great effort, she managed to orient hisrge body that was lying horizontally. She was almost worn out herself!


    He¡¯s heavy as a dead dog!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Unexpectedly, although the man was extremely tired, he grumbled a word and stretched out his arm, pulling at random.


    Before Liu Sisi could make a sound, he had pulled her down next to him. Immediately after, his long arms and legs pressed down, avoiding her stomach instinctively, trapping her entirely under his body as he continued to sleep soundly.


    ¡°Hey! Let go of me! Let go¡­ um! You bastard!¡±


    Liu Sisi tried to struggle, but she was unable to shake off his iron grip. In the end, she had no choice but to curl up in his arms and gradually fall asleep.


    The next day, Di Yelei woke up early in the morning!


    After waking up, he was clearly invigorated and seemed as if the worn-out man from the night before wasn¡¯t him at all!


    The breakfast was abundant. Liu Sisi directly steamed threerge bowls of eggs, in addition to meat buns, vegetable buns, starch-steamed meat, and stewed meat that were always avable at home. There were also indispensable vegetables, all served one by one.


    Di Yelei was obviously extremely hungry. With a gusty pace, he quickly finished several bowls of food. It seemed as if the food disappeared in the blink of an eye!


    Liu Sisi furrowed her brows, remaining silent. She silently walked to the stove to boil dozens more eggs.


    Before leaving, she clearly packed them, gave them to him, Da Niu and Er Niu, each with a portion: ¡°Don¡¯t give all these eggs to others. People¡¯s feelings depend on their presence. If you actually be ill or worn out, there will be no one left. Regardless of what you did before, everything will be gone in the end. Why bother, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! My Sisi is always right!¡±<div>


    Di Yelei was wearing a cheerful smile.


    Apparently, this man didn¡¯t take anything she said to heart!


    Liu Sisi was upset, and though she felt like pinching him, upon recalling how exhausted he seemedst night, she couldn¡¯t go through with it.


    Even though she was upset, she lifted her hand and pinched his ear: ¡°Listen! If you dare to give away all the food again, I¡¯ll have you answer for it! Got it?¡±<div>


    ¡°Ouch! Sisi, it hurts¡­ let go quickly!¡±


    Di Yelei pretended to be in pain.


    ¡°¡®Hurts¡¯ my ass! I didn¡¯t even use any strength!¡± Liu Sisi cursed, obviously exasperated.


    Turning around to see Da Niu and Er Niu giggling at the scene, she red at them, ¡°You two, watch him. If he dares to distribute the eggs to others, tell me. If you dare to lie, you¡¯ll get twentyshes each when we get back and I will put you up for sale! Understand?¡±


    Only then did the two sober up, replying seriously, ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    Once the three men left their mansion, Liu Sisi, too, couldn¡¯t sit still. She made a trip to the cksmith shop.


    Surprisingly, the cksmith shop hadn¡¯t opened for business yet. Liu Sisi waited for a long time but there were no signs of activity in the shop. After some thought, she decided to walk towards the small alley where she had seen Shou Hou yesterday.


    However, before she reached the mansion, she saw two figures standing in front of the mansion¡¯s door.


    Liu Sisi initially wanted to stop moving, but the man casually turned his head, spotting her. He was a young man who didn¡¯t look much older, staring straight at her.


    With no choice, Liu Sisi continued to move forward slowly, sheltering most of her body behind the paper umbre she was holding.


    As she approached, she started hearing their conversation.


    ¡°Believe me just this once, I won¡¯t harm you. You won¡¯t have a good oue with him,¡± was the pleading adviceing from the man.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s been so long. I¡¯ve worked so hard just to get to today. I have already given my body to him, I will never give up, no matter what. I¡¯m sure I can make it work.¡± was Tong¡¯s firm response.<div>


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stop being foolish? Is that man worth yourplete devotion? You¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s voice gradually faded away. Although Liu Sisi slowly made her way down the alley, the conversation was inaudible once she turned the corner.


    Who is this man and what is the identity of that woman? Could it be an affair between Shou Hou and a married woman?


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mind was filled with question marks.


    But all her conjectures were pointless being made here; it¡¯d be better to head to the bookstore and have a look.


    Moving on, Liu Sisi took a detour and headed towards the bookstore. The store door was already open, with Di Cheng and Shou Hou inside, thoroughly cleaning. Seeing Liu Sisi walk in, they both paused their work to greet her.


    ¡°Third Auntie, you¡¯re here unusually early today. But that¡¯s great timing ¡ª there¡¯s something Cheng¡¯er wants to discuss with you.¡± Di Cheng¡¯s face started blushing slightly.


    Seeing his expression at this moment, Liu Sisi felt that there must be some good news.


    ¡°Oh, just tell me straight up. As long as Third Auntie can handle it, she will definitely get it done for you!¡± Liu Sisi pat her chest, making a heartfelt promise.


    ¡°I, I yesterday¡­ told my mother about that matter. My mom¡­ she agreed.¡±

 Chapter 467: 467: Just Can’t Learn to Behave!

    Chapter 467: Just Can¡¯t Learn to Behave!


    Di Cheng stuttered, his face flush with embarrassment.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t quite catch on.


    Di Cheng started to feel anxious!


    ¡°Third Aunt, it¡¯s Feng¡¯er from the cksmith shop in the small town¡­¡±


    Only then did Liu Sisi suddenly understand and immediately became overjoyed!


    ¡°Oh! You mean that matter? My goodness! This is such great news! Our Di Cheng is going to start a family and a career, we have to celebrate this properly.¡±


    Before the New Year, Di Cheng mentioned that the cksmith¡¯s daughter, Feng¡¯er, in the small town had a charming appearance, and they had caught each other¡¯s eyes. However, the cksmith had only one precious daughter, and naturally wanted a son-inw to live with them. Even without the son-inw living with them, they demanded fifty taels of silver as betrothal gifts, plus a house in the small town.


    Therefore, Liu Sisi did not think this would work out, so she told Di Cheng to talk to Ms. Wang first. If necessary, she would step in and say a few words herself.


    Unexpectedly, Di Cheng managed to make it happen!


    Thinking about Ms. Wang¡¯s temperament, Liu Sisi felt a bit uneasy inside.


    Di Cheng smiled na?vely, scratching his head: ¡°The matter isn¡¯t even close to being settled, Third Aunt, don¡¯t tease Cheng¡¯er. However, if this really works out, Cheng¡¯er will definitely thank Third Aunt!¡±<div>


    Di Cheng said it very seriously.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°No need for thanks, as long as you two can have a good life and support your little family well. That¡¯s enough!¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke sincerely, thought for a moment, and still couldn¡¯t help but ask about the worry in her heart.


    ¡°When did you mention this to your mother? What did she say at that time?¡±


    Di Cheng grinned, his smile bearing a striking resemnce to Di Yelei: ¡°It was just yesterday morning when my mom came to the store to get my wages fromst month. I just brought it up to her casually. She agreed!¡±


    ¡°How¡­how did she respond to you at that time?¡± Liu Sisi hesitated to ask further.


    It was no wonder she asked repeatedly. Ms. Wang was very unreliable in doing things and extremely greedy. In addition, she had never taken a liking to Di Cheng. With a house plus fifty taels of betrothal gifts, and all the odds and ends for the wedding, they would need at least 200 taels of silver.


    For someone like Ms. Wang, who hated being unable to save even on food, wasn¡¯t this equivalent to ripping a piece of flesh from her own body?


    However, it was unbelievable that Ms. Wang would agree without any fuss. It was so unlike her usual style!


    ¡°My mom evenughed and said it was all up to me.¡±


    Di Cheng couldn¡¯t suppress his excitement.


    ¡°Does your mother n to discuss the marriage proposal details with you? Did she mention which matchmaker to hire? Did she pick a date and say when to visit the bride¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ she didn¡¯t mention any of that. But after she said those words, she left.¡± Di Cheng was obviously a bit puzzled.


    ¡°You mean!¡± Liu Sisi asked word by word: ¡°Your meaning is that yesterday you mentioned this, your mother said ¡®whatever you want,¡¯ and then she left?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right; you know my mother¡­rarely speaks to Cheng¡¯er¡­¡±


    Di Cheng felt a bit embarrassed; his smile had be slightly bitter.


    Liu Sisi nodded and seemed to understand Ms. Wang¡¯s thoughts. In Ms. Wang¡¯s view, Di Cheng proposing this matter was like a toad trying to eat a swan¡¯s meat¡ªa fanciful delusion. That¡¯s why she said ¡°whatever you want¡± to belittle Di Cheng!


    Liu Sisi sighed inwardly, couldn¡¯t help but feel sad for Di Cheng before her.


    Both were her children, yet Brother Gao was pampered and protected by Ms. Wang while Di Cheng was trampled into the mud and ignored. Even then, she wasn¡¯t satisfied and wanted to exploit the silver Di Cheng had earned, almost as if she wanted to drain his everyst bit of marrow!<div>


    How could this be her own mother? It¡¯s more like her own enemy!


    Di Cheng did not notice the pity in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, and after a moment of depression, he became excited again.


    ¡°I have saved a lot of silver before the New Year, and there are still more than 100 taels of silver in my hands now, all carefully stored properly. Cheng¡¯er estimates that it should be enough to handle all these matters if I save a bit.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you have nearly 300 taels of silver? Howe you only have this much left?¡±<div>


    The silver was distributed by Liu Sisi¡¯s hands. She naturally knew how much silver Di Cheng had in his possession.


    ¡°The silver¡­ Third Aunt, I¡¯m sorry for not following your guidance, I¡­ couldn¡¯t keep the silver safe.¡± Di Cheng stammered.


    With just one look at his expression, Liu Sisi understood!


    Di Cheng probably couldn¡¯t hide the silver, and it was taken away by Ms. Wang again!


    She sighed continuously in her heart, not knowing what to say as she looked at Di Cheng¡¯s guilty face.


    It seems like her advice was not taken seriously at all!


    ¡°You have not let Third Aunt down, she¡¯s your mother, and it¡¯s right for you to respect her. However¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t finish her sentence. Changing the subject, she brought up another matter: ¡°How about this! Find a time to go back for a while, have a thorough talk with your mother, and discuss everything that needs to be discussed. Then choose an auspicious time to propose marriage, understand?¡±


    ¡°Third Aunt, aren¡¯t you going back with me?¡± Di Cheng was somewhat anxious.


    ¡°Look at my health, I won¡¯t go back to the old house. But if you really want to propose marriage, Third Aunt will definitely go and boost your courage!¡±


    Liu Sisi silently apologized in her heart. Don¡¯t me Third Aunt for being heartless! Letting you shatter your own dream with your own hands.


    People! Only by experiencing pain can you gain wisdom!


    If he doesn¡¯t fall hard, he won¡¯t learn!<div>


    As she walked out from the inside, Liu Sisi almost bumped into Shou Hou, who was standing against the shelf.


    ¡°Ah! What are you doing standing here?¡±


    Liu Sisi was startled!


    ¡°Nothing! Hehe, I¡¯m just cleaning.¡±


    Shou Hou dodged her gaze and walked to the side, continuing to wipe things down.


    Liu Sisi nced at him and couldn¡¯t help but walk over: ¡°Shou Hou, yesterday Cuihua came to my house and said that you didn¡¯t take your wages homest month. Then she asked me why I didn¡¯t distribute the wages.¡±


    Shou Hou¡¯s face was filled with panic: ¡°Boss, I¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin anything to me.¡±


    Liu Sisi waved her hand: ¡°She asked me if I was short of silver recently, and that was why I didn¡¯t distribute the wagesst month? I temporarily covered this matter for you. If she asks again next month, I will tell her everything honestly. You should think about what to do.¡±


    Shou Hou stood there, cowering and looking dejected: ¡°Yes, yes! Boss.¡±


    Seeing his actions, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but speak earnestly: ¡°The most frightening thing in life is to take a wrong step. If you really take the wrong path, turn back as soon as possible, so as not to harm yourself and others!¡±


    After saying that, she walked out of the bookstore.


    Shou Hou was left standing there in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking.<div>

 Chapter 468: 468: Sisi Delivers Food, Ye Lei Gradually Wins People’s Hearts

    Chapter 468: Sisi Delivers Food, Ye Lei Gradually Wins People¡¯s Hearts


    Upon leaving the bookstore, Liu Sisi headed straight for the cksmith¡¯s shop.


    Recalling Di Cheng¡¯s words, she carefully looked at the cksmith shop and saw that it was clearly a couple, not too old, who probably were not the parents of Feng¡¯er as Di Cheng had mentioned.


    Yesterday, the things she had ordered were already done. She held and examined them with satisfaction.


    Then she went to the grocery store and returned home. She locked herself in a room for a while, onlying out when night fell.


    That night, Di Yelei did not return. Liu Sisi found it unsurprising.


    Early the following morning, she urged Granny Hu and Ms. Gao to steam a few loads of steamed buns and bought half of a piece of pork. The pork was directly chopped into small pieces, stir-fried with minced buk choi, loading them into a carry basket to keep them warm. Once again, she put everything in the carriage and headed directly to the riverside.


    She arrived at the familiar riverside, and because of the long journey, it was already three quarters past 9 a.m to 11a.m when she got there. Countless people were bustling about at the riverside, carrying stones, digging deep trenches, and working frantically.


    Before the carriage could stop, somebody sharp-eyed recognized it.


    ¡°Look! It¡¯s Deputy Leader Di¡¯s carriage!¡±


    ¡°Eh! It really is his carriage, it must be his wifeing.¡±


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s delicious food too!¡±<div>


    Everyone was overjoyed!


    No wonder, normally when Old Cheng came to deliver food, he came on a horse. Thest time this carriage came, it was naturally Deputy Leader Di¡¯s wife.


    Soon, everyone¡¯s chatter reached Di Yelei¡¯s ears, letting him know about themotion. Before Liu Sisi could get out of the carriage, he had alreadye down from the riverside, leading a few people.


    As soon as he approached, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Sisi! Why did youe again? Didn¡¯t I tell youst time that there are many people at the riverside¡­¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and help unload this food from the carriage and distribute it to everyone. It won¡¯t be good if it gets cold!¡±


    Liu Sisi interrupted him before he could finish, pointing at the manyyers of carry baskets on the carriage.


    Upon casually lifting the thick cotton wadding covering the carry baskets, an array of white and clean steamed buns still emitting heat were revealed!


    ¡°Wow! It¡¯s all steamed buns! This time the brothers are in for a treat! Sister-inw, your cooking skills are simply superb!¡±


    Before Di Yelei could speak, Zhang Peng, who followed behind him, shouted back.


    ¡°Hey! Deputy Leader Di is treating everyone to meat and steamed buns again! Come and help, brothers! Give us a hand! ¨C Come, more of you!¡±


    With his roar, the crowd immediately boiled!


    People cheered and flocked to help, gathering in front of the carriage.


    Di Yelei hurriedly jumped onto the carriage, looking down at the crowd below and shouted!


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t push! Don¡¯t push! Line up by groups down there. Get your shares and have your foreman help distribute them. Ah! Go back and get a big basin to divide the meat. Everyone will get a share! Don¡¯t be hasty¡­¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His loud and deep voice immediately calmed the crowd, as the temporary leaders quickly stepped forward to move the carry baskets. Some smart people went back to get tools to pack meat and vegetables. In no time, the riverside was bustling and everyone was smiling happily.


    Di Yelei was generous, allowing the leaders to distribute the food after the baskets were removed from the carriage. The task of distributing the meat was given to Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi looked at the meat in therge basin and learned that everyone on the riverside was divided into ten teams. She simply divided the meat in therge basin into eleven portions. One portion for each team, and the remaining portion was naturally reserved for Di Yelei and the others.


    Di Yelei scanned the crowd eating and continued to inspect the riverside.


    ¡°The County Magistrate has given us the task of repairing this section of the riverbank. You all know that this riverbank was once destroyed by the raging Dragon King.¡±<div>


    ¡°At that time, the leader in charge of rebuilding the riverbank was directly punished and exiled! Everyone involved was also affected: some suffered from punishment and others had to pay silver fines. This year we¡¯ve taken on the task of repairing this section of the riverbank. If anything goes wrong, let alone the families and fertilend living downstream, we¡¯re bound to suffer! ¡±


    ¡°What we have to do is to try to finish repairing this section of the riverbank as soon as possible before the snow on the mountain top melts and before the flood peak arrives! This will fulfill the task assigned by Lord County Magistrate! Then we can all go home early, how nice would it be to embrace our wives and children with a warm meal! Brothers, isn¡¯t that right?!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! Yes!¡±


    People around responded in chorus, withughter and cheerful voices continuously echoing.<div>


    Everyone ate meat and steamed buns heartily until their stomachs were full, their faces filled with joy and their hearts felt contented.


    An old man stood up from the crowd, ¡°Deputy Leader Di is right! Why did Deputy Leader Di provide us with his white flour steamed buns? It¡¯s to motivate us to work harder and fix the riverbank sooner! My oldpanion at home is still waiting for me!¡±


    Hisst sentence immediately made the crowd burst out inughter!


    Someone familiar on the other side stood up, ¡°Old Man Lu! You¡¯re this old, and you¡¯re still thinking about your oldpanion at home? Can you still climb that Wufeng Mountain?¡±


    The crowd burst intoughter again!


    Old Man Lu was quite pleased, ¡°Heh heh! At least I have a mountain to climb. I¡¯m afraid you, being so young, might find it hard to climb those two big mountains!¡±


    With this vulgar remark, the crowd exploded withughter, teasing each other.


    It made the familiar person blush and embarrassed, hardly able to raise his head.


    Old man Lu waited for everyone to stopughing before speaking again, ¡°Deputy Leader Di is a righteous man. Seeing that I¡¯m old, he arranged for me to do lighter work. We can¡¯t treat other people¡¯s kindness as nothing. The riverbank construction is Deputy Leader Di¡¯s responsibility. If something goes wrong, he has to bear it. We¡¯ve eaten his food, so we can¡¯t be immoral. As an old man, I¡¯m going to lead by example and do my best to finish repairing this riverbank as soon as possible, so we can go home early!¡±


    ¡°Good! Old Man Lu is right this time! We must not be immoral! Everyone, let¡¯s eat and drink well, and while we¡¯re still strong, hurry up and work on the riverbank! Whoever dares to ck off, we won¡¯t let them off! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Time to work on the riverbank!¡±

 Chapter 469: 479: Sisi devises a strategy

    Chapter 469: Chapter 479: Sisi devises a strategy


    Everyone cheered again, and without the need for Di Yelei and the others to urge them, they quickly cleaned up their bowls and chopsticks and went up to the riverbank on their own initiative.


    They worked with great enthusiasm.


    ¡°These are all honest people; you give them a little benefit, and they will sincerely help you. They are much better than those who cheat and y tricks.¡± Zhang Peng said, deeply moved, from the side.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed, having seen too many cunning and deceitful situations in the modern world. The simplicity of the vigers in front of her deeply touched a chord in her heart called ¡¯emotion¡¯.


    Suddenly she thought of something and couldn¡¯t help but look back at Zhang Peng.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, I have a little suggestion. Go call Ye Lei, and I¡¯ll get ready.¡± As she spoke, she turned back to the carriage.


    Zhang Peng, who had just finished eating, got up and casually wiped his mouth. Being outside, he couldn¡¯t afford to be particr.


    ¡°Alright! Just wait a moment, I¡¯ll be back in a while.¡±


    Soon, Zhang Peng called Di Yelei over: ¡°Sisi, Zhang Peng said you have something to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Ye Lei,e and see what this is?¡± Liu Sisi waved at him.<div>


    At the moment, the small gadget on the pedal in front of the carriage was upied by Liu Sisi. It was actually just a simple little thing. Liu Sisi installed a few small pulleys ording to the lifting machines she often saw in the future. What she had ced there now was just a support point made of bamboo chopsticks and anding gearposed of several pulleys.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m going to add a little stone here.¡±


    Liu Sisi tied a small stone at the end of the rope and stood on the other side, where she pulled it smoothly and manipted the bamboo chopsticks to transport the little stone from one side to the other.


    ¡°You see, I used very little effort to transport this little stone over.¡±


    ¡°Mmm! Sisi, what are you trying to say? Isn¡¯t this the same as a well? It¡¯s just that there are more of these pulleys¡­¡± Zhang Peng pointed at the key point.


    Liu Sisi smiled, happy to be understood!


    ¡°Brother Zhang is right! If everyone only uses one, it will naturally be difficult to lift too many things. What if there are more? By the way, I also brought this.¡±


    Liu Sisi reached out and untied the cloth bag in the corner of the carriage: ¡°Look! Yesterday I went to the cksmith¡¯s shop to have these pulleys made. If we assemble them ording to the method I just showed, won¡¯t our workload be significantly reduced when we transport the stone blocks?¡±


    ¡°Great! Sister-inw, this is a great idea! Why didn¡¯t we think of that?¡±


    Zhang Peng pped his thigh and praised repeatedly: ¡°In this way, we can greatly reduce the manpower needed to carry the stone blocks. Great! Fantastic!¡±


    Di Yelei cast an approving nce at Liu Sisi, then quickly red and turned around, grabbing the things and walking straight towards the riverbank.


    ¡°Mind your own business as a woman! It¡¯s none of your business here! You¡¯d better go back soon!¡±


    He quickly went up to the riverbank and shouted loudly to the crowd: ¡°Hey! You guys, the foremen,e over here for a minute. I have something to show everyone.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± The foremen naturally gathered around.


    Seeing the scene in front of her, Liu Sisi¡¯s pent-up anger was stuck in her heart. Was this man really going to burn the bridge after crossing it?


    ¡°Sister-inw, don¡¯t be angry with Ye Lei. He¡¯s been under a lot of pressuretely and is in a bad mood¡­¡±


    Zhang Peng was somewhat embarrassed: ¡°Moreover, if others find out that you came up with this idea, it might cause a lot of trouble in the future, so¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi could understand in her heart, but there was still anger in her heart! Suddenly, she caught the key point of his words and raised her eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why is he under so much pressure? Is it rted to this riverbank?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant now, and Ye Lei doesn¡¯t want you to work too hard, so he didn¡¯t tell you.¡±


    Zhang Peng was also somewhat hesitant to speak: ¡°As the old man said earlier, this section of the riverbank is Ye Lei¡¯s responsibility. If anything really goes wrong, it¡¯s Ye Lei who will bear the brunt. Sister-inw, you¡¯ve heard it, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I heard it, but I wanted to ask you what exactly he meant by that.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly asked, ¡°Brother Zhang, what exactly is it for? Just tell me, so I don¡¯t have to think about it here and get confused.¡±<div>


    Zhang Peng nced at Di Yelei, who was not far away checking the progress, then sighed and said.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because Constable Zuo didn¡¯te to work at the governmental office in time after the New Year, and the County Magistrate was very upset. Since Ye Lei was introduced by Constable Zuo and had just been promoted to Deputy Constable, blocking some people¡¯s way, he was framed by some people and took over the repair of this section of the riverbank.¡±


    He pointed to the obvious erosion marks below the riverbank: ¡°This section of the riverbank has always been ident-prone, copsing every year after being repaired. The Lord County Magistrate actually understands this in his heart. Haven¡¯t you noticed that he never shows up on this section of the riverbank? He is afraid of taking responsibility.¡±


    So that¡¯s how it is! Liu Sisi nodded and carefully examined the surrounding terrain.


    At this point, the great river flowed through a bend, and the surrounding mountains clearly lost momentum. However, when it reached here, there was a pass, and the water level rose rapidly, causing the river to constantly and repeatedly impact this section of the riverbank, even overflowing the riverbank and flooding the farnd below.


    ¡°Sister-inw, did you figure anything out?¡±


    Zhang Peng, who was standing next to her, came over with a surprised look, inadvertently startling Liu Sisi.


    ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary woman. How can I figure anything out?¡±


    Zhang Peng was a little disappointed, but then he thought that she was right. His expectations had been too high.


    ¡°Sister-inw, don¡¯t you usually have lots of ideas? So I just¡­cough!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but cough lightly and smile.


    Liu Sisi pouted and casually replied: ¡°Well, what else can you do about river management? It¡¯s just blocking, dredging, and regtion, right?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°First, block the gaps. Second, dredge, which meansbing and widening the river channel. Third, regte, which means fundamentally solving the problem. Apart from the original river channel, another backup river channel should be opened. When the water level exceeds the warning line, the water can be channeled away, allowing the excess floodwater to flow out through the backup river channel.¡±<div>


    ¡°Sisi, how do you know so much?¡± Zhang Peng was full of admiration.


    That knowledge she had seen in her previous life didn¡¯t even need any thought.


    ¡°But as I said, I just know how to talk about it. I can¡¯t actually do anything myself.¡± Liu Sisi smiled shyly.


    ¡°Just being able to talk is already very impressive! I will ry your words to Ye Lei! It¡¯s gettingte now, sister-inw, hurry back! Otherwise, you¡¯ll miss the noontime meal.¡±


    Zhang Peng said delightedly.


    ¡°Alright! Brother Zhang, take care.¡±


    Watching Di Yelei busy on the riverbank, Liu Sisi sneered inwardly and then got on the carriage to go home.


    Did he think it was over just because he yelled at her? Wait until hees home, and they would have a thorough ounting!

 Chapter 470: 470: Liu Zhi’er Is Back!

    Chapter 470: Liu Zhi¡¯er Is Back!


    Early spring rain kept falling, nourishing thend silently, yet soaking everything around irresistibly.


    When Liu Sisi returned to the courtyard, both the carriage and her clothes were drenched, water was seemingly everywhere.


    She heard a bout ofughtering from the room, mingled with a familiar voice. Her heart lightened, and she hurriedly lifted the curtain and went in.


    ¡°Second Sister¡­¡±


    Raising her head, Liu Zhi¡¯er was embracing Da Mao andughing wholeheartedly in the chair, with tear stains still on her face.


    The sight of her weather-beaten face, chapped lips, and wind-chapped cheeks made Liu Sisi¡¯s heart ache.


    Upon seeing Liu Sisie in, Liu Zhi¡¯er quickly let go of Da Mao and stood up from the chair.


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m back¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi hastily asked: ¡°Second Sister, why did only youe back? Where is San Mao? Where is he?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At the mention of Sisi¡¯s question, the smile on Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face vanished in an instant, and her eyes turned red.


    ¡°San Mao, he¡­¡±<div>


    Unable to hold back, she burst into tears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Second Sister. Please don¡¯t cry. What happened?¡± Liu Sisi inquired anxiously.


    After a good cry, Liu Zhi¡¯er recounted the process of searching for San Mao.


    ¡°Big Brother Zuo and I hurried south with the carriage. We kept traveling ahead, only stopping when we reached Tengzhou City. Then I stayed at an inn for three days before he took me to a ce to recognize people¡­ For two days, I saw countless children, but there was no sign of Er Mao and San Mao. After that, he took me northwards, and we rushed along the way¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er stammered her story, telling how Zuo Xingyu took her to different ces, and how many children they saw.


    ¡°So in the end, it turned out that none of the children were Er Mao and San Mao? And then? You guys just came back after looking around? You didn¡¯t go looking again? Didn¡¯t he say the news was reliable?¡± Liu Sisi pursed her lips.


    She knew it; how could Zuo Xingyu have such a good heart to sincerely help Liu Zhi¡¯er find people?


    Judging from the current situation, he just took Liu Zhi¡¯er out for a spin before returning. Liu Zhi¡¯er had gone out with great hope but came back dejected. It was a fruitless endeavor, without any results!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er looked up at Liu Sisi but didn¡¯t say anything; she just lowered her head again and hugged Da Mao like a little daughter-inw, which made Liu Sisi angrier.


    ¡°How did youe back? Where is Zuo Xingyu?¡±


    ¡°Big Brother Zuo took me back to Upper Vige, only to find that you had moved. He¡¯s inside with Auntie¡­¡±


    The more Liu Zhi¡¯er spoke, the worse Liu Sisi¡¯s expression became, making Liu Zhi¡¯er increasingly fearful. She kept rubbing the corner of her clothes, her head almost drooping to her chest.


    Anger was indeed swelling in Liu Sisi¡¯s heart. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re actually calling him Big Brother Zuo! You actually¡­¡±


    Just as she was about to say something else, her words were cut off by the figure that suddenly lifted the curtain and stepped out.


    Zuo Xingyu appeared road-weary, his clothes unchanged as he hade straight here without going home. He supported Mother Zuo as they walked out slowly.


    The two gazes met in midair!


    A pair of deep, dark eyes filled with piercing coldness! Thin, tightly pressed lips, like a proud and solitary eagle standing silently at the foot of a mountain in the darkness of night, carrying a strong air of resilience and defiance that seems to overlook the world!


    Her almond-shaped eyes widened, her gaze full of austere and fierce pride, and her delicate lips slightly curled up, brimming with mockery.


    Even under the force of his strong gaze, she straightened her back and stared back at him coldly.<div>


    He raised his eyebrows in surprise, supporting Mother Zuo as he took two steps forward, dodging Liu Sisi¡¯s line of sight in the process.


    Neither of them said a word, but the scene made Liu Zhi¡¯er shiver!


    Anyone with eyes could see the sparks flying between the two, a collision of intense emotions!


    ¡°Auntie, why have youe out?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes shifted slightly, meeting Mother Zuo¡¯s searching hands, and hurriedly went over to greet her.


    Mother Zuo took advantage of the opportunity to grab Liu Sisi¡¯s hands, looking reluctant to let go.


    ¡°Sisi, my Yu¡¯er has returned home! I have to go back to cook for him and can¡¯t stay here any longer. These days, staying here has been quite troublesome for you. Not only did you send medicine and doctors for my wife, but you also took good care of her meals and daily life. You even asked Granny Hu to look after her. You really went to a lot of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, please stay here! You can chat with Sisi and have her apany you. You will feel lonely and cold when you get back to your empty room, isn¡¯t that bad?¡±


    Liu Sisi raised her voice as she spoke, deliberately letting Zuo Xingyu hear her words!


    He took Second Sister out, only to return after a brief stroll, allowing Second Sister to experience false joy and heartache. Retaliating against him in this way was also an outlet to vent her resentment!


    These words made Mother Zuo¡¯s smile vanish! She couldn¡¯t help but sigh and said with sorrow.


    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s better not to mention it, but when you bring it up, it fills my stomach with anger! Back then, my husband arranged the marriage between Yu¡¯er and the daughter of the Liu Family¡¯s Mansion. But in the end, it ruined Yu¡¯er¡¯s reputation, making it difficult for him to find a suitable daughter-inw.¡±


    Mother Zuo¡¯s words made Liu Sisi raise her eyebrows, her mocking and disdainful gaze shing!


    Mother Zuo still thought that they were the ones who had withdrawn from the marriage proposal. She couldn¡¯t imagine their reaction when they learn the truth and how interesting their expressions would be!


    Zuo Xingyu coughed softly, and quickly stopped Mother Zuo from saying more: ¡°Mother, why are you discussing this in front of others?¡±


    After saying that, he was ready to support Mother Zuo and leave.


    ¡°You child, how can you speak like that? Your mother has been relying on Sisi¡¯s help during these days.¡±<div>


    Zuo Xingyu did not dare to retort Mother Zuo¡¯s reprimand and just lowered his head and listened. His gloomy eyes quickly nced over Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, you don¡¯t know, if it weren¡¯t for Sisi saving your mother, I might not be in this world anymore. You must thank Sisi properly and never repay her kindness with resentment!¡±


    Although Mother Zuo¡¯s eyes were clouded, her determination remained steadfast.


    It seemed that if he did not express his gratitude, she wouldn¡¯t be willing to leave!


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s face twitched, and after taking a deep breath, he reluctantly lowered his head, released Mother Zuo¡¯s hand, and respectfully bowed three times to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Xingyu is grateful for Mrs. Di¡¯s care of my mother during these days. In a few days, I from the Zuo Family will certainly visit your manor again and deliver the money for my mother¡¯s medicine to repay Mrs. Di¡¯s life-saving grace!¡±

 Chapter 471: 471: Good Things

    Chapter 471: Good Things


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows in surprise! She couldn¡¯t see iting, the man was actually a great filial son!


    She suddenly lost interest in causing trouble for him.


    ¡°No harm done! Sisi didn¡¯t save your aunt for the silver. Consider it a small repayment for your help in finding San Mao. Let¡¯s call it even between us.¡±


    Her words also hinted an intention not to have any further contact with him.


    ¡°No! This matter must be kept separate. I from the Zuo Family still owe you one!¡±


    After Zuo Xingyu finished speaking seriously, he helped his still babbling mother to leave.


    ¡°Ah! Ipletely forgot!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er suddenly eximed and rushed out of the door, immediately attracting Da Mao¡¯s attention, who cried ¡°wa wa¡± and ran outside as well.


    ¡°Second Sister! Second Sister, where are you going?¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly chased after her, but couldn¡¯t see Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s figure.


    Not long after, Liu Zhi¡¯er returned, looking despondent and constantly ncing back.<div>


    ¡°Second Sister, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Sisi, Big Brother Zuo has no silver on him and he¡¯s with Auntie. How will he get back? I was chasing after him to give him some silver so he could rent a carriage or a bull-cart, but I couldn¡¯t find him.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er was anxious.


    Liu Sisi looked deeply at her. Why had Second Sister suddenly taken such an interest in Zuo Xingyu? She still remembered that when Zuo Xingyu was mentioned before, Second Sister had always gritted her teeth and looked absolutely resolute. This was quite different from how she appeared now.


    Could it be¡­ what she had thought?


    This was too dramatic!


    Think for a moment about the rtionship between Zuo Xingyu and Second Sister¡­ She hurriedly shook her head, dispelling the thoughts that shouldn¡¯t have been in her head.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Sisi, do you disagree with what I said?¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er asked.


    Liu Sisi, with an embarrassed expression, said: ¡°Second Sister, what were you just saying? I didn¡¯t hear clearly.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Zhi¡¯er shook her head, amused: ¡°I said, Da Mao and I will temporarily live in the room where Auntie lived before. Is that okay? This way we don¡¯t have to clean up another room.¡±


    ¡°Of course that¡¯s fine. But first, take the bedding out and wash it. Also, bring two new quilts over. I knew you¡¯d being back to stay, so I prepared quilts in advance¡­¡±


    It was only then that Liu Sisi realized, hurriedly stepped forward to hold Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand, and the two, talking and walking, entered the house.


    As Liu Zhi¡¯er returned, Liu Sisi¡¯s load suddenly became much lighter.


    She had been worried about the new family servants not being conscientious enough, and she had to supervise and deal with them. As soon as Liu Zhi¡¯er returned, she took over many tasks. Meanwhile, Liu Sisi focused on taking care of her pregnancy and tutoring Xuan¡¯er and Yun¡¯er¡¯s homework after dinner.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er had always been a hard worker. With her leading the way, no one dared to ck off.


    Her embroidery skills were also top-notch. Liu Sisi had saved a lot of cloth, and Liu Zhi¡¯er chose a few of them and said she would make spring shirts for Sisi and YingEr. Liu Sisi naturally didn¡¯t object, as long as Second Sister could recover from her grief, she could do whatever she wanted.


    But a few dayster, when she identally got up in the middle of the night, she heard faint crying from Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s room. It was then that she understood that Second Sister hadn¡¯t really recovered from the blow.


    It seemed she must not cken in her efforts to find Er Mao and San Mao!


    Time slipped quietly away, and by the time Di Yelei returned, it was already a dozen dayster.


    ¡°Sisi! Sisi, I¡¯m back! Sisi¡­¡±<div>


    Di Yelei hadn¡¯t even entered the door yet, and he was already shouting and rushing in from outside.


    Liu Sisi was in the middle of preparing cooked dishes for her father.


    ¡°Huh? Sisi, is this dish for¡­ ¡±


    As Di Yelei came in, he saw Liu Sisi closing the lid of therge food box.<div>


    ¡°Ye Lei, you¡¯re back? Perfect timing. This is the food I prepared for the clinic; you can take it over! And check on your father while you¡¯re at it.¡± Liu Sisi saw him and quickly handed over therge food box.


    ¡°Bringing food to Dad? Is he not feeling well? Or is he sick? What¡¯s going on, Sisi?¡± Di Yelei asked anxiously.


    ¡°No, no, here¡¯s what happened¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly exined: ¡°Recently, Dad has been visiting the clinic every day, chatting andughing with Old He. He¡¯s been eating and even staying at the clinic. Old He has been giving him acupuncture treatments to clear his meridians and remove the after-effects of his stroke¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi tried to pay with silver, but was strongly refused by Old He, and almost had a falling out with him. She quickly apologized, and simply decided to cook some delicious food to bring to Old He as a way of repaying his kindness.


    Besides Old He, there were his apprentice Zheng He and another sitting doctor at the clinic, both of whom gradually got a taste of the benefits and started enjoying free meals every day.


    Over time, everyone got used to it, waiting for the food to be cooked and delivered.


    ¡°I figured that since I¡¯m sending food to one person, it wouldn¡¯t be much more trouble to send food to a few others. It¡¯s just a matter of adding a bit more rice and a few more dishes.¡± Liu Sisi said as she pushed therge food box forward again, ¡°Hurry up and take it! It¡¯s so heavy, and my arm is sore.¡±


    Di Yelei quickly took it and nodded repeatedly, ¡°Indeed, it should be done. Although Old He didn¡¯t say it explicitly, the cost of daily acupuncture treatments isn¡¯t cheap. Are we giving too little by just delivering some food?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Old He didn¡¯t want to ept silver. How about you buy some good wine and bring it to him as well?¡± Liu Sisi suggested.


    ¡°Sounds good! Even if Old He doesn¡¯t drink it, he can use it to make herbal wine.¡±


    Only then did Di Yelei happily carry therge food box out of the courtyard.


    It wasn¡¯t until after he left that Liu Sisi remembered that she had forgotten to ask him about the situation at the riverside.<div>


    The work at the riverside hase to an end, and Di Yelei, in a good mood, bought a jar of good wine and went to the clinic diagonally opposite with a light step.


    From a distance, the sharp-eyed medicine pageboy spotted him and waved at him.


    ¡°Third Uncle Di, howe you have time toe over today? Is the spring military recruitment over?¡±


    ¡°You little rascal, you had to bring up that, didn¡¯t you!¡±


    Di Yelei quickly entered the clinic, tapped the medicine pageboy on the head, and everyoneughed as the boy eximed, ¡°Ouch!¡±


    ¡°Although the spring military recruitment isn¡¯t over yet, it will be soon. Once everyonees back, the workload will be reduced. Hello, Old He, Doctor Zheng, Dad, Third Child brought the food.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was full of joy, and he looked exceptionally energetic.


    ¡°Third Son Di, you really seem invigorated. Is there some good news? Share it with everyone!¡±


    Old He teased him with augh.


    Di Yelei put down therge food box, straightened his back, and said, ¡°Old He, you¡¯re absolutely right. There is indeed some good news.¡±

 Chapter 472: 472: Great Joy!

    Chapter 472: Great Joy!


    On one hand, Di Yelei went to the clinic; on the other hand, Liu Sisi thought about it, put on her apron, and decided to prepare some food with her own hands.


    Di Yelei had been staying by the riverside for many days, definitely worn out. He needed a good nourishment.


    She first prepared a millet noodle starch-steamed rib dish, then cooked a pork hand pot with powdered taro. She then asked Granny Hu to ughter a hen, added some Codonopsis and Angelica, and steamed it all together in the steaming basket.


    She also took out ten eggs, beat them, added a little dried shrimp, and then ced into the steaming basket to make steamed egg custard. Using the freshly bought lean pork, she stir-fried it with garlic sprouts to make yuxiang shredded pork, and prepared a few vegetables and snacks.


    Her knife danced swiftly in her hands. Soon, small decorations of various shapes, carved from radishes and lettuce heads, were ced around the tes.


    She also intentionally prepared a te of drunkard peanuts, a te of Mapo Tofu, and a bowl of white gourd soup. This white gourd soup was ideal for sobering up, and it was being cooked just in time.


    In the past, Liu Sisi cared about how to fill herself up when making food. Now, besides getting full, she pays more attention to how to eat well and stay healthy.


    When people have satisfied the basic needs of their stomachs, they can progress to slowly eat well, then eat fine food, and then eat delicately. Finally, they return to the simplicity, but they feel that the ordinary home-cooked food tastes great.


    Boss He is probably the best example!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was assisting her all along. Seeing that Liu Sisi had stopped, she stepped forward to lend her support.


    ¡°Look at you. I told you I was going to cook, but you insisted on doing it yourself. You¡¯re pregnant with a big belly, what if you tire yourself out?¡±<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s just cooking, it¡¯s nothing. Didn¡¯t you used to cut rice for the vige¡¯s farmers when you were pregnant in the past?¡±


    Liu Sisi obediently sat down on a chair and covered herp with the nket that Liu Zhi¡¯er had handed to her.


    At her words, Liu Zhi¡¯er was speechless.


    When she was pregnant with San Mao, she harvested rice for the farmers to earn money, disregarding the fact that she was full-term. Since she couldn¡¯t bend down, she had to kneel down and cut the rice in the mud. In the end, she gave birth to San Mao in a rice field. The farmers took pity on her and, over her wages, gave her five eggs and a bag of rice.


    With these things, she managed to pass her confinement period.


    Looking at Liu Zhi¡¯er who was lost in her memories, Liu Sisi hurriedly patted her hand.


    ¡°Second Sister, it was my fault for mentioning your past, but things are better now, so take good care of your body and make up for the hardships you endured before.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er forced a smile and shook her head: ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t mind suffering a bit, but I feel sorry for San Mao. He had to suffer along with me since I was pregnant with him. Now, he¡­¡± Her voice broke off as she began to choke on her words.


    Liu Sisi hurriedlyforted her, and her determination to find Er Mao and San Mao grew stronger.


    When Di Yelei came back from the clinic, he also brought Elderly Mr. Di, who looked rosy and happy.


    As soon as he approached her, he came closer with a grin: ¡°Sisi, my good daughter-inw! Sisi, hehehe, you¡¯re so good, Sisi¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi rolled her eyes and couldn¡¯t help but re at him: ¡°Cut the ttery, father and Second Sister are here, who are you trying to impress? Hurry up and sit down! I am about to set up the dishes.¡±


    While talking, she instructed the servant to ce the food on the table one by one.


    Elderly Mr. Di had already eaten quite a bit over there, but he was so happy today that he took his seat at the top again.


    ¡°Dad already knows, Sisi! I have a great piece of news to tell you! It¡¯s the best news ever!¡±


    Di Yelei was all animated, brimming with excitement!


    Even the usually grim-faced elderly Mr. Di broke into a wide smile, beaming from ear to ear.


    ¡°What great news is it that you all seem so happy?¡± Liu Sisi also became interested.


    Di Yelei was bubbling over with excitement: ¡°It¡¯s fantastic news! I received a decree from the imperial court, appointing me as sub-captain, a seventh-rank official responsible for overseeing the Arsenal of Macheng County. From today onwards, our Di family also has official status, so we no longer have to worry about performing corveebor!¡±<div>


    ¡°Seventh¡­rank!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi was a bit slow to react.


    Everyone says that a County Magistrate is a seventh-rank official, so a sub-captain who ranks lower than a County Magistrate and, as such, is presumably such a minor official, wouldn¡¯t carry much weight either, right?


    But seeing Di Yelei at the peak of his excitement, probably what he truly cared about was the great advantage of not having to serve corveebor once one became an official, right?<div>


    Upon these thoughts, she too rejoiced at once!


    ¡°This is certainly worth celebrating! Old Cheng! Hurry up! Go outside and buy two jugs of good wine, warming it up before you bring it over!¡±


    ¡°Nanny Hu, you quickly fry up two more warm dishes too, everyone should have an additional meal and celebrate heartily!¡±


    ¡°And, and! Xue Lan, you go and see if Xuan¡¯er and Yun Er have finished their studies, let Yun Er not return to Upper Vige, and bring them here too.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    Such excited Liu Sisi really made Di Yelei extremely pleased, and his heart felt as sweet as honey.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t despise your husband¡¯s minor official rank. At least your husband now has a rank to his name. If your husband has an opportunity to be further promoted in the future, we will celebrate in a grand manner, inviting everyone in the small town to join!¡±


    ¡°Good! I will take note of what you said and look forward to the day when you¡¯ll get further promoted!¡±


    As long as her husband was willing to strive for improvement, Liu Sisi would undoubtedly render unconditional support!


    Soon, Zhang Yun and Di Xuan were brought back. Not only that, Zhang Peng and Guihua also came by. Di Yelei went to the clinic and invited Old He and Doctor Zheng over, even Di Cheng and Shou Hou came over, filling up two tables. Everyone gathered for a grand celebration.


    Guihua was also smiling heartily: ¡°Brother Ye Lei became a sub-captain, although only of seventh-rank, at least he has officially started his career in the government. Two sons from the Di family have be officials, this is quite incredible! When you return to Upper Vige, everyone will surelye to congratte you. You won¡¯t be able to escape all the busy festivities.¡±


    Liu Sisi alsoughed, gently holding Guihua¡¯s hand: ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t care so much about the official status. What matters to me is that now we¡¯ve got an official ranking, we no longer have to worry about corveebor or taxes, it¡¯s quite a relief. This is truly worth celebrating.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? The corveebor and taxes were quite arge sum of money! Now we¡¯ve got rid of that!¡±<div>


    Guihua alsoughed, her eyes resting on Yun Er who was helping YingEr with her food. She couldn¡¯t help but feel happy. Initially, her daughter Yun Er took the initiative early on. Otherwise, given the upward trend of the Di family, it would undoubtedly be extremely difficult for Yun Er to marry YingEr in a couple more years!

 Chapter 473: 473: Missed You to Death

    Chapter 473: Missed You to Death


    Everyone kept drinkingte into the night before finally dispersing.


    Seeing that no one else was around, Zhang Peng walked over to Di Yelei¡¯s side, happily patting his shoulder.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Hongyuan said long ago that you are a lucky one, and now it seems that this is indeed true. You were able to be a sub-captain today partly due to your luck, but more importantly because of your own determination and ambition.¡±


    Di Yelei cheerfully pped Zhang Peng¡¯s hand! His face was full of pride and confidence.


    ¡°Big Brother Zhang, I have always called you by your name all these years because in my heart, you are my big brother and my closest rtive. We don¡¯t need to be so formal and I don¡¯t need to hide anything from you. This time, I got this minor official position in the sub-captain¡¯s office, partly thanks to Sisi¡¯s efforts.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Peng nodded. The reason Di Yelei said this was because arge part of his promotion was due to his connection with the spring military recruitment and capital construction.


    ¡°Sisi is your wife, whether it was your idea or hers, as long as the result is good! However¡­¡±


    Zhang Peng thought for a moment: ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Xu Family¡¯s brother-inw won¡¯t let go of this easily. You must be careful in the future and yield whenever possible. Don¡¯t give people with bad intentions any chances.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware! If he doesn¡¯t provoke me, I won¡¯t go looking for trouble. But if he does, I, Di Yelei, am not someone easy to deal with!¡± Di Yelei solemnly said.


    ¡°As long as you understand.¡±


    After Zhang Peng finished speaking and saw that Di Yelei understood his meaning, he put his worries to rest.<div>


    That night, the three of Zhang¡¯s family stayed at the residence.


    Di Yelei had indeed drunk a few too many cups today and walked with a slight stagger. However, he still managed to take a shower before going back to his room.


    Liu Sisi had already made the bed andin down early.


    Her pregnancy caused her to be low on energy and constantly have back pain; only sleeping on her side could provide some relief.


    When Di Yelei gently slid into bed, Liu Sisi was half asleep. Sensing his arrival, she moved her body to bury herself in his arms.


    Di Yelei¡¯srge hand reached over and hugged her waist, covering her belly.


    He didn¡¯t stop there; his big hands burned like fire and settled on her chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi found that her voice was slightly off-key.


    ¡°What are you saying no to? Sisi, I¡¯ve missed you so much, my little kitten.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s words whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver. His hands didn¡¯t stop but even exerted more force.


    Liu Sisi felt as if her body was on fire, about to be engulfed in mes.


    ¡°Sisi, my little kitten, I¡¯ve been so frustrated recently. Don¡¯t you care at all? Don¡¯t you miss how it feels with me?¡±


    He whispered softly into her ear, and pulled her hand, cing it on his private area.


    Liu Sisi instinctively wanted to avoid it, but couldn¡¯t resist Di Yelei¡¯s strong will. Hisrge hand held her small hand firmly, not letting her pull away. As her hand touched the scorching object, she felt her head buzz, and hot blood rushed to her forehead, making her feel like a cooked shrimp.


    ¡°Sisi, please help me quickly, I¡¯m dying, my little kitten.¡±


    As he murmured hastily, he kissed her earlobe.


    His heavy and rapid breathing sprayed onto her neck, letting Liu Sisi feel his urgency. She was firmly trapped in Di Yelei¡¯s arms, feeling the thick aura of his passion.


    Liu Sisi felt that she was entirely enveloped by him, her head dizzy, and she had no idea where she was.<div>


    She wanted to push Di Yelei away, but the hand she pushed out was so soft that it slowly turned into an embrace.


    By the time she realized what was happening, he had already entered her from behind, and the two became one directly.


    She was slightly dazed, with a mess in her head, not knowing how he had entered her body. The male body behind her was so hot, as if it were a fire burning her.


    He did not make big movements, perhaps because of the child in her stomach. Instead, he moved slowly with a gentle and tender spring rain. Liu Sisi silently felt his tenderness, his love, and gradually rxed her body to cooperate with him.<div>


    The two clung tightly to each other, embracing each other closely as if they wanted to rub each other into their bodies.


    He still wouldn¡¯t let her go, leading her little hand instead to touch the vacant space in front of her gently. Wave after wave of electric shocks stimted her heart, making her addicted and lost quickly.


    It wasn¡¯t until Di Yelei was satisfied that the two finally stopped.


    Liu Sisi nestled in his arms and let out a long breath.


    The extreme happiness had notpletely disappeared, and her body was still floating in the clouds. The feeling of the two soulsing together was so beautiful that she was immersed in it and could not extricate herself.


    ¡°Sisi, my little kitten, you make me so fond of you that I can¡¯t get enough of loving you and can¡¯t bear to let go. What should I do? Will we continue like this in the future?¡± he hugged Liu Sisi and murmured softly in her ear.


    Liu Sisi felt her face heat up, understanding that he meant continuing their actions from behind her.


    ¡°Stop it! Who wants to do that with you? Let me go jetzt.¡±


    The originally scolding voice trembled, not sounding like scolding at all, but more like the murmuring softnguage between lovers. She hurriedly bit her lip to prevent any further words from leaking out.


    ¡°Huh? Am I really that annoying to you?¡± he said while his big hand sped her front again.


    ¡°You bastard, stop it¡­ behave yourself, be careful not to hurt the child¡­¡±


    She pushed him away with all her strength.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it, Sisi, my good Sisi, my little kitten, let me kiss you¡­¡±<div>


    As he spoke, his body pressed against her again, and the stormy assault resumed.


    Liu Sisi went from resisting to indulging, only being able to follow his lead passively and dance together. When he fell from the clouds once more, she couldn¡¯t say a word of refusal.


    In her daze, she recalled that she had said that when Di Yelei returned, she would give him a good show.


    Unexpectedly, not only did she not give him a good show, but she was also taken care of by him twice in a row. She couldn¡¯t even do something as simple as raising her hand, as if her entire body had been drained of energy, lying limp on the thick quilt.


    She grumbled in her heart, feeling a slight pain in her lower body and more sticky and fishy smellsing from there, causing her to subconsciously move her body.

 Chapter 474: 474: Combing Hair

    Chapter 474: Combing Hair


    However, her growing belly was an obstacle, and she failed to turn over even after trying twice in a row.


    Although Di Yelei was physically tired, that ultimate release made him feel refreshed and helped Liu Sisi to finally lie down t on her back.


    ¡°How does it feel? Do you think it¡¯s okay? Does it hurt? How¡¯s the baby?¡±


    He carefully held her in his arms, propped up on one elbow, and asked her softly, with a tone full of concern and guilt.


    While talking, he kissed her forehead, then looked at her sleepy eyes and couldn¡¯t help but tease her again, tracing her delicate nose down with his lips. After a while, he finally released her, who was panting heavily.


    He felt her passion today, so he couldn¡¯t resist indulging himself, only to hurt her and the baby in her belly. If something really happens, what should he do?


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, the baby is fine too, just a bit tired.¡±


    Liu Sisi replied softly, leaning on his arm: ¡°Besides, I feel really ufortable in my body; I want to take a bath.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still cold outside. You can¡¯t catch a cold just because you like to be clean. Wait for me while I go get some hot water.¡±


    After saying that, without waiting for Liu Sisi¡¯s reply, he got off the bed, put on his shoes, and walked away quickly.


    Watching the strong figure disappearing in the doorway, the corner of Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth couldn¡¯t help but curl up: having a man who truly loves and cherishes her is so great!<div>


    He soon brought hot water. Di Yelei wanted to help, but Liu Sisi refused, insisting on getting up and washing herself.


    Despite the slightly scalding water, she felt her entire body¡¯s pores open as she soaked herself in it. After cleaning herself with hot water, it felt like she hade back to life.


    After she finished cleaning, she nestled back into Di Yelei¡¯s arms, found afortable position, and fell asleep in his embrace.


    Early the next morning, Liu Sisi was awakened by her biological rm clock on time.


    As soon as she regained consciousness, she felt a pair of big hands constantly ying tricks on her chest, her pregnant body growing more and more voluptuous. It didn¡¯t take long for her peaks to stand up, making it hard for her to ignore the sensation.


    ¡°Uh, Ye Lei, what are you doing? Let a girl sleep in the morning¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi grumbled discontentedly, swatting his hand away like swatting a fly, but she failed to roll over.


    She got up in frustration and turned over, lying back down. Turning over was difficult with her advanced pregnancy; it was truly tiring.


    She closed her eyes again. Since hiring servants, she had gradually developed the habit of staying in bed. She couldn¡¯t be med for it, after all, she was pregnant.


    ¡°My dear Sisi, you¡¯re finally awake¡­¡±


    Di Yelei whispered her name and clung to her again, hugging her from behind and kissing her earlobe, sending a tingling sensation throughout her whole body.


    This bastard! Thinking about these things early in the morning!


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi scolded him, yet her voice wasden with coquettish charm, enough to make one¡¯s bones tingle.


    No longer able to bear it, Di Yelei swept Liu Sisi into his arms, and his big hands began to act wantonly.


    ¡°No more, Ye Lei. Old He said I can¡¯t overwork myself. Especially with this kind of thing! Besides, I need to get up and cook, and it wouldn¡¯t be good if YingEres in and sees uster.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was flushed, her body soft and fragrant, utterly tempting his willpower.


    ¡°My little kitten, I can¡¯t help it. Just once, just this once, will you let me?¡±


    Di Yelei coaxed her, the beautiful scene in front of him making him feel like he was about to explode! He needed her warmth to epass him, and the feeling of being with her was so wonderful that hepletely couldn¡¯t control himself.<div>


    ¡°I can¡¯t, Ye Lei,wait. I know my body, and it really won¡¯t work.¡±


    Her watery eyes, filled with mist, stared unblinkingly at him, as captivating as stars, making it impossible for him to extricate himself.


    He could joke about her on the side, but this was about their children, and she wouldn¡¯t allow the slightest mistake.


    Di Yelei copsed in frustration beside her, truly wanting to just barge in and enjoy himself. However, thinking about Liu Sisi¡¯s body, he lost all temper.<div>


    ¡°Little kitten,e give me a couple of kisses, and once I¡¯m satisfied, we¡¯ll get up.¡±


    In between talking, his lips pressed down again, using his own mouth to cover Liu Sisi¡¯s, kissing repeatedly. His hands were not idle either, continuously fanning the mes of passion.


    With great willpower, he forced himself to sit up and began to dress. He didn¡¯t dare look back, fearing that if he caught another glimpse of her, he might recklessly press her down again, deeply loving her and unwilling to let go.


    ¡°The Lord County Magistrate gave me three days to hand over the work. I don¡¯t need to go to the riverside to supervise the work during this time. Also, it doesn¡¯t matter, as Xingyu is taking over the work on the riverside. I trust Xingyu; he¡¯s capable.¡±


    He exined his actions.


    Liu Sisi also got dressed and said, ¡°Do you have free time today? Why not go back to Upper Vige for a while? Although you¡¯re now a tiny official, it¡¯s still worth going back and reporting, and perhaps hosting a banquet for the vigers. This way, people won¡¯t say you¡¯ve forgotten your roots and don¡¯t remember your hometowns and vigers.¡±


    Di Yelei thought about it, put on his waistband, and said: ¡°You¡¯re right! I should go back to Upper Vige first. Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do ¨C I¡¯ll go back to the county first, and you and Aunt Guihua will head straight to Upper Vige. I¡¯lle over after noon.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea! Going back, we should be busy with food arrangements anyway, and your help wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference there. It¡¯s better for you to go back to the county first and thene overter.¡±


    She also picked up her cotton shoes and began to put them on.


    ¡°Old Master, Madam, are you awake? This old servant has brought some water for you to wash your face.¡± Granny Hu called out from outside.


    ¡°Come in!¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke softly, got up, and sat down under the windowsill, opening her dressing box. Di Yelei received the washbasin, wrung out the towel, and handed it to Liu Sisi. After a bout of cleansing, he once again leaned over.


    ¡°Come! Let your husband help youb your hair.¡±<div>


    As Di Yelei spoke, he picked up theb.


    In the past, Liu Sisi would get busy cooking right after waking up, but now she had more leisure and took her time getting ready.


    His big hands held the smallb, gentlybing her hair with great care as if it was a fragile treasure.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 475: 475: Teasing

    Chapter 475: Teasing


    As Di Yeleibed Liu Sisi¡¯s hair, he shared his thoughts with her.


    ¡°Actually, I owe my position as sub-captain to you. I was fortunate enough to have my little kitten by my side, which helped me secure this position.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What does that have to do with me?¡± Liu Sisi was surprised.


    ¡°It¡¯s rted, of course. Didn¡¯t you bring that¡­ pulley to me? I used it directly on the river bank. Unexpectedly, it was seen by the Imperial Envoy, who just happened to pass by. He mentioned it to the people around him, who then recorded it and sent down the appointment. That¡¯s how I became the sub-captain.¡±


    ¡°Such a coincidence?¡±


    Liu Sisi was pleased: ¡°Have you met the Imperial Envoy?¡±


    ¡°How would I know when the Imperial Envoy passed by? That¡¯s why I said, my little kitten is a lucky star.¡±


    With a smug expression, Di Yelei continued, ¡°You see, I have a great eye for talent. I immediately set my sights on my little kitten and brought her home. As a result, everything has turned out well.¡±


    His words seemed to be praising himself, exuding a sense of triumph. If he had a wagging tail at that moment, it would have been wagging happily!


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Yelei and rolled her eyes. She couldn¡¯t help but pinch his waist while grumbling, ¡°What do you mean you have a good eye? Are you praising me or yourself? What if I didn¡¯t choose you and refused to live with you?¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t get angry when she pinched him. In fact, it didn¡¯t hurt. Instead, it felt numb and pleasant, even sweeter than eating honey. Heughed and embraced her in his arms, giving her a heavy peck on the cheeks.<div>


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m praising you! My little kitten would never choose anyone else, right? Who else treats you as well as your husband does? Tell me.¡±


    As he spoke, he peppered her cheek with several pecks.


    ¡°Alright, enough. Are youbing my hair or just messing it up?¡±


    Liu Sisi blocked Di Yelei¡¯s approaching mouth and pushed him away, ¡°Look at my hair. You¡¯vebed it for a whole morning and all you¡¯ve done is made it messier.¡±


    She tried to snatch theb from him, but he easily evaded her attempt.


    ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯ll listen to my little kitten and be a serious hairbing maid.¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t hold back herughter at his words.


    True to his word, he picked up theb and carefullybed her long hair. Just as Liu Sisi thought he wouldn¡¯t utter any more nonsense, he leaned in and whispered into her ear, ¡°Sisi, I¡¯ll serve you well now so tonight, you can return the favor and serve your husband, alright?¡±


    Liu Sisi was stunned and looked up at the bronze mirror in front of her. The stern face reflected in it made it seem like the words he had just spoken were all a figment of her imagination.


    She understood the meaning behind his words, and because she understood, she felt even more embarrassed!


    ¡°Bah! You wish! Who cares about you? You never act serious. Now you¡¯re a sub-captain, too. If you keep this up, you¡¯ll be sleeping in the corner tonight!¡±


    Her face flushed with embarrassment, Liu Sisi scolded him while her heart felt a strange sweetness.


    ¡°What do you mean I never do anything serious? If I sleep in the corner and catch a cold, will you be able to bear it? Who was itst night that couldn¡¯t stop saying ¡®I want more, harder, it feels so good¡­¡¯ while holding me and moaning nonstop? And who had a great time, only to turn cold and indifferent as soon as they got out of bed today, treating me like a stranger?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face burned as if it were on fire, turning beet red!


    The moment she looked up, she met his teasing gaze. She felt she wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground.


    Her face was so red it looked as if she had put on rouge. She red fiercely at Di Yelei!


    Of course, all manner of words could be exchanged between husband and wife in their moments of intimacy. When one¡¯s body reaches the peak of pleasure, who has the presence of mind to think about what they¡¯re saying!


    During times like those, many words are spoken without thought, naturally slipping out.


    Di Yelei was so hateful, bringing up those words in broad daylight right to her face. How was she supposed to keep face now?<div>


    ¡°You, you, you bastard!¡±


    No longer able to hold back, she pinched him fiercely, truly using all her strength this time. Then, she angrily turned her face away, pouting.


    Seeing the current situation, Di Yelei¡¯s heart secretly shouted trouble!


    Last night, he had been riding high on sess and wasn¡¯t careful with his words. However, he forgot that his little kitten couldn¡¯t stand hearing this kind of talk. No wonder she was angry.<div>


    ¡°I am a bastard! But I love how wild my little kitten is in bed. My kitten, don¡¯t be mad! Look, you¡¯re pouting so much that you could hang 24 oil bottles on your lips. Here, let me give you a kiss¡­¡±


    ¡°Get lost! You bastard, you did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Liu Sisi furiously kicked him several times and red at him intensely. She took theb from him and turned away,bing her hair by herself.


    ¡°Good Sisi, I was wrong. I apologize, and I promise not to do it again next time.¡±


    He leaned closer with a smile, lowering his head to check Liu Sisi¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Liu Sisi snorted heavily and turned away again, not wanting to deal with him.


    ¡°Good Sisi, my little kitten, my little treasure, my good Madam, I was really wrong! Why don¡¯t you hit me or pinch me a few more times or twist me a few more times? I won¡¯t ever dare to do it again.¡±


    As he spoke, he even pulled her hand towards his waist.


    Liu Sisi forcefully withdrew her hand and remained silent with a stern face.


    ¡°Good Sisi, don¡¯t be mad, alright? If ites to that, next time, you can be on top, and I¡¯ll be on the bottom, okay?¡±


    As he spoke, he anxiously held her small body and pulled her into his embrace despite her struggles.


    ¡°You¡¯re still talking about it¡­ you bastard!¡± Liu Sisi was genuinely angry!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Di Yelei wore an innocent smile, not fighting back or getting angry, just leaning in with a grin.


    ¡°Kitten, don¡¯t be mad. I promise I won¡¯t say anything like that again.¡±

 Chapter 476: 476: Banquet for Fellow Villagers

    Chapter 476: Banquet for Fellow Vigers


    This Di Yelei is bing more and more improper!


    ¡°Laughed,ughed! My wife knows, my little kitten doesn¡¯t want to punish her husband.¡±


    Di Yelei hugged Liu Sisi tightly and whispered in her ear, ¡°Good Sisi, since you don¡¯t allow me to speak during the day, I will slowly tell you at night.¡±


    ¡°Let go quickly! YingEr is about toe in, and it¡¯s not good for Nanny Hu to see us like this.¡±


    Liu Sisi pushed him away and gave him a re.


    This Di Yelei was bing more and more improper when he was with her.


    He appeared to be well-groomed and serious in front of others, but once they were alone, he changedpletely. He would take advantage of her without a care in the world, and looked as if he wanted to devour herpletely, transforming into a wolf.


    ¡°YingEr must be sleepy, and we would know from far away if she¡¯sing in. As for Nanny Hu¡­ If she wants to watch, let her watch.¡±


    He smirked, a wicked smile on his face.


    ¡°Stop messing around! Do you still want to go to the county town or not?¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s face tighten up again, Di Yelei stole a few more kisses on her small mouth before reluctantly letting her go.<div>


    Feeling an unfamiliar sensation in a certain ce, he realized that if he continued, he might end up being the one at a loss. His tall figure made a turn in the room and bent down to fold the quilt.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll go early ande back early. Remember to take Ah-Hua and Ah-Huang back too; these two little fellows have been cooped uptely.¡±


    Since Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua were brought to the courtyard, they have followed Di Yelei to his hometown once and were tied up in the courtyard every day, not to mention going hunting. Of course, the main reason was that Di Yelei had been too busy since the start of the spring military recruitment.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Liu Sisi casually pinned a magpie on a plum hairpin, grabbed the hem of her skirt embroidered withrge pomegranate flowers, and then turned to look at Di Yelei quickly tidying up the room.


    Her heart shook, and it seemed as if a stream flowed through her heart, making her feel exceptionallyfortable and warm.


    Di Yelei treated her so well that sometimes, when she woke up, she was afraid that everything was just an illusion. But everything was so real. If they could hold hands like this until they grow old and raise a few more little turnip heads, her life would be perfect.


    After the two of them left the room, the cooked dishes were already prepared. The family ate breakfast and went about their own tasks.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t dy and, after the meal, jumped on a horse with Zhang Peng, heading straight to the county town.


    Guihua¡¯s family also stayed at Di¡¯s familyst night, so a group of people decided to take a detour from the vige school and send Di Xuan and Zhang Yun there.


    ¡°Mom! Today is a good day. Can we not go to the vige school? We can catch up with our studies even if we skip a day.¡±


    Di Xuan mustered up the courage and finally spoke.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t even think about it before objecting! She couldn¡¯t stand this kind of behavior where they didn¡¯t want to go to school at every opportunity. When she heard Di Xuan wanted to take a leave, her smile immediately sank.


    ¡°For you now, the most important thing is studying. How can you take a leave because of the matters of the adults? Go!¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes!¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s smile disappeared, and his face quickly turned red. He grabbed his school bag and ran out of the courtyard at lightning speed.


    ¡°Young Master, Young Master, wait for Le Ping!¡±


    Le Ping saw the situation and hurried to catch up, not bothering about anything else.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    ¡°Di Xuan! Di Xuan, wait for me!¡±


    Zhang Yun had originally wanted to stay, but seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s darkened face, he also followed and ran away.


    Guihua beside her stepped forward: ¡°Sisi, today is a good day. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to let Di Xuan have a day off¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Guihua, it¡¯s not about giving him a day off or not, it¡¯s about¡­ I don¡¯t know how to exin to you so you can understand.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi was also a little disheartened, as her tone had indeed been too harsh just now.


    ¡°Good! Good Sisi!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di beside her gave a thumbs up: ¡°This child can¡¯t be spoiled¡­ this is how he should be disciplined! Good, very good!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di understood that it was because Liu Sisi truly loved Di Xuan that she was so strict with him.


    After getting her father¡¯s approval, Liu Sisi felt a lot better.


    The crowd headed to their old home in high spirits. Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua also frolicked around front and back, running around like they knew they were going back to their old home.


    Other than their own carriage, Liu Sisi also rented another one, buying a lot of things that would be needed, and headed towards Upper Vige in a grandiose manner.


    Today, when shopping, Liu Sisi found that the prices had obviously increased.


    Originally, the rice that cost 3 taels of silver per dan now required an additional 1 mace of silver, while the pork that used to sell for 15 copper coins per catty has now risen to 16 copper coins.


    Don¡¯t underestimate this 1 copper coin difference. After the Lunar New Year, the price of meat should have dropped, yet it strangely increased by 1 copper coin, causing a sense of unease to once again emerge in Liu Sisi¡¯s heart. However, today was a day of great joy, so she suppressed this uneasiness and buried it deep in her heart.


    Upon arriving at Upper Vige, Uncle Land Officer had already received the news and personally greeted everyone at the entrance of the vige. He even set off two strings of firecrackers that crackled for quite a while.


    Everyone rejoiced, continuously offering congrattions as Liu Sisi supported the ted Elderly Mr. Di, returning home surrounded by the crowd.


    In an instant, the originally deserted courtyard was filled with people.<div>


    Elderly Mr. Di stood up and looked around the crowd, then said happily.


    ¡°My younger son Ye Lei has had the good fortune of being appointed by the Imperial Envoy as a seventh-rank sub-captain in charge of weapons manufacturing. Today, I want to express my gratitude to our fellow vigers for their continuous care all this time. Therefore, the Di Family has decided to host a feast for everyone in the vige for a day. Everyone, eat to your heart¡¯s content!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di spoke very slowly, his words trembling, but the entire room was quiet, with no one interrupting him.


    Liu Sisi also stepped forward with a smile and added a few words: ¡°Today is a day of celebration for both the Di Family and Upper Vige. Everyone, men, women, old folks, and children alike, are all wee toe and party with us. There¡¯s no need for any gifts. We¡¯re grateful for everyone¡¯s good intentions.¡±


    These words naturally won a unanimous cheer from the crowd.


    Liu Sisi continued, ¡°Furthermore, Ye Lei has gone to the county for the handover and won¡¯t be back until dusk. If anyone wants to eat or drink anything, just feel free to do so when the dishes are servedter! Don¡¯t be shy! Everyone, help yourself!¡±

 Chapter 477: 477: The Changes in the Di Family

    Chapter 477: The Changes in the Di Family


    After saying that, she gave a signal to Da Niu and Er Niu behind her.


    Da Niu and Er Niu left to carry out their orders, quickly lighting firecrackers that attracted a crowd of fellow vigers.


    Liu Sisi then took out prepared wedding candies, wedding pastries, and scattered copper coins, letting the numerous adults and children grab them. This was a custom in the Upper Vige; whenever there was a joyous event, it would usually be celebrated like this. Naturally, the number of wedding candies, pastries, and copper coins depended on the generosity of the hosts.


    Of course, Liu Sisi was not a stingy person. She prepared a whole five taels of silver in scattered copper coins, but she didn¡¯t throw them all at once, waiting for Di Yelei to return in the evening for the highlight of the event!


    The crowd scrambled for the items, and those who managed to grab some quietly pocketed them with smiles on their faces. With sharp eyes, Liu Sisi noticed Ms. Wang among the crowd, her wallet bulging, probably having grabbed quite a few things this time.


    She seemed to have noticed Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, and with a silly chuckle, she suddenly slipped out of the crowd and disappeared.


    Seeing that everyone had almost finished scrambling, the vigers started to disperse and chat casually.


    Guihua and Liu Zhi¡¯er helped wee everyone while Liusisi, feeling exhausted, went back to her room for a short rest.


    At noon, a feast was arranged inside and outside the Di Family courtyard, and the fellow vigers began taking their seats one after another.


    Guihua was straightforward and helpful, assisting both inside and outside, which saved Liu Sisi a lot of effort. Liu Zhi¡¯er worked silently, organizing everything neatly. Not to mention that old Cheng and Granny Hu¡¯s family, who were specially brought by Liu Sisi to help with the feast, served dishes and cleared tables professionally.


    The vigers were envious, only then truly feeling that the Di Family had be iparably better than before!<div>


    Eating from noon until dusk, when Di Yelei and Zhang Peng returned riding jujube red horses, the atmosphere at the scene reached its peak. Along with them came Zuo Xingyu.


    Disliking the persistent Zuo Xingyu, Liu Sisi handed him over to Di Yelei to entertain and hid herself in the kitchen area.


    Liu Sisi ordered the servants to set up a table in the hall where she arranged for the Land Officer and other guests with higher status to sit. Earlier, Elderly Mr. Di had been apanying them, and now Di Yelei took over.


    On this side of the kitchen, a table was naturally set for familiar female rtives.


    Land Officer¡¯s wife, Ms. Zhao, Ms. Xin, Ms. Wang, Guihua, and Liu Zhi¡¯er, and others were gathered here. Seeing Liu Sisi entering, the Land Officer¡¯s wife hastily greeted her, ¡°Sisi,e and sit here!¡±


    ¡°Madam Land Officer.¡±


    Liu Sisi also smiled and greeted everyone before sitting down next to the Land Officer¡¯s wife.


    ¡°Sisi, in the future, you must not pay respect to my wife like this. She can¡¯t handle it. You will be the wife of the sub-captain. You can¡¯t bepared to ordinary civilians like us.¡±


    ¡°Madam, what are you talking about?¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke righteously, ¡°Not to mention that Yelei is only a seventh-rank sub-captain, even if he bes the Great General, he would still be a person who came from our Upper Vige. He would still be the wild boy who grew up under Uncle Land Officer¡¯s care. You can ept Sisi¡¯s bow.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words warmed the Land Officer¡¯s wife¡¯s heart, and she immediately grasped her hand, ¡°Good Sisi¡­¡±


    ¡°Madam, please sit. Let¡¯s continue talking.¡±


    Liu Sisi also hurriedly greeted her, and everyone sat down again.


    ¡°Everyone, just eat and drink as you please! The food was brought out to be eaten. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony with Sisi, just enjoy yourselves!¡±


    Everyone naturally agreed, withughter and cheerful voices all around.


    Just as everyone was immersed in the joy, Miao Cuihua squeezed in from outside and joined Liu Sisi with a grin: ¡°Sisi! Your family is getting better and better now, and you shouldn¡¯t need those few silver coins anymore. When will you pay my Shouhou¡¯s wages?¡±


    Miao Cuihua did it on purpose!


    She had urged Shouhou to ask for his wages several times before.


    Didn¡¯t the Di family be a sub-captain? And they bought so many servants; how could they stillck those wages? Everyone around stopped using their chopsticks and turned to look at Liu Sisi, whispering to each other.<div>


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face also didn¡¯t look good. Was Miao Cuihua deliberately trying to undermine the Di family on this big day of celebration by bringing up this matter? Looking at the self-satisfied Miao Cuihua in front of her, her suppressed anger from previous times was ignited at the moment.


    She sneered coldly, her eyes shing with a chill, and the words that came out of her mouth were shocking!


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t your Shouhou bring the silver coins back to you? That¡¯s impossible! Could there have been an ident? Did Shouhou identally lose the silver or lend it to someone else, or gamble it away, or go to the Yihong Courtyard¡­¡±


    Miao Cuihua never expected Liu Sisi to respond like this, and her face froze for a moment.<div>


    ¡°Hey, Liu Sisi, what does this mean? Everyone knows that my Shouhou doesn¡¯t gamble or go to the brothel! Are you deliberately saying this to start an argument? Come on!¡±


    As she spoke, she began to roll up her sleeves, ready to cause a big scene.


    ¡°Oh, Cuihua, don¡¯t get angry in a hurry. I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked innocent: ¡°The distribution of the money from the shop is all done by me. When I was handing out the silver, not only was Shouhou there, but Di Cheng was there too. I saw with my own eyes that I handed the silver coins to your Shouhou. Moreover, on the ount book, there is Shouhou¡¯s y handprint on the wages settlement section. Even if I, Liu Sisi, wanted to fake it, I couldn¡¯t!¡±


    As she spoke, she spread her hands, shook her head helplessly, and sighed repeatedly.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s inevitable for men to fool around sometimes, so we women should still keep a tight grip on the money to avoid any idents.¡±


    She nced over Miao Cuihua, and the pity in her eyes made everyone around her imagine all sorts of things.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze immediately shifted from Liu Sisi to Miao Cuihua, and it suddenly became clear in their minds. So that¡¯s what happened!


    Miao Cuihua looked devastated, for she never thought Shouhou would deceive her. For a moment, she was dumbfounded and couldn¡¯t speak.


    This also made the surrounding people even more convinced of their spection, and the pity in their eyes deepened.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    An auntie nearby immediatelyforted her: ¡°Cuihua, you can¡¯t juste over here and get angry with Sisi without understanding what happened. Where did the silver go? Do you expect Sisi to watch it for you? I think you should ask your Shouhou properly, as there might be some misunderstandings inside the matter?¡±

 Chapter 478: 478: Awakening

    Chapter 478: Awakening


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth twitched slightly.


    Rather thanforting Miao Cuihua, this person seemed more intent on kicking her when she was down.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Miao Cuihua¡¯s face turned pale with a touch of green, and she muttered softly, ¡°Impossible! My husband Shou Hou, he¡­ I¡­¡±


    The confidence in her words was clearlycking. Under the watchful eyes of the surrounding onlookers, she spoke softer and softer. Even with her naturally loud voice, she could barely hear herself and wished she could crawl into a crevice.


    Land Officer¡¯s wife was experienced and knowledgeable. She could tell what was going on just by looking at the situation. She sighed secretly, not expecting Shou Hou, who appeared to be honest, simple, and henpecked, to be involved in such a situation!


    She quicklyforted Miao Cuihua: ¡°Cuihua, Sisi was right just now. Your husband got his wages only after signing and stamping his fingerprint. It¡¯s not reasonable for you toe here and cause trouble for Sisi, especially on such a good day like today. Don¡¯t make a fool of yourself and enjoy the good food and drinks here. Don¡¯t be confused again!¡±


    Land Officer¡¯s wife¡¯s words made Miao Cuihua¡¯s face turn from pale to green, then to ck, extremely ugly!


    She wanted to argue, but the umted authority of the Land Officer¡¯s wife over the years made it impossible for her to speak her mind.


    She couldn¡¯t hold back her temper for long, though. With a fierce p on her thigh, she stood up angrily, wailing continuously.


    ¡°Damn you, Shou Hou! I¡¯ve been starving at home every day, takings care of the children for you, and you have the guts to **** on me outside! I, Miao Cuihua, will teach you a lesson!¡±


    As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves, looking like she was ready to storm out, grab Shou Hou, and give him a severe beating.<div>


    ¡°Shut up! What the hell are you howling about? Do you think you¡¯re a wolf cub?¡±


    Seeing the situation getting out of hand, Land Officer¡¯s wife quickly scolded her: ¡°Whatever issues you have as husband and wife, settle them when you get home at night and close the door. Don¡¯t make it known to everyone, and especially don¡¯t cause trouble at Di¡¯s house on such a great day like today. I won¡¯t let you off easily!¡±


    This stern scolding made Miao Cuihua shrink back, mumbling something under her breath, but no one heard it clearly as she turned and quickly left the room.


    As soon as she left, the crowd gathered again, whispering all kinds of spection.


    Liu Sisiughed: ¡°Actually, I¡¯m to me for this too. After Shou Hou received his wages at the end of the month, he rushed away and didn¡¯t return until the next morning. I thought he had gone home, but the next day, Cuihua came to my residence in the small town to look for me. It happened that Sisi wasn¡¯t feeling well at that time, so¡­ so I didn¡¯t have the heart to exin in detail. Maybe that¡¯s why she misunderstood something?¡±


    After saying that, she lowered her head shyly.


    Liu Sisi had thought about it too. If she continued to hide the truth from Miao Cuihua on behalf of Shou Hou, it wasn¡¯t impossible.


    However, in the end, she would only be the viin to both parties. Better to take advantage of Miao Cuihua picking up the topic to rify the matter. It has nothing to do with her!¡±);


    p>how far the couple will go!


    ¡°Silly girl, you can¡¯t me yourself for this.¡±


    Land Officer¡¯s wife said earnestly: ¡°Ahem! Let¡¯s not talk about Cuihua¡¯s affairs in private, everyone knows she¡¯s been handling everything at home, and it¡¯s not easy for her. Not to mention raising Little Chubby!¡±


    At the words of Land Officer¡¯s wife, everyone lowered their heads and stopped talking.


    ¡°Come on, everyone, let¡¯s eat! In this cold weather, it¡¯s best to have a full stomach.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly invited everyone.


    Everyone continued to eat and chat merrily.


    A familiar-looking married woman sat beside Liu Sisi and asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Sisi, have you made a decision about the matter I mentionedst time?¡±


    Liu Sisi frowned in thought: ¡°Oh! I remember, you¡¯re Sister-in-Law Sun from East Vige, right? You¡¯re talking about leasing thend under my father¡¯s name, right? I¡¯ve already asked my father about it.¡±


    Liu Sisi hadn¡¯t thought about farming thend herself from the beginning. Although she wasn¡¯tpletely ignorant about crops, she definitely didn¡¯t want to be facing the yellow earth and the sky all day long.<div>


    So, it was natural to lease those fertilends to someone else. Choosing a hardworking and honest farming family was the top priority.


    As soon as she and her father had mentioned Sun¡¯s Sister-in-Law, her father had agreed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was obvious that her father had a good impression of the Sister-in-Law¡¯s husband.


    ¡°Yes, exactly! I can¡¯t believe Mrs. Sub-Captain has such a good memory.¡±/p><div>


    Sister-in-Law Sun praised Liu Sisi somewhat bashfully./p>


    Liu Sisi said solemnly: ¡°My father¡¯s opinion is that you can lease thend as you wish. The only thing is, when you farm, you must do deep plowing and digging, and not waste thend. As for the lease contract,e over again early tomorrow, and you can sign it with my father personally.¡±


    Sister-in-Law Sun was overjoyed! She immediately agreed to the matter.


    ¡°Alright! It¡¯s settled then! My husband and I wille by early tomorrow morning to sign the contract with Elderly Di.¡±


    Watching Sister-in-Law Sun leave the kitchen with a satisfied hum, the crowd nearby quickly gathered around.


    ¡°Sisi, thatnd Sister-in-Law Sun mentioned, do you still have some left? If so, could you lease a few acres to me too?¡±


    These words were the heartfelt thoughts of everyone.


    The Awakening of Insects season was approaching, and it was time to prepare for the work in the fields. Last year, they had heard that Di Family bought fertilends, and who wouldn¡¯t want to cultivate thosends? Naturally, it attracted envious stares.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°Everybody knows that our family didn¡¯t have anynd before, and the onlynd we have is the one I just discussed with Sister-in-Law Sun, which my father allocated to us. We¡¯ve already leased it to her. As for the other fertilends, they are near the official road close to the county. If we were all to farm there, the journey alone would probably be¡­¡±


    Nowadays, Di Family traveled to and from the county using horses. However, for farmers, it was mostly a bull-cart or walking.


    If they went to the fields to do farm work, by the time they arrived at the plot, it would already be noon. Without having time to do anything in the fields, they would have to hurry back home. That¡¯s not farming; it¡¯s more like a spring outing!


    As expected, after Liu Sisi¡¯s words, everyone¡¯s enthusiasm died down, and they returned to their seats disappointed.


    Liu Sisi was also lost in thought, only remembering that spring plowing was soon, and they needed to find a good family to cultivate that fertilend!<div>

 Chapter 479: 479: Once and for All, Eliminate the Root

    Chapter 479: Once and for All, Eliminate the Root


    ¡°Ahem, ahem, ahem¡­¡±


    As Liu Sisi was in deep thought, the door curtain was lifted again, and a timid-looking Ms. Zhao walked in.


    Her eyes shone like a mouse, taking in everything around her.


    Especially that Granny Hu standing behind Liu Sisi, which quickly changed Ms. Zhao¡¯s expression, but sheposed herself in just a moment.


    As soon as she entered, she aimed her attack at Liu Sisi: ¡°Third Child¡¯s daughter-inw, do you despise me as your mother-inw and want to deliberately humiliate me, treating me as an outsider?¡±


    Liu Sisi was momentarily stunned, wondering what kind of act Ms. Zhao was putting on.


    However, no matter what, Ms. Zhao still held the position of her mother-inw, and with countless pairs of eyes from fellow vigers on them, she naturally had to handle the situation appropriately.


    Almost as soon as Ms. Zhao crossed the threshold, Liu Sisi stood up from her seat and softlyughed at her words.


    ¡°Mother-inw, what are you talking about? Sisi knows that you care about Little Brother, so I wouldn¡¯t dare be unfilial and forcefully separate your mother and son rtionship. Especially when Father ordered it, Sisi¡­ Sisi really is, is¡­¡±


    Her hesitant words naturally led people into wild spections, and Ms. Zhao¡¯s sensitive status immediately surfaced in their eyes.


    Some even pointed at Ms. Zhao and whispered something behind their hands.<div>


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s face changed, but then her eyes moved, and tears flowed down her face: ¡°Heavens! How can you let me, Ms. Zhao, live like this? I know I am a stepmother and don¡¯t dare to ask for anything. But look, even outsiders have a ce to sit, but there is no ce for me, the mother-inw! Back then, I, as an old woman, cared for and raised the Third Son¡­ You can do such a shameless thing, and still call yourself a sub-captain? It¡¯s unfilial!¡±


    These words immediately annoyed Liu Sisi!


    She had seen shameless people before, but she had never encountered someone so shameless. Did Ms. Zhao think she was still the Liu Sisi from before?


    No! Even if she was that Liu Sisi, she wouldn¡¯t have let her off easy. Did Ms. Zhao think that if she made a scene here, Liu Sisi would change her mind?


    Thinking about this, her face became colder, and she was about to speak when the Land Officer¡¯s wife beside her stepped in faster.


    ¡°Ms. Zhao! Are you stuffed and looking to pick a fight?¡±


    Land Officer¡¯s wife didn¡¯t mince her words: ¡°At this age, don¡¯t you care about face? In our Upper Vige, who doesn¡¯t know that you set your sights on your cousin¡¯s husband, Di Defu, and plotted against your own cousin several times before marrying into the Di Family.¡±


    The Land Officer¡¯s wife¡¯s words made the surrounding people gasp! Now they finally understood the root cause of the constant quarrels in the Di Family over the years.


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s face changed as well, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Before I married into the Di Family, the old man and I were innocent!¡±


    ¡°Tsk! ¡ª I don¡¯t care about the truth or falsehood of these matters. It¡¯s only natural for a younger sister to marry her sister¡¯s husband.¡±


    It¡¯s not helpful to pursue old matters further.


    The Land Officer¡¯s wife interrupted her: ¡°Nevertheless, you shouldn¡¯t have treated the bloodline left behind by your cousin like this. Nowadays, Ye Lei is an official. He is also a member of the Di Family, and in the future, even if your family is exempted from taxes and corveebor, it will benefit you greatly. If you create any more trouble here, don¡¯t me me for being rude!¡±


    Ms. Zhao shrank back but showed a hint of joy on her face.


    ¡°This is what you said, and from now on, the taxes and corveebor for our Di Family are waived.¡±


    So, this is the key reason Ms. Zhao came to make a scene!


    Everyone suddenly understands!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s disdain for her isplete, and her upward-curving mouth is full of mockery.


    What is the thing that officials fear the most? His Majesty values filial piety, and officials naturally fear that they will bear the sin of being unfilial.


    Even if it¡¯s for Di Yelei¡¯s official reputation, today she must be treated well and respected as a distinguished guest. Maybe she will take the opportunity to put forward some other demands. This is also the reason why Ms. Zhao is making a fuss here without worrying about someone dealing with her.<div>


    ¡°Since everyone is here today, I, Liu Sisi, would like to express my opinion and say a few words that I shouldn¡¯t say.¡± She looked around at everyone, and her eyes fell on Ms. Zhao.


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s body suddenly tightened, and it was only at this moment that she really understood that things had changed from the past.


    ¡°Sisi, you can say whatever you want, we all stand by your side!¡±


    Everyone is not a fool, they can guess what Liu Sisi wants to say, they just don¡¯t know how she will say it.<div>


    Liu Sisi picked up a towel and gently wiped her mouth.


    ¡°Everyone should understand that although Ms. Zhao is my husband Yelei¡¯s foster mother, at the same time, she is also the enemy who caused Yelei¡¯s biological mother¡¯s unexpected death. Treating Ms. Zhao as an enemy is unfilial because the grace of nurturing is as great as heaven. Treating Ms. Zhao as a foster mother is also unfilial, as a son cannot avenge his enemy; after a hundred years, how will we face our own birth mother? Thus, Yelei is troubled day and night, finding it hard to sleep.¡±


    Having finished, Liu Sisi bowed respectfully towards everyone.


    This startled everyone: ¡°Sisi, why are you doing this?¡±


    Only after performing the ceremony did Liu Sisi straighten her waist: ¡°Sisi earnestly asks you for help, toe up with an idea for Yelei that will satisfy both sides and let him rest.¡±


    As she spoke, a sh of light passed quickly through her eyes, and she bowed her head again.


    No matter how much fuss Ms. Zhao made now, nobody would stand by her side!


    As expected, Ms. Zhao didn¡¯t think that Liu Sisi would tear her face and bring up this old matter!


    Her face suddenly lost its luster, and she could no longer care about the others; she hurriedly defended herself.


    ¡°She¡¯s talking nonsense! The incident was not like she said. My cousin slipped and fell off the eaves into the drain by herself while crying. This has nothing to do with me!¡±


    ¡°Right! She fell down on her own. But why don¡¯t you tell us the reason for her losing footing?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth raised a smile as she continued to press on: ¡°A certain cousin, regardless of her having just be a widow, knelt down in front of my cousin, wanting to serve the same man with her sister! My cousin was greatly shocked, for she never thought that the cousin she loved so much was always calcting to snatch her husband away!¡±


    ¡°Shameless! To treat her cousin like this!¡±<div>


    ¡°Oh, my! I always thought that Elderly Mr. Di was a reasonable man. How could he just leave her with his young son and not care about her? So, there were so many secrets.¡±


    ¡°With your behavior, the fact that no one caught you and killed you yet is already considering the years you have raised him. Don¡¯t push it further. Make more fuss, and you will be sent to the government office to pay for her life¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Everyone was talking, making it too embarrassing for Ms. Zhao to raise her head.

 Chapter 480: 480: Heartless Fall Out

    Chapter 480: Heartless Fall Out


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t even touch her! How can you say I killed her? How could it be? You can¡¯t wrong me like this!¡±


    Yes, I did nothing wrong!


    Ms. Zhao has been constantly reminding herself of this over the years! She tells herself this even in midnight dreams when she sees that wretched ghost!


    However, the contemptuous looks from the crowd didn¡¯t change one bit, and they all looked at her disdainfully.


    ¡°Yes, mother-inw, you didn¡¯t touch her¡­¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s face still had a smile, but it was full of bitterness, and her words were extremely low: ¡°Mother-inw, do you understand Ye Lei¡¯s pain?¡±


    Once she said this, the crowd shifted their usations towards Ms. Zhao. The people talked and discussed, almost pointing her out as the one to me.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ms. Zhao couldn¡¯t bear the fury in her heart anymore. She had been ruling Di Family for decades, and when had she ever been subjected to such insults?


    So she resorted to her usual tactics: crying, making a scene, and threatening to hang herself. She opened her mouth and cried loudly.


    ¡°Look, everyone! This whole family is bullying a poor old woman like me! How pitiful I am, I raised him and took care of him, and now he¡¯s be an official smaller than a sesame seed and turns his back on me, his mother! ¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao wanted to continue crying, but Liu Sisi next to her didn¡¯t want to listen any further!


    Thud!<div>


    She pped the table forcefully, making all the bowls, tes, and dishes on the table leap in the air and make a huge ssh!


    ¡°Shut your filthy mouth! Don¡¯t take other people¡¯s tolerance as your license to act shameless!¡±


    Liu Sisi was genuinely angry. On such a happy day, Ms. Zhao still sought trouble, pushing herself to a dead end!


    Seeing things were about to go south, Land Officer¡¯s wife had an idea!


    She suddenly stepped forward and pushed Ms. Zhao directly to the ground.


    ¡°Ms. Zhao, do you not think you¡¯ve already lost enough face? Go ahead and keep wailing! Wail! Today, if your wailing disturbs Ye Lei in the hall and all the guests in the house, making your father-inw use up all his remaining pity for you, I think I can make a decision on Di Defu¡¯s behalf: you don¡¯t need to keep wailing here, just go back to your Zhao Family and mourn!¡±


    Where could she return to her family?


    Decades ago, she had firmly insisted on marrying into Di Family against her family¡¯s objections and ended up falling out with them!


    Ms. Zhao hurriedly stopped her wailing mouth and froze on the spot. Her mouth was wide open, but there were no tears on her face.


    ¡°Land Officer¡¯s wife¡­¡±


    It was only then that Ms. Zhao began to feel scared.


    ¡°Get out! From now on, my third family branch doesn¡¯t wee you! Ye Lei doesn¡¯t have a mother like you either.¡± Liu Sisi drove her away without any hesitation.


    She knew that what she was doing now was what Di Yelei had wanted to do recently, but couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it! Since that was the case, she, as his wife, should fulfill his wish!


    ¡°Get out! Get out! Shameless cuckoo upying the nest, you really stink! Get out!¡±


    The surrounding crowd cried out, grabbing things from the corner of the kitchen and throwing them at Ms. Zhao without hesitation.


    Soon, broken eggs, rotten vegetable leaves, and picked-over bones were all thrown onto Ms. Zhao.


    ¡°Stop smashing, stop! Stop¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao stretched out her hand to block, but an egg hit her fingers squarely, sttering her face through the finger gaps.


    Everyone turned around to see who had thrown the egg!<div>


    It was none other than Liu Sisi¡¯s Second Sister-inw, Ms. Wang.


    Ms. Wang¡¯s face was a little embarrassed, and seeing everyone looking at her, she grinned at Liu Sisi a couple of times then finally put down the other egg in her hand.


    ¡°Hehe¡­I, cough! I just couldn¡¯t stand her bossy attitude! So, so¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang mumbled to herself, not knowing what to say next.<div>


    Her face was much thicker than Ms. Zhao¡¯s. Over the years, she had mastered the art of steering with the wind and sticking like caramel. Seeing her situation in a disadvantage, she leaned towards Liu Sisi and directly clung to her arm.


    ¡°Sisi, when ites down to it, Third Brother and Gao Yuan are genuine brothers. Your Second Brother and Second Sister-inw have been deceived for many years by this¡­this old woman. Sisi, don¡¯t be angry with your Second Brother and Second Sister-inw.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at her with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, and forcefully pulled her arm back, ¡°Second Sister-inw, you¡¯re joking. The broken bone is still connected to the tendons, and how could Sisi ever forget the care that Second Brother and Second Sister-inw have shown Ye Lei and the two children over the years?¡±


    This was a tant p in the face!


    They were all fellow vigers. Who didn¡¯t know how much Ms. Wang had tormented the third family branch over the years?


    Liu Sisi¡¯s smiling-but-not-smiling gaze and theughter around her made Ms. Wang¡¯s face turnpletely red, but she grinned thick-skinned, ¡°Absolutely! We are genuine brothers. Let¡¯s not bring up the past anymore. From now on, Sisi, if you say go east, Second Sister-inw will never go west. Hehe¡­¡±


    These words made Liu Sisi¡¯s heart churn, and it took a lot of effort to stop the feeling of wanting to vomit.


    ¡°You opportunistic Ms. Wang! Huh? Early this morning, you were just saying how horrible this woman is in front of me, and now you suddenly turn your back on her. Watch me kill you!¡±


    Ms. Zhao finally came to her senses from her daze and pounced directly at Ms. Wang, twisting and fighting her.


    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re not deceiving us? Over the years, hasn¡¯t your man Gao Yuan been clinging to this issue and making me give your family countless benefits and supporting yourzy ass? I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡±


    Oh! So that¡¯s how it is¡­


    Everyone finally understood the ins and outs of Di Family¡¯s situation!


    ¡°You wicked old hag, you killed my real mother-inw, and now you dare to talk nonsense! Watch me tear your mouth apart!¡±<div>


    Ms. Wang was furious! She was no pushover, either. Over the years, she had often gone toe-to-toe with Ms. Zhao in both civil and military matters.


    Now, one pulling the other¡¯s hair, the other grabbing the other¡¯s cor, scratching each other with ws, and even pping each other¡­


    From the table to the doorway of the kitchen, they rolled on the ground, fighting in a tangled mess. They continued to roll out from the kitchen threshold, all the way down the eaves, and fell into the drain.


    The two did not stop fighting, but rather intensified their efforts.


    Ms. Zhao had been holding in her anger all day and didn¡¯t dare vent it at Liu Sisi, so she just happened to pick Ms. Wang as her punching bag.


    Ms. Wang had been oppressed by Ms. Zhao for years and was full of resentment. Now that she finally had a chance to fight back, and with Liu Sisi watching nearby, wasn¡¯t this a golden opportunity to show that she was standing on the side of the third family branch? How could she let it pass?


    The two continued to curse, bite, and fight fiercely.


    Even more onlookers gathered in a circle nearby, pointing andmenting on the two who were fighting in earnest.

 Chapter 481: 481: Training

    Chapter 481: Training


    ¡°Stop! What on earth is going on? Release them at once!¡±


    Themotion alerted those drinking in the hall. Di Yelei strode out hastily from the inside, ordering people to separate them.


    In the hall, there were not only County Magistrate Su, the Land Officer, and others, but also many colleagues from the governmental office. Such a scene was utterly humiliating for Di Yelei.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Upon seeing all this, the fellow vigers rushed forward to separate the two people.


    ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    Di Yelei, trembling with his crutch, emerged. Seeing the two women inplete disarray, he was utterly exasperated.


    ¡°Dad! Mom¡¯s madness has erupted again. No matter how much we tried to restrain her, we couldn¡¯t stop her. Second Sister-inw was just trying to help!¡±


    Supporting her belly and waist, Liu Sisi emerged from the kitchen, shouting: ¡°Can some strong peoplee and separate them quickly! Lock them in the inner room until their fit subsides. I¡¯ve sent someone to call the doctor. He should be here soon!¡±


    These words lit up Di Yelei¡¯s eyes.


    Of course, he knew Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang were not mad, but under the current circumstances, even if Ms. Zhao was not mad, she had to act as one! This was called reaping what you sow.


    And, indeed, the two Ms. Zhao, disheveled and muddy, were no better than the mad women on the street! At the moment, they were biting and wing at each other, neither willing to let go.<div>


    If someone called them mad, anyone who saw them would believe it to be true to some extent. The ones who didn¡¯t believe it, naturally, were the ones in the kitchen.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking shit! I¡¯m not mad!¡±


    Although Ms. Zhao had red eyes from fighting, she still heard what everyone was saying. Having finally let go of Ms. Wang¡¯s arm, she spat out some bloody spittle and cursed loudly.


    ¡°A mad person never thinks they¡¯re mad! Don¡¯t stand there, hurry up and separate these two!¡±


    Di Yelei also took the opportunity to shout loudly.


    ¡°Quickly! Everyone, lend a hand, and bring some towels to gag them. Be sure to stop them from biting their tongues off!¡±


    People finally stepped forward to separate the two and gagged their mouths.


    Yet, despite being gagged, the two, in the heat of the battle, were still trying to attack each other with their feet.


    ¡°Take them inside first, and wait for the doctor toe and examine them thoroughly!¡±


    Liu Sisi shouted from the side, giving orders.


    Watching as Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang were taken to the inner room, everyone finally quieted down.


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s face was grim: ¡°I¡¯m really sorry! My wife has suffered from this madness¡­ for many years. I¡¯m sorry to have disturbed you all, honored guests. Please ept my apologies.¡±


    Whether it was indeed madness, everyone present knew the truth. Given the current situation, no one exposed it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! Every family has its troubles. It¡¯s normal. Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go back and continue drinking!¡± As the crowd cheered, they once again merrily returned to the hall to continue drinking.


    As they left, Di Yelei nced at Liu Sisi.


    That look immediately gave Liu Sisi an idea. Di Yelei knew that she had intentionally created this situation!


    That¡¯s right!


    She intended to cause trouble for Ms. Zhao, cutting off her retreat.


    Ms. Zhao chose today to create a scene, wanting to use the numerous guests present to make her agree to her request. What Ms. Zhao requested, she did not need to voice out for Liu Sisi to understand.<div>


    Of course, supporting her father is the right thing to do, but it would be truly heart-wrenching for Di Yelei to face his mother¡¯s murderer every day, wouldn¡¯t it?


    She believes that after today¡¯s farce, any calction from Ms. Zhao is pointless!


    ¡°Everyone, keep eating, keep drinking! Enjoy yourselves. It is a joyous day, everyone please do not hold back.¡±


    Liu Sisi greeted everyone, had more fruits and pastries sent out, and encouraged everyone to continue dining.<div>


    Only when she saw that everyone had calmed down did she signal Guihua, and sneakily enter the inner room.


    In there, Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang were still tied up, their mouths gagged, at the head of the bed. Despite this, the mother-inw and daughter-inw were still kicking each other. Seeing Liu Sisi enter, they did not intend to stop in the slightest.


    Liu Sisi pretended not to see, strolled into the room, picked up a chair that had fallen to the side, and ced it back into its original position.


    Perhaps it was Liu Sisi¡¯s calm demeanor that caused Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang to gradually stop moving their feet and look at her.


    The hatred in their eyes was identical.


    Liu Sisi lifted her gaze towards them and said with a smile, ¡°It seems both of you have great energy! It is my fault, I shouldn¡¯t havee in so early. I should have let you two suffer a little more, endure a little more hardship, and thene in and exin everything slowly.¡±


    During the conversation, she turned around as if intending to walk out of the room.


    That¡¯s when Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang got anxious!


    They made sounds from their mouths, having been gagged, they could not say anything.


    ¡°Hmm, hmm, hmm¡­¡±


    The two struggled fiercely. It was a joke! They had been tied up here for so long, no one came in to see them or untie them. Their arms had long gone numb from being tied up, their cheeks were not theirs anymore. If Liu Sisi really left, they didn¡¯t know when would be the next time someone woulde in.


    ¡°Hey! Is there a mosquito buzzing or something? It seems like someone is calling me? Why aren¡¯t you all talking? Are you all not good at talking?¡±


    Liu Sisi feigned innocence. Instead of leaving, she sat on the chair with hands on her waist and a faint smile.<div>


    ¡°Oh! I forgot your mouths are gagged, so you couldn¡¯t speak. I thought you enjoyed being tied up and did not want me to untie you.¡±


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s eyes were wide open, wishing she could eat Liu Sisi whole.


    In contrast, Ms. Wang on the side tried her best to soften her expression. However, because her mouth was covered, she looked like a bizarre clown. Absolutely hideous!


    ¡°But what if I untied you, and you started to act crazily again? There wouldn¡¯t be others in here to help. It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s just talk like this!¡±


    Liu Sisi held out her hand as if to remove Ms. Zhao¡¯s and Ms. Wang¡¯s gags, but she then drew her hand back.


    The two women now frantically shook their heads. It¡¯s a bitter pill to swallow, but they certainly had enough of this treatment.


    Seeing that both of their attitudes had softened, Liu Sisi finally dropped the smile on her face and looked at them seriously.


    ¡°Do you know why all this has happened to you?¡±


    Looking at the confused women in front of her, who had no inkling of wrongdoing, Liu Sisi decided to speak more clearly.


    ¡°Although Yelei just got a minor position as a sub-captain, it has indeed benefited the entire Di family. Exemption from corv¨¦ebour and taxes is something many families desire. But look at both of you! Not only did you not help, but you even tried to worsen the situation?¡±


    The two shook their heads vehemently, fervently denying it.

 Chapter 482: 482: Everyone is Truly Well

    Chapter 482: Everyone is Truly Well


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother denying it. We know exactly what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    Liu Sisi turned her gaze to Ms. Zhao, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that after so many years of marriage, you still don¡¯t know what your husband really wants. No wonder you don¡¯t receive his love and care!¡±


    Ms. Zhao suddenly stopped struggling, staring nkly at Liu Sisi. The meaning in her words¡­


    A momentter, she struggled even more fiercely, constantly whimpering and calling out.


    ¡°As for you, don¡¯t pretend you didn¡¯t want to harm me. I know exactly what you want.¡±


    Liu Sisi turned her gaze to Ms. Wang, ¡°Haven¡¯t you always wanted your Brother Gao to go to school? I can support his education, but on one condition.¡±


    These words made Ms. Wang¡¯s eyes light up!


    She¡¯s offering to support Brother Gao¡¯s education? She can¡¯t possibly say no to such an opportunity! Ms. Wang desperately nodded her head, also whining and calling out.


    ¡°If you agree to my condition, I¡¯ll cover your Brother Gao¡¯s education expenses from now on!¡±


    While speaking, Liu Sisi stood up and casually removed the cloth gagging Ms. Wang¡¯s mouth.


    Ms. Wang hurriedly exercised her sore and stiff jaw, disregarding her physical difort, and urgently asked,<div>


    ¡°Are you serious about what you said just now?¡±


    ¡°Of course! But as I said earlier, I can help Brother Gao with his education expenses, on the condition that you agree to my terms.¡±


    Actually, she had thought about this long ago.


    Brother Gao was eager to learn, but Ms. Wang was stingy. He had turned thirteen already and still spent his days wandering around aimlessly.


    As for the monthly expenses of tens of taels of silver, she could just think of it as buying an extra piece of clothing!


    These words made Ms. Wang¡¯s eyes light up!


    ¡°State your condition! Third Sister-inw, I knew you had a kind andpassionate heart! Once Brother Gao gains knowledge and makes a name for himself, he¡¯ll be sure to thank you properly!¡±


    ¡°No! I, Liu Sisi, don¡¯t dare to hope for thanks. As long as he can live a good life, that¡¯s enough!¡±


    Liu Sisi waved her hand at Ms. Wang, saying that people could see the future when they were three years old.


    Now, even when Brother Gao saw her, he would ignore her. What about the future?


    ¡°My condition is simple. Di Cheng took a liking to Xiao Feng, the cksmith¡¯s daughter in the small town. Just take this marriage arrangement seriously, and if it¡¯s settled, our deal isplete.¡±


    ¡°Impossible! Third Sister-inw, are you treating me, Ms. Wang, like a monkey to y with?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ms. Wang¡¯s face immediately changed, ¡°I heard that Xiao Feng wants a house in the town and 100 taels of silver as betrothal gifts. Is she taking me for a fool? No! Absolutely not!¡±


    Anything that involved Ms. Wang spending money was out of the question!


    Liu Sisi narrowed her eyes, ¡°Second Sister-inw, don¡¯t wail here. No outsiders can hear you. How much money did Di Cheng earnst year, and how much did you get from him? Should I tell the exact amount to see if it matches?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ this is what he should have given me as filial piety.¡± Ms. Wang said with a guilty conscience.


    ¡°All you have to do now is take out part of the money he gave you and use it for Di Cheng¡¯s marriage. You don¡¯t even need to spend a penny of your own. What more do you want?¡± Liu Sisi felt her temples throbbing.


    Ms. Wang gritted her teeth, ¡°No! I can¡¯te up with that money. Are you trying to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Fine, since you disagree, let¡¯s forget about it. After all, these two are your children. If you don¡¯t care about them, I¡¯m just a Third Aunt, so why should I stick my nose into it?¡± With that, she stood up from her chair and walked slowly towards the door.<div>


    Ms. Wang¡¯s face crumpled with agony; giving back the silver from her stomach was like asking for her life!


    Liu Sisi let out a sigh in her heart!


    Poor Di Cheng, such a simple and honest child, dealing with such a mother was really too much!


    ¡°How about this! You pay for Di Cheng¡¯s residence and betrothal gifts when he proposes, and I¡¯ll cover all the expenses for his wedding. How does that sound?¡±<div>


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s eyes rolled around, not knowing what kind of scheme she was plotting.


    ¡°If you want to be even greedier, be careful not to let the chicken fly and the eggs break, and end up with nothing!¡±


    Liu Sisi said with a hum, her hand already touching the door, ¡°If you still don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll leave right now!¡±


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll do as you say. You will pay for all the wedding expenses.¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s eyes were spinning rapidly, with her words, what was there to be afraid of? When Di Cheng got married, if she could secretly steal some silver¡­hehe!


    How could Liu Sisi not understand the sinister intentions in Ms. Wang¡¯s eyes?


    However, when the time really came, things might not be hers to say!


    ¡°Deal! I¡¯ll pay Brother Gao¡¯s education gift until he¡¯s 20, and I¡¯ll cover Di Cheng¡¯s wedding expenses.¡±


    ¡°Why before the age of 20? You didn¡¯t say that just now!¡± Ms. Wangined.


    ¡°Do you expect me to pay for Brother Gao¡¯s education for a lifetime if he goes to school for a lifetime? There has to be a time limit. If you¡¯re not satisfied, the deal is off. I just remembered that I won¡¯t get any benefits from this, and I¡¯ll be putting out the money.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke, feigning dissatisfaction, but advancing her cause.


    ¡°Why are you like this?¡­Fine! We¡¯ll agree on that!¡±<div>


    Ms. Wang was happy too!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Although she had to spend 100 taels of silver,pared to Brother Gao¡¯s education gift, it was nothing.


    The most important thing was that thebined amount would cost the third family branch a lot of silver.


    Liu Sisi was also satisfied in her heart. Actually, not only Brother Gao, but she also nned to send Di Jie to school. However, Di Jie was still young, and it was not time to discuss this matter. As for Di Wei, who had won her heart, she nned to find an opportunity to cultivate him well. She couldn¡¯t let Ms. Wang raise these two children into wastrels.


    Only when everyone benefits is it truly good! Of course, she didn¡¯t n on telling Ms. Wang this right now.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s agree on that.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, she took out paper and pen and wrote down the details of the agreement. Then she brought it to Ms. Wang, untied the ropes binding her hands, and handed her the papers.


    ¡°Sign it!¡±


    Ms. Wang got a good deal, and she was overjoyed, so naturally, she didn¡¯t mind and stamped her handprint directly on the paper.


    A sh of brightness quickly appeared in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes and disappeared just as quickly.


    Ms. Zhao, standing beside her, saw that Ms. Wang got her freedom and a great advantage. She hated not being able to snatch it away with her eyes gleaming.


    Yet, despite her struggles, no one paid her any attention. Out of desperation, she lifted her leg and kicked Ms. Wang.


    ¡°Ouch! Mom, why are you kicking your daughter-inw?¡±<div>

 Chapter 483: 483: Kneel in Thanks

    Chapter 483: Kneel in Thanks


    ¡°Aiyo! I totally forgot; you are still tied up, mother-inw.¡±


    Liu Sisi said with a smile on her face as she reached out and removed the cloth strip from Ms. Zhao¡¯s mouth: ¡°Mother, your madness has already subsided, right? Just now, Sisi had no choice, you won¡¯t be angry at your daughter-inw, will you?¡±


    Ms. Zhao flexed her long-numbed jaw, just about to say something, but upon seeing the cloth strip so close to her, she closed her mouth again and just red at her!


    Liu Sisi had already be immune to being red at. She then stretched out her hand and directly untied the ropes around Ms. Zhao¡¯s body.


    Once freed, Ms. Zhao hurriedly moved her hands and feet, wanting to ask about what Liu Sisi had just said, but she didn¡¯t know how to start.


    ¡°Mother, there are still many guests outside waiting for you to greet them!¡±


    The smile on Liu Sisi¡¯s face was exceptionally gentle, which made Ms. Zhao shiver involuntarily.


    Ms. Zhao finally understood!


    It is said that dogs who bite don¡¯t bark, and Liu Sisi belongs to such people. As the person who got bitten, she was truly in pain!


    Inside the hall.


    At the moment, the guests had already gone through three rounds of wine, and most of them were drunk. Some even proposed to leave, and the banquet was about to end.<div>


    Watching the guests who were already showing their intention to leave, Zhang Peng whispered to Di Yelei. Di Yelei nodded and was about to get up when he heard some noise outside.


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s voice came from outside, greeting the guests, which struck Di Yelei¡¯s heart heavily.


    He almost couldn¡¯t believe his ears!


    Was this really Ms. Zhao? Was he just hallucinating?


    Until all the guests in the courtyard were gone, Di Yelei still couldn¡¯t recover from the shock.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Were the cheerful Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang their real selves? Were those who helped greet the guests really Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang? Were those who were chatting andughing with Liu Sisi really Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang?


    He looked up at the sky, wondering if it was raining blood.


    That night, the whole family stayed in their old house.


    Di Cheng walked away for a while but then came back. He knelt down and kowtowed three times to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Aiya! Di Cheng, you¡­ Di Cheng, what are you doing? Get up quickly!¡±


    Liu Sisi was greatly surprised!


    She hurriedly reached out to help him up, but Di Cheng stubbornly finished his three kowtows before finally standing up.


    ¡°Third Aunt, I heard your conversation with grandmother and my mother in the room today. I sincerely thank you, Third Aunt! From now on, I will treat Third Uncle and Third Aunt as my own parents. Thank you for your kindness to me!¡±


    After Di Cheng finished speaking, he kowtowed three more times to Di Yelei, and only then did he get up with Liu Sisi¡¯s help.


    Liu Sisi naturally understood the reason behind Di Cheng¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve heard it, you should go back and get ready. When your new wife arrives, you can¡¯t be crying like this anymore. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I will follow Third Aunt¡¯s teachings!¡±


    Di Cheng nodded heavily, and only then did he wipe away his tears and leave, looking back every few steps.


    ¡°Sisi, what on earth is going on?¡±<div>


    Everyone else was also confused, recalling the unusual behavior of Ms. Wang and Ms. Zhao previously, and turned their eyes to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°It¡¯s really cold outside. Let¡¯s go inside and talk.¡±


    Although it was almost the end of winter, it was still chilling enough to shiver.


    The crowd then returned to the room, sat around the table, served fragrant tea, and all their eyes were fixed on Liu Sisi.<div>


    Liu Sisi did not conceal anything and recounted the events in detail. However, she did not mention what she had spoken with Ms. Zhao.


    ¡°That¡¯s good! We¡¯re not short of ten or two taels of silver now. It¡¯s very nice to be able to help Di Cheng. As for helping Di Cheng with the wedding, I¡¯m really uneasy about Second Sister-inw.¡± Di Yelei was extremely grateful.


    ¡°Hmm, you can¡¯t write two ¡®Di¡¯ characters with one brush. As the saying goes, ¡®fighting tigers are real brothers, fighting on the battlefield are father-and-son soldiers.¡¯ When your future official career goes smoothly, you¡¯ll still depend on the help of your Di Family brothers.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di beside nodded repeatedly: ¡°Ye Lei, it¡¯s a great fortune to marry a good daughter-inw like Sisi, who is sensible and knows when to advance and retreat!¡±


    Such a good daughter-inw, it¡¯s hard to find even with antern.


    Elderly Mr. Di spoke slowly, but he said it slowly and emphatically.


    Wearing such a high hat, Liu Sisi was extremely nervous: ¡°Father! Look at what you¡¯re saying, these are all things Sisi should do. I was the one who introduced Di Cheng to work at the bookstore, so naturally, I cared about him a bit more. As for Brother Gao, he has already reached the age when he should go to school, and staying at home might even be detrimental. So Sisi took the initiative to speak.¡±


    ¡°Good! Very good, good!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di kept praising, he really thought it was good. At his age, isn¡¯t he looking forward to a filial and happy family?


    When Elderly Di couldn¡¯t bear the drunkenness andy down to rest, Guihua stopped her beside.


    ¡°Sisi, do you need someone to take care of your farm? And do you need helpers for thend?¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°I n to lease out those fertilends and collect rent every year¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh! Sisi! Now that you¡¯re exempt from paying taxes and corveebor, why would you lease out thend? You might as well buy a couple of tenant farmers and nt the farm and fertilend directly.¡± Guihua interrupted her speech.<div>


    Renting out for a year would only collect some rent, and buying tenant farmers to help with nting would only require the payment of money for tenant farmer families, and the resulting grain would be theirs.


    Liu Sisi pped her forehead in annoyance, that¡¯s it!


    She had just told Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang that they didn¡¯t have to pay taxes, and in the blink of an eye, she had forgotten about the tax exemption herself!


    ¡°Right, right, right! Ipletely forgot, but it¡¯s not easy to find tenant farmers, is it?¡±


    Di Yelei beside her took over the conversation: ¡°No problem! I¡¯ll just go find Granny Qin again. There are many people vying for this tax-freend.¡±


    ¡°No need to look for anyone else. My mother¡¯s house is next to yournd. There were people asking my mother for help to see if you wanted tenant farmers or not. That family was originally a tenant farmer, but the son has grown up and got married and has nowhere to go. So they had thoughts about yournd. If you want to lease, I¡¯ll ask someone to go back and talk to them and call them over to have a look for you, okay?¡±


    Nowadays, the son of the tenant farmer ns to be a tenant farmer again. Liu Sisi secretly nodded, it seemed that the other party must be familiar with thend.


    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s settle this.¡±


    Liu Sisi agreed, then happily held Guihua¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Sister Guihua, I¡¯m so grateful for you helping me with this. My body is getting heavier, so I need to rest more during the day. We should go back now.¡±


    Liu Sisi understood that the tenant farmer mentioned by Guihua was probably someone she had asked her mother¡¯s family to help find. She was sincerely grateful to her.


    ¡°Who are we with whom! Your body is getting heavier day by day. Just rest more in general. We¡¯ll go back first, then.¡± Guihua left with a farewell.

 Chapter 484: 484: Taking Office Immediately (1)

    Chapter 484: Taking Office Immediately (1)


    Zhang Peng also stood up, patting Di Yelei on the shoulder.


    ¡°Alright! I won¡¯t say anything else, you just take good care of yourself. From now on, it will be up to you to help out your big brother.¡±


    He said this with deep emotion.


    Watching his friend grow bit by bit to gradually enter into officialdom, he was happy for him, but he also felt a little heartache.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Zhang! Our rtionship is already bound by fate in good times and bad, so why mention all these unnecessary things?¡±


    Di Yelei replied casually.


    These words made Zhang Peng pause, and then he burst intoughter!


    ¡°Right, right, right! I¡¯m being too serious, you should rest earlier, and we will go back home first.¡±


    After that, he insisted that Di Yelei not see him off and went out of the Di Family¡¯s main entrance in a crooked manner.


    Di Yelei was worried, so he hurriedly asked Da Niu and Er Niu to apany him as they escorted Zhang Peng home.


    ¡°Brother Zhang was being too polite just now.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi went back to her room with a sigh, having been busy all day and only now finally able to rest, she was indeed tired.


    Di Yelei nodded and sat beside her: ¡°Indeed, he was being too polite. Given our rtionship, he really didn¡¯t need to say those words. In the future, we will both be two grasshoppers tied by the same rope; neither can escape the other, so talking about all that stuff is pointless.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded.


    Bing an official, even a very low-ranked one, while it seemed to bring perks like tax exemptions and the avoidance of corveebor, also meant embarking on the treacherous path of officialdom. How far one could go ultimately affected not only oneself but one¡¯s entire family line as well.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Right! This is just the beginning. My current position is humble, so I don¡¯t need to worry about long-term issues too much. Let¡¯s sleep!¡±


    Di Yelei spoke softly tofort her, clearly showing that he too was not entirely certain about the future.


    Liu Sisiy silently in his arms, falling asleep full of anticipation for the future.


    In the following days, Di Yelei busied himself with the handover process.


    In fact, the section of the riverbank project under Di Yelei¡¯s supervision had already beenpleted; the handover with Zuo Xingyu was more of a coboration to improve thest few areas that were not yet up to standard.


    Afterwards, he set off to assume his new post.


    The position of sub-captain sounded impressive, but it was actually just a seventh-rank official position. The main responsibility was overseeing military training, capturing thieves, and suppressing civilian resistance. In some ces, sub-captains also controlled the exclusive sale of tea, table salt, fragrant powder, and other items, and were involved in various transactions. Some even oversaw the procurement and sale of surplus goods for the court and government offices.


    So, while the position of sub-captain may seem small, it was indeed a job with real power, with plenty of benefits.


    Three dayster, Di Yelei ended his leave and headed to the armory for the handover procedures.


    Early in the morning, he met County Magistrate Su. His Honor, the County Magistrate, greeted him cordially and chatted for a while before finally calling a soldier over to guide Di Yelei.


    Di Yelei followed the soldier, leaving the county government office and entering a small alley. Even though he had lived in Macheng County for many years, he had never been to this small alley before.


    After following the twists and turns for quite some time, the soldier at the front showed no signs of stopping.


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but call out to the soldier ahead: ¡°Little brother¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The soldier¡¯s tone was unfriendly.


    Di Yelei was taken aback, but he still managed a smile: ¡°Little brother, we seem to have been walking for a long time, and we still haven¡¯t arrived at the armory yet, have we?¡±<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? If you¡¯re in such a hurry, why do you even want to be a sub-captain? Shouldn¡¯t you have done this earlier? Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    The young soldier sarcastically replied to him andpletely ignored Di Yelei behind, continuing to walk forward on his own.


    He even mumbled softly: ¡°Really don¡¯t understand why a young man like him would be a sub-captain? Does he really think being a minor official is all that?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s smile almost disappeared, but he was not impulsive and temporarily set aside the matter, continuing to follow the young soldier.<div>


    The young soldier walked for about half a cup of tea¡¯s worth of time before finally stopping in front of a closed rusty iron gate.


    ¡°Here it is! This is the ce,e on in.¡±


    ¡°This is it?¡± Di Yelei repeated in disbelief.


    No wonder he couldn¡¯t believe it!


    The iron gate in front of him was covered with rust, with weeds growing wildly before it and dead grass almost as tall as half of the gate. Most unbelievable of all, there was dried ivy winding around the gate. As they swayed slightly in the cold wind, it seemed as if they were mocking his gullibility!


    Di Yelei stared nkly at the scene before him, unable to connect the iron gate in front of him to the armory in his mind.


    The young soldier ahead turned around and red at him impatiently.


    ¡°Who told you to go there? Over here.¡±


    As he spoke, he took two steps to the side, bent down, and disappeared.


    Di Yelei looked closely and saw that next to the iron gate, near the edge of the fence, a small door had been opened for people to enter and exit.


    No wonder the main entrance was so deste!


    As it turned out, everyone used that small side entrance instead.


    Di Yelei took another look at the main entrance before following in through the small gate. Once inside, it was like a whole new worldpared to outside.<div>


    In the center of the area facing the main entrance, there was a two-story building with a wooden que hanging from it that read ¡°Armory¡±. The que hung crookedly, apparently loosened from its original position and dangling in mid-air, as if it might fall down at any moment. A spacious courtyardy in the middle of the area, surrounded by clusters of low buildings in rows, with weeds growing unrestrainedly and the courtyard itself being deste.


    If not for the boisterous noisesing from the rows of houses, Di Yelei could¡¯ve mistaken this ce for an abandoned residence!


    ¡°Hurry, hurry, ce your bets!¡±


    ¡°Last call for bets! Hey, kid, what are you doing? Don¡¯t you know the rules? Come on!¡±


    ¡°Quick, reveal the cards! No stalling, hurry up¡­¡±


    Following the noisymotion, the young soldier barged in. The hubbub inside did not stop due to the arrival of the two but, instead, reached a climax.


    ¡°Won! Two, three, five at the bottom, the boss covers the loss! Hurry up, hand over the money¡­¡±


    There was a dense crowd surrounding the chaotic scene, and the raucous noise and cheering voices made ears ache.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good!


    This ce resembled nothing like an armory; it was more like a civilian gambling den!


    He couldn¡¯t help but cough heavily twice, but themotion inside and the call for st bets¡±pletely drowned his coughs.


    The young soldier nced at him, took an unfazed snack box from the side, picked up the bamboo chopsticks, and started banging them with great force.


    ¡°Time to eat, time to eat, it¡¯s time for lunch¡­ ¡±<div>


    The noisy crowd slowly dispersed, finally allowing Di Yelei to get a clear view of the situation inside.

 Chapter 485: 485: Taking Office Immediately (2)

    Chapter 485: Taking Office Immediately (2)


    In the center of the crowd, a small table was ced with three small bowls on top, and on top of the small bowls were a pair of bamboo chopsticks and a few dice.


    Next to the small table stood a bearded old man with grey hair, holding the bamboo chopsticks as if nning to tap the top of a small bowl.


    Looking up, Di Yelei saw the old man¡¯s gaze fixed on his.


    Their eyes met in mid-air, and a sh of brilliance seemed to pass through the old man¡¯s muddy, yellow eyes. Before Di Yelei could react, the old man showed a grin and greeted him.


    ¡°Oh! I remember now, you are the new sub-captain, right? Oh dear, look at my bad memory. You all hurry up and tidy up, clean the surroundings.¡±


    The old man ordered everyone around.


    At hismand, everyone around began to take action.


    Taking advantage of the chaos, the soldier who led the way shook his head at Di Yelei and left on his own ord.


    Everyone busily set to work, clearing tables, lifting chairs, and fetching a rag. After hastily wiping a couple of spots on a chair, they ced it in the topmost position, inviting Di Yelei to sit.


    Di Yelei nced at the rag and the crooked chair above, worried that if he were to sit down, the chair might copse under his weight.


    But not wanting to decline their hospitality, Di Yelei took a few steps forward, took note of everyone¡¯s expressions, and stopped in front of the old man.<div>


    ¡°Old man, are you in charge here?¡±


    The old man chuckled repeatedly: ¡°Sub-Captain, you are the one in charge here.¡±


    That¡¯s right! How could he have forgotten that!


    Before Di Yelei had time to regret his question, he took in the expressions of everyone around him and curiously asked, ¡°Who was the sub-captain here before me? Who will be handling the handover process?¡±


    He remembered that Xin Quan had threatened him concerning this position. If it were truly such a deste ce, wouldn¡¯t he use that to his advantage?


    The old man looked at him in surprise, ¡°Your Honor, don¡¯t you know? The original sub-captain passed away five years ago, and the governmental office didn¡¯t assign anyone to rece him. They merely asked Lord Xin Quan to fill in temporarily. Up until now, it¡¯s been five years. Because Lord Xin Quan is acting in a dual role, he hasn¡¯t visited the armory since five years ago¡­¡±


    The old man extended a withered hand, waving five fingers at Di Yelei.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Di Yelei finally understood why Xin Quan was oppressing him!


    The sub-captain position had originally been Xin Quan¡¯s temporary role, and Di Yelei had been cutting into his interests. No wonder Xin Quan resented him so much!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Understanding the whole situation, Di Yelei waved his hand and said, ¡°Alright. In that case, just go about your business as usual. Also, you¡­ old man, please stay behind.¡± He dismissed everyone else but kept the old man behind for a chat.


    The others scattered like birds and beasts.


    The old man nodded and bowed, ¡°Your Honor, my surname is Tang. Everyone calls me Old Man Tang.¡±


    ¡°Tang¡­Old Tang, I saw in the office records that there should be a total of 35 people here, right? Are the others on vacation?¡±


    Di Yelei wasn¡¯t sure how to inquire, so he asked the simplest question he could think of.


    Indeed, he had informed everyone in advance that he would be assuming his new position today, so naturally, everyone should gather here. However, judging from the scene before him, there was a mere dozen or so people present.


    ¡°Um¡­since there have been no wars in Macheng County for many years, the armory has be more or less a formality, so¡­¡± Old Man Tang hesitated for quite a while.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡±


    Di Yelei nodded, indicating that he understood. He casually nced around and said, ¡°Old Tang, there are important ces around the armory. It will be hard for you to lead me around to take a look. When it¡¯s time, let¡¯s go to a wine-house for a gathering at noon today, and have a few drinks with the brothers here. How does that sound?¡±<div>


    At these words, the people around who were pretending to be busy immediately perked up!


    The old man even pped his thigh!


    ¡°Good! It¡¯s our younger generation that we should be worried about. It¡¯s rare for our Minister Di to be so generous. Today at noon, we must eat and drink our fill with good wine and good food!¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be waiting for your word, Old Tang!¡±<div>


    Di Yelei was also happy as long as everyone was willing to give face.


    As for how much money these people could eat, he was not too worried. He chose to have the gathering at Drunken Fairy Restaurant so that the money he spent would not flow to outsiders, and it was not much at all.


    Afterwards, Old Tang really led him around, introducing him to some secrets that he did not know about.


    The sub-captain position also varies depending on the specific ce and rank of the sub-captain.


    A sub-captain in the imperial court holds a sixth-rank position, while a sub-captain in a small county holds a seventh-rank position, and they are not on the same level. Even a ninth-rank civil official like the County Magistrate is higher-ranked than a seventh-rank military officer like Di Yelei. Di Yelei is mainly responsible for managing the armaments in Macheng County, with 35 people under him and in charge of all military supplies in Macheng County.


    But there have been no wars in the territory of Macheng County for many years, so being in charge of military supplies is actually a leisurely job, and it cannot bepared with the posts in other ces with perks and benefits.


    These insights were also drawn from Di Yelei¡¯s conversations with Old Tang.


    The deeper he understood, the more his heart sank to the bottom.


    Actually, he hesitated when he initially learned that he was to take over as sub-captain. Macheng County had not seen any wars for many years, so being in charge of the armory as a sub-captain just sounded good, it was in fact, very insignificant.


    Thinking of the expectations from his parents, wife, and children at home, he had no choice but to cheer up, continue to get close with Old Tang, and learn about things he didn¡¯t know.


    However, when he opened the armory, he was stillpletely shocked!


    As the two doors were opened, countless pieces of broken cloth and tiles fell from inside, almost burying him underneath.


    Fortunately, his agile body skills allowed him to quickly pull Old Tang to the side, dodging the falling debris.<div>


    ¡°What are these? Garbage?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face turned ugly.


    ¡°Oh my! How could¡­ How could this happen? How could¡­¡±


    Old Tang obviously did not expect this situation either. He hurriedly jumped to the front of the pile of garbage and began to sort through it, ¡°These¡­ these are all things from the armory. These¡­ this¡­¡±


    Rusty bows and arrows, ropes that had turned into rags, and oars that had long be scrap iron¡­


    With each item he uncovered, Di Yelei¡¯s face turned darker and the veins on his forehead throbbed more violently.


    Could this really be called an armory? It was almost like a garbage dump!


    Di Yelei searched inside for quite a while with a solemn face, finally finding a few barely usable items and set them aside.


    In the end, as he looked at the pile of broken items, his heart gradually sank to the bottom, feeling colder than falling into an ice cave.

 Chapter 486: 486: Taking Office on Horseback (Part 3)

    Chapter 486: Taking Office on Horseback (Part 3)


    With such an armory, what could be done in the event of a battle?


    At noon, Di Yelei decided to hold the gathering at the Drunken Fairy Restaurant.


    However, aside from Old Qin, no one had arrived by the noontime. Di Yelei had been anxiously waiting for a long time when Old Qin finally came out from inside and lightly patted him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! They won¡¯t being.¡±


    Having said that, he went straight past Di Yelei and walked out.


    Di Yelei was momentarily stunned and hurried to catch up: ¡°Old Qin! Old Qin, what¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    Old Qin stopped and looked back at him with a hint of pity in his eyes: ¡°At noon, just before leaving, Xin Quan sent out a message: anyone whoes to this meal will have their legs broken by his order. So¡­¡± Old Qin shook his head with a sigh, and quickened his pace.


    Di Yelei¡¯s mouth opened wide in surprise, and he hurriedly followed again.


    ¡°Old Qin, since you¡¯re a good person, please give me a detailed exnation!¡±


    Old Qin ignored him, but Di Yelei shamelessly clung to him. Unable to shake him off, Old Qin casually pointed to a teahouse nearby.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll talk more inside.¡±<div>


    It was not until the two found a secluded spot on the second floor that they sat down to talk.


    ¡°Xin Quan may not have any great skills and holds only the position of Criminal Justice Officer in the county government, but his uncle is a Garrison Commander in Gongzhou. His uncle intends to promote Xin Quan and it would be best for him to have some foundation at the local level first so that he could rise higher once he goes there. Therefore, Xin Quan is determined to get this sub-captain position. But he did not expect someone like you, a Cheng Yaojin, to appear in the scene¡­¡±


    Wait a moment, Old Qin! How are the official positions distinguished? Have you got me confused? Which is a higher position, the Criminal Justice Officer or the sub-captain?¡± Di Yelei quickly asked.


    Old Qin took a couple of peanuts, sipped some light drink, and said with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°The Criminal Justice Officer is a ninth-rank civil official, while the sub-captain is a seventh-rank military official. Naturally, the sub-captain position is higher. However, in a small ce like Macheng County, and with no wars in many years, this sub-captain position seems to be a big deal but is practically less useful than a low-ranked Post-house Minister. So¡­¡±


    Old Qin gave him a look that said, ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly stood up and bowed, ¡°Please exin more about the ranks of these official positions, Old Qin, so I won¡¯t make any more mistakes and be aughingstock.¡±


    ¡°Get up, get up! You have been entrusted with the position of sub-captain by the Lord Imperial Envoy himself. No matter how much Xin Quan plots, he cannot shake you.¡±


    Old Qin helped him up and carefully exined the current official positions to him.


    ¡°Generally, county magistrates are divided intorge and small counties ording to the amount of silver and grain collected and submitted to the national bank. The magistrate of arge county is a sixth-rank civil official, while a small county magistrate is a seventh-rank civil official. Criminal Justice Officers are ranked as ninth-rank civil officials, Garrison Commanders are fifth-rank military officials. As for sub-captains, they are divided between capital officials and other counties, with capital sub-captains being sixth-rank officials. As for a local official like you¡­you may be called a seventh-rank official, but in reality, even a ninth-rank Criminal Justice Officer has more benefits than your position.¡±


    Di Yelei naturally understood the implicit meaning in Old Qin¡¯s words!


    In a nutshell, this seventh-rank sub-captain position is just something to scare people with, but it doesn¡¯t have as much to gain as a ninth-rank Criminal Justice Officer!


    ¡°But in reality, the sub-captain¡¯s position is higher than the Criminal Justice Officer¡¯s, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Of course, otherwise why would Xin Quan rack his brains trying topete with you?¡±


    Old Qin took another sip of the light drink and smacked his lips in satisfaction, his face full of contentment.


    A fewprehending nces shed in Di Yelei¡¯s eyes, and he soon looked at Old Qin with a smile, ¡°Old Qin, what is your status then?¡±


    Old Qin, who was about to take a sip of wine, paused, looked at him, and asked, ¡°Why are you asking this question?¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±


    Di Yelei leisurely picked up the bamboo chopsticks, also taking a couple of peanuts and chewing them thoroughly before swallowing. Only then did he put down the chopsticks and spoke.<div>


    ¡°People don¡¯t dare to drink with you near the armory, but Old Qin, you dare. Others would want to stay far from you, but you and I can chat happily. If you say you¡¯re an ordinary person, I¡¯m afraid no one will believe that, right?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ You, young man, are trying to deceive this old man?¡±


    Old Qinughed out loud: ¡°This time you¡¯re wrong, I, old Qin, am indeed just an ordinary old man with no special identity. I¡¯ve eaten enough, time to go back to the armory!¡±


    Saying that, he got up directly and walked out of the teahouse while humming a little tune with a slightly staggering gait.<div>


    Di Yelei narrowed his eyes, watching the departing Old Qin and not sure what he was thinking.


    ¡°Old Qin, wait a moment! I know a newly opened small shop nearby, which sells delicious mutton noodles¡­¡±


    Compared to the chaos on Di Yelei¡¯s side, Liu Sisi was also exceptionally busy.


    Early in the morning, she signed an agreement with Sister-in-Law Sun and pressed her fingerprints on it, before hurrying to the hot spring manor with Guihua.


    Apanying them on the ride were Liu Zhi¡¯er, holding Da Mao, and YingEr.


    Da Mao was nestled in Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s arms, while YingEry on Liu Sisi¡¯sp, asionally touching Liu Sisi¡¯s slightly protruding belly.


    ¡°Mom! When is the little sister finallying? YingEr has been waiting for so long and is bored.¡±


    At these words, Liu Sisi and the others couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Guihua raised her hand and pped YingEr¡¯s little bottom: ¡°You little monkey! How do you know it¡¯s going to be a little sister in your mom¡¯s belly? What if it¡¯s a little brother? Besides, your mom is only five months pregnant, it¡¯s still a long way to go!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°It¡¯s a little sister! YingEr already has four little brothers and wants a little sister! YingEr wants to be an elder sister to her.¡±


    YingEr pouted defiantly.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er leaned in and asked, ¡°Where are the four little brothers, YingEr?¡±


    ¡°There are! Look.¡±<div>


    As YingEr spoke, she started counting on her fingers: ¡°One Di Jie, one Da Mao, one Er Mao, and one San Mao. Isn¡¯t that four little brothers?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the smile on Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face instantly vanished.


    But YingEr seemedpletely unaware, still going on: ¡°Little brothers are no fun at all! YingEr wants a little sister, and when shees, YingEr will dress her up all pretty and beautiful, prettier than that so-called Prefecture Princess¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at the color-drained face of Liu Zhi¡¯er, gently patted her hand, and silentlyforted her. Liu Zhi¡¯er just smiled faintly and hugged Da Mao closer, without saying anything.


    Guihua next to them snorted: ¡°YingEr, why are you even mentioning that Prefecture Princess? Isn¡¯t she just relying on her powerful family to look down on others through her nostrils? You¡¯re a Miss from an official family now, and once you dress up, you¡¯ll surely not lose to her. You can¡¯t let people look down on you.¡±


    Liu Sisi frowned, ¡°Is that how you teach children? That¡¯s a Prefecture Princess, and if someone with ill intentions hears these words and spreads them, it might even cost us our lives.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡­ I was just speaking casually.¡± Guihua was startled as well!


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s just us here. But you can¡¯t teach children like this. If she doesn¡¯t understand and repeats these words recklessly outside, then it would be disastrous.¡±

 Chapter 486: Taking Office on Horseback (Part 3)

    Chapter 486: Taking Office on Horseback (Part 3)


    With such an armory, what could be done in the event of a battle?


    At noon, Di Yelei decided to hold the gathering at the Drunken Fairy Restaurant.


    However, aside from Old Qin, no one had arrived by the noontime. Di Yelei had been anxiously waiting for a long time when Old Qin finally came out from inside and lightly patted him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! They won¡¯t being.¡±


    Having said that, he went straight past Di Yelei and walked out.


    Di Yelei was momentarily stunned and hurried to catch up: ¡°Old Qin! Old Qin, what¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    Old Qin stopped and looked back at him with a hint of pity in his eyes: ¡°At noon, just before leaving, Xin Quan sent out a message: anyone whoes to this meal will have their legs broken by his order. So¡­¡± Old Qin shook his head with a sigh, and quickened his pace.


    Di Yelei¡¯s mouth opened wide in surprise, and he hurriedly followed again.


    ¡°Old Qin, since you¡¯re a good person, please give me a detailed exnation!¡±


    Old Qin ignored him, but Di Yelei shamelessly clung to him. Unable to shake him off, Old Qin casually pointed to a teahouse nearby.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll talk more inside.¡±


    It was not until the two found a secluded spot on the second floor that they sat down to talk.


    ¡°Xin Quan may not have any great skills and holds only the position of Criminal Justice Officer in the county government, but his uncle is a Garrison Commander in Gongzhou. His uncle intends to promote Xin Quan and it would be best for him to have some foundation at the local level first so that he could rise higher once he goes there. Therefore, Xin Quan is determined to get this sub-captain position. But he did not expect someone like you, a Cheng Yaojin, to appear in the scene¡­¡±


    Wait a moment, Old Qin! How are the official positions distinguished? Have you got me confused? Which is a higher position, the Criminal Justice Officer or the sub-captain?¡± Di Yelei quickly asked.


    Old Qin took a couple of peanuts, sipped some light drink, and said with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°The Criminal Justice Officer is a ninth-rank civil official, while the sub-captain is a seventh-rank military official. Naturally, the sub-captain position is higher. However, in a small ce like Macheng County, and with no wars in many years, this sub-captain position seems to be a big deal but is practically less useful than a low-ranked Post-house Minister. So¡­¡±


    Old Qin gave him a look that said, ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly stood up and bowed, ¡°Please exin more about the ranks of these official positions, Old Qin, so I won¡¯t make any more mistakes and be aughingstock.¡±


    ¡°Get up, get up! You have been entrusted with the position of sub-captain by the Lord Imperial Envoy himself. No matter how much Xin Quan plots, he cannot shake you.¡±


    Old Qin helped him up and carefully exined the current official positions to him.


    ¡°Generally, county magistrates are divided intorge and small counties ording to the amount of silver and grain collected and submitted to the national bank. The magistrate of arge county is a sixth-rank civil official, while a small county magistrate is a seventh-rank civil official. Criminal Justice Officers are ranked as ninth-rank civil officials, Garrison Commanders are fifth-rank military officials. As for sub-captains, they are divided between capital officials and other counties, with capital sub-captains being sixth-rank officials. As for a local official like you¡­you may be called a seventh-rank official, but in reality, even a ninth-rank Criminal Justice Officer has more benefits than your position.¡±


    Di Yelei naturally understood the implicit meaning in Old Qin¡¯s words!


    In a nutshell, this seventh-rank sub-captain position is just something to scare people with, but it doesn¡¯t have as much to gain as a ninth-rank Criminal Justice Officer!


    ¡°But in reality, the sub-captain¡¯s position is higher than the Criminal Justice Officer¡¯s, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Of course, otherwise why would Xin Quan rack his brains trying topete with you?¡±


    Old Qin took another sip of the light drink and smacked his lips in satisfaction, his face full of contentment.


    A fewprehending nces shed in Di Yelei¡¯s eyes, and he soon looked at Old Qin with a smile, ¡°Old Qin, what is your status then?¡±


    Old Qin, who was about to take a sip of wine, paused, looked at him, and asked, ¡°Why are you asking this question?¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±


    Di Yelei leisurely picked up the bamboo chopsticks, also taking a couple of peanuts and chewing them thoroughly before swallowing. Only then did he put down the chopsticks and spoke.


    ¡°People don¡¯t dare to drink with you near the armory, but Old Qin, you dare. Others would want to stay far from you, but you and I can chat happily. If you say you¡¯re an ordinary person, I¡¯m afraid no one will believe that, right?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ You, young man, are trying to deceive this old man?¡±


    Old Qinughed out loud: ¡°This time you¡¯re wrong, I, old Qin, am indeed just an ordinary old man with no special identity. I¡¯ve eaten enough, time to go back to the armory!¡±


    Saying that, he got up directly and walked out of the teahouse while humming a little tune with a slightly staggering gait.


    Di Yelei narrowed his eyes, watching the departing Old Qin and not sure what he was thinking.


    ¡°Old Qin, wait a moment! I know a newly opened small shop nearby, which sells delicious mutton noodles¡­¡±


    Compared to the chaos on Di Yelei¡¯s side, Liu Sisi was also exceptionally busy.


    Early in the morning, she signed an agreement with Sister-in-Law Sun and pressed her fingerprints on it, before hurrying to the hot spring manor with Guihua.


    Apanying them on the ride were Liu Zhi¡¯er, holding Da Mao, and YingEr.


    Da Mao was nestled in Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s arms, while YingEry on Liu Sisi¡¯sp, asionally touching Liu Sisi¡¯s slightly protruding belly.


    ¡°Mom! When is the little sister finallying? YingEr has been waiting for so long and is bored.¡±


    At these words, Liu Sisi and the others couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Guihua raised her hand and pped YingEr¡¯s little bottom: ¡°You little monkey! How do you know it¡¯s going to be a little sister in your mom¡¯s belly? What if it¡¯s a little brother? Besides, your mom is only five months pregnant, it¡¯s still a long way to go!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little sister! YingEr already has four little brothers and wants a little sister! YingEr wants to be an elder sister to her.¡±


    YingEr pouted defiantly.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er leaned in and asked, ¡°Where are the four little brothers, YingEr?¡±


    ¡°There are! Look.¡±


    As YingEr spoke, she started counting on her fingers: ¡°One Di Jie, one Da Mao, one Er Mao, and one San Mao. Isn¡¯t that four little brothers?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the smile on Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face instantly vanished.


    But YingEr seemedpletely unaware, still going on: ¡°Little brothers are no fun at all! YingEr wants a little sister, and when shees, YingEr will dress her up all pretty and beautiful, prettier than that so-called Prefecture Princess¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at the color-drained face of Liu Zhi¡¯er, gently patted her hand, and silentlyforted her. Liu Zhi¡¯er just smiled faintly and hugged Da Mao closer, without saying anything.


    Guihua next to them snorted: ¡°YingEr, why are you even mentioning that Prefecture Princess? Isn¡¯t she just relying on her powerful family to look down on others through her nostrils? You¡¯re a Miss from an official family now, and once you dress up, you¡¯ll surely not lose to her. You can¡¯t let people look down on you.¡±


    Liu Sisi frowned, ¡°Is that how you teach children? That¡¯s a Prefecture Princess, and if someone with ill intentions hears these words and spreads them, it might even cost us our lives.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡­ I was just speaking casually.¡± Guihua was startled as well!


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s just us here. But you can¡¯t teach children like this. If she doesn¡¯t understand and repeats these words recklessly outside, then it would be disastrous.¡±

 Chapter 487: 487: Manor

    Chapter 487: Manor


    Liu Sisi said solemnly, ¡°The officialdom is not like the countryside. One must be extremely careful in speech and action.¡±


    Guihua nodded repeatedly, not daring to speak recklessly anymore.


    The newly purchased manor was located not far from the official road leading to Upper Vige outside the outskirts of the county town, with continuous mountains on one side and the official road on the other. Half of it was tnd, and the other half was hilly.


    Following Guihua¡¯s directions, Old Cheng drove the carriage onto the vige road and continued ahead.


    After about half an hour of bumpy travel along the vige road, the carriage came to a halt outside a manor.


    ¡± Right! This is the ce. Let¡¯s go down and have a look.¡±


    Guihua got off the carriage first and looked around casually, ¡°I still remember when I was young, I often came to this area to cut pig grass because thend here is fertile, and the pig grass grows particrly well. Look, that¡¯s the manor, and the hot spring you mentioned is at the back of it. We used to sneak in to have a look asionally.¡±


    As she spoke, Liu Sisi also got out of the carriage and looked at the direction Guihua was pointing to and saw a manor.


    Although it was called a manor, it was not as big as Liu Family¡¯s Mansion. However, they could see through the fence a row of ridge beams of the roofs, and apricot trees quietly stretching out their branches in early spring. The plum blossoms inside were even more beautiful.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go and see if anyone lives there now.¡±


    Liu Sisi said casually, stroking her already noticeable belly, and slowly walked towards the manor.<div>


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if there is anyone living there now, but in the past, there was always an old servant who lived in this manor. But that was already more than ten years ago.¡±


    Guihua had been married for more than ten years now, and most of the things she knew were from that time.


    ¡°You can¡¯t see the front of this manor, but the mountain at the back has arge cherry blossom tree. In March, you can see a pink view. It¡¯s so beautiful! When we were young, we used to sneak up the mountain to pick cherries. Of course, not only cherries, but also apricots, peaches, plums, pears, and begonias are almost all on the mountain.¡±


    Guihua spoke happily but also sighed, ¡°We didn¡¯t know who owned this manor when we were young. Anyway, we didn¡¯t see anyoneing all year round. The old man who was watching the manor generally ignored the children who stole the fruit. As long as they didn¡¯t do too much, he wouldn¡¯t chase them away.¡±


    As they talked, they walked into the manor.


    Old Cheng quickly walked up to the front of the manor, found the main entrance half-open, and looked back at everyone before he pushed the door open.


    As soon as the door opened, the scenery inside came into Liu Sisi¡¯s view. Small bridges and flowing water intertwined with rockeries and pavilions, and the winding corridors were adorned with scattered winter jasmines and ca lilies, just blooming. Stepping inside, there was a whole different world.


    The houses were arranged in an orderly manner, with dim and winding paths leading to the buildings inside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go over there and have a look.¡± Liu Sisi casually pointed to one of the paths.


    Everyone followed the cobblestone path, enjoying the scenery on both sides, and soon arrived at the winding rockery. A stream of water gushed from the rockery, its mist enveloping the rockery in a hazy haze.


    ¡°Wow! The water is actually hot, sofortable!¡±


    yful YingEr had somehow already dipped her little hand into the small pond under the rockery.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Liu Sisi also reached out to test the water, which was indeed hot!


    ¡°It really is hot water. This¡­ is simply magical.¡±


    When they carefully examined the rockery, they discovered that the water column it spouted was hot, the water muste from a hot spring!


    Several wintersweet flowers were in full bloom next to the rockery, and even some daffodils had just revealed their buds. Some had just opened a few petals, which looked very beautiful.


    Going further north, there were longevity pines nted in a circle along the courtyard wall. Following the winding corridor to the south, they arrived at a corner where there was a small pavilion.


    The group entered the pavilion and each casually chose a bench to sit on.


    ¡°Sisi! Your manor is great, and the scenery is really beautiful. In the future, if we were to live here, wouldn¡¯t it be like living in a pce?¡±<div>


    Guihua sincerely admired, ¡°When I was a child, I only visited the back of the manor, but I never imagined that the front could be so beautiful!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed beautiful! It¡¯s so beautiful that I can hardly believe all of this is real¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er also mumbled beside them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t any of you think there¡¯s something wrong here?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi frowned deeply, almost knotting her eyebrows, ¡°This manor, along with the fertilend and the hot spring, not to mention the design of the manor, the rockery, and the pavilion ¨C even though we haven¡¯t looked closely inside the houses yet. But just based on what we¡¯ve seen, it only sold for 670 taels of silver in total. Doesn¡¯t that strike you as strange?¡±


    ¡°Sisi, why do you think that¡¯s strange? Isn¡¯t it great that the price is so low?¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er asked curiously.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head, ¡°The manor and its fertilend sold together for 670 taels of silver, with the recorded 320 mu of fertilend alone being worth 10 taels per mu, and the 800 mu of mountainnd worth four taels per mu. Just adding these two items, the totales to 640 taels of silver. A manor like this is only worth 30 taels of silver? This¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words made the smiles on both of their faces fade away.


    ¡°Is it possible that there was something¡­hidden and dark about this manor that we don¡¯t know about?¡±


    By ¡°dark secret,¡± Liu Sisi meant that there might have been strange urrences in the manor, or some reason which forced the original owner to sell it at a low price just to get rid of it.


    ¡°Is that¡­possible?¡±


    Guihua was not quite sure, ¡°When I was a child, I often came here, but I never heard anyone mention anything about this manor.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t respond to her, but instead exchanged nces with the other two and got up to take a closer look at the surroundings.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er also looked around, ¡°Although it¡¯s quiet here without people, it feelsfortable. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s like what you said.¡±


    ¡°Or¡­ we could send someone else to ask around?¡± Guihua proposed cautiously.


    ¡°Yes, Sister Guihua is right. By the way, Sister Guihua, didn¡¯t you say those tenant farmers woulde? Where did they originally live?¡±<div>


    As soon as Liu Sisi remembered this, she asked.


    ¡°Oh! Look at my memory! My mom told me that they originally lived in the manor on the opposite side. Why don¡¯t we go and take a look?¡± Guihua suggested.

 Chapter 488: 488: Visiting the Manor

    Chapter 488: Visiting the Manor


    While they were talking, Old Cheng came in from outside.


    ¡°Madam! There are three men outside, saying that they have an appointment with you this morning, and they are waiting at the door to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Since the people have arrived, it must be them. Let them in!¡±


    Guihua was very happy.


    Not until Old Cheng had retreated did Liu Sisi speak, ¡°I really don¡¯t understand, such a good residence, how could it be sold at such a low price.¡±


    When Old Cheng returned, he was followed by three men.


    The older of the three men took the lead, bowing with the other two behind him towards Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Husband, Madam, greetings.¡± It was clear that the old man was very nervous, his legs trembling.


    Liu Sisi quickly raised her hand to him: ¡°Old man, please get up, there are no outsiders here, you don¡¯t need to be so formal. Sit down and talk.¡±


    As the old man stood up and carefully sat down on the edge of the stone stool, Liu Sisi continued to ask.


    ¡°What is your name, old man?¡±<div>


    ¡°My name is Ding Shan, these are my two sons, the elder one is Ding Fu and the younger one is Ding Gui.¡±


    The old man answered truthfully, curled up, looking very honest, and barely daring to look up at Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Very well, Elder Uncle Ding, I have a few questions for you and hope you won¡¯t conceal anything.¡±


    ¡°Madam, please ask.¡±


    Elder Uncle Ding stood up as he spoke.


    ¡°Sit down, sit down and talk. I want to ask Elder Uncle Ding, how much do you know about this manor¡¯s former owner, and how much do you know about this manor itself?¡±


    As soon as Liu Sisi finished asking, everyone¡¯s hearts clenched.


    As he spoke of this matter, Elder Uncle Ding¡¯s face slowly rxed.


    ¡°Madam, if you ask me about the affairs of others, I may not be able to speak up. But when ites to this manor, I¡¯m afraid that no one knows it better than Old Er.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Elder, please tell us.¡±


    Ding Shan thought for a while, ¡°To speak of this manor, I was born here. At that time, the manor was not big. Our manor¡¯s master was from a Guan family, who worked as an official in Gongzhou City. They only came to the manor once every two years. There were not so many flowers and nts back then. It seems that thirty years ago, someone suddenly came to the manor, holding and contract, saying that the manor had been given away by the Guan family and that we should move out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for a manor to be bought and sold. Usually, when a manor is bought and sold, the tenant farmers are also included. But this person drove all of us out. At that time, I was only 23 years old, yet I clearly remembered that the person was dressed as a servant and seemed to be acting under orders. Afterwards, the manor was left vacant. Besides seeing an old servant taking care of the manor, the fertilend outside was rented to nearby farmers for cultivation.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly asked, ¡°During this time, no one came from the manor¡¯s owner?¡±


    Ding Shan thought for a moment, ¡°Maybe they came, maybe they didn¡¯t. But it¡¯s true that there was only one old servant living in the front yard of the manor on a daily basis. In the wing courtyard near the hot spring, there was a small courtyard where the original tenant farmers lived. However, after the manor was sold to Madam, I specially checked, and those people also moved away.¡±


    ¡°You mean, those tenant farmers only stayed in the backyard and did note to the front yard?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked her and answered herself, looking at everyone for a moment, and continued to ask.


    ¡°Then, Elder Uncle Ding, have you ever heard of any bad things about this manor? Nowadays, my body is heavy and¡­it¡¯s better to ask more questions.¡±


    Ding Shan¡¯s eyes swept across Liu Sisi¡¯s abdomen, revealing an understanding expression, and affirming, ¡°Absolutely not! It is originally close to the county town and next to the official road. If there were any bad things, I¡¯m afraid they would have been spread long ago.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded, that indeed made sense! She then buried her original doubts into the depths of her heart.<div>


    ¡°Elder Uncle Ding, do you want to be a tenant farmer?¡±


    Ding Shan hurriedly stood up and bowed again: ¡°The Ding family has lived in the manor for many years, and myte father always hoped to return to the manor, so we don¡¯t have to worry about having enough food and not having to live hand to mouth¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Alright! I won¡¯t let the old man down, 320 mu of fertilend, 800 mu of mountain forest, I¡¯ll hand it all over to Elder Uncle and others as tenant farmers. Following the old rules, you and others are still to live in that small courtyard. The harvest will also follow the old rules. My husband has recently be a sub-captain, and we don¡¯tck food from you. But you must take good care of thisnd.¡±


    Liu Sisi knocked on the kneeling three people.<div>


    Ding Shan was overjoyed! The higher the position of the manor¡¯s owner, the less the tenant farmers would have to worry, but rather they could work in peace and live peacefully every day.


    ¡°Thank you, Madam!¡±


    Then they signed the contract and pressed their fingerprints. Ding Shan, Ding Fu, and Ding Gui¡¯s fingerprints were all recorded, and they each kept a copy.


    Both parties were very pleased, and only then did Ding Shan repeatedly thank them and leave.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯ve made a fortune with such a good manor at this price!¡±


    Guihua, who was standing beside her, was very excited: ¡°Now that Brother Ye Lei is a sub-captain, he is exempt from taxes, and half of the grain from the tenant farmers can be picked up for free. In the future, you won¡¯t have to worry about the shortage of grain.¡±


    What do hunters like them, who rely on hunting for a living, fear the most?


    First, they are afraid of encountering big animals when they go hunting. Second, they are afraid that the game cannot be sold. And third, of course, they are afraid of not having enough food to eat!


    Wild game is said to be delicious, but one can¡¯t just eat chicken ribs without eating grains, right? Even coarse grains should be eaten in some quantity to fill one¡¯s stomach, shouldn¡¯t they?


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope you are right! Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s take a closer look.¡±


    Liu Sisi was also happy and suggested a walk around the manor in high spirits.


    The group of people got up and slowly walked around the exterior of the manor, only then did they have a rough idea of the manor¡¯syout in their minds.


    From the outside, the manor looks like a manor, but once you go inside, it looks more like a garden. The scenery is beautiful, the environment is quiet, even in early spring, the fragrance of flowers fills the air, making it too beautiful to behold. Liu Sisi became infinitely curious about the original owner.<div>


    Finally, they stopped in front of the main hall in the front yard of the manor.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in and see what¡¯s inside this hall!¡±


    Everyone naturally had no objection, and Granny Hu behind them hurriedly took two steps forward, pushing open the slightly open main entrance.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    There were eight doors in the manor, and once opened, one could see a red wooden screen directly facing the door, with two tall vases ced beside it. The blooming flowers inside had withered, and only the stems remained in the vases.


    ¡°This¡­this screen doesn¡¯t look cheap, does it? Why wasn¡¯t it taken away?¡±


    Even Liu Zhi¡¯er next to her was surprised!

 Chapter 489: Di 489: Father and Son Duel

    Chapter 489: Di Chapter 489: Father and Son Duel


    Liu Sisi was also stunned!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go inside and have a look.¡± She hurriedly led everyone around the screen to the back.


    Inside was empty, with nothing in it, and the situation she had worried about did not happen.


    She breathed a sigh of relief! Then she went back outside and carefully examined the screen.


    Guihua came closer and said, ¡°Perhaps the previous owner felt that these items were too big and inconvenient to move, so they left them behind¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible? Sister Guihua, look!¡±


    Liu Sisi casually picked up one of the flower vases, ¡°This vase is indeed big, but it¡¯s far from being impossible to move. Moreover, such an unusual shape and ze, even for an outsider like me, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not amon thing. ording to the previous owner, he sold this manor because he urgently needed silver. Shouldn¡¯t he have moved such valuable items and sold them first?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really strange¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er and Guihua looked at each other, unable to figure out the key to the matter.


    Guihua thought for a moment and came up with an idea, ¡°I heard from someone that many wealthy families would ce flower vases next to screens to improve the feng shui of their house. Could it be that this vase is an object used to stabilize the house¡¯s energy, so the former owner didn¡¯t touch it?¡±


    There was even less of an answer to this elusive matter.<div>


    ¡°Hey! Sisi, you¡¯re thinking too much. No matter what the previous owner was thinking, they sold it to you now, so it¡¯s yours. Whether you live in this manor or leave it vacant, isn¡¯t it up to you? Just rx!¡±


    Indeed, that was the case!


    Liu Sisi finally put her doubts aside, and everyone toured the house briefly before returning to their carriage and heading back.


    Not long after the carriage left, a carrier pigeon spread its wings and flew from outside the manor, heading towards Heilong Mountain.


    On Heilong Mountain.


    The night gradually fell, and the continuous spring rain drizzled down, moistening the earth silently.


    Elder Leisure stood in the bamboo house, looking up at the wintersweet on the windowsill that was gradually withering, and sighed inaudibly.


    ¡°Summon someone!¡±


    A person entered silently from the outside and knelt down in front of him.


    ¡°Master!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Elder Leisure showed impatience and waved his sleeve casually, ¡°Send someone to urge them, why hasn¡¯t the news been delivered from over there yet?¡±


    ¡°Reporting to Master, the news just arrived from there. Please take a look, Master!¡±


    The person hurriedly presented the paper strip.


    ¡°Oh, bring it quickly.¡±


    Elder Leisure anxiously snatched the paper strip and carefully read the content on it, then burst intoughter.


    ¡°As expected, my good daughter! Just by relying on these clues, she became suspicious. Good! Good!¡±


    He put down the paper strip in his hand, looked up at the kneeling guard, and asked, ¡°How is the progress on the other side? Have you all arranged it properly?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    As the guard barely raised his head and met the other¡¯s gaze, he was frightened and quickly crawled on the ground, shivering uncontrobly.<div>


    ¡°Master, forgive me! It¡¯s not because we failed to do our job properly, but the heir¡­ he¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? How is this matter rted to him now? Speak!¡±


    Elder Leisure¡¯splexion changed.


    ¡°Begging your pardon, Your Majesty, we dare not speak recklessly.¡±<div>


    ¡°You are pardoned! Speak!¡±


    ¡°Yes, things initially went smoothly. However, unexpectedly, the heir intervened, not only driving the widower away from the riverside, but also assigning him a sub-captain position. We did not dare to take matters into our hands. Please enlighten us, Your Majesty, on what to do next?¡±


    ¡°Oh? So, the unfilial son actually arranged a sub-captain position for him? What is his intention? Is he nning to keep supporting a man who failed his wife and mother? Elder Leisure¡¯s expression became especially unsightly.¡±


    ¡°This¡­ we do not know.¡±


    The guard was almost burying his head in the ground.


    Elder Leisure walked over to the window, d in a purple-ck gold-trimmed long banner, golden crown, and gorgeous clothes, exuding a noble and undying air with his handsome features.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he say that I oppose everything he does? Well, let him handle this matter! I am curious to see how far the person he favors can go. By the way, what has the unfilial son been up totely?¡±


    ¡°We have discovered that the heir often appears near the Young Lord¡¯s residence, possibly secretly protecting him.¡±


    ¡°Let him protect the Young Lord if he wants! By the way, increase our forces to make sure no one gets a chance to hurt her. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    Elder Leisure pondered for a moment, ¡°Issue an order to find a way to send him to the border city. I want to see what the person he chose is really capable of, even daring to oppose me.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The guard heaved a sigh of relief! The most difficult situation was for them, the subordinates caught between the father and son conflict.<div>


    Gazing at the quiet darkness outside the window, Elder Leisure¡¯s face was filled with sadness, ¡°Xin¡¯er, I am really lonely and miss you¡­ Can you see it? Our child has grown up. I have also fulfilled my promise to you, allowing her to live a peaceful, worry-free life like an ordinary person.¡±


    ¡°Xin¡¯er, I cannot always see her, and I really miss her. Whenever I see her, it is as if I am seeing you¡­ Di, Ye, Lei! I hope you can pass my test; otherwise¡­ hehe!¡±


    It was only when the day hadpletely darkened that Di Yelei returned, riding his jujube red horse.


    Upon returning, he burst intoughter, paying no heed to the presence of Ms. Gao and Granny Hu in the room. He directly embraced Liu Sisi, hugging her tightly.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, I¡¯m back. Sisi, I was so busy today and missed you so much.¡±


    ¡°Let go, you bastard! So many people are watching, hurry up and let go¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi finally struggled free from his embrace, just in time to see Granny Hu and Ms. Gao blushing and quickly walking out of the room.


    She hurriedly red at him, ¡°Look what you did! You shouldn¡¯t act like this the moment you return, it¡¯s embarrassing for them.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ We are husband and wife, what¡¯s wrong with hugging each other? I want to do even more things¡­¡±


    As he spoke, his wolfish hands reached out for her again, yfully pouncing at her and pushing her down on the bed.


    ¡°Ah! Ye Lei¡­ you¡¯re so heavy! Be careful of the baby ¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi tried to push him away several times, but to no avail.


    Although he firmly restrained her, he was considerate enough not to press on her swollen abdomen, holding her tightly instead.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, Sisi. Let me hug you for a moment, just for a short moment.¡±


    He needed her strength, so he could persevere! He had her, their child, and his father to support; he could not afford to lose!


    Di Yelei subconsciously tightened his arms, burying his face in her neck, absorbing her warmth, letting the tender and warm embrace soothe his restless heart.

 Chapter 490: 490: Signs

    Chapter 490: Signs


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Ye Lei.¡±


    Liu Sisi, having sensed something amiss, instinctively held him in her arms.


    Di Yelei stayed silent, merely clinging to her in silence.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t persist in probing him. Instead, she encircled his broad waist and gently held him.


    Both of them stayed quietly in each other¡¯s arms, absorbing the shared warmth.


    After a while, Liu Sisi, tilting her head, gently nuzzled his cheek.


    ¡°Today, Xuan¡¯er has earned praise from Elder Mr. Xu at the vige school. Elder Mr. Xu even rewarded him with a piece of glutinous rice sugar. He brought it back from school and gave it to YingEr, who said it was very sweet.¡±


    Her voice was as gentle as a softly rippling brook, evoking a sense of rxation in the heart.


    Di Yelei managed to lift his head with difficulty, ¡°Really? Xuan¡¯er is bing more capable.¡±


    Heughed lightly and sat up to gently touch her belly, ¡°Was the little guy behaving today?¡±


    ¡°He was very well-behaved. Today, I went to the manor. It was rare that I didn¡¯t feel nauseous, so I indulged in some preserved fruit.¡±<div>


    Ever since she got pregnant, she couldn¡¯t ride in a carriage without feeling motion sick ¨C a problem she never had before. So, feeling well enough to enjoy preserved fruit was something vastly out of the ordinary.


    ¡°Really? Little bastard, you¡¯d better behave yourself, understand? If you make a fuss that troubles your mother, when youe out, I¡¯ll spank your small buttocks.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As he spoke, hisrge hand gently covered her belly, his heart felt lighter, and his body felt full of energy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go eat, time for dinner!¡±


    Heughed heartily and effortlessly scooped Liu Sisi into his arms, striding out of the inner room.


    Liu Sisi, contentedly wrapped her arms around his neck, unprecedentedly not resisting his embrace, and allowed him to carry her to the dining hall. She apanied him in a cheerful and chatty dinner.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t mention the problem he encountered, and Liu Sisi didn¡¯t ask.


    The two simply apanied each other, and then went to sleep in each other¡¯s arms, as if nothing had happened.


    For several days following, Di Yelei, with boosted morale, went out early and returnedte. Despite being tired, he was rejuvenated each morning.


    Watching all this, Liu Sisi finally put her mind at ease.


    On this day, while Di Yelei was out, she got herself ready and decided to go to the county town.


    For this trip to the county, she didn¡¯t bring YingEr, but instead took Granny Hu and Xue Yi. Old Cheng drove the carriage straight to the county town.


    Recently, Liu Sisi wasn¡¯t at ease with Di Yelei¡¯s situation. So, she bought two horses specially, and had Da Niu and Er Niu follow him. After all, Di Yelei was a minor official now, and it was necessary to prepare sufficient manpower.


    She first went to the Drunken Fairy Restaurant and the Silver Pavilion to check the ounts and collect the new ount books, then casually inquired to a shopkeeper by her side.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen Brother Nan recently? What¡¯s he busy with?¡±


    ¡°Replying to Boss Liu, Boss has not been heretely, it¡¯s said that he went to the capital. Subordinates don¡¯t know the exact situation.¡±


    ¡°So that was why.¡±


    Liu Sisi finally understood why Nan Tianzong had not been seen recently: ¡°If hees back, tell him that I have something to discuss with him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Boss Liu.¡±<div>


    After Liu Sisi instructed a few more things, she left the Silver Pavilion and had Old Cheng drive straight to the county government.


    The County Magistrate Su received a report and hurriedly walked out from the inside to greet the guests.


    ¡°A visit from Miss Gan is a three-fold honor to our humble residence. It brightens up the entire ce! Come inside, please, Miss Gan!¡±


    ¡°Sir Su, it would be better for you to call me Mrs. Di.¡± Liu Sisi smirked before she took a step forward.<div>


    County Magistrate Su chuckled, ¡°Please, Mrs. Di.¡±


    When they reached the back hall of the county government office, the maid served fragrant tea.


    ¡°I have already sent for my wife, she will arrive shortly.¡±


    ¡°No problem, Magistrate Su, let¡¯s not beat around the bush. Sisi came here today actually to inquire about a matter from Lord Su.¡± Liu Sisi said with a smile.


    County Magistrate Su blinked, ¡°That¡¯s a coincidence! I am unfortunately caught up with official duties and can¡¯t spare any time to apany you. Since my wife enjoys idle chit-chat, having Mrs. Di around is just perfect!¡±


    As he was talking, he turned to a runner behind him and ordered, ¡°Run to the backyard and call for my wife. Tell her that Mrs. Di is here and I want her toe and entertain our esteemed guest immediately.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    The runner epted and hurried off.


    ¡°Lord Su, I came to see you today.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s face turned solemn.


    ¡°To be thought about by Mrs. Di is an honor for me. Unfortunately, as a man, I must prioritize my duties. As soon as I am free, I will definitely invite Mrs. Di for a grand reception along with my wife.¡±


    Liu Sisi frowned, ¡°But, I¡­¡±


    Just as she was speaking, Lady Su came out from the inside, ¡°I heard the magpies chattering since early this morning, I knew a distinguished guest wasing. Indeed it¡¯s Mrs. Di!¡± Lady Su curtsied towards Liu Sisi as she spoke.


    This Lady Su had a smiling face, appearing far more sophisticatedpared to Magistrate Su.<div>


    Both were naturally courteous to each other. When Magistrate Su took advantage of their conversation to slip away, Liu Sisi felt as if someone punched her right in the softridge, for quite a while, she was speechless.


    Meanwhile, Lady Su looked delighted, but as Liu Sisi had something on her mind, she could only respond half-heartedly.


    After sitting for a while, Liu Sisi stood up to bid farewell.


    Lady Su naturally tried to persuade her to stay: ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t you want to give your elder sister some face? We¡¯re just about to have lunch. It¡¯s not right to let a guest leave. You must stay for lunch today.¡±


    ¡°Really, I don¡¯t need to. I feel tired and want to get some sleep. I won¡¯t bother you any longer, Lady Su. I will definitelye over and catch up another day. I take my leave now.¡±


    Liu Sisi was determined to leave. After a moment of back and forth, Liu Sisi finally exited the governmental office and got onto the carriage to head back home.


    As she passed by the bustling market, Liu Sisi gently lifted the curtain, ¡°Old Cheng, drive a bit slower. Be careful not to hit anyone.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Old Cheng agreed and drove the carriage slowly forward.


    Liu Sisi was actually hungry, but the attitudes of County Magistrate Su and Lady Su made her understand that her sudden appearance wasn¡¯t weed. No wonder Di Yelei came home every day looking extremely tired, it seemed there were many undertones involved.


    She sighed quietly, looked around into the crowd on the side, and suddenly saw the figure of Di Yelei.


    It was indeed Di Yelei!


    Behind him were Da Niu and Er Niu. The three of them were hurrying from the south side and rushed into the small path on the north side.<div>


    The trio seemed to be talking about something. They didn¡¯t even nce in her direction. Instead, they sped up their steps and their figures soon disappeared at the intersection.

 Chapter 491: 491: Difficult Obstacle

    Chapter 491: Difficult Obstacle


    ¡°Wait, Old Cheng, stop by the side!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly called out to Old Cheng.


    ¡°Alright, Madam!¡± Old Cheng responded as he stopped the carriage.


    Before the carriage came to aplete stop, Liu Sisi got off and chased after the person at the intersection, with Granny Hu and Xue Yi following closely behind.


    By the time Liu Sisi reached the small road intersection, the three figures were gone. She searched around for a moment but still couldn¡¯t find them.


    ¡°Madam, should we go inside and look for them?¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s demeanor, Granny Hu suggested.


    ¡°No need, let¡¯s go back.¡±


    After some consideration, Liu Sisi shook her head and turned toward the direction of the carriage, only to hear someone calling her from the side.


    ¡°Mrs. Di?¡±


    Liu Sisi was taken aback. Not many people would address her as Mrs. Di, and given the voice¡­she felt a surge of happiness and hurriedly turned around.<div>


    ¡°It turns out to be Mrs. Ran! I¡¯ve missed you so much after not seeing you for a long time. How have you been?¡± Liu Sisi greeted her hastily.


    Mrs. Ran had be increasingly plump.


    She approached Liu Sisi quickly, her eyes narrowing withughter: ¡°Just now, I saw a regal-looking Madam standing here, and I hesitated to recognize you. Oh my! Your transformation is quite impressive!¡±


    ¡°There has indeed been a change ¨C my belly has grown!¡±


    Liu Sisi mocked herself, as everyone seemed to ask her about her pregnancy, which she had already gotten used to.


    ¡°It is indeed your pregnancy, but I wasn¡¯t talking about your belly growing. I mean that your face has be rounder and yourplexion is great. You look like a blooming peony, bing more beautiful the more I look.¡±


    Beauty is appreciated by all! Liu Sisi felt ttered by Mrs.Ran¡¯spliments, to the point of blushing.


    ¡°Mrs. Ran, please don¡¯t tter me like this. If you continue, I won¡¯t be able to find my bearings,¡± Liu Sisi said with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s not ttery, madam. You¡¯re naturally beautiful and elegant.¡±


    Looking around, Mrs. Ran asked, ¡°By the way, I saw you hurrying earlier. Where are you headed, madam?¡±


    ¡°Nowhere special. I was just a bit tired from sitting in the carriage, so I decided to take a walk nearby. I didn¡¯t expect to run into you, Mrs. Ran.¡±


    ¡°This coincidence must mean we are destined to meet.¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s troubled expression, Mrs. Ran couldn¡¯t help butugh: ¡°Mrs. Di, you must be tired, aren¡¯t you? There¡¯s a dessert shop nearby, why don¡¯t we go in and take a look?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good, Mrs. Ran, please lead the way.¡±


    Naturally, Liu Sisi wouldn¡¯t refuse Mrs. Ran¡¯s invitation and followed her into the neighboring dessert shop.


    Mrs. Ran seemed to know the ce well, ordering several delicious desserts as soon as they entered.


    As Liu Sisi lost herself in thought, Mrs. Ran¡¯s eyes shed, and she approached her with a chuckle: ¡°Mrs. Di, you should really consider moving to the city. For Lord Di alone, the convenience of getting to the government office would be worth it, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Her words caught Liu Sisi¡¯s attention, who looked up at Mrs. Ran: ¡°Do you have a good suggestion?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare give suggestions, but I do have something to say that I¡¯m not sure if I should.¡±<div>


    A glint of light shed in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes. Mrs. Ran¡¯s husband¡¯s family dealt in official salt trades, and the sub-captain role coincidentally managed official salt among other misceneous items¡­


    With a lightugh, she said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about what¡¯s appropriate between us. If you have something to say, Mrs. Ran, please speak freely.¡±


    Mrs. Ran smiled knowingly: ¡°I heard that Lord Di has recently been promoted. By rights, imperial court-appointed officials should have a residency, especially for a seventh-rank official like Lord Di. But since Lord Di has been in office for half a month, why hasn¡¯t he moved into the residency yet?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She hinted indirectly.<div>


    ¡°Really? As a country woman, I didn¡¯t know about it. I¡¯ll have to ask my husband.¡±


    Liu Sisi was astonished, adopting a submissive stance as the wife of a respected man in her husband¡¯s family.


    At a loss for words, Mrs. Ran finallyughed again!


    ¡°Madam, did youe from the government office?¡±


    ¡°How did you know I came from there?¡±


    ¡°Not only do I know you came from the government office, but I also know that you met with a soft nail at the County Magistrate¡¯s office. I even know that you must not have found Lord Di¡¯s office, which is why you¡¯re so troubled,¡± Mrs. Ran said with certainty.


    ¡°Oh? So you know the reason?¡±


    ¡°Believe it or not, madam, but I do know something.¡±


    Mrs. Ran¡¯s face was full of mystery.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s thoughts were still filled with what Mrs. Ran said, even as she boarded the carriage to return home.


    ¡°¡­ Lord Di is currently caught between many enemies. It¡¯s been many years since Macheng County has experienced war, and the weapons in the armory have long since decayed. The silver needed for the armory used to be split equally between the County Magistrate and the acting sub-captain. Now that Lord Di wants to re-equip the armory, money has be a major issue¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Xin Quan¡¯s uncle is keen on promoting him, but not only has Lord Di cut off their financial resources, he has also cut off their chances for promotion. The grudge has naturally deepened¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Whether Lord Di wants to get silver from County Magistrate Su or Xin Quan, it¡¯s tickling their bottom line. The only reason County Magistrate Su didn¡¯t outright expel you is probably out of respect for Old Madam Gan¡­¡±<div>


    After pondering Mrs. Ran¡¯s mentioned matters multiple times, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Being an official seems simple, but in reality, it is difficult!


    Once home, Liu Sisi specifically bought two pigeons and instructed the kitchen to make a soup to nourish Ye Lei¡¯s body.


    That night, Di Yelei returned, his expression as calm as ever. Liu Sisi didn¡¯t bring up anything from daytime. She only snuggled closer to him during the night, clutching him tightly with even more concern.


    Early the next morning, as Di Yelei was about to leave the house, Liu Sisi handed him the ticket for 1000 taels of silver from the universal exchange Baoli Bank and forcefully stuffed it into his palm.


    ¡°You take this ticket, and if you need it, don¡¯t hesitate to use it. Money can¡¯t buy good health, understand?¡±


    ¡°How¡­ how did you get so much silver? You¡­¡±


    Di Yelei lowered his head to look at the ticket, instinctively wanting to refuse. But he was stared down by Liu Sisi¡¯s warning gaze. His outstretched hand withdrew, gripping the ticket tightly.


    ¡°I understand! You¡­ I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    Di Yelei, in the end, said nothing and dashed off on horseback.


    ¡°Madam, we¡¯re leaving too.¡±


    Da Niu and Er Niu hurriedly followed on their horses.


    Watching the three figures quickly disappearing into the morning mist, Liu Sisi was also full of worries, hoping that Ye Lei could safely ovee this difficult hurdle.<div>

 Chapter 492: 492: Besieged on All Sides (1)

    Chapter 492: Besieged on All Sides (1)


    Due to her worries about Di Yelei, Liu Sisi was constantly distracted during the day.


    She nearly dropped her bowl while eating, ink dripping from her brush-pen while writing, directly soaking through severalyers of paper.


    Even whenbing YingEr¡¯s hair, she only managed to do half before stopping. She was startled by YingEr¡¯s shout, almost pulling off a clump of YingEr¡¯s hair, making YingEr cry for a while and leaving her feeling extremely remorseful¡­


    Eventually, even her father-inw came to ask her if something was wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Father. Sisi just didn¡¯t sleep wellst night, so I¡¯m feeling very sleepy. If I go rest for a while, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    She forced a smile before returning to her room.


    It is said that concern causes chaos, and the main reason she was so worried about Ye Lei was because she understood that the current situation was critical for Di Yelei!


    Yet she couldn¡¯t help him!


    She tossed and turned restlessly on the bed, finally managing to doze off, only to be awakened by a series of noises outside, making it difficult for her to fall asleep again.


    A momentter, she heard Ms. Gao¡¯s report.


    ¡°Madam, the Old Madam is outside the residence asking to see Old Master.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi struggled to get up, her consciousness still somewhat groggy.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Ms. Gao hurried to help her tidy her clothes and whispered, ¡°Old Master won¡¯t let anyone let the Old Madam in, so¡­ actually, she came yesterday too, but was driven away by Old Master.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Listening to themotion outside, Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes shed with understanding.


    Her father-inw usually seemed very easygoing, but once his bottom line was crossed, he was the type who wouldn¡¯t budge no matter how hard you tried. The more trouble Ms. Zhao caused, the more suffering she would bring upon herself.


    By the time Liu Sisi had freshened up and stepped out, she heard a harsh reprimand from an angle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother with her!¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively turned her head and saw her father-inw standing not far behind her, his face gloomy.


    ¡°Father¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi hesitated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di showed no signs of softening. After speaking, he turned and left.


    ¡°But, Father, this looks very bad. After all, Ye Lei¡¯s status is different now. If we continue to ignore her like this, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi searched for an excuse.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Elderly Mr. Di paused for a moment, but said nothing more and entered the room.


    In truth, Liu Sisi could tell that Elderly Mr. Di must have had a good rtionship with his original wife; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have cared so much even after all these years. It would be false to say that he had no feelings for Ms. Zhao; after all, they had spent twenty to thirty years together. Even raising a dog for that long would lead to attachment.


    Since Elderly Mr. Di didn¡¯t stop her, Liu Sisi got up and went outside.


    ¡°¡­You old, undead thing! You ckhearted man, can you really be so ruthless, trying to drive me, your wife, to death! I¡¯ll die right here in this courtyard, and I¡¯ll see¡­¡±<div>


    Ms. Zhao was cursing loudly when she heard footsteps by the main entrance. Her face lit up in delight, and she quickly stopped talking.


    But when she saw that it was Liu Sisi who hade out, her smile faded once more.


    ¡°Why is it you? Where is that old man? Where did he go off to die?¡±


    ¡°Sisi pays her respects to her mother-inw. It wasn¡¯t heartless of your daughter-inw to close the door, but my father has been unwilling to relent. As a daughter-inw, I¡­I have been caught in a difficult situation.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi bent slightly with her pregnant belly while greeting Zhao.


    Just now, she nced around and noticed numerous onlookers, so naturally, she would perform the necessary etiquettes.


    ¡°Enough! This old woman cannot bear your bow, Mrs.Sub-Captain. Where¡¯s the old man? Go and call him out!¡± Ms.Zhao¡¯s face was darkened with anger.


    Last times encounter left her apprehensive; at that moment, she was indeed hurt by this young woman! But over the past few days, the more she thought about it, the more she felt something was off. That detestable Liu Sisi had said so much, but in reality, the issues weren¡¯t solved at all.


    It was a waste of time to be intimidated by her words back then.


    ¡°Mother-inw, I really can¡¯t say anything about the conflicts between my father and you as your daughter-inw.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke softly and weakly, looked up at Ms. Zhao, and quickly lowered her head again.


    Her words made the onlookers who were hiding in the dark nod their heads. Indeed, it¡¯s difficult for a daughter-inw to speak up in such matters.


    ¡°Don¡¯t y these tricks in front of this old woman. Where¡¯s the old man? Call him out quickly!¡±


    Liu Sisi had a grievance on her face: ¡°Mother-inw, if you have anything to say, pleasee inside and say it. The ancient saying goes that even a clean official can hardly settle family affairs. We can close the door and discuss the matters between you and Dad in private.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ ¡±


    Ms. Zhao originally wanted to scold further, but seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes full of warning, she softened her tone and murmured as she entered the house.


    As soon as she entered the courtyard, she could no longer turn her gaze away.<div>


    The surrounding furnishings were neat, the courtyard was well-arranged, several children were ying in a corner, and theirughter was endless. Elderly Mr. Di was leaning against the door, watching the ying children attentively, his side facing her direction.


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s eyes turned red in an instant.


    ¡°Old man¡­¡±


    Di Yelei rode swiftly to the county town.


    Instead of going directly to the armory, he stopped his horse at the gate of the governmental office, leaped off the horse, and immediately tossed the reins and whip to Da Niu and Er Niu who followed closely behind. Then, he looked up.


    At the moment, it was still early, and the gate to the governmental office corridor was still closed.


    On the contrary, the night runners stationed on both sides of the gate nced at him, exchanged looks with each other, and didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°You go to the armory first. I have other matters to attend to, and I¡¯ll be there after I¡¯ve handled them.¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t mind, he simply sat down on the stone bench beside the stone lions in front of the governmental office, and sat there for most of the day.


    It was quiet in the governmental office, with no movement at all.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t care, he stubbornly waited in the original spot, with no intention ofpromising.


    As time passed and it was approaching noontime, there were more peopleing and going around, and the front of the county government gate finally became lively.


    A sedan chair carried by four people stopped in front of the governmental office gate.<div>


    Di Yelei casually looked up and saw the person who came out of the sedan chair; his expression immediately froze!


    Why was Zhang Shixining to the county governmental office?


    ¡°Oh! Look, everyone, isn¡¯t this our Minister Di, Lord Di? Howe he¡¯s sitting on the stone steps in front of the county government¡¯s gate like a mourner? If word gets out, I don¡¯t know how people willugh!¡±


    Zhang Shixin flicked off non-existent dust from his sleeve, his face full of sarcasm.


    Di Yelei looked up at him and didn¡¯t say anything, continuing to sit quietly in his original position.


    Indeed, an upstart official¡¯s arrogance is really hard to watch!

 Chapter 493: 493: Besieged on All Sides (Part 2)

    Chapter 493: Besieged on All Sides (Part 2)


    ¡°I say, Lord Di, even though you are now a respectable seventh-rank official, howe you don¡¯t have any servants with you?¡±


    ¡°And is your uniform so old because you haven¡¯t washed it in a long time? Why does it look so worn out?¡±


    He kept shaking his head with a tsk-tsk sound, pretending to sigh a few times. He then tugged at the luxurious clothes he was wearing.


    He deliberately dressed up today, wearing a snow-white fox fur coat, an outeryer of thick and shiny silk, dyed in a beautiful blue, entuating his already handsome face and adding a touch of elegance. In contrast to Di Yelei, who was sitting on the ground with a numb expression, they were obviously not in the same league.


    Di Yelei slightly raised his eyebrows to look at him, then tilted his head to focus on the entrance of the county government office, not even willing to give him a direct look.


    He had bought his official uniform in the government office for 50 taels of silver. At the time, there were no extra uniforms in stock at the office, leaving only this half-new and half-old one stored in a corner. With no other choice, he reluctantly paid for it. Perhaps it was due to being stored for too long, the colors appeared especially faded.


    Zhang Shixinughed proudly, walking even closer to Di Yelei and standing above him as he looked down.


    ¡°Huh? Lord Di, are you having hearing problems? You¡¯re ignoring and pretending not to hear me? I¡¯ve never heard of you having this kind of hidden condition before.¡±


    ¡°Get away! What kind of clown are you, hopping around here?¡±


    Di Yelei casually waved his hand as if he could brush away the annoying clown in front of him with a single sweep.


    ¡°You! How dare you, Di Yelei!? You actually have the nerve to call me a clown?¡±<div>


    Zhang Shixin stomped his foot and pointed at Di Yelei while cursing.


    Di Yelei suddenly stood up from the stone steps, looked at him disdainfully with his hands crossed on his chest.


    ¡°What are you even? No matter what, I am a respectable seventh-ranked official. You have no merit nor official position. What right do you have to shout and be arrogant in front of me?¡±


    He stood with his hands behind his back, his hair slightly scattered by the wind, looking dignified and solemn. In that half-old government uniform, his face appeared even more authoritative, a far cry from the simple country boy he once was in Upper Vige.


    Zhang Shixin instinctively shrank his neck, a chill running down from the back of his mind, making him shudder. However, he quickly got over it, his face flushed.


    He had actually been intimidated by this country bumpkin just now!


    Taking another two steps forward, he tugged at his own fox fur coat, roaring angrily.


    ¡°You dare to call yourself an official with your pathetic sub-captain position? Don¡¯t forget, I am still your brother-inw, and now a distinguished eighth-rank instructor. You think I can¡¯t strip you of your dog skin with just one word?¡±


    Some days ago, when Gan Jiayou returned to his hometown and hurriedly left, he did not prefer Shen Qiu. After leaving, he arranged for Zhang Shixin to be an eighth-rank county instructor as a consideration for Shen Qiu.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t believe it. Do you want to give it a try?¡±


    Di Yelei suddenlyughed, revealing a bright and shiny row of white teeth!


    ¡°As for that so-called brother-inw, howe I, Di Yelei, don¡¯t remember having a sister? Even Lord Gan doesn¡¯t seem to have heard of his eldest miss. It seems that any random cat or dog, or even prostitutes and servants, are pretending to be the eldest misses, shamelessly!¡±


    Zhang Shixin could no longer hold his smile, ring at him with a ferocious expression!


    His lifelong hatred was people mentioning that Shen Qiu was an illegitimate child, and that even now, Gan Jiayou still refused to acknowledge Shen Qiu as his daughter! How could he not be angry when Di Yelei brought it up in this way?


    ¡°What are you damned fools doing? He¡¯s just a country bumpkin, if anything happens, I, Zhang Shixin, will take care of it! Get him! Beat him to death!¡±


    Themotion here had already attracted the attention of the pedestrians nearby. Seeing arge group of servants rushing towards the scene, they quickly dispersed and fled.


    Soon, this area in front of the government office, which was already avoided by passers-by, became even emptier, without a single bystander in sight.


    The noise here naturally rmed the two governmental office¡¯s runners nearby. The two looked at each other and quickly ran into the office to report.


    Seeing the situation going awry, Er Niu, who stood beside Di Yelei, hastily moved in front of him with a challenging stance, his legs trembling nheless.<div>


    ¡°Who dares do anything? Our Old Master is a sub-captain, are you really not afraid of death?¡±


    He barked threateningly.


    A mocking look shed across Di Yelei¡¯s eyes as he took the horse whip from Er Niu¡¯s hand and pushed him behind himself.


    Taking two steps forward, Di Yelei spread his feet apart, bent the whip in his hand, and pointed casually.<div>


    ¡°If they want tomit suicide, let theme! I really want to see if they dare or not!¡±


    This provocation instantly enraged Zhang Shixin!


    ¡°Attack! Beat him to death!¡±


    Zhang Shixin bellowed andmanded his men to approach Di Yelei.


    These servants were long ustomed to following orders, and with Zhang Shixin now holding an official position, their arrogance grew even more, not taking others seriously at all.


    They rushed towards Di Yelei one after another¡­


    Thump! Thump! Thump¡­


    The sound of fistsnding on flesh rang out. Before Zhang Shixin could understand what was happening before his eyes, the many servants in front of him vanished without a trace.


    He rubbed his eyes subconsciously, wanting to see more clearly!


    By the time his eyes were wide open again, the scene before him had changed drastically.


    Less than five feet from him, people were piled up like stacking arhats, their cries of pain echoing nonstop from the pile.


    Zhang Shixin shuddered and instinctively looked up to see the man who was still standing at the scene!


    Di Yelei still held the horse whip while pointing forward casually with his right hand. If there was any difference from before, it was that the whip was no longer bent; instead, it hung down to the ground, dragging a bloody trail, evidently having been dyed red with fresh blood!<div>


    The man¡¯s face remained calm, looking at him with provocative eyes.


    Zhang Shixin kept rubbing his eyes in disbelief, mumbling to himself.


    ¡°Impossible! How can it be? It¡¯s impossible¡­¡±


    How could his opponent move so fast? There must be someone helping him!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Right, there must be. Didn¡¯t he have a servant behind him?


    Standing behind Di Yelei, Er Niu could hardly believe his own eyes!


    Having followed Di Yelei for these days, witnessing his daily hard work between the armory and the government office, it was his first time discovering that Di Yelei had such incredible skills! How could he not be shaken!


    Di Yelei took two steps forward and chuckled lightly, ¡°So? Would you like to try it yourself?¡±


    These words made Zhang Shixin instinctively jump, almost turning to run. How could he be a match for such a fierce opponent!


    ¡°Stop! Everyone, stop!¡±


    At the moment when Zhang Shixin had no way out, the closed gate of the government office finally opened!

 Chapter 494: 494 Surrounded by Enemies (Part 3)

    Chapter 494: Surrounded by Enemies (Part 3)


    With a flirty smile on his face, County Magistrate Su dashed out of the government office, bowing his fists towards the two men incessantly.


    ¡°Haha¡­I greet both of you! So, you both came here together, I truly apologize for keeping you waiting. Pleasee inside!¡±


    ¡°Just fine, Lord Su, after you.¡±


    A sh of light flickered in Di Yelei¡¯s eyes as he ignored Zhang Shixin behind him and strode into the government office.


    Upon seeing Di Yelei disappear behind the gate of the government office, County Magistrate Su hurriedly pulled Zhang Shixin aside.


    ¡°What¡­ what just happened?¡±


    ¡°What else could it be? He is simply a bloody barbarian, I spit!¡±


    Zhang Shixin cursed and rehashed what had just happened: ¡°I never imagined his martial arts skills were so good, I almost lost my life over it.¡±


    ¡°He is born a hunter, so he¡¯s naturally different from ordinary people. He¡¯s incredibly strong, and you insisted sending your men to their deaths against him. They were lucky that they didn¡¯t have their hands and legs twisted off!¡±


    Zhang Shixin wiped his face, spat out a few mouthfuls of phlegm, and after a long string of curses, he said fiercely,


    ¡°I let that Liu Sisi go for the sake of my father-inw. Now this Di has offended me, I can¡¯t let him off easily! I must make him suffer to relieve my hatred!¡±<div>


    County Magistrate Su gave a series of coldughs. Zhang Shixin clearly did not want to give up his wealth and honor and dared not to seek revenge against Liu Sisi, who was Lord Gan¡¯s adopted daughter. He just wanted to pick on the soft persimmon ¨C Di Yelei. Worstes to worst, Di might not be subdued but instead cause much trouble.


    However¡­.. The other party was after all Lord Gan¡¯s son-inw. Although there was much more to it, it just so happened that he could make use of this¡­.


    Thinking of this, his eyes darted around, followed by aforting pat on his shoulder. ¡°Exactly, this Di Yelei is indeed too much. Regardless, you and him are rted by marriage, there shouldn¡¯t be any division between family members. Even if Lord Gan finds out, he will definitely stand by your side¡­¡±


    County Magistrate Su kept praising him, causing Zhang Shixin to drown in self-pride, not knowing where he is.


    ¡°County Magistrate Su surely understands. When I visited the capitalst year, I made a special trip to the Minister¡¯s Mansion. My father-inw highly praised me¡­¡±


    Zhang Shixin boasted for quite a while, it was not until County Magistrate Su realized the time was gettingte, that he cleared his throat to interrupt him.


    ¡°Master Zhang! Today, I invited you here because I have a favor to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is Lord Su, feel free to ask, anything I can do, I will definitely do it!¡±


    Zhang Shixin looked at the County Magistrate¡¯s expression and immediately understood.


    The things that would involve him, Zhang Shixin, were bound to be rted to money. He wondered what kind of n County Magistrate Su was hatching.


    ¡°You need not worry too much, we are not the only ones standing on this side.¡±


    County Magistrate Su chuckled twice, leaning towards Zhang Shixin¡¯s ear, whispering for a moment. The two looked at each other andughed, everything was understood without being said!


    Di Yelei stepped through the gate of the county government office, strode across the hall, and entered the backyard.


    Truthfully, he used to be able toe and go through this gate of the government office as he pleased back when he was a constable, but since he became a sub-captain recently, he had not been able toe in despite his frequent visits.


    Now, as he entered the government office again, an indescribable feeling lingered in his heart.


    ¡°Good morning Deputy Leader Di.¡±


    ¡°Deputy Leader Di, you haven¡¯te for a few days, the brothers have missed you.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Deputy Leader Di, what brings you in today? Aren¡¯t you at the armory?¡±


    ¡°Deputy Leader Di, you¡­¡±<div>


    The bailiffs and constables who were originally acquainted with him crowded around, warmly greeting him.


    This scene warmed Di Yelei¡¯s heart, revealing a smile that was rarely seen these days, and he responded with a fist greeting to everyone.


    ¡°Thank you, my brothers, for your concern. I¡¯m doing well, just missing the days when I was fighting alongside everyone. Here I am today, specifically to visit you all.¡±


    The crowd around joking joyfully.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s rare that Deputy Leader Di, having be an official, still cares about us brothers. Today you should spend more time with us, and treat us to a few drinks.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Deputy Leader Di, you cannot just run away like this. We are all craving for the dishes at the Drunken Fairy Restaurant.¡±


    Everyoneughed at this statement.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­¡±


    During the boastful conversation, a double cough sounded from behind the group.


    A skinny man, with a face as ck as coal and a triangr face, walked over.


    ¡°Have you all finished your work? Nothing to do? If you don¡¯t want to work anymore, leave early! Don¡¯t just take up space here without aplishing anything! It¡¯s irritating to see!¡±


    His words scattered the crowd like birds and beasts. In just a moment, everyone was gone from Di Yelei¡¯s sight.


    Even Xiaoliang, thest to leave, nced apologetically back at him before he followed the crowd inside, not daring to show his face.


    The man, with a face like coal, proudly walked forward a few steps and stopped not far from Di Yelei, raising his head to look at him.


    ¡°Oh! Isn¡¯t this our seventh-rank sub-captain, Minister Di? It¡¯s truly a remarkable event to have Sub-captain Minister grace us with his presence! Very rare indeed!¡±


    Di Yelei looked down and crossed his arms over his chest, thenzily said,


    ¡°So, it turns out to be Xin Quan, the Criminal Justice Officer Xin. My apologies for not recognizing you earlier, please forgive me!¡±<div>


    The gazes of the two met mid-air, sparks flying. Both wanting to tear each other apart, yet both wearing courteous smiles.


    When County Magistrate Su and Zhang Shixin came in from outside the office, they saw the figure that had been standing there for a long time.


    ¡°Eh? What are the two of you standing there for? Please sit, don¡¯t be too polite, we are all friends here.¡±


    County Magistrate Su greeted everyone with a beaming smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Lord Su.¡±


    Di Yelei nced at Xin Quan across from him, a sh of light passing through his eyes. He gave Su County a slight fist salute, then confidently walked to the superior seat on the left, pouring himself tea.


    Xin Quan was alreadyining internally!


    His legs were already numb, but he didn¡¯t want to admit defeat under the opponent¡¯s powerful momentum, so he just stood there, trying his best to endure.


    Seeing Di Yelei¡¯s easygoing disposition and his own weary appearance, he hated Di Yelei even more.


    County Magistrate Su was a very observant person, and seeing Xin Quan¡¯s condition, he quickly offered him a hand: ¡°Lord Xin, please have a seat, don¡¯t discredit me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Xin Quan then got up and sat down in the seat across from Di Yelei.

 Chapter 493: Besieged on All Sides (Part 2)

    Chapter 493: Besieged on All Sides (Part 2)


    ¡°I say, Lord Di, even though you are now a respectable seventh-rank official, howe you don¡¯t have any servants with you?¡±


    ¡°And is your uniform so old because you haven¡¯t washed it in a long time? Why does it look so worn out?¡±


    He kept shaking his head with a tsk-tsk sound, pretending to sigh a few times. He then tugged at the luxurious clothes he was wearing.


    He deliberately dressed up today, wearing a snow-white fox fur coat, an outeryer of thick and shiny silk, dyed in a beautiful blue, entuating his already handsome face and adding a touch of elegance. In contrast to Di Yelei, who was sitting on the ground with a numb expression, they were obviously not in the same league.


    Di Yelei slightly raised his eyebrows to look at him, then tilted his head to focus on the entrance of the county government office, not even willing to give him a direct look.


    He had bought his official uniform in the government office for 50 taels of silver. At the time, there were no extra uniforms in stock at the office, leaving only this half-new and half-old one stored in a corner. With no other choice, he reluctantly paid for it. Perhaps it was due to being stored for too long, the colors appeared especially faded.


    Zhang Shixinughed proudly, walking even closer to Di Yelei and standing above him as he looked down.


    ¡°Huh? Lord Di, are you having hearing problems? You¡¯re ignoring and pretending not to hear me? I¡¯ve never heard of you having this kind of hidden condition before.¡±


    ¡°Get away! What kind of clown are you, hopping around here?¡±


    Di Yelei casually waved his hand as if he could brush away the annoying clown in front of him with a single sweep.


    ¡°You! How dare you, Di Yelei!? You actually have the nerve to call me a clown?¡±


    Zhang Shixin stomped his foot and pointed at Di Yelei while cursing.


    Di Yelei suddenly stood up from the stone steps, looked at him disdainfully with his hands crossed on his chest.


    ¡°What are you even? No matter what, I am a respectable seventh-ranked official. You have no merit nor official position. What right do you have to shout and be arrogant in front of me?¡±


    He stood with his hands behind his back, his hair slightly scattered by the wind, looking dignified and solemn. In that half-old government uniform, his face appeared even more authoritative, a far cry from the simple country boy he once was in Upper Vige.


    Zhang Shixin instinctively shrank his neck, a chill running down from the back of his mind, making him shudder. However, he quickly got over it, his face flushed.


    He had actually been intimidated by this country bumpkin just now! N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Taking another two steps forward, he tugged at his own fox fur coat, roaring angrily.


    ¡°You dare to call yourself an official with your pathetic sub-captain position? Don¡¯t forget, I am still your brother-inw, and now a distinguished eighth-rank instructor. You think I can¡¯t strip you of your dog skin with just one word?¡±


    Some days ago, when Gan Jiayou returned to his hometown and hurriedly left, he did not prefer Shen Qiu. After leaving, he arranged for Zhang Shixin to be an eighth-rank county instructor as a consideration for Shen Qiu.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t believe it. Do you want to give it a try?¡±


    Di Yelei suddenlyughed, revealing a bright and shiny row of white teeth!


    ¡°As for that so-called brother-inw, howe I, Di Yelei, don¡¯t remember having a sister? Even Lord Gan doesn¡¯t seem to have heard of his eldest miss. It seems that any random cat or dog, or even prostitutes and servants, are pretending to be the eldest misses, shamelessly!¡±


    Zhang Shixin could no longer hold his smile, ring at him with a ferocious expression!


    His lifelong hatred was people mentioning that Shen Qiu was an illegitimate child, and that even now, Gan Jiayou still refused to acknowledge Shen Qiu as his daughter! How could he not be angry when Di Yelei brought it up in this way?


    ¡°What are you damned fools doing? He¡¯s just a country bumpkin, if anything happens, I, Zhang Shixin, will take care of it! Get him! Beat him to death!¡±


    Themotion here had already attracted the attention of the pedestrians nearby. Seeing arge group of servants rushing towards the scene, they quickly dispersed and fled.


    Soon, this area in front of the government office, which was already avoided by passers-by, became even emptier, without a single bystander in sight.


    The noise here naturally rmed the two governmental office¡¯s runners nearby. The two looked at each other and quickly ran into the office to report.


    Seeing the situation going awry, Er Niu, who stood beside Di Yelei, hastily moved in front of him with a challenging stance, his legs trembling nheless.


    ¡°Who dares do anything? Our Old Master is a sub-captain, are you really not afraid of death?¡±


    He barked threateningly.


    A mocking look shed across Di Yelei¡¯s eyes as he took the horse whip from Er Niu¡¯s hand and pushed him behind himself.


    Taking two steps forward, Di Yelei spread his feet apart, bent the whip in his hand, and pointed casually.


    ¡°If they want tomit suicide, let theme! I really want to see if they dare or not!¡±


    This provocation instantly enraged Zhang Shixin!


    ¡°Attack! Beat him to death!¡±


    Zhang Shixin bellowed andmanded his men to approach Di Yelei.


    These servants were long ustomed to following orders, and with Zhang Shixin now holding an official position, their arrogance grew even more, not taking others seriously at all.


    They rushed towards Di Yelei one after another¡­


    Thump! Thump! Thump¡­


    The sound of fistsnding on flesh rang out. Before Zhang Shixin could understand what was happening before his eyes, the many servants in front of him vanished without a trace.


    He rubbed his eyes subconsciously, wanting to see more clearly!


    By the time his eyes were wide open again, the scene before him had changed drastically.


    Less than five feet from him, people were piled up like stacking arhats, their cries of pain echoing nonstop from the pile.


    Zhang Shixin shuddered and instinctively looked up to see the man who was still standing at the scene!


    Di Yelei still held the horse whip while pointing forward casually with his right hand. If there was any difference from before, it was that the whip was no longer bent; instead, it hung down to the ground, dragging a bloody trail, evidently having been dyed red with fresh blood!


    The man¡¯s face remained calm, looking at him with provocative eyes.


    Zhang Shixin kept rubbing his eyes in disbelief, mumbling to himself.


    ¡°Impossible! How can it be? It¡¯s impossible¡­¡±


    How could his opponent move so fast? There must be someone helping him!


    Right, there must be. Didn¡¯t he have a servant behind him?


    Standing behind Di Yelei, Er Niu could hardly believe his own eyes!


    Having followed Di Yelei for these days, witnessing his daily hard work between the armory and the government office, it was his first time discovering that Di Yelei had such incredible skills! How could he not be shaken!


    Di Yelei took two steps forward and chuckled lightly, ¡°So? Would you like to try it yourself?¡±


    These words made Zhang Shixin instinctively jump, almost turning to run. How could he be a match for such a fierce opponent!


    ¡°Stop! Everyone, stop!¡±


    At the moment when Zhang Shixin had no way out, the closed gate of the government office finally opened!

 Chapter 495: Besieged on All Sides (Part 4)

    Chapter 495: Besieged on All Sides (Part 4)


    County Magistrate Su also took the main seat, taking the lead in drinking two sips of hot tea before putting down the teacup and looking around at everyone.


    ¡°Today, it¡¯s rare for everyone to be here. We will have lunch in the backyardter. I have already ordered my wife to prepare the food, and everyone must eat and drink well¡­¡±


    ¡°Lord Su, Di didn¡¯te to have a meal today.¡±


    Di Yelei interrupted Su County Magistrate¡¯s words without waiting for him to finish. His expression was not good.


    Recently, he has been going to the county government every day to deal with the armory.


    In Macheng County, there have been no wars for nearly 30 years, so the armory has been left unattended for many years. When he took over, the wooden shelves that once held weapons had been eaten away by termites. Long spears without wooden handles were rusted, along with machetes, bows and arrows, crossbows, swords, halberds, forks, and iron chains. They were all badly damaged.


    Such weapons can¡¯t even kill chickens, let alone enemies.


    He checked the archives repeatedly and had to admire Sisi¡¯s foresight. Although he didn¡¯t recognize many words, he could still understand the general idea.


    Thest time to record the armory was more than a decade ago.


    The imperial court¡¯s financial support for the armory had been received by Xin Quan before and had all been embezzled by him, but he couldn¡¯t get a single dime from Xin Quan.


    Today, when he heard that Su County Magistrate didn¡¯t mention the main issue but talked about eating, he was furious and interrupted him immediately.


    ¡°Lord Su, you should know about Lord Xin¡¯s matter. I¡¯m not interested in the past events, but now that I am responsible for the armory, I can no longer let it be in such a state.¡±


    BANG!


    Across from him, Xin Quan put his teacup down heavily and frowned with a cold snort!


    ¡°You, surnamed Di, rify what you mean, are you saying I am not like a sub-captain?¡±


    Di Yelei nced at him indifferently, thinking that it would be better to offend Xin Quan sooner than to save himself the trouble.


    ¡°I dare not. I am deeply grateful to the Imperial Envoy for appointing me to this position. Naturally, I must be loyal and do what I should do for the well-being of the people. I dare not waste this opportunity and disappoint the favor of the Imperial Envoy.¡±


    As he spoke, he gave a fist greeting to the north.


    Xin Quan¡¯s face grew even uglier!


    ¡°Surnamed Di, don¡¯t think that by mentioning the Imperial Envoy, I will be afraid of you! The armory was handed over to you as it was when I was responsible for it. I cannot bear your usation.¡±


    ¡°Lord Xin, when dealing with the affairs of life, one must be worthy of the heavens, worthy of His Majesty, worthy of themon people, and worthy of one¡¯s conscience! As the saying goes, man does and heaven watches. I don¡¯t want to say more about it. Sir, you must hand over the funding recently granted by the imperial court!¡±


    ¡°Surnamed Di, don¡¯t think that because you are bigger, I, Xin Quan, will be afraid of you! Let me tell you, the imperial court has not allocated any money this year. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go to the city and ask for yourself to see if what I said is true!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ are talking nonsense. I saw the imperial funding allocated this year on the ount books. This is public money, and you dare to embezzle it?¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Di Yelei, Lord Di, you can¡¯t just talk nonsense without evidence! If you use me of embezzling the imperial grants, you better show evidence. If you can¡¯t show evidence, don¡¯t me me for suing you for defamation!¡±


    The two were ring at each other, face to face, as if they wanted to swallow each other.


    Upon seeing the situation, County Magistrate Su quickly got up to mediate, ¡°Both of you, listen to me!¡±


    Di Yelei looked back at the County Magistrate Su and softened his attitude. What he wanted was money, not anything else. If someone could mediate and get the money, he wouldn¡¯t mind the process.


    ¡°I say, Di, listen to me. I do know something about this. Back then¡­¡±


    County Magistrate Su nced at Xin Quan, and led Di Yelei to the other side.


    Left behind, Zhang Shixin looked at Xin Quan¡¯s angry face andughed! N?v(el)B\\jnn


    On Liu Sisi¡¯s side.


    Upon entering the courtyard, Ms. Zhao saw Elderly Mr. Di leaning against the room door, watching the children y, with a touch of warmth on his old face, and she couldn¡¯t help but choke up.


    ¡°Old man¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was slightly stunned, and it took him a while to turn back and look at Ms. Zhao who had entered.


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s face had tear marks. She quickly walked over to him and looked at the children still absorbed in their y.


    Ying¡¯er led the children in ying hopscotch. She had learned the game aftering to the small town and yed with her friends. Now, she was ying happily with several children, her face radiant with smiles.


    ¡°Back then, Dou and you were both this age, the first time I saw you, you were dragging Dou¡¯s hand and following her, not willing to leave her side.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di slowly spoke, taking a long time to say a sentence.


    He turned back and looked at Ms. Zhao, who was also lost in thought, his face showing an odd glow.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case? My family was poor at that time, so my mother would always send me to my cousin¡¯s house to y. Although it was said to be ying, it was actually to save a few meals for my family. I saw you by ident that day.¡±


    Ms. Zhao wiped her tears gently.


    Elderly Mr. Di also fell into thought and didn¡¯t interrupt Ms. Zhao¡¯s words.


    Ms. Zhao narrated her childhood memories intermittently: ¡°¡­My cousin was very kind to me. At that time, I just thought how great it would be to follow my cousin for a lifetime. Until one year, you suddenly appeared. I didn¡¯t understand what marriage meant at that time, but when my mother told me that you were the one who would apany my cousin for life, I was inexplicably moved.¡±


    A strange smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°She was really good to you, even better to you than me. But in the end, she was ruined by you. Why did you hurt her? Why? Tell me!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di suddenly knocked on his crutch and questioned Ms. Zhao.


    There were tears in his eyes as he stared at Ms. Zhao, his face full of deep wrinkles.

 Chapter 496: Besieged on All Sides (Part 5)

    Chapter 496: Besieged on All Sides (Part 5)


    ¡°I didn¡¯t! I really didn¡¯t harm her, you have to believe me!¡±


    Ms. Zhao roared in exhaustion.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill Brother Ren, but Brother Ren died because of you. Her death is hard for you to escape responsibility! Hmph!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di finished speaking, coldly snorted, then entered the room with his crutch, ignoring Ms. Zhao behind him.


    Ms. Zhao desperately knocked on the door, crying loudly: ¡°Old man! Old man, how can you be so cruel¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop howling, it¡¯s no use.¡±


    Behind her, azy voice came, but it suddenly ignited a glint of hope in Ms. Zhao¡¯s eyes.


    She suddenly turned around, threw herself in front of Liu Sisi, grabbed her cor, and violently shook her.


    ¡°Do you have a way? You must have a way? Please tell me, tell me what the way is! Tell me quickly¡­¡±


    She shook Liu Sisi¡¯s body crazily, not stopping, making Liu Sisi¡¯s head dizzy.


    Ms. Gao and Granny Hu were behind them, shocked and hurriedly came forward to grab Liu Sisi.


    Granny Hu forcefully pulled Ms. Zhao¡¯s arm, shouting angrily: ¡°Hey! What are you doing? Let go of our Madam! Let go, Madam¡­¡±


    Ms. Gao also cried out in panic: ¡°Madam! Old Madam, please let go, Old Madam¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was furious!


    The feeling of being grabbed and almost lifted by the cor made her subconsciously raise her foot and kick Ms. Zhao in the lower abdomen.


    Ms. Zhao felt a sudden pain in her lower abdomen!


    Instinctively releasing her grip and covering her stomach, she let out a miserable scream.


    Ms. Gao and Granny Hu took the opportunity to pull Ms. Zhao¡¯s hand away, finally saving Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi coughed several times, her face tearful and panting heavily.


    Unexpectedly, while Ms. Zhao looked weak, her grip was surprisingly strong, nearly tearing Liu Sisi¡¯s cor.


    Elderly Mr. Di, who had originally entered the room, heard themotion outside and opened the door to look out, seeing the situation in front of him, and immediately became furious!


    ¡°You troublemaker, get out of here! Get out! You¡¯re not wee here!¡±


    He raised his crutch and waved it several times, scaring Liu Sisi into quickly holding onto his arm.


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be angry! She didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao then realized that her actions were too aggressive and stood there with no idea what to do.


    ¡°I¡­ I really didn¡¯t mean it, not on purpose¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was so angry that he panted, pointed at her and yelled: ¡°Last time you ¡®identally¡¯¡­ took away her life, this time you¡¯re ¡®not on purpose¡¯ again, how many more people do you want to harm? Get out! What sins did I, Di Defu,mit in my previous life¡­ to have remarried you, such a¡­ troublemaker! Get out, get out of here!¡±


    He spoke brokenly, raising his crutch to strike her several times.


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave! If you beat me to death, I won¡¯t leave!¡± Ms. Zhao stood stubbornly, taking several blows from him.


    ¡°Fine, you won¡¯t leave? I¡¯ll write a divorce letter, and divorce you, poisonous woman!¡±


    Liu Sisi could see that Elderly Mr. Di was determined to divorce his wife.


    Ms. Zhao was also determined. She refused to leave after being beaten by Elderly Mr. Di, and instead threw herself at his feet, firmly holding onto his thigh and refusing to let go.


    ¡°Go ahead, hit me! Hit me to death! Anyway, I don¡¯t want to live anymore. When I die, I¡¯ll go apologize to my cousin. It¡¯s my fault, I¡¯m sorry for her, I was possessed by evil thoughts at that moment¡­ Old man! If you really divorce me, you might as well give me a rope, so I can go hang myself from a crooked-necked tree. Old man¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao cried with snot and tears, and she knew this was herst chance.


    Elderly Mr. Di tried to retract his foot, but after several attempts, he couldn¡¯t pull his thigh out. He closed his eyes in pain, and eventually couldn¡¯t bring himself to hit her with his crutch anymore. He turned his head away and refused to speak.


    Liu Sisi was watching it all closely.


    It wasn¡¯t that her father-inw had no feelings for Ms. Zhao ¨C perhaps he was just disappointed with her?


    Indeed, Ms. Zhao¡¯s mistake was unintentional!


    But the punishment she deserved couldn¡¯t be spared. Otherwise, she mightmit the same mistake again and harm the child in her stomach!


    A glint shed in her eyes, and a n formed in her heart.


    ¡°Father! It was unintentional for my mother-inw just now. Since she knows her mistake, I believe we should give her a chance to repent,¡± said Liu Sisi softly, a shallow smile on her face, making people feelfortable at first nce.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Sisi is right, old man! I really know I¡¯m wrong, please have mercy and forgive me! I¡¯ll never dare again, I really know I¡¯m wrong!¡± Ms. Zhao enthusiastically agreed with Liu Sisi, nodding her head constantly.


    Elderly Mr. Di sighed in resignation.


    Ever since Liu Sisi married into the Di Family, the family¡¯s days have only gotten better. Naturally, he was satisfied with his daughter-inw.


    But to let him simply forgive Ms. Zhao ¨C not to mention others ¨C even he couldn¡¯t ovee his feelings.


    ¡°Sisi, you don¡¯t know¡­ she¡­ this woman is just a headache. You should ask for mercy for her, and father should give you a favor. But¡­ sigh! Don¡¯t plead for her. She¡¯s not worth it!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di refused for the first time, turning his head to look away from his daughter-inw.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze quickly swept over Ms. Zhao¡¯s face, watching her expression drain of color. Sisi felt joy in her heart.


    Now you know it¡¯s not easy, huh? What were you doing before?


    However, for the sake of Di Yelei¡¯s reputation, Elderly Mr. Di and Ms. Zhao must not divorce or be abandoned.


    ¡°Father, hear me out! After I finish speaking, if you still think that what I said won¡¯t work, we can think of something else, okay?¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    After struggling for a long time, Elderly Mr. Di sighed deeply and nodded his head.


    ¡°Fine, go ahead and speak.¡±


    Ms. Zhao gratefully looked at Liu Sisi, who silently sneered at her.


    Father-inw is right! It¡¯s true that Ms. Zhao didn¡¯t kill mother-inw, but mother-inw died because of her! How can she let her off so easily?


    How to make up for all the suffering Ye Lei has endured since childhood?


    She will make her pay back everything that she owes, one by one!


    Her mouth slowly raised, bringing up two shallow dimples, her eyes sweeping over Ms. Zhao on the ground before she raised her head and smiled at her father-inw.


    ¡°Father, this is what I think: Since mother-inw also knows that it was her wrongdoing back then, why not let her¡­¡±

 Chapter 495: 495: Besieged on All Sides (Part 4)

    Chapter 495: Besieged on All Sides (Part 4)


    County Magistrate Su also took the main seat, taking the lead in drinking two sips of hot tea before putting down the teacup and looking around at everyone.


    ¡°Today, it¡¯s rare for everyone to be here. We will have lunch in the backyardter. I have already ordered my wife to prepare the food, and everyone must eat and drink well¡­¡±


    ¡°Lord Su, Di didn¡¯te to have a meal today.¡±


    Di Yelei interrupted Su County Magistrate¡¯s words without waiting for him to finish. His expression was not good.


    Recently, he has been going to the county government every day to deal with the armory.


    In Macheng County, there have been no wars for nearly 30 years, so the armory has been left unattended for many years. When he took over, the wooden shelves that once held weapons had been eaten away by termites. Long spears without wooden handles were rusted, along with machetes, bows and arrows, crossbows, swords, halberds, forks, and iron chains. They were all badly damaged.


    Such weapons can¡¯t even kill chickens, let alone enemies.


    He checked the archives repeatedly and had to admire Sisi¡¯s foresight. Although he didn¡¯t recognize many words, he could still understand the general idea.


    Thest time to record the armory was more than a decade ago.


    The imperial court¡¯s financial support for the armory had been received by Xin Quan before and had all been embezzled by him, but he couldn¡¯t get a single dime from Xin Quan.


    Today, when he heard that Su County Magistrate didn¡¯t mention the main issue but talked about eating, he was furious and interrupted him immediately.<div>


    ¡°Lord Su, you should know about Lord Xin¡¯s matter. I¡¯m not interested in the past events, but now that I am responsible for the armory, I can no longer let it be in such a state.¡±


    BANG!


    Across from him, Xin Quan put his teacup down heavily and frowned with a cold snort!


    ¡°You, surnamed Di, rify what you mean, are you saying I am not like a sub-captain?¡±


    Di Yelei nced at him indifferently, thinking that it would be better to offend Xin Quan sooner than to save himself the trouble.


    ¡°I dare not. I am deeply grateful to the Imperial Envoy for appointing me to this position. Naturally, I must be loyal and do what I should do for the well-being of the people. I dare not waste this opportunity and disappoint the favor of the Imperial Envoy.¡±


    As he spoke, he gave a fist greeting to the north.


    Xin Quan¡¯s face grew even uglier!


    ¡°Surnamed Di, don¡¯t think that by mentioning the Imperial Envoy, I will be afraid of you! The armory was handed over to you as it was when I was responsible for it. I cannot bear your usation.¡±


    ¡°Lord Xin, when dealing with the affairs of life, one must be worthy of the heavens, worthy of His Majesty, worthy of themon people, and worthy of one¡¯s conscience! As the saying goes, man does and heaven watches. I don¡¯t want to say more about it. Sir, you must hand over the funding recently granted by the imperial court!¡±


    ¡°Surnamed Di, don¡¯t think that because you are bigger, I, Xin Quan, will be afraid of you! Let me tell you, the imperial court has not allocated any money this year. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go to the city and ask for yourself to see if what I said is true!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ are talking nonsense. I saw the imperial funding allocated this year on the ount books. This is public money, and you dare to embezzle it?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Hehe! Di Yelei, Lord Di, you can¡¯t just talk nonsense without evidence! If you use me of embezzling the imperial grants, you better show evidence. If you can¡¯t show evidence, don¡¯t me me for suing you for defamation!¡±


    The two were ring at each other, face to face, as if they wanted to swallow each other.


    Upon seeing the situation, County Magistrate Su quickly got up to mediate, ¡°Both of you, listen to me!¡±


    Di Yelei looked back at the County Magistrate Su and softened his attitude. What he wanted was money, not anything else. If someone could mediate and get the money, he wouldn¡¯t mind the process.


    ¡°I say, Di, listen to me. I do know something about this. Back then¡­¡±


    County Magistrate Su nced at Xin Quan, and led Di Yelei to the other side.


    Left behind, Zhang Shixin looked at Xin Quan¡¯s angry face andughed!<div>


    On Liu Sisi¡¯s side.


    Upon entering the courtyard, Ms. Zhao saw Elderly Mr. Di leaning against the room door, watching the children y, with a touch of warmth on his old face, and she couldn¡¯t help but choke up.


    ¡°Old man¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was slightly stunned, and it took him a while to turn back and look at Ms. Zhao who had entered.<div>


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s face had tear marks. She quickly walked over to him and looked at the children still absorbed in their y.


    Ying¡¯er led the children in ying hopscotch. She had learned the game aftering to the small town and yed with her friends. Now, she was ying happily with several children, her face radiant with smiles.


    ¡°Back then, Dou and you were both this age, the first time I saw you, you were dragging Dou¡¯s hand and following her, not willing to leave her side.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di slowly spoke, taking a long time to say a sentence.


    He turned back and looked at Ms. Zhao, who was also lost in thought, his face showing an odd glow.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case? My family was poor at that time, so my mother would always send me to my cousin¡¯s house to y. Although it was said to be ying, it was actually to save a few meals for my family. I saw you by ident that day.¡±


    Ms. Zhao wiped her tears gently.


    Elderly Mr. Di also fell into thought and didn¡¯t interrupt Ms. Zhao¡¯s words.


    Ms. Zhao narrated her childhood memories intermittently: ¡°¡­My cousin was very kind to me. At that time, I just thought how great it would be to follow my cousin for a lifetime. Until one year, you suddenly appeared. I didn¡¯t understand what marriage meant at that time, but when my mother told me that you were the one who would apany my cousin for life, I was inexplicably moved.¡±


    A strange smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°She was really good to you, even better to you than me. But in the end, she was ruined by you. Why did you hurt her? Why? Tell me!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di suddenly knocked on his crutch and questioned Ms. Zhao.


    There were tears in his eyes as he stared at Ms. Zhao, his face full of deep wrinkles.<div>

 Chapter 496: 496: Besieged on All Sides (Part 5)

    Chapter 496: Besieged on All Sides (Part 5)


    ¡°I didn¡¯t! I really didn¡¯t harm her, you have to believe me!¡±


    Ms. Zhao roared in exhaustion.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill Brother Ren, but Brother Ren died because of you. Her death is hard for you to escape responsibility! Hmph!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di finished speaking, coldly snorted, then entered the room with his crutch, ignoring Ms. Zhao behind him.


    Ms. Zhao desperately knocked on the door, crying loudly: ¡°Old man! Old man, how can you be so cruel¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop howling, it¡¯s no use.¡±


    Behind her, azy voice came, but it suddenly ignited a glint of hope in Ms. Zhao¡¯s eyes.


    She suddenly turned around, threw herself in front of Liu Sisi, grabbed her cor, and violently shook her.


    ¡°Do you have a way? You must have a way? Please tell me, tell me what the way is! Tell me quickly¡­¡±


    She shook Liu Sisi¡¯s body crazily, not stopping, making Liu Sisi¡¯s head dizzy.


    Ms. Gao and Granny Hu were behind them, shocked and hurriedly came forward to grab Liu Sisi.<div>


    Granny Hu forcefully pulled Ms. Zhao¡¯s arm, shouting angrily: ¡°Hey! What are you doing? Let go of our Madam! Let go, Madam¡­¡±


    Ms. Gao also cried out in panic: ¡°Madam! Old Madam, please let go, Old Madam¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was furious!


    The feeling of being grabbed and almost lifted by the cor made her subconsciously raise her foot and kick Ms. Zhao in the lower abdomen.


    Ms. Zhao felt a sudden pain in her lower abdomen!


    Instinctively releasing her grip and covering her stomach, she let out a miserable scream.


    Ms. Gao and Granny Hu took the opportunity to pull Ms. Zhao¡¯s hand away, finally saving Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi coughed several times, her face tearful and panting heavily.


    Unexpectedly, while Ms. Zhao looked weak, her grip was surprisingly strong, nearly tearing Liu Sisi¡¯s cor.


    Elderly Mr. Di, who had originally entered the room, heard themotion outside and opened the door to look out, seeing the situation in front of him, and immediately became furious!


    ¡°You troublemaker, get out of here! Get out! You¡¯re not wee here!¡±


    He raised his crutch and waved it several times, scaring Liu Sisi into quickly holding onto his arm.


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be angry! She didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao then realized that her actions were too aggressive and stood there with no idea what to do.


    ¡°I¡­ I really didn¡¯t mean it, not on purpose¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was so angry that he panted, pointed at her and yelled: ¡°Last time you ¡®identally¡¯¡­ took away her life, this time you¡¯re ¡®not on purpose¡¯ again, how many more people do you want to harm? Get out! What sins did I, Di Defu,mit in my previous life¡­ to have remarried you, such a¡­ troublemaker! Get out, get out of here!¡±


    He spoke brokenly, raising his crutch to strike her several times.


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave! If you beat me to death, I won¡¯t leave!¡± Ms. Zhao stood stubbornly, taking several blows from him.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Fine, you won¡¯t leave? I¡¯ll write a divorce letter, and divorce you, poisonous woman!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi could see that Elderly Mr. Di was determined to divorce his wife.


    Ms. Zhao was also determined. She refused to leave after being beaten by Elderly Mr. Di, and instead threw herself at his feet, firmly holding onto his thigh and refusing to let go.


    ¡°Go ahead, hit me! Hit me to death! Anyway, I don¡¯t want to live anymore. When I die, I¡¯ll go apologize to my cousin. It¡¯s my fault, I¡¯m sorry for her, I was possessed by evil thoughts at that moment¡­ Old man! If you really divorce me, you might as well give me a rope, so I can go hang myself from a crooked-necked tree. Old man¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao cried with snot and tears, and she knew this was herst chance.<div>


    Elderly Mr. Di tried to retract his foot, but after several attempts, he couldn¡¯t pull his thigh out. He closed his eyes in pain, and eventually couldn¡¯t bring himself to hit her with his crutch anymore. He turned his head away and refused to speak.


    Liu Sisi was watching it all closely.


    It wasn¡¯t that her father-inw had no feelings for Ms. Zhao ¨C perhaps he was just disappointed with her?


    Indeed, Ms. Zhao¡¯s mistake was unintentional!


    But the punishment she deserved couldn¡¯t be spared. Otherwise, she mightmit the same mistake again and harm the child in her stomach!


    A glint shed in her eyes, and a n formed in her heart.


    ¡°Father! It was unintentional for my mother-inw just now. Since she knows her mistake, I believe we should give her a chance to repent,¡± said Liu Sisi softly, a shallow smile on her face, making people feelfortable at first nce.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Sisi is right, old man! I really know I¡¯m wrong, please have mercy and forgive me! I¡¯ll never dare again, I really know I¡¯m wrong!¡± Ms. Zhao enthusiastically agreed with Liu Sisi, nodding her head constantly.


    Elderly Mr. Di sighed in resignation.


    Ever since Liu Sisi married into the Di Family, the family¡¯s days have only gotten better. Naturally, he was satisfied with his daughter-inw.


    But to let him simply forgive Ms. Zhao ¨C not to mention others ¨C even he couldn¡¯t ovee his feelings.


    ¡°Sisi, you don¡¯t know¡­ she¡­ this woman is just a headache. You should ask for mercy for her, and father should give you a favor. But¡­ sigh! Don¡¯t plead for her. She¡¯s not worth it!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di refused for the first time, turning his head to look away from his daughter-inw.<div>


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze quickly swept over Ms. Zhao¡¯s face, watching her expression drain of color. Sisi felt joy in her heart.


    Now you know it¡¯s not easy, huh? What were you doing before?


    However, for the sake of Di Yelei¡¯s reputation, Elderly Mr. Di and Ms. Zhao must not divorce or be abandoned.


    ¡°Father, hear me out! After I finish speaking, if you still think that what I said won¡¯t work, we can think of something else, okay?¡±


    After struggling for a long time, Elderly Mr. Di sighed deeply and nodded his head.


    ¡°Fine, go ahead and speak.¡±


    Ms. Zhao gratefully looked at Liu Sisi, who silently sneered at her.


    Father-inw is right! It¡¯s true that Ms. Zhao didn¡¯t kill mother-inw, but mother-inw died because of her! How can she let her off so easily?


    How to make up for all the suffering Ye Lei has endured since childhood?


    She will make her pay back everything that she owes, one by one!


    Her mouth slowly raised, bringing up two shallow dimples, her eyes sweeping over Ms. Zhao on the ground before she raised her head and smiled at her father-inw.


    ¡°Father, this is what I think: Since mother-inw also knows that it was her wrongdoing back then, why not let her¡­¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 497: 497: Besieged on All Sides (Part 6)

    Chapter 497: Besieged on All Sides (Part 6)


    In the governmental office.


    From behind, Xin Quan¡¯s intermittent curses still rang out, making Di Yelei¡¯s face ck as the bottom of a pot.


    His fist clenched and then loosened, loosened and then clenched, just barely holding back the anger surging in his heart!


    County Magistrate Su, who was patting his shoulder,ughed loudly: ¡°Brother Di, don¡¯t be angry. Isn¡¯t Xin Quan relying on his uncle, who holds the position of Garrison Commander in Gongzhou, to do whatever he pleases? Hmph! Does he really think everyone is afraid of him?¡±


    His words, rather than criticizing Xin Quan, were informing Di Yelei that there was a Garrison Commander behind Xin Quan.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face grew even darker, gritting his teeth and saying, ¡°Even if his uncle is a Minister, the money from the armory allocated by the court this year must be coughed up!¡±


    He also threw a soft nail back at them, neither too gentle nor too harsh.


    Isn¡¯t the current Minister Sisi¡¯s god-grandfather?


    He originally didn¡¯t want to bring up the other party, but the other party pressed him step by step. Di Yelei was not raised without knowing adversity. Borrowing the god-grandfather¡¯s name would do no harm!


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, how could he forget this matter?


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the other party was the god-granddaughter of the current Minister, would he have been so tolerant?<div>


    The intricate rtionships in officialdom made people¡¯s heads ache!


    One must be careful not to make a wrong move, lest they inadvertently offend someone¡¯s little brother¡¯s aunt¡¯s cousin¡¯s neighbor or something like that, so they must tread cautiously, making sure not to make any mistakes!


    ¡°Brother Di, you can¡¯t talk like that! As for the silver allocated by the court, as far as I know, there really isn¡¯t much. Come on, Brother Di, sit down, it¡¯s not toote to talk about it further when we sit down.¡±


    County Magistrate Su pointed to the pavilion beside the corridor and the stone stool, gesturing for Di Yelei to sit down.


    Di Yelei did not refuse, casually sitting down on the stone stool and waving at County Magistrate Su.


    ¡°Brother Su, you don¡¯t have to try to defend him anymore! I have also seen the funds allocated by the court, there are as many as 10,000 taels. How can you say there¡¯s not much?¡±


    ¡°Brother Di, you only know half the story.¡±


    County Magistrate Su also sat down on the stone stool opposite him: ¡°The court¡¯s order dide down with 10,000 taels, that¡¯s true. However, from the capital to the local level, each time it passes through someone¡¯s hand, they take a cut as tribute. Layer uponyer of government exploiting and as such, when it finally arrives in our county, there¡¯s nowhere near 10,000 taels left. If we can get two or three hundred taels to subsidize us and distribute it to our brothers, it¡¯s already like our ancestors have umted virtue and burned incense¡­¡±


    While saying this, County Magistrate Su sighed, ¡°¡­ Outsiders only see us officials full of prestige, but who can understand our misery? Who can imagine that we worry every day about when our heads might go missing?¡±


    As he spoke, he even pointed to the person on his neck.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was cold with a sneer!


    No matter how eloquent the other party was, he remained unmoved, looking at him indifferently.


    ¡°Brother Su, are you finished? If you¡¯re finished, I should go to the front to see what¡¯s going on.¡± With that, he stood up from the stone stool and walked towards the pavilion¡¯s exit.


    County Magistrate Su was annoyed, had he been talking for nothing all this time?


    ¡°Hey! You, I say you¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I the Official did remember something.¡±


    Di Yelei turned back to look at County Magistrate Su with a knowing look on his face: ¡°I can¡¯t control what¡¯s happening to others, but as long as the court¡¯s ounts show 10,000 taels, I, Di Yelei, will acknowledge it as 10,000 taels and nothing else concerns me! Brother Su, please excuse me!¡±


    After saying that, he casually gave a fist greeting and strode towards the back hall of the county government.


    Left behind, County Magistrate Su slowly stood up, his face gloomy as he watched Di Yelei¡¯s retreating back, a fierce cold smile spread across his face.<div>


    ¡°Well, Di Yelei, you don¡¯t listen when I speak kindly, so let¡¯s see how long you can remain stubborn as I force you to drink the wine of punishment!¡±


    After Di Yelei returned to the back hall of the county government, he searched for Xin Quan but couldn¡¯t find any trace of him.


    Unable to restrain himself, he asked an old acquaintance about Xin Quan¡¯s whereabouts and learned that Xin Quan had left the county government with Zhang Shixin, one following the other, shortly after Di had left and their whereabouts were unknown.


    Damn it! He let him slip away again!<div>


    It seemed tomorrow he¡¯d have to go to Xin Quan¡¯s residence and wait for him again!


    However, when did Xin Quan and Zhang Shixin start working together? Di Yelei frowned, feeling that Zhang Shixin was no good!


    Tired after a long day and feeling disheartened, Di Yelei returned to the armory. He stared at the rusted iron door still covered in tendrils of climbing vines, scratched his nose, then dismounted and led his horse through the side door.


    As soon as he entered, the noisy mor once again came from the nearby t-roofed house.


    ¡°Quick! Quick! Show your cards!¡±


    ¡°Stake your bets and don¡¯t let go, stake your bets and don¡¯t let go!¡±


    ¡°Deal the cards, deal the cards, and don¡¯t dawdle¡­¡±


    He closed his eyes, casually tossed the horse whip to Er Niu behind him and bent down to enter the t-roofed house on the other side.


    In the room, the few remaining weapons were neatly arranged, covered in tung oil and ced on the weapon shelves.


    These were the few useful weapons that Di Yelei managed to rescue and concentrate herest time.


    Seeing Di Yelei enter, Da Niu, who was wiping the weapons, quickly stood up: ¡°Old Master.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, anything special happen today?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Di Yelei casually sat down and picked up a long spear lying beside him to give it a flick!<div>


    The spear tip shed coldly, and the entire silver spear transformed into a snake, suddenlying to life and shooting out several flowers in the air, coiling and pointing diagonally! Emitting a faint trill, the trembling ¡°buzz¡± lingered for a long time!


    This scene left Da Niu and Er Niu dumbstruck! The two only felt a cold sh in front of their eyes, as if the silver snake had rushed directly at them.


    ¡°Good! Lord Di¡¯s martial arts are truly extraordinary!¡±


    Outside the door came a voice of praise, and the three quickly turned around only to see Old Tang walking in from outside, pping his thin, withered hands loosely.


    ¡°Old Tang, you tter me.¡±


    Di Yelei quickly put down the silver spear and greeted Old Tang with a fist.


    ¡°No, no¡­ it¡¯s just a pity, such a pity!¡± Old Man Tang shook his head and swayed as he spoke.


    ¡°Old Tang, what do you mean?¡±


    Old Man Tang¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Nowadays, the world is at peace, and there has been no war in Macheng County for many years. Lord Di has great skills but no chance to serve the court. Isn¡¯t that a pity?¡±


    So that¡¯s what he meant! Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help butugh!


    ¡°Old Tang, you¡¯re wrong there. Since there¡¯s been no war in Macheng County for many years, don¡¯t ourmon people live and work in peace and contentment?¡±

 Chapter 498: 498: Besieged on All Sides (Part 7)

    Chapter 498: Besieged on All Sides (Part 7)


    ¡°In your spare time, wouldn¡¯t it be better for Ye Lei to asionally go hunting in the mountains, catching small animals and such?¡±


    ¡°But are you willing?¡± Old Tangughed.


    His words left Di Yelei speechless. Was he willing?


    ¡°Or have you never thought of doing something great and glorious?¡±


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrow in surprise.


    ¡°Willing or not, is it not so? In Ye Lei¡¯s view, being able to protect my wife, children, and elders is enough for this life!¡±


    Old Tang stared at him for a while, his bean-sized eyes fixed on Di Yelei¡¯s. After seeing the rity in his eyes, a sh of disappointment quickly flickered across Old Tang¡¯s face, so fast that it disappeared before anyone could catch it.


    ¡°Good! Very good! Protecting your family and elders does not make you any less of a real man. Good!¡±


    Old Tang did not say anything else, but went to the side and began cleaning weapons.


    Di Yelei raised an eyebrow, sensing unfinished implications in Old Tang¡¯s words but unable to pinpoint their meaning.


    So he shook his head and dropped the subject.<div>


    In the afternoon, Di Yelei called Old Tang and entrusted him with the 1,000 taels of silver from the universal exchange Baoli Bank.


    ¡°Old Tang, you are an elder here. Besides entrusting you with this money, I don¡¯t know who else I can trust.¡±


    ¡°If Lord Sub-Captain doesn¡¯t mind my spending your kindness, go ahead and hand it over to me.¡±


    Old Tang epted the banknote, nced at it, and immediately raised his head in surprise: ¡°Huh? This¡­ is this money from your own family, Lord Di?¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Di Yelei was shocked. He hadn¡¯t expected Old Tang to be able to recognize it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to guess. If this were funds allocated by the government, the Order Letter on the banknote would not look like this.¡±


    Di Yelei: ¡°¡­¡±


    By the time Di Yelei left the city gate, the drawbridge of the county city was about to be pulled up.


    Today, it was clearly half an hourter than usual. He had received the 1,000 taels of silver from Liu Sisi earlier, which made him lose track of the time and dyed his departure.


    The three of them rode fast horses along the official road, speeding towards home. By the time they turned off the official road and onto the main road to the small town, it had gradually started to darken.


    The main road to the small town passed through a narrow pass, with cliffs on both sides rising dozens of feet high and a narrow path running through the bottom of the cliff. Beyond the pass down the road, there were towering mountains on one side and steep cliffs several dozen feet high on the other. This ce was also the prime location for the most notorious bandits to stage robberies.


    As they passed through this area, Di Yelei and the other two riders did not slow down, continuing to gallop forward at full speed.


    Unexpectedly, the red horse running in front suddenly stumbled, causing the horse to let out a long neigh and tumble forward. Di Yelei, who was on horseback, also pitched forward, falling directly to the ground.


    Right after, Da Niu and Er Niu, who were following close behind, arrived and, unable to stop, they also tumbled to the ground.


    Just as the three of them fell, a rumbling sound emanated from the slopes on both sides. Di Yelei leapt to his feet like a carp jumping out of the water, only to see countless rocks rolling down from the cliffs on either side, withrge stones tumbling and making rumbling noises.


    Along with the rumbling sound of therge stones rolling, the sound of arrows cutting through the air could also be heard.


    This was the sound of arrows piercing the air!


    As a hunter, Di Yelei gasped for breath! Who was trying to kill them? But at this moment, he had no time to think about it and instinctively let out a loud shout.<div>


    ¡°Watch out! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    With his cry, Di Yelei was anxious as he grabbed the jujube red horse with a broken front leg and swung it¡­


    Whoosh whoosh whoosh!


    The sound of three consecutive arrows came closer, hitting the horse he had swung.<div>


    As the huge rocks thundered down the hillside, Di Yelei could not care about anything else and unleashed his powerfulbat strength. He shouted loudly as he grabbed Da Niu and Er Niu and threw them forward: ¡°Run!¡±


    Da Niu and Er Niu, who had never seen such a scenario, fell to the ground and took a while to get up.


    Just at this moment, three more arrows came whistling through the air, aimed directly at where he was standing. It was clear that he was the target!


    Di Yelei no longer paid attention to anything else but rolled to the side, barely avoiding the arrows as theynded in his previous spot with their fletching shaking.


    Da Niu and Er Niu scrambled up from the ground, their courage already shattered by the scene before them.


    The giant rocks kept falling from mid-air and crashing down onto the main road, making thudding sounds.


    Di Yelei moved quickly, dodging the falling rocks with all his might while feeling a sense of horror deep inside.


    Today, he feared that his life would be lost here!


    He dashed from left to right, sparing no effort in dodging the falling rocks. He felt his strength constantly declining, and the narrow terrain added to the difficulty of his evasion.


    This wouldn¡¯t do! He had to fight!


    Once again, he dashed forward, coiling his whip and climbing dozens of feet within a short span. It scared the people on the cliff.


    He could see clearly! There were two bows and arrows on this side of the hill, and one on the opposite side!


    ¡°Hurry! Shoot the arrows!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn<div>


    Just as the shouting came from above, Di Yelei was already near the assants. He whipped out his leather whip and dragged the archer down from the cliff.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡±


    The man¡¯s deathly screams frightened everyone!


    But before they could react, Di Yelei had already moved through their ranks. People hadn¡¯t even had time to counterattack before his figure passed by¡­


    He reached out and grabbed the opponent¡¯s head with one hand, twisting and breaking their neck. Another person raised a knife to attack, but with a single punch, he smashed their skull, sttering blood everywhere¡­


    In just a few breaths, he was the only one left standing on the hill!


    Whoosh!


    As the sound of the arrow broke through the air, he turned and caught an arrow barely avoiding the one aimed at him.


    He spun around, angrily staring at the opposing cliffside, only to see another archer on the other side readying another arrow.


    Quickly, he rolled to the side, grabbing a fallen bow and arrow from the ground and hiding behind a protruding stone. With practiced skill, he drew the bow and shot the arrow, hitting the archer directly in the forehead and sending them tumbling down the cliff.


    Everyone was terrified and could no longer care about anything else, wishing they had extra legs and scattered in all directions!

 Chapter 497: Besieged on All Sides (Part 6)

    Chapter 497: Besieged on All Sides (Part 6)


    In the governmental office. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    From behind, Xin Quan¡¯s intermittent curses still rang out, making Di Yelei¡¯s face ck as the bottom of a pot.


    His fist clenched and then loosened, loosened and then clenched, just barely holding back the anger surging in his heart!


    County Magistrate Su, who was patting his shoulder,ughed loudly: ¡°Brother Di, don¡¯t be angry. Isn¡¯t Xin Quan relying on his uncle, who holds the position of Garrison Commander in Gongzhou, to do whatever he pleases? Hmph! Does he really think everyone is afraid of him?¡±


    His words, rather than criticizing Xin Quan, were informing Di Yelei that there was a Garrison Commander behind Xin Quan.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face grew even darker, gritting his teeth and saying, ¡°Even if his uncle is a Minister, the money from the armory allocated by the court this year must be coughed up!¡±


    He also threw a soft nail back at them, neither too gentle nor too harsh.


    Isn¡¯t the current Minister Sisi¡¯s god-grandfather?


    He originally didn¡¯t want to bring up the other party, but the other party pressed him step by step. Di Yelei was not raised without knowing adversity. Borrowing the god-grandfather¡¯s name would do no harm!


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, how could he forget this matter?


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the other party was the god-granddaughter of the current Minister, would he have been so tolerant?


    The intricate rtionships in officialdom made people¡¯s heads ache!


    One must be careful not to make a wrong move, lest they inadvertently offend someone¡¯s little brother¡¯s aunt¡¯s cousin¡¯s neighbor or something like that, so they must tread cautiously, making sure not to make any mistakes!


    ¡°Brother Di, you can¡¯t talk like that! As for the silver allocated by the court, as far as I know, there really isn¡¯t much. Come on, Brother Di, sit down, it¡¯s not toote to talk about it further when we sit down.¡±


    County Magistrate Su pointed to the pavilion beside the corridor and the stone stool, gesturing for Di Yelei to sit down.


    Di Yelei did not refuse, casually sitting down on the stone stool and waving at County Magistrate Su.


    ¡°Brother Su, you don¡¯t have to try to defend him anymore! I have also seen the funds allocated by the court, there are as many as 10,000 taels. How can you say there¡¯s not much?¡±


    ¡°Brother Di, you only know half the story.¡±


    County Magistrate Su also sat down on the stone stool opposite him: ¡°The court¡¯s order dide down with 10,000 taels, that¡¯s true. However, from the capital to the local level, each time it passes through someone¡¯s hand, they take a cut as tribute. Layer uponyer of government exploiting and as such, when it finally arrives in our county, there¡¯s nowhere near 10,000 taels left. If we can get two or three hundred taels to subsidize us and distribute it to our brothers, it¡¯s already like our ancestors have umted virtue and burned incense¡­¡±


    While saying this, County Magistrate Su sighed, ¡°¡­ Outsiders only see us officials full of prestige, but who can understand our misery? Who can imagine that we worry every day about when our heads might go missing?¡±


    As he spoke, he even pointed to the person on his neck.


    Di Yelei¡¯s face was cold with a sneer!


    No matter how eloquent the other party was, he remained unmoved, looking at him indifferently.


    ¡°Brother Su, are you finished? If you¡¯re finished, I should go to the front to see what¡¯s going on.¡± With that, he stood up from the stone stool and walked towards the pavilion¡¯s exit.


    County Magistrate Su was annoyed, had he been talking for nothing all this time?


    ¡°Hey! You, I say you¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I the Official did remember something.¡±


    Di Yelei turned back to look at County Magistrate Su with a knowing look on his face: ¡°I can¡¯t control what¡¯s happening to others, but as long as the court¡¯s ounts show 10,000 taels, I, Di Yelei, will acknowledge it as 10,000 taels and nothing else concerns me! Brother Su, please excuse me!¡±


    After saying that, he casually gave a fist greeting and strode towards the back hall of the county government.


    Left behind, County Magistrate Su slowly stood up, his face gloomy as he watched Di Yelei¡¯s retreating back, a fierce cold smile spread across his face.


    ¡°Well, Di Yelei, you don¡¯t listen when I speak kindly, so let¡¯s see how long you can remain stubborn as I force you to drink the wine of punishment!¡±


    After Di Yelei returned to the back hall of the county government, he searched for Xin Quan but couldn¡¯t find any trace of him.


    Unable to restrain himself, he asked an old acquaintance about Xin Quan¡¯s whereabouts and learned that Xin Quan had left the county government with Zhang Shixin, one following the other, shortly after Di had left and their whereabouts were unknown.


    Damn it! He let him slip away again!


    It seemed tomorrow he¡¯d have to go to Xin Quan¡¯s residence and wait for him again!


    However, when did Xin Quan and Zhang Shixin start working together? Di Yelei frowned, feeling that Zhang Shixin was no good!


    Tired after a long day and feeling disheartened, Di Yelei returned to the armory. He stared at the rusted iron door still covered in tendrils of climbing vines, scratched his nose, then dismounted and led his horse through the side door.


    As soon as he entered, the noisy mor once again came from the nearby t-roofed house.


    ¡°Quick! Quick! Show your cards!¡±


    ¡°Stake your bets and don¡¯t let go, stake your bets and don¡¯t let go!¡±


    ¡°Deal the cards, deal the cards, and don¡¯t dawdle¡­¡±


    He closed his eyes, casually tossed the horse whip to Er Niu behind him and bent down to enter the t-roofed house on the other side.


    In the room, the few remaining weapons were neatly arranged, covered in tung oil and ced on the weapon shelves.


    These were the few useful weapons that Di Yelei managed to rescue and concentrate herest time.


    Seeing Di Yelei enter, Da Niu, who was wiping the weapons, quickly stood up: ¡°Old Master.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, anything special happen today?¡±


    Di Yelei casually sat down and picked up a long spear lying beside him to give it a flick!


    The spear tip shed coldly, and the entire silver spear transformed into a snake, suddenlying to life and shooting out several flowers in the air, coiling and pointing diagonally! Emitting a faint trill, the trembling ¡°buzz¡± lingered for a long time!


    This scene left Da Niu and Er Niu dumbstruck! The two only felt a cold sh in front of their eyes, as if the silver snake had rushed directly at them.


    ¡°Good! Lord Di¡¯s martial arts are truly extraordinary!¡±


    Outside the door came a voice of praise, and the three quickly turned around only to see Old Tang walking in from outside, pping his thin, withered hands loosely.


    ¡°Old Tang, you tter me.¡±


    Di Yelei quickly put down the silver spear and greeted Old Tang with a fist.


    ¡°No, no¡­ it¡¯s just a pity, such a pity!¡± Old Man Tang shook his head and swayed as he spoke.


    ¡°Old Tang, what do you mean?¡±


    Old Man Tang¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Nowadays, the world is at peace, and there has been no war in Macheng County for many years. Lord Di has great skills but no chance to serve the court. Isn¡¯t that a pity?¡±


    So that¡¯s what he meant! Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help butugh!


    ¡°Old Tang, you¡¯re wrong there. Since there¡¯s been no war in Macheng County for many years, don¡¯t ourmon people live and work in peace and contentment?¡±

 Chapter 498: Besieged on All Sides (Part 7)

    Chapter 498: Besieged on All Sides (Part 7)


    ¡°In your spare time, wouldn¡¯t it be better for Ye Lei to asionally go hunting in the mountains, catching small animals and such?¡±


    ¡°But are you willing?¡± Old Tangughed.


    His words left Di Yelei speechless. Was he willing?


    ¡°Or have you never thought of doing something great and glorious?¡±


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrow in surprise.


    ¡°Willing or not, is it not so? In Ye Lei¡¯s view, being able to protect my wife, children, and elders is enough for this life!¡±


    Old Tang stared at him for a while, his bean-sized eyes fixed on Di Yelei¡¯s. After seeing the rity in his eyes, a sh of disappointment quickly flickered across Old Tang¡¯s face, so fast that it disappeared before anyone could catch it.


    ¡°Good! Very good! Protecting your family and elders does not make you any less of a real man. Good!¡±


    Old Tang did not say anything else, but went to the side and began cleaning weapons.


    Di Yelei raised an eyebrow, sensing unfinished implications in Old Tang¡¯s words but unable to pinpoint their meaning.


    So he shook his head and dropped the subject.


    In the afternoon, Di Yelei called Old Tang and entrusted him with the 1,000 taels of silver from the universal exchange Baoli Bank.


    ¡°Old Tang, you are an elder here. Besides entrusting you with this money, I don¡¯t know who else I can trust.¡±


    ¡°If Lord Sub-Captain doesn¡¯t mind my spending your kindness, go ahead and hand it over to me.¡±


    Old Tang epted the banknote, nced at it, and immediately raised his head in surprise: ¡°Huh? This¡­ is this money from your own family, Lord Di?¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Di Yelei was shocked. He hadn¡¯t expected Old Tang to be able to recognize it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to guess. If this were funds allocated by the government, the Order Letter on the banknote would not look like this.¡±


    Di Yelei: ¡°¡­¡±


    By the time Di Yelei left the city gate, the drawbridge of the county city was about to be pulled up.


    Today, it was clearly half an hourter than usual. He had received the 1,000 taels of silver from Liu Sisi earlier, which made him lose track of the time and dyed his departure.


    The three of them rode fast horses along the official road, speeding towards home. By the time they turned off the official road and onto the main road to the small town, it had gradually started to darken.


    The main road to the small town passed through a narrow pass, with cliffs on both sides rising dozens of feet high and a narrow path running through the bottom of the cliff. Beyond the pass down the road, there were towering mountains on one side and steep cliffs several dozen feet high on the other. This ce was also the prime location for the most notorious bandits to stage robberies.


    As they passed through this area, Di Yelei and the other two riders did not slow down, continuing to gallop forward at full speed.


    Unexpectedly, the red horse running in front suddenly stumbled, causing the horse to let out a long neigh and tumble forward. Di Yelei, who was on horseback, also pitched forward, falling directly to the ground. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Right after, Da Niu and Er Niu, who were following close behind, arrived and, unable to stop, they also tumbled to the ground.


    Just as the three of them fell, a rumbling sound emanated from the slopes on both sides. Di Yelei leapt to his feet like a carp jumping out of the water, only to see countless rocks rolling down from the cliffs on either side, withrge stones tumbling and making rumbling noises.


    Along with the rumbling sound of therge stones rolling, the sound of arrows cutting through the air could also be heard.


    This was the sound of arrows piercing the air!


    As a hunter, Di Yelei gasped for breath! Who was trying to kill them? But at this moment, he had no time to think about it and instinctively let out a loud shout.


    ¡°Watch out! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    With his cry, Di Yelei was anxious as he grabbed the jujube red horse with a broken front leg and swung it¡­


    Whoosh whoosh whoosh!


    The sound of three consecutive arrows came closer, hitting the horse he had swung.


    As the huge rocks thundered down the hillside, Di Yelei could not care about anything else and unleashed his powerfulbat strength. He shouted loudly as he grabbed Da Niu and Er Niu and threw them forward: ¡°Run!¡±


    Da Niu and Er Niu, who had never seen such a scenario, fell to the ground and took a while to get up.


    Just at this moment, three more arrows came whistling through the air, aimed directly at where he was standing. It was clear that he was the target!


    Di Yelei no longer paid attention to anything else but rolled to the side, barely avoiding the arrows as theynded in his previous spot with their fletching shaking.


    Da Niu and Er Niu scrambled up from the ground, their courage already shattered by the scene before them.


    The giant rocks kept falling from mid-air and crashing down onto the main road, making thudding sounds.


    Di Yelei moved quickly, dodging the falling rocks with all his might while feeling a sense of horror deep inside.


    Today, he feared that his life would be lost here!


    He dashed from left to right, sparing no effort in dodging the falling rocks. He felt his strength constantly declining, and the narrow terrain added to the difficulty of his evasion.


    This wouldn¡¯t do! He had to fight!


    Once again, he dashed forward, coiling his whip and climbing dozens of feet within a short span. It scared the people on the cliff.


    He could see clearly! There were two bows and arrows on this side of the hill, and one on the opposite side!


    ¡°Hurry! Shoot the arrows!¡±


    Just as the shouting came from above, Di Yelei was already near the assants. He whipped out his leather whip and dragged the archer down from the cliff.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡±


    The man¡¯s deathly screams frightened everyone!


    But before they could react, Di Yelei had already moved through their ranks. People hadn¡¯t even had time to counterattack before his figure passed by¡­


    He reached out and grabbed the opponent¡¯s head with one hand, twisting and breaking their neck. Another person raised a knife to attack, but with a single punch, he smashed their skull, sttering blood everywhere¡­


    In just a few breaths, he was the only one left standing on the hill!


    Whoosh!


    As the sound of the arrow broke through the air, he turned and caught an arrow barely avoiding the one aimed at him.


    He spun around, angrily staring at the opposing cliffside, only to see another archer on the other side readying another arrow.


    Quickly, he rolled to the side, grabbing a fallen bow and arrow from the ground and hiding behind a protruding stone. With practiced skill, he drew the bow and shot the arrow, hitting the archer directly in the forehead and sending them tumbling down the cliff.


    Everyone was terrified and could no longer care about anything else, wishing they had extra legs and scattered in all directions!

 Chapter 499: 499: Besieged on All Sides (Part 8)

    Chapter 499: Besieged on All Sides (Part 8)


    How could Di Yelei let these people go?


    He drew his bow and arrow again, but there were only three feathered arrows left in the quiver. After taking the lives of three people, the remaining few quickly disappeared over the hill ridge.


    ¡°Consider yourselves lucky for getting away! Hmph!¡±


    He sneered and growled, but a gust of wind came from behind him.


    He hurriedly turned around, just in time to see a bandit wielding arge knife fall behind him! And in the hollow of his back was a dagger with only the handle exposed!


    Di Yelei could not help but break out in a cold sweat!


    He almost capsized in the drain, dying in the plotted scheme of a viin!


    He raised his head and squinted his eyes, seeing a suddenly added group of horsemen, led by none other than Nan Tianzong in his fluttering white clothes!


    He soon raised his eyebrows in surprise: ¡°I heard Young Master Nan has entered the capital city, I never thought I would meet you here! How strange!¡±


    Nan Tianzong sighed with relief!


    It was not his fault indeed, as he received the news toote! He rushed over in a hurry, originally thinking that Di Yelei would arrive a whileter based on his usual speed. However, ns could not keep up with changes, and he didn¡¯t expect it to end up like this.<div>


    Fortunately, it was a good escape!


    ¡°I did enter the capital city, but due to some matters on the road, I had to change course ande back,¡±


    Nan Tianzong said indifferently, waving casually at the men behind him.


    The men quickly scattered in all directions to search.


    ¡°Oh? So that¡¯s how it is. I wonder why Young Master Nan would appear here? Could it be that the night view here is good, and Young Master Nan came here to enjoy the moonlight?¡±


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrows, his gaze moving among the crowd. His hand gripping the bow and arrow did not rx at all, his muscles tense, constantly staring at Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyes without blinking, and his ears were constantly collecting the surrounding sounds!


    The slightest movements of anyone nearby were caught by him.


    Nan Tianzong saw Di Yelei¡¯s demeanor in his eyes but didn¡¯t mention it.


    ¡°If I, the Young Master, say I just happened to pass by here, you wouldn¡¯t believe it, would you?¡± Nan Tianzongughed casually, showing no guilt at all.


    ¡°The truth is, I learned that there would be an ambush here tonight, and it just so happened that I knew the target of these people was you. So, I hurried here. Are you satisfied with my answer?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes shed, and heughed heartily. Then he casually bowed his fist and saluted him.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Master Nan, for your help today! Since it¡¯s alreadyte, I will personally treat you to a table of wine and dishes on another day as a token of my gratitude, how about that?¡±


    His gaze was firmly locked on the other person, ready to take action as soon as there was any abnormality!


    Nan Tianzong waved his hand casually, seemingly oblivious to Di Yelei¡¯s movements.


    ¡°In that case, this Young Master will be waiting at any time! Please!¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t say any more, just casually bowed his fist and slowly backed away two steps before leaping down the slope and quickly rushing to the bottom.¡±


    Down below, Da Niu and Er Niu were no longer in their original positions.


    Di Yelei swept all around, finally finding the two hiding together behind arge rock.


    The two were overjoyed to see Di Yelei appear.<div>


    However, the horses of the three were all unfortunate, so they could only leave on foot.


    ¡°Lord Di, wait a moment!¡±


    A sudden call came from behind, and a man leading a horse came up from behind.


    ¡°This horse is a gift from my young master for Lord Di to use as transportation. My young master said that the roads are slippery in the dark, so Lord Di should be careful on the way.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei took the horse: ¡°Where¡¯s your young master?¡±


    ¡°My young master has already left. Lord Di, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    That man greeted Di Yelei with a fist and then quickly ran away.


    Di Yelei nced back at the three dead horses and didn¡¯t bother with anything else. He quickly mounted the horse and galloped away.


    When they finally returned home, Liu Sisi had been waiting anxiously at the main entrance. When she saw the three of theme back in such a mess, everyone hurriedly gathered around.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s all clean up first and then talk about it in detail.¡±


    Di Yelei waved his hand and went to the bathroom with a water bucket.


    Honestly, he hadn¡¯t yet recovered from the chaos earlier.


    ording to Nan Tianzong¡¯s statement, it was he who had received a clue that someone wanted to take Di Yelei¡¯s life, so he had rushed to save him.


    Regardless of the truth of this statement, if this were true, then the conjecture that the three of them had bumped into bandits by chance had been extinguished from the beginning!


    Who exactly wanted to kill him?


    He narrowed his eyes slightly, and a few shadows quickly shed through his mind. The people with the deepest conflicts with him recently could only be one of them.


    And the person most likely to attack him could only be him!<div>


    A light shed quickly in his eyes, perhaps¡­N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was trembling, the sight of Di Yelei in snow-covered clothes had really frightened her!


    The bloody nightmare constantly appeared in front of her eyes! The him in her dreams was covered in fresh blood, almost blinding her.


    When the three of them had finally washed and cleaned themselves, Liu Sisi interrupted Di Yelei¡¯s words without waiting for them to speak.


    ¡°Eat first, and talk after you¡¯re full!¡±


    And indeed, he was really hungry! The three of them devoured their food, allowing Liu Sisi to see their injuries.


    It seemed that Da Niu and Er Niu had only suffered minor injuries, while Er Niu¡¯s arm seemed to be broken. However, the clinic¡¯s people had already been called to treat the injury, and it had been fixed. The rest were just minor scratches, fortunately!


    Only when the three of them had eaten and drank to their fill and put down their bamboo chopsticks did Di Yelei let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Today, we encountered bandits who wanted to rob us. We were really unlucky!¡±


    ¡°Bandits who wanted to rob? How is that possible?¡±


    Liu Sisi was extremely surprised!


    No wonder she was surprised, local rascals in Macheng County had previously been under the control of Di Yelei and others. If there were any bandits, they could only be from the so-called Heilong Mountain. But how could bandits from Heilong Mountain target Di Yelei? So, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t believe it when he said it was bandits!


    ¡°Don¡¯t say you don¡¯t believe it, even I don¡¯t believe it. However, we did indeed encounter bandits. Fortunately, everyone only suffered minor injuries, and nothing serious happened.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei said with a wry smile.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°You mentioned bandits, where are they? Did you get rid of them? And what about the horses? Where¡¯s the jujube red horse?¡±


    She might not ask certain questions, but that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°The jujube red horse is dead. We couldn¡¯t have escaped, but fortunately, a kindhearted person who happened to pass by saved us and gifted us three fine horses!¡±


    They were indeed fine horses. As soon as he got on the horse¡¯s back, he felt that these three horses were much faster than the jujube red horse!

 Chapter 500: 500: Besieged on All Sides (Nine)

    Chapter 500: Besieged on All Sides (Nine)


    On the Di Family¡¯s side, they were carefully recounting the encounter with the bandits.


    However, what he didn¡¯t know was that at the moment, not far from the small town at the opening, there were more than one hundred people rushing in.


    Each of these hundred people held a sharp de in their hand, charging menacingly towards the small town.


    They had just passed the opening when a group of horsemen suddenly emerged from the side and quickly engaged them in battle.


    Thebat waspletely one-sided!


    Quickly, the over one hundred people werepletely subdued by the opposing group.


    Above the opening, a figure d in white stood with his hands behind him.


    He raised his head and looked at the night sky, where a light rain was falling. This day was changing!


    ¡°Young Master, there are one hundred and thirty-two of them, and they have been wiped out. Please give us your instructions!¡± A man who looked like a gang leader quickly reported to the figure in white.


    The figure turned around and casually surveyed the scene: ¡°Leave a few men to deal with the traces carefully, and don¡¯t cause unnecessary panic!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡±<div>


    The man quickly epted the order and left.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    The figure in white suddenly called out to him: ¡°Have you found out where these people came from?¡±


    ¡°Reporting to the Young Master, our brothers have already found out. It seems that these people are dead soldiers trained by that guy, and as for the ce where they were trained, our brothers are still investigating. Once we have news, we will report immediately.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, there¡¯s no need to report back. As soon as the location is found, utterly eradicate them, leaving no armor behind.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The man hurriedly took the order: ¡°However¡­¡±


    ¡°Just say what you have to say, don¡¯t stammer!¡± The figure in white rebuked impatiently.


    Startled, the man quickly reported: ¡°Yes! Our subordinates found out that this matter seems to be rted to the Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Are you sure?¡±


    The figure in white raised his head and scanned the surroundings, taking in everything nearby.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Good! Really good! It¡¯s just too good! Come on, let¡¯s go settle ounts with him!¡±


    After saying that, he turned around and swiftly flew off into the distance.


    ¡°But¡­ Young Master!¡±


    The man was in shock and quickly chased after the vanishing figure.


    Inside the Di Family home.


    Di Yelei carefully narrated everything that happened on the road to Liu Sisi and the rest.


    Of course, he did not reveal that it was Nan Tianzong that came to the rescue, but everything else he could tell Liu Sisi, he did.


    Liu Sisi nced at the people beside her, seeing the worried expressions on Ms. Gao and Granny Hu, she hurriedly waved for everyone to withdraw.<div>


    ¡°You can all go now, make sure to recover well. Especially Er Niu, there¡¯s no need for you to go to the county in the near future, just rest at home.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    Da Niu and Er Niu left the room with their heads hanging. Before leaving, Er Niu seemed to want to say something but didn¡¯t in the end.


    ¡°Ye Lei, where were Da Niu and Er Niu when you were injured?¡±<div>


    After the two left, Liu Sisi asked softly.


    Di Yelei shook his head: ¡°The situation was urgent at that time, so I focused on dealing with the bandits and didn¡¯t pay attention to what the two were doing. So¡­¡±


    In fact, if it weren¡¯t for Da Niu and Er Niu holding him back, he would have just escaped directly, and the situation wouldn¡¯t have been so dangerous.


    His escape skills were honed while hunting.


    However, he understood that Sisi originally meant well by letting him bring Da Niu and Er Niu along. The oue could only be attributed to their physical weakness.


    Besides, he was now a sub-captain, and it wouldn¡¯t do to not have any servants around.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, ¡°What if I buy some more skilled servants toe back with us?¡±


    If there were a few highly skilled martial artists to protect Ye Lei, such incidents might be prevented. They were lucky this time to have encountered someone offering help, but they might not be so fortunate next time.


    Di Yelei shook his head, ¡°No need! Sometimes having too many people can be a burden. Just Da Niu and Er Niu apanying me is enough.¡±


    If possible, he would rather not have any servants at all.


    However, he did remember one thing. Old Tang seemed to be quite old, yet he could still walk briskly. It seemed he was no ordinary person.


    But who exactly was he? Why was he hiding in that deste and resourceless armory?


    The two had their own thoughts and tossed and turned before finally falling asleepte at night.<div>


    The next day, before dawn had broken, Di Yelei left his house and headed straight for the pass.


    Last night, three horses had died there, especially the jujube red horse that had been with him for many days. Now that it was dead, he should at least give it a proper burial.


    But before that, he still needed to go to the governmental office.


    Liu Sisi left the house with a heavy heart and went to the bookstore.


    Along the way, from time to time, she heard people whispering as if discussing something.


    As soon as she arrived near the bookstore, she saw Aunt Caoing out of a small alley and grabbing her.


    ¡°Sisi! Sisi,e over here, quick!¡± Aunt Cao, who sold ned noodles, called her over.


    ¡°Grandma, aren¡¯t you selling ned noodles today?¡± Liu Sisi hurriedly walked over with a smile.


    Grandma pulled her behind herself and peeked her head out. She then spoke mysteriously.


    ¡°Sisi! You sure came early today. By the way, has your husband gone to the county town today?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but she kept a surprised expression on her face.


    ¡°He went to the county? Grandma, did something happen?¡±


    ¡°There was an incident at the pass by the county town! Have you heard? My, my¡­ the people who came back after seeing it said that there were rivers of blood and dead bodies everywhere! If only we knew who was so unlucky to be robbed of their fortunes and dignity, and thenpletely killed by the bandits!¡±<div>


    Aunt Cao shook her head and sighed as she spoke.


    ¡°Really? I haven¡¯t heard of this incident. Grandma, who told you about the robbery and the dignity?¡±


    ¡°Who else has to tell me? Isn¡¯t everyone saying this? Those bandits simply deserve to die, they¡¯re utterly brutal and ruthless¡­ Sisi, Sisi! Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Aunt Cao talked for quite a while before she realized Liu Sisi¡¯s expression was off.


    ¡°Oh! Yes¡­ that¡¯s true. But Grandma, I have things to do in the store. I¡¯ll go take care of that first. You should go back and get busy too.¡±


    Having said that, she didn¡¯t wait for Grandma Liu to call out from the rear, and stepped into the bookstore.


    Inside the bookstore, Di Cheng was busy at the counter, continuously wiping off dust. Seeing Liu Sisiing in, he quickly greeted her.


    ¡°Good morning, Third Auntie.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was pale, and she spoke solemnly to Di Cheng, ¡°Di Cheng, quickly close the shop ande with me to the pass!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Third Auntie.¡±


    Di Cheng¡¯s smile disappeared. He had a hunch that something had happened.


    ¡°It¡¯s your Third Uncle¡­¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 499: Besieged on All Sides (Part 8)

    Chapter 499: Besieged on All Sides (Part 8)


    How could Di Yelei let these people go?


    He drew his bow and arrow again, but there were only three feathered arrows left in the quiver. After taking the lives of three people, the remaining few quickly disappeared over the hill ridge.


    ¡°Consider yourselves lucky for getting away! Hmph!¡±


    He sneered and growled, but a gust of wind came from behind him.


    He hurriedly turned around, just in time to see a bandit wielding arge knife fall behind him! And in the hollow of his back was a dagger with only the handle exposed!


    Di Yelei could not help but break out in a cold sweat! N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He almost capsized in the drain, dying in the plotted scheme of a viin!


    He raised his head and squinted his eyes, seeing a suddenly added group of horsemen, led by none other than Nan Tianzong in his fluttering white clothes!


    He soon raised his eyebrows in surprise: ¡°I heard Young Master Nan has entered the capital city, I never thought I would meet you here! How strange!¡±


    Nan Tianzong sighed with relief!


    It was not his fault indeed, as he received the news toote! He rushed over in a hurry, originally thinking that Di Yelei would arrive a whileter based on his usual speed. However, ns could not keep up with changes, and he didn¡¯t expect it to end up like this.


    Fortunately, it was a good escape!


    ¡°I did enter the capital city, but due to some matters on the road, I had to change course ande back,¡±


    Nan Tianzong said indifferently, waving casually at the men behind him.


    The men quickly scattered in all directions to search.


    ¡°Oh? So that¡¯s how it is. I wonder why Young Master Nan would appear here? Could it be that the night view here is good, and Young Master Nan came here to enjoy the moonlight?¡±


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrows, his gaze moving among the crowd. His hand gripping the bow and arrow did not rx at all, his muscles tense, constantly staring at Nan Tianzong¡¯s eyes without blinking, and his ears were constantly collecting the surrounding sounds!


    The slightest movements of anyone nearby were caught by him.


    Nan Tianzong saw Di Yelei¡¯s demeanor in his eyes but didn¡¯t mention it.


    ¡°If I, the Young Master, say I just happened to pass by here, you wouldn¡¯t believe it, would you?¡± Nan Tianzongughed casually, showing no guilt at all.


    ¡°The truth is, I learned that there would be an ambush here tonight, and it just so happened that I knew the target of these people was you. So, I hurried here. Are you satisfied with my answer?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes shed, and heughed heartily. Then he casually bowed his fist and saluted him.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Master Nan, for your help today! Since it¡¯s alreadyte, I will personally treat you to a table of wine and dishes on another day as a token of my gratitude, how about that?¡±


    His gaze was firmly locked on the other person, ready to take action as soon as there was any abnormality!


    Nan Tianzong waved his hand casually, seemingly oblivious to Di Yelei¡¯s movements.


    ¡°In that case, this Young Master will be waiting at any time! Please!¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t say any more, just casually bowed his fist and slowly backed away two steps before leaping down the slope and quickly rushing to the bottom.¡±


    Down below, Da Niu and Er Niu were no longer in their original positions.


    Di Yelei swept all around, finally finding the two hiding together behind arge rock.


    The two were overjoyed to see Di Yelei appear.


    However, the horses of the three were all unfortunate, so they could only leave on foot.


    ¡°Lord Di, wait a moment!¡±


    A sudden call came from behind, and a man leading a horse came up from behind.


    ¡°This horse is a gift from my young master for Lord Di to use as transportation. My young master said that the roads are slippery in the dark, so Lord Di should be careful on the way.¡±


    Di Yelei took the horse: ¡°Where¡¯s your young master?¡±


    ¡°My young master has already left. Lord Di, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    That man greeted Di Yelei with a fist and then quickly ran away.


    Di Yelei nced back at the three dead horses and didn¡¯t bother with anything else. He quickly mounted the horse and galloped away.


    When they finally returned home, Liu Sisi had been waiting anxiously at the main entrance. When she saw the three of theme back in such a mess, everyone hurriedly gathered around.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s all clean up first and then talk about it in detail.¡±


    Di Yelei waved his hand and went to the bathroom with a water bucket.


    Honestly, he hadn¡¯t yet recovered from the chaos earlier.


    ording to Nan Tianzong¡¯s statement, it was he who had received a clue that someone wanted to take Di Yelei¡¯s life, so he had rushed to save him.


    Regardless of the truth of this statement, if this were true, then the conjecture that the three of them had bumped into bandits by chance had been extinguished from the beginning!


    Who exactly wanted to kill him?


    He narrowed his eyes slightly, and a few shadows quickly shed through his mind. The people with the deepest conflicts with him recently could only be one of them.


    And the person most likely to attack him could only be him!


    A light shed quickly in his eyes, perhaps¡­


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was trembling, the sight of Di Yelei in snow-covered clothes had really frightened her!


    The bloody nightmare constantly appeared in front of her eyes! The him in her dreams was covered in fresh blood, almost blinding her.


    When the three of them had finally washed and cleaned themselves, Liu Sisi interrupted Di Yelei¡¯s words without waiting for them to speak.


    ¡°Eat first, and talk after you¡¯re full!¡±


    And indeed, he was really hungry! The three of them devoured their food, allowing Liu Sisi to see their injuries.


    It seemed that Da Niu and Er Niu had only suffered minor injuries, while Er Niu¡¯s arm seemed to be broken. However, the clinic¡¯s people had already been called to treat the injury, and it had been fixed. The rest were just minor scratches, fortunately!


    Only when the three of them had eaten and drank to their fill and put down their bamboo chopsticks did Di Yelei let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Today, we encountered bandits who wanted to rob us. We were really unlucky!¡±


    ¡°Bandits who wanted to rob? How is that possible?¡±


    Liu Sisi was extremely surprised!


    No wonder she was surprised, local rascals in Macheng County had previously been under the control of Di Yelei and others. If there were any bandits, they could only be from the so-called Heilong Mountain. But how could bandits from Heilong Mountain target Di Yelei? So, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t believe it when he said it was bandits!


    ¡°Don¡¯t say you don¡¯t believe it, even I don¡¯t believe it. However, we did indeed encounter bandits. Fortunately, everyone only suffered minor injuries, and nothing serious happened.¡±


    Di Yelei said with a wry smile.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°You mentioned bandits, where are they? Did you get rid of them? And what about the horses? Where¡¯s the jujube red horse?¡±


    She might not ask certain questions, but that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°The jujube red horse is dead. We couldn¡¯t have escaped, but fortunately, a kindhearted person who happened to pass by saved us and gifted us three fine horses!¡±


    They were indeed fine horses. As soon as he got on the horse¡¯s back, he felt that these three horses were much faster than the jujube red horse!

 Chapter 501: 501: Besieged on All Sides (Part 10)

    Chapter 501: Besieged on All Sides (Part 10)


    Liu Sisi and Di Cheng quickly headed straight to the narrow pass.


    When they reached it, Liu Sisi saw countless people gathered around it, all whispering and pointing inside.


    Liu Sisi stopped the carriage and lifted the curtain to look towards the narrow pass.


    Due to the distance, she could only see many soldiers officers collecting several corpses. There was even a governmental runner holding a severed arm, waving it and talking to some other officers.


    ¡°Oh¡­ugh!¡±


    Some people standing amongst the crowd couldn¡¯t bear to watch any longer and began to retch.


    Liu Sisi stretched her neck to take a closer look, and to her surprise, spotted Zuo Xingyu amongst the crowd.


    Although she didn¡¯t like him, since it was a critical time, she naturally wouldn¡¯t joke about Di Yelei¡¯s safety! She quickly got out of the carriage and walked towards him.


    ¡°Big Sister! Big Sister, you¡¯re pregnant! Don¡¯t go there, or something bad might happen! Big Sister¡­¡±


    A married woman with a foreign ent hurriedly grabbed her arm.


    Liu Sisi turned her head and smiled at the woman, ¡°Eldest Sister, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just going to find someone.¡±<div>


    As she spoke, she tried to brush off the woman¡¯s grip.


    Unexpectedly, the woman tightened her hold, ¡°Oh! I say, Big Sister, are you okay? Did you offend someone? There¡¯s nothing good inside. Just go back, your stomach is so big! You should think about the child in your belly. Hurry back, and don¡¯t go in.¡±


    Several other women nearby also joined in, trying to persuade her.


    ¡°Indeed! Madam, your current situation is no ordinary one. If anything were to happen, what would we do? Just take a look from afar and leave.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go any further. Even if you want to go into the city, it doesn¡¯t have to be right now. It won¡¯t be toote to go tomorrow¡­¡±


    Hearing the multiple voices around her, Liu Sisi thought they made sense, stopping her intention to go there.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t go over there. Thank you all for your concern.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled and exchanged greetings with them before returning to her carriage.


    She turned her head and took another look at Zuo Xingyu, thenmanded Di Cheng, who was acting as her tail, before getting into the carriage.


    Di Cheng nodded, hurriedly walked forward with his mouth covered with a sleeve, and greeted Zuo Xingyu. He then pointed at Liu Sisi¡¯s carriage, spoke a few words, and then retreated with a fist salute.


    Zuo Xingyu turned around, said something to a few people around him, and then walked over to Di Cheng.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    When he reached the edge of the crowd, people instinctively stepped aside, making a clear path for Zuo Xingyu.


    His eyebrows were still tightly furrowed, the deep character-like lines nearly connecting both eyebrows.


    He didn¡¯t stop due to the crowd¡¯s fear but walked steadily to Liu Sisi¡¯s carriage before greeting her with a fist salute.


    ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡±


    Instead of getting out of the carriage, Liu Sisi lowered the curtain, blocking the view between Zuo Xingyu and herself.


    From inside the carriage, she apologized, ¡°Constable Zuo, since I¡¯m feeling unwell, I won¡¯t get off the carriage. Please don¡¯t take it personally.¡±


    ¡°No problem, it¡¯s all right.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes shed quickly, and he didn¡¯t dwell on this matter.<div>


    ¡°Thank you for understanding, Constable Zuo,¡± Liu Sisi said, then took her seat again.


    ¡°Is there something you wish to ask, Mrs. Sub-Captain?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s gaze swept around at the surrounding people, who quickly dispersed.


    Only then did the women who had previously stopped Liu Sisi break into a cold sweat. They had originally stopped her from helping with good intentions, not expecting that the sub-captain¡¯s wife knew this governmental officer. He seemed to be of high status, but wouldn¡¯t bear a grudge against them, would he?<div>


    The women muttered to themselves as they gradually walked away, asionally stealing nces back at Liu Sisi¡¯s carriage, their eyes burning with curiosity.


    Unaware of the crowd¡¯s thoughts, Liu Sisi was still contemting whether it would be better to ask bluntly or to beat around the bush?


    After considering it, she decided to be direct, ¡°Constable Zuo, this is not our first encounter, so I¡¯ll just speak inly. My husband, Di Yelei, was attacked here yesterday and went to the government office early this morning. I¡¯m worried, so I hurried to the scene today. I saw Constable Zuo here and wanted to learn more about the situation.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what it¡¯s about.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu nodded, ¡°There are eighteen people in total, three of them are archers, and the other fifteen seem to be a small team of an organization. There are also three horses. These people were all dressed in mysterious robes when they died. Some were shot through the heart with an arrow, while others had their necks twisted or were dismembered, their hands and feet scattered. That¡¯s about the extent of it. Is there anything else you would like to ask?¡±


    Left Constable Zuo did not conceal anything, and told Liu Sisi everything he could, but what he couldn¡¯t say¡­ his lips would remain sealed!


    Liu Sisi frowned. She had already known these things yesterday. Judging by the officer¡¯s expression, it seemed he didn¡¯t n to borate any further.


    She quickly changed the topic, ¡°Constable Zuo, you should know what I really want to know?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s expression remained unchanged, ¡°All I know, I¡¯ve already told you.¡±


    Unable to hold back any longer, Liu Sisi gently lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked outside, her eyes meeting Zuo Xingyu¡¯s directly.


    Zuo Xingyu didn¡¯t dodge her gaze, but straightened his back and met it.


    After a moment, Liu Sisi let the curtain go andughed coldly.


    ¡°Since Constable Zuo has already informed me of everything he knows, I would be truly unreasonable if I continued to ask. I¡¯d like to thank you for your time, Constable Zuo, and for putting up with me.¡±<div>


    ¡°No problem at all! If Madam has no further questions, I will return to my duties.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu saluted her with a fist, then turned and walked back the way he came.


    ¡°Oh! By the way, Mrs.Di, I found this item at the scene. I¡¯ll lend it to you to examine for a few days. In three days, I¡¯lle to take it back. Farewell!¡±


    As his words fell, an object flew into the carriage through the window andnded at Liu Sisi¡¯s feet.


    Upon closer inspection, Liu Sisi saw it was a peculiarly shaped object, made of something resembling jade but not quite jade. She was overjoyed!


    ¡°Thank you, Constable Zuo!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu, who had already walked away quickly, seemed not to have heard her. His pace remained unchanged.


    Liu Sisi smiled!


    This wooden man also had other emotions, huh!

 Chapter 502: 502: Besieged on All Sides (Part 11)

    Chapter 502: Besieged on All Sides (Part 11)


    Liu Sisi looked towards the busy crowd in the distance, and then casually pulled down the carriage curtain, instructing Old Cheng.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Di Cheng hurriedly jumped on the top of the carriage shaft: ¡°Third Aunt, are we going back like this? Aren¡¯t we going to look for Third Uncle?¡±


    ¡°No need to look, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Old Cheng flicked the reins, the horse whip raised high, and the carriage slowly moved forward.


    Liu Sisi took out a handkerchief, bent down to wrap the round object she had picked up earlier, and then looked closely at it.


    This weirdly shaped, jade-like but not jade, round object seemed like two intertwined four-legged snakes or bizarre winged snakes, or even like lizards devouring each other.


    Its color was green with a hint of blood-red. In particr, the blood-red eyeballs seemed alive, constantly moving and changing colors as she held the jade object in her hand.


    ¡°Old Cheng, don¡¯t go straight home, drive the carriage to the carriage shop.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Old Cheng naturally had no objection.<div>


    Such a precious object is not something ordinary people can wear.


    Liu Sisi hung her arm down and carefully wrapped the object in the handkerchief. The person who could wear such a luxurious object must have an extraordinary identity!


    Soon they arrived at the carriage shop, and Liu Sisi had to go through a lot of trouble to find Old Six.


    Old Six was busy, sweating: ¡°So it¡¯s Madam who¡¯s looking for me, is there anything important you want to tell me?¡± Old Six hastily bowed with a fist greeting.


    Liu Sisi casually nced at the chaotic scene in the center of the shop.


    ¡°Old Six, what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°Madam, you probably don¡¯t know yet? There¡¯s been a murder case at the narrow pass, and my carriage can¡¯t pass through, so all the goods are gathered here. Ordinary items are fine, but some items that can¡¯t be stored for long must be sent away as soon as possible, so¡­¡±


    Old Six chuckled awkwardly.


    Liu Sisi nodded, understanding that he was a businessman and it was only natural for him to be anxious.


    ¡°Old Six, are you familiar with Nan Tianzong? Can you contact him? I have something I want to find him for.¡±


    ¡°Boss Nan? You are his sibling, Madam, if you can¡¯t find him, what qualifications do I have to find him!¡± Old Six said with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Is it? But I thought you two had a good rtionship?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked surprised.


    Old Sixughed hehehe: ¡°Madam, you¡¯re overthinking it. In our line of work, we have a good rtionship with every customer and can chat with each other. Boss Nan has purchased so many goods from Old Six over the years; if we¡¯re not familiar, I¡¯m afraid no one would believe it!¡±


    ¡°I see! It seems I was too careless.¡±


    Liu Sisi chuckled lightly: ¡°In that case, Sisi will take her leave first.¡±


    ¡°No problem, Madam, take care!¡±


    Old Six bowed his head and saw Liu Sisi off, until she left the carriage shop, and then he turned around and went back inside.


    As soon as he entered the room, the smile on his face disappeared. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a seemingly ordinary cleaner: ¡°Quick! Report this matter to the Young Master immediately!¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The man threw the broom in his hand and quickly ran towards the back, disappearing into the distance.


    Liu Sisi left the Carriage Store, looked back at the still bustling Carriage Shop, and stepped onto the carriage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Go back.¡±<div>


    She didn¡¯t believe a word Old Six said.


    Di Cheng, who was beside her, also leaned over and whispered at the edge of the carriage curtain: ¡°Third Aunt, what Old Six just said is false. He and Boss Nan are very familiar with each other, it¡¯s not just a normal customer rtionship like he said.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I understand. I¡¯ll handle this matter myself. You just help manage the bookstore.¡±


    Liu Sisi lightly tapped her forehead, feeling a throbbing pain, this kind of wanting to exert strength but not finding where to use it feeling, made her even more irritated at the bottom of her heart.


    In her previous life, she lived too simply, and in this life, she mostly lived under Di Yelei¡¯s wing.


    At present, she was worried about the situation but didn¡¯t know where to start.


    ¡°By the way, Di Cheng, how has Shou Hou beentely? Is he still acting so unruly every day?¡± She remembered another matter.


    Di Cheng was sitting in front of the carriage talking with Old Cheng when he heard her and hurriedly turned back.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? After sister-inw Cuihua went backst time, she quarreled with him. Now, he doesn¡¯te to the bookstore anymore. Some people saw him hanging out with that woman all day long and apparently haven¡¯t gone back to Upper Vige.¡±


    ¡°He really gave up on Cuihua.¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed, men indeed are lecherous! Even someone like Shou Hou is actually having an affair, and it¡¯s simply unbelievable!


    ¡°What was Cuihua¡¯s reaction?¡±


    ¡°Hey! What kind of reaction could she have?¡±<div>


    Di Cheng got excited when talking about the matter: ¡°She came to the bookstore three times, and I told her that Shou Hou hadn¡¯t been there for a long time. She cried and med you for letting Shou Houe to the bookstore, and that¡¯s when he learned to be bad. She also said a lot of bad things about you.¡±


    ¡°Really! So this happened?¡±


    It seemed that initially, she begged herself to let Shou Hou in the bookstore. After paying wages, he was even grateful, but now he¡¯s ming her?


    Indeed, it¡¯s hard to be a good person these days!


    Liu Sisimented to herself!


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? That day, people nearby couldn¡¯t bear it and came out to scold her. You don¡¯t know, she cried and wailed in front of the shop for a long time. When I reasoned with her, saying this matter shouldn¡¯t be med on you, we didn¡¯t do a single deal for the entire morning.¡±


    Di Cheng also felt angry when talking about it!


    ¡°At the beginning, when Shou Hou came, several shopkeepers around saw how she was ttering you. Now with her attitude like this, all the shopkeepers scolded her. It took a lot of effort to finally curse her away.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°If shees again, you don¡¯t need to scold her, just take her directly to where Shou Hou lives.¡±


    ¡°How couldn¡¯t I have taken her there? I¡¯ve taken her there a long time ago, but Shou Hou moved out with that woman. They moved twice, and thisst time I don¡¯t know where they moved to.¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t need to deal with her, let her be.¡±


    Liu Sisi pressed her temples hard: ¡°By the way, Di Cheng, how is the wedding your mother is preparing for you? Has anyone been sent to the small town to propose marriage?¡±


    As soon as this matter was mentioned, Di Cheng¡¯s face immediately turned red.<div>


    ¡°Third Aunt¡­ my, my mother, she has started looking for a house for me in the town. Cheng¡¯er doesn¡¯t know how the progress is going. So¡­ ¡±


    Di Cheng¡¯s words became quieter and quieter, embarrassed with a red face.


    ¡°Why are you embarrassed? This is a major event in life. Once you¡¯re married, you¡¯ll be a man who has to support a family. If you dare to be like Shou Hou and have a wandering heart, Third Aunt won¡¯t let you off easily!¡± Liu Sisi said jokingly. But the seriousness in her words couldn¡¯t be faked.

 Chapter 501: Besieged on All Sides (Part 10)

    Chapter 501: Besieged on All Sides (Part 10)


    Liu Sisi and Di Cheng quickly headed straight to the narrow pass.


    When they reached it, Liu Sisi saw countless people gathered around it, all whispering and pointing inside.


    Liu Sisi stopped the carriage and lifted the curtain to look towards the narrow pass.


    Due to the distance, she could only see many soldiers officers collecting several corpses. There was even a governmental runner holding a severed arm, waving it and talking to some other officers.


    ¡°Oh¡­ugh!¡±


    Some people standing amongst the crowd couldn¡¯t bear to watch any longer and began to retch.


    Liu Sisi stretched her neck to take a closer look, and to her surprise, spotted Zuo Xingyu amongst the crowd.


    Although she didn¡¯t like him, since it was a critical time, she naturally wouldn¡¯t joke about Di Yelei¡¯s safety! She quickly got out of the carriage and walked towards him.


    ¡°Big Sister! Big Sister, you¡¯re pregnant! Don¡¯t go there, or something bad might happen! Big Sister¡­¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A married woman with a foreign ent hurriedly grabbed her arm.


    Liu Sisi turned her head and smiled at the woman, ¡°Eldest Sister, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just going to find someone.¡±


    As she spoke, she tried to brush off the woman¡¯s grip.


    Unexpectedly, the woman tightened her hold, ¡°Oh! I say, Big Sister, are you okay? Did you offend someone? There¡¯s nothing good inside. Just go back, your stomach is so big! You should think about the child in your belly. Hurry back, and don¡¯t go in.¡±


    Several other women nearby also joined in, trying to persuade her.


    ¡°Indeed! Madam, your current situation is no ordinary one. If anything were to happen, what would we do? Just take a look from afar and leave.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go any further. Even if you want to go into the city, it doesn¡¯t have to be right now. It won¡¯t be toote to go tomorrow¡­¡±


    Hearing the multiple voices around her, Liu Sisi thought they made sense, stopping her intention to go there.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t go over there. Thank you all for your concern.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled and exchanged greetings with them before returning to her carriage.


    She turned her head and took another look at Zuo Xingyu, thenmanded Di Cheng, who was acting as her tail, before getting into the carriage.


    Di Cheng nodded, hurriedly walked forward with his mouth covered with a sleeve, and greeted Zuo Xingyu. He then pointed at Liu Sisi¡¯s carriage, spoke a few words, and then retreated with a fist salute.


    Zuo Xingyu turned around, said something to a few people around him, and then walked over to Di Cheng.


    When he reached the edge of the crowd, people instinctively stepped aside, making a clear path for Zuo Xingyu.


    His eyebrows were still tightly furrowed, the deep character-like lines nearly connecting both eyebrows.


    He didn¡¯t stop due to the crowd¡¯s fear but walked steadily to Liu Sisi¡¯s carriage before greeting her with a fist salute.


    ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡±


    Instead of getting out of the carriage, Liu Sisi lowered the curtain, blocking the view between Zuo Xingyu and herself.


    From inside the carriage, she apologized, ¡°Constable Zuo, since I¡¯m feeling unwell, I won¡¯t get off the carriage. Please don¡¯t take it personally.¡±


    ¡°No problem, it¡¯s all right.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes shed quickly, and he didn¡¯t dwell on this matter.


    ¡°Thank you for understanding, Constable Zuo,¡± Liu Sisi said, then took her seat again.


    ¡°Is there something you wish to ask, Mrs. Sub-Captain?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s gaze swept around at the surrounding people, who quickly dispersed.


    Only then did the women who had previously stopped Liu Sisi break into a cold sweat. They had originally stopped her from helping with good intentions, not expecting that the sub-captain¡¯s wife knew this governmental officer. He seemed to be of high status, but wouldn¡¯t bear a grudge against them, would he?


    The women muttered to themselves as they gradually walked away, asionally stealing nces back at Liu Sisi¡¯s carriage, their eyes burning with curiosity.


    Unaware of the crowd¡¯s thoughts, Liu Sisi was still contemting whether it would be better to ask bluntly or to beat around the bush?


    After considering it, she decided to be direct, ¡°Constable Zuo, this is not our first encounter, so I¡¯ll just speak inly. My husband, Di Yelei, was attacked here yesterday and went to the government office early this morning. I¡¯m worried, so I hurried to the scene today. I saw Constable Zuo here and wanted to learn more about the situation.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what it¡¯s about.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu nodded, ¡°There are eighteen people in total, three of them are archers, and the other fifteen seem to be a small team of an organization. There are also three horses. These people were all dressed in mysterious robes when they died. Some were shot through the heart with an arrow, while others had their necks twisted or were dismembered, their hands and feet scattered. That¡¯s about the extent of it. Is there anything else you would like to ask?¡±


    Left Constable Zuo did not conceal anything, and told Liu Sisi everything he could, but what he couldn¡¯t say¡­ his lips would remain sealed!


    Liu Sisi frowned. She had already known these things yesterday. Judging by the officer¡¯s expression, it seemed he didn¡¯t n to borate any further.


    She quickly changed the topic, ¡°Constable Zuo, you should know what I really want to know?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s expression remained unchanged, ¡°All I know, I¡¯ve already told you.¡±


    Unable to hold back any longer, Liu Sisi gently lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked outside, her eyes meeting Zuo Xingyu¡¯s directly.


    Zuo Xingyu didn¡¯t dodge her gaze, but straightened his back and met it.


    After a moment, Liu Sisi let the curtain go andughed coldly.


    ¡°Since Constable Zuo has already informed me of everything he knows, I would be truly unreasonable if I continued to ask. I¡¯d like to thank you for your time, Constable Zuo, and for putting up with me.¡±


    ¡°No problem at all! If Madam has no further questions, I will return to my duties.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu saluted her with a fist, then turned and walked back the way he came.


    ¡°Oh! By the way, Mrs.Di, I found this item at the scene. I¡¯ll lend it to you to examine for a few days. In three days, I¡¯lle to take it back. Farewell!¡±


    As his words fell, an object flew into the carriage through the window andnded at Liu Sisi¡¯s feet.


    Upon closer inspection, Liu Sisi saw it was a peculiarly shaped object, made of something resembling jade but not quite jade. She was overjoyed!


    ¡°Thank you, Constable Zuo!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu, who had already walked away quickly, seemed not to have heard her. His pace remained unchanged.


    Liu Sisi smiled!


    This wooden man also had other emotions, huh!

 Chapter 502: Besieged on All Sides (Part 11)

    Chapter 502: Besieged on All Sides (Part 11)


    Liu Sisi looked towards the busy crowd in the distance, and then casually pulled down the carriage curtain, instructing Old Cheng.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Di Cheng hurriedly jumped on the top of the carriage shaft: ¡°Third Aunt, are we going back like this? Aren¡¯t we going to look for Third Uncle?¡±


    ¡°No need to look, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Old Cheng flicked the reins, the horse whip raised high, and the carriage slowly moved forward.


    Liu Sisi took out a handkerchief, bent down to wrap the round object she had picked up earlier, and then looked closely at it.


    This weirdly shaped, jade-like but not jade, round object seemed like two intertwined four-legged snakes or bizarre winged snakes, or even like lizards devouring each other.


    Its color was green with a hint of blood-red. In particr, the blood-red eyeballs seemed alive, constantly moving and changing colors as she held the jade object in her hand.


    ¡°Old Cheng, don¡¯t go straight home, drive the carriage to the carriage shop.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Old Cheng naturally had no objection.


    Such a precious object is not something ordinary people can wear.


    Liu Sisi hung her arm down and carefully wrapped the object in the handkerchief. The person who could wear such a luxurious object must have an extraordinary identity!


    Soon they arrived at the carriage shop, and Liu Sisi had to go through a lot of trouble to find Old Six.


    Old Six was busy, sweating: ¡°So it¡¯s Madam who¡¯s looking for me, is there anything important you want to tell me?¡± Old Six hastily bowed with a fist greeting.


    Liu Sisi casually nced at the chaotic scene in the center of the shop. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Old Six, what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°Madam, you probably don¡¯t know yet? There¡¯s been a murder case at the narrow pass, and my carriage can¡¯t pass through, so all the goods are gathered here. Ordinary items are fine, but some items that can¡¯t be stored for long must be sent away as soon as possible, so¡­¡±


    Old Six chuckled awkwardly.


    Liu Sisi nodded, understanding that he was a businessman and it was only natural for him to be anxious.


    ¡°Old Six, are you familiar with Nan Tianzong? Can you contact him? I have something I want to find him for.¡±


    ¡°Boss Nan? You are his sibling, Madam, if you can¡¯t find him, what qualifications do I have to find him!¡± Old Six said with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Is it? But I thought you two had a good rtionship?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked surprised.


    Old Sixughed hehehe: ¡°Madam, you¡¯re overthinking it. In our line of work, we have a good rtionship with every customer and can chat with each other. Boss Nan has purchased so many goods from Old Six over the years; if we¡¯re not familiar, I¡¯m afraid no one would believe it!¡±


    ¡°I see! It seems I was too careless.¡±


    Liu Sisi chuckled lightly: ¡°In that case, Sisi will take her leave first.¡±


    ¡°No problem, Madam, take care!¡±


    Old Six bowed his head and saw Liu Sisi off, until she left the carriage shop, and then he turned around and went back inside.


    As soon as he entered the room, the smile on his face disappeared. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a seemingly ordinary cleaner: ¡°Quick! Report this matter to the Young Master immediately!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The man threw the broom in his hand and quickly ran towards the back, disappearing into the distance.


    Liu Sisi left the Carriage Store, looked back at the still bustling Carriage Shop, and stepped onto the carriage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Go back.¡±


    She didn¡¯t believe a word Old Six said.


    Di Cheng, who was beside her, also leaned over and whispered at the edge of the carriage curtain: ¡°Third Aunt, what Old Six just said is false. He and Boss Nan are very familiar with each other, it¡¯s not just a normal customer rtionship like he said.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I understand. I¡¯ll handle this matter myself. You just help manage the bookstore.¡±


    Liu Sisi lightly tapped her forehead, feeling a throbbing pain, this kind of wanting to exert strength but not finding where to use it feeling, made her even more irritated at the bottom of her heart.


    In her previous life, she lived too simply, and in this life, she mostly lived under Di Yelei¡¯s wing.


    At present, she was worried about the situation but didn¡¯t know where to start.


    ¡°By the way, Di Cheng, how has Shou Hou beentely? Is he still acting so unruly every day?¡± She remembered another matter.


    Di Cheng was sitting in front of the carriage talking with Old Cheng when he heard her and hurriedly turned back.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? After sister-inw Cuihua went backst time, she quarreled with him. Now, he doesn¡¯te to the bookstore anymore. Some people saw him hanging out with that woman all day long and apparently haven¡¯t gone back to Upper Vige.¡±


    ¡°He really gave up on Cuihua.¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed, men indeed are lecherous! Even someone like Shou Hou is actually having an affair, and it¡¯s simply unbelievable!


    ¡°What was Cuihua¡¯s reaction?¡±


    ¡°Hey! What kind of reaction could she have?¡±


    Di Cheng got excited when talking about the matter: ¡°She came to the bookstore three times, and I told her that Shou Hou hadn¡¯t been there for a long time. She cried and med you for letting Shou Houe to the bookstore, and that¡¯s when he learned to be bad. She also said a lot of bad things about you.¡±


    ¡°Really! So this happened?¡±


    It seemed that initially, she begged herself to let Shou Hou in the bookstore. After paying wages, he was even grateful, but now he¡¯s ming her?


    Indeed, it¡¯s hard to be a good person these days!


    Liu Sisimented to herself!


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? That day, people nearby couldn¡¯t bear it and came out to scold her. You don¡¯t know, she cried and wailed in front of the shop for a long time. When I reasoned with her, saying this matter shouldn¡¯t be med on you, we didn¡¯t do a single deal for the entire morning.¡±


    Di Cheng also felt angry when talking about it!


    ¡°At the beginning, when Shou Hou came, several shopkeepers around saw how she was ttering you. Now with her attitude like this, all the shopkeepers scolded her. It took a lot of effort to finally curse her away.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°If shees again, you don¡¯t need to scold her, just take her directly to where Shou Hou lives.¡±


    ¡°How couldn¡¯t I have taken her there? I¡¯ve taken her there a long time ago, but Shou Hou moved out with that woman. They moved twice, and thisst time I don¡¯t know where they moved to.¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t need to deal with her, let her be.¡±


    Liu Sisi pressed her temples hard: ¡°By the way, Di Cheng, how is the wedding your mother is preparing for you? Has anyone been sent to the small town to propose marriage?¡±


    As soon as this matter was mentioned, Di Cheng¡¯s face immediately turned red.


    ¡°Third Aunt¡­ my, my mother, she has started looking for a house for me in the town. Cheng¡¯er doesn¡¯t know how the progress is going. So¡­ ¡±


    Di Cheng¡¯s words became quieter and quieter, embarrassed with a red face.


    ¡°Why are you embarrassed? This is a major event in life. Once you¡¯re married, you¡¯ll be a man who has to support a family. If you dare to be like Shou Hou and have a wandering heart, Third Aunt won¡¯t let you off easily!¡± Liu Sisi said jokingly. But the seriousness in her words couldn¡¯t be faked.

 Chapter 503: 503: Nan Tianzong’s Generosity

    Chapter 503: Nan Tianzong¡¯s Generosity


    ¡°Third Aunt, please rest assured, Cheng¡¯er is not that kind of person!¡±


    Di Cheng said with a determined face.


    ¡°Good! Just remember what you said to Third Aunt today. Third Aunt treats you like her own child, that¡¯s why she brought you out. You should understand the difference between how she treats you and Ah-Bao.¡±


    Di Cheng said solemnly: ¡°Cheng¡¯er understands!¡±


    As they were talking, the carriage had already stopped at the courtyard gate.


    ¡°Hmm! You go and open the shop now, but remember not to push yourself too hard and get tired, okay?¡±


    Liu Sisi got off the carriage and turned back to Di Cheng, instructing him: ¡°In a few days, I¡¯ll find another reliable helper to share some of your burdens, so you won¡¯t be so tired and can make some time to prepare for your wedding.¡±


    Di Cheng¡¯s face turned red, and heughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head, looking just like Di Yelei: ¡°It¡¯s all up to Third Aunt.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go on!¡±


    Liu Sisi gave a few more instructions before entering the courtyard.


    ¡°Madam.¡± Ms. Gao greeted her.<div>


    Ms. Gao¡¯s stomach had gradually grown bigger, making it inconvenient for her to move, so Liu Sisi didn¡¯t bring her along when going out recently.


    ¡°Has Dad gone to the clinic again?¡±


    Liu Sisi casually took off her long g and handed it to Ms. Gao, then stepped inside.


    Ms. Gao hurriedly took it: ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. Yesterday, Old Master was muttering that Dr. He would give him acupuncture today, which wouldplete the first course of treatment. So, as soon as you left the house, Old Master took Young Miss and Young Master over to the clinic. Xue Yi and Xue Lan also went with them.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good.¡±


    Liu Sisi frowned, taking out some silver coins from her arms: ¡°You go and ughter a chicken, then go to the market to buy some bone marrow, and cook them together with some warming, tonifying medicinal materials. It¡¯ll be ready for Old Master when he returns.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    Ms. Gao took the silver coins: ¡°But¡­ we only have one rooster and three hens left. The rest of the chickens have already been killed.¡± If they kill another, they¡¯ll be running out of even breeding stock.


    Liu Sisi thought about it and couldn¡¯t help but suggest: ¡°Well, then just ughter another hen. When the hen hatches a clutch, let it incubate the stored eggs. Since it¡¯s springtime, the baby chicks that hatch will be well-fed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but if we do that, we won¡¯t be able to make steamed egg and spring rolls anymore. Those are Old Master¡¯s and Young Miss¡¯s favorite dishes.¡±


    ¡°No matter, when you buy the bone marrowter, just remember to buy a few dozen eggs as well.¡±


    After casually giving orders, Liu Sisi returned to her room and had a simple meal.


    After going out for a while, she felt extremely tired at the moment! After eating, she went back to her room for a nap but couldn¡¯t fall asleep. She couldn¡¯t help but take out the round object and examine it closely, but she couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it.


    Seeing that the sky was getting darker, she cleaned herself up and went out. Just as she saw Liu Zhi¡¯er holding a pomegranate flower embroidery in her hands, her eyes were unfocused, seemingly lost in thought.


    It took Liu Sisi calling her name three times before Liu Zhi¡¯er came back to her senses. She hurriedly put down the work in her hands and stood up.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re awake. Dinner is ready, do you want to eat now?¡±


    ¡°Has Ye Lei returned?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen my brother-inw yet.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er shook her head.


    Liu Sisi walked a few steps, casually picked up the embroidery and looked at it for quite a while: ¡°Second Sister, your craftsmanship has really gotten better and better.¡±<div>


    ¡°What are you talking about? You didn¡¯t think much of my embroidery skills back then.¡±


    ¡°As you said, that¡¯s all in the past.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er began tough as they spoke.


    As the sisters were talking, they heard Old Cheng report from outside: ¡°Madam, Young Master Nan is here.¡±<div>


    Nan Tianzong has arrived!


    Liu Sisi immediately rejoiced, Old Six¡¯s move was really fast!


    Actually, Liu Sisi misunderstood!


    Nan Tianzong had just returned from Heilong Mountain and was really worried about Liu Sisi, so he came here to check on her.


    Looking at Liu Sisi who came to greet him, her already noticeable pregnant belly didn¡¯t make her look ugly, but instead made her slightly plumper body look even more attractive.


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s heart churned! He couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    At first, he truly fell for Liu Sisi, until he discovered Liu Sisi¡¯s identity, he couldn¡¯t ept such a change so he had to force himself to leave.


    Even now, he had a hard time treating Liu Sisi in front of him as his own sister!


    Today, Nan Tianzong was dressed in white, his figure tall andnky, with a slightly deste expression as he stood there, lifting his head when he heard the sound and looked at her.


    Liu Sisi smiled warmly, ¡°Brother Nan, your timing is perfect. Sisi just happens to have something to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is there something you can¡¯t resolve on your own? Tell me about it, let¡¯s see if I can solve it.¡±


    Nan Tianzong indulgently smiled.


    ¡°No rush, let¡¯s go inside and talk.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi beckoned him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After entering the living room and sitting down, fragrant tea was served, Liu Sisi took out the handkerchief from her arms, opened it to reveal the object inside, and handed it over.


    ¡°Brother Nan, take a look! Do you recognize this?¡±


    Di Yelei casually took the handkerchief and immediately, a look of surprise shed through his eyes, disappearing before anyone could clearly see it.


    ¡°Sisi, where did you get this object?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about where I got it from. Just tell me if you recognize it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize it!¡±


    Nan Tianzong firmly stated and casually pushed the object back.


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrow and didn¡¯t take it back: ¡°Did Brother Nan only take a casual nce and know he doesn¡¯t recognize it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it before, of course, I know that. What are you thinking about?¡±


    Nan Tianzong affectionately scolded and raised his hand as if to strike.


    Liu Sisi quickly shrunk her head back and giggled twice before taking the object back.


    Despite the brief instant it happened, she understood that Nan Tianzong had definitely seen this object before. She just didn¡¯t know why he wanted to hide it from her!<div>


    Nan Tianzong suddenly changed the topic and lightly sighed, ¡°Sisi, I have to leave again for some time. I have to entrust you with our bookstore, wine-house, and the Silver Pavilion, as I won¡¯t be able to manage them for the time being.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You just got back, why are you leaving again?¡±


    Liu Sisi frowned, ¡°It¡¯s not that Sisi doesn¡¯t want to agree, but my body is getting heavier, and I don¡¯t have the energy to manage the shops. I was actually thinking of handing them all over to you.¡±


    ¡°No need to worry, these shops are gradually getting on track, aren¡¯t those many ountants and storeroom managers here to do the work? Even if you don¡¯t manage it for a year or two, it will still operate. You can manage it again after giving birth.¡±


    ¡°Alright, as long as you said that, I¡¯m not afraid anymore.¡±


    Liu Sisi breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°By the way, Brother Nan, I might need arge sum of silver soon. I want to take some money from the Silver Pavilion, and after earning the money, you can deduct it from my share. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Done! What¡¯s mine is yours, it¡¯s just some taels of silver. If you want these shops, Brother Nan will give them to you!¡± Nan Tianzong said magnanimously.

 Chapter 504: 504: Warmth on a Rainy Night (1)

    Chapter 504: Warmth on a Rainy Night (1)


    The two of them talked for a long time, and it was only then that Nan Tianzong brought up his intention to leave.


    Before leaving, he handed Liu Sisi ten 1000 tael universal exchange Baoli Bank silver tickets.


    ¡°If you need it urgently, just use it first. The shop is open anyway, and you can slowly deduct it from the insideter¡­¡±


    This kind of trust without any guard touched Liu Sisi for a long time. She silently epted the silver tickets and solemnly said, ¡°Brother Nan, don¡¯t worry! With so much trust in Sisi, I will never forget your kindness in sending charcoal in the snow! ¡±


    Nan Tianzong also stood there in a daze, sighing lightly after a while.


    ¡°Silly younger sister¡­¡±


    Looking at the figure that had already walked away, Liu Sisi always felt that Nan Tianzong had a lot of unsaid words, but she just couldn¡¯t figure out what they were.


    Not far out of the residence, Zhu Caimai came over with an umbre.


    ¡°Young Master, you¡­ don¡¯t you want to tell Miss about her identity?¡±


    Nan Tianzong nced at Zhu Caimai, then turned back to look at the two doors that had been closed again and finally shook his head resolutely.


    ¡°No need! Sometimes ignorance is a blessing. When my mom died, she hoped that she could live a carefree life as a normal person¡­ Let it be! You guys just help her in secret, try to make the ount book easier, reduce the time she spends looking at the ount book, understand?¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    Zhu Caimai quickly responded and then held the umbre as the two gradually disappeared into the small alley.


    Today, Di Yelei returned home surprisingly early!


    It was the earliest day he had returned since bing the sub-captain, which made Liu Sisi both surprised and overjoyed!


    ¡°Why are you back so early today? You must be tired, hurry up and take off your straw coat. The continuous rain outside has been really annoying.¡±


    Liu Sisi reached out to take the straw coat that Di Yelei took off, and turned back to shout at Ms. Gao.


    ¡°Ms. Gao, hurry up and bring the ginger soup!¡±


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t take it. The straw coat is cold. What if you catch a cold?¡±


    Di Yelei quickly dodged her hand and hung the straw coat on the wall. Turning back, he hugged her shoulders, ¡°How was it? Was the little guy well-behaved today?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange, he¡¯s been unusually well-behavedtely. He doesn¡¯t have any morning sickness or signs of pregnancy anymore.¡±


    Liu Sisi replied naturally as she sat down with him on the chair, ¡°What happened? How did the visit to the government office go?¡±


    Liu Sisi was eager to know the government¡¯s decision.


    ¡°What else could they say? They just said that they would definitely punish the killer.¡±


    Di Yelei evaded Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, and just as Ms. Gao brought the ginger soup, he hurriedly took it and drank it down.


    Liu Sisi narrowed her eyes at his expression, feeling as if he wasn¡¯t telling the truth.


    ¡°Really? County Magistrate Su is so enthusiastic. I should treat him to a good meal someday.¡±


    ¡°No need for a meal. The nobleman is busy with official affairs and probably wouldn¡¯t have time or leisure for it.¡± Di Yelei quickly dismissed Liu Sisi¡¯s idea.


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re right. Then I¡¯ll just keep my gratitude in my heart.¡±


    Liu Sisi said with a smile.<div>


    From the expression of County Magistrate Su when he went to the county government office that day, it seemed that Ye Lei had not been having an easy time in the government office recently.


    Finally, after a difficult meal, Liu Sisi followed her usual practice, urging Di Xuan to study.


    Recently, she added a new task, which was to urge YingEr and Di Yelei to learn Chinese characters at the same time. Although Di Yelei was older than the two children, he was willing to learn and work hard. In less than a year, Liu Sisi had taught him most of the Chinese characters, and there were no major problems with basic literacy. Usually, she would only consult Liu Sisi about some umon characters.


    But tonight, while YingEr was still practicing happily on the side, Di Yelei held his brush-pen and was daydreaming. There were only a few Chinese characters on the paper, and his thoughts had clearly wandered far away.<div>


    When Di Xuan finished his homework, Liu Sisi signaled him to take YingEr away and then sat down next to Di Yelei, leaning gently on his shoulder.


    ¡°Ye Lei, today I went to the narrows over there.¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly snapped back to reality and realized that the two children had already left the room at some point.


    He hastily got up and answered irrelevantly, ¡°Ah? Yeah! Oh¡­ What time is it now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already the end of 5 p.m to 7 p.m, you go wash up.¡±


    It seemed that he hadn¡¯t heard what she had said before.


    ¡°Oh¡­okay.¡±


    Di Yelei appeared to be somewhat preupied as he got up and went out.


    By the time he returned to the room, Ms. Gao had already made the bed, and Liu Sisi was lying nted at the head of the bed.


    ¡°Sisi, you look so beautiful, so charming, and so enchanting¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her words, she was directly pinned down by the man. Di Yelei called her softly while pressing her down, immediately embracing her pregnant round body.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°What are you doing? Ye Lei!¡±


    He had almost pressed her stomach! She iled with both hands, trying to break free from the man who had instantly transformed into a wolf andined at the same time.<div>


    While busy conquering her, the man nced up at her and said something hastily.


    His entire body was already covering her, trapping her under him as he urgently sought her small mouth and viciously bit down on it.


    His bite was full of possessiveness, pressing down tightly on her lips as they rolled around.


    ¡°Sisi, my dear Sisi, give it to me! Will you give me it? I really, really want you, Sisi¡­¡±


    Hisrge hands constantly searched, his voice extremely low and husky as if he wanted to grind her into his own blood and bones and make her and himself one person!


    In his mind, he kept reying what happened today at the county government office, and the disgusting face of County Magistrate Su kept shing before him.


    He needed to vent! He neededfort, and he needed to release the anger that had been suppressed in his heart for the past few days through intense intimacy!


    He desperately tugged at her clothes but found that his muscles were so tense that even his extended hand was trembling violently! He had aimed his fingers at the skirt several times but still didn¡¯t manage to catch it¡­


    Liu Sisi felt a lump in her throat. She actively threw herself into his arms, hugging his waist.


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll give it to you! I¡¯m yours, Ye Lei! Hold me¡­¡±


    Her skirt silently fell, and she stretched her neck to take the initiative to kiss his chin, his lips, his nose, his eyes¡­ wrapping him entirely with affection!


    Di Yelei was intoxicated!


    He was drunk on Liu Sisi¡¯s tenderness, her love, and her rare dominance.<div>


    His throat constantly moved up and down, letting out a deep roar from the depths of his throat. Suddenly, he raised his hand and tore off thest piece of clothing covering her body ¨C that tiny pocket that hardly hid anything, revealing all the beautiful scenery before him.


    Already captivated by the beautiful scene that trembled like a delicate plum in the wind, he reached out and grabbed it without thinking¡­

 Chapter 505: 505: Warmth on a Rainy Night (Part 2)

    Chapter 505: Warmth on a Rainy Night (Part 2)


    She instinctively wanted to escape, her body instinctively recoiling. But she couldn¡¯t evade therge palm he stretched out toward her. Subconsciously, she gently called out: ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    The pace of his breath gradually quickened.


    That ce, made even more irresistible due to her pregnancy,pletely drew his gaze. He firmly held her within his embrace, rendering her already weak body incapable of movement.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but tremble slightly, her soft, tingling sensation akin to ants scratching her heart. Her hands clung tightly around his neck, but she couldn¡¯t restrain herself, and led by her heart¡¯s desire, she slightly swayed her body.


    ¡°Sisi, behave!¡±


    His deep voice was close at hand.


    His warm breath fanned her ear; it was so urgent that she felt like amb waiting to be ughtered, which made her shiver again and instinctively turn her head to escape.


    How could he let her sessfully escape?


    Quickly, his body also covered hers. Before she could escape, his cold hand gradually slid downwards along her slightly flushed snowy skin.


    ¡°Slow down, the baby¡­ careful with the baby¡­¡±<div>


    The mood-killing words from Liu Sisi came, finally awakening the slight rity in Di Yelei¡¯s gaze. His face was extraordinarily ferocious as he held her tightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! It¡¯s okay, my little kitten, behave! I will be very gentle.¡±


    He murmured in her ear, his breath constantly lingering around her ear. Before Liu Sisi waspletely ready, he had unified with her into one.


    ¡°Ah! Oh¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi let out a stifled sound from her mouth, and suddenly felt his startling heat, igniting from below and rising, making her entire body tremble. She copsed, almost melting into putty.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for him holding her tight from behind, she would have copsed long ago.


    ¡°Oh! My little kitten, don¡¯t move¡­ Damn that felt good! Oh, Sisi, my dear Sisi¡­¡±


    Di Yelei unconsciously murmured. He felt like he had arrived in a ce that intoxicated him, relishing in the intense sensation from head to toe. He was on the brink of bursting apart, managing to stabilize himself at thest moment.


    When the dazzling light passed, he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. He let out a low growl, started to quickly move, leading wave after wave of attacks, striving for that most beautiful, highest summit.


    In front of his eyes, all the urrences of the day were continually emerging. He wanted to vent, to roar! He wanted to explode all the negative emotions.


    ¡°Did you kill all these people? Although a few among them have unclear identities, many others are poor locals. The facts are solid, you can¡¯t deny it, have you considered how to exin this?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Those words, those things, I the Official did not see, I the Official only talks about the current facts. Lord Sub-Captain, we are both officials of the same dynasty, verbal testimony is not evidence, officialdom is a ce where evidence is appreciated¡­¡±


    ¡°The things you¡¯ve said, you can¡¯t provide any evidence, there are no witnesses and no physical evidence, how do you want me, the Official, to trust you, Lord Sub-Captain? I the Official speak for the civilians, uphold high moral integrity, and dare not do anything that could be criticized by the civilians¡­¡±


    ¡°Lord Sub-Captain, before the case is thoroughly investigated, I ask Lord Sub-Captain to fully cooperate with us. As soon as we investigate the truth, we can clear Lord Sub-Captain¡¯s name. At that time, I the Official will definitely personally apologize to Lord Sub-Captain¡­¡±


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s words resounded in his ears, Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were bloodshot!


    He couldn¡¯t control his emotions any longer, nor could he control the edge of impending explosion. With a low roar, hepletely let loose¡­


    Almost immediately after his roar, Liu Sisi was no longer able to hold up. Her body went limp and she sank down on the spot.


    Di Yelei slowly closed his eyes and it took some effort to suppress his chaotic thoughts. He carefully turned andy down on his side, naturally pulling Liu Sisi into his arms, pulling the quilt over them.


    ¡°Sisi, I feel particrly relieved today.¡±<div>


    Not just very rxed, but also a special feeling: ¡°Sisi, how are you? I was wrong just now, I should not have enjoyed myself while ignoring your feelings. You¡­¡±


    As he spoke, hisrge hand continuously moved over her body, gradually settling on her stomach and gently rubbing it.


    ¡°I also¡­ well, did.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s voice grew smaller as she mumbled.<div>


    As his partner, how could she not notice the unusualness of Di Yelei today?


    But if he didn¡¯t say anything, she wouldn¡¯t mention it.


    Taking a moment to regain herposure, she couldn¡¯t help but re at him: ¡°You were very bold today. What if you hurt the baby?¡±


    In recent days, they hadn¡¯t shared a room very often, and he was always extremely gentle, like a light rain. Nothing like this time, suchrge, unrestrained actions?


    The baby in her stomach seemed to know that his mother was talking about him, so he stretched his little feet, and suddenly kicked her stomach.


    With his movement, not only did Liu Sisi feel it, but Di Yelei also felt it through her stomach.


    The two stared at each other, both seeing surprise in each other¡¯s eyes!


    Di Yelei got up quickly and again felt the movement carefully on her stomach.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, I felt it! I felt him moving, it¡¯s the baby in your belly greeting me! He knows I¡¯m his dad, he is talking to me. Sisi, did you feel that?¡±


    Di Yelei was beside himself with excitement.


    ¡°Yes! I felt it too, he just moved. It must have been your actions earlier that disturbed his rest, so he¡¯s protesting against you.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke teasingly, and as she spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but startughing.


    With thatugh, the muggy atmosphere between them instantly vanished!<div>


    Di Yelei also felt indescribably rxed!


    ¡°Nonsense! This is my little cub saying hello to me, his dad. Little SiSi, tell me, am I right?¡±


    As he spoke, he knocked gently on her stomach through her clothes.


    ¡°Stop it, be careful, the baby is still so small, you think this is a watermelon. Is that how you act as a parent?¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly stopped him, rolling her eyes: ¡°And you¡¯re calling him ¡®little cub¡¯, what if I¡¯m carrying a girl, what will you do then?¡±


    ¡°Boy or girl, it doesn¡¯t matter. If it¡¯s a little girl who looks like you, even better. Like your eyebrows, your eyes, your nose, your small mouth¡­ little one, do you think dad is right?¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he gently knocked on her belly again.


    As if responding, the little one in her belly moved several times in session, making both parentsugh!

 Chapter 506: 506: Warmth on a Rainy Night (Part 3)

    Chapter 506: Warmth on a Rainy Night (Part 3)


    ¡°Ah! He really understood what you said, he¡¯s responding to you!¡±


    Liu Sisi had a face full of surprise!


    Wasn¡¯t it?


    In the past, even if she felt the baby¡¯s movement, it was just a slight movement. How could it not be like today, when it moved so frequently? How could she not be surprised and delighted?


    Di Yeleiughed heartily!


    He couldn¡¯t help but hold her tighter, his hand gently gripping her back, and pulling her into his embrace. His thin lips naturally covered hers, lowering his head to kiss her little mouth.


    This kiss was strong, domineering, and passionate, not giving her any chance to escape,pletely enveloping her little mouth. Every nibble was done with all his might.


    He was wild and quick, like a gale sweeping through, causing wave after wave of shudders.


    ¡°Mm! Let go¡­¡±


    She frowning tightly, her hands instinctively pushing him away,pletely unable to adapt to this man¡¯s enthusiasm. The paining from her lips was unbearable, and the air around her nostrils was getting thinner and thinner, making her feel like she was going to die, as if she was going to suffocate!


    Lack of oxygen gradually woke her from her infatuation, she couldn¡¯t help but forcefully push him away.<div>


    The man finally let her go, raising his eyelids, staring at her flushed face, satisfied with the way he had forgone her lips.


    ¡°Sisi, my little kitten, marrying you is the most rightful thing I, Di Yelei, have ever done in my life!¡± he said sincerely.


    ¡°Really or fake? Why do I feel like your words are insincere?¡±


    She covered her mouth, intentionally speaking sarcastically, giving him an embarrassed and annoyed re.


    ¡°Oh? What would it take to be consistent in words and actions?¡±


    The man raised an eyebrow! A yful smile hung on the corner of his mouth as he lifted her little body upwards, leisurely staring at the beauty in front of him, patiently watching her step by step fall into the trap.


    ¡°Of course¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a while, but really couldn¡¯t think of the answer to the question. Her drowsy and sleepy mind felt like she couldn¡¯t think of anything.


    ¡°Of course what? You mean we have to prove it physically to be consistent in words and actions?¡±


    The man seized the long-lost opportunity and wouldn¡¯t let go easily. His words were frivolous and casual.


    The next moment, he suddenly raised his hand and held her small head still, his mouth came down again, and his tongue easily pried open the woman¡¯s teeth and slid into her mouth, deepening the kiss.


    ¡°Um ¡­ don¡¯t do this.¡±


    She had just gotten a bit of oxygen and was kissed again, only able to maintain an awkward posture while breathing heavily.


    He held her tightly against himself, his hands slowly stretching into her clothes from the hem, inch by inch moving upwards.


    His big hands moved ruthlessly over her body without stopping, causing her to shudder again and again.


    ¡°Cough cough, you ¡­¡±


    She finally couldn¡¯t help herself at this moment, pushing him away and coughing nonstop, angrily staring at him as she coughed.


    His face had a satisfied smile, his clever tongue slowly licking over his shiny lips, raising his thick ck eyebrows toward her, the provocative meaning especially obvious.


    ¡°You bastard!¡±<div>


    After seeing this scene, she couldn¡¯t catch her breath and coughed even more. She shivered and couldn¡¯t speak.


    Unable to resist, she stretched out her slender fingers, pinched his waist, and then twisted it hard¡­


    ¡°Hiss! My little kitten, just now, you said to be true to your word, and I was just following my wife¡¯s instructions. Why do you still want to pinch me? Besides, my little darling, you clearly enjoyed it a lot before, don¡¯t deny it in a hurry!¡±


    He leisurely spoke of the intimate sensations he had just felt.<div>


    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re talking nonsense! When did I mean it like that? You bastard! Deliberately twisting my words! Hmph!¡±


    Still annoyed, she immediately blushed and wished she could hide in a crack in the ground.


    ¡°Really? Did your husband misunderstand my wife¡¯s meaning? Then you tell me, what do you mean?¡±


    Having said that, his mouth sought hers once more¡­n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°No, really, I can¡¯t take it anymore. My body can¡¯t handle it.¡±


    She tried desperately to dodge him, but her cumbersome body at the moment brought her more inconvenience. She could only helplessly raise her head and passively endure his advances.


    Another pot of tea¡¯s time passed, and she, who was still stubborn just a moment ago, lost her earlier stiffness, her whole body bing limp and like clear water.


    By the time he let her go again, she didn¡¯t even have the strength to move a finger.


    Di Yelei, on the other hand, was full of energy!


    After carefully cleaning themselves, Di Yelei crawled back into the quilt, embracing Liu Sisi and sinking into the dreand.


    He enjoyed a rare good night¡¯s sleep!


    The next day, Di Yelei was up early full of energy. By the time Liu Sisi woke up under the bright sky, he had already gone to the county.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed!<div>


    She forgot to give him the banknote of 10,000 taels that she had borrowed from Brother Nan yesterday!


    While she was still eating, Ms. Wang suddenly burst in from outside and shouted as soon as she entered the door, ¡°Ms. Liu, what kind of bewitching drug have you given my mother-inw? Are you trying to kill her? What are you plotting?¡±


    Old Cheng was anxiously exining from behind, ¡°Madam, I¡­ I couldn¡¯t stop her; she forced her way in.¡±


    Liu Sisi kept leisurely eating her cooked dishes, not showing any reaction to Ms. Wang¡¯s sudden intrusion, even her expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest.


    Ms. Wang became even more anxious! She couldn¡¯t help but scream in her shrill voice, ¡°Liu Sisi! Are you deaf or what?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s all this noise? It¡¯s so early in the morning, and you¡¯re making a racket.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was originally ying in the hall with the two children, especially YingEr. He found that from time to time, the little girl would have a strange idea, and seeing her little mouth constantly talking, he inexplicably felt happy.


    He particrly enjoyed ying with the two children.


    Ms. Wang¡¯s questioning startled him, and he walked over.


    Liu Sisi had just finished her meal and hurriedly stood up to greet him, ¡°Dad, why did youe here? Weren¡¯t you ying the confrontation game with YingEr and Da Mao?¡±


    The so-called confrontation game was something Liu Sisi had arranged for the two children, imitating modern military officer positions, and then ying chess with the kids for entertainment. As a result, their father also liked the game and often yed with the two children.


    Elderly Di looked at Liu Sisi and then at Ms. Wang, frowning as he asked again.


    ¡°Did you not hear what I just said?¡±<div>


    His words were exceptionally clear, and since Old He had been giving him acupuncture sessions, his speech had be clearer and clearer.


    Ms. Wang jumped in fright! Instinctively she shrank her neck, no longer as arrogant as before.

 Chapter 505: Warmth on a Rainy Night (Part 2)

    Chapter 505: Warmth on a Rainy Night (Part 2)


    She instinctively wanted to escape, her body instinctively recoiling. But she couldn¡¯t evade therge palm he stretched out toward her. Subconsciously, she gently called out: ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    The pace of his breath gradually quickened.


    That ce, made even more irresistible due to her pregnancy,pletely drew his gaze. He firmly held her within his embrace, rendering her already weak body incapable of movement.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but tremble slightly, her soft, tingling sensation akin to ants scratching her heart. Her hands clung tightly around his neck, but she couldn¡¯t restrain herself, and led by her heart¡¯s desire, she slightly swayed her body.


    ¡°Sisi, behave!¡±


    His deep voice was close at hand.


    His warm breath fanned her ear; it was so urgent that she felt like amb waiting to be ughtered, which made her shiver again and instinctively turn her head to escape.


    How could he let her sessfully escape?


    Quickly, his body also covered hers. Before she could escape, his cold hand gradually slid downwards along her slightly flushed snowy skin.


    ¡°Slow down, the baby¡­ careful with the baby¡­¡±


    The mood-killing words from Liu Sisi came, finally awakening the slight rity in Di Yelei¡¯s gaze. His face was extraordinarily ferocious as he held her tightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! It¡¯s okay, my little kitten, behave! I will be very gentle.¡±


    He murmured in her ear, his breath constantly lingering around her ear. Before Liu Sisi waspletely ready, he had unified with her into one.


    ¡°Ah! Oh¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi let out a stifled sound from her mouth, and suddenly felt his startling heat, igniting from below and rising, making her entire body tremble. She copsed, almost melting into putty.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for him holding her tight from behind, she would have copsed long ago.


    ¡°Oh! My little kitten, don¡¯t move¡­ Damn that felt good! Oh, Sisi, my dear Sisi¡­¡±


    Di Yelei unconsciously murmured. He felt like he had arrived in a ce that intoxicated him, relishing in the intense sensation from head to toe. He was on the brink of bursting apart, managing to stabilize himself at thest moment.


    When the dazzling light passed, he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. He let out a low growl, started to quickly move, leading wave after wave of attacks, striving for that most beautiful, highest summit. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    In front of his eyes, all the urrences of the day were continually emerging. He wanted to vent, to roar! He wanted to explode all the negative emotions.


    ¡°Did you kill all these people? Although a few among them have unclear identities, many others are poor locals. The facts are solid, you can¡¯t deny it, have you considered how to exin this?¡±


    ¡°Those words, those things, I the Official did not see, I the Official only talks about the current facts. Lord Sub-Captain, we are both officials of the same dynasty, verbal testimony is not evidence, officialdom is a ce where evidence is appreciated¡­¡±


    ¡°The things you¡¯ve said, you can¡¯t provide any evidence, there are no witnesses and no physical evidence, how do you want me, the Official, to trust you, Lord Sub-Captain? I the Official speak for the civilians, uphold high moral integrity, and dare not do anything that could be criticized by the civilians¡­¡±


    ¡°Lord Sub-Captain, before the case is thoroughly investigated, I ask Lord Sub-Captain to fully cooperate with us. As soon as we investigate the truth, we can clear Lord Sub-Captain¡¯s name. At that time, I the Official will definitely personally apologize to Lord Sub-Captain¡­¡±


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s words resounded in his ears, Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were bloodshot!


    He couldn¡¯t control his emotions any longer, nor could he control the edge of impending explosion. With a low roar, hepletely let loose¡­


    Almost immediately after his roar, Liu Sisi was no longer able to hold up. Her body went limp and she sank down on the spot.


    Di Yelei slowly closed his eyes and it took some effort to suppress his chaotic thoughts. He carefully turned andy down on his side, naturally pulling Liu Sisi into his arms, pulling the quilt over them.


    ¡°Sisi, I feel particrly relieved today.¡±


    Not just very rxed, but also a special feeling: ¡°Sisi, how are you? I was wrong just now, I should not have enjoyed myself while ignoring your feelings. You¡­¡±


    As he spoke, hisrge hand continuously moved over her body, gradually settling on her stomach and gently rubbing it.


    ¡°I also¡­ well, did.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s voice grew smaller as she mumbled.


    As his partner, how could she not notice the unusualness of Di Yelei today?


    But if he didn¡¯t say anything, she wouldn¡¯t mention it.


    Taking a moment to regain herposure, she couldn¡¯t help but re at him: ¡°You were very bold today. What if you hurt the baby?¡±


    In recent days, they hadn¡¯t shared a room very often, and he was always extremely gentle, like a light rain. Nothing like this time, suchrge, unrestrained actions?


    The baby in her stomach seemed to know that his mother was talking about him, so he stretched his little feet, and suddenly kicked her stomach.


    With his movement, not only did Liu Sisi feel it, but Di Yelei also felt it through her stomach.


    The two stared at each other, both seeing surprise in each other¡¯s eyes!


    Di Yelei got up quickly and again felt the movement carefully on her stomach.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, I felt it! I felt him moving, it¡¯s the baby in your belly greeting me! He knows I¡¯m his dad, he is talking to me. Sisi, did you feel that?¡±


    Di Yelei was beside himself with excitement.


    ¡°Yes! I felt it too, he just moved. It must have been your actions earlier that disturbed his rest, so he¡¯s protesting against you.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke teasingly, and as she spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but startughing.


    With thatugh, the muggy atmosphere between them instantly vanished!


    Di Yelei also felt indescribably rxed!


    ¡°Nonsense! This is my little cub saying hello to me, his dad. Little SiSi, tell me, am I right?¡±


    As he spoke, he knocked gently on her stomach through her clothes.


    ¡°Stop it, be careful, the baby is still so small, you think this is a watermelon. Is that how you act as a parent?¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly stopped him, rolling her eyes: ¡°And you¡¯re calling him ¡®little cub¡¯, what if I¡¯m carrying a girl, what will you do then?¡±


    ¡°Boy or girl, it doesn¡¯t matter. If it¡¯s a little girl who looks like you, even better. Like your eyebrows, your eyes, your nose, your small mouth¡­ little one, do you think dad is right?¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he gently knocked on her belly again.


    As if responding, the little one in her belly moved several times in session, making both parentsugh!

 Chapter 506: Warmth on a Rainy Night (Part 3)

    Chapter 506: Warmth on a Rainy Night (Part 3)


    ¡°Ah! He really understood what you said, he¡¯s responding to you!¡±


    Liu Sisi had a face full of surprise!


    Wasn¡¯t it?


    In the past, even if she felt the baby¡¯s movement, it was just a slight movement. How could it not be like today, when it moved so frequently? How could she not be surprised and delighted?


    Di Yeleiughed heartily!


    He couldn¡¯t help but hold her tighter, his hand gently gripping her back, and pulling her into his embrace. His thin lips naturally covered hers, lowering his head to kiss her little mouth.


    This kiss was strong, domineering, and passionate, not giving her any chance to escape,pletely enveloping her little mouth. Every nibble was done with all his might.


    He was wild and quick, like a gale sweeping through, causing wave after wave of shudders.


    ¡°Mm! Let go¡­¡±


    She frowning tightly, her hands instinctively pushing him away,pletely unable to adapt to this man¡¯s enthusiasm. The paining from her lips was unbearable, and the air around her nostrils was getting thinner and thinner, making her feel like she was going to die, as if she was going to suffocate!


    Lack of oxygen gradually woke her from her infatuation, she couldn¡¯t help but forcefully push him away.


    The man finally let her go, raising his eyelids, staring at her flushed face, satisfied with the way he had forgone her lips.


    ¡°Sisi, my little kitten, marrying you is the most rightful thing I, Di Yelei, have ever done in my life!¡± he said sincerely.


    ¡°Really or fake? Why do I feel like your words are insincere?¡±


    She covered her mouth, intentionally speaking sarcastically, giving him an embarrassed and annoyed re.


    ¡°Oh? What would it take to be consistent in words and actions?¡±


    The man raised an eyebrow! A yful smile hung on the corner of his mouth as he lifted her little body upwards, leisurely staring at the beauty in front of him, patiently watching her step by step fall into the trap.


    ¡°Of course¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a while, but really couldn¡¯t think of the answer to the question. Her drowsy and sleepy mind felt like she couldn¡¯t think of anything.


    ¡°Of course what? You mean we have to prove it physically to be consistent in words and actions?¡±


    The man seized the long-lost opportunity and wouldn¡¯t let go easily. His words were frivolous and casual.


    The next moment, he suddenly raised his hand and held her small head still, his mouth came down again, and his tongue easily pried open the woman¡¯s teeth and slid into her mouth, deepening the kiss.


    ¡°Um ¡­ don¡¯t do this.¡±


    She had just gotten a bit of oxygen and was kissed again, only able to maintain an awkward posture while breathing heavily. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He held her tightly against himself, his hands slowly stretching into her clothes from the hem, inch by inch moving upwards.


    His big hands moved ruthlessly over her body without stopping, causing her to shudder again and again.


    ¡°Cough cough, you ¡­¡±


    She finally couldn¡¯t help herself at this moment, pushing him away and coughing nonstop, angrily staring at him as she coughed.


    His face had a satisfied smile, his clever tongue slowly licking over his shiny lips, raising his thick ck eyebrows toward her, the provocative meaning especially obvious.


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    After seeing this scene, she couldn¡¯t catch her breath and coughed even more. She shivered and couldn¡¯t speak.


    Unable to resist, she stretched out her slender fingers, pinched his waist, and then twisted it hard¡­


    ¡°Hiss! My little kitten, just now, you said to be true to your word, and I was just following my wife¡¯s instructions. Why do you still want to pinch me? Besides, my little darling, you clearly enjoyed it a lot before, don¡¯t deny it in a hurry!¡±


    He leisurely spoke of the intimate sensations he had just felt.


    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re talking nonsense! When did I mean it like that? You bastard! Deliberately twisting my words! Hmph!¡±


    Still annoyed, she immediately blushed and wished she could hide in a crack in the ground.


    ¡°Really? Did your husband misunderstand my wife¡¯s meaning? Then you tell me, what do you mean?¡±


    Having said that, his mouth sought hers once more¡­


    ¡°No, really, I can¡¯t take it anymore. My body can¡¯t handle it.¡±


    She tried desperately to dodge him, but her cumbersome body at the moment brought her more inconvenience. She could only helplessly raise her head and passively endure his advances.


    Another pot of tea¡¯s time passed, and she, who was still stubborn just a moment ago, lost her earlier stiffness, her whole body bing limp and like clear water.


    By the time he let her go again, she didn¡¯t even have the strength to move a finger.


    Di Yelei, on the other hand, was full of energy!


    After carefully cleaning themselves, Di Yelei crawled back into the quilt, embracing Liu Sisi and sinking into the dreand.


    He enjoyed a rare good night¡¯s sleep!


    The next day, Di Yelei was up early full of energy. By the time Liu Sisi woke up under the bright sky, he had already gone to the county.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed!


    She forgot to give him the banknote of 10,000 taels that she had borrowed from Brother Nan yesterday!


    While she was still eating, Ms. Wang suddenly burst in from outside and shouted as soon as she entered the door, ¡°Ms. Liu, what kind of bewitching drug have you given my mother-inw? Are you trying to kill her? What are you plotting?¡±


    Old Cheng was anxiously exining from behind, ¡°Madam, I¡­ I couldn¡¯t stop her; she forced her way in.¡±


    Liu Sisi kept leisurely eating her cooked dishes, not showing any reaction to Ms. Wang¡¯s sudden intrusion, even her expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest.


    Ms. Wang became even more anxious! She couldn¡¯t help but scream in her shrill voice, ¡°Liu Sisi! Are you deaf or what?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s all this noise? It¡¯s so early in the morning, and you¡¯re making a racket.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was originally ying in the hall with the two children, especially YingEr. He found that from time to time, the little girl would have a strange idea, and seeing her little mouth constantly talking, he inexplicably felt happy.


    He particrly enjoyed ying with the two children.


    Ms. Wang¡¯s questioning startled him, and he walked over.


    Liu Sisi had just finished her meal and hurriedly stood up to greet him, ¡°Dad, why did youe here? Weren¡¯t you ying the confrontation game with YingEr and Da Mao?¡±


    The so-called confrontation game was something Liu Sisi had arranged for the two children, imitating modern military officer positions, and then ying chess with the kids for entertainment. As a result, their father also liked the game and often yed with the two children.


    Elderly Di looked at Liu Sisi and then at Ms. Wang, frowning as he asked again.


    ¡°Did you not hear what I just said?¡±


    His words were exceptionally clear, and since Old He had been giving him acupuncture sessions, his speech had be clearer and clearer.


    Ms. Wang jumped in fright! Instinctively she shrank her neck, no longer as arrogant as before.

 Chapter 507: 507: A Grown Woman is not Bound by Her Dad and Mom!

    Chapter 507: A Grown Woman is not Bound by Her Dad and Mom!


    She had no choice but to grit her teeth and answer Father¡¯s question. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know what got into Mom¡­ Today, before the sky even lightened, she crawled along the way from our house to the hill, saying she wanted to¡­ to confess her own faults to Mother-inw¡­¡±


    As Ms. Wang talked, she nced at elderly Mr. Di¡¯s expression.


    Elderly Mr. Di was obviously taken aback, his face appearing puzzled. He was apparently somewhat unable to process what Ms. Wang was saying.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    He had already heard what she¡¯d just said, but he asked subconsciously.


    Ms. Wang became anxious! If she failed toplete her task, who knows what might happen when she returned.


    She hurriedly said, word by word: ¡°Mom, she crawled on her knees and bowed six times at each step towards the grave of her former mother-inw. She said she wanted to apologize to Cousin. Father¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi lowered her eyes and didn¡¯t speak; instead, a crescent moon-like curve appeared at the corner of her mouth.


    Ms. Wang actually went through with the idea she¡¯d given her! It seems that she really did have some feelings for Father, and she even went this far to win back Father¡¯s heart. Impressive!


    But then¡­ whether there was any effect, just like she¡¯d said at the beginning, depended on how ruthless she was to herself!


    Liu Sisi lifted her head and looked at Ms. Wang across from her. From her expression, it seemed that Ms. Zhao had indeed gone through with it, being as ruthless to herself as she was to others!<div>


    ¡°Father, do you want to¡­ go and see? If you want to go, I can have Old Cheng take you back.¡±


    Liu Sisi tentatively tested elderly Mr. Di¡¯s bottom line.


    Elderly Mr. Di didn¡¯t seem to expect Liu Sisi to ask this question. He hesitated for a moment and then shook his head uncertainly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t go back! She deserves it, she should suffer!¡±


    After finishing speaking, he walked towards the hall with his crutch, leaving behind a stooped figure for everyone to see.


    Liu Sisi swept a nce at Ms. Wang, didn¡¯t bother with her, and turned to leave. Ms. Wang hurriedly called out to her.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw¡­ hehehe.¡±


    Upon seeing Liu Sisi turning back, the words that Ms. Wang wanted to say got stuck in her throat, and she could only let out a series of awkwardughter.


    Liu Sisi frowned, suddenly thinking of something. ¡°It¡¯s rare for Second Sister-inw toe all this way. Today, Second Sister-inw came to the small town. Did you buy a residence and n to propose to Di Cheng?¡±


    These words immediately made Ms. Wang shrink back subconsciously, as if her tongue had been taken away by a kitten.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, you must be joking. You know the situation of my family. Where can we get that so quickly¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that so! Then Second Sister-inw, you better hurry up. You¡¯re waiting, Di Cheng¡¯s waiting, but I¡¯m afraid the bride¡¯s side might not wait. If they really find a suitable candidate and settle down, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be toote for Second Sister-inw.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was full of mockery.


    Did she not know what Ms. Wang was up to?


    If it weren¡¯t for Di Cheng¡¯s sake, she wouldn¡¯t have bothered with this kind of person.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°What? Didn¡¯t they say that she and Cheng¡¯er had feelings for each other?¡± Ms. Wang was shocked!


    ¡°Pfft! Who told you that?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°This woman is top-notch in both looks and family background, otherwise how could she demand such a high price? The main thing is that she wants to recruit a husband into her family. Otherwise, the matter would have been settled long ago.¡±


    Of course, this information was the result of Liu Sisi¡¯s careful investigation.<div>


    There were only two cksmith shops in the small town, and one of them was the shop she visitedst time to order a pulley, owned by Ironsmith Wan. He had only one daughter named Wan Qifeng, nicknamed Feng¡¯er. He had also taken on an apprentice, nning for him to marry his daughter when he grew older.


    However, ns don¡¯t always work out, and daughters can¡¯t bepletely controlled by their parents!


    At the age of twelve, Feng¡¯er dered that she would choose her own husband and didn¡¯t want a cksmith! Even if she couldn¡¯t find one, she would rather remain unmarried for a lifetime and inherit the cksmith¡¯s mantle.


    The reason for her remark was targeting the apprentice!<div>


    Ironsmith Wan naturally wouldn¡¯t allow Feng¡¯er to be reckless, and the father and daughter argued for several days. In the end, they made a bet that if Feng¡¯er could learn to forge and create a good knife by herself within a month, Ironsmith Wan wouldn¡¯t interfere with her marriage.


    Ironsmith Wan was confident in his gamble! Feng¡¯er had never even touched a hammer before, how could a twelve-year-old girl possibly do it?


    What he didn¡¯t expect, however, was that Feng¡¯er had been exposed to the craft since she was young. Although she had never wielded a hammer herself, she was naturally strong and learned all the steps of knife making!


    Once the knife waspleted, Ironsmith Wan intended to renege on the bet. However, Feng¡¯er casually picked up the small knife and cut in half the one Ironsmith Wan had forged¡­


    Since then, the real person in charge of the cksmith shop has been Xiao Feng, and her ¡®elder brother¡¯ also married a wife three years ago. The couple also had a little boy and lived happily together¡­


    ¡°Really?¡± Ms. Wang was also a bit tempted.


    ¡°The cksmith shop is just over there, don¡¯t you see it? But, it¡¯s said that Feng¡¯er rarely shows her face in front of the shop. She mostly manages ounts in the backyard. If you go there, you probably won¡¯t see her.¡±


    Liu Sisi said coldly, almost speechless at Ms. Wang¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°Oh, nevermind! The money is ready, and I¡¯ve found a matchmaker recently and checked out a suitable house. As long as we agree on the price, we¡¯ll propose at thetest by the end of the month¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for the best. Hopefully, everything goes smoothly, and nothing goes wrong.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s words carried a subtle warning.


    Ms. Wang agreed but secretly nned to take a detour to inspect the ceter. However, she wouldn¡¯t tell Liu Sisi, and quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°By the way! The vige has been buzzing recently about Shou Hou having an affair with a beautiful woman, and they were caught red-handed by Miao Cuihua. Instead of repenting, Shou Hou asked for a divorce. Do you know about this?¡±


    ¡°What does it matter if I know? What does it matter if I don¡¯t?¡± Liu Sisi had no interest in the issue.<div>


    But Ms. Wang couldn¡¯t help sharing the story, ¡°It¡¯s funny! Cuihua was adamant tomit suicide by hanging herself, but the hemp rope couldn¡¯t bear her weight and broke into two pieces. Shou Hou was both frightened and angry and dered that if she died, he would just bring the woman from outside into the house. That stopped the drama. Isn¡¯t that ridiculous?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s ridiculous!¡±


    Liu Sisi scolded her mercilessly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you think about the feeling of peopleughing at our Di family? Never mind, there¡¯s no point talking to you. Just go and take care of mom.¡±


    Although Ms. Wang wanted to say more, she saw the displeasure in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes and took her leave.

 Chapter 508: 508: Up to Which Step

    Chapter 508: Up to Which Step


    Liu Zhi¡¯er watched Ms. Wang¡¯s proud face as she walked away, staying silent for a while before whispering to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Sisi, Second Sister has something she¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted to do something else?¡±


    Liu Sisi yfully nced at her, then took her hand: ¡°Second Sister, we are sisters. If you have something to say, just say it. There¡¯s no need to be so formal.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er smiled shyly, her head lowered: ¡°Sisi, Second Sister wants to use the empty shop outside to open a small shop selling dumplings and wontons¡­¡±


    She had been thinking about this for a long time.


    Liu Sisi rented the shop outside, intending to do some small business, but her body was bing increasingly heavy, and she had no energy to manage a small shop due to all the recent troubles.


    But Liu Zhi¡¯er was different.


    Although she had failed to find San Mao on her journey with Zuo Xingyu, the money spent on the trip had already consumed most of her small savings from before.


    She was anxious but had no way to make money, so when she saw the shop outside empty, she decided to talk to Liu Sisi.


    Her words finally put Liu Sisi at ease!<div>


    ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯ve been wanting to discuss this with you but was worried about burdening you since you¡¯re still recovering. Selling dumplings and wontons is a good idea, it doesn¡¯t require much investment, and there won¡¯t be much waste. We can see the profits the same day we invest. It¡¯s perfect!¡±


    Liu Sisi praised Liu Zhi¡¯er continuously, fearing that she might back out.


    Actually, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s personality was quite simr to hers ¨C seemingly easygoing on the outside, but quite strong-willed on the inside.


    Even while living in the Di family, she tried to find work to do, such as making spring shirts for the Di family members.


    Teaching someone to fish is better than giving them fish!


    From the beginning, Liu Sisi had intended to let Liu Zhi¡¯er run the shop, but the timing had to be right for her to mention it.


    And now, the time was finally right!


    ¡°Sisi, do you really think selling dumplings and wontons is a good idea? The town is small, and there don¡¯t seem to be many people. Can we really make money?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er finally felt relieved after receiving Sisi¡¯s support but still had some doubts.


    ¡°Who said you¡¯d only sell dumplings and wontons? You could also sell buns, steamed buns, steamed dumplings, soy milk, fried dough sticks, and more. If we can¡¯t sell everything, there are so many mouths to feed at home, including Ah-Hua and Ah-Huang, who eat a lot.¡±


    That¡¯s right! With so many people at home, there was no risk of losing anything, and Liu Zhi¡¯er finally felt at ease.


    ¡°Alright, Sisi, I will go make preparations now and try to open the shop as soon as possible.¡±


    Eager to get started, Liu Zhi¡¯er, with a joyful face, turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait! Call Granny Hu. I remember her mentioning that her family used to sell dumplings and wontons when she was young. See what you need to buy and let her help you.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er happily left the room.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, then looked back at Elderly Mr. Di, who was still sitting in the hall, lost in thought. It was clear that his mind had already wandered far away.


    She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle!


    Was he thinking about Ms. Zhao in Upper Vige?<div>


    Who knows what she¡¯s doing now? And how far along is she!


    She called YingEr and Da Mao, told Mr. Di she was leaving, and then led the two children out the door.


    Before leaving, she specifically instructed Old Cheng to prepare the carriage so that it would be convenient if the Old Master needed it.


    YingEr is now five and a half years old, chattering non-stop like a little sparrow, startling Da Mao, who is just over four years old.<div>


    Nowadays, YingEr is no longer as clingy to Liu Sisi as she was when she was young. Ever since Da Mao came to their home, she seemed to have found a ymate, sticking with him all day long except for sleeping. And now, with the addition of the two little maids, Xue Yi and Xue Lan, things have gotten even messier.


    For example, right now!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Da Mao, did you hear that? Why don¡¯t you say something? Da Mao, are you ying deaf and dumb again? Answer quickly¡­¡± YingEr gestured at Da Mao endlessly.


    Da Mao took a while to utter a sentence: ¡°What did you say? What?¡±


    YingEr was infuriated!


    ¡°Well, Da Mao, you didn¡¯t hear a thing I just said for ages, did you? Xue Lan, you¡¯re not allowed to make his bed tonight, let him do it himself, do you hear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡±


    Xue Lan beside her hesitantly agreed.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but shake her head: ¡°YingEr, why do you always bully Da Mao? That¡¯s not good, Mom didn¡¯t teach you that.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bully him; he is just too dumb and unwilling to speak. I am doing it for his own good, let him talk.¡±


    She said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°You sure have twisted logic.¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but shake her head, saying earnestly: ¡°What are you talking about here? I remember when I first met YingEr of our family, she was also hiding behind Xuan¡¯er and not saying a word. I didn¡¯t dislike YingEr either. Is that right?¡±<div>


    YingEr pouted her little mouth in disagreement: ¡°But, he¡¯s still so slow at this point¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at Da Mao next to her, and there was a wounded color in his eyes. This child¡¯s temperament followed Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    ¡°Da Mao is not slow at all! Don¡¯t you know? Da Mao can persevere in practicing horse stance every day and get up early. What about you? You don¡¯t get up as early as Da Mao! Besides, Da Mao is not silent, he is just a man and not prone to talk much like girls do. Isn¡¯t that right, Da Mao?¡±


    Liu Sisi lowered her head and asked Da Mao.


    Da Mao¡¯s eyes lit up! He couldn¡¯t help but smile and nodded slightly. He looked at YingEr, then lowered his head and walked silently.


    ¡°Fine¡­ Bad Da Mao, I won¡¯t care for you anymore, hmph!¡±


    YingEr grumbled discontentedly.


    ¡°YingEr¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi chided her with a heavy voice.


    YingEr saw that things were going bad! She turned her eyes and immediately came over to hug Liu Sisi¡¯s arm and shook it nonstop: ¡°Mom! I was just kidding¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was utterly helpless with her cunning and pinched her head gently.


    During their conversation, their group had already arrived at the bookstore.<div>


    Di Cheng was still busy in the bookstore, and there was another figure bustling inside. Upon close inspection, Liu Sisi realized it was Miao Cuihua!


    How did she end up here again?


    And helping Di Cheng clean up the store?


    With a stomach full of doubts, Liu Sisi led the two children into the door of the bookstore.

 Chapter 509: One Must Suffer the Consequences of One’s Own Actions

    Chapter 509: One Must Suffer the Consequences of One¡¯s Own Actions


    ¡°Brother Cheng, we¡¯re here to see you!¡±


    Before even entering the door, YingEr called out loudly.


    Di Cheng raised his head from the counter and quickly greeted the visitors, ¡°Third Aunt, you¡¯re here.¡± While talking, he nced at Miao Cuihua next to him.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re finally here! I went to the residence several times looking for you but couldn¡¯t find you, I thought you were hiding!¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisiing in, Miao Cuihua threw off the cloth in her hand and went up to take her hand, ¡°Sisi, you have to help me! That damn Shou Hou wants a divorce. He¡¯s now living with that fox spirit outside! Sisi, you have to help me out this time, otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to live!¡±


    Miao Cuihua became more and more agitated as she spoke, and finally started to sob loudly, scaring away two customers who had originally nned to enter the store.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face turned ugly upon seeing this.


    ¡°What are you crying for? Can crying bring people back? Didn¡¯t you see the customers get scared away by you?¡±


    These words stopped Miao Cuihua¡¯s crying immediately, and she looked at Liu Sisi with a wronged expression.


    ¡°But¡­but our family is going to be torn apart!¡±


    ¡°Who can you me for iting to this? Look at what you do all day long?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked extremely disappointed: ¡°People say that when marrying a wife, marry a virtuous one, who will respect her parents-inw and raise children! But you, your parents-inw died early and don¡¯t need your care; instead, you spend your days gossiping and turning Little Chubby into a little ruffian. Moreover, you never give Shou Hou any face, always giving him a hard time in front of others. Isn¡¯t it your own fault that things havee to this point?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I was just trying to prevent him from going down the wrong path¡­Who would have thought that he would just¡­¡±


    As Miao Cuihua brought up the subject, she began to sob again.


    ¡°But have you stopped him? Do you think Shou Hou met that woman in the bookstore? I¡¯m telling you, he didn¡¯t!¡±


    Miao Cuihua thought Shou Hou had been corrupted in the bookstore, which really pissed off Liu Sisi!


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! I have already investigated. That day, after you had a quarrel, you kicked him out, right? Ha! You don¡¯t even think about where he could go in such cold weather, wearing only a singleyer of clothing? He had no choice but to return to the bookstore, only to save a troubled woman on the way, leading to this mess! It¡¯s all your fault for pushing Shou Hou out the door, because if it weren¡¯t for that, he wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to meet that woman. Who can you me?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words left Miao Cuihua speechless for a long time. After a while, she started crying again, as if her heart were breaking.


    Liu Sisi ignored her and called Di Cheng into the inner room.


    ¡°Your mother came today, saying that your grandmother is causing trouble at home again. Also, she mentioned your marriage, and from the looks of it, she hasn¡¯t made any progress in all this time. You¡¯d better take some time to urge her a bit more, otherwise, even if it¡¯s dyed until the end of the year, it might not necessarily happen. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Alright, Third Aunt.¡±


    Di Cheng quickly agreed, sounding very helpless, ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m afraid Cheng¡¯er¡¯s words might not be useful, as you know how my mother feels about me¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I understand. But this is a family matter, and I, as your Third Aunt, really can¡¯t interfere too much. It¡¯s rted to your lifelong happiness; it¡¯s good to be an honest person, but not fighting for what you should fight for is not being honest, it¡¯s being foolish!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Cheng¡¯er will definitely follow Third Aunt¡¯s teachings.¡±


    Di Cheng bowed again and then asked curiously, ¡°Third Aunt, what happened to my grandmother?¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head: ¡°Nothing much, I heard it from your mother. It is said that she went to your grandmother¡¯s grave from the old house, kowtowing three times every step of the way.¡±


    Her face held a peculiar smile, and Di Cheng, looking up, saw a sudden sh of realization in her eyes.


    Then he gave a light cough: ¡°The older my grandmother gets, the more her actions be inscrutable. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go out and get busy.¡±


    ¡°Alright, off you go!¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded her head, watching Di Cheng¡¯s retreating figure, and couldn¡¯t help but feel emotional. The child Di Cheng had grown up gradually, and had be sensible!


    When she left again with the two children, Liu Sisi nced back inadvertently, only to find that Miao Cuihua had followed her.


    Raising her eyebrows in surprise, Liu Sisi ultimately didn¡¯t say anything as she continued walking.


    When she returned home, Elderly Mr. Di was not in the old house like she thought. Instead, he was carefully weaving something with bamboo strips, impressing Liu Sisi with hisposure ¨C truly, what great determination!


    Could it really be that Elderly Mr. Di has no feelings left for Ms. Zhao, to the point where he¡¯d lost his heart?


    Her doubts brewed in her heart.


    That night, Di Yelei didn¡¯te home. Liu Sisi restlessly waited an entire night, her heart pounding violently, always feeling as if a significant event had urred.


    The next morning, she got up before daybreak, and after breakfast, she asked Old Cheng to drive her straight to the county>.


    What she didn¡¯t know was that as soon as she left for the county, Elderly Mr. Di went out, found Uncle Wang, and joined his bull-cart to head for Upper Vige.


    In a hurry, Liu Sisi carefully observed the narrow pass when crossing it, and found that everything had returned to normal except for a thickyer of quicklime that covered the ground, turning the entire narrow pass into a whitendscape.


    This was Liu Sisi¡¯s first time at the armory. She asked several people before finding the exact direction. Upon seeing the exterior architecture of the armory, she was genuinely shocked!


    The sound of the carriage might have alerted the people inside ¨C a figure squeezed out from the side gate and looked at Liu Sisi, who was peering from the carriage, asking curiously.


    ¡°Who are you¡­?¡±


    Finally seeing a person, Liu Sisi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly greeted with a smile: ¡°Young man, we are the family of Di Yelei, and we havee to find him. Is he inside?¡±


    The man¡¯s face showed sudden understanding. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Ah! You must be Minister Di¡¯s wife, Eldest Miss of Gan Family, right?¡±


    Liu Sisi frowned but didn¡¯t bother to correct him further: ¡°Indeed. Do you know Ye Lei, young man?¡±


    The man looked matter-of-fact: ¡°Of course I do. Madam, are you here to find Lord Di? You¡¯vee to the wrong ce; Lord Di is currently in the county government¡¯s prison, not here!¡±


    ¡°In prison? What¡¯s going on?¡± Liu Sisi was shocked.


    No wonder Ye Lei didn¡¯te homest night. She was restless all night, and it turned out that he really had an ident!


    The man shrugged: ¡°How would I know? I heard, however, that it had something to do with Minister Di being ambushed a few days ago. Madam, why don¡¯t you go to the county government to ask? The situation might be clear.¡±

 Chapter 510: Disaster of the Prison

    Chapter 510: Disaster of the Prison


    It wasn¡¯t Di Yelei¡¯s first time in Macheng County prison, nor was it Liu Sisi¡¯s first time visiting him there.


    However, she never expected this visit to be so difficult.


    At first, Liu Sisi went directly to the main entrance of the county government office to ask to meet with County Magistrate Su, but she was denied.


    ¡°Miss Gan, Lord Su County Magistrate is not in the office. Please go back.¡±


    The governmental office¡¯s runner at the gate looked apologetic.


    Helpless, Liu Sisi had to back down: ¡°I am sorry, but can you help me with a message? I would like to meet Madam County Magistrate.¡±


    The constable looked even more apologetic: ¡°Miss Gan, Madam County Magistrate left early this morning with Lord County Magistrate. Constable Zuo also went with them.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°Then¡­ ¡± n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Miss Gan, Lord County Magistrate has said that no one is in the office today,¡± said the constable, with a suggestive look in his eyes.


    ¡°¡­I see. Excuse me, may I ask you, what was the crime for which Minister Di was detained yesterday in the office¡¯s jail?¡±


    The constable and the person next to him exchanged nces. He obviously hadn¡¯t expected Liu Sisi to ask this question and hesitated for a moment before finally replying.


    ¡°It is said that he showed no regard for human life; I heard that among the people who died at the narrow pass a few days ago, several were ordinary civilians passing by and were also killed by Lord Di as bandits!¡±


    Liu Sisi gasped. She then realized the seriousness of the matter!


    ¡°I see, thank you very much.¡±


    Thanking him, Liu Sisi turned around and walked back, lifting the curtain and getting into the carriage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave this ce for now.¡±


    Ms. Gao, who was following Liu Sisi, looked nervous: ¡°Madam, are we just going to leave like this? Shouldn¡¯t we think of a way out?¡±


    As the carriage moved forward, Liu Sisi casually lowered the curtain and turned to look back at Ms. Gao.


    ¡°You must have heard what the constable said just now; Lord Su County Magistrate and his wife are most likely in the office. They refuse to see us, so they ordered the constable to say so. Even if we force our way into the office, we will only add unnecessary crimes to Yelei and it won¡¯t help the situation at all!¡±


    Ms. Gao started crying: ¡°This¡­ this is a serious crime! What should we do now?¡± Ms. Gao waspletely at a loss.


    The reason Ms. Gao was so nervous was not only because Di Yelei was imprisoned, but also Da Niu.


    ¡°No worries, we are now going to see someone who can definitely help!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes were heavy, and she couldn¡¯t help but grip the embroidered handkerchief in her hands tightly.


    Wrapped in this handkerchief was the strange, jade-like circr object that Zuo Xingyu had given her at the scene of the crime a few days earlier. Zuo Xingyu had said that he would take it back after three days, which should be today.


    However, she had no intention of returning it today!


    At that time, she didn¡¯t think of it, but after carefully recalling over the past two days, it seemed that she had seen it somewhere before. It wasn¡¯t untilst night when she was worried and anxious that a moment of radiance shed through her mind, and she suddenly realized where she had seen this object!


    When they were initially on Heilong Mountain, she saw Elder Leisure with a simr circr object attached to his clothes. Later, the two girls who led her out of the plum grove also wore one; the difference was that Elder Leisure¡¯s essory was pure ck, while the ones on the girls were gray-ck with a hint of blue.


    Considering the jade green with blood-red color of the one she held, which seemed like two intertwined four-legged snakes or perhaps strangely shaped winged snakes or two devouring lizards, could she infer that the person holding this object might have a slightly lower status than Elder Leisure, but much higher than the two girls?


    She knew that the people here believed that ck was extremely noble.


    She was holding this essory when she went up the mountain, but whether or not she coulde down safely was uncertain. However, if she wanted to save Di Yelei, she would have to make an attempt.


    This time they drove past the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple and did not stop; instead, they bypassed the Zen temple and went up another winding mountain path below, all the way galloping towards ck Dragon Mountain.


    The surroundings were extremely quiet, with only the sound of horse hooves and carriage wheels rolling over the gravel road.


    ¡°Madam, it¡¯s so quiet around here, not even a bird is chirping. Will we be able to find anyone after we go up the mountain?¡±


    Ms. Gao couldn¡¯t help but lift the curtain to look outside before she put it down again and said.


    Liu Sisi calmly closed her eyes and said: ¡°Human eyes are the most deceptive. You see silence around you, but it doesn¡¯t mean there are no people around. Don¡¯t worry! We will definitely find someone after we go up the mountain.¡±


    Obviously, Ms. Gao didn¡¯t quite understand: ¡°If Madam says we can find someone, then we will definitely find them.¡±


    Liu Sisi slightly opened her eyes to nce at her and didn¡¯t say more, but closed her eyes again.


    Legend has it that there are ny-nine bends on this mountain path from the foot of the slope to the destination, but who knows if it¡¯s true!


    The carriage followed the winding path of broken stone up the hill, stopping at the end of the path in front of numerous stone steps.


    Liu Sisi got off the carriage and looked up. The stone steps at the top seemed to form a small road made of countless stones.


    Here, at the high wall-like barrier made up of countless stones or rather a mountain gate, was the entrance to the legendary ck Dragon Mountain stronghold that had been famous for more than thirty years in the nearby region.


    Liu Sisi said nothing more and started climbing the stone steps, lifting her skirt hem. Old Cheng and Ms. Gao followed closely, Yong counting the number of steps as she climbed.


    ¡°Thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five¡­seventy-one, seventy-two, seventy-three¡­¡±


    Exactly ny-nine steps, not one more or one less, she finished them just in time to stand beneath the high wall.


    Looking up close, she realized that the height of this wall-like barrier seemed to be even higher than the city wall of Macheng County!


    ¡°Old Cheng, call out that Liu Sisi wants to see Elder Leisure.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    Old Cheng stepped back and cupped his hands to his mouth, shouting: ¡°Liu Sisi wants to see Elder Leisure!¡±


    Old Cheng had just called out once and was about to call out again, but there was movement up there.


    ¡°Pleasee in, Miss Liu!¡±


    With crackling gears, arge carry basket with thick iron chains fell from above.


    As soon as the basket touched the ground, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t hesitate to step in, followed by Ms. Gao and Old Cheng, who rushed in as well, but the basket had already begun to rise.


    ¡°Madam!¡± The two were anxious.


    ¡°You two wait here for me toe out.¡± Liu Sisi looked down and instructed them as the iron chains hoisted her up.

 Chapter 511: 511: Falling Out

    Chapter 511: Falling Out


    In the backyard of the County Magistrate¡¯s Office.


    All the doors and windows of a room had been sealed shut, making it so dark inside one could hardly see their own hand in front of them.


    Due to Di Yelei¡¯s special status, he was kept in an isted cell.


    Suddenly, the jingling of keys unlocking a door reverberated outside his cell. Momentster, along with a squeaky sound, the cell door was opened, allowing a touch of light from the outside to pour in. This abrupt exposure to light made Di Yelei instinctively squint, gradually adjusting his sight toprehend the person who hade.


    ¡°Oh, so it is none other than Lord County Magistrate Su himself! What a rare guest you are!¡±


    County Magistrate Su grinned from ear to ear, epting the torch from the hands of the constable who had apanied him, and bent down to enter the cell.


    ¡°Brother Di, there is no need for such courtesy. This is just a routine inquiry for the sake of maintaining order. Once everything is thoroughly investigated, we will naturally set you free.¡± Su, the County Magistrate, replied while squinting eyes under his smile.


    ¡°Hmph! Su, the County Magistrate, why those words?¡±


    Di Yelei looked at him with narrowed eyes, standing up from the floor, ¡°Both of us are seventh-rank officials. ording to thew, only the Court of Judicial Review has the authority to oversee and adjudicate matters involving imperial officials. Yesterday, you asked me to cooperate with your investigation, and I did. However, I am astonished at the state of Macheng County, where even the guest rooms are so deplorably dark. It seems the reputation of this small county is indeed far overstated.¡±


    Whether a county isrge or small during the current era is determined by the amount of tax and grain levies that it submits to the national bank. At present, Macheng County is already a small one. If it fails to live up to even these meager expectations, it will be demoted and absorbed by arger neighboring county, thereby rendering the position of its County Magistrate obsolete.


    Unable to maintain his facade, County Magistrate Su¡¯s mouth twitched before he let out a heartyugh, ¡°You are too harsh, Brother Di. This is just a temporary situation. After all, we discovered the remains of more than a dozen ordinary people at the crime scene. As a devoted official, I must provide an exnation to everyone, right? I ask you to please remain calm, Brother Di, and rest here for a couple more days. I will surely find the real culprit and clear your name.¡±<div>


    ¡°No need! I have been here since yesterday and I worry about how my parents, my wife, and my children at home are coping without me. I have also been an inconvenience here overnight. I should take my leave now!¡±


    Saying this, Di Yelei directly stepped past County Magistrate Su and bent down, ready to crawl out of the room.


    However, to his surprise, four constables suddenly appeared in front, standing in a line blocking Di Yelei¡¯s exit way. Instinctively, Di Yelei squinted his eyes and turned back to look at County Magistrate Su.


    ¡°Su, what is the meaning of this? Are you trying to test my martial arts abilities, like you did yesterday?¡±


    Yesterday, he was tricked by County Magistrate Su into this special cell under the pretext of interviewing a surviving witness from the crime scene. But that scoundrel, Xin Quan, coveted to torture him, only to be bested by him instead, making him flee with his tail between his legs.


    However, judging by their demeanor, they are not likely to let this matter rest so easily! They might very well strike back at any moment.


    Moreover, Da Niu was in their custody and Su, the County Magistrate, was using him as a bargaining chip. He had no choice but to y by their rules.


    After a night of rest here, he had analyzed the entire scenario once again, confirming that he had inadvertently fallen into their trap. The person who had set this trap was most likely the oily-smiling Su County Magistrate standing right in front of him.


    County Magistrate Su was also full of resentment.


    He had been incessantly ttering the Gan family, hoping to climb up thedder of power. However, when the Gan family went to the capital, they didn¡¯t mention him at all, which was obviously a sign that they had forgotten about him.


    As for Liu Sisi, he still held some apprehension towards her. When it came to Di Yelei though, he wished nothing more than to get rid of him.


    Originally, Di was just amon constable under hismand, but in a blink of an eye, he had risen to the same rank as him! How could he tolerate such humiliation?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Thinking about Xin Quan¡¯s promise that he would skyrocket through the ranks once the matter was settled, a feeling of warmth filled his heart.


    He couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud, ¡°Brother Di, your martial arts skills are superior. How can these subordinates of mine be your match? It¡¯s just that yesterday, my men took Da Niu out for some fun, and he hasn¡¯t returned as of yet. I just hope you don¡¯t mind their unruly behavior.¡±


    ¡°That is all right! As long as your men have taken my subordinate out, I believe they will take good care of him and ensure he is not hurt in the slightest. With these assurances, what reason would I have to worry?¡±


    As Di Yelei was speaking, he started to take one step after another. The four governmental office¡¯s runners barring the door looked at each other, involuntarily retreating step by step.


    Everyone had witnessed Di Yelei¡¯s capabilities yesterday. Their group of four trying to stop him was like delivering food to him!


    County Magistrate Su was anxious!


    ¡°Di Yelei, how dare you defy me publicly?¡±<div>


    ¡°Ridiculous!¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly roared with rage!


    The whole prison cell trembled three times following his voice, and the four men close by felt a buzzing in their ears. Such a thunderous voice!


    Di Yelei turned his face, looking at County Magistrate Su, his eyes were filled with piercing coldness. There was no more sign of his usual docility.<div>


    ¡°County Magistrate Su, don¡¯t get carried away! As long as I, Di Yelei, hold the position of sub-captain, you, a mere county magistrate of Macheng, do not have the authority to interrogate me!¡±


    ¡°Let him go!¡±


    County Magistrate Su gnashed his teeth as he spoke, the coldness in his eyes wishing to devour Di Yelei alive.


    ¡°I thank Your Honor the County Magistrate.¡±


    Di Yelei chuckled, turned his head and cast a furious look at the four governmental office¡¯s runners in front of him: ¡°Make way! If any of you dare to obstruct me, wouldn¡¯t it be fair to execute you?¡±


    At his words, the four runners were startled and instinctively made way for Di Yelei to pass.


    Di Yelei strode out of the prison cell, raised his head to survey his surroundings, and saw County Magistrate Su, who was walking out from the inside with a face full of anger.


    ¡°County Magistrate Su, my servant is timid. Please make sure your people do not frighten him, or else¡­ hmpf!¡±


    Having said that, he flicked his sleeve disdainfully and left.


    Some people, when given an inch, will take a mile!


    He thought that he used to be subordinate to County Magistrate Su, and always held him in a certain regard. He never expected the other party to take his fear for granted, and to brazenly push him into such a situation.


    He looked back squinting at the surrounding buildings, but this was also good. Although he had stayed here one night, it was throughst night¡¯s ordeal he identified the hidden hand who wanted to antagonize him. After all, his trip was not in vain.


    On the ck Dragon Mountain.<div>


    Everything that followed felt as if Liu Sisi was dreaming.


    She was taken out of the carry basket and was led to a small sedan that was already waiting. She got into the small sedan and was carried by two strong men into a small bamboo house.


    At the moment, it was afternoon tea time, and a snack was set in front of Elder Leisure. Seeing Liu Sisi enter, heughed and waved at her.


    ¡°Come,e,e. You are just in time to join me for a light drink. These snacks are delicious, taste them and see if you like them.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I am quite hungry today. I rushed to see Elder and haven¡¯t had lunch yet.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed lightly as she walked in.

 Chapter 512: 512: Old Affairs from the Past

    Chapter 512: Old Affairs from the Past


    Elder Leisure, apparently delighted by Liu Sisi¡¯s informal speech, guffawed heartily.


    Hisughter boomed through the room: ¡°Perfect! It¡¯s too boring eating alone as an old man! Servant, bring another set of chopsticks and a bowl.¡±


    In a rxed manner, Liu Sisi sat down across from Elder Leisure, chuckling, ¡°Thank you, old gentleman.¡±


    Shortly, her utensils were brought. Smiling at Elder Leisure, Sisi picked up her silver chopsticks and began to eat.


    Appearing easy-going, she asionally tested the limits of the old man sitting across from her.


    Gradually, she realized that no matter what she did, Elder Leisure justughed graciously, without any hint of reproof.


    It was only after she had satiated her hunger, dropping her silver chopsticks, that she looked at the old man across from her who had barely eaten anything.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Old gentleman, you have been living here all alone, with no one around. Don¡¯t you find it boring?¡±


    ¡°Who says I¡¯m alone?¡±


    Caught off guard, Elder Leisure chuckled at her insinuating smile, ¡°She is always with me, remaining forever by my side.¡±


    ¡°Him?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh, right, you must not have met her yet. Come, let me take you to see her. Now that you¡¯re grown up, you should meet her.¡±


    Without a second thought, Elder Leisure stood up and led Liu Sisi out of the room.


    Shocked beyond belief, Liu Sisi found his unique and spontaneous behavior quite peculiar ¨C he just suggested a visit and off they went.


    Despite her bewilderment, she quickly rose and followed him.


    At the door, Elder Leisure turned to look at her, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    As she followed Elder Leisure, she instinctively maintained some distance from him, raising his eyebrows in confusion.


    ¡°Why are you so slow?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? We¡¯re here,¡± she responded


    Raising her pace, Liu Sisi found herself walking abreast with the old man. She gave him a smile as she matched his stride.


    Despite her gentle exterior, countless thoughts roiled in her mind. She was so tense that she didn¡¯t even notice her fingernails digging into her palms.


    The people around here attached a lot of importance to their positions when standing or sitting. Now that he had asked her to walk alongside him, it meant a lot!


    Even if he was now a ¡°dethroned prince¡±, he had once held the status of a former Crown Prince. Initially, she thought it was his kindness that spared her life, and she took his remark about her ¡°freedom to roam the world¡± lightly. However, the current situation made her reassess his real intentions.


    What had she done to warrant such a step from him?


    Although her mind was at a loss, her face wore an unusually sweet smile.


    Elder Leisure led Liu Sisi up and around, picking wildflowers from the roadside as they passed by. They wound their way through a grove of sweetgum trees, and a plum orchard now in ruins, finally reaching the top of a hill where Elder Leisure halted.


    He gestured towards the vast and beautiful scenery around them, unable to help but burst intoughter.


    ¡°Sisi, what do you think of the view here?¡±


    His tall and straight figure was entuated by his ck mink coat, his upturned eyes and sword-like eyebrows adding to his aura of dominance.<div>


    Making eye contact, Liu Sisi quickly averted her gaze, casting a quick nce around her.


    But before she could speak, Elder Leisure, looking pleased, preempted her.


    ¡°This mountain experiences four seasons, and the weather varies every ten miles.¡±


    ¡°To the left, you will see all things reviving and flourishing. To the right, you will see a world cloaked in silver and a snow-covered summit. In front of you is a riot of colorful flowers. Behind you, you will find hills covered in red leaves, their magnificence simply stunning.¡±<div>


    ¡°Mountains far to the left and to the right stretch as far as the eye can see. And if you look in the distance straight ahead, you will see them connecting with the sky itself. The oveppingyers of clouds make for an incredibly picturesque scene. Behind us is a vast in that offers a panoramic view of thendscape. At the foot of the mountain, numerous streams crisscross each other. It¡¯s difficult to find anywhere more beautiful or majestic than here!¡±


    As he finished his oration, Liu Sisi looked around in astonishment.


    Surprisingly, the ce was exactly as he had described ¨C the beauty of the surrounding scenery was indeed unparalleled!


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s beautiful here, it¡¯s frankly quite dull. There are barely two people in sight,¡± Liu Sisi retorted nonchntly.


    ¡°Who says there are only the two of us here? There is clearly another person here!¡± Elder Leisure dered confidently.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked around carefully but couldn¡¯t see any other person.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Elder Leisure pointed to the ground.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    Liu Sisi still couldn¡¯t see anything.


    ¡°Here, underneath the ground!¡±


    Elder Leisure rebuked, somewhat exasperated, ¡°Why are you so muddled? I wonder who you take after?¡±<div>


    He and his wife were both exceptionally intelligent people. How could they have a daughter so obtuse? Probably, it was due to her upbringing!


    Liu Sisi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Lowering her head, Liu Sisi noticed that they were standing on a t piece ofnd. The onset of spring had brought about the sprouting of innumerable tiny green grass des on this patch. There was also arge cluster of daylily seedlings creeping out of the ground, about an inch long¡­


    Hold on! Daylily seedlings! Don¡¯t these usually grow around graves in the wild?


    She was immediately taken aback. Jumping hastily, she moved away from the cluster of daylily seedlings.


    ¡°This¡­ that¡­ you, he¡­¡±


    Stammering for quite a while, Liu Sisi still couldn¡¯t put together aplete sentence.


    ¡°Indeed! It¡¯s just as you thought, she lies beneath our feet.¡±


    Elder Leisure looked distinctively smug. He casually ced the wildflowers he had gathered earlier on the ground, throwing away a bouquet of wilted flowers that had previously beenid.


    ¡°Come! Offer your respects too.¡±


    Without declining, Liu Sisi stepped forward and respectfully bowed thrice.


    Considering her prominent belly, Elder Leisure did not insist on her kneeling. Instead, he asked Liu Sisi, ¡°I have a story to share. Would you like to hear it?¡±


    ¡°This¡­.¡±<div>


    With a bitter smile, Liu Sisi knew her trek up the mountain wasn¡¯t meant for storytime. But judging by his earnest demeanor, she had no option but to listen to the story he was about to unfold.


    ¡°Thirty years ago, there were two good friends ¨C both young, energetic and handsome. They happened to meet a woman, and both were instantly smitten by her. Respecting their friendship, they agreed topete fairly for her affections. The one who won the woman¡¯s heart first would marry her. Each pulled out all the stops, hoping to win her over.¡±


    ¡°While the two friends fought over a woman, their family elders were suddenly struck by a serious illness. Caught off guard, they rushed back home, only to find that catastrophe had struck.¡±


    Although Liu Sisi didn¡¯t respond, she understood that the story the former Crown Prince was sharing was his own ¨C the story of him and the woman lying beneath their feet.

 Chapter 513: 513: The Fierce Army that Vanished into Thin Air

    Chapter 513: The Fierce Army that Vanished into Thin Air


    In the county town.


    County Magistrate Su red at the departing Di Yelei, resentful and wishing to devour the flesh from his bones.


    A clerk from the magistrate¡¯s office approached, whispering in County Magistrate Su¡¯s ear, ¡°Your Honor, his servant is still locked up in the prison! Should my brothers and I¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Hell no!¡±


    County Magistrate Su turned his head and pped the man, his face dark as a stormy cloud.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what he said? I must be crazy to want to take on that responsibility for the sake of one little servant!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡±


    Highly embarrassed, the pped clerk continued hesitantly, ¡°But¡­ with the heavy punishment given to himst night, he is probably still unconscious¡­¡±


    County Magistrate Su became even angrier, pped him again, and said, ¡°If he¡¯s still unconscious, what are you doing standing here? Go and release him immediately! Do you need me, the magistrate, to do it myself? How did I manage to foster such a group of useless men? So many of you can¡¯t even stop one person!¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed and nodded usingly at the line-up of officials.


    The beaten clerk retracted his neck and hastily went out toplete the task.<div>


    The clerks whose heads were pointed at by County Magistrate Su all lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.


    ¡°Are all of you deaf or something?¡±


    Frustrated, County Magistrate Su vented his anger on everyone around him.


    One of the clerks couldn¡¯t help but speak up, ¡°Your Honor, it¡¯s not that we¡¯re useless, it¡¯s just that Lord Di is simply too skilled, and didn¡¯t you promote him to be deputy constable because of that? It¡¯s not our fault that we can¡¯t handle him¡­¡±


    ¡°You dare to make excuses for your ipetence?¡±


    County Magistrate Su was infuriated, ready to rush forward and p him again.


    ¡°Lord County Magistrate!¡±


    A sudden call made him pause as he looked back and saw Xin Quan hurrying over.


    ¡°Oh¡­ it¡¯s Lord Xin! Come, let¡¯s go inside and talk!¡±


    With a smile on his face, he hurriedly led Xin Quan into the house.


    ¡°What are you dragging me for? Lord County Magistrate, I must tell you!¡±


    Enraged, Xin Quan shook off County Magistrate Su¡¯s hand, rolled up his sleeves, and pointed furiously at him.


    ¡°County Magistrate Su, let me remind you, my uncle is the Garrison Commander in Gongzhou. You better not think that Xin Quan¡¯s silver is easy to take!¡±


    Xin Quan¡¯s words made everyone around them gasp!


    Everyone began to imagine what had led to this moment¡­


    County Magistrate Su saw his officials¡¯ expressions and felt a sense of impending doom.


    ¡°Oh! Brother Xin, is it just because I owe you for a meal? Is it worth getting so angry about?¡±


    Heughed heartily and approached Xin Quan again, secretly signaling Xin with his eyes, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go inside and have a detailed discussion, alright?¡±


    Xin Quan¡¯s anger subsided slightly, perceiving County Magistrate Su¡¯s secret exchange, he finally followed the magistrate¡¯s will and entered the living room.<div>


    Once in the living room, the servants brought tea and then left, leaving only the two of them in the room. Xin Quan couldn¡¯t control his anger any longer and waved his fist at County Magistrate Su.


    ¡°County Magistrate Su! We¡¯ve been partners for a long time! You should know better than I, Xin Quan, where the silver from the armory went.¡±


    ¡°If I really get angry, don¡¯t me me, Xin Quan, for not cherishing our past. Not only will you lose your silver and position, even the official hat on your head won¡¯t be spared, not to mention the chance to enjoy a meal!¡±


    A sh of viciousness flickered across County Magistrate Su¡¯s face, but it was quickly reced by a crafty grin.<div>


    ¡°Ah! Lord Xin, what¡¯s our rtionship? We¡¯re like two grasshoppers on the same rope¡ªwithout you, I¡¯m nothing, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! At least you know that.¡±


    Xin Quan snorted coldly.


    ¡°How can I not know? But Di Yelei is no ordinary person, and he¡¯s a seventh-rank sub-captain. How can an insignificant seventh-rank county magistrate like me have the power to arrest him? Moreover, with these useless people in the office, they can¡¯t even fight one man, how can I keep him here?¡±


    County Magistrate Su constantlyined about the difficulties he faced.


    ¡°With those wine-drinking and rice-eating idiots under yourmand? They¡¯re only good for eating! Other than that, they can¡¯t evenpare.¡±


    Xin Quan¡¯s face finally softened, and he sat down angrily, taking a sip of tea.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I was saying.¡±


    County Magistrate Su hurriedly helped to refill the tea, and asked, ¡°By the way, how are things on your end?¡±


    Mentioning this made Xin Quan¡¯s belly full of anger!


    His eyes bulged, ¡°You have the nerve to ask? Wasn¡¯t it your rotten idea? You said to cut the grass and eliminate the roots! Why did I send that troop? They were a fierce army my uncle sent to protect me, and they just vanished like a puff of steam, gone without a trace.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you sure? How¡­ is that possible?¡±


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s face changed immediately.<div>


    That troop wasposed of the strongest soldiers sent by the Garrison Commander of Gongzhou City to protect his nephew¡¯s safety while serving in Macheng County.


    In other words, every soldier in that troop was an elite fighter with excellent equipment!


    But such a team disappeared without a trace while en route to eliminate a few ordinary married women. How could this be?


    If it hadn¡¯te from Xin Quan¡¯s mouth, he wouldn¡¯t believe it at all!


    ¡°How is it not possible? My horsemen lefttest night, and they still haven¡¯t returned today. I just sent someone to track them along their route, but when they reached the small town, the entire group had disappeared.¡±


    Xin Quan spoke, wiping the cold sweat from his face. He suddenly realized that his hand was shaking violently.


    Who had the ability to make his elite soldiers disappear so silently?


    If such a person wanted to take his life, wouldn¡¯t it be as easy as turning his hand over?


    Thinking of this, Xin Quan¡¯s eyelids jumped non-stop!


    ¡°Could it be¡­him?¡±


    County Magistrate Su started to say something, but then he denied it himself, ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible! He was in the ck prisonst night. He couldn¡¯t possibly kill over such a long distance. There must be some invisible force hiding nearby¡­could it be¡­?¡±


    At this point, he suddenly looked up in astonishment at Xin Quan, whose face was also full of horror.


    ¡°This¡­it can¡¯t be, right?¡±<div>


    Speaking those words, Xin Quan himself didn¡¯t believe it, and his voice trembled.


    County Magistrate Su swallowed hard, ¡°I heard that he had a daughter more than a decade ago, butter sent her to live as an ordinary person in a farmer¡¯s family¡­¡±

 Chapter 514: 514: The Dagger That Pierced Her Heart!

    Chapter 514: The Dagger That Pierced Her Heart!


    On Heilong Mountain.


    Elder Leisure spoke animatedly, while Liu Sisi was sitting on a protruding rock beside him, feeling drowsy as she listened.


    He had been talking for nearly two hours.


    During this time, Liu Sisi had tried to interrupt him, but he seemedpletely oblivious and just kept talking.


    ¡°¡­Sisi, do you know what I was thinking at that moment?¡±


    He suddenly called out to Liu Sisi, pulling her wandering thoughts back to the conversation.


    Liu Sisi hurriedlyplied: ¡°What was on your mind, old gentleman?¡±


    But in her heart, she cursed him to be half-dead!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Abusing the name of love, he forcefully took this woman¡¯s body, forcefully snatched his younger brother¡¯s beloved, and forcefully imprisoned her by his side, iming it was ¡°love.¡±


    Talking about this ¡°love¡± was an insult to its sanctity!


    However, she hade here with a purpose today, and she couldn¡¯t easily offend him!<div>


    ¡°Exactly! Hahaha¡­ So I exchanged the imperial throne for her! In the end, he returned to the capital as Emperor, and I got Xin¡¯er. You see, am I not clever?¡±


    Elder Leisure burst intoughter, then sneered coldly.


    ¡°I know! Many people say I¡¯m stupid for making such a trade. But they don¡¯t understand that I simply love a beautiful woman more than a kingdom¡­ Those mediocre people are destined to be trampled into the mud for a lifetime¡­¡±


    As Liu Sisi tightly clenched her fists and pursed her lips, she looked at the crazed man in front of her.


    Perhaps he was right!


    Everyone¡¯s pursuit is different. What he longed for was not the throne above everyone, but to be with the one he truly loved. Even if she had already died, he stubbornly stayed here, guarding her side.


    ¡°Then, how did she die? And why didn¡¯t you erect a monument for her?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s voice was very low, and she couldn¡¯t help but ask out of curiosity.


    Elder Leisure seemed to fall into a struggle, gritting his teeth for quite a while before he finally whispered.


    ¡°It was her, she said she wanted to rest in peace, not wanting a monument because she didn¡¯t want to be disturbed. She also didn¡¯t allow people to worship her with incense, fearing that these worldly objects would taint her path of reincarnation¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡­how could she?¡±


    Liu Sisi was also surprised, looking down at the newly emerged daylilies.


    ¡°Do you know how she died?¡±


    ¡°How did she die?¡±


    ¡°I killed her! Hehehe¡­¡±


    Heughed, suddenly baring his white teeth.


    This kind of gaze made Liu Sisi¡¯s scalp tingle, and she instinctively wanted to run away but forced herself to stand still.


    Heughed for quite a while, and then suddenly bent down to take a dagger from his boot.


    As soon as the dagger appeared, Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes widened, and her eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets.<div>


    It was that dagger!


    There was no doubt that it was that dagger!


    It¡¯s the same dagger that constantly haunted her nightmares!


    The unshakable nightmare and the dagger deeply embedded in her heart!<div>


    The onerge and three small pearls embedded on the dagger shine with varying dazzling lights, like the fierce beast¡¯s eyeballs, constantly shing with mocking eyes!


    Liu Sisi¡¯splexion instantly turned pale, and the blood drained from her face.


    It seemed as if she had fallen into the nightmare again, just like she had dreamt many times before. Silently, she retreated step by step, instinctively covering her chest with an expression of pain on her face.


    This was where the dagger pierced her in the dream.


    ¡°That bastard, he can¡¯t stand to see me and Xin¡¯er happy together! He actually took the opportunity when I was not paying attention and took my Xin¡¯er away! How could I let him go? How could I?!¡±


    Elder Leisure¡¯s face was filled with a chilling, ferocious expression!


    He held the dagger upside down, just like the scene in Liu Sisi¡¯s dream, clutching the hilt with the de pointed downward, making repeated stabbing motions.


    He approached Liu Sisi step by step, and she retreated subconsciously!


    She could no longer breathe, her chest thumped violently due to ack of oxygen, and her heart seemed ready to burst forth from her chest cavity!


    Unexpectedly, she tripped over a broken rock behind her and, just like in the dream, he leaned forward with a vicious grin¡­


    ¡°Xin¡¯er is mine! She¡¯s mine, Xin¡¯er. We¡¯ll be together forever¡­ I can only kill you with my own hands! This way, you¡¯ll belong to me forever¡­¡±


    It felt as if time and space had turned upside down, and he seemed to return to that year.


    The breathtakingly beautiful woman knelt before him, tear-stained, pleading with him for thest and only time¡­<div>


    ¡°Brother Rui, Xin¡¯er swears to heaven that she has never betrayed you. After so many years as husband and wife, do you still not believe Xin¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°Brother Rui, the Eldest Heir is gone, and my heart aches too! How could Xin¡¯er possibly have hurt him¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Rui! If you really don¡¯t trust Xin¡¯er and listen to the provocation of others, just kill Xin¡¯er!¡±


    She smiled faintly, but her eyes were filled with despair. Although she held a baby in her arms, she still threw herself toward the dagger in his hand¡­


    Elder Leisure¡¯s face alternated between ferocity and tenderness, violence and affection, while he muttered non-stop.


    Liu Sisi instinctively wanted to escape but feared to disturb the other party.


    It was only at this moment that she realized she had retreated to the edge of the tform, behind her was a huge concave rock like a barrier. In order to break free from his control, she would have to make a break through his side.


    Watching the mumbling madman, she carefully moved her already sore and weak legs to escape through the gap on his left without rming him.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t die! Stay with me, Xin¡¯er, Xin¡¯er¡­¡±


    Elder Leisure¡¯s mouth kept mumbling, and his mind was filled with scenes from that year.


    A dagger was embedded in Xin¡¯er¡¯s chest, and fresh blood flowed continuously from her mouth and chest.


    The little girl still wrapped in swaddling clothes cried non-stop, her body stained red with her mother¡¯s blood, turning her into a blood-soaked being.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t die¡­ Don¡¯t leave me! I¡¯m afraid of being alone in this world, Xin¡¯er¡­¡±<div>


    The woman soaked in the blood pool smiled, and her delicate smile was like a blooming peony.


    She reluctantly looked at the baby still in swaddling clothes.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ ask for anything¡­ Please, in consideration of¡­ the years Xin¡¯er has served you¡­ entrust this child to a good family¡­ Let her live like an ordinary person¡­ happy¡­ and never follow¡­ the same path as her mother¡­¡±

 Chapter 515: 515: Don’t Taint My Path of Reincarnation…

    Chapter 515: Don¡¯t Taint My Path of Reincarnation¡­


    ¡°Xin¡¯er doesn¡¯t want anything¡­no tombstone, I just want to rest in peace quietly¡­I don¡¯t want to be disturbed, and I don¡¯t want incense and candles¡­for worship.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­afraid that these worldly things will contaminate¡­my path of reincarnation¡­¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s an afterlife, Xin¡¯er only wishes¡­to never see you again¡­¡±


    Her face still had that soft, beautiful smile, alongside the tears that slid down from the corner of her eyes, blending with the blood stains. She tilted her head to look at her child in her arms, forever frozen in that image.


    ¡°Don¡¯t contaminate my path of reincarnation¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t contaminate my path of reincarnation¡­don¡¯t contaminate my path of reincarnation¡­¡±


    Her voice kept ringing in his ears!


    That final scene kept intertwining with what he saw before him, Elder Leisure¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and his demeanor was mad. He could no longer distinguish whether he was in reality or inside a dream.


    Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Liu Sisi, who was secretly rejoicing about her near escape. He burst intoughter!


    The sound of madughter echoed far away.


    ¡°Let go of me! Let go! Wake up! I¡¯m not your Xin¡¯er, I¡¯m Liu Sisi, I¡¯m Liu Sisi¡­release, release me!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes started to roll back, her hands desperately beating against the hand that was choking her neck and struggled with all her might.


    She only realized at this moment how irrational it was for her to havee up the mountain!


    Stars appeared before her eyes, and burst of blood-red exploded in her vision!


    She let go of his arm, pulled out the rose red gold magnolia hairpin from her head, and aimed it at his chest, stabbing him without any hesitation!


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Although Liu Sisi showed no mercy, the thick purple mink fur on his body blocked much of the force, causing him to feel pain in his chest. Instinctively, his grip loosened a bit.


    Liu Sisi took this opportunity to struggle and breathe in two lungfuls of fresh air.


    However, her relief was clearly too soon!


    As soon as he reacted, he lifted his right hand and forcefully pulled the hairpin from his chest. The sharp edge of the dagger in his hand kept shaking near her chest, almost stabbing into her abdomen several times. Liu Sisi was so frightened that she didn¡¯t dare struggle anymore.


    There seemed to be a moment of rity on his face as he stared at Liu Sisi¡¯s face intently.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er? No, you¡¯re Si¡¯er¡­¡±


    ¡°Let go¡­cough, cough! Let me go¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi tried to make ast effort, but her vision had already blurred, and her mind was buzzing with noise.


    ¡°You deserve to die! Just like your mother, that cheap woman, you actually dare try to kill me! You all deserve to die, all of you who try to harm me deserve to die!¡±


    Instead of loosening his grip, he tightened it even harder, as if he wanted to directly snap her neck, leaving her no room to struggle.


    Her eyes bulged, and her vision turned blood-red once more!


    She futilely struggled, and suddenly amotion sounded in her ears, followed by her sinking into darkness.


    It felt like a long time had passed, or perhaps just an instant, when her vision suddenly brightened!


    Just like someone parting the clouds to reveal the moon, Di Yelei¡¯s figure appeared in front of her eyes. He was standing opposite her, reaching out his hand.<div>


    ¡°Sisi,e on,e to me, quickly! Be good!¡±


    But before Liu Sisi could step forward, Di Yelei¡¯s figure slowly disappeared into the fog, and another figure emerged in front of her.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re back! Grandpa missed you so much. Where have you been? Hurry,e to Grandpa.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth curled up in a strange smile, instinctively chuckling, and her eyes slowly closed.


    ¡°Sisi! Sisi, wake up! Wake up quickly! Wake up!¡±


    There were constant voices calling her by her ears, and she was so tired and wanted to sleep. But that voice persisted in calling her, making her unable to bear it and opened her eyes.


    ¡°Dad, Mom! Why are you here? How did you get here?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart leaped for joy!


    It had been so many years since she had seen her parents. How many times had she longed to see them again during countless midnight dreams, even if it was just a glimpse in a dream?!


    But this long-held wish, today, finally came true! How could she not be excited!


    ¡°Dad, Mom! How are you all?¡±


    ¡°Good, Sisi, we¡¯re all good, but you shouldn¡¯t be here. Go back quickly. Hurry, go!¡± Her mother urged her repeatedly.


    Her father¡¯s face was serious, ¡°Sisi! Go now, or you won¡¯t be able to leave!¡±


    ¡°But Dad, Mom¡­ Mom, I miss you¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi tried to stretch out her hand, intending to grab her mother¡¯s hand, but she missed it by a hair¡¯s breadth, just a little bit. Her hand and her mother¡¯s fingertips missed each other, and her body gradually drifted farther and farther away, with her parents¡¯ figures gradually turning into mist.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, don¡¯t leave¡­¡±<div>


    She cried out, feeling her throat burning with pain one wave after another!


    She couldn¡¯t help but move her head slightly, instinctively expressing her most urgent need.


    ¡°Water, water¡­¡±


    It seemed that a trickle of water flowed into her mouth, passed through her esophagus, and flowed into her stomach, allowing her to once again sink into a dream.


    As soon as she entered the dream, she fell into that nightmare again.


    This time, the dream was different. She transformed into the baby in the woman¡¯s arms.


    She watched helplessly as history unfolded once more before her eyes, unable to stop the dagger from plunging into the woman¡¯s heart. Along with the dagger¡¯s entry, the woman¡¯s fresh blood sttered all over her face!


    The strong, pungent smell of blood made her cry out in difort. The boiling blood seemed to stick to her face like glue. She instinctively raised her hand to wipe it, but she couldn¡¯t wipe it all off¡­


    Blood! Bright, bright red blood!


    As the woman¡¯s words kept falling from her mouth, along with the blood from her heart, the little girl was soaked in blood,pletely turning her into a blood-stained figure!


    ¡°Concubine Princess Mother¡­ Concubine Princess Mother¡­¡±


    The little girl¡¯s unclear words called out, but couldn¡¯t bring back the woman¡¯s gradually fading life!


    ¡°Ah! -Cough, cough, cough!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi suddenly sat up from the ground and let out a series of violent coughs.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, you¡¯re awake? How are you feeling? Don¡¯t try to talk. Your throat¡¯s hurt. You¡¯ll need to rest for a few days.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s voice was both caring and slightly reproachful as it sounded beside her.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi subconsciously reached out to touch him, was she still in a dream?


    Di Yelei quickly grabbed her hand and ced it on his face, continuously rubbing her with his rough beard stubble.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Sisi! I¡¯m here, I¡¯m by your side.¡±

 Chapter 516: 516: Sisi Learns her Life Story, Heaven’s Will Narrates the Reasons (1)

    Chapter 516: Sisi Learns her Life Story, Heaven¡¯s Will Narrates the Reasons (1)


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze was unfocused for a while, then suddenly smiled at him.


    ¡°Ye Lei, I had a nightmare¡­¡±


    This statement made Di Yelei¡¯s body stiffen, and he subconsciously tightened his arms,forting her softly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! It¡¯s just a nightmare! Sleep some more, and you¡¯ll feel better once you wake up.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Her throat was in pain, and her voice was rough. In the midst of her splitting headache, she allowed herself to drift back into unconsciousness.


    Liu Sisi slept deeply, and by the time she woke up from her dreams, it was already two dayster.


    She didn¡¯t know that because of this ident, she had indirectly changed countless people¡¯s lives!


    Even her own life had undergone aplete transformation as a result!


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Without even opening her eyes, Liu Sisi called out Di Yelei¡¯s name directly.<div>


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re awake? Madam is awake! Hurry, go inform the Old Master that Madam has woken up!¡±


    The excited voice of Ms. Gao sounded beside her, followed by the sound of someone running quickly.


    Finally opening her eyes, Liu Sisi saw Ms. Gao, filled with joy, handing her a bowl of medicinal soup: ¡°Madam, you finally woke up. Please drink this bowl of medicine.¡±


    ¡°What time is it now? How long have I been asleep?¡±


    She sat up supporting herself from the head of the bed.


    Wasn¡¯t she on Heilong Mountain? How did she return home? She seemed to remember being¡­


    Ms. Gao had already brought the medicinal soup to Liu Sisi¡¯s lips: ¡°Madam, drink quickly. You have been asleep for two days, and it has worried the Old Master terribly. He just went out with Young Master Nan and should be back soon.¡±


    Yes! She vaguely remembered being saved by Ye Lei in her daze, as well as the events in her dream.


    She obediently drank the medicinal soup while dealing with an overwhelming amount of disordered thoughts in her head. It felt as if she had gained many memories that did not originally belong to her, causing a splitting headache.


    When Di Yelei entered from outside, he saw Liu Sisi leaning against the head of the bed with a troubled expression on her face.


    ¡°Sisi, how are you feeling? Is your throat still hurting?¡±


    He quickly walked over and embraced Liu Sisi in his arms.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Seeing Ye Lei, Liu Sisi felt a sense of relief, hugging him tightly and burying her head in his chest.


    The husband and wife held each other quietly, feeling a sense offort spreading in their hearts.


    ¡°Ye Lei, how did you get out? I went to the county, and they said¡­¡±


    Suddenly remembering something, she hurriedly broke free from his arms and anxiously examined him.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve been asleep for two days, and your husband was worried sick. First, eat some food to fill your stomach, and we can discuss the restter.¡±


    As he spoke, he ordered the servants to bring the cooked dishes: ¡°I was worried you¡¯d wake up hungry, so I asked the kitchen to prepare food at all times. Eat up.¡±<div>


    Soon, Granny Hu brought the food and set it up.


    The food was simple, in rice porridge and a few simple dishes that looked very appetizing!


    ¡°Ye Lei, tell me first, I¡¯m not hungry ¡­¡±


    As soon as Liu Sisi smelled the fragrance, her stomach timely grumbled, making her feel embarrassed.<div>


    Di Yeleiughed heartily, and effortlessly picked her up and ced her in front of the table.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s head hung so low it was dangerously close to the bowl, and the roots of her small ears turned red!


    ¡°Eat, don¡¯t just stand there.¡±


    Di Yelei chuckled while picking up food for her, clearly in a very good mood.


    Liu Sisi finally raised her head and red at him before picking up her bamboo chopsticks to eat.


    She hadn¡¯t noticed while talking, but the moment she picked up the chopsticks, she realized how empty her stomach was. She ate three bowls of in rice porridge before putting down her chopsticks, still not quite satisfied.


    ¡°Can you tell me now? What¡¯s going on? Weren¡¯t you locked up in the county government prison?¡±


    ¡°Who did you hear about me being locked up in the county government prison from?¡±


    Di Yelei asked in return.


    ¡°I went to the main entrance of the armory, and a short soldier told me.¡±


    ¡°You were deceived. I was never locked up in the county government prison.¡±


    Only then did Di Yelei exin the events of that day.


    ¡°¡­ A sub-captain is a seventh-rank official, and a County Magistrate is just a regr seventh-rank official. ording to imperial edicts, officials who break thew can only be tried by the Court of Judicial Review. Even if they were truly guilty, it would be the imperial court that sends someone to try them. There¡¯s no way a mere seventh-rank County Magistrate could set up a private court¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi pped her forehead in annoyance. Wasn¡¯t that the truth!


    Her worry had clouded her judgment!


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe home that night?¡±


    ¡°Because County Magistrate Su asked your husband to assist in investigating a case.¡± His eyes were bright, a sh of intelligence quickly passing through them.


    Liu Sisi gave him a sideways nce: ¡°Who are you trying to fool? Tell me! What did you do?¡±


    She knew he had gone into the trap fully aware, and she would never believe that he didn¡¯t have a backup n!


    Di Yeleiughed heartily and took the opportunity to hug Liu Sisi in his arms: ¡°It¡¯s still my Sisi who understands your husband. I simply took advantage of my time at the county government to check on those so-called people.¡±


    ¡°Did you get any results?¡±


    ¡°What do you think? Is there anything your husband can¡¯t aplish?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s mouth curled up, his face full of smugness.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Only then did Liu Sisi finally breathe a sigh of relief!


    At this moment, she realized that her trip to ck Dragon Mountain had beenpletely unnecessary.<div>


    ¡°Who said it wasn¡¯t necessary! It¡¯s very necessary; at least it solved the long-standing confusion in your husband¡¯s heart.¡±


    It turned out that Liu Sisi had unwittingly spoken her thoughts aloud.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, wait until you meet this person, and you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Di Yelei smiled mysteriously.


    Nan Tianzong entered immediately after Di Yelei¡¯s words fell.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    When he saw Liu Sisi leaning weakly against Di Yelei¡¯s chest, a trace of heartache shed through his eyes.


    ¡°Sisi, how are you feeling now?¡±


    Seeing Nan Tianzong here, surprise crossed Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, and she quickly struggled out of Di Yelei¡¯s embrace. She couldn¡¯t help but nce back at Di Yelei. She still remembered how he used to get angry at the sight of Nan Tianzong in the past, but today, he allowed the man into the inner chamber.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Brother Nan, what are you doing here?¡±


    After some thoughts, Liu Sisi looked at Nan Tianzong and suddenly remembered some of the madman¡¯s words.


    ¡°I came specifically to see you. Seeing that you¡¯re fine now, I can also be at ease.¡±


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s face carried a smile.<div>


    ¡°Really? Brother Nan, sit down, don¡¯t just stand there.¡±


    If they could coexist peacefully, it would be even better. Liu Sisi quickly invited Nan Tianzong to sit: ¡°Right, have you eaten? Would you like some cooked dishes?¡±


    She lowered her head to look at the leftovers and suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

 Chapter 517: 517: Sisi Learns Her Origin, Tianzong Explains the Reason (2)

    Chapter 517: Sisi Learns Her Origin, Tianzong Exins the Reason (2)


    Serving guests with leftover food is extremely rude!


    ¡°Well, actually, I am quite hungry!¡±


    Nan Tianzong quickly nced over Di Yelei¡¯s body, didn¡¯t refuse Liu Sisi¡¯s kindness, and sat down on a chair.


    ¡°Wait, Brother Nan, let me have the kitchen make a few more dishes for you.¡±


    Liu Sisi said anxiously, her face flushed.


    ¡°No need! We¡¯re not strangers, just a bowl of rice and a pair of chopsticks will do.¡±


    Nan Tianzong waved his hand generously.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi wanted to say more.


    Di Yelei, who was beside her, instructed Ms. Gao indifferently: ¡°Go ahead.¡±<div>


    ¡°My brother-inw knows me best!¡±


    Nan Tianzongughed and took the bamboo chopsticks and bowl that Ms. Gao had brought, and ate the leftovers heartily.


    Like a whirlwind, Nan Tianzong cleaned up all the remaining dishes on the table before putting down his bowl and chopsticks, satisfied.


    Liu Sisi apologized, ¡°Brother Nan, was that enough food? Do you want me to order the kitchen to make a few more dishes?¡±


    It¡¯s all Di Yelei¡¯s fault!


    Liu Sisi shot Di Yelei a resentful nce.


    ¡°No need, Sisi, I¡¯m full.¡±


    Nan Tianzong wiped his mouth with a towel and looked at Liu Sisi with a smile: ¡°Sisi, what did that madman say to you?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s narrowed her eyes slightly and shook her head.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say much, just everything that should be said.¡± And the things that shouldn¡¯t be said as well.


    Ms. Gao quickly removed the bowl and chopsticks and reced them with light tea before withdrawing.


    Nan Tianzong and Di Yelei exchanged nces. Reluctantly, Di Yelei stepped out of the room, leaving the two alone.


    ¡°Sisi, what exactly did that madman say?¡± Nan Tianzong¡¯s tone carried a hint of urgency.


    ¡°That madman?¡± Liu Sisi was surprised, looking at the closed room door, and couldn¡¯t help frowning.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he just a madman? Ever since I remember, he¡¯s never done anything a normal person would do.¡± Nan Tianzong said with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Are you¡­close to him?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heartbeat raced, and she suddenly felt hot-headed, as if her whole body was dazed.


    ¡°Not just close! Actually, I¡¯m your biological elder brother, and you are my biological little sister.¡± Nan Tianzong¡¯s mouth carried a bitter smile.


    Bang!<div>


    Liu Sisi suddenly stood up from her chair, ring maliciously at Nan Tianzong: ¡°You¡­¡± She coughed subconsciously: ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t heard clearly, but she was unable to believe the truth was so shocking!


    Nan Tianzong was silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh: ¡°All of this! It¡¯s all because of that man! For his own ambition, he not only killed mom, but also Big Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°What exactly happened? Tell me all the details!¡± Liu Sisi was anxious.<div>


    ¡°Thirty years ago, Crown Prince Zhao Dun and Eighth Prince Zhao Wu were the most powerful in the court, equally matched. With the imminent decision to choose the Crown Prince approaching, His Majesty found it difficult to make a choice. At this very moment, a beautiful and talented maiden named Xin¡¯er came to the capital, which led to the two brothers fighting over her.¡±


    ¡°Originally, both of them wanted to use this woman, but as things turned out, both brothers really fell in love with the capable and beautiful young girl, Xin¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°Xin¡¯er gradually developed feelings toward the two, especially the yful Zhao Wu who often made her happy. When Zhao Dun found out, he flew into a rage! He even forcibly took her against her wishes.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Of course, this angered Zhao Wu, and together with the treacherous Crown Princess Consort, they forced a pce coup. Thete Emperor passed away, and the court was immediately plunged into chaos! The alliance between Zhao Wu and the Crown Princess Consort quickly crumbled, and they all started fighting one another. In the end, Zhao Dun surprisingly managed to escape from the imperial court!¡±


    ¡°Even so, he didn¡¯t forget to take the woman with him.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Wu chased them to the vicinity of Heilong Mountain and sessfully caught up with Zhao Dun and his party. At that time, Xin¡¯er was already a few months pregnant. She knelt down on the ground and begged for mercy on behalf of Zhao Dun for the sake of the unborn child.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Wu ultimately relented because he truly loved Xin¡¯er and, for the sake of her and their unborn child, he promised: As long as he, Zhao Wu, was alive, he would ensure the safety of this mountain and the people living on it!¡±


    Nan Tianzong looked up at Liu Sisi, the sorrow on his face undisguisable: ¡°This is the real reason for the secret origins of Heilong Mountain!¡±


    ¡°So¡­ that was it!¡±


    Liu Sisi lowered her eyes, remaining silent.


    Nan Tianzong sneered and clenched his fists.


    ¡°For Zhao Dun, who had grown ustomed to being high above everyone else, it was so humiliating to have to rely on a woman getting down on her knees, begging his love rival and sworn enemy for mercy, just to survive in this world. This had gradually be his heart¡¯s problem.¡±


    ¡°At first, he naturally loved and cherished Xin¡¯er, even feeling grateful. But as time went by, there were turncoats among his followers. They even caught people ndering him behind his back. From then on, he became suspicious and paranoid, often taking his anger out on Xin¡¯er.¡±<div>


    ¡°Xin¡¯er couldn¡¯t stand the abuse any longer, so she sneaked down the mountain one day, hoping to escape. Unfortunately, she was caught by His Majesty¡¯s horsemen and sent to the capital. On the way, she was intercepted by Zhao Dun¡¯s men and another battle erupted. In the end, Xin¡¯er was brought back to Heilong Mountain once again. At that time, she had already given birth to a baby girl on the road, the baby girl being you¡ªLiu Sisi.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s lips were tightly pressed together, her small face pale, almost devoid of color.


    ¡°Why is it that what you and he said are so different?¡±


    Filled with hatred, Nan Tianzong gritted his teeth and mmed the table!


    ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s crazy! He¡¯s been crazy for a long time, living in his own world, still thinking that he¡¯s the all-powerful Crown Prince! Haha! It¡¯s ridiculous, infuriating, tragic, and pathetic!¡±


    Nan Tianzong suddenly raised his head: ¡°Do you know how Big Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother died? They were forced to their deaths by his crazy orders! If he hadn¡¯t ordered his men to control most of the economic lifelines of Zhao Country early on, making it impossible for Zhao Wu to discover and reverse the situation in time, would he still be alive now?¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi started to speak but realized her voice was hoarse. She quickly lowered her head to drink some water and hide her emotions.


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s face was filled with despair as he wiped his face with a hand.


    ¡°In fact, Zhao Wu made his move fifteen years ago. He found out that Zhao Dun had gone insane and discovered the location of mom¡¯s grave.¡±

 Chapter 518: 518: Sisi Learns Her Origin, Tianzong Explains the Reason (3)

    Chapter 518: Sisi Learns Her Origin, Tianzong Exins the Reason (3)


    ¡°In his rage, His Majesty wanted to execute Zhao Dun, but Third Brother saved him at the cost of his own life¡­ Only then did His Majesty lift his surveince on Heilong Mountain.¡±


    ¡°So, is my mother¡¯s remains really on that mountain top?¡±


    Liu Sisi hesitated for a long time before asking.


    ¡°Yes! It was her dying wish. Both Zhao Dun and His Majesty honored her wish.¡±


    Nan Tianzong looked at Liu Sisi, implying something.


    ¡°And my brothers¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Not only our mother, but also the bones of Second Brother and Third Brother lie in that clearing.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know how to start: ¡°I¡¯ve always had a dream where I was a child, held by a married woman in her arms, and as the dagger fell, the blood sttered all over my face¡­¡±


    Nan Tianzong was clearly taken aback, not expecting Liu Sisi to say such a thing.


    ¡°How could it be? You were so young at the time!¡±<div>


    Who says children have no memory?


    ¡°Brother Nan, Sisi has a question and hopes you will answer it truthfully.¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly raised her head and looked at Nan Tianzong.


    ¡°You ask.¡±


    Liu Sisi took a deep breath and then smiled.


    ¡°Do you remember clearly, how many months pregnant was mother when she initially left? How long did she leave for? And how old was I when she came back?¡±


    Nan Tianzong frowned and looked at Liu Sisi, then finally shook his head.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t that old at the time, so I don¡¯t remember how long she was gone, and no one dared to talk about it. I only remember that when she came back, my maid secretly ran over to tell me mother had returned. I rushed to her favorite plum grove to find her. By that time, he was already insane, and would hit me for no reason. I still remember being afraid of being discovered by him, so I secretly hid in the bushes.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s hand holding the teacup trembled, and the water inside poured directly onto the table, quickly spreading along the surface.


    She hurriedly fumbled to wipe it up, and Nan Tianzong also came to help.


    After the water stains on the table were finally wiped dry, Liu Sisi slowly sat back down in her chair.


    After a long while, she continued to ask, ¡°What did you see back then?¡±


    Nan Tianzong looked at her, ¡°I was only five or six years old at that time, and I didn¡¯t dare to approach from the main road, so I quietly climbed up through the crevices between the stones. I didn¡¯t know where they were at the time, but suddenly I heard his angry roar, and I quickly moved closer in the direction of the sound.¡±


    As he spoke, Nan Tianzong¡¯s facial muscles trembled a few times: ¡°You know the rest.¡±


    Silence spread between the two of them.


    ¡°Do you, do you think it¡¯s possible that I¡¯m not, not¡­?¡± Liu Sisi carefully chose her words.


    Nan Tianzong shook his head andughed, ¡°What does it matter? No matter who¡¯s daughter you are, you¡¯ll always be my little sister, Nan Tianzong¡¯s sister!¡±


    Yes! Even if she wasn¡¯t the daughter of that madman, she would still be Nan Tianzong¡¯s sister!


    Liu Sisi suddenlyughed!<div>


    Outside the door, Di Yelei paced anxiously in the courtyard.


    Now that he knew about Liu Sisi and Nan Tianzong¡¯s sibling rtionship, he hated that he couldn¡¯t just barge into the room and separate the two.


    However, reason told him that doing so at the moment would be of no help.


    Just as he was extremely conflicted, the room door finally opened!<div>


    Liu Sisi and Nan Tianzong walked out of the room, one after another.


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly went up, and found that Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes were red, but there was nothing else abnormal about her.


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Yelei, then raised her head to look at Nan Tianzong, ¡°Are you really leaving? If you enter the capital at this moment, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    ¡°There are some things that I have no choice in. Sisi, I am not you¡­¡±


    Nan Tianzong¡¯s words hinted at her situation.


    Liu Sisi lowered her head, having to admit that Nan Tianzong was right!


    She was a woman and posed no threat to His Majesty.


    However, Nan Tianzong was different!


    His Majesty had always been aware of his existence, and he was the only heir to Zhao Dun¡¯s kingdom. Only by getting rid of Nan Tianzong could the root of Zhao Dun¡¯s lineage be eliminated, and only then could he rest easy!


    ¡°When do you n to leave?¡±


    ¡°Tonight.¡±


    ¡°So soon?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi obviously did not expect it to be so quick.


    Nan Tianzong forced a bitter smile, ¡°We can¡¯t drag it any longer.¡±


    If they continued to dy, not only would numerous brothers be buried with him, but more innocent people would also be implicated!


    Liu Sisi nodded, bidding farewell to Nan Tianzong, ¡°Brother Nan, take care!¡±


    Only then did Nan Tianzong turn around, looked at Di Yelei seriously for the first time, and bowed earnestly.


    ¡°From now on, Sisi is in your hands! You must treat her well!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if it costs my life, I¡¯ll take good care of her,¡± Di Yelei said seriously.


    Nan Tianzong patted Di Yelei¡¯s shoulder heavily, then turned around, leaving the courtyard without looking back, striding away.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be sad. A good man¡¯s ambition is everywhere. You should congratte your Brother Nan for leaving.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. But these tears just won¡¯t stop on their own¡­¡±


    Later, Liu Sisi found out that after Di Yelei returned from the county, he learned that Sisi had gone to the county government. He headed back to the county, only to encounter Nan Tianzong, who was rushing to Heilong Mountain, and learned about Liu Sisi¡¯s whereabouts from him.


    The two went up the mountain together and happened to save Liu Sisi in time¡­


    After that day, Nan Tianzong left Macheng County quietly without alerting others.<div>


    The next day, the two went back to Upper Vige.


    Ms. Zhao had to be given credit for being ruthless! Liu Sisi initially intended to humiliate Ms. Zhao by making her kowtow all the way to the Dou Family¡¯s tomb.


    Unexpectedly, Ms. Zhao not only did it but also refused to get up from her knees at the tomb, until Elderly Mr. Di discovered her fainted in front of the tomb.


    Afterward, Ms. Zhao had a high fever, and Elderly Mr. Di took care of her for several days without rest¡­


    Life continued, and Elderly Mr. Di also returned to the small town with Ms. Zhao after Liu Sisi and the others moved from the old house.


    Liu Sisi turned a blind eye to this, as long as Elderly Mr. Di and Di Yelei forgave her. For her, it was just having one more idle person to support, and there was nothing more to it.


    On the contrary, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s dumpling and wonton shop opened quietly on the third day after she woke up.


    On the opening day, Liu Sisi personally made several steamed dumplings and sent them to the nearby neighbors, which was considered a good start.


    As expected, the shop¡¯s business was booming because of various choices, affordable prices, and quality, which quickly became a favorite among the people in the small town.


    Within a short half-month, Liu Zhi¡¯er earned almost 50 taels of silver, which delighted her!


    ¡ª-


    Note: The dynasty in this book is fictional, so please do not take it personally.


    <div>

 Chapter 519: 519: Unreliable

    Chapter 519: Unreliable


    Some families rejoiced, while others mourned.


    There were not many people in the small town on ordinary days. Business was naturally good on the 1st, 4th, and 7th, but there were not many people on other days.


    When Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s shop opened, the inevitable friction was created with the surrounding small stalls.


    Especially Aunt Cao¡¯s ned noodle stall.


    That day, as Aunt Cao was sighing while sitting at her empty stall, Liu Sisi arrived!


    ¡°Good morning, Aunt Cao.¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi, Aunt Cao first felt joy, then her face fell, and she pretended to wipe the table without seeing her.


    ¡°Aunt Cao, are you upset with Sisi?¡±


    Aunt Cao was indeed irritated, but she sighed and beckoned Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Ah, your stomach is getting bigger and bigger. Sit down and talk.¡± After all, she was not a heartless person.


    Liu Sisi was very satisfied with Aunt Cao¡¯s attitude and sat down gently on the stool.<div>


    ¡°Aunt Cao, how¡¯s your businesstely?¡±


    This question only aggravated Aunt Cao: ¡°Mrs. Sub-Captain, aren¡¯t you deliberately asking me?¡±


    Liu Sisi also found herself unnecessary, and hurriedlyughed.


    ¡°Hehe, Aunt Cao, I¡¯m here today to help you, depending on whether you are willing or not.¡±


    ¡°How can you help me?¡±


    This question piqued Aunt Cao¡¯s interest.


    Liu Sisi smiled: ¡°Aunt Cao, you know my Second Sister opened a breakfast shop over there. My intention is straightforward, I want you to go to the shop and sell ned noodles. You collect whatever amount you sell. As for the rent, just give me the same amount you pay here. How do you think about that?¡±


    Liu Sisi had discussed this with Liu Zhi¡¯er in advance.


    Money was not to be made in her shop until mealtime when Liu Zhi¡¯er would be so busy that she could hardly manage.


    Not to mention that from time to time, some children woulde over to disturb her, depriving her of any rest. Furthermore, some infatuated men were attracted to Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s beauty, which annoyed her immensely.


    By chance****, she happened to pass by Aunt Cao¡¯s ned noodle stall and found that there wasn¡¯t even a single customer, which gave her the idea.


    Since they were in a cooperative rtionship, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t intend to hide anything from Aunt Cao, so she exined the situation in detail.


    Only then did Aunt Cao feel relieved, patting her chest and beaming: ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t worry! As long as I, Aunt Cao, am here, those who want toe will have to ask my soupdle if it agrees!¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, Aunt Cao!¡±


    Liu Sisi was overjoyed! Atst, a worry was resolved.


    Upon leaving Aunt Cao¡¯s stall, Liu Sisi stood in front of the bookstore.


    Perhaps because of her state of mind, Liu Sisi put down many things after learning about her origin, and she felt her spirit changed a lot.


    When leaving, Nan Tianzong handed her several shops to manage.


    In addition to the known bookstore, wine-house, and Silver Pavilion, there were also the Carriage Shop and Yihong Courtyard! Over the past half-month, she had scrutinized the ounts of these shops and decided to transfer power to the original managers and purchasers ording to the original n.<div>


    After all, she had managed these shops for almost a year, and now it was an easy task for her.


    After entering the bookstore and reviewing the ounts as usual, Di Cheng couldn¡¯t helping forward, his face flushed with shyness, as he saw Liu Sisi stand up to leave.


    ¡°Third Aunt, my mom said she¡¯ll go propose marriage in three days. So¡­¡±


    A look of delight appeared on Liu Sisi¡¯s face!<div>


    ¡°Did your mom buy you a house? Where is it?¡±


    Di Cheng became even more embarrassed: ¡°It¡¯s in the small alley behind you, heading towards the direction of the vige school. It¡¯s just that the house is not big, only three rooms and a small courtyard¡­¡±


    A look of understanding shed across Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t easy to get Ms. Wang to part with her silver, let alone be picky about the size of the house. Having a house was already pretty good.


    ¡°Have you looked at the house? And have you seen the house contract? You¡¯d better not¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it. My mom said that after we get married, she¡¯ll give thend contract to Cheng¡¯er.¡±


    Di Cheng smiled even more honestly.


    ¡°How much silver did your mom pay for it?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that Liu Sisi was being nosy, but Ms. Wang just wasn¡¯t reliable!


    ¡°Well, it seems to be ten¡­ ten taels of silver¡­¡± Di Cheng was somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°Ten taels of silver is still silver, right?¡±


    Liu Sisi also breathed a sigh of relief, genuinely happy for Di Cheng: ¡°It¡¯s rare for your mom to be generous. A house is a house, and having one is already good enough. How about this! When your Third Unclees back at dusk, I¡¯ll have him bring Da Niu and Er Niu with him, and take advantage of these two or three days to help you clean up the house properly, so it¡¯s at least presentable.¡±


    The three rooms and a small courtyard bought for ten taels of silver, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but feel it wasn¡¯t safe no matter how she thought about it¡­


    ¡°Thank you, Third Aunt! Thank you, Third Aunt!¡±<div>


    Di Cheng thanked her excitedly.


    ¡°Silly boy! Hurry up and tidy up the shop, and close up early today, understand?¡±


    After repeatedly instructing him, Liu Sisi finally returned home.


    She was still worried about the matter, so she made a special trip to the clinic to inquire from Old He¡¯s apprentice, Zheng He, about the house.


    Zheng He furrowed his brows and thought for a long time before suddenly pping his hands: ¡°I remember where you¡¯re talking about! It must be that ce, no doubt!¡±


    ¡°Where is it?¡±


    Even Old He, who was beside him, came over.


    ¡°Master, do you remember Chen Er with the smallpox who died a few years ago? You were the one who diagnosed him at the time. But when you came to see him, it was already toote; the patient was barely alive and died that night. After that, Chen Er¡¯s family line was extinguished, and the three rooms have been left there untouched ever since. Because of the incident back then, some people even wrongfully used you of poor medical skills, so Zheng He remembers it clearly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Now that you mention it, I, the old man, remember it too. There was indeed such an incident! At that time, the person died inside the house, and everyone was afraid of smallpox. In the end, I personally went toy out the corpse, and then burned the body in the courtyard.¡±


    Old He then turned his head back: ¡°So, is it Di Cheng who bought that house?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth twitched a few times, not knowing how to bring up the matter.


    She couldn¡¯t help but secretly resent!


    If Ms. Wang could do one reliable thing, then she wouldn¡¯t be Ms. Wang!<div>


    ¡°Second Sister-inw bought the house for Di Cheng as a wedding house.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Old He: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zheng He: ¡°¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly! What should she do about this? If the cksmith who doted on his daughter found out about this, the marriage might be ruined!

 Chapter 520: 520: Troubles with the Honeymoon Suite

    Chapter 520: Troubles with the Honeymoon Suite


    By dusk, Di Yelei had returned!


    Da Niu and Er Niu were following right behind him.


    After a few days of recuperation, the injuries of Da Niu and Er Niu hadrgely healed.


    Initially, County Magistrate Su had nned on charging Di Yelei under false pretenses, but hadn¡¯t expected him to forcefully escape from his deadly game.


    After that, the sudden disappearance of the elite team became thest straw that broke the camels back of Xin Quan and County Magistrate Su! It startled the two into conspiring for quite a while, quickly sending a letter to Gongzhou on one hand, and preparing themselves on the other.


    When Di Yelei reappeared, he realized that a man of Di Yelei¡¯s ability was no longer something he could control.


    Not to mention those who were suddenly following Di Yelei at all times, protecting him!


    After several ¡°idents¡±, all were resolved by the guards, and instead, they had almost traced down to the two. Both were terrified and decided to refrain from action for a while, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.


    But things in the world are constantly changing, and humans can control very little of it!


    What they didn¡¯t know was that once they missed this opportunity to kill Di Yelei, there would never be another chance.


    With the support of Nan Tianzong, Di Yelei became like a dragon swimming into the ocean, quickly finding out the details of County Magistrate Su and Xin Quan.<div>


    In just half a month, he had made his deployment, and everything was ready but the final piece.


    Leaving the reins to Old Cheng casually, Di Yelei strode into the house.


    ¡°Sisi! Sisi, I¡¯m back.¡±


    Even before he entered the house, his voice had already made its way inside.


    Liu Sisi lifted her head from the vanity box and waved at Di Yelei, who wasing in through the curtain.


    ¡°Ye Lei,e and help me look ¨C which piece of jewelry should I choose?¡±


    Di Yelei casually removed the cloak from his shoulders and handed it to Ms. Gao, only then did he walk over to Liu Sisi¡¯s side, jesting in a good mood.


    ¡°Why are you still thinking about dressing up sote? Is there something going on?¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking about! I¡¯m choosing two things to give to Cheng¡¯er as wedding gifts!¡±


    Liu Sisi gave him a nce: ¡°Do you even know what your second sister-inw has done ¨C none of it seems human!¡±


    ¡°What happened? From your tone, did she cause you some trouble again?¡±


    Di Yelei sat down beside Liu Sisi with an experienced look on his face. He casually stretched out his hand and held her waist tight.


    ¡°You really do understand her!¡±


    Liu Sisi casually put down the hairpin in her hand and sighed, ¡°This time, it isn¡¯t just a minor annoyance, it¡¯s downright unreliable. I¡¯ve never seen a mother so partial!¡±


    After saying this, she then ryed the whole story.


    ¡°Originally I thought, at most it would be a run-down house. I even said that you and Da Niu and Er Niu could help clean it up a bit, to make it somewhat presentable. But I never expected that she could take it to such an extreme. In our small little town, could the cksmith not know that the original owner of the house died of smallpox?¡±


    In her previous life, smallpox could be prevented, but here, smallpox was more powerful than a tiger! It was truly terrifying to even mention it.


    Ms. Wang had actually bought a house like this!


    A vein on Di Yelei¡¯s face throbbed: ¡°Such a short-sighted woman!¡±<div>


    While the two were talking, the voice of Di Cheng and elderly Mr. Di could be heard from outside the door. Judging from their excited tone, Di Cheng probably had no clue about this incident.


    ¡°You see! I, as his third aunt, can¡¯t bring myself to break the news to him. You should be the one to tell him the truth.¡±


    Liu Sisi gave Di Yelei a re, and continued rummaging through the vanity box.


    Di Yelei quickly took two steps, reaching the windowsill and looking outside, upon hearing Di Cheng¡¯s cheery voice, he hesitantly withdrew his step that was about to cross the threshold.<div>


    He turned around, looking at Liu Sisi deliberately turning her back towards him, gritted his teeth, and finally stepped out anyways.


    Not long after, the sound of Di Yelei conversing with Di Cheng could be heard.


    Liu Sisi angrily hit her makeup box and threw her jewelry into it resentfully.


    She decided to wait, she would give them out after the wedding!


    It wasn¡¯t her, the third aunt-inw, being stingy, but she had to be careful of Ms. Wang!


    Outside, Di Cheng was sitting below them with a face full of happiness.


    Di Yelei, on the other hand, was sitting opposite Di Cheng.


    ¡°Third Uncle! Cheng¡¯er has even gone so far as to bring thedder from the bookstore. It mighte in handyter! And, I¡¯ve been thinking about recing the window flower patterns too. Furthermore¡­¡±


    When Liu Sisi came out, she saw this harmonious scene.


    As soon as Di Cheng saw Liu Sisi, he quickly rose to his feet: ¡°Third Aunt.¡±


    ¡°Cheng¡¯er, sit down first.¡±


    Liu Sisi, not wanting to give anyone any grounds for criticism, greeted Elderly Mr. Di with a smiling countenance: ¡°Sisi has heard the sound of Father¡¯sughter from afar and came specially to share in the joy.¡±


    ¡°Sit, Sisi, sit first. You will have to work hard for Cheng¡¯er¡¯s wedding.¡±<div>


    Elderly Mr. Di was obviously very happy!


    Di Cheng was the first of his grandchildren to get married. Although they were just preparing for the marriage proposal, how could one not be happy?


    ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    Liu Sisi naturallyplied, took the opportunity to nce at Di Yelei.


    Di Yelei¡¯s gaze was full of hesitation and he couldn¡¯t bear to speak. Liu Sisi gave him a stare, but Di Yelei lowered his head and deliberately avoided her gaze.


    The interactions between the two were interpreted very differently by Ms. Zhao, who was watching from the sidelines.


    She immediately turned her eyes, showing a look of affection.


    ¡°Di Cheng! Your Third Uncle is now a sub-captain, which is the result of the good deeds our Di ancestors have umted. Don¡¯t worry, he doesn¡¯tck this bit of window paper-cuts and money. The one that ought to be changed is better than saving it, it¡¯s for the things you will use in your wedding.¡±


    Ever since Ms. Zhao returned to the small town with Elderly Mr. Di, she had changed, bing as quiet as a sleeping kitten.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mind adding another pair of chopsticks, so long as they didn¡¯t make trouble. As for food and clothes, she wouldn¡¯t shortchange them.


    But now, Ms. Zhao¡¯s self-satisfied words made Liu Sisi deeply realize what the saying ¡®It¡¯s hard to change the character¡¯ means!


    This, yes yes¡­¡±


    Di Cheng muttered, looking at Third Uncle and Third Aunt, then looking at his grandmother, he kept his head down without speaking.<div>


    Liu Sisi, on the other hand,ughed: ¡°Alright! Since your Third Uncle doesn¡¯t want to be the viin, I¡¯ll be the one to talk!¡±


    ¡°Cough cough! Sisi, it¡¯s better if I speak.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face seemed somewhat feverish, as he stood up from his seat: ¡°Cheng¡¯er, this matter is Third Uncle¡¯s fault. I should have thought about it earlier, but it hase to this point¡­sigh!¡±


    Color drained from Di Cheng¡¯s facepletely, his smile frozen there, he was speechless for quite a while.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Third Uncle, Third Aunt¡­¡±

 Chapter 521: The Crazy Di Cheng

    Chapter 521: The Crazy Di Cheng


    Beside them, Ms. Zhao could no longer contain herself. She had not forgotten the humiliation she had endured when she knelt at the Dou family grave in the past!


    Although her wish has been granted now, the hatred in her heart seems to have increased over time.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Seeing the present situation, a thought popped into her mind, and she immediately began to voice it aloud.


    ¡°What is happening here? The Third Son¡¯s family, you must act with conscience. You were the one who said you¡¯d help Di Cheng with the wedding matters. Now you¡¯re saying this, are you trying to back out?¡±


    Liu Sisi nced nonchntly at Ms. Zhao, then turned her calm eyes back on Di Cheng, without adding any furtherment.


    Di Yelei shook his head: ¡°No! Third Uncle meant tonight. I¡¯m afraid Third Uncle cannot apany you to prepare the house.¡±


    Di Cheng¡¯s face turned pale, the surprise in his eyes gradually simmered down. He stood up and bowed to Di Yelei.


    ¡°Cheng¡¯er understands. Cheng¡¯er thanks Third Uncle and Third Auntie. The time has grownte. I must now take my leave.¡±


    After his statement, Di Cheng bowed to the crowd before turning to leave.


    ¡°Third Son, you are an esteemed official now, yet you talk ambiguously like this, beware of retribution in the future!¡±


    Ms. Zhao at the side started shouting again.


    ¡°Cheng¡¯er hold on!¡±


    Liu Sisi stopped him and frowned at Di Yelei: ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. You¡¯re the official representative of themon people. If outsiders hear you, who knows how they will twist your words around.¡±


    Although her words were aimed at Di Yelei, everyone clearly understood who she was indirectly addressing.


    Di Yelei chuckled, his gaze cryptically sweeping over the crowed.


    ¡°Cheng¡¯er, do you know who previously owned the house your mother bought for you?¡±


    ¡°Cheng¡¯er doesn¡¯t know. Who lived in that house before?¡±


    Di Cheng knew his Third Uncle wouldn¡¯t speak without reason, ¡°Is there an issue with the house?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not just an issue, it¡¯s a big problem¡±


    Liu Sisi continued with her eyes scanning between Elderly Mr Di and Ms. Zhao, ¡°Hearing Di Chen mention the modest house cost ten taels of silver, Sisi couldn¡¯t help but worry. So I asked Old He about this residence. Little did I know, I dug up a lot of secrets.¡±


    ¡°In my view, you are reluctant to arrange for Cheng¡¯er¡¯s wedding, hence you are finding all sorts of excuses to stall.¡±


    Ms. Zhao wasn¡¯t stopping with her instigation, ¡°Third Son¡¯s family, if you really don¡¯t want to do this, just say it. Worst case scenario, I can put aside my pride and let the Second Family arrange this instead.¡±


    She said it that way because she feared Liu Sisi would take up the mantle and handle Cheng¡¯er¡¯s marriage expenses, which would then have to be borne by the Second Family.


    On the side, Di Cheng was anxious but he had no time to listen to the nagging of his grandmother yet couldn¡¯t explicitly go against her.


    He quickly stepped forward and bowed to Liu Sisi: ¡°Third Auntie, what exactly happened? Please enlighten me.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Your mother she¡­..¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed, she didn¡¯t have the heart to say it, but she had no choice but to reveal, ¡°The house your mother bought for you¡­someone died in that house.¡±


    ¡°People dying in a house is normal, isn¡¯t it? Which house has no one died? Even in the Pce, more people die, but it is still upied!¡±


    As soon as Liu Sisi¡¯s words fell, Ms. Zhao started squabbling.


    ¡°What if in this residence, the person who died had smallpox?¡± Liu Sisi asked helplessly.


    ¡°What? Smallpox!¡±


    The color drained from Ms. Zhao¡¯s face as she instinctively recoiled.


    ¡°Yes, smallpox. The original owner of the house died from smallpox and since the family line ended, the house has been vacant ever since. Until Second Sister-inw bought it for 10 taels of silver as Di Cheng¡¯s wedding house.¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke these words, her gaze was fixed tightly on Di Cheng.


    Di Cheng¡¯s face suddenly turned ashen, and he unconsciously took several steps back, somehow managing to reach the wall behind him before copsing to the ground.


    His lips firmly pressed together, he stood there silently with his head down, lost in thought.


    Ms. Zhao was still mumbling, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just¡­ smallpox? At worst, just go and find Old Doctor He to prescribe some smallpox preventive medicine. Take it before entering the room and it should be fine¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes widened, the more she saw of Ms. Zhao, the more disgusted she became!


    ¡°Mother-inw! Is this how you speak? Do you want everyone who is attending the wedding, to drink a bowl of medicine before entering? ¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Ms. Zhao was instantly indignant!


    ¡°From Third Son¡¯s family, what do you mean by that? My wife, when have I ever said anything like that? I¡­¡±


    Before Ms. Zhao could finish speaking, Di Cheng had already scrambled to his feet and rushed out of the room and out of the house.


    ¡°Di Cheng! Cheng¡¯er!¡± Everyone called out in rm.


    ¡°Ye Lei, you quickly go after him, bring Cheng¡¯er back.¡± Liu Sisi said anxiously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely bring Cheng¡¯er back safely.¡±


    After saying this, Di Yelei hurriedly chased after him.


    Liu Sisi, turning her head and narrowing her eyes, could no longer hold back the anger in her heart: ¡°Ms. Zhao, I treat you with respect and therefore call you ¡®Mother-inw¡¯. If you continue to be so muddle-headed, you can go back to Upper Vige! My ce is small, I can¡¯t afford to amodate such a big Buddha as you!¡±


    The reason she chose to bring this up today was actually meant to prompt her father to say something.


    She and Ye Lei are, after all, Third Uncle and Third Aunt, and as Di Cheng¡¯s parents are still alive, there¡¯s no way they should interfere with major matrimonial matters.


    If Ms. Wang dared to buy such a mansion for Di Cheng as a wedding house today, who knows what other tricks she might pull when ites to the proposal?


    Liu Sisi was just preparing for the future, hoping to take this opportunity to make Elderly Mr. Di aware of the situation.


    But to her surprise, it turned out Ms. Zhao was making things difficult!


    ¡°You!¡±


    Ms. Zhao wanted to speak, but was subdued by Liu Sisi¡¯s icy gaze.


    Turning to look back at the silent Di Elderly, Ms. Zhao couldn¡¯t help but call out softly: ¡°Old Man¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di gave her a cold look, then turned his gaze to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Sisi, whatever you want to do, just go ahead and do it. Your father is on your side.¡±


    Hearing her father¡¯s support, Liu Sisi felt a heavy burden in her heart.


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡±


    ¡°Cheng¡¯er, Cheng¡¯er don¡¯t run! Cheng¡¯er!¡±


    Di Yelei chased and called out. Not too far ahead, he saw Di Cheng.


    Di Cheng didn¡¯t stop in his tracks, instead shaking off Di Yelei¡¯s hand with force: ¡°Third Uncle, let me go, I want to see it for myself. I want to see the new house that my mother bought for me with my own eyes! Third Uncle! That¡¯s the new house my mother bought for me¡­¡±


    Di Cheng was exceptionally agitated!


    Di Yelei had never seen Di Cheng like this, his hand instinctively loosened, and Di Cheng slipped out and ran off rapidly.


    Di Yelei cursed quietly, then chased after him as quickly as he could.

 Chapter 522: Foodie Miao Cuihua

    Chapter 522: Foodie Miao Cuihua


    The distance to that residence wasn¡¯t very far, just from one end of the small town to the other.


    Di Cheng arrived at the approximate location but could only wander nearby, not sure which specific small residence it was.


    In the end, he sat down by the roadside.


    Di Yelei slowly approached, walking over to him and sitting down as well.


    ¡°When I was younger, I had a lot of strength. At five or six years old, I could carry arge load of firewood. But that strength didn¡¯t benefit me. Instead, at such a young age, I was forced to go up to the mountains to chop wood. Not only did I have to supply firewood for myrge family, butter I also became a woodcutter and charcoal maker.¡±


    ¡°And because I did more work while eating the least, I nearly starved to death several times. Finally, Zhang Peng saved me, taught me to go hunting, so that I wouldn¡¯t starve anymore.¡±


    ¡°Cheng¡¯er, although you are Second Brother¡¯s child, you look and act the most like me, too honest and straightforward. Being honest and straightforward is not always a good thing. You need to judge people and situations. Blindly enduring will not make people remember your kindness, but instead, they will think you are weak and easy to bully, taking your efforts for granted.¡±


    ¡°Third Uncle didn¡¯t understand these things either until Third Aunt married into the family. Only then did he learn how to live like a real person!¡±


    After Di Yelei finished speaking, he patted Di Cheng¡¯s shoulder heavily.


    Then he stood up and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so go back and rest early. If you have any problems, think about them carefully and make a decision. It¡¯s never toote toe to me.¡±


    It¡¯s better to teach someone to fish than to give them a fish!


    To deal with people like Ms. Wang, unless Di Cheng can stand up for himself, others can only help him once, but they can¡¯t always be there for him!


    Di Yelei left alone. After walking away, he looked back and saw Di Cheng still sitting there, as if deep in thought.


    That night, both husband and wife worried about Di Cheng, and neither of them slept well.


    Liu Sisi got up early and went to the bookstore, only to find the main entrance locked, and Miao Cuihua was walking back and forth outside the door, determined not to leave until she found someone!


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t call out to her; she quietly walked past and went to the small residence that everyone had pointed to yesterday. She asked two more people on the road and finally found the three rooms that Ms. Wang mentioned.


    As expected, it was three rooms and a small courtyard.


    But it was just three crumbling, low houses made of broken stones, and it was easy to see that no one had lived there for years. The straw covering the top had be moldy and ck, and there were lumps of it. Through the half-open wooden door, she could see the dark room inside. The courtyard outside was only about three or four square meters in size, with no room for even two tables.


    Liu Sisi sighed! It was amazing that Ms. Wang coulde up with this!


    Could this be called a residence? Even the chicken coop in the third family branch¡¯s old house was much bigger!


    She nced around again, her eyes falling on a small courtyard separated by a wall.


    In the courtyard, an old woman was cleaning. Liu Sisi hurriedly raised her skirt hem and walked over to the yard door, calling out softly.


    ¡°Olddy, Sisi wants to ask you about something¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until she had taken care of everything that Liu Sisi casually turned back and walked away.


    Upon returning to the bookstore, she saw that Miao Cuihua was still there.


    After some thought, she walked up to the door and casually used her key to unlock it. This spare key had always been with her, and she never thought it woulde in handy today.


    ¡°Sisi, I¡­ I came to help too, hehehe!¡±


    Miao Cuihua swiftly approached to help.


    Liu Sisi looked at her but didn¡¯t stop her. Surprisingly, although Miao Cuihua was tall and had a loud voice, she had her advantages.


    Things that Liu Sisi could hardly move, Miao Cuihua carried with one hand. She wiped the top of shelves that Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t reach. Fetching water, mopping the floor, cleaning¡ªMiao Cuihua did everything efficiently, far outperforming Shou Hou.


    ¡°I say, Miao Cuihua, waiting here like this isn¡¯t really a solution, is it?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t hold back any longer: ¡°You¡¯re always hanging out in my store, who did you ask to help take care of the little chubby at home?¡±


    Miao Cuihua¡¯s wiping hand paused slightly, then sheughed: ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already sent Little Chubby back to my mom¡¯s home. Once I find Shou Hou, I¡¯ll bring him back.¡±


    ¡°What if you never find him?¡±


    Miao Cuihua¡¯s hand stopped for a while before shaking her head in selffort, her words full of resignation.


    ¡°No! That won¡¯t happen. Shou Hou is just mad at me! When he¡¯s had enough fun and gets tired, he¡¯ll definitelye back. Definitely!¡±


    ¡°Alright! If that¡¯s what you think, then it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Liu Sisi shrugged, adopting an ¡°it¡¯s-your-call¡± attitude, and picked up the ount book to check the ounts.


    Miao Cuihua felt like she was punching cotton as she had expected Liu Sisi to continue opposing, but instead got such an answer in the end.


    Thinking of her own predicament, she gathered courage and approached Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Sisi, I have a matter, I¡¯d like to discuss with you¡­¡±


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Liu Sisi lifted her eyelids slightly.


    ¡°I¡­ I have no money for food¡­¡± Miao Cuihua awkwardly rubbed her hands.


    ¡°Do you want to borrow money from me?¡±


    She looked up at her, half-smiling.


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not it!¡±


    Miao Cuihua quickly shook her hands like a rattle drum, then she coughed lightly and tugged on her obviously ill-fitting clothes.


    ¡°I was thinking that from now on, I could help clean the store every day, and you could cover my meals. Really, I¡¯ll only need to eat five bowls¡­ no, no, just four bowls, no! I only need three bowls of rice per meal. If there¡¯s any trouble in the store, I can help too.¡±


    She embarrassingly stretched out three fingers and gestured to Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi gave Miao Cuihua an up and down look before saying without further ado: ¡°My Second Sister has opened a dumpling restaurant over there, where they also sell steamed buns and stuffed buns. You go and eat first, thene back to work after you¡¯re full.¡±


    After finishing her words, she buried her head in the ount book again.


    Miao Cuihua gloomily walked outside. She had a solution for this meal, but what about the next one?


    Huh? That¡¯s not right!


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, you agreed to let me stay, didn¡¯t you? Sisi!¡±


    Miao Cuihua was overjoyed! She didn¡¯t expect that she could actually stay.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You can stay and do the chores Shou Hou used to do. Three meals a day and 100 copper coins a month for you. If you¡¯re willing, you can start working today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing! Of course, I¡¯m willing.¡±


    How could she be unwilling? Now she doesn¡¯t have to worry about going hungry, and there¡¯s an extra 100 copper coinsing in. She¡¯s more than satisfied!


    With this in mind, she smiled shyly, her behavior coquettish: ¡°Sisi, I will work hard, but¡­ I¡¯m sorry that you¡¯ll be at a disadvantage.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until she returned to the mansion and heard Liu Zhi¡¯er talking about how the other party actually ate twenty-five steamed buns and ten stuffed buns in one meal that she understood what Miao Cuihua meant by being at a disadvantage.

 Chapter 523: 523: Di Cheng Proposes Marriage at the Door

    Chapter 523: Di Cheng Proposes Marriage at the Door


    ¡°You should¡¯ve seen how she was eating! A steamed bun as big as two fistsbined, she devoured it in two bites. Twoyers of steaming baskets full of buns and steamed buns went into her stomach, scaring all the guests in my room.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyebrows were almost twisted into a knot.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh, shaking her head: ¡°She must have been hungry for several days without eating, it¡¯s really deadly when she starts eating. Tomorrow, she probably won¡¯t be able to eat that much anymore.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯sing again tomorrow? Won¡¯t my shop be eaten away by her?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face sagged.


    Twenty-five steamed buns and ten steamed buns! Judging by her demeanor at the time, she was clearly capable of eating many more.


    If she really let her eat with an open stomach, she would have to eat her shop to the ground.


    ¡°How could it be eaten away? I give her 100 copper coins a month, rest assured! It¡¯s definitely worth it!¡±


    Liu Sisi leaned into her ear and whispered softly.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face immediately broke into a smile: ¡°Can this¡­ work?¡±


    ¡°It will definitely work; if you don¡¯t believe it, just give it a try.¡± Liu Sisi also smiled.<div>


    Miao Cuihua, don¡¯t me me for calcting you. Anyway, your strength is wasted if not used, so it¡¯s better to do some more work, which is worth it.


    Di Cheng didn¡¯t show up in the shop until the next morning.


    As soon as he appeared, Liu Sisi raised her eyes and saw therge handprint on his left cheek.


    ¡°Di Cheng, your face¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Third Aunt. I¡¯ll get busy first.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Cheng dodge her gaze and went downstairs to pretend to be busy.


    It waster revealed that Di Cheng had a falling out with his family yesterday, and the matter even rmed Mr. Land Officer.


    In the end, under the mediation of Mr. Land Officer, Ms. Wang took out another 30 taels of silver for Di Cheng, which allowed him to leave the second family branch and live separately.


    There were quite a few vigers gossiping about Di Cheng moving out before getting married.


    Upon hearing this, Liu Sisi understood Ms. Wang¡¯s intentions.


    Since Di Cheng moved out, Ms. Wang has clearly put aside the matter of his marriage and left it up to him!


    In the evening, Di Cheng came to the residence again.


    ¡°Cheng¡¯er has thought it through, and tomorrow is an auspicious day. I¡¯m going to propose to Feng¡¯er tomorrow. Even the matchmaker has been settled. It¡¯s just that Third Aunt has to take the trouble to make a trip.¡±


    As the wife of the sub-captain and Di Cheng¡¯s Third Aunt, Liu Sisi¡¯s personal engagement proposal already gave the other party enough face, and she believed that they would not make things difficult for her because of this.


    ¡°As for the matter of the residence, I wonder if Third Aunt could amodate us and say that you all are living in this residence now¡­¡±


    Di Cheng¡¯s face was flushed red, and it was obvious that speaking these words was difficult for him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the residence.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled and fumbled in her arms for a moment, then took out an envelope and mysteriously handed it to Di Cheng.<div>


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it and see if you like it?¡±


    Di Cheng curiously took it. After a careful look, he found that the envelope was not sealed.


    He took the folded paper from the envelope, unfolded it, and couldn¡¯t help getting excited!


    ¡°Th-this is a house contract! Third Aunt¡­ How did this happen?¡± Di Cheng was so excited that he couldn¡¯t make sense.<div>


    ¡°This residence is not far from the one your mother bought you. In the future, when you have the money, you can expand the residence, or even demolish it and rebuild.¡± Liu Sisi said lightly, as if it were just a piece of paper and not a house contract.


    Di Cheng had aplicated expression on his face, tightly grasping the house contract. After a while, he resolutely folded it back up, put it in the envelope again, and pushed it back to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Third Aunt! Thank you, but I can¡¯t ept this house contract.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked surprised: ¡°Why can¡¯t you ept it? Didn¡¯t Feng¡¯er over there already say that¡­?¡±


    ¡°Third Uncle is right; it¡¯s not good for you to give so much without receiving anything in return. I¡¯ll stay in this house for now. When I¡¯ve saved enough money to buy it, Third Aunt can then give me the contract.¡±


    ¡°Good! You have a strong spirit! You will definitely achieve great things in the future.¡±


    Liu Sisi genuinely praised him.


    As long as Di Cheng grows up with this mentality, those who look down on him now will have a lot to cry about in the future.


    The next day was a rare sunny day.


    Since it was the day to propose to Di Cheng, Liu Sisi wore a light blue pomegranate flower dress,bed her hair into a moderate chignon, and adorned it with a pomegranate flower hairpin.


    It wasn¡¯t that she especially liked pomegranate flowers, but ording to local custom, pomegranates symbolized many children and grandchildren.


    Expectant mothers usually wore pomegranate flower-patterned dresses and hair ornaments.


    However, since it was a special day, Liu Sisi took out her dressing box and carefully adorned her makeup, enhancing her image with a subtle makeup style that brightened the eyes and seemed to lighten the sky above.<div>


    Di Cheng, together with the matchmaker, went to Liu Sisi¡¯s residence, where they ordered their servants to carry the prepared betrothal gifts and proceeded to the cksmith¡¯s shop with a flourish of music.


    Since it was the 15th of the month, the vige school was closed. Di Xuan, Di Ying, and Da Mao followed the matchmaker, happilygging behind the crowd, watching the lively scene.


    As it was Market Day, the small town was bustling with peopleing and going. The procession, dressed in red clothes, attracted many people to join them, making the whole street very lively.


    Di Cheng was very nervous but also very happy. Although he was disappointed that Ms. Wang didn¡¯te, the thought of being with Feng¡¯er forever made him quicken his pace.


    When they reached the cksmith¡¯s shop, just as Di Cheng was about to hand over the greeting card ording to tradition, a familiar voice came from inside. Unable to contain his excitement, he hurriedly stepped into the cksmith¡¯s shop.


    ¡°Mom! Howe you¡¯re here?¡±


    As he said this, Di Cheng¡¯s voice trembled.


    Liu Sisi nced around and saw the elder man she had met before, along with a married couple. However, she hadn¡¯t seen Feng¡¯er yet.


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I be here? Where else should I be? Or should outsiders be here instead?¡± Ms. Wang said with a sneer, about to say something, but suddenly azy voice came from the doorway.


    ¡°What Cheng¡¯er means is that Second Sister-inw should¡¯ve waited for us all to arrive together. We all know that Second Sister-inw is anxious to see Miss Feng¡¯er. If she didn¡¯t know Second Sister-inw, she might have been misunderstood. Look, everyone isughing.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s soft voice sounded.


    Ah, so that¡¯s how it is! No wonder the gifts in front were so ordinary that they couldn¡¯t be shown off.

 Chapter 524: 524: Lover’s Affection, Concubine’s Intentions

    Chapter 524: Lover¡¯s Affection, Concubine¡¯s Intentions


    Everyone suddenly realized!


    In the shop, the betrothal gifts brought by Ms. Wang were neatly lined up, and half a carrying pole of gifts were scattered around. No wonder Ironsmith Fan¡¯s face looked terrible.


    ¡°What are you talking about, Third Sister-inw? This is my son Cheng¡¯ering to propose, how could I note as his mother?¡±


    Ms. Wang red at Liu Sisi, looking as if she wanted to eat her alive.


    She originally thought that by marrying her Third Son off to a sub-captain, her family would somehow benefit. However, she didn¡¯t expect to receive a letter from Sisi yesterday. Today¡¯s proposal would hinge on whether she would handle her nephew Gao¡¯er¡¯s schooling!


    That¡¯s why she was here at this moment.


    ¡°Mother, thank you, Mother¡­¡±


    Di Cheng was very excited, almost speechless. The happiest person today would be none other than him, with Ms. Wang¡¯s presence.


    Naturally sharp-eyed, the matchmaker immediately saw through the situation and hurried to congratte Ironsmith Fan with a smile on her face.


    ¡°The magpie is chattering in the plum tree, and today¡¯s happy event has fallen on Xiao Feng. I, the old woman, will congratte Brother Fan first!¡±


    The matchmaker pretended to perform a bow, but Ironsmith Fan¡¯s face still looked bad, and he red at Ms. Wang and snorted coldly.<div>


    ¡°I¡¯m just a cksmith, what joyous event could there be for me? Don¡¯t make fun of me.¡±


    The matchmaker had long been ustomed to thick-skinned dealings, and wasn¡¯t intimidated by Ironsmith Fan¡¯s cold face.


    Immediately, she stepped forward with a smile: ¡°Ironsmith Fan, you¡¯re not right about that. Isn¡¯t my Big Sister here today to bring you a great happy event? Look ¡­¡±


    As the two were chatting over there, Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes swept over the scene and rested on Ms. Wang.


    ¡°It¡¯s right for Second Sister-inw to say that. Cheng¡¯er is your eldest son, so it¡¯s proper for your Second Sister-inw toe out.¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s face was unhappy, and she interrupted Liu Sisi¡¯s words when no one was paying attention to her.


    ¡°Enough nonsense! You asked me toe here, and now I¡¯m here. What about the silver you promised¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled indifferently: ¡°Don¡¯t worry! As long as things go well, I¡¯ll keep my promise when we go back.¡±


    Over there, the matchmaker was still talking non-stop!


    What she highlighted, of course, was Liu Sisi.


    ¡°This is the sub-captain¡¯s wife, personally present today. Brother, your face is both broad and wide. Besides, this is a real official¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Look at these betrothal gifts, although not daring to im how good they are, but topare them in this small town, it would be hard to find better conditions¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Moreover, this Di Cheng is Lord Sub-Captain¡¯s own nephew. He has been following him all along, and although he is a nephew, he has been treated like his own son. Look at this gift list, a lot of money has been invested¡­ ¡±


    Ironsmith Fan took the gift list, examined it carefully, then went into the inner chamber. After a while, he came out and directly invited everyone to the backyard.


    The matchmaker¡¯s eyes lit up immediately!


    There¡¯s hope!


    You must know that Ironsmith Fan¡¯s daughter Xiao Feng is considered one of the top beauties in this small town, not only beautiful but also very strong.


    The matchmaker has nearly worn out her doorstep, but hasn¡¯t even been offered a cup of clear water.


    She came here with the attitude of trying it out, not expecting that after saying a few words, everyone was invited to the back hall for tea. It seems that this matter is nine out of ten settled!<div>


    Liu Sisi was not surprised. After all, Xiao Feng and Di Cheng had long had mutual affection, and as long as there were no idents today, their rtionship would definitely be sessful!


    And this ident naturally referred to Ms. Wang.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze fell on Ms. Wang, who had no good expression at all. It was only when she met Liu Sisi¡¯s warning eyes that she reluctantly got up and walked into the backyard, grumbling to herself.


    The group entered the backyard and didn¡¯t take a breather until they were in the living room.<div>


    ¡°Please, have a seat,¡± Ironsmith Fan greeted everyone.


    Ms. Wang hade early in the morning and was already tired. Without saying a word, she wanted to sit on the superior seat on the left side.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes widened in response, which caused Ms. Wang to hurry up and change her seat, grinding her way to the lower seat on the left side.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Cheng¡¯s face was tense, and his eyes kept peering behind the door curtain.


    As Liu Sisi sat down and took a careful look, she saw a not-so-long tip of a shoe sticking out from behind the slightly swaying door curtain.


    She immediately understood!


    It seemed that Di Cheng was indeed telling the truth.


    The matchmaker¡¯s sweet talk had never ceased, praising Di Cheng as indomitable, which made Ironsmith Fan¡¯s face gradually fill with a smile and his nce grow more considerate toward Di Cheng.


    Soon enough, someone brought tea, and that married woman Liu Sisi had seen the other day appeared once more, carrying a child in her arms.


    After a moment of light conversation, a girl entered, lifting the curtain and calling out crisply to Ironsmith Fan in the main seat.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°Xiao Feng, howe you¡¯re out here?¡± Ironsmith Fan looked very surprised.


    Xiao Feng appeared to have been carefully dressed up today. Not only was she wearing new women¡¯s clothes but her hair was alsobed and fragrant. This enhanced her originally pretty face even more.<div>


    Didn¡¯t he know his own daughter?


    In recent years, many suitors hade, but Xiao Feng wouldn¡¯t even talk to them, let alone meet them. But today, her behavior had suddenly changed, and she had taken great care in her appearance. Could it be¡­


    Ironsmith Fan¡¯s eyes shed, and he finally focused on the young man called Di Cheng in front of him.


    At the sight of Xiao Feng, Di Cheng¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t move. He looked at her with affectionate eyes.


    Although Xiao Feng kept her head down and stood far away from Di Cheng, her face gradually turned red under his gaze, as if it had been painted with an afterglow.


    Liu Sisi looked on with a smiling face, happy to see things going well. Her gaze met Ironsmith Fan¡¯s astonished one.


    She quickly coughed lightly. ¡°This must be Xiao Feng, right? What a good girl. Come, let Third Auntie have a look at you!¡±


    Xiao Feng, praised by Liu Sisi, blushed, and her cheeks could hardly be lifted.


    However, she had heard from Di Cheng many times about his Third Auntie, and knowing her generous nature, she had only hesitated on her personal matters. But she obediently walked up to Liu Sisi, gave a light salute, and greeted her.


    ¡°Madam.¡±


    ¡°My dear child, don¡¯t kneel; get up quickly. Call me Third Auntie.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled and reached out to help Xiao Feng stand up. With a smooth movement, the red jade bracelet on her wrist ended up in Xiao Feng¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I often hear people mention Miss Xiao Feng¡¯s beauty and kindness, that she¡¯s as good as any man, and how she manages the shop so well. Seeing her today, it¡¯s obvious that her reputation is well-deserved. The more I look at her, the more I like her. Third Auntie doesn¡¯t have much in the way of meeting gifts, but this bracelet happens to be a bit too big for me. It¡¯s perfect for Feng¡¯er! Perfect!¡±<div>

 Chapter 525: 525: Unreasonable

    Chapter 525: Unreasonable


    This jadeite bracelet was old-fashioned yet vibrantly green, with high transparency ¨C a valuable gift given by a previous guest.


    Today, Liu Sisi chose this as a meeting gift, naturally she had put some thought into it.


    This scene unfolded in front of the cksmith Fan, who was sitting in the main seat. Subconsciously, he nced at Ms. Wang, who sat nonchntly beside him.


    If he has not mistaken, she is to be Feng¡¯er¡¯s future mother-inw, isn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Thank you, Third Aunt, for your generous gift. Little Feng¡­¡±


    Little Feng then once again bowed down in gratitude.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bow,¡± Liu Sisi pulled her up hastily. ¡°In the future, we will be family. After you marry into the Di Family, we can have a good chat.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait¡­¡±


    These words made cksmith Fan, sitting in the main seat, instantly discontent.


    ¡°As we have already agreed, my family takes a son-inw at home. My daughter, Xiao Feng, won¡¯t be marrying out.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Ms. Wang next to him was also up in arms!<div>


    So, all that silver she had spent was going to fall into the pockets of outsiders?


    ¡°What do you mean by not marrying out? Didn¡¯t we say long ago that we should buy a house in the small town, give her 100 taels of silver as a betrothal gift, and that would do? Are you raising the price now?¡±


    She yelled out at once.


    cksmith Fan¡¯splexion changed!


    ¡°What do you mean by raising the price? Am I, Fan, a cksmith, selling my daughter? If you think the betrothal gift is too much, you can take it back the same way you brought it!¡±


    Ms. Wang, rash as she was, immediately sprung from her chair and began to retort!


    ¡°A betrothal gift of 100 taels, and you don¡¯t call that selling your daughter? When I got married, the dowry was only 2 taels of silver¡­¡±


    ¡°You! You¡­ are simply unreasonable!¡±


    It was clear that cksmith Fan had been truly angered. He had no desire to argue with a woman and promptly got up and stormed off in huff.


    ¡°Goodness me! What happened here? How can he just storm off like that?¡±


    The matchmaker by the side was stunned! She hadn¡¯te to terms with this sudden turn of events. Watching the back of cksmith Fan, she hurriedly chased after him: ¡°cksmith Fan! cksmith Fan!¡±


    Ms. Wang, however, was not prepared to let the matter go and spat angrily at his retreating back.


    ¡°What kind of person is this¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! This is not your ce to speak!¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly reprimanded her, ¡°If you say another word and mess up today¡¯s arrangement, everything I promised yesterday won¡¯t count.¡±


    ¡°You dare?¡±


    Ms. Wang got anxious immediately and was ready to snap.


    ¡°Dare to see if I do? Perhaps the Di¡¯s family temple is too small for you, Second Sister-inw. Would you like to return to the Wang Family and stay there for a few more days?¡±


    Liu Sisi was irritated by her and spoke harshly without any mercy.<div>


    ¡°You¡­.¡±


    After taking a nce at the people present in the scene, Ms. Wang ultimately swallowed her words and muttered as she sat back down, refusing to speak. Her face was as long as a horse¡¯s.


    Since the man had already left, Liu Sisi was at her wit¡¯s end!


    She then managed a sheepish smile towards the stunned Xiao Feng. She took her hand and led her to one side.<div>


    ¡°Little Feng, don¡¯t worry. Di Cheng has already separated out from the second family branch and started his own. The matter has been approved by the Land Officer and our family elders. Even if you marry into our family, you won¡¯t have to cater to a mother-inw. There¡¯s absolutely no falsity in this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard Di Cheng talking about this, but regarding my father¡­¡± Xiao Feng appeared to be in a dilemma.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°How about, Xiao Feng, you sit here for a while, and I¡¯ll go talk to your dad?¡±


    There¡¯s no other choice now.


    Before leaving, Liu Sisi still felt uneasy and said thoughtfully, ¡°We should respect our elders, but it also depends on what kind of elders and how to respect them! Do you understand?¡±


    While speaking, she looked deeply at Xiao Feng and then left.


    In the courtyard, the matchmaker was going on about Ironsmith Fan, while Ironsmith Fan¡¯s face was as ck as a pot bottom.


    ¡°Master Fan.¡±


    Liu Sisi called lightly, signaling the matchmaker. Only then did the matchmaker let go of Ironsmith Fan¡¯s sleeve and left.


    Without waiting for Liu Sisi¡¯s words, Ironsmith Fan directly ordered her to leave.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything. My daughter Xiao Feng cannot aspire to your lofty family, please leave!¡±


    ¡°Master Fan, I have a few words to discuss with you. This matter rtes to the happiness of the two children.¡±


    ¡°We have nothing to discuss! Please leave!¡±<div>


    ¡°Master Fan, are you determined to break up this loving couple?¡± Liu Sisi, however, spoke very calmly.


    Reminding him of Xiao Feng¡¯s odd behavior today, Ironsmith Fan squinted his eyes: ¡°What do you really want to say?¡±


    ¡°Actually, Di Cheng has already separated from his family.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t hide it and roughly exined, ¡°Cheng¡¯er is the oldest in the family, he split up before marrying Xiao Feng, isn¡¯t that considering Xiao Feng, fearing she would be wronged? Besides, Di Cheng has bought a house in the small town, Xiao Feng will live there after the wedding, far from her mother-inw¡¯s home, with scarce interactions. If this is not eptable, then what kind of family would be eptable?¡±


    Ironsmith Fan just squinted without speaking.


    Seeing that he was still not relenting, Liu Sisi decided to y herst card: ¡°And one more important thing! Yesterday Cheng¡¯er discussed with his Third Uncle that if he has two sons in the future, he¡¯ll let them follow the maternal line, to continue the Fan¡¯s family bloodline.¡±


    ¡°Is this true?¡±


    Ironsmith Fan was immediately intrigued! He evaluated the feasibility of this privately.


    ¡°My husband may just be a seventh-rank sub-captain, but he is from a family of officials after all. If I, the Madam say it, it surely counts!¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke assertively, but inwardly she was contemting how to talk to Di Cheng about this.


    These words were merely a bluff spontaneously made by Liu Sisi.


    Ironsmith Fan¡¯s eyes shifted, his face suddenly brightened and heughed loudly: ¡°Good! Good! Is this marriage agreed then?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi exhaled, finally it was settled!


    Then, it was theplexity of setting the date and all kinds of trivial matters. By the time everyone left the Fan family, it was almost dark.


    Liu Sisi was exhausted! This Ironsmith Fan was indeed hard to deal with.


    But it was good because Xiao Feng was a good girl.


    ¡°Third Auntie, thank you so much for your hard work today, Cheng¡¯er is grateful.¡±


    Di Cheng spoke, respectfully bowing to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°You ingrate! Now that your Third Uncle and Auntie are officials, you don¡¯t care about your own parents? I tell you¡­ ¡±


    Jabbering! Jabbering¡­ Ms. Wang pointed at Di Cheng while cursing non-stop!


    Along the way home, Ms. Wang¡¯s cursing could be heard from far away.


    On such a joyful day, Ironsmith Fan closed his shop early and called Xiao Feng over.


    ¡°Is that boy Di Cheng you mentioned? He seems to be a good boy, just that his mother has a sharp tongue. If you marry him, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±

 Chapter 526: 526: Unforgettable

    Chapter 526: Unforgettable


    ¡°What are you afraid of? Dad, don¡¯t you trust your daughter¡¯s capabilities?¡±


    Xiao Feng¡¯s face was filled with a sweet smile,pletely different from her previous restraint.


    ¡°Can my daughter be bullied, the daughter of Ironsmith Fan? I don¡¯t believe it. However, it is evident that his Third Aunt treats Di Cheng genuinely.¡±


    ¡°Di Cheng mentioned this too. He is helping out with the shop, which also belongs to his Third Aunt. Besides, his Third Uncle is a sub-captain, so they can¡¯t bepared to ordinary families,¡±


    Xiao Feng spoke with joy on her face: ¡°But during the day, I noticed that his Third Aunt is a good person, quite in line with my character.¡±


    ¡°You! You haven¡¯t even married yet, and you¡¯re already speaking up for outsiders. Dad has truly raised you in vain for more than a decade.¡± Ironsmith Fan couldn¡¯t help teasing his daughter.


    ¡°Dad! ¡ª What nonsense are you talking about? ¡±


    Finally, Xiao Feng showed the coquettishness of a young girl.


    ¡°You still don¡¯t know whether I¡¯m talking nonsense or not?¡±


    Ironsmith Fan pointed at her head proudly: ¡°However, Mrs.Sub-Captain did say that once you give birth to a second boy, he will take the surname Fan and inherit our Fan Family¡¯s bloodline. You have to work harder after you marry and have a child sooner.¡±


    Xiao Feng was so embarrassed by her dad¡¯s straightforward words that she couldn¡¯t help but drag out her words.<div>


    ¡°Dad¡ª¡ª¡±


    Compared to the warmth between father and daughter here, the faces of those who returned to the room were not so good.


    Liu Sisi took out a tael of broken silver and gave it to the matchmaker, who naturally thanked her repeatedly before leaving.


    As soon as the matchmaker left, Liu Sisi¡¯s forced smile disappeared, and she walked into the house with a sullen face. Wang¡¯s wanted to take the opportunity to follow in, but was blocked directly by Old Cheng at the door.


    Di Cheng nced back at his mother being stopped outside the door and sighed faintly as he followed Liu Sisi into the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? This is¡­ ¡±


    Hearing Wang¡¯s cursing from outside, Zhao¡¯s also slipped out of the room.


    Liu Sisi pressed her aching forehead and gestured to Di Cheng: ¡°You should ask Di Cheng about the matter!¡±


    She directly tossed the problem to Di Cheng.


    Elderly Mr. Di also walked out of the room. Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s tired face, Di Cheng¡¯s bitter and hesitant expression, Wang¡¯s cursing outside the door, what more was there to understand?


    Immediately turning his head, he pointed his crutch at Zhao¡¯s: ¡°Look at the ¡®good daughter-inw¡¯ we have raised! Go out and send her away! I¡¯m so ashamed of my Di family that we¡¯ve lost face!¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with me when she¡¯s arguing¡­¡±


    Zhao¡¯s initially wanted to say something more, but after seeing Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s expression, she hurried to the door.


    Who knows what she said to Wang, but luckily, the cursing stopped.


    Liu Sisi, who was pretending to be asleep, couldn¡¯t help butugh!


    No wonder they say ¡°one thing ovees another¡±, like brine and tofu!


    In the following days, Di Cheng was extremely busy.


    Ironsmith Fan desperately wanted to hold his grandson, and since Xiao Feng was already an ¡°old maid¡± at eighteen, she indeed couldn¡¯t wait any longer.


    The two parties agreed quickly and set the wedding date for half a monthter.<div>


    Liu Sisi also asked Da Niu and Er Niu to help organize the wedding room. In his spare time, Di Yelei also helped out. They bought what needed to be bought and threw away what needed to be discarded.


    While everyone here was busy, there was no movement in the Di family¡¯s old house, nor was there anyoneing over to help.


    Due to the busyness on this side, Di Cheng was busy acquiring various things, so all the affairs at the bookstore were handed over to Miao Cuihua. Unexpectedly to Liu Sisi, although Miao Cuihua was stingy and greedy, she had her own business skills. She managed the bookstore very well in half a month.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The busiest one was Di Yelei!<div>


    He was not only busy with official duties but also overseeing thepletion of the official residence.


    As he was a seventh-rank official, the imperial court did not provide an official residence for him. So, he bought a small courtyard in the county and renovated it at his own expense.


    Originally, Di Yelei didn¡¯t n to buy a house in the county, but considering that Liu Sisi¡¯s body was getting heavier and it was really inconvenient to travel such a long distance every day, he decided to move back to the county after the ident.


    However, Zhu Caimai came up with a good suggestion in the end.


    There was a small courtyard behind the wine-house, which was originally prepared by Nan Tianzong for Liu Sisi. The two discussed and just renovated it, and then moved in after handling things here.


    Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and soon, it was Di Cheng¡¯s big happy day.


    Since Ms. Wang was absent, only pregnant Ms. Xin came from the old house.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mind. On the day of Di Cheng¡¯s big wedding, she arranged Elderly Mr. Di and Ms. Zhao in the main seats.


    As Elderly Mr. Di was the head of the Di family and Di Cheng¡¯s biological grandfather, naturally, no one dared to gossip when he sat in the main hall.


    The wedding quickly reached its climax, and after paying respect to the grandparents in the court, Di Cheng held the veiled Xiao Feng and bowed three more times to Di Yelei and Liu Sisi before the ceremony waspleted and they were sent into the bridal chamber.


    Liu Sisi breathed a sigh of relief! She finally fulfilled her promise, which seemed not an easy one to make.


    There weren¡¯t many guests from the bride¡¯s side of the Fan family, but they were satisfied with the house as a whole.


    This house was bought by Liu Sisi on a whimter on. Although it was old and had only four main rooms and one wing room, it was quite nice after all the renovations as a new home.<div>


    Everyone was overjoyed, and the banquetsted untilte at night before it ended.


    It wasn¡¯t until all the guests had gone that Di Yelei helped Liu Sisi to leave.


    ¡°Third Uncle, Third Aunt, everything today is engraved in Di Cheng¡¯s heart, and I will never forget your great kindness in my lifetime.¡±


    Di Cheng thanked them solemnly.


    ¡°Whether you remember it or not isn¡¯t important, just remember your father-inw¡¯s request that the second boy should have thest name Fan and carry on the Fan family¡¯s bloodline. You must work hard.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s joke made Di Cheng¡¯s face turn red, and he could hardly speak: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Third Aunt, I will remember it.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Hurry in! Today is your wedding night, don¡¯t miss such a beautiful scene, hahaha¡­¡±


    Di Yeleiughed heartily, and then, helped Liu Sisi to leave.


    ¡°Take care, Third Uncle and Third Aunt.¡±


    Hearing Di Cheng¡¯s joyful voice behind them, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    ¡°Seeing their happy and lively wedding, I can¡¯t help but wonder if our wedding back then was as lively and extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°Sisi, it¡¯s my fault that I couldn¡¯t give you a decent wedding ceremony.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 527: 527: Liquidation

    Chapter 527: Liquidation


    ¡°Back then, our family was poor, and I really¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Sisi. I wronged you.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s voice grew softer and softer.


    ¡°What are you talking about? That¡¯s all in the past now, don¡¯t dwell on it.¡±


    Liu Sisi was actually more open-minded: ¡°Besides, the time I¡¯ve been married to you, although life was initially tough, haven¡¯t our days gradually be better? Compared to a grand wedding, I¡¯d rather live a good life without unnecessary dramas.¡±


    ¡°Sisi, with a wife like you, what can¡¯t I ovee?¡±


    Di Yelei shook his head, bent down and directly picked up Liu Sisi: ¡°Come on! Let your husband carry you for a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Be careful!¡±


    In the dark, her sudden embrace made Liu Sisi¡¯s heart race like a startled little deer.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? I¡¯ve walked this short distance hundreds of times.¡±


    In the darkness, Di Yelei¡¯s deepughter filled with a strong smell of alcohol, which was sprayed on her face with every breath.


    ¡°Look at you, reeking of alcohol and still acting cocky.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi involuntarily clung to his neck andughed!


    The two of them exchanged words, slowly walking towards home.


    ¡°Sisi, has the price of grain in the small town been risingtely?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. A few days ago, when Di Cheng got married, I bought two dans of grain, and it cost three taels and three maces per dan. It was two taels and nine maces per dan when we bought grain for the New Year. Why? Why did you suddenly ask about this?¡±


    Di Yelei did not answer, instead embracing her and walking quietly for a while.


    ¡°There was an incident in the border city. The ethnic groups attacked two border cities, looting, killing, and stealing grain. His Majesty was furious and ordered an investigation.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Hasn¡¯t it been many years since there had been any wars?¡± Liu Sisi raised her brows intuitively.


    ¡°It¡¯s been many years without wars in Macheng County, but the situation on the border has been unstable, and the ethnic groups have never stopped invading our Great Zhao.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Then¡­ how did you know that?¡±


    At this moment, they had reached the yard entrance, and Di Yelei gently put her down, looking into her eyes.


    ¡°Brother Nan told me.¡±


    There was a gleam in Di Yelei¡¯s eyes, as if he had countless things to say.


    Just then, the main entrance was opened, and Old Cheng greeted them happily: ¡°Old Master, Madam, you¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re back.¡±


    Finishing the sentence, she didn¡¯t wait for Di Yelei to say anything else, and she took the lead in entering their residence.


    What does Brother Nan mean by telling Yelei about this?


    She pondered over this question all night long.


    The next day, Di Cheng came early with Xiao Feng to pay respects to their rtives, bringing gifts such as her handmade wallet.


    Old Mr. Di and Ms. Zhao had prepared meeting gifts early. For the first grandson to get married, Elderly Mr. Di wasn¡¯t stingy and directly gave a silver ingot of 5 taels.<div>


    When it came to Di Yelei and Liu Sisi, as Liu Sisi had already given the jadeite bracelet earlier, she gave a silver hairpin as a meeting gift at the moment.


    What Xiao Feng gave was an exceptionally peculiar bow.


    ¡°This bow has been in the storeroom since my great-grandfather¡¯s time. It¡¯s so special that not only can it shoot a single feather arrow, but it can also shoot three arrows at once. As a result, it requires great arm strength to pull this bow¡­¡±


    Xiao Feng was a little embarrassed: ¡°Xiao Feng heard that Third Uncle likes to go hunting, so I found this bow in the storehouse. I hope Third Uncle won¡¯t dislike it.¡±<div>


    ¡°Not at all, I like this bow! It¡¯s just right for me.¡±


    Di Yelei had his eyes fixed on the bow from the moment he saw it, not even daring to blink. He gently explored the bow¡¯s body and then pretended to pull it open, bing more and more satisfied.


    Seeing Third Uncle¡¯s demeanor, Xiao Feng rxed, thinking that he must have liked it.


    Next, it was the two little ones, Di Xuan and Di Ying, who each received small gifts.


    After exchanging meeting gifts, Liu Sisi invited them to stay for a meal.


    There wasn¡¯t anything special about the cooked dishes; the meat seemed greasy as usual, and after a few bites, no one wanted to eat it anymore.


    ¡°Today, you two should rest well for two days, and the day after tomorrow, when you return for the third day of the wedding, it won¡¯t be toote to work at the bookstore.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until everyone had finished their bowls and chopsticks that they sighed: ¡°Di Cheng, shouldn¡¯t you be taking Xiao Feng to the old houseter? Your mom didn¡¯te to your wedding, and if you don¡¯t take Xiao Feng to meet everyone, I¡¯m afraid people will gossip about you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Di Cheng hesitated, but after leaving Di Yelei¡¯s house, he couldn¡¯t help but drive the coachman back to the old house.


    After all, she was his mother!


    Di Cheng¡¯s arrival didn¡¯t please the people at the old house, especially Ms. Wang.


    Although Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know the details, they returned from the old house before it was even time for lunch.<div>


    It seemed that they had gotten a cold reception.


    ¡°Third Aunt, do you think there¡¯s something wrong with Cheng¡¯er? Why doesn¡¯t my mother like me? She doesn¡¯t like Xiao Feng either.¡±


    Di Cheng was still in shock from the rejection.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple! Take the turnip for example? Some people love to eat it, while others hate it and want to pull it out and throw it away! It¡¯s the same with people; if you gain the favor of one side, you might lose it on the other. It¡¯s normal.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ the difference is huge. My mother really loves Brother Gao¡­¡±


    Di Cheng was a little unhappy.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good this way? Your mother treats Brother Gao well, and Xiao Feng treats you well. You must cherish her and never let her down. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Go back and be with her! You two are newlyweds, don¡¯t neglect her.¡± Liu Sisi urged.


    While this family was happy, Di Yelei¡¯s side was busy non-stop.


    Xin Quan and County Magistrate Su¡¯s schemes came one after another, but Di Yelei didn¡¯t give them a chance.


    Instead, Di Yelei used the connections he gradually umted to catch them off guard during their dealings with private salt dealers.


    He directly caught them red-handed and used it to ckmail them into coughing up the money they had swallowed.<div>


    The two naturally refused toply and kept making excuses.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t care, but pressed them even harder.


    An eagle catching a chick enjoys the process of watching its prey struggle helplessly.


    He had never been a virtuous person!


    It was time to settle some scores!


    He would never forget the battle at the narrow pass, especially since they still wanted to harm his family. That was something he could never get over!

 Chapter 528: 528: Husband and Wife’s Private Conversation

    Chapter 528: Husband and Wife¡¯s Private Conversation


    Yet before he could fully deploy his n, Di Yelei received a letter from Nan Tianzong.


    Meanwhile, an unexpected visitor had arrived at the house in the small town.


    ¡°Madam, Mrs. Su is outside asking to see you.¡± Old Cheng reported as he entered the room.


    ¡°What Mrs. Su? Do you mean the wife of the County Magistrate? What is she doing here¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi, who was learning from Ms. Gao how to make clothes for her unborn child, was rather surprised by Old Cheng¡¯s report.


    ¡°Please invite our guest to the living room for some tea.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡± Old Cheng hurried off.


    Setting aside the small item of clothing in her hand, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but specte about Mrs. Su¡¯s intentions.


    In the living room, Mrs. Su greeted Liu Sisi warmly as soon as she appeared: ¡°Oh my! I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, and I didn¡¯t expect your belly to be this big.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it! This little one has been quite active recently! Nanny Hu spends all day making clothes.¡±


    Liu Sisi also took Mrs. Su¡¯s hand, and after exchanging pleasantries, they both took their seats.<div>


    ¡°As for the clothing, it¡¯s not difficult. Just have your servants make them a bit oversized. Living in this small town, it¡¯s rather inconvenient. What if you moved into Su County earlier? We, as sisters, could have more opportunities to talk.¡±¡±


    ¡°Sisi too would like to move into the city earlier. But no matter how busy we are, we still need to wait until the ce is ready before moving there.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s response was half true, half evasive.


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ You¡¯re different now ¨C you have to take more care¡­¡±


    Mrs. Su uttered casually, narrating stories about the local scenes and people, with a smile on her face.


    Liu Sisi responded in kind, making casual conversation while trying to figure out the other¡¯s intentions.


    Perhaps noticing that Liu Sisi didn¡¯t want to be the first one to bring up the real issue, Mrs. Su finally got to the point after putting down her teacup and dabbing her lips with her silk handkerchief.


    ¡°Sisi, the reason I called on you today is because I need your help with something.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Su, you¡¯re overestimating me. Sisi¡¯s current condition is rather inconvenient, and I have limited capabilities. It¡¯s surprising that you¡¯vee to ask for assistance.¡±


    Liu Sisi replied with a smile, a picture of sunshine and breezes.


    Mrs. Su waved her silk handkerchief and said: ¡°You¡¯re underestimating yourself, Sisi. I¡¯m certain you can assist me in this matter.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Mrs. Su, please do tell what this matter is?¡±


    Liu Sisi sat upright in anticipation.


    Only then did Mrs. Su lower her head and let out a long sigh: ¡°Well, the thing is¡­¡±


    At dusk, the horizon was smeared with countless hues of sunset¡¯s glow. The ros¨¦-colored clouds hung down from the sky, constantly shifting hues. The orange-yellow clouds shot across thend from the edge of the sky, casting an enchanting scene.


    Liu Sisi, apanied by Ms. Gao, slowly walked down the country path in the northern part of the town.


    The roadside was filled with a variety of wildflowers, and the fields were covered with swathes of golden rapeseed flowers. The vivid colors captured spectators¡¯ attention.


    This path was one that Di Yelei always took back home. Today, owing to the clear weather, Liu Sisi eagerly waited for him at the end of the town.


    She didn¡¯t wait long before she heard the distant sound of hoofbeats. Soon, the sound of horse hooves grew louder, and a figure on horseback came into view.<div>


    It was indeed Di Yelei and his entourage!


    The horse galloped past Liu Sisi, who instinctively turned her head to look back at the horse that had suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Huh¡ª¡±


    Di Yelei reined in his horse and looked carefully. It was indeed Sisi! He instantly dismounted with a beaming face and strode over to Liu Sisi.<div>


    ¡°Sisi? What are you doing here? Are you waiting for me?¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi lifted her gaze to meet Di Yelei¡¯s astonished and delighted face, grinning so hard her eyes squinted into crescents.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t been out for a leisurely walk in a long time so, I specially waited for you here today.¡±


    Her words instantly deepened the look in Di Yelei¡¯s eyes countless times over!


    ¡°Indeed, we haven¡¯t had a breather in a long while. Want to ride a horse for another round?¡± Moving forward readily, he gently took Liu Sisi¡¯s hand in his.


    ¡°Stop it now! Aren¡¯t you tired of riding horses all day? Let¡¯s just take a leisurely walk.¡±


    Liu Sisi strove to tug back her hand, aware of the multitude of people watching from the side!


    Despite the embarrassed Ms. Gao standing there, and the bystanders unsure where to cast their eyes, Di Yelei¡¯s face was full of excitement.


    ¡°You guys take the horses back first, my wife and I are going out for a stroll.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor!¡±


    The remaining guards couldn¡¯t help but dart furtive nces, unwilling toy their sight on the inteced hands of the couple.


    The guards were assigned to him by Nan Tianzong, mainly responsible for his safety.


    After several futile attempts to pull her hand back, Liu Sisi reluctantly allowed him to lead her down the country path, hand in hand.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this, won¡¯t it look bad when others see it?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s bad about it? Haven¡¯t they all left already?¡±


    Di Yelei, instead, leaned closer, loosely encircling her waist: ¡°Careful of your footing here, this bridge is a bit slippery.¡±


    Thepact branches of the willow trees on both banks had been pruned, swaying gently in the breezy spring, with a panorama full of green. As it was already nearing evening, workers in the fields had started to head home one after the other. The sight of the couple prompted a curious gaze from these simple-minded passersby.


    Although Liu Sisi felt too shy to raise her head, Di Yelei confidently weed the onlookers¡¯ stares, wearing a radiant smile on his face.


    The bridge was an antiquated stone one, with three tunnels underneath ¨C one big and two small. The top was paved with stone bs that could not only amodate on-foot pedestrians but also allow two carriages to go through simultaneously.


    ¡°It¡¯s been two months since I, Di Yelei, became an official. Regrettably, I¡¯ve spent all my time outwitting Jack physically and mentally, and haven¡¯t even had the opportunity to perform any real deeds for themon people. Shame on me, shame on me!¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly came to an abrupt realization.


    Liu Sisi, baffled, tilted her head up to take in Di Yelei¡¯s contemtive expression, finding it alien.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you staring at me like that?¡±


    Seemingly perceiving Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, Di Yelei raised an eyebrow, grinning at her in return.


    He stood by the stone lion on the bridge with his hands behind his back, the strands of his fringe fluttering in the light breeze. His countenance was that of high authority and prominence, emting a senior official¡¯s image ingrained in her memory.


    ¡°Nothing really! I just think you¡¯ve changed a lot ¨C so much so that I can hardly recognize you.¡±<div>


    The change was not in his appearance or even his attitude towards her but his internal aura!


    An aura that prompts one to yield involuntarily upon a single nce!


    ¡°Oh really? You dare to say you don¡¯t recognize your husband any longer? Wait till we get back tonight, and I¡¯ll teach you a good lesson.¡± His tone took on a graver note with the mention of ¡®lesson¡¯.


    With the corners of his lips curved maliciously and a peculiar tint in his pupils, he exuded an air of hazard!


    It was enough to set Liu Sisi¡¯s heart aflutter.


    Just then, yet another farming couple returned home, passing by the two. Overhearing their conversation, the couple couldn¡¯t help but turn their heads back frequently, eager to catch more of their dialogue.


    ¡°You¡­ jerk! Let¡¯s get going!¡±


    So humiliating!

 Chapter 529: 529: Home Flowers Are Not as Fragrant as Wild Flowers

    Chapter 529: Home Flowers Are Not as Fragrant as Wild Flowers


    As they were talking, she forcefully tugged at him and then turned to leave.


    ¡°What are you leaving for? What¡¯s the rush? We¡¯re husband and wife, not sneaking around with someone else. What are you afraid of?¡±


    As Di Yelei was speaking, he pulled Liu Sisi back to him and, in a fluid motion, wrapped his arm around her waist while lightly caressing her bulging stomach.


    Unintentional words provoked conscious thoughts!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face changed immediately!


    It suddenly turned deathly pale, with no trace of color.


    Di Yelei waspletely unaware and continued talking to the baby in her belly.


    ¡°Little guy, have you been well-behaved today? Have you been giving your mother trouble? If you don¡¯t behave, Daddy will spank your bottom right now!¡±


    ¡°Ye Lei, you¡­ you didn¡¯te back the night beforest. Have you been very busy with official businesstely?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked softly.


    From her position, she could see Di Yelei¡¯s profile as he half-squatted on the ground, listening intently to her stomach.<div>


    ¡°Yes! We¡¯ve almost finished sorting out the weapons in the armory, so I¡¯ve been quite busy recently. But don¡¯t worry, once we¡¯re past this busy period, things will get easier. We can move into the city to live then. What do you think?¡±


    He looked up at her, his face bearing a simple and sincere smile, just like when they first met.


    Liu Sisi felt a knot forming in her heart, and she couldn¡¯t help but recall what Mrs. Su had said earlier.


    ¡°My sister-inw has a daughter named Cailian. She¡¯s only fifteen years old and excels at music, chess, calligraphy, and painting¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s wonderful! Mrs. Su is truly fortunate.¡±


    ¡°A few days ago, my sister-inw came to see me and asked me to help find a husband for her little sister¡­¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Su! How dare you speak such words? Do you consider me, Liu Sisi, to be made of y?¡±


    ¡°Little sister, that was not my intention! They say that Cailian and Lord Di have fond feelings for each other, but Lord Di is so devoted to you that he cannot bear to bring her into his home and hurt your heart. That¡¯s why I, your elder sister, havee to ask for your help with a thick face¡­¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Su! Please don¡¯t say such things anymore! If it tarnishes your niece¡¯s boudoir reputation, my husband cannot bear the responsibility!¡±


    ¡°Please think about this matter carefully¡­ For men, it¡¯s very normal to have three wives and four concubines. Just take my husband as an example! Doesn¡¯t he also have three other concubines in the backyard besides me?¡±


    ¡°Enough! If you really have the ability, let my husband personally tell Sisi! Otherwise¡­ Humph!¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine! I¡¯m leaving! But Sisi, you should know ¨C men can never resist the fragrance of wildflowers. Rather than letting them continue to sneak around, it¡¯s better for you to¡­ Being his legitimate wife, you will inevitably have to face such matters eventually¡­¡±


    ¡°Old Cheng, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and see the guest out!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi? What¡¯s wrong with you, Sisi?¡±


    Seeing that Liu Sisi didn¡¯t respond for a while, Di Yelei called out to her several times and waved his hand in front of her eyes, finally bringing her back to reality.


    ¡°Oh, I¡­ I was just feeling a bit tired. It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Liu Sisi forced a smile and, while speaking, also wiped the cold sweat from her brow.<div>


    If someone else hade up with such a scheme, Liu Sisi would have believed it. But to think that Di Yelei would have such thoughts¡­ She would be the first one not to believe it!


    Di Yelei appeared anxious: ¡°Are you tired? You must have walked too far, which is why you are tired. Your body is not as strong as before, you need to be extra careful. Come here, let your husband help you walk! Or if you¡¯d rather, I can simply carry you, so you won¡¯t have to exert yourself.¡±


    ¡°No need! I¡¯m all right. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been staying home all day and haven¡¯t been going out for walks, which is why I feel tired.¡±


    Liu Sisi had a faint smile on her face: ¡°How about you help me walk? This way we can have more time to talk.¡±<div>


    This made Di Yelei¡¯s eyes light up instantly!


    ¡°Alright, your husband will help you, and we will walk slowly together. If you really feel ufortable, you must tell me immediately¡­¡±


    The tall Di Yelei supported the petite Liu Sisi as they walked, dependent on each other, softly talking in whispers as they took their time moving forward.


    Passersby couldn¡¯t help but turn their heads to look at the affectionate couple, moved by the warmth they disyed towards each other.


    ¡°A few days ago, I heard from Er Niu that you got a residence from County Magistrate Su, and it¡¯s not far from South City Gate. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Did Er Niu tell you about it?¡±


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrows: ¡°That house was given by Su County Magistrate to settle a public debt. He and Xin Quan embezzled all the silver allotted by the imperial court to the armory. I investigated, and they were cornered so hard by me that they had no choice but to settle the ounts with that house.¡±


    ¡°But wasn¡¯t it just a few days ago when you handed me a banknote of 10,000 taels? So, I converted the house to 500 taels of silver, which was considered as the money Su County Magistrate had to return for his corruption¡­¡±


    This matter seemed too strange!


    Mrs. Su hade during the daytime, adorned with gold and silver, and didn¡¯t have the slightest impression of being unable to pay for anything.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it wrong for you to do that? Since the house was given by Su County Magistrate to settle the public debt, you should have sold it earlier. Don¡¯t hold on to it, lest it cause trouble in the future.¡±


    Liu Sisi had an intuition that something was amiss, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was wrong.


    ¡°The problem lies here. The house is spacious, and to sell it for the original price of 500 taels of silver, not just anyone cane up with that amount. Recently, I¡¯ve been asking others for help, inquiring about the wealthy families in the city. I think there should be some news in a few days.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei knew the gravity of the situation.


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Yelei, but ultimately withheld the information she had about Cailian.


    She mustn¡¯t mention this!


    If Ye Lei had no such intentions, wouldn¡¯t she be reminding him by bringing it up?


    Upon arriving at their residence, they saw Liu Zhi¡¯er closing thest door panel. Liu Sisi turned around and seriously looked at Di Yelei.


    ¡°Ye Lei, there¡¯s been a lot going ontely. If Su County Magistrate and Xin Quan were to invite you, you must be extra cautious. Understand?¡±


    ¡°You ¡­ you just like to worry about things.¡±


    Di Yelei patted his chest, grinning broadly: ¡°Kitten, leave the household matters to you, and I¡¯ll stand tall if the sky falls! As for official matters, you don¡¯t need to worry. Just focus on taking care of your pregnancy and our child.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows disdainfully!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Do you think you can trap me in the backyard with that four-cornered sky?¡±


    After saying this, she snorted coldly and strode into the courtyard.


    ¡°Sisi! Your husband didn¡¯t say that, you can¡¯t wrong me!¡±<div>


    ¡°You know whether I¡¯m wronging you or not!¡±


    Liu Sisi pouted: ¡°Fine! From now on, I will just eat well and drink well, and not care about you!¡±

 Chapter 530: 530: Letter from Heaven

    Chapter 530: Letter from Heaven


    ¡°This is so unfair! I¡¯m even more wronged than Dou¡¯e, Sisi¡­¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly caught up and quickly grabbed Liu Sisi¡¯s hand: ¡°Sisi, you can¡¯t ignore your husband. How about your husband working extra hard twice tonight?¡±


    She shyly looked at her face and saw a blush spread on Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°You¡­bastard! If you continue talking nonsense, sleep in the guest room tonight!¡±


    As she spoke, she pushed him away and walked briskly through the courtyard and into the side hall.


    Inside, the voices of several children reading could be heard continuously.


    ¡°Madam¡­¡±


    Ms. Gao walked towards them and heard Liu Sisi¡¯s words, not knowing whether to enter or not.


    Di Yelei waved at her.


    ¡°You go and serve dinner, Madam must be really tired.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Master.¡± Ms. Gao hurriedly withdrew.<div>


    ¡°Sisi, you need to rest more now than before. If you¡¯re tired, won¡¯t your husband be worried?¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, his hand held hers tightly and never rxed.


    Liu Sisi pulled for two times but could not break free, so she allowed him to lead her into the side hall and sit down.


    ¡°You¡¯re so good at sweet talk! By the way, Tianzong sent news today. This is the letter he sent, take a look at it!¡±


    As he spoke, Di Yelei took the letter paper from his arms and handed it to Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi gracefully took it and read the content of the letter several times, then folded the letter paper again with a worried expression.


    ¡°Do you n to follow Brother Nan¡¯s arrangement and go to the border city?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I should go?¡±


    Di Yelei asked back. After a moment, he changed the subject, ¡°Now that you¡¯re pregnant, if I really go, I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able toe back. So I was thinking, should someone else go instead?¡±


    Liu Sisi fell silent for a moment and shook her head: ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple. This is a big business of 1,000 treasure horses. If it was easy to find a suitable candidate, Brother Nan wouldn¡¯t ask you to take the risk.¡±


    The reason why Nan Tianzong asked Di Yelei to go personally was mainly that these horses were as important to the people of this era as airnes and cannons in the future, simply too important!


    Di Yelei pondered: ¡°Didn¡¯t Tianzong also say that this matter is not yet finalized? Let¡¯s wait until he finally settles it.¡±


    Although he said this to Liu Sisi, he knew in his heart that if Nan Tianzong told him about it, it was likely already a done deal!


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded, then suddenly remembered something else: ¡°By the way! There¡¯s a message from Heilong Mountain asking you to go there tonight to discuss something.¡±


    Di Yelei put away his yful expression and pondered for a moment.


    ¡°Who sent the message? Has Old He had any good news recently?¡±


    Last time on Heilong Mountain, Di Yelei and Nan Tianzong arrived just in time, narrowly saving Liu Sisi.


    Afterwards, an angry Nan Tianzong tied up the mad Elder Leisure and brought Old He up from the mountain to heal him.<div>


    Only then did Liu Sisi learn that Old He had worked for the former Crown Prince!


    He had been living in the small town all these years to treat the former Crown Prince¡¯s illness.


    ¡°Who else could it be? Of course, it¡¯s him.¡±


    Liu Sisi pursed her lips: ¡°Old He said he would do his best to treat him, but whether it seeds or not, the final result doesn¡¯t matter. He can¡¯te down the mountain anyway, so let him be!¡±<div>


    ¡°How could I let him go just like that? Have you forgotten how close you were to dying under his dagger?¡±


    Di Yeleipletely disagreed with Liu Sisi¡¯s point of view.


    He wouldn¡¯t tell her that he had secretly hinted to Old He to make the medicine more potent, even if it turned him into an idiot, it would be better than having the madness rpse and killing people.


    ¡°That was an ident! Actually, it was also my fault, I dragged him into that nightmare!¡±


    Liu Sisi had also recalled that situation numerous times, understanding that the other party would get sick at that time, mostly because she unintentionally made a simr move in the dream that provoked him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what the reason is. If he dares to hurt you again, he has to pass through me, Di Yelei! By then, don¡¯t me me for being heartless!¡±


    Whoever dares to hurt Sisi must first get his fists to agree!


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat first, and I¡¯ll go up to the mountain when it gets dark.¡±


    Speaking of eating, Liu Sisi just remembered an important matter: ¡°By the way, shouldn¡¯t you hurry up and see if the kids have finished their homework?¡±


    ¡°Alright! Sisi, you go sit down first, I¡¯ll go to the study and check.¡±


    Several children were studying in the study room, even the youngest, Da Mao, was sitting upright.


    Di Xuan and Zhang Yun, on the other hand, were supervising each other as they recited from their textbooks, full of enthusiasm for learning.


    ¡°Everyone, take a break now, let¡¯s eat and continue learning after dinner.¡±<div>


    ¡°Dad! When did youe back? YingEr didn¡¯t see you.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    YingEr directly flew over and plunged into her father¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Be careful! Don¡¯t trip and cry.¡±


    Di Yelei quickly caught her.


    ¡°Dad wouldn¡¯t fail to catch me! Dad is so powerful! Hehe¡­¡± YingEr looked smug.


    ¡°You¡­ let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    Di Yelei carried YingEr and spoke to the other children.


    Now, the residence was getting more and more crowded. It was time to get a bigger courtyard.


    Di Yelei thought to himself and took everyone to the side hall.


    After dinner, he went up to Heilong Mountain again and returned just before daybreak.


    As for what he talked about on the mountain, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t ask. It wasn¡¯t that Di Yelei didn¡¯t tell her, but subconsciously she avoided knowing too much about it.


    Perhaps because of a psychological shadow, nowadays, whenever Heilong Mountain was mentioned, Liu Sisi felt strange.


    Lately, Liu Sisi was also troubled. Since Di Cheng and Xiao Feng got married, Di Cheng had been smiling more. However, troubles also followed.<div>


    Xiao Feng was indeed capable, and even after getting married, she still went to help at the shop every day.


    But then, more than once in front of Liu Sisi, she indirectly hinted that she wanted Di Cheng to quit his job at the bookstore and open a shop by himself.


    Early today, Liu Sisi went to the shop. She already had a headache, and the ount book was not adding up, making her headache even worse.


    Xiao Feng entered the bookstore gracefully.


    ¡°So Third Aunt is also here today, Xiao Feng came to find Di Cheng for some matters.¡±


    As she spoke, she resolutely called for Di Cheng, and the two huddled in a corner of the shop whispering.


    From afar, Liu Sisi could faintly hear the sound of their arguing.


    This made Liu Sisi¡¯s headache even worse! This quarrel was clearly meant for her to hear!

 Chapter 531: 531: Flower Admiring Banquet

    Chapter 531: Flower Admiring Banquet


    ¡°Di Cheng,e over here a moment.¡±


    In the end, Liu Sisi could no longer bear to listen, she put down her brush and called over the two of them.


    ¡°Third Aunt¡­¡±


    Di Cheng freed his hand from Xiao Feng¡¯s grasp and walked over.


    There was a trace of worry in his brow and eyes, and he forcefully shook off Xiao Feng who attempted to cling onto his arm.


    Liu Sisi pretended not to see: ¡°Di Cheng, did something happen? Tell Third Aunt, she might be able to help.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong, Third Aunt.¡± Di Cheng said earnestly.


    ¡°Why are you still iming there¡¯s nothing wrong? Di Cheng, what about the thing you promised me yesterday? Tell Third Aunt about it.¡± Xiao Feng at the side chimed in sweetly, echoing Di Cheng¡¯s words.


    ¡°Di Cheng, what is Xiao Feng referring to?¡± Liu Sisi asked calmly, her face undisturbed.


    Seeing Di Cheng clenching his teeth, Xiao Feng hastily interrupted: ¡°Third Aunt, actually it¡¯s nothing major, it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Xiao Feng, let Cheng¡¯er speak first. After he has finished, it will be your turn.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze was profound.<div>


    Xiao Feng was silenced by Liu Sisi¡¯s words, she was forced to pause and swallow her words.


    Only then did Liu Sisi smile, and turned to Di Cheng: ¡°Cheng¡¯er, you¡¯re a grown man now, you need to be responsible for your actions. If you have anything to say, tell Third Aunt. As long as Third Aunt can do it, she will do it!¡±


    These words were not only aimed at Di Cheng but also at Xiao Feng.


    If Di Cheng voiced his wish today, Liu Sisi would naturally satisfy his request.


    However, from then on, she would treat Di Cheng like any other nephew and would not give him any special treatment.


    Xiao Feng¡¯s eyes lit up! She stealthily thrust her hand to push Di Cheng.


    But Di Cheng peeled off Xiao Feng¡¯s hand and lumbered down in front of Liu Sisi with a serious face: ¡°Third Aunt, I really don¡¯t have any problems. There¡¯s still a lot of work over there that I have not finished, I have to go get busy.¡±


    After saying that he shrugged off Xiao Feng and left with a stern face.


    ¡°You! You¡­¡±


    Xiao Feng pointed at Di Cheng¡¯s receding back, too enraged to utter another word.


    Liu Sisi nced at Xiao Feng, then buried her head back into her ount book, continuing to deal with her ounts.


    Xiao Feng red roundly at Liu Sisi, she didn¡¯t expect that Di Cheng would actually ignore her words.


    Looking at Liu Sisi busying herself with her work, she stormed over to Di Cheng and couldn¡¯t help but snatch the feather duster from his hand and flung it forcefully to the ground.


    ¡°Why are you even bothering with cleaning! You get only a few coins per month, is it even worth your time! Anyway, my dad has secured that shop for me and it will open in three days. Whether you like it or not, you will have to go there. Humph!¡±


    After saying that, she angrily spun around and left.


    Di Cheng stood in ce in silence, only after a while did he bend down to pick up the feather duster and continued meticulously dusting.


    And that scene was naturally witnessed by Miao Cuihua and Liu Sisi.


    Miao Cuihua was about to speak but was silenced by a nce from Liu Sisi, and she returned to her own work.


    At noon, during a mealtime trip to Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s dumpling shop, Miao Cuihua could no longer hold herself back and started speaking.<div>


    ¡°Sisi,tely, Xiao Feng has been pestering Di Cheng every day, saying his wages are too meager for a month. But I¡¯m curious, I, Miao Cuihua, can eat so much, and you still pay me 100 copper coins for my wages, why do you only give Di Cheng so little?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know why?¡±


    Finally, Liu Sisi showed something other than her poker face, and with Miao Cuihua nodding repeatedly, Liu Sisi chuckled, ¡°Hehe! I¡¯m not going to tell you.¡±


    After saying that, she directly returned to the small residence.<div>


    ¡°Sisi, ah¨C why are you such a person?¡±


    Behind her, the self-righteous grumbling of Miao Cuihua echoed.


    She looked back at the hustle and bustle outside the residence and sighed.


    How could Di Cheng¡¯s wages be just a few coins of silver? Actually, it was Di Cheng himself who asked for it.


    Initially, Ms. Wang spent 10 taels of silver to buy that residence from a family that had been wiped out by smallpox, and naturally, Liu Sisi would not allow Di Cheng to use that residence for his wedding. So, not far from Mrs. Wang¡¯s residence, she spent another 120 taels of silver and bought the house they currently lived in for Di Cheng¡¯s wedding room.


    Di Cheng was stubborn and insisted on repaying this money to Third Aunt. Therefore, he voluntarily suggested that only a few coins of silver should be given to him for living expenses each month, and the rest of the silver should be kept to deduct the cost of the residence until it amounted to 120 taels of silver.


    These reasons, if Di Cheng were to tell Xiao Feng himself, after all, she was his biological mother, and he naturally could not say it.


    As a result, it led to Xiao Feng¡¯s constant pressure on him.


    But, would Di Cheng go after three days?


    Liu Sisi gently touched her small earlobe, she was also looking forward to the final answer!


    The next day, a servant brought an invitation. It was from Mrs. Ran, who said that the cherry blossoms in her wing courtyard had bloomed and specially invited Liu Sisi to attend a flower admiring banquet.


    Although she told herself that Mrs. Su¡¯s words the day before were false, upon receiving Mrs. Ran¡¯s invitation, Liu Sisi could not help but was worried, so she took a carriage and went.


    She wanted to meet this woman named Cailian.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    After a careful dress-up, Liu Sisi lookedpletely new from head to toe. She did not want to look inferior to the woman named Cailian. After looking closely for imperfections, she called Ms. Gao and Xue Lan and they got on the carriage.


    As expected, diligence pays off!


    In the garden, Liu Sisi sat in the long pavilion, casually chatting with a few married women whom she wasn¡¯t very familiar with.


    The cherry blossoms around her were beautiful and vibrant, but at the moment, Liu Sisi was restless and not in the mood to appreciate them. Just when she was getting overly impatient, she heard Mrs. Su¡¯s voice of surprise at the entrance.


    ¡°Sister-inw, you are here too? Come here quickly, let¡¯s sit down and chat! By the way, let me introduce you to a few honorabledies.¡±


    Following Mrs. Su¡¯s gaze, the first thing that caught her eye was a skinny, dark woman with a triangr face. The married woman was not tall but had a loud voice; she argued with Mrs. Su as if they were quarrelling.


    ¡°Thanks, Little Sister. I specifically brought Cailian out today to see the world.¡±


    The woman was talking, and as her body moved to look over this way, it revealed the face of the young girl who was originally hidden behind her.


    Phrases like ¡°face that could shame the moon,¡± and ¡°a smile that could enchant anyone,¡± fit this girl perfectly!


    She wore a light pink spring blouse and wore aplicated set of hairpins. Her eyebrows lightly painted, her lips red and luscious, the girl had an elegant appearance, and her big watery eyes were unspeakably pure and transcendent.


    Even Liu Sisi, being a woman herself, couldn¡¯t help but praise.


    A woman of such beauty, not to mention a man, even her heart skipped a beat.


    <div>

 Chapter 532: 532: Neither Soft nor Hard Tactics Work

    Chapter 532: Neither Soft nor Hard Tactics Work


    A group of people quickly arrived at the flower stand, and Mrs. Su cheerfully introduced them to each other.


    ¡°Sisi! This is the sister-inw Tan I¡¯ve told you about, and my niece Cailian. Cailian, this is Mrs. Di that I¡¯ve told you about. Come and greet her.¡±


    These words made Cailian¡¯s face change color, with two blushes appearing on her cheeks.


    She moved gracefully and bowed deeply to Sisi.


    ¡°Cailian pays respect to elder sister,¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at her coldly and scolded, ¡°Mrs. Su, your niece is too ignorant! If we are sisters in rtionship, and she runs out and calls Sisi elder sister, is she ridiculing me or trying to climb to sister Su¡¯s head? This can¡¯t be tolerated, you need to teach her well so that people don¡¯t look down on her!¡±


    These words were harsh!


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t leave any face for Mrs. Su. She wanted to snatch her man, and she still had to smile?


    For such a vixen who wants to climb on her head and daydream, saying something like this is still easy!


    ¡°Elder sister ¡­ husband, husband ¡­¡±


    The color quickly left Cailian¡¯s face, and her pitiful, tearful little face looked at Mrs. Su, then hurriedly lowered her head and hid behind her mother.<div>


    Mrs. Su¡¯s expression changed too!


    She didn¡¯t expect Liu Sisi not to leave her any face, and to say such things in front of so many people!


    Unexpectedly, the other party¡¯s two clever remarks not only dissolved her original calction but also made them lose face, and even made herself lose face too!


    Where should she put her face?


    She wanted to get angry, but she thought about being wrong herself.


    ¡°Dear sister, this child is a bit rash in speaking, and she mistakenly said something wrong. You mustn¡¯t take it to heart! Cailian, you blind thing,e to Mrs. Di and apologize quickly!¡±


    While Mrs. Su was talking, she maliciously red at Cailian several times.


    This made Cailian¡¯s body tremble involuntarily, and she quickly took two steps forward, about to apologize to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°No need! Sisi can¡¯t afford this apology.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed softly, ¡°Just like sister said, children are ignorant and have no discernment. They tend to believe whatever adults say and can¡¯t avoid saying the wrong things.¡±


    They almost directly said that Cailian would say this because someone directly instigated her!


    Although this was the truth, being pointed out so openly was a tant p in the face, and Mrs. Su had nothing to say!


    Cailian stood there awkwardly, not knowing whether to apologize or not.


    ¡°Where does little sister get these ideas? When a child does something wrong, they should be taught. Is it not natural for a family to enter another family¡¯s door? We are all one family. Both our old masters are officials of the same dynasty and are disciples of Lord Gan at the same time. Our bond is notparable to outsiders! Mrs. Di, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    As expected, Mrs. Su was a seasoned woman, having mingled in such situations for many years.


    These words contained severalyers of meaning.


    Liu Sisiughed softly, ¡°What they do outside, how would we women know? Our biggest skill is to solve their worries.¡±


    As she spoke, she gently stroked her stomach, looking fully immersed in the sweetness of happiness.


    But deep down, she cursed Di Yelei to hell and back!<div>


    Although she didn¡¯t know the extent of his rtionship with Cailian, if something really happened between the two of them, she, Liu Sisi, would not let him off easily!


    Madam Su¡¯s expression became particrly ugly, and just as she was about to speak again, Madam Ran finally squeezed her way in.


    ¡°Seeing the two Madams having such an animated conversation really fills me with envy.¡±


    Madam Ran¡¯s plump, round face was full of smiles, her eyes almost closed into a slit as she subtly swept her gaze across the people present.<div>


    ¡°The cherry blossoms are in full bloom ahead, why don¡¯t we all move over and enjoy the flowers? This year¡¯s cherry blossoms are exceptionally beautiful, these cherry blossom trees were specially transnted from a distant ce as new varieties. The flowers arerge ande in an assortment of beautiful colors¡­¡±


    Madam Ran went on and on with her introduction.


    Impatient, Liu Sisi had been waiting for a chance to leave and was more than happy to oblige and not embarrass the other party.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Madam Ran¡¯s cherry blossoms are in perfect bloom, this is an excellent opportunity to go see for ourselves.¡±


    As she spoke, she stood up from her chair and gently caressed her stomach while taking the lead. Xue Lan quickly moved forward to support her.


    ¡°That would be perfect; Madam Su, please join us as well.¡±


    Madam Ran, not wanting to offend either side, extended the invitation to Madam Su as well.


    Madam Su forced a smile: ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Madam Ran, but I¡¯m feeling quite tired. I¡¯ll stay here and have a chat with my niece and sister-inw. Please go ahead if you have other matters to attend to.¡±


    These words delighted Madam Ran!


    She had initially been worried that both parties would break into an open conflict, which would have been unpleasant. Their separation suited her intentions perfectly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°In that case, Madam Su, you can sit here for a moment, and I will return shortly. If you need anything, feel free to ask the servants.¡±


    After saying this, Madam Ran hurriedly walked away.


    It wasn¡¯t until everyone else had left the center of the scene that Madam Su led Cailian and her mother to the pavilion by theke.<div>


    ¡°All of you, leave!¡± Madam Su casually ordered the servants.


    Once the maids had exited the pavilion and no outsiders remained, Madam Su¡¯s expression instantly changed, and she fiercely pped Cailian¡¯s face.


    She scolded fiercely, ¡°Good for nothing! Can¡¯t even handle a minor task, what use is there in keeping you all these years?¡±


    ¡°Aunt, Madam, please spare me.¡± Cailian didn¡¯t care about the pain in her face as she quickly knelt before Madam Su.


    Standing next to her, Ms. Tan¡¯s expression was also unpleasant: ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be angry, it¡¯s not entirely Cailian¡¯s fault. Even though she took the initiative, the man surnamed Di would not take the bait. It seems that we can¡¯t proceed ording to the original n and need toe up with another strategy.¡±


    ¡°Now that things havee to this, do we still have a way out?¡±


    Madam Su¡¯s face turned ugly: ¡°Our family¡¯s Old Master is being pushed to the brink of death by that man surnamed Di! It¡¯s not up to us to decide when to make amends. And you, put away your schemes! I know what you¡¯re thinking. Don¡¯t forget, we are closely rted by blood and marriage, if our Old Master really falls, you won¡¯t have a good oue either.¡±


    ording to the currentw, the guilt-by-association system for an official¡¯s rtives extended to five degrees of kinship.

 Chapter 533: 533: The Wind Rises, The Clouds Surge

    Chapter 533: The Wind Rises, The Clouds Surge


    Ms. Tan¡¯s energy seemed to dwindle in response.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to remind me repeatedly of this matter, sister. I understand it well enough. However, since this man surnamed Di refuses to take the bait, should we consider other strategies?¡±


    ¡°What other strategies could there be? There are many things you simply haven¡¯t seen.¡±


    Mrs. Su sat down on a long bench and casually plucked a piece of pastry from the fruit te to taste.


    Physical confrontation was not an option. The troops Lord Xin had dispatched had vanished into thin air. Let alone trying it again, they had already lost countless men that had nearly broken the Old Master¡¯s heart.


    Appealing to the higher-ups was also untenable. The letters the Old Master had forwarded upwards had not been answered to this day. They didn¡¯t know when they could expect a response, yet the old master could no longer afford to wait.


    Ms. Tan nced at Cailian, who remained knelt on the ground, trembling, and steeled her heart.


    ¡°Sister, I do have a good n, but this matter¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh! What¡¯s your good n? Quick, tell me. We are in a dire situation, and you are stuttering here. For what?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Ms. Tan was about to speak but suddenly stopped herself. She turned to look at Cailian: ¡°Cailian, take a walk outside first. Remember not to go too far, otherwise, you might lose your way, understand?¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    With her head bowed and lips held tight, Cailian excused herself from the two women and left the pavilion.


    Turning at a corner, she couldn¡¯t help but look back at the pair whispering to each other. A sh of pain crossed her eyes, but within moments she regained herposure.


    Inside the pavilion, Ms. Tan narrated her n for quite some time while Mrs. Su listened with image shes in her eyes.


    ¡°The n is indeed good, but as for who should execute it¡­¡±


    In her words carried a reluctance, she repeatedly nced at Ms. Tan.


    How deplorable that this sister-inw of hers had managed to secure an advantage and still wanted to y coy! She needed to be prompted to talk about even this kind of matter! How shameless! Ms. Tan silently cursed.


    People had to bow under eaves of others¡¯ houses. She was cursing inwardly while maintaining a facade of grief.


    ¡°This Cailian is indeed a steady girl, although she was nothing more than a child who crawled out from a mistress¡¯s belly. Yet, the sister-inw treats her as her beloved daughter. She has beenvished with good food and drink since she was a child. Now, if she must do this¡­ I, my heart¡­ Ah!¡±


    As she said this, Ms. Tan feigned her tears, dabbing her eye corners with a handkerchief, appearing to be inconsble.


    Mrs. Su gave a slight smirk.


    Her counterpart was indeed a type to not release her prey till she sees the rabbit!


    ¡°Why are you talking like this, sister-inw? Cailian has grown up by your side. Now, for the rise and fall of our family, it is only reasonable for her to make some contributions. If our Old Master falls, what will disappear is our entire family. Sacrificing her alone is saving countless others. Even if she dies, she would have died a worthy death.¡±


    ¡°But, these words¡­ as her mother, it¡¯s really hard for me to say it! Ah¡­¡± Ms. Tan sighed.


    Mrs. Su also wore a solemn expression: ¡°This, this is the only way without other options, isn¡¯t it? Doesn¡¯t she have a younger brother? Once our grand scheme seeds, you can adopt her brother to your side. That way you can resolve this cause-and-effect cycle, right?¡±


    As she spoke, she deliberately emphasized the tone of the words ¡°when the grand scheme seeds¡±.


    Hearing this, a satisfied expression revealed itself on Ms. Tan¡¯s face. She pretended to think for a long time before responding.


    ¡°Since things havee to this, then¡­ let¡¯s proceed ording to your n, sister.¡±


    Elsewhere.<div>


    Mrs.Ran was apanying Liu Sisi on an intricately antique long corridor. Leisurely strolling along the winding corridor, Liu Sisi watched the scenery.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The beauty of the spring day was overwhelming. asionally a flying eave would peep through the greenery, artificial rockeries were rugged and full. Blooming buds of white, pink, and red adorned treetops. The petals of those colors were falling and floating from the sky, making circr movements with the wind, it was a true feast for the eyes.


    Admittedly, the city¡¯s scenery, while beautiful, bore heavy marks of human craftsmanship and was not as natural and unaffected as the manorndscape.


    ¡°Sisi! Has Lord Di been well recently?¡±<div>


    Mrs.Ran gently led Liu Sisi to the front with a group of maids and old women following closely behind.


    A sh appeared in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes: ¡°Of course he is. He goes out early andes backte every day. Since taking up the position of sub-captain, he certainly doesn¡¯t have as much free time as he did in the countryside.¡±


    ¡°Naturally. Nowadays, Lord Di is a government-appointed official, so he cannot bepared to before. I heard some news ¨C it seems Lord Di has met some troubles recently. My husband¡­¡±Mrs.Ran vaguely hinted.


    Her family was in the salt trade business and wasn¡¯t the head of their business none other than Di Yelei?


    Understanding this, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t make things difficult for her and directly interrupted her.


    ¡°Oh! You know that I am quite heavy now. Sisi doesn¡¯t ask much about these matters and focuses solely on maintaining good health for the baby. As for the rest, Sisi either doesn¡¯t concern herself or is incapable of concerning herself.¡±


    Mrs. Ran was slightly surprised but she quickly regained herposure without dwelling too much and subtly changed the subject.


    ¡°Speaking of which, we women should not meddle in men¡¯s affairs. On the contrary, your belly looks rather big. Are you about to give birth?¡±


    Liu Sisi also followed the subject change: ¡°Not that soon, I¡¯m only six months in. By the time of giving birth, the hot weather will have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Doing confinement in the hottest period of summer can indeed be a suffering¡­¡±


    While these people were having a heated conversation, Di Yelei was diligently busy in the armory.


    ¡°Old Tang, how many troops do you think these weapons are enough to equip?¡±


    At the moment, Old Man Tang was weighing a battle-axe, applying some protective oil on it, and then cing it back on the weapon stand with satisfaction.<div>


    ¡°These weapons should be able to equip ten thousand troops. However, Macheng County was originally not big. Lord, you have prepared so much, maybe in the end, it wille to the weapons in the armory just rusting. For this, you have offended several other lords. Is it worth it?¡±


    Di Yelei naturally understood the implication of Old Tang¡¯s words. He solemnly replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say whether it¡¯s worth it or not. However, some things, even without this, were destined toe from the start and cannot be avoided. In that case, it¡¯s better to offend thoroughly than living and working under constraint, making one unable to let loose.¡±


    ¡°It is indeed that way! Lord Di, you indeed have an open mind, much to be feared about youth!¡± Old Tang could not help but shake his head in admiration.


    ¡°Old Tang praises me too much. Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go out.¡±


    As soon as they left the storeroom, they heard the distant shouting of gambling. Di Yelei unconsciously furrowed his eyebrows, but soon rxed.


    ¡°Sir, there¡¯s someone outside delivering an invitation.¡±

 Chapter 534: 534: The Wind Rises, The Clouds Surge

    Chapter 534: The Wind Rises, The Clouds Surge


    ¡°Leave it, I¡¯ll look at itter.¡±, said Di Yelei, picking up the soapberries to wash his hands but not opening it immediately.


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor.¡±


    Waiting until the messenger had left, Old Tang stroked his beard, looking at the noisy bungalow.


    ¡°When does Your Honor n to deal with these little devils?¡±


    The ¡°little devils¡± that Old Tang mentioned were naturally the people shouting and gambling inside the bungalow.


    ¡°Them? Let them be happy for a few more days! It¡¯s not appropriate to startle the snake in the grass right now.¡±


    Di Yelei got up, picked up the towel, and casually wiped the water droplets off his hands before smiling at Old Tang.


    ¡°Old Tang! You taught Ye Lei two moves the other day, and Ye Lei has almost practiced them well. Shall we teach Ye Lei two more moves today?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try it! You¡¯re not that young anymore, you need to follow the gradual progression and give your whole body¡¯s meridians and muscles time to adapt. You can¡¯t blindly advance and hurt your body¡¯s foundation.¡±


    Old Tang puffed out his beard and red, causing Di Yelei to giggle.


    Indeed, he had been reckless.<div>


    Di Yelei¡¯s intuition was right, this Old Tang was not an ordinary person.


    Although Di Yelei couldn¡¯t figure out his specific identity or why he was hiding in the Macheng County¡¯s storehouse, it didn¡¯t prevent the two from bing close friends.


    As the two got more familiar with each other, Old Tang discovered that Di Yelei himself had already learned good martial arts. He couldn¡¯t bear to bring his skills into the coffin in the future, so he took the time to teach Di Yelei a move or two.


    ¡°Ye Lei is just eager to learn from Old Tang.¡±


    Di Yelei showed a simple smile before putting down the towel and picking up the invitation on the table again.


    ¡°Who sent the invitation? Oh my! This is a top-quality invitation, this piece of paper alone is worth one silver coin. Which wealthy family is inviting the doctor to go?¡±


    Old Tang¡¯s eyes were sharp, and he could see the material of the invitation at a nce.


    Di Yelei held the invitation, looking it over twice before putting it down, with a strange smile on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s from thergest salt merchant in the city, the Ran Family. They¡¯ve organized a flower admiring banquet and invited the celebrities of Macheng County. At present, in addition to Lord Su and Lord Xin, my wife is also inside¡­¡±


    Meanwhile,


    Mrs.Ran and Liu Sisi were chatting idly.


    Perhaps because the two intentionally or unintentionally avoided certain topics, they got along even better as they talked.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As the two walked slowly, they encountered several Madams that Liu Sisi was unfamiliar with, and Mrs.Ran acted as a bridge to introduce them, chatting for a while.


    Liu Sisi gradually understood.


    It turns out that most of thedies here were either wives or daughters of prestigious families in the city.


    Their husbands were either minor officials with connections to the imperial court, or the local gentry.


    While men fought with words in the court, these Madams and Misses took care of the aftermath!


    Of course, no one said these things outright.


    Liu Sisi was in a dilemma, as she least liked these social interactions but had to keep up appearances with everyone.<div>


    ¡­


    After Lord Di arrived at the Ran Family¡¯s Mansion, he wandered around casually.


    He had finished his work early in the day and had nned to go home early. However, Sisi hade to the Ran Mansion. On top of that, he also learned that County Magistrate Su and Xin Quan were here, and his intuition told him there was more to it. That¡¯s why he hurried over.


    After circling the garden, not only did Di Yelei not see County Magistrate Su and Xin Quan, but he also did not see two acquaintances.<div>


    Unable to hold back, he pulled a servant aside to ask about Sisi¡¯s whereabouts. As he followed the direction the servant pointed out, the path became more and more remote until there was no one in sight.


    Wondering what was going on, she suddenly caught sight of a sh of green from behind the rockery beside her.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    It seemed¡­ as if Sisi was wearing the same set of clothes today.


    ¡°Sisi, is that you?¡±


    Di Yelei instinctively called out softly, but there was no more movement on the other side.


    He stealthily moved forward, step by step, approaching the rockery, heading towards the spot where the figure had appeared.


    Indeed, there was a figure hidden among the flowers, his back towards him, wearing green clothes, seemingly talking to someone.


    Di Yelei¡¯s heart leaped with joy!


    In a hurry, he strode out from his hiding ce and walked towards her at a fast pace.


    ¡°Sisi, what are you doing here?¡±


    As he spoke, he reached out and touched her shoulder.


    She slowly turned around, revealing apletely unfamiliar face! Di Yelei was startled!<div>


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The stranger smiled and gently breathed a sigh towards him.


    Before Di Yelei could figure out what was going on, his vision blurred and he lost consciousness.


    ¡­


    Under the cherry blossom tree, more and more people gathered, and the nobledies clustered in groups of three or five.


    And thergest group of people, naturally, had to be around Liu Sisi, almost engulfing her in the crowd.


    Where there are people, there are gossip!


    Of course, just as men talked mostly about women when gathered together, these nobledies gathered together to talk mostly about their husbands!


    ¡°Sisi, I heard that your husband, Lord Di, is going to get promoted again? If he takes another step forward, will he be going to the prefecture?¡± Ady whose name Sisi couldn¡¯t remember asked her first.


    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think so? Madam, who did you hear this from? I haven¡¯t heard anyone mention it.¡±


    Liu Sisi blinked innocently, the picture of naivety.


    ¡°Maybe I heard wrong¡± thedyughed with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Oh my! Mrs Di, the pattern on your dress is so beautiful! I have never seen this pattern before? Who did you ask to do the embroidery for you? It is¡­ truly exquisite!¡± Anotherdy deliberately changed the topic.<div>


    Liu Sisi looked down at her dress: ¡°I drew these patterns myself in my spare time, then handed them to my servants to sew. The rare pattern is the only merit.¡±


    A joke! She had countless patterns in her head, and even casually drawing a few would turn out to be quite extraordinary.


    Some people nearby also came over: ¡°You¡¯re right; we have never seen this pattern before, it really is beautiful.¡±


    Her words got everyone¡¯s unanimous nod.


    Is that possible?


    Liu Sisi secretly wiped a cold sweat; it was just a casual drawing!


    But on second thought, it made sense. Although this was a fictional era, the patterns here naturally couldn¡¯tpare to the thousands of years of patterns that followed.


    ¡°If you truly like them, I have some more at home. Why don¡¯t we find time to get together again, and Sisi can also take the opportunity to learn from you sisters.¡±


    Liu Sisi said indifferently.


    She was increasingly dissatisfied with the growing crowd.


    Just as they were speaking, she saw Xue Lan suddenly appearing outside the crowd, trying to squeeze in nervously.

 Chapter 535: 535: The Wind Rises, The Clouds Surge

    Chapter 535: The Wind Rises, The Clouds Surge


    It seems like something very important to say.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes rolled, and she coughed lightly, covering her mouth shyly.


    ¡°I drank too much water this morning before going out, and now I¡¯m a little urgent. Where is the nearest restroom around here?¡±


    Ady next to her also lightly covered her mouth, ¡°Is this Mrs. Di¡¯s first time at Mrs. Ran¡¯s home? The restroom is just around the corner on your right, Mrs. Di, you¡¯ll see it in a moment as you walk.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    Liu Sisi did not stand on ceremony, and after speaking, she got up and quickly walked in the direction indicated by thedy.


    As she turned the corner, Xue Lan hurried over. ¡°Madam, something has happened!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Just now, my dad asked Xue Lan to deliver a message, saying that Old Master came to find you two quarters ago, and he and Old Master went in separate directions. But when they turned back, they couldn¡¯t find the Old Master.¡± Xue Lan looked nervous.


    ¡°Has Yelei arrived? Did he go to the other side and not meet up with us?¡± Liu Sisi spected casually.


    ¡°But, my dad found this near that rockery earlier.¡±<div>


    Xue Lan extended her hand and held up an object in front of Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi casually picked it up and was immediately shocked!


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the jade pendant that Yelei wears?¡±


    This jade pendant was worn by Di Yelei this morning. She personally put it on him before he left the house. The beads on it were also tied by her hand. Her craftsmanship was not good, and there was still a small imperfection that outsiders could not see, she would definitely not mistake it!


    ¡°Where did Da Niu find this?¡±


    ¡°My dad said he found it by the rockery in the wing courtyard.¡± Xue Lan also seemed anxious.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°Where is your dad right now?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just outside this door waiting for you, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over and take a look.¡± Liu Sisi said and quickly walked over. Sure enough, she saw Da Niu.


    ¡°¡­ If it were not for the fact that I was searching separately with Old Master for Madam, I wouldn¡¯t have dared to go there. When I turned back, I saw two people sneaking by, carrying a huge hemp bag. Out of curiosity, I went in the direction they came from, and then I found this. The more I thought about that hemp bag, the more I felt something was wrong, so I asked Xue Lan to inform you.¡±


    As Da Niu spoke, he pointed to the courtyard over there: ¡°Madam, this is where I found it, what should we do now?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s hands couldn¡¯t help but clench and her body trembled. Could it be that they had made their move again?


    ¡°You all quickly contact them and order them to do whatever it takes to find Old Master as soon as possible and not let the other party¡¯s treacherous n seed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Da Niu hurriedly took his leave.


    ¡°Madam, what should we do now?¡± Xue Lan anxiously asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this matter cannot be rushed. We must remain calm and not let others see any ws.¡±


    Liu Sisi was the type of person who became more sober in critical situations: ¡°Let¡¯s go tell Mrs. Ran and make sure no one gets suspicious before we find the Old Master.¡±


    There was still arge group of nobledies gathered,ughing and talking.


    ¡°What happened to Mrs. Di?¡±<div>


    Seeing Liu Sisi.s hand on her waist, Mrs. Ran hurriedly asked.


    Liu Sisi pressed hard on her stomach: ¡°I think I ate something bad this morning, and my stomach is still upset. I really want to lie down.¡±


    ¡°You are tired. You should take a good rest. I¡¯ve already asked the maid to clean the guest room. Why don¡¯t you go over there and lie down?¡±


    Mrs. Ran also said casually, with an inquisitive look on her face.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s a good idea to lie down, too tired indeed!¡±


    Liu Sisi did not refuse the other party¡¯s kindness and went to the guest room to rest.


    Once the maids left the guest room, Liu Sisi immediately jumped up from the bed.


    ¡°Both of you go investigate quickly, and report any news as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Xue Lan went, but Nanny Hu did not leave. Instead, she leaned in closer.


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry too much and harm your body. I believe good news wille from that side soon.¡±


    ¡°My body doesn¡¯t matter. I have a feeling that if we don¡¯t find Di Yelei in time this time, it would be terrible!¡± The intuition came too fast and suddenly, making Liu Sisi¡¯s heart even heavier.


    ¡­


    Di Yelei only felt a throbbing pain in his head, and the strong smell of blood around him made him restless even in his unconscious state.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Restless¡­


    Something¡¯s not right! I was in the garden before¡­


    As the memories returned, Di Yelei used all his strength to open his eyes and looked in the direction of the bloody smell. He trembled all over, unable to suppress a low growl.<div>


    It wasn¡¯t his fault, as right beside him was a naked female body.


    The girl was none other than Cailian!


    Her clothes were torn, revealing her white chest, and even her waistband had been forcefully ripped off and discarded on the ground.


    What shocked Di Yelei the most was a sharp knife deeply stabbed into Cailian¡¯s chest, with only the handle exposed. Her eyes stared nkly at a point in the air, her body covered in bruises.


    ¡°Cailian! Miss Cailian!¡±


    Di Yelei climbed up without giving up, gently calling her. Unfortunately, Cailian didn¡¯t respond at all.


    He didn¡¯t give up and reached out to check her pulse; obviously, she had been dead for a while, and her body had gone cold.


    ¡°Damn!¡±


    Memories yed back in Di Yelei¡¯s mind, and he immediately understood what had happened.


    He quickly rolled out of bed and turned to leave.


    However, before he could react, the main entrance and windows outside were suddenly mmed open with a ¡°bang.¡± Numerous people rushed in and surrounded Di Yelei.


    ¡°Oh no, someone¡¯s been killed! Trouble has urred; Minister Di has killed someone!¡±


    Some people shouted loudly, while the sound of running footsteps came from outside, shattering Di Yelei¡¯sst hope.<div>


    On the other side.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart became more anxious, pacing restlessly in the room, waiting for the good news from the other side.


    Unbeknownst to her, Mrs. Ran appeared in front of her again.


    ¡°Mrs. Di, how are you feeling now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, just my stomach¡­¡± Liu Sisi smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Our Old Master specially invited a famous chef from Gongzhou City. His signature dishes include candied dates, top-level alcohol-absorbed shrimp, and abalone and shark fin. Today we are fortunate to try them all. Now that it¡¯s not early, why don¡¯t we move to the living room and taste them carefully?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Rmend a few friends¡¯ writings: ¡°Little Tyrant¡¯s Love: Passionate Little Sweet Wife,¡± ¡°God Charm: Good Wife, Don¡¯t Divorce Me,¡± ¡°Against the Sky Spirit: Possessive Evil King,¡± ¡°Lady Wang: Emperor¡¯s Exclusive Love,¡± ¡°Heaven-Defying Blood Talisman Master: Sick King, Do You Need Treatment?¡± If you like it, you can go and have a look, it¡¯s a good read.

 Chapter 536: 536: Cold Emotion, Cold Heart

    Chapter 536: Cold Emotion, Cold Heart


    Madam Ran enthusiastically invited them.


    Liu Sisi was still worried about the matter over there, waiting for everyone¡¯s report, how could she leave at this time?


    ¡°Sisi is really unwell, so I won¡¯t be going. I feel guilty for letting Madam Ran take this trip¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she smiled apologetically at her.


    ¡°Mrs. Di, please don¡¯t say that! I and my husband, thanks to Lord Di, have such a good life now and live peacefully. I am grateful to Mrs. Di, not worthy of your apology¡­¡±


    Madam Ran¡¯s clever mouth kept talking incessantly.


    The two were talking when suddenly there was amotion outside, followed by a series of messy footsteps.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am! Ma¡­.¡±


    Xue Lan stumbled in from outside, seeing Madam Ran here, the remaining words were stuck in her throat.


    ¡°Xue Lan, what¡¯s with the fuss? Didn¡¯t you see Madam Ran and I were having an intimate conversation? Get out!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly scolded Xue Lan sternly.<div>


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­.¡±


    Xue Lan was frightened and obviously notpletely calm yet.


    ¡°Madam, your maid seems to have something to say. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    Madam Ran said and hurriedly got up and left the guest room.


    On the other side, her personal imperial nanny also came over and whispered in Madam Ran¡¯s ear. As the conversation went on, Madam Ran¡¯s eyes widened.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Is this true?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true, I just came from over there.¡± The imperial nanny patted her chest, guaranteeing it.


    Madam Ran pondered for a moment: ¡°Let¡¯s go over and have a look!¡±


    As soon as Madam Ran left, and without waiting for the others to leave, Xue Lan almost burst into tears.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, boo hoo¡­.¡±


    ¡°What on earth happened? You¡¯re so out of control!¡± Liu Sisi waved the others away and scolded Xue Lan.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, something¡¯s gone wrong with the Old Master!¡±


    Xue Lan could no longer care about crying and hurriedly whispered in Liu Sisi¡¯s ear.


    Liu Sisi suddenly stood up from her chair, her whole body trembling.


    ¡°Is what you said just now true?¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, this is absolutely true. Your ve dare not conceal it!¡± Xue Lan¡¯s face was covered in tears.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s vision went dark and her body swayed, almost falling. Fortunately, she moved quickly and held on to the chair armrest, waiting for the wave of dizziness to pass.


    In just a moment, her eyes slowly opened again and her face returned to normal. Although it was still a bit pale, it was no longer a big issue.


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Is there any use in panicking now? Dry your tears and don¡¯t panic. Let¡¯s go out and have a look.¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Xue Lan hurriedly wiped the tears from her face.


    Granny Hu on the side quickly handed over a cloak: ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry! Even if Lord Dies, it won¡¯t be so fast, and it¡¯s still in someone else¡¯s house. In the old servant¡¯s opinion, Lord Di must have been framed!¡±


    Liu Sisi put on her cloak andughed coldly!<div>


    ¡°This matter certainly won¡¯t end well! It seems that some people are eager to die, just as well! I, Liu Sisi, don¡¯t mind helping them along!¡±


    Having said that, Liu Sisi made her way outside.


    Thinking for a moment, she turned back, her beautiful face illuminated by the warm spring sun that shone through the high walls and casted shadows.


    ¡°Order them to initiate the third emergency n!¡±


    A fierce glint shed in her eyes: ¡°I¡¯ll make those bastards who dare to harm Ye Lei over and over again pay ten-fold, a hundred-fold!¡±


    Do you think I¡¯m a sick cat if I don¡¯t show my fierceness? A cornered rabbit will still bite!


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    ¡­


    The tranquil Macheng County was disrupted by a significant incident.


    It was like throwing adle of cold water into a boiling oil pan; the entire county was boiling in an instant!


    ¡°Did you hear? A salt merchant¡¯s home had a scandal of rape and murder! It is said that County Magistrate Su¡¯s niece was raped and killed!¡±


    ¡°How could I not hear of such a big issue! It¡¯s said to involve a newly-promoted official. Ah, the scene is too gruesome to describe¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard it too. They say the girl was not only killed but also had strangling marks and finger marks all over her neck and body. Aie, you haven¡¯t seen it!¡±<div>


    ¡°Who could be so ruthless andmit such an atrocity against such a young girl?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Countless voices and countless versions spread rapidly in all directions.


    ¡°Madam, the Old Master is still locked up in jail, and you clearly know he has been wronged. How can you be in the mood to practice you calligraphy here?¡±


    Xue Lan returned from outside, no longer able to suppress her sadness and anger.


    ¡°What does that have to do with me practicing my calligraphy if the Old Master is wronged?¡±


    Liu Sisi calmly picked up her brush-pen, put aside the fully-written paper, picked up a nk one, and continued to write.


    ¡°Madam! Do you know what people outside are saying? Today, I almost drowned in their countless spits!¡±


    Xue Lan pointed to her dirty clothes, ¡°Look, look at me¡­this is all from those little ghosts throwing things! Those bastards¡­they twisted the facts¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at Xue Lan, and secretly sighed that Xue Lan was too young.


    After she finished writing thest two lines of words, she finally put down the brush-pen, gently blew the ink dry on thest piece of paper, folded it and put it into an envelope, then stood up.


    ¡°Go change your clothes, we¡¯re going to the city.¡±


    Xue Lan¡¯s eyes lit up immediately!<div>


    ¡°Madam, are you going to visit Old Master in jail? Let me prepare, I¡¯ll ask my mom to prepare some food.¡±


    ¡°Wrong! Why do you always want to go to jail? I n to see the Old Master¡¯s official residence and check how long it¡¯ll take to get it built.¡±


    Having said that, Liu Sisi flicked Xue Lan¡¯s forehead, ¡°You little devil.¡±


    Xue Lan covered her forehead in pain, she couldn¡¯t help but mutter softly, ¡°I¡¯m not a little devil.¡±


    ¡­


    As she said, Liu Sisi really did go to see the newly-built official residence in the city.


    Perhaps influenced by public opinion, no one was at the unfinished official residence today. Liu Sisi still had great interest, walking around the entire ce. Afterwards, she went to the Silver Pavilion to choose a set of silver ornaments, then to the wine-house to have a feast, and finally headed for home when the day turned dark.


    Suddenly, someone who had been keeping an eye on her every move quickly spread the unusual news to others.


    It is said that Minister Di raped and killed County Magistrate Su¡¯s sister, angering his wife, who vowed to no longer care about him.


    It is said that Mrs. Di went to the official residence today.

 Chapter 537: 537: Settling New and Old Accounts Together!

    Chapter 537: Settling New and Old ounts Together!


    I heard that Mrs Di went to the official residence today, intending to sell the unfinished residence for silver to escape as soon as possible¡­


    I heard that Minister Di suffered a lot in prison, and his scape were broken in two ces.


    I heard¡­


    I heard¡­


    Countless rumors filled the sky, and Minister Di and his wife became the talking points and jokes of everyone after meals, tirelessly being mentioned over and over again.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Everyone knew one thing; the Di Family was falling apart, and Di Yelei was like a grasshopper after autumn, unable to jump for much longer.


    Liu Sisi made a high-profile trip to the county, then immediately returned to the small town by the same route, confusing those who had been following her.


    Hasn¡¯t Mrs Di gone mad?


    She didn¡¯t even go to the prison to visit her husband! Does she want to be a widow?


    In the pitch-ck prison cell.


    Di Yelei¡¯s hands and feet were shackled with heavy chains. He sat quietly in the corner of the cell with his eyes closed, rejuvenating his spirits.<div>


    The prison cell door was opened, and County Magistrate Su, holding a torch, entered from outside the door. He casually inserted the torch into a rack beside him and then turned to look at him.


    ¡°Lord Di is really in high spirits! To be so calm even now is indeed extraordinary.¡±


    Di Yelei finally moved and opened his eyes, a glint shed through them, and then quickly disappeared.


    ¡°It¡¯s true! This ce isn¡¯t for ordinary people to enter, is it?¡±


    County Magistrate Su was choked by the words and almost couldn¡¯t continue the conversation.


    However, after a moment, he smiled again. What a fool who doesn¡¯t know his fate!


    ¡°Lord Di is indeed extraordinary. But I¡¯m curious why Mrs Di always goes to the unfinished official residence rather than visiting you in the prison? It¡¯s really quite strange, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Sisi went to the official residence? What did she go there for?¡±


    Di Yelei slightly closed his eyes, and a glint shed through them.


    What message was Sisi trying to convey to him at this moment by going to the official residence?


    ¡°Your question is strange. How can I know what your wife is up to? Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s nning to sell the official residence? Hahaha¡­ ¡±


    County Magistrate Su couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, ¡°Di Yelei! What a waste of your martial arts skills! Didn¡¯t you say that I couldn¡¯t arrest you or interrogate you? Yet here you are, my prisoner. Just waiting for the imperial edict, and you¡¯ll be thrown into the death row, and then transported to the capital for execution after autumn!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyebrows did not tremble at all, he still looked at County Magistrate Su as if he was a clown.


    ¡°Oh! No, I forgot. How could I forget! Look at my memory.¡±


    County Magistrate Su pretended to p his forehead, looking very annoyed.


    ¡°Oh, no, no, no! How could I forget that in the Great Zhao, we no longer have death-row prisoners? ording to the new imperial edict, all criminals are to be sent to the mines forbor. I, the county magistrate, really want to see for myself whether Minister Di still has the same calm demeanor when performing hardbor!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes shone rapidly: ¡°Has Lord Su finished speaking? If you¡¯re done, please leave; don¡¯t disturb my rest. It¡¯s naptime now.¡±


    With that, he closed his eyes again, seemingly falling back into a deep sleep.


    Looking at the smug expression on his opponent¡¯s face, County Magistrate Su wished he could tear it apart!<div>


    He really couldn¡¯t understand, where did Di Yelei¡¯s confidencee from at this moment?


    He couldn¡¯t possibly not be afraid of death, could he?


    ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re probably still deluding yourself that someone else can save you! Di Yelei, let me tell you! All those who have dared to oppose me have suffered in the end! You won¡¯t be an exception.¡±


    After speaking, County Magistrate Su flicked his sleeve, picked up the torch, and turned to walk outside.<div>


    As he approached the prison door, he turned around again, clenching his teeth viciously and spoke fiercely.


    ¡°Di Yelei, do you think it¡¯s just about the murder of Cailian? This time, we¡¯ll settle our new and old ounts together! Let me tell you, don¡¯t think I will let you off so easily! The riverside construction you were so proud of, what if¡­ in a heavy rain, the riverside copses due to poor quality? Will you or Zuo Xingyu be responsible at that time?¡­ Hahaha¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, a fierce glint shed from the bottom of his eyes: ¡°Bastard, don¡¯t mess around! If there¡¯s really a problem with that riverside, several neighboring counties will be submerged. This is not child¡¯s y!¡±


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s ferocity showed on his face: ¡°Which eye of yours saw me joking? If you don¡¯t leave me an escape, I¡¯ll send you to theherworld first! Not only that, but I¡¯ll also have your entire family buried with you! This is the consequence of angering me!¡±


    ¡°Madman! Are you possessed or something?¡±


    Di Yelei strode forward, stopping before the prison door and desperately shaking it, but the thick door didn¡¯t budge an inch. There was no effect.


    ¡°County Magistrate Su, you are an official responsible for the people of this county. For your own selfish desires, you bring countless deaths and unrest to the civilians; has your conscience been eaten away by a dog?¡±


    He roared angrily!


    Feeling his strength rapidly draining, if it were not for hisst bit of willpower to grit his teeth and hold on, he would have already copsed.


    ¡°¡±If you had known this would happen, why did you bother in the first ce?¡± County Magistrate Su sighed mockingly.


    Facing Di Yelei¡¯s bloodshot eyes, his smugness only grew.


    ¡°Hehe! Are you wondering where your strength went? Ah! That Ten-Scent Soft Tendon Powder is really not cheap; it cost me ten taels of silver for one dose! In order to trap you, I¡¯ve really spent a lot. You, just slowly wait to die here! Hahaha¡­¡±


    After finishing speaking, County Magistrate Su left the cell,ughing heartily.<div>


    ¡°Release me! Let me out! You bastard, let me out quickly¡­¡±


    From behind, Di Yelei¡¯s angry roar could be heard, but County Magistrate Su didn¡¯t slow down. He quickly walked out of the dungeon prison.


    In the shadowy ce at the prison entrance, another figure stood quietly. Seeing County Magistrate Suing out, he slowly turned his head.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have told him about this!¡± The other party spoke with a hint of reproach.


    ¡°Telling him doesn¡¯t matter! He¡¯s nothing more than a grasshopper in autumn, unable to jump for long.¡±


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s spirits lifted as he spoke: ¡°You didn¡¯t see the look on his face just now, like he wanted to swallow me alive. Like a hawk catching a chicken, enjoying the process of prey struggling in vain to escape¡­ Hehehe¡­¡±


    ¡°I hope so! But my uncle did say, don¡¯t cause any more trouble. There are people protecting Di Yelei from above, and my uncle is also making an effort to uproot himpletely. Otherwise¡­¡±

 Chapter 538: 538: Sharing Life and Death

    Chapter 538: Sharing Life and Death


    The figure in the shadows emerged, with a faint smile on his face, as if saying the weather today was very nice.


    ¡°If the fires can¡¯t destroy everything, it will onlye back stronger with the spring winds!¡±


    ¡°Lord Xin Quan, you are always so worried about everything!¡±


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s face was fierce: ¡°He has already left us with no way out, why should we care about his life? Isn¡¯t there a Gan Jiayou protecting him from above? When our Lord brings him down¡­ hehehe! By then, this Di Yelei will be like a toothless tiger, let¡¯s see how arrogant he can be!¡±


    As he was talking, he walked outside with his hands behind his back.


    ¡°But my feeling is that it¡¯s not merely that. Even if Gan Jiayou wants to protect him, he himself is just a pawn of the Fourth Prince, so what power can he really have? The Seventh Prince and Fourteenth Prince would not sit idly by while their enemies grow stronger. I feel like there¡¯s a bigger hand hidden behind the scenes, secretly guiding the course of events¡­¡±


    As Xin Quan spoke, his five fingers turned, tightly clenching into a fist in the air before retracting it.


    The worry in his brows did not lessen.


    Even County Magistrate Su felt a bit uncertain: ¡°No way! He¡¯s just a lucky bumpkin. He grew up in Upper Vige; how could he possibly have any background? Don¡¯t scare yourself!¡±


    His words were more tofort himself.


    Xin Quan¡¯s brows still didn¡¯t lift, and he hesitated: ¡°Has Zhang Shixin taken action on the other side? Should we tell him to slow down? After all, this is not a small matter; if we¡¯re tracked down, no one will be able to cover for us!¡±<div>


    ¡°The other side started yesterday; anything you say now is toote!¡±


    County Magistrate Su rolled his eyes: ¡°Don¡¯t think about leaving a way out for yourself. We have to rise from the ashes! Since we¡¯re all dead anyway, why not fight for it? Maybe we can find a way out!¡±


    These words finally made Xin Quan resolve his decision.


    He pped a stone pir beside him with his hand and turned his head abruptly!


    ¡°Alright! Just as you said, we¡¯re all dead anyway, so let¡¯s fight!¡±


    ¡­


    After leaving the official residence, Liu Sisi went straight to the city gate, and left the city. Instead of going straight home, she went to rest at the manor for a moment, and then continued on her way home.


    As soon as she entered the door, she saw Di Xuan leading Di Ying with a look of innocence.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er? Are you out of school so early today?¡±


    ¡°Who said I¡¯m out of school?¡± Di Xuan looked innocent.


    ¡°Mom, brother didn¡¯t go to the vige school today.¡± Little Ying beside her hurriedly chimed in.


    Di Xuan pulled Di Ying behind him: ¡°Who asked you to butt in?¡±


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t go to the vige school today? Who allowed you to skip school so casually?¡±


    Di Xuan looked embarrassed: ¡°Why should I go to school? To let the other studentsugh at and humiliate me? Or is it that this is exactly what you want to see?¡±


    Liu Sisi narrowed her eyes slightly and looked Di Xuan up and down in surprise: ¡°Xuan¡¯er, do you know what you¡¯re saying? After all this time, is this still who I am in your heart?¡±


    Di Xuan clenched his teeth tightly, thinking of the humiliation he had suffered at school today, he could no longer control himself!


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of person you are. Don¡¯t think that with my father dead, this family belongs to you and your son! Don¡¯t forget, my father has not only me but also my younger sister! It¡¯s not your turn to call the shots!¡±


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows: ¡°Who told you these words? Who is instigating?¡±


    Di Xuan tightly closed his mouth, and Liu Sisi turned her gaze to Di Ying, who subconsciously dodged her gaze and whispered softly: ¡°Mom! It¡¯s Second Aunt¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s not your ce to speak.¡±


    Di Xuan forcefully scolded Di Ying while giving her a vicious re: ¡°Second Aunt is right! You just want to keep our Di family under your control, take all the silver in the house, and let Dad rot in prison!¡±


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er! What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    A scolding voice suddenly came from behind them. It turned out Elderly Mr. Di was right behind them, looking at Di Xuan with a gloomy expression.<div>


    Di Xuan¡¯s momentum suddenly weakened: ¡°Grandfather¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di nced at Di Xuan and looked at Liu Sisi.


    Sisi,e in for a moment.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After he finished speaking, Elderly Mr.Di leaned on his crutch and turned around to walk inside. However, after a moment, he looked back at Di Xuan: ¡°Silly Child! You¡¯re not young anymore, you should have some discernment now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Dad.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t bother with Di Xuan and Di Ying standing behind her and jumped over the two to enter the room.


    ¡°Sisi, sit.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di pointed to a chair, sat down first, and put his crutch aside.


    ¡°Father, is there anything you want to talk to Sisi about?¡± Liu Sisi obediently sat down.


    Elderly Mr. Di was silent for a long while before he sighed softly: ¡°Don¡¯t take Xuan¡¯er¡¯s words to heart. Since you are his mother, do as you see fit in disciplining him. Dad fully supports you.¡±


    This surprised Liu Sisi, and there was genuine astonishment in her eyes.


    She originally thought that Dad had called her in regarding Ye Lei¡¯s matter and was pondering how to respond. Unexpectedly, it was about Xuan¡¯er¡¯s matter.


    She forcibly suppressed the bitterness in her eyes and whispered.<div>


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry, Sisi knows what to do.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, as long as you know.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di smiled in satisfaction and thought for a bit: ¡°As for Third Child¡¯s matter, Dad believes that you will not do anything harmful to him. If you need anything, and if the silver is not enough, Dad will borrow or beg for it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Dad.¡±


    Liu Sisi took a deep breath, storing up her emotions: ¡°Right now, Ye Lei¡¯s matter is not something that can be solved with money. Dad, don¡¯t worry, I will save Ye Lei from the prison at all costs, even if it means sacrificing my life! I swear that I will not allow him to be framed by evil people!¡±


    Her words were powerful and resounding!


    ¡°Good! Dad will wait for your good news.¡± Elderly Mr. Di breathed a sigh of relief.


    When Liu Sisi was leaving the room, she couldn¡¯t help but look back at the elderly man: ¡°Dad, if Sisi can¡¯t save Ye Lei, I will follow him in life and death, even if it means going up the mountain and down to the ground. In that case, Dad, please take care of our family.¡±


    Her words were soft, but they made Elderly Mr. Di shudder.


    A wave of tears instantly filled his eyes.


    ¡°Alright, alright! Good¡­¡±


    But Liu Sisi smiled. She stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her before heading towards her room.


    How could she let Di Ye Lei be in trouble?<div>


    Although she didn¡¯t visit Di Ye Lei in prison, she naturally knew who was really responsible for his situation!

 Chapter 539: Break Your Leg!

    Chapter 539: Break Your Leg!


    She squinted her eyes towards the sky.


    Ye Lei, how are you doing now?


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    A small voice came from YingEr next to her. Liu Sisi looked down to see YingEr standing there, with a downcast head and a flustered face, constantly fiddling with her dress hem.


    Liu Sisi looked at her for a moment, suddenly feeling unsure of what to say.


    Eventually, she settled on the simplest topic: ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gone in to eat yet?¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry¡­ YingEr didn¡¯t do it on purpose! Second Aunt said that you deliberately didn¡¯t save Dad, that¡¯s why Brother got mad¡­ sob sob¡­ ¡±


    YingEr was speaking and crying, growing more and more upset.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart eventually softened. She gently walked over to YingEr, quietly picked her up, and took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears.


    ¡°Trust mom, I¡¯ll definitely rescue your father! You understand, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Mom, sob sob¡­¡±


    YingEr suddenly buried herself into Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, sobbing loudly.


    In the room, Di Xuan watched everything going on outside through the crack in the door. He silently closed the door, leaning against it with his back.


    I hope Dad is okay!


    Spring nights still carried a coldness. The surroundings were pitch ck and themp in the room had gone out. Liu Sisi sat quietly by the window beneath the rising crescent moon.


    After an unspecified amount of time had passed, the cautious low growls of Ah-Hua and Ah-Huang came from outside. Soon enough, all was quiet again.


    Liu Sisi got up from the chair and grabbed a flint to light a candle. Only then did she gently open the window.


    ¡°Mrs Di.¡±


    A low call came from outside the window. Shortly afterwards, a silhouette appeared before the window.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    Liu Sisi cut straight to the point, no unnecessary words.


    ¡°Everything turned out exactly as Mrs Di predicted, down to every detail! Our people have sessfully set up surveince, all that¡¯s left is to execute the next step.¡±


    ¡°Good, very good! Tell them to keep up the surveince. If the other side makes a move, take immediate action. There¡¯s no need for further instruction.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was filled with resolve.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, you can leave!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there something else you want to say?¡± Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow in surprise as she looked at the figure.


    The silhouette remained still for quite a while before finally speaking: ¡°Your father hit your mother again yesterday.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why?¡±


    Why did he hit her? Why was he bringing this up now?


    Liu Sisi remained silent for a moment: ¡°I thought they would be happier if they didn¡¯t see me again.¡±


    After finishing her thought, she moved away from the window and sat down on a chair nearby.


    Just an adopted daughter! It was understandable if they didn¡¯t value her.


    When she found out about her origins, she had always tried to avoid the topic of her foster parents. But now it seemed, the time hade to confront the issue.


    She once felt so much pain and sadness, but now after learning the truth, her heart strangely felt much lighter.


    At the very least, she had let go of the resentment in her heart.


    The silhouette fell into silence.


    After quite a long time, Liu Sisi remembered the figure was still waiting there. Only then did she raise her head to look at the shadow.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°She¡­ she¡¯s okay, right?¡±


    Both of them knew clearly whom Liu Sisi was referring to in her words.


    Ms. Yao and Liu Sisi¡¯s biological mother, Xin¡¯er, were cousins. Their rtionship wasplicated, which was another story to be told.


    ¡°¡­It was said that she almost jumped into a well, but was discovered and saved in time. She is still unconscious now.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s body trembled slightly, and then stabilized again.


    ¡°I see, you can go.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seeing the other party slowly turning into a shadow, Liu Sisi quietly closed the window.


    As she settled down, her mind was filled with thoughts¡ªone moment it¡¯s Di Yelei, the other it¡¯s Ms. Yao¡¯s shaking face¡ªuntil she drifted off to dreand.


    Tomorrow is going to be a bright sunny day!


    The next day, before dawn, there was a thunderous knocking at the main entrance.


    ¡°Open the door! Open the door! Are you pretending to be dead inside? Open the door!¡±


    The door-shaking knock seemed about to break the door open.


    Old Cheng hurriedly stepped forward to open the door: ¡°Why are you knocking so hard? Aren¡¯t you afraid of damaging the door¡­Wait wait, who are you? Stand still! Who let you in? Get out¡±


    The roar outside the door made Liu Sisi in the house unable to resist looking out.


    ¡°Old Cheng, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Just as she appeared, she saw a middle-aged man swaggering into the courtyard from the outside.


    ¡°Who are you? What brings you here?¡±


    The middle-aged man sized up Liu Sisi from head to toe, and then snorted lightly, raising his head arrogantly.


    ¡°You must be the woman of that criminal official? I am the original owner of this residence.¡±


    His gaze swept over everyone, full of contempt: ¡°Starting from today, I am taking back this residence and will not rent it to the criminal official even if it is empty. You are to move out by sunset today, or else¡­ Humph! Don¡¯t me yours truly then!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the owner of this residence?¡± Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow.


    The middle-aged man¡¯s face was rigid: ¡°That¡¯s right! It seems you haven¡¯t heard clearly, I don¡¯t mind repeating it¡­¡±


    ¡°You want to drive us away? Heh¡­on what grounds?¡± Liu Sisi chuckled coldly.


    The middle-aged man nearly got dizzy by Liu Sisi¡¯s circumlocution!


    ¡°On what grounds? Of course, that¡¯s because I am the owner of this residence! You little wench¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if you are the owner of this residence, so what? Every piece ofnd under heaven belongs to the sovereign. Why do you im thisnd as yours?¡± Liu Sisi stood her ground.


    ¡°Because I have the house andnd contracts! What, are you nning to act shamelessly?¡± The middle-aged man flew into a rage.


    On the contrary, Liu Sisiughed!


    ¡°Since you have the house andnd contracts, it means our rental agreement is valid. The initial agreement was a one-year contract, and since the rental agreement is valid, on what grounds are you trying to drive us away? You can drive us away but you have to give us 100,000 taels of silver as a breach of contract. Otherwise¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly stopped smiling, and a mocking look shed in her eyes.


    ¡°Humph! You will shoulder the crime of illegal invasion and robbery!¡±


    ¡°You, you are talking nonsense!¡±


    The middle-aged man inwardly wondered, but showed no sign of backing down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think yours truly will be frightened by your prattle! If you don¡¯t move out today, don¡¯t me yours truly for being impolite tonight!¡±


    ¡°No need to wait until tonight, I the Madam will show you right now!¡±


    Liu Sisi cast a cold nce!


    It seems that as soon as Ye Lei falls, these little shrimps jump out, eager to deal with me.


    Do they really think I¡¯m a sick cat just because the tiger doesn¡¯t show its might?


    ¡°Old Cheng! Since the opposite party likes pointing fingers, I the Madam won¡¯t y nice. Go ahead and break his finger! I want to see who dares to point at I the Madam again!¡±

 Chapter 540: Little Tail

    Chapter 540: Little Tail


    Liu Sisi seemed indifferent, as if talking about a very ordinary matter.


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    Old Cheng not only didn¡¯t feel any disgust at this matter, but with great interest, he stepped forward to grab the other party.


    ¡°How dare you! If you dare hurt yours truly, I will make sure you can no longer stay in Liuping Town! Try it if you don¡¯t believe me!¡±


    The middle-aged man¡¯s legs were trembling, yet his attitude was like a cooked duck ¨C still stubbornly unyielding in the face of death.


    ¡°Do it! Whichever finger pointed at I the Madam, I want it to never straighten again!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t really be med for this, as she had amassed quite a lot of anger sincest night, and at the moment, she was just looking for someone to vent on. He just happened to present himself.


    Wasn¡¯t this just seeking punishment?


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°You bandits and robbers! Don¡¯t do this! Help, help! Ah¡­¡±


    The screams of the middle-aged man kept getting louder and louder, attracting passers-by to look inside through the opened main entrance, only to scatter and flee the next moment.


    That¡¯s too vicious!


    It¡¯s hard to believe that such a seemingly weak woman could be so cruel!


    Not to mention the people outside, even Ms. Zhao, who had crawled out from the house, hurriedly retreated.


    This version of Liu Sisi was too terrifying!


    As she thought of how she had bullied Liu Sisi in the past, Ms. Zhao¡¯s heart trembled. Liu Sisi wouldn¡¯t treat her like this, would she?


    She suddenly recalled the experience of being trapped in the inner room with her mouth sealed. She felt incredibly lucky!


    Only now did she truly see Liu Sisi for who she was.


    When Old Cheng finally let go of him, it was exactly as Liu Sisi had said: whichever finger had pointed at her was now broken.


    With the so-called ten fingers connected to the heart, the middle-aged man had already fainted when Old Chengid hands on him.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Ssh water on him!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s tone remained calm from beginning to end, without a hint of agitation.


    Old Cheng casually fetched a basin of water and poured it directly over the man¡¯s head.


    The temperature of the spring morning was still quite low. As the water sshed down, the man shivered back to consciousness and let out consecutive sneezes.


    ¡°You said you wanted to teach I the Madam a lesson, didn¡¯t you? Tell me, how do you n to teach me a lesson?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words were like a death curse. The middle-aged man shuddered all over. No longer concerned about his drenched body and injured hands, he hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed.


    ¡°Madam, please spare me! It¡¯s my fault, I was wrong. I won¡¯t dare do it again. Stay in this residence as long as you like. I won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°The way you say it, it¡¯s as if I the Madam care about your little silver. When we signed the lease, we wrote it in ck and white. Naturally, I will move out when the lease is up. You must not try to besmirch I the Madam¡¯s reputation. Do you understand?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s smile was incredibly gentle, and her wet eyes were especially mesmerizing.


    The middle-aged man shivered uncontrobly.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­ Whatever Madam says is right. I, I won¡¯t dare to do it again.¡± How could he dare to disagree?


    ¡°Oh! Since you admit that you are a lowly person, I the Madam won¡¯t dwell on this matter any further. Go on!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­¡±


    The middle-aged man hurriedly responded and finally left the residence.


    The intense pain from the injuries on his hands made him unable to hesitate any longer. He quickly ran towards the clinic.


    Just you all wait! Just wait until Ie back to settle things with you!


    Liu Sisi naturally didn¡¯t take this man¡¯s thoughts to heart. Even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t regard him as a threat. She casually waved toward the hidden spot: ¡°Send someone to teach that man a lesson and make sure he doesn¡¯t cause any trouble.¡±


    It seemed as if a gust of wind blew from the hidden spot, and the surroundings soon returned to silence.


    Liu Sisi also put the matter behind her, tidied up, and prepared to go out.


    As she was about to step out of the room, she looked down and saw Di Xuan, who had not gone to the vige school. Instead, he stood there, with a serious expression on his face.


    Although Liu Sisi didn¡¯t want to say anything, she thought for a moment and turned around: ¡°No matter what ideas or prejudices you have about me, the one who most wants your father to return safely is me!¡±


    After saying that, she didn¡¯t wait for Di Xuan to speak and strode out of the courtyard, heading to the carriage parked at the doorway.


    Old Cheng moved quickly. As soon as Liu Sisi and Ms. Gao got on the carriage, the horse whip was raised, and the carriage sped off.


    Outside, Liu Zhi¡¯er was greeting the customers. Seeing Old Cheng driving the carriage past, he hurriedly called out loudly, but the carriage sped past too quickly, causing Liu Zhi¡¯er to feel deste as he returned.


    Today¡¯s destination of the carriage was the same as yesterday¡¯s, directly heading to the official residence in the county. Once there, Liu Sisi leisurely strolled around inside.


    Inside the official residence, people were still busy working, and Liu Sisi¡¯s arrival didn¡¯t affect them.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mind either. She slowly walked forward until she reached the hall before casually entering.


    The foreman in charge of the exnation immediately followed her in.


    Once inside, Liu Sisi nced around at the surroundings before turning her gaze to the foreman.


    ¡°Miss.¡±


    ¡°How is the progress of the matter?¡±


    ¡°Miss, please rest assured. The tunnel is more than halfwaypleted. We estimate that by tonight at thetest, we will reach the underground where your brother-inw is being held and rescue him.¡±


    ¡°Good! Excellent! Just remember to be discreet and make sure there are no spies from the other side mixed in. Let¡¯s go. We should leave before the people outside get suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡±


    As Liu Sisi walked out, she asked, ¡°has there been any recent news from the heir?¡±


    ¡°The heir said that everything is going smoothly and for Miss to rest assured.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    As the two talked, Liu Sisi had already stepped out of the front hall.


    ¡°The construction of this official residence is not bad. We have to ensure that it is both high-quality and on-schedule. The Old Master did ask me to supervise carefully before he left. You workers must not bezy. I will not deduct any of your wages, but if I find any more incidents of cutting corners like just now, I will not let it slide!¡±


    Liu Sisi gave another round of remarks before she finally got back on the carriage.


    This time she didn¡¯t go to the wine-house or the Silver Pavilion. Instead, she strolled around the South City for a while, walking and stopping along the way, causing the few small tails behind her to have a hard time keeping up.


    Finally, as dusk approached, she got back on the carriage and headed home.


    ¡°Madam, the little tail behind us seems to have stopped following.¡±


    Ms. Gao lifted a small gap and looked back. She was gradually getting used to Liu Sisi¡¯s temperament and knew when it was appropriate to speak.

 Chapter 541: 541: Stepmother’s Difficulty

    Chapter 541: Stepmother¡¯s Difficulty


    The road to the small town was an official road up ahead, and it was easy to follow the people behind. Further down was the main road with few pedestrians, making it easy for the trackers to reveal their targets.


    Liu Sisi, who had been resting her eyes, nodded lightly: ¡°Mm, Old Cheng takes a detour to the manor.¡±


    The carriage quietly stopped in front of the manor, and Liu Sisi got off.


    Inside the manor, two men soon appeared. They were Zhao Dun, Zhao Wu, and Zhao Xian, the father and sons trio.


    ¡°Quick, move the things inside and hide them well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    The three of them moved quickly, making two trips to move all the items from the carriage.


    Liu Sisi rode the carriage again and took the road back home.


    Those were some grains and the like, mixed with some weapons from this era. Most importantly, there were some raw materials Liu Sisi had collected for making gunpowder.


    No wonder she was so ruthless, she had long prepared for a desperate situation!


    If anything happened to Di Yelei, none of the people who hurt him would escape!<div>


    This side of Liu Sisi¡¯s movement naturally reached the hands of the County Magistrate Su through various channels.


    ¡°Do you think Liu Sisi has a brain problem? Otherwise, why does she have the leisure to go to the official residence every day to supervise the work instead of trying to save that guy surnamed Di?¡±


    Xin Quan frowned, unable to understand the situation.


    County Magistrate Su threw the official document in his hand on the table casually and looked up at Xin Quan.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the servant report that it was the task assigned by that surnamed Di before he went to the prison room?¡±


    ¡°Do you believe that?¡± Xin Quan said with a disdainful look on his face.


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t believe it, haha! However, what does it all matter? Just wait two more days and there should be news from the city. When that timees, hehehe¡­¡±


    County Magistrate Su felt more and more happy about the situation, and couldn¡¯t help butugh proudly.


    Speaking of this matter, Xin Quan also seemed much happier: ¡°Your words are true. By the way, has any newse from the Seventh Prince?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! The Seventh Prince is busy dealing with the Fourth Prince at the moment. You and I may not be valued by the Seventh Prince, but with your uncle, the Garrison Commander of Gongzhou City¡­ He will definitely make a statement.¡±


    County Magistrate Su was quite clear about this matter.


    ¡°But¡­ if we ce our bets on the Seventh Prince and he loses, then¡­¡±


    Xin Quan was, after all, a bit more cautious.


    ¡°Since ancient times, winners have be kings and losers have been ouws. Now that we havee this far, do you still have delusions of turning back?¡± County Magistrate Su couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Xin Quan said indifferently, secretly making up his mind to find another way out.


    A cunning rabbit has three burrows, can¡¯t people also leave themselves a way out?


    ¡­


    Liu Sisi returned home and unexpectedly found that Liu Zhi¡¯er had closed shop early today.<div>


    As soon as she entered the door, she saw Zhang Peng and Guihua in the residence and raised her eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, Sister Guihua is here, please sit.¡±


    ¡°Sisi, how could you let such a big thing happen and let Zhang Peng hide it from me? If I hadn¡¯t gone to the fair today, I wouldn¡¯t even know that something happened to your family. Do you still consider me your sister?¡±


    Guihua looked reproachful as she stepped forward and grasped Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.<div>


    ¡°Sister Guihua, it¡¯s not that Sisi doesn¡¯t regard you as a sister, but telling you about it wouldn¡¯t help besides making you worry. Besides, Brother Zhang has been busy running around helping out recently. If I let you help too, I¡¯d really feel bad.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to feel bad about? You¡¯re just too clear-cut in dividing everything, it¡¯s not good!¡±


    Guihua¡¯s floodgate of words opened up: ¡°By the way, before I came out, I heard your Second Sister-inw spreading rumors in the vige. I couldn¡¯t stand it, so I scolded her fiercely to quench her arrogance. Guess what happened?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Liu Sisi didn¡¯t want to refute her face, so she asked immediately.


    Guihua looked very pleased: ¡°As a result, everyone in the vige pointed at her and cursed! Let¡¯s see if she dares to swagger around in the future!¡±


    ¡°You mean everyone in the vige has helped out?¡± Liu Sisi quickly grasped the main point in just one sentence.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask your Brother Zhang. He won¡¯t lie!¡±


    Guihua looked excited and grabbed Liu Sisi¡¯s hand: ¡°Sisi, when your family was in the Upper Vige, you did a lot of good things for everyone. How was Brother Ye Lei? Over these years, can¡¯t everyone figure out who he was? If they say he killed someone, and even worse, raped before murder, I, Guihua, would be the first not to believe it!¡±


    Zhang Peng beside them nodded continuously: ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t worry! Justice lies in everyone¡¯s heart. I already went to find Constable Zuo. He promised to investigate the case thoroughly, not letting go of any clues, and make sure to find the real murderer!¡±


    When Liu Sisi heard Zuo Xingyu¡¯s name, her eyes flickered.


    ¡°Sisi, I naturally trust what Brother Zhang says. However, there is something I¡¯d like to ask Sister Guihua for help.¡±


    Guihua hurriedly sat up straight: ¡°Just say what you need, Sisi.¡±


    ¡°Well, actually, there is no one more suitable than Sister Guihua for this job.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi gave a bitter smile and sighed: ¡°It¡¯s about Xuan¡¯er. With Ye Lei in trouble, I haven¡¯t had the energy to teach him properly recently. And it seems that he has listened to Second Sister-inw¡¯s instigations. If I am the one to say it, it would feel like everything I say is wrong. So, I thought of asking Sister Guihua to enlighten Xuan¡¯er a bit. At least don¡¯t let him go down the wrong path.¡±


    ¡°Your Second Sister-inw again! Just mentioning her makes my blood boil!¡±


    Guihua waved her hand casually: ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve watched Xuan¡¯er grow up since he was a child. If he listens to Ms. Wang¡¯s instigation, it must be because he is too anxious and is seeking help in haste. Leave this matter to me!¡±


    She patted her chest as a guarantee.


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Guihua.¡± Liu Sisi also put down the heavy burden in her heart.


    The three of them chatted for a while, and then Guihua went to talk to Di Xuan.


    What the two talked about in detail, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t ask, and Guihua and Di Xuan didn¡¯t say, but Di Xuan¡¯s attitude towards Liu Sisi did change a lot.


    The little hedgehog-like appearance had disappeared.


    However, this matter actually left a small shadow in Liu Sisi¡¯s heart, as it seemed that the saying ¡°stepmothers are hard to please¡± was indeed true!


    All the credit for this went to Guihua.


    As Guihua watched the day gradually darken, she hurriedly ate dinner and had Zhang Yun stay with Di Xuan before she and Zhang Peng hurried home.


    Liu Sisi greeted Zhang Yun and urged the two to study until the agreed time. Only then, pretending not to see Di Xuan¡¯s hesitant expression, did she return to her room on her own.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Tomorrow is the most critical day. If all goes well, there should be information from the state city about how to deal with Ye Lei.<div>


    May everything go smoothly! There must be no mistakes!

 Chapter 542: 542: A Mistake? Missed?

    Chapter 542: A Mistake? Missed?


    As she was lost in thought, there came a knock at the door.


    ¡°Sisi, are you asleep?¡±


    Outside, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s knocking could be heard.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly got up, threw on a piece of clothing, and opened the door: ¡°Second Sister, we two sisters haven¡¯t had a good talk in a while. Come in and we¡¯ll chat.¡±


    Although the sisters were living under the same roof, Liu Sisi had been busy with Ye Lei¡¯s matters, and Liu Zhi¡¯er was preupied with the dumpling restaurant¡¯s business. Besides seeing each other at dinner, they hardly interacted in their day-to-day lives.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er obediently entered the room, her hands rubbing together a bit nervously.


    ¡°Indeed, we sisters haven¡¯t had a proper conversation in quite some time.¡±


    ¡°Second Sister,e, let¡¯s talk in more detail under the quilt.¡±


    Liu Sisi beckoned Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    Even though it was already mid-February, the night¡¯s weather was still cool.


    The two sistersy down side by side, their heads touching, sharing the same quilt, both silent.<div>


    ¡°Do you remember thest time we two sisters shared the same bed, slept under the same quilt? It was when we were seven years old, wasn¡¯t it? Time has passed, and I can¡¯t remember for certain.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth? I remember that time too¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er responded agreeably but suddenly stopped, abruptly sitting up and looking intently at Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Sisi, have your memories¡­returned?¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t intend to keep it a secret from her, nodding lightly: ¡°Mhm! My memories came back when the ident happenedst time. It¡¯s just that they¡¯re too scattered and fragmented, some even incoherent. So¡­¡±


    Looking at the gently smiling Liu Sisi in front of her, Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t describe the feelings welling up within her.


    Slowly lying down again, Liu Zhi¡¯er tenderly grasped Liu Sisi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, since you can remember these things, the rest shoulde back to you gradually. It¡¯s probably just a matter of time.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, I¡¯m not in a hurry either.¡±


    Liu Sisi chuckled softly: ¡°I still remember thest time we two sisters had a candlelit night talk. It was because the Zuo Family came with tokens, saying that the younger generation should fulfill the initial promise of the Close Engagement, right?¡±


    ¡°Sisi, it seems that your memory has truly recovered.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er had a joyful expression on her face.


    Liu Sisi was filled with mncholy, her heart aching with indescribable feelings.


    ¡°I was young and didn¡¯t know any better, just afraid of being alone. I heard that a husband could be a lifelongpanion, so I set my sights on the lively young Zuo Xingyu. Despite our parents wanting to bestow him upon you, I forcefully took him from your hands. Who would¡¯ve thought that he¡¯d turn from a yful mud-covered child to the stiff man he is now?¡±


    As she spoke, even Liu Sisiughed at herself.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s smile was also a bit awkward, and after moving her mouth several times, she finally whispered.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth! Back then, he was such a mischievous little scamp! As soon as he arrived at our home, he¡¯d pull our hair¡­¡±


    She too gradually got lost in the memories, a meaningful smile on her face.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Speaking of which, I owe you an apology, Little Sister. If it weren¡¯t for my interference, perhaps you and he would¡¯ve been together, and everything might¡¯ve turned out differently.¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed and looked into Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyes, earnestly saying: ¡°Although I snatched him away from you, I eventually lost him too. You can¡¯t deny that fate has a sense of fairness.¡± Even though these events were actions of the original body, she still had to voice this apology.<div>


    ¡°What are you even talking about? That was so many years ago.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er chuckled helplessly: ¡°At the time, I wasn¡¯t very old either and threw a huge tantrum in front of our parents. I remember after you and Xingyu got engaged, you were severely beaten by Dad. If anything, it was me who brought you harm.¡±


    As the elder sister, her memory was clearer than Liu Sisi¡¯s, and she naturally filled in the details Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t figure out.


    ¡°Yes! It was precisely because Dad beat me that I started to hate you after that.¡±<div>


    Full of emotion, Liu Sisi continued: ¡°No, to be more urate, it was envy rather than hatred. Though we sisters looked simr and I was younger than you, you were always everyone¡¯s favorite. Especially Zuo Xingyu, who began to dislike me very much after that time.¡±


    Now that she thought about it, it seemed that Zuo Xingyu had been secretly in love with Liu Zhi¡¯er since they were young.


    ¡°No! He not only didn¡¯t dislike you, but he also liked you a lot.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er said earnestly.


    Liu Sisi was taken aback and then reacted: ¡°Pff! Stop joking around, why would he like me? If he liked me, why would he let me take the initiative to cancel the engagement? Stop teasing me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not spouting nonsense; he told me this himself! I¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er suddenly raised her voice, but then stopped abruptly, biting her lip and turning her back to Liu Sisi, lost in thought.


    Zuo Xingyu liked her?


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t figure out what the other party was thinking and couldn¡¯t help blinking her eyes at Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    In the quiet night, the surroundings were silent, except for the asional distant barking of dogs. Then, the sounds of the timekeeper¡¯s wooden pper rang again.


    ck, ck, ck! Bang!¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Ring the bell and announce, close your doors and windows, and watch your candles carefully! ck, ck, ck! Bang!¡ª¡ª¡±


    Apanied by the timekeeper¡¯s gradually receding voice, Liu Sisi let out a soft sigh: ¡°It¡¯s the third period ofte night, let¡¯s sleep.¡±<div>


    As she spoke, she also blew out the oilmp, returning to the quilt and clutching the quilt corner tightly.


    In the darkness, the sisters couldn¡¯t see each other¡¯s faces, both lying side by side. They were both silent, and their breathing was disordered, making it obvious that neither had fallen asleep.


    ¡°You know the situation with the Zuo Family. Xingyu was worried that you would suffer hardships with him and brought up the idea of canceling the engagement. But you ran away without letting him finish speaking.¡±


    Was this the truth of the matter? Liu Sisi blinked in the darkness.


    ¡°The next day, you made our parents go and cancel the engagement. For several nights in a row, you cried and made a fuss in the house, but he was always guarding outside the door. These were things I heard Zuo Xingyu say himself¡­untilter when the news about you and Zhang Shixin spread¡­that¡¯s when he stoppeding.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s mncholy voice echoed again.


    Trying hard to go over the original body¡¯s memories, it seemed¡­perhaps¡­that was how it was?


    Maybe it was as Liu Zhi¡¯er said that Zuo Xingyu had feelings for the original body after all? Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have waited until the engagement was about to happen before asking her to initiate the cancetion.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even think that Xingyu is about the same age as our brother-inw. If he didn¡¯t have feelings for you, a simple age difference could¡¯ve been enough to cancel the engagement with you and be engaged to me instead. There would¡¯ve been no need for you going through all this trouble over the years. It¡¯s a pity that you didn¡¯t know happiness while in the midst of it and missed out on a devoted lover!¡±

 Chapter 543: 543: A Figure Sitting at Will!

    Chapter 543: A Figure Sitting at Will!


    Liu Sisi turned pale right after a sudden onset of pain from the bottom of her heart.


    This sentiment originated from the consciences that lingered, deep in the previous body¡¯s memories, leaving her almost breathless!


    Presumably, the previous body must have had felt something for Zuo Xingyu, right?


    She never thought that because she said the wrong sentences, it would cause such a love couple to drift apart! There would never be a day to meet again!


    ¡°When love is deep, me will also be profound! Once missed, it will be gone forever¡­¡±


    These words should be the most urate representation of the previous body¡¯s emotions, right?


    Liu Sisi closed her eyes and struggled against the pain that was almost reaching the bottom of her heart.


    She couldn¡¯t help but curse angrily in her heart!


    You only know the pain when it¡¯s toote, what¡¯s the point of your remorse now?


    The faint voice of Liu Zhi¡¯er wafted over, bringing with it an indescribable destion.


    ¡°If, I say if¡­something happens to your brother-inw, you should go find Zuo Xingyu! He is still waiting for you, his heart hasn¡¯t changed to this day¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Second Sister, what are you talking nonsense about?¡±


    Liu Sisi was unable to care about the pain in her heart anymore and she sat up immediately. If Liu Zhi¡¯er would continue talking, who knew what other baseless rumors she would spin?


    ¡°For the rest of my life, I, Liu Sisi, am determined tomit to Ye Lei. I will absolutely not change my mind again! As for the past, the things between me and Zuo Xingyu, once it has passed, it has passed. All I can say about the rtionship between him and me is that we were destined to meet, but not destined to be together. Second Sister should never speak recklessly about this in the future. If it causes unnecessary misunderstandings, that will harm countless of people!¡±


    Liu Sisi sternly reprimanded, totally unaware of the situation outside.


    Just above the two of them, a shadow was quietlyying on the roof. The shadow and the surrounding environment merged as one, not causing any rm.


    When Liu Sisi finished this sentence, the shadow on the roof suddenly shook violently! A slightpse in controlling his aura caused the sound of a shattered tile to ring out sharply on the roof.


    However, the sound was so soft that it was ignored by the two people in the house.


    Zuo Xingyu closed his eyes and gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, covering his eyes that welled up with pain.


    By the time his eyes opened again, he had returned to his normal self.


    With a puff of energy, he floated down from the roof to outside the courtyard wall, and with a few leaps, he disappeared into the vast darkness.


    Everything was quiet around him, as if he had never appeared from the start.


    In the house, Liu Zhi¡¯er was also startled by the firm meaning in Liu Sisi¡¯s words!


    ¡°Sisi¡­ you, you weren¡¯t serious right? You need to know that Xingyu has waited for you for nearly ten years. When you two were engaged, he was already 18 years old and was not an ignorant child, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! Second Sister, Zuo Xingyu to me, is like a stranger. Although I have recovered a part of my memory, there is not a single trace about him.¡±


    Liu Sisi interrupted Liu Zhi¡¯er: ¡°You want me to abandon my feelings for Ye Lei for the sake of a stranger? How could it be possible? Moreover, do you not know how well Ye Lei has treated me?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er moved her mouth and was speechless for a while.


    In all honesty, the favor her brother-inw had for Sisi was deep to the core. Even if Sisi were to follow Zuo Xingyu, there was no guarantee that she would have it any better than now!


    ¡°But, this is too unfair towards Xingyu¡­¡± She murmured.


    ¡°Fair? How could there be fairness in this world? Some people are destined to lead a life with splendid food and clothes right from their birth, and some lead a life as a blind,me or deaf man from the moment they¡¯re born. Who can they go to for a solution? There are even some who are born as ves or servants, and they serve others for life. Where does this notion of fairnesse from?¡±<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was silent for a while before sighing: ¡°I can¡¯t argue with you. Sigh! I was just simply assuming that, what if the brother-inw¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi smoothly sped Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand. She gripped it tightly: ¡°If something were to happen to him, Second Sister, I, Liu Sisi, will not live a life of loneliness!¡±


    This life originally isn¡¯t hers. Even if she lived a life extra than originally nned, she wouldn¡¯t mind it much.


    ¡°You¡­you¡­ what nonsense are you saying? Do not utter such words in the future, understand? You should also think of your unborn child, what will he do? Please stop being serious¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Okay, Second Sister, let¡¯s stop discussing this.¡±


    Discussing more about these matters now wouldn¡¯t benefit anyone!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er understandably sighed: ¡°Sisi, are you really not willing to forgive big brother and mom?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Forgive them for what?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly remembered that she hadn¡¯t told Liu Zhi¡¯er her true identity; she hadn¡¯t told her that she was her cousin, not her sister.


    But thinking about it, it¡¯s not that important!


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry at them, which brings my point for forgiveness,¡± Liu Sisi said with a lightugh.


    After all, she¡¯s not the real Liu Sisi. Who she is as a daughter doesn¡¯t make any difference to her.


    Liu Sisi chuckled and changed the topic: ¡°I ran into Miao Cuihua on the way back today, she told me that Dong Chang came over, is that true? Why didn¡¯t you mention it?¡±


    As soon as Dong Chang was mentioned, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s spirit went down entirely.


    In the darkness, the arms of the two sisters were locked together, and they didn¡¯t speak for quite some time.


    When Liu Sisi thought she fell asleep, Liu Zhi¡¯er finally spoke.


    ¡°Dong Chang has¡­been here several times. He used to seldome, but ever since he found out that I¡¯m running a shop here, he began to harass every two or three days. Fortunately, Cuihua had witnessed it. After a few punches, he ran away disgracefully. Since then, he figured out the time when Cuihua would appear every time and left when it was time for Cuihua¡¯s meal!¡±<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t help butugh as she was speaking.


    ¡°That bastard even dared toe? That¡¯s really odd, why haven¡¯t I ever seen him when Ie in and out every day?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but curse: ¡°You must never give him money. Once you set a precedent, where will you find peace in the future?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to give it, don¡¯t I? But every time hees, he robs me of the change in the shop¡­He stole it twice, and was caught by Cuihua, who beat him until he got panda eyes. It was just today when he showed up.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Bastard! He even dares to bully you at your doorstep. And you, you always forget about previous lessons! Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butin about Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had enough worries recently. The things that happened here¡­ aren¡¯t urgent.¡±


    ¡°You! Why do you think so much? Isn¡¯t it tiring to live this way?¡±


    She thought for a moment and realized that she herself was the one who has been thinking too much.


    She continued to speak: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let me figure out a way to resolve it! If he dares toe to your doorstep again today disturb you, ask you for silver¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If one day you get married again, and the other party sees him hanging around, do you think it will feelfortable?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, I won¡¯t get married again!¡± Liu Zhier said sullenly.<div>


    Chapter 543: A Figure Sitting at Will!


    Liu Sisi turned pale right after a sudden onset of pain from the bottom of her heart.


    This sentiment originated from the consciences that lingered, deep in the previous body¡¯s memories, leaving her almost breathless!


    Presumably, the previous body must have had felt something for Zuo Xingyu, right?


    She never thought that because she said the wrong sentences, it would cause such a love couple to drift apart! There would never be a day to meet again!


    ¡°When love is deep, me will also be profound! Once missed, it will be gone forever¡­¡±


    These words should be the most urate representation of the previous body¡¯s emotions, right?


    Liu Sisi closed her eyes and struggled against the pain that was almost reaching the bottom of her heart.


    She couldn¡¯t help but curse angrily in her heart!


    You only know the pain when it¡¯s toote, what¡¯s the point of your remorse now?


    The faint voice of Liu Zhi¡¯er wafted over, bringing with it an indescribable destion.


    ¡°If, I say if¡­something happens to your brother-inw, you should go find Zuo Xingyu! He is still waiting for you, his heart hasn¡¯t changed to this day¡­¡±


    ¡°Second Sister, what are you talking nonsense about?¡±


    Liu Sisi was unable to care about the pain in her heart anymore and she sat up immediately. If Liu Zhi¡¯er would continue talking, who knew what other baseless rumors she would spin?<div>


    ¡°For the rest of my life, I, Liu Sisi, am determined tomit to Ye Lei. I will absolutely not change my mind again! As for the past, the things between me and Zuo Xingyu, once it has passed, it has passed. All I can say about the rtionship between him and me is that we were destined to meet, but not destined to be together. Second Sister should never speak recklessly about this in the future. If it causes unnecessary misunderstandings, that will harm countless of people!¡±


    Liu Sisi sternly reprimanded, totally unaware of the situation outside.


    Just above the two of them, a shadow was quietlyying on the roof. The shadow and the surrounding environment merged as one, not causing any rm.


    When Liu Sisi finished this sentence, the shadow on the roof suddenly shook violently! A slightpse in controlling his aura caused the sound of a shattered tile to ring out sharply on the roof.


    However, the sound was so soft that it was ignored by the two people in the house.


    Zuo Xingyu closed his eyes and gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, covering his eyes that welled up with pain.


    By the time his eyes opened again, he had returned to his normal self.


    With a puff of energy, he floated down from the roof to outside the courtyard wall, and with a few leaps, he disappeared into the vast darkness.


    Everything was quiet around him, as if he had never appeared from the start.


    In the house, Liu Zhi¡¯er was also startled by the firm meaning in Liu Sisi¡¯s words!


    ¡°Sisi¡­ you, you weren¡¯t serious right? You need to know that Xingyu has waited for you for nearly ten years. When you two were engaged, he was already 18 years old and was not an ignorant child, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! Second Sister, Zuo Xingyu to me, is like a stranger. Although I have recovered a part of my memory, there is not a single trace about him.¡±


    Liu Sisi interrupted Liu Zhi¡¯er: ¡°You want me to abandon my feelings for Ye Lei for the sake of a stranger? How could it be possible? Moreover, do you not know how well Ye Lei has treated me?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er moved her mouth and was speechless for a while.


    In all honesty, the favor her brother-inw had for Sisi was deep to the core. Even if Sisi were to follow Zuo Xingyu, there was no guarantee that she would have it any better than now!


    ¡°But, this is too unfair towards Xingyu¡­¡± She murmured.


    ¡°Fair? How could there be fairness in this world? Some people are destined to lead a life with splendid food and clothes right from their birth, and some lead a life as a blind,me or deaf man from the moment they¡¯re born. Who can they go to for a solution? There are even some who are born as ves or servants, and they serve others for life. Where does this notion of fairnesse from?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was silent for a while before sighing: ¡°I can¡¯t argue with you. Sigh! I was just simply assuming that, what if the brother-inw¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi smoothly sped Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand. She gripped it tightly: ¡°If something were to happen to him, Second Sister, I, Liu Sisi, will not live a life of loneliness!¡±


    This life originally isn¡¯t hers. Even if she lived a life extra than originally nned, she wouldn¡¯t mind it much.


    ¡°You¡­you¡­ what nonsense are you saying? Do not utter such words in the future, understand? You should also think of your unborn child, what will he do? Please stop being serious¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, Second Sister, let¡¯s stop discussing this.¡±


    Discussing more about these matters now wouldn¡¯t benefit anyone!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er understandably sighed: ¡°Sisi, are you really not willing to forgive big brother and mom?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Forgive them for what?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly remembered that she hadn¡¯t told Liu Zhi¡¯er her true identity; she hadn¡¯t told her that she was her cousin, not her sister.


    But thinking about it, it¡¯s not that important!


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry at them, which brings my point for forgiveness,¡± Liu Sisi said with a lightugh.


    After all, she¡¯s not the real Liu Sisi. Who she is as a daughter doesn¡¯t make any difference to her.


    Liu Sisi chuckled and changed the topic: ¡°I ran into Miao Cuihua on the way back today, she told me that Dong Chang came over, is that true? Why didn¡¯t you mention it?¡±


    As soon as Dong Chang was mentioned, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s spirit went down entirely.


    In the darkness, the arms of the two sisters were locked together, and they didn¡¯t speak for quite some time.


    When Liu Sisi thought she fell asleep, Liu Zhi¡¯er finally spoke.


    ¡°Dong Chang has¡­been here several times. He used to seldome, but ever since he found out that I¡¯m running a shop here, he began to harass every two or three days. Fortunately, Cuihua had witnessed it. After a few punches, he ran away disgracefully. Since then, he figured out the time when Cuihua would appear every time and left when it was time for Cuihua¡¯s meal!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t help butugh as she was speaking.


    ¡°That bastard even dared toe? That¡¯s really odd, why haven¡¯t I ever seen him when Ie in and out every day?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but curse: ¡°You must never give him money. Once you set a precedent, where will you find peace in the future?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to give it, don¡¯t I? But every time hees, he robs me of the change in the shop¡­He stole it twice, and was caught by Cuihua, who beat him until he got panda eyes. It was just today when he showed up.¡±


    ¡°Bastard! He even dares to bully you at your doorstep. And you, you always forget about previous lessons! Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butin about Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had enough worries recently. The things that happened here¡­ aren¡¯t urgent.¡±


    ¡°You! Why do you think so much? Isn¡¯t it tiring to live this way?¡±


    She thought for a moment and realized that she herself was the one who has been thinking too much.


    She continued to speak: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let me figure out a way to resolve it! If he dares toe to your doorstep again today disturb you, ask you for silver¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If one day you get married again, and the other party sees him hanging around, do you think it will feelfortable?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, I won¡¯t get married again!¡± Liu Zhier said sullenly.


    Chapter 543: A Figure Sitting at Will!


    Liu Sisi turned pale right after a sudden onset of pain from the bottom of her heart.


    This sentiment originated from the consciences that lingered, deep in the previous body¡¯s memories, leaving her almost breathless!


    Presumably, the previous body must have had felt something for Zuo Xingyu, right?


    She never thought that because she said the wrong sentences, it would cause such a love couple to drift apart! There would never be a day to meet again!


    ¡°When love is deep, me will also be profound! Once missed, it will be gone forever¡­¡±


    These words should be the most urate representation of the previous body¡¯s emotions, right?


    Liu Sisi closed her eyes and struggled against the pain that was almost reaching the bottom of her heart.


    She couldn¡¯t help but curse angrily in her heart!


    You only know the pain when it¡¯s toote, what¡¯s the point of your remorse now?


    The faint voice of Liu Zhi¡¯er wafted over, bringing with it an indescribable destion.


    ¡°If, I say if¡­something happens to your brother-inw, you should go find Zuo Xingyu! He is still waiting for you, his heart hasn¡¯t changed to this day¡­¡±


    ¡°Second Sister, what are you talking nonsense about?¡±


    Liu Sisi was unable to care about the pain in her heart anymore and she sat up immediately. If Liu Zhi¡¯er would continue talking, who knew what other baseless rumors she would spin?


    ¡°For the rest of my life, I, Liu Sisi, am determined tomit to Ye Lei. I will absolutely not change my mind again! As for the past, the things between me and Zuo Xingyu, once it has passed, it has passed. All I can say about the rtionship between him and me is that we were destined to meet, but not destined to be together. Second Sister should never speak recklessly about this in the future. If it causes unnecessary misunderstandings, that will harm countless of people!¡±


    Liu Sisi sternly reprimanded, totally unaware of the situation outside.


    Just above the two of them, a shadow was quietlyying on the roof. The shadow and the surrounding environment merged as one, not causing any rm.


    When Liu Sisi finished this sentence, the shadow on the roof suddenly shook violently! A slightpse in controlling his aura caused the sound of a shattered tile to ring out sharply on the roof.


    However, the sound was so soft that it was ignored by the two people in the house.


    Zuo Xingyu closed his eyes and gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, covering his eyes that welled up with pain.


    By the time his eyes opened again, he had returned to his normal self.


    With a puff of energy, he floated down from the roof to outside the courtyard wall, and with a few leaps, he disappeared into the vast darkness.


    Everything was quiet around him, as if he had never appeared from the start.


    In the house, Liu Zhi¡¯er was also startled by the firm meaning in Liu Sisi¡¯s words!


    ¡°Sisi¡­ you, you weren¡¯t serious right? You need to know that Xingyu has waited for you for nearly ten years. When you two were engaged, he was already 18 years old and was not an ignorant child, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! Second Sister, Zuo Xingyu to me, is like a stranger. Although I have recovered a part of my memory, there is not a single trace about him.¡±


    Liu Sisi interrupted Liu Zhi¡¯er: ¡°You want me to abandon my feelings for Ye Lei for the sake of a stranger? How could it be possible? Moreover, do you not know how well Ye Lei has treated me?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er moved her mouth and was speechless for a while.


    In all honesty, the favor her brother-inw had for Sisi was deep to the core. Even if Sisi were to follow Zuo Xingyu, there was no guarantee that she would have it any better than now!


    ¡°But, this is too unfair towards Xingyu¡­¡± She murmured.


    ¡°Fair? How could there be fairness in this world? Some people are destined to lead a life with splendid food and clothes right from their birth, and some lead a life as a blind,me or deaf man from the moment they¡¯re born. Who can they go to for a solution? There are even some who are born as ves or servants, and they serve others for life. Where does this notion of fairnesse from?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was silent for a while before sighing: ¡°I can¡¯t argue with you. Sigh! I was just simply assuming that, what if the brother-inw¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi smoothly sped Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand. She gripped it tightly: ¡°If something were to happen to him, Second Sister, I, Liu Sisi, will not live a life of loneliness!¡±


    This life originally isn¡¯t hers. Even if she lived a life extra than originally nned, she wouldn¡¯t mind it much.


    ¡°You¡­you¡­ what nonsense are you saying? Do not utter such words in the future, understand? You should also think of your unborn child, what will he do? Please stop being serious¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, Second Sister, let¡¯s stop discussing this.¡±


    Discussing more about these matters now wouldn¡¯t benefit anyone!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er understandably sighed: ¡°Sisi, are you really not willing to forgive big brother and mom?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Forgive them for what?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly remembered that she hadn¡¯t told Liu Zhi¡¯er her true identity; she hadn¡¯t told her that she was her cousin, not her sister.


    But thinking about it, it¡¯s not that important!


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry at them, which brings my point for forgiveness,¡± Liu Sisi said with a lightugh.


    After all, she¡¯s not the real Liu Sisi. Who she is as a daughter doesn¡¯t make any difference to her.


    Liu Sisi chuckled and changed the topic: ¡°I ran into Miao Cuihua on the way back today, she told me that Dong Chang came over, is that true? Why didn¡¯t you mention it?¡±


    As soon as Dong Chang was mentioned, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s spirit went down entirely.


    In the darkness, the arms of the two sisters were locked together, and they didn¡¯t speak for quite some time.


    When Liu Sisi thought she fell asleep, Liu Zhi¡¯er finally spoke.


    ¡°Dong Chang has¡­been here several times. He used to seldome, but ever since he found out that I¡¯m running a shop here, he began to harass every two or three days. Fortunately, Cuihua had witnessed it. After a few punches, he ran away disgracefully. Since then, he figured out the time when Cuihua would appear every time and left when it was time for Cuihua¡¯s meal!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t help butugh as she was speaking.


    ¡°That bastard even dared toe? That¡¯s really odd, why haven¡¯t I ever seen him when Ie in and out every day?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but curse: ¡°You must never give him money. Once you set a precedent, where will you find peace in the future?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to give it, don¡¯t I? But every time hees, he robs me of the change in the shop¡­He stole it twice, and was caught by Cuihua, who beat him until he got panda eyes. It was just today when he showed up.¡±


    ¡°Bastard! He even dares to bully you at your doorstep. And you, you always forget about previous lessons! Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butin about Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had enough worries recently. The things that happened here¡­ aren¡¯t urgent.¡±


    ¡°You! Why do you think so much? Isn¡¯t it tiring to live this way?¡±


    She thought for a moment and realized that she herself was the one who has been thinking too much.


    She continued to speak: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let me figure out a way to resolve it! If he dares toe to your doorstep again today disturb you, ask you for silver¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If one day you get married again, and the other party sees him hanging around, do you think it will feelfortable?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, I won¡¯t get married again!¡± Liu Zhier said sullenly.


    Chapter 543: A Figure Sitting at Will!


    Liu Sisi turned pale right after a sudden onset of pain from the bottom of her heart.


    This sentiment originated from the consciences that lingered, deep in the previous body¡¯s memories, leaving her almost breathless!


    Presumably, the previous body must have had felt something for Zuo Xingyu, right?


    She never thought that because she said the wrong sentences, it would cause such a love couple to drift apart! There would never be a day to meet again!


    ¡°When love is deep, me will also be profound! Once missed, it will be gone forever¡­¡±


    These words should be the most urate representation of the previous body¡¯s emotions, right?


    Liu Sisi closed her eyes and struggled against the pain that was almost reaching the bottom of her heart.


    She couldn¡¯t help but curse angrily in her heart!


    You only know the pain when it¡¯s toote, what¡¯s the point of your remorse now?


    The faint voice of Liu Zhi¡¯er wafted over, bringing with it an indescribable destion.


    ¡°If, I say if¡­something happens to your brother-inw, you should go find Zuo Xingyu! He is still waiting for you, his heart hasn¡¯t changed to this day¡­¡±


    ¡°Second Sister, what are you talking nonsense about?¡±


    Liu Sisi was unable to care about the pain in her heart anymore and she sat up immediately. If Liu Zhi¡¯er would continue talking, who knew what other baseless rumors she would spin?


    ¡°For the rest of my life, I, Liu Sisi, am determined tomit to Ye Lei. I will absolutely not change my mind again! As for the past, the things between me and Zuo Xingyu, once it has passed, it has passed. All I can say about the rtionship between him and me is that we were destined to meet, but not destined to be together. Second Sister should never speak recklessly about this in the future. If it causes unnecessary misunderstandings, that will harm countless of people!¡±


    Liu Sisi sternly reprimanded, totally unaware of the situation outside.


    Just above the two of them, a shadow was quietlyying on the roof. The shadow and the surrounding environment merged as one, not causing any rm.


    When Liu Sisi finished this sentence, the shadow on the roof suddenly shook violently! A slightpse in controlling his aura caused the sound of a shattered tile to ring out sharply on the roof.


    However, the sound was so soft that it was ignored by the two people in the house.


    Zuo Xingyu closed his eyes and gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, covering his eyes that welled up with pain.


    By the time his eyes opened again, he had returned to his normal self.


    With a puff of energy, he floated down from the roof to outside the courtyard wall, and with a few leaps, he disappeared into the vast darkness.


    Everything was quiet around him, as if he had never appeared from the start.


    In the house, Liu Zhi¡¯er was also startled by the firm meaning in Liu Sisi¡¯s words!


    ¡°Sisi¡­ you, you weren¡¯t serious right? You need to know that Xingyu has waited for you for nearly ten years. When you two were engaged, he was already 18 years old and was not an ignorant child, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! Second Sister, Zuo Xingyu to me, is like a stranger. Although I have recovered a part of my memory, there is not a single trace about him.¡±


    Liu Sisi interrupted Liu Zhi¡¯er: ¡°You want me to abandon my feelings for Ye Lei for the sake of a stranger? How could it be possible? Moreover, do you not know how well Ye Lei has treated me?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er moved her mouth and was speechless for a while.


    In all honesty, the favor her brother-inw had for Sisi was deep to the core. Even if Sisi were to follow Zuo Xingyu, there was no guarantee that she would have it any better than now!


    ¡°But, this is too unfair towards Xingyu¡­¡± She murmured.


    ¡°Fair? How could there be fairness in this world? Some people are destined to lead a life with splendid food and clothes right from their birth, and some lead a life as a blind,me or deaf man from the moment they¡¯re born. Who can they go to for a solution? There are even some who are born as ves or servants, and they serve others for life. Where does this notion of fairnesse from?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was silent for a while before sighing: ¡°I can¡¯t argue with you. Sigh! I was just simply assuming that, what if the brother-inw¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi smoothly sped Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand. She gripped it tightly: ¡°If something were to happen to him, Second Sister, I, Liu Sisi, will not live a life of loneliness!¡±


    This life originally isn¡¯t hers. Even if she lived a life extra than originally nned, she wouldn¡¯t mind it much.


    ¡°You¡­you¡­ what nonsense are you saying? Do not utter such words in the future, understand? You should also think of your unborn child, what will he do? Please stop being serious¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, Second Sister, let¡¯s stop discussing this.¡±


    Discussing more about these matters now wouldn¡¯t benefit anyone!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er understandably sighed: ¡°Sisi, are you really not willing to forgive big brother and mom?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Forgive them for what?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly remembered that she hadn¡¯t told Liu Zhi¡¯er her true identity; she hadn¡¯t told her that she was her cousin, not her sister.


    But thinking about it, it¡¯s not that important!


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry at them, which brings my point for forgiveness,¡± Liu Sisi said with a lightugh.


    After all, she¡¯s not the real Liu Sisi. Who she is as a daughter doesn¡¯t make any difference to her.


    Liu Sisi chuckled and changed the topic: ¡°I ran into Miao Cuihua on the way back today, she told me that Dong Chang came over, is that true? Why didn¡¯t you mention it?¡±


    As soon as Dong Chang was mentioned, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s spirit went down entirely.


    In the darkness, the arms of the two sisters were locked together, and they didn¡¯t speak for quite some time.


    When Liu Sisi thought she fell asleep, Liu Zhi¡¯er finally spoke.


    ¡°Dong Chang has¡­been here several times. He used to seldome, but ever since he found out that I¡¯m running a shop here, he began to harass every two or three days. Fortunately, Cuihua had witnessed it. After a few punches, he ran away disgracefully. Since then, he figured out the time when Cuihua would appear every time and left when it was time for Cuihua¡¯s meal!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t help butugh as she was speaking.


    ¡°That bastard even dared toe? That¡¯s really odd, why haven¡¯t I ever seen him when Ie in and out every day?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but curse: ¡°You must never give him money. Once you set a precedent, where will you find peace in the future?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to give it, don¡¯t I? But every time hees, he robs me of the change in the shop¡­He stole it twice, and was caught by Cuihua, who beat him until he got panda eyes. It was just today when he showed up.¡±


    ¡°Bastard! He even dares to bully you at your doorstep. And you, you always forget about previous lessons! Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butin about Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had enough worries recently. The things that happened here¡­ aren¡¯t urgent.¡±


    ¡°You! Why do you think so much? Isn¡¯t it tiring to live this way?¡±


    She thought for a moment and realized that she herself was the one who has been thinking too much.


    She continued to speak: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let me figure out a way to resolve it! If he dares toe to your doorstep again today disturb you, ask you for silver¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If one day you get married again, and the other party sees him hanging around, do you think it will feelfortable?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, I won¡¯t get married again!¡± Liu Zhier said sullenly.


    Chapter 543: A Figure Sitting at Will!


    Liu Sisi turned pale right after a sudden onset of pain from the bottom of her heart.


    This sentiment originated from the consciences that lingered, deep in the previous body¡¯s memories, leaving her almost breathless!


    Presumably, the previous body must have had felt something for Zuo Xingyu, right?


    She never thought that because she said the wrong sentences, it would cause such a love couple to drift apart! There would never be a day to meet again!


    ¡°When love is deep, me will also be profound! Once missed, it will be gone forever¡­¡±


    These words should be the most urate representation of the previous body¡¯s emotions, right?


    Liu Sisi closed her eyes and struggled against the pain that was almost reaching the bottom of her heart.


    She couldn¡¯t help but curse angrily in her heart!


    You only know the pain when it¡¯s toote, what¡¯s the point of your remorse now?


    The faint voice of Liu Zhi¡¯er wafted over, bringing with it an indescribable destion.


    ¡°If, I say if¡­something happens to your brother-inw, you should go find Zuo Xingyu! He is still waiting for you, his heart hasn¡¯t changed to this day¡­¡±


    ¡°Second Sister, what are you talking nonsense about?¡±


    Liu Sisi was unable to care about the pain in her heart anymore and she sat up immediately. If Liu Zhi¡¯er would continue talking, who knew what other baseless rumors she would spin?


    ¡°For the rest of my life, I, Liu Sisi, am determined tomit to Ye Lei. I will absolutely not change my mind again! As for the past, the things between me and Zuo Xingyu, once it has passed, it has passed. All I can say about the rtionship between him and me is that we were destined to meet, but not destined to be together. Second Sister should never speak recklessly about this in the future. If it causes unnecessary misunderstandings, that will harm countless of people!¡±


    Liu Sisi sternly reprimanded, totally unaware of the situation outside.


    Just above the two of them, a shadow was quietlyying on the roof. The shadow and the surrounding environment merged as one, not causing any rm.


    When Liu Sisi finished this sentence, the shadow on the roof suddenly shook violently! A slightpse in controlling his aura caused the sound of a shattered tile to ring out sharply on the roof.


    However, the sound was so soft that it was ignored by the two people in the house.


    Zuo Xingyu closed his eyes and gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, covering his eyes that welled up with pain.


    By the time his eyes opened again, he had returned to his normal self.


    With a puff of energy, he floated down from the roof to outside the courtyard wall, and with a few leaps, he disappeared into the vast darkness.


    Everything was quiet around him, as if he had never appeared from the start.


    In the house, Liu Zhi¡¯er was also startled by the firm meaning in Liu Sisi¡¯s words!


    ¡°Sisi¡­ you, you weren¡¯t serious right? You need to know that Xingyu has waited for you for nearly ten years. When you two were engaged, he was already 18 years old and was not an ignorant child, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! Second Sister, Zuo Xingyu to me, is like a stranger. Although I have recovered a part of my memory, there is not a single trace about him.¡±


    Liu Sisi interrupted Liu Zhi¡¯er: ¡°You want me to abandon my feelings for Ye Lei for the sake of a stranger? How could it be possible? Moreover, do you not know how well Ye Lei has treated me?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er moved her mouth and was speechless for a while.


    In all honesty, the favor her brother-inw had for Sisi was deep to the core. Even if Sisi were to follow Zuo Xingyu, there was no guarantee that she would have it any better than now!


    ¡°But, this is too unfair towards Xingyu¡­¡± She murmured.


    ¡°Fair? How could there be fairness in this world? Some people are destined to lead a life with splendid food and clothes right from their birth, and some lead a life as a blind,me or deaf man from the moment they¡¯re born. Who can they go to for a solution? There are even some who are born as ves or servants, and they serve others for life. Where does this notion of fairnesse from?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was silent for a while before sighing: ¡°I can¡¯t argue with you. Sigh! I was just simply assuming that, what if the brother-inw¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi smoothly sped Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand. She gripped it tightly: ¡°If something were to happen to him, Second Sister, I, Liu Sisi, will not live a life of loneliness!¡±


    This life originally isn¡¯t hers. Even if she lived a life extra than originally nned, she wouldn¡¯t mind it much.


    ¡°You¡­you¡­ what nonsense are you saying? Do not utter such words in the future, understand? You should also think of your unborn child, what will he do? Please stop being serious¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, Second Sister, let¡¯s stop discussing this.¡±


    Discussing more about these matters now wouldn¡¯t benefit anyone!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er understandably sighed: ¡°Sisi, are you really not willing to forgive big brother and mom?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Forgive them for what?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly remembered that she hadn¡¯t told Liu Zhi¡¯er her true identity; she hadn¡¯t told her that she was her cousin, not her sister.


    But thinking about it, it¡¯s not that important!


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry at them, which brings my point for forgiveness,¡± Liu Sisi said with a lightugh.


    After all, she¡¯s not the real Liu Sisi. Who she is as a daughter doesn¡¯t make any difference to her.


    Liu Sisi chuckled and changed the topic: ¡°I ran into Miao Cuihua on the way back today, she told me that Dong Chang came over, is that true? Why didn¡¯t you mention it?¡±


    As soon as Dong Chang was mentioned, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s spirit went down entirely.


    In the darkness, the arms of the two sisters were locked together, and they didn¡¯t speak for quite some time.


    When Liu Sisi thought she fell asleep, Liu Zhi¡¯er finally spoke.


    ¡°Dong Chang has¡­been here several times. He used to seldome, but ever since he found out that I¡¯m running a shop here, he began to harass every two or three days. Fortunately, Cuihua had witnessed it. After a few punches, he ran away disgracefully. Since then, he figured out the time when Cuihua would appear every time and left when it was time for Cuihua¡¯s meal!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t help butugh as she was speaking.


    ¡°That bastard even dared toe? That¡¯s really odd, why haven¡¯t I ever seen him when Ie in and out every day?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but curse: ¡°You must never give him money. Once you set a precedent, where will you find peace in the future?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to give it, don¡¯t I? But every time hees, he robs me of the change in the shop¡­He stole it twice, and was caught by Cuihua, who beat him until he got panda eyes. It was just today when he showed up.¡±


    ¡°Bastard! He even dares to bully you at your doorstep. And you, you always forget about previous lessons! Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butin about Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had enough worries recently. The things that happened here¡­ aren¡¯t urgent.¡±


    ¡°You! Why do you think so much? Isn¡¯t it tiring to live this way?¡±


    She thought for a moment and realized that she herself was the one who has been thinking too much.


    She continued to speak: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let me figure out a way to resolve it! If he dares toe to your doorstep again today disturb you, ask you for silver¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If one day you get married again, and the other party sees him hanging around, do you think it will feelfortable?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, I won¡¯t get married again!¡± Liu Zhier said sullenly.


    Chapter 543: A Figure Sitting at Will!


    Liu Sisi turned pale right after a sudden onset of pain from the bottom of her heart.


    This sentiment originated from the consciences that lingered, deep in the previous body¡¯s memories, leaving her almost breathless!


    Presumably, the previous body must have had felt something for Zuo Xingyu, right?


    She never thought that because she said the wrong sentences, it would cause such a love couple to drift apart! There would never be a day to meet again!


    ¡°When love is deep, me will also be profound! Once missed, it will be gone forever¡­¡±


    These words should be the most urate representation of the previous body¡¯s emotions, right?


    Liu Sisi closed her eyes and struggled against the pain that was almost reaching the bottom of her heart.


    She couldn¡¯t help but curse angrily in her heart!


    You only know the pain when it¡¯s toote, what¡¯s the point of your remorse now?


    The faint voice of Liu Zhi¡¯er wafted over, bringing with it an indescribable destion.


    ¡°If, I say if¡­something happens to your brother-inw, you should go find Zuo Xingyu! He is still waiting for you, his heart hasn¡¯t changed to this day¡­¡±


    ¡°Second Sister, what are you talking nonsense about?¡±


    Liu Sisi was unable to care about the pain in her heart anymore and she sat up immediately. If Liu Zhi¡¯er would continue talking, who knew what other baseless rumors she would spin?


    ¡°For the rest of my life, I, Liu Sisi, am determined tomit to Ye Lei. I will absolutely not change my mind again! As for the past, the things between me and Zuo Xingyu, once it has passed, it has passed. All I can say about the rtionship between him and me is that we were destined to meet, but not destined to be together. Second Sister should never speak recklessly about this in the future. If it causes unnecessary misunderstandings, that will harm countless of people!¡±


    Liu Sisi sternly reprimanded, totally unaware of the situation outside.


    Just above the two of them, a shadow was quietlyying on the roof. The shadow and the surrounding environment merged as one, not causing any rm.


    When Liu Sisi finished this sentence, the shadow on the roof suddenly shook violently! A slightpse in controlling his aura caused the sound of a shattered tile to ring out sharply on the roof.


    However, the sound was so soft that it was ignored by the two people in the house.


    Zuo Xingyu closed his eyes and gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, covering his eyes that welled up with pain.


    By the time his eyes opened again, he had returned to his normal self.


    With a puff of energy, he floated down from the roof to outside the courtyard wall, and with a few leaps, he disappeared into the vast darkness.


    Everything was quiet around him, as if he had never appeared from the start.


    In the house, Liu Zhi¡¯er was also startled by the firm meaning in Liu Sisi¡¯s words!


    ¡°Sisi¡­ you, you weren¡¯t serious right? You need to know that Xingyu has waited for you for nearly ten years. When you two were engaged, he was already 18 years old and was not an ignorant child, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! Second Sister, Zuo Xingyu to me, is like a stranger. Although I have recovered a part of my memory, there is not a single trace about him.¡±


    Liu Sisi interrupted Liu Zhi¡¯er: ¡°You want me to abandon my feelings for Ye Lei for the sake of a stranger? How could it be possible? Moreover, do you not know how well Ye Lei has treated me?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er moved her mouth and was speechless for a while.


    In all honesty, the favor her brother-inw had for Sisi was deep to the core. Even if Sisi were to follow Zuo Xingyu, there was no guarantee that she would have it any better than now!


    ¡°But, this is too unfair towards Xingyu¡­¡± She murmured.


    ¡°Fair? How could there be fairness in this world? Some people are destined to lead a life with splendid food and clothes right from their birth, and some lead a life as a blind,me or deaf man from the moment they¡¯re born. Who can they go to for a solution? There are even some who are born as ves or servants, and they serve others for life. Where does this notion of fairnesse from?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was silent for a while before sighing: ¡°I can¡¯t argue with you. Sigh! I was just simply assuming that, what if the brother-inw¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi smoothly sped Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand. She gripped it tightly: ¡°If something were to happen to him, Second Sister, I, Liu Sisi, will not live a life of loneliness!¡±


    This life originally isn¡¯t hers. Even if she lived a life extra than originally nned, she wouldn¡¯t mind it much.


    ¡°You¡­you¡­ what nonsense are you saying? Do not utter such words in the future, understand? You should also think of your unborn child, what will he do? Please stop being serious¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, Second Sister, let¡¯s stop discussing this.¡±


    Discussing more about these matters now wouldn¡¯t benefit anyone!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er understandably sighed: ¡°Sisi, are you really not willing to forgive big brother and mom?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Forgive them for what?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly remembered that she hadn¡¯t told Liu Zhi¡¯er her true identity; she hadn¡¯t told her that she was her cousin, not her sister.


    But thinking about it, it¡¯s not that important!


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry at them, which brings my point for forgiveness,¡± Liu Sisi said with a lightugh.


    After all, she¡¯s not the real Liu Sisi. Who she is as a daughter doesn¡¯t make any difference to her.


    Liu Sisi chuckled and changed the topic: ¡°I ran into Miao Cuihua on the way back today, she told me that Dong Chang came over, is that true? Why didn¡¯t you mention it?¡±


    As soon as Dong Chang was mentioned, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s spirit went down entirely.


    In the darkness, the arms of the two sisters were locked together, and they didn¡¯t speak for quite some time.


    When Liu Sisi thought she fell asleep, Liu Zhi¡¯er finally spoke.


    ¡°Dong Chang has¡­been here several times. He used to seldome, but ever since he found out that I¡¯m running a shop here, he began to harass every two or three days. Fortunately, Cuihua had witnessed it. After a few punches, he ran away disgracefully. Since then, he figured out the time when Cuihua would appear every time and left when it was time for Cuihua¡¯s meal!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t help butugh as she was speaking.


    ¡°That bastard even dared toe? That¡¯s really odd, why haven¡¯t I ever seen him when Ie in and out every day?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but curse: ¡°You must never give him money. Once you set a precedent, where will you find peace in the future?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to give it, don¡¯t I? But every time hees, he robs me of the change in the shop¡­He stole it twice, and was caught by Cuihua, who beat him until he got panda eyes. It was just today when he showed up.¡±


    ¡°Bastard! He even dares to bully you at your doorstep. And you, you always forget about previous lessons! Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butin about Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had enough worries recently. The things that happened here¡­ aren¡¯t urgent.¡±


    ¡°You! Why do you think so much? Isn¡¯t it tiring to live this way?¡±


    She thought for a moment and realized that she herself was the one who has been thinking too much.


    She continued to speak: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let me figure out a way to resolve it! If he dares toe to your doorstep again today disturb you, ask you for silver¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If one day you get married again, and the other party sees him hanging around, do you think it will feelfortable?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, I won¡¯t get married again!¡± Liu Zhier said sullenly.


    Chapter 543: A Figure Sitting at Will!


    Liu Sisi turned pale right after a sudden onset of pain from the bottom of her heart.


    This sentiment originated from the consciences that lingered, deep in the previous body¡¯s memories, leaving her almost breathless!


    Presumably, the previous body must have had felt something for Zuo Xingyu, right?


    She never thought that because she said the wrong sentences, it would cause such a love couple to drift apart! There would never be a day to meet again!


    ¡°When love is deep, me will also be profound! Once missed, it will be gone forever¡­¡±


    These words should be the most urate representation of the previous body¡¯s emotions, right?


    Liu Sisi closed her eyes and struggled against the pain that was almost reaching the bottom of her heart.


    She couldn¡¯t help but curse angrily in her heart!


    You only know the pain when it¡¯s toote, what¡¯s the point of your remorse now?


    The faint voice of Liu Zhi¡¯er wafted over, bringing with it an indescribable destion.


    ¡°If, I say if¡­something happens to your brother-inw, you should go find Zuo Xingyu! He is still waiting for you, his heart hasn¡¯t changed to this day¡­¡±


    ¡°Second Sister, what are you talking nonsense about?¡±


    Liu Sisi was unable to care about the pain in her heart anymore and she sat up immediately. If Liu Zhi¡¯er would continue talking, who knew what other baseless rumors she would spin?


    ¡°For the rest of my life, I, Liu Sisi, am determined tomit to Ye Lei. I will absolutely not change my mind again! As for the past, the things between me and Zuo Xingyu, once it has passed, it has passed. All I can say about the rtionship between him and me is that we were destined to meet, but not destined to be together. Second Sister should never speak recklessly about this in the future. If it causes unnecessary misunderstandings, that will harm countless of people!¡±


    Liu Sisi sternly reprimanded, totally unaware of the situation outside.


    Just above the two of them, a shadow was quietlyying on the roof. The shadow and the surrounding environment merged as one, not causing any rm.


    When Liu Sisi finished this sentence, the shadow on the roof suddenly shook violently! A slightpse in controlling his aura caused the sound of a shattered tile to ring out sharply on the roof.


    However, the sound was so soft that it was ignored by the two people in the house.


    Zuo Xingyu closed his eyes and gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, covering his eyes that welled up with pain.


    By the time his eyes opened again, he had returned to his normal self.


    With a puff of energy, he floated down from the roof to outside the courtyard wall, and with a few leaps, he disappeared into the vast darkness.


    Everything was quiet around him, as if he had never appeared from the start.


    In the house, Liu Zhi¡¯er was also startled by the firm meaning in Liu Sisi¡¯s words!


    ¡°Sisi¡­ you, you weren¡¯t serious right? You need to know that Xingyu has waited for you for nearly ten years. When you two were engaged, he was already 18 years old and was not an ignorant child, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! Second Sister, Zuo Xingyu to me, is like a stranger. Although I have recovered a part of my memory, there is not a single trace about him.¡±


    Liu Sisi interrupted Liu Zhi¡¯er: ¡°You want me to abandon my feelings for Ye Lei for the sake of a stranger? How could it be possible? Moreover, do you not know how well Ye Lei has treated me?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er moved her mouth and was speechless for a while.


    In all honesty, the favor her brother-inw had for Sisi was deep to the core. Even if Sisi were to follow Zuo Xingyu, there was no guarantee that she would have it any better than now!


    ¡°But, this is too unfair towards Xingyu¡­¡± She murmured.


    ¡°Fair? How could there be fairness in this world? Some people are destined to lead a life with splendid food and clothes right from their birth, and some lead a life as a blind,me or deaf man from the moment they¡¯re born. Who can they go to for a solution? There are even some who are born as ves or servants, and they serve others for life. Where does this notion of fairnesse from?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was silent for a while before sighing: ¡°I can¡¯t argue with you. Sigh! I was just simply assuming that, what if the brother-inw¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi smoothly sped Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand. She gripped it tightly: ¡°If something were to happen to him, Second Sister, I, Liu Sisi, will not live a life of loneliness!¡±


    This life originally isn¡¯t hers. Even if she lived a life extra than originally nned, she wouldn¡¯t mind it much.


    ¡°You¡­you¡­ what nonsense are you saying? Do not utter such words in the future, understand? You should also think of your unborn child, what will he do? Please stop being serious¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, Second Sister, let¡¯s stop discussing this.¡±


    Discussing more about these matters now wouldn¡¯t benefit anyone!


    Liu Zhi¡¯er understandably sighed: ¡°Sisi, are you really not willing to forgive big brother and mom?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Forgive them for what?¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly remembered that she hadn¡¯t told Liu Zhi¡¯er her true identity; she hadn¡¯t told her that she was her cousin, not her sister.


    But thinking about it, it¡¯s not that important!


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry at them, which brings my point for forgiveness,¡± Liu Sisi said with a lightugh.


    After all, she¡¯s not the real Liu Sisi. Who she is as a daughter doesn¡¯t make any difference to her.


    Liu Sisi chuckled and changed the topic: ¡°I ran into Miao Cuihua on the way back today, she told me that Dong Chang came over, is that true? Why didn¡¯t you mention it?¡±


    As soon as Dong Chang was mentioned, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s spirit went down entirely.


    In the darkness, the arms of the two sisters were locked together, and they didn¡¯t speak for quite some time.


    When Liu Sisi thought she fell asleep, Liu Zhi¡¯er finally spoke.


    ¡°Dong Chang has¡­been here several times. He used to seldome, but ever since he found out that I¡¯m running a shop here, he began to harass every two or three days. Fortunately, Cuihua had witnessed it. After a few punches, he ran away disgracefully. Since then, he figured out the time when Cuihua would appear every time and left when it was time for Cuihua¡¯s meal!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t help butugh as she was speaking.


    ¡°That bastard even dared toe? That¡¯s really odd, why haven¡¯t I ever seen him when Ie in and out every day?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but curse: ¡°You must never give him money. Once you set a precedent, where will you find peace in the future?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to give it, don¡¯t I? But every time hees, he robs me of the change in the shop¡­He stole it twice, and was caught by Cuihua, who beat him until he got panda eyes. It was just today when he showed up.¡±


    ¡°Bastard! He even dares to bully you at your doorstep. And you, you always forget about previous lessons! Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butin about Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had enough worries recently. The things that happened here¡­ aren¡¯t urgent.¡±


    ¡°You! Why do you think so much? Isn¡¯t it tiring to live this way?¡±


    She thought for a moment and realized that she herself was the one who has been thinking too much.


    She continued to speak: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let me figure out a way to resolve it! If he dares toe to your doorstep again today disturb you, ask you for silver¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If one day you get married again, and the other party sees him hanging around, do you think it will feelfortable?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, I won¡¯t get married again!¡± Liu Zhier said sullenly.

 Chapter 544: 544: Left Eye Jumps into Wealth, Right Eye Jumps into Disaster

    Chapter 544: Left Eye Jumps into Wealth, Right Eye Jumps into Disaster


    Seeing that persuasion wouldn¡¯t work, Liu Sisi upped the ante: ¡°Fine! Let¡¯s not discuss these things right now. What if he takes advantage of your inattention and takes Da Mao away and sells him? What will you do?¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare! If he dares to do so, watch me, Liu Zhi¡¯er, fight him to the death!¡±


    When it came to Da Mao, the usually gentle Liu Zhi¡¯er instantly red up!


    ¡°That¡¯s the point! To be a mother is to be tough! To be a mother is to be strong! If you want Da Mao to grow up carefree, it ultimately depends on you being strong and standing up for yourself.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t say any more, as many things were better left unsaid, and saying too much might be counterproductive.


    ¡°Go to sleep! It¡¯s not early anymore.¡±


    As she spoke, she turned around with her back to the inside. It took quite a while for her to stop thinking wild thoughts and finally fall asleep.


    On the other hand, Liu Zhi¡¯ery there tossing and turning, thinking about what had been said, and only managed to force herself to sleep as daybreak approached.


    As a result, the next day they both woke upte. By the time she arrived in front of the shop, Aunt Cao was already waiting for her there.


    Today, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t rush out the door. She was waiting!


    Waiting for news from the city side to arrive.<div>


    Pining for news of the city, not only Liu Sisi but also County Magistrate Su and Xin Quan were eager for it. Native officials rushed, batch after batch, back and forth, and the hectic pace continued all morning.


    ¡°Howe the messenger still hasn¡¯t arrived? Has something happened on the way?¡±


    Not stopping, County Magistrate Su paced back and forth in the front hall.


    It wasn¡¯t until Xin Quan finally spoke up that he stopped.


    ¡°Lord Su, can¡¯t you just sit down and wait patiently? You¡¯ve been pacing here since early this morning, and it¡¯s making my head dizzy. What time is it now? Could the messenger grow wings and fly?¡±


    ¡°How can you me me? The matter is too important, and my heart is flustered.¡±


    County Magistrate Su finally stopped his pacing and, suppressing the anxiety in his heart, sat down in a chair.


    ¡°I woke up this morning, and my right eye kept twitching! People say that the left eye twitches for wealth and the right eye twitches for disaster. Is there going to be some unfortunate incident today?¡±


    ¡°Pooh, pooh, pooh! It¡¯s just an old wives¡¯ tale. What bad things can happen? Don¡¯t always think about things that don¡¯t exist!¡±


    Xin Quan forcefully threw away the date kernel in his hand and red at County Magistrate Su. The kernel bounced twice on the table, vanishing somewhere.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, I staked my own wealth and life on this, as well as my uncle¡¯s future. There is no room for you to back out at this moment!¡±


    ¡°I also staked a niece on it! If it doesn¡¯t work out, I don¡¯t even know how to exin it!¡±


    The more County Magistrate Su spoke, the more restless he felt, as if several cats were jumping around in his heart!


    ¡°No! I still feel uneasy in my heart. I have to send another team of people to check it out.¡±


    As he spoke, County Magistrate Su turned and ordered the governmental office¡¯s runners nearby, ¡°Come on! Send two more people to see why the messenger hasn¡¯t arrived yet. And send another two people to the ck prison to see if that Di is still behaving.¡±


    A moment of hesitation crossed the face of the governmental office¡¯s runner. ¡°Your Honor, the two people who went to check on the messenger just returned and said they didn¡¯t see anyone. And the men who went to the ck prison also just returned, saying that the man surnamed Di was still sitting against the wall without any unusual behavior.¡±


    ¡°Stop your endless chatter! I told you to go and check again, so hurry up! Our generous monthly payments of food, drink, and silver must have gone to feed the dogs!¡±


    County Magistrate Su reprimanded, and the government office¡¯s runner had no choice but to leave and pass on the message again.


    In contrast to the vignce of the two men here, Liu Sisi in Liuping Town was quiteposed.<div>


    ¡°Miss, a message came from over there, saying that the messenger has already crossed the Dadu River and is moving quickly along the official road towards the county, so he should arrive at most two hours from now. Please instruct, miss.¡±


    A figure suddenly appeared in front of Liu Sisi, as if emerging from the void, and knelt down at her feet.


    ¡°Quite a fast pace indeed! It¡¯s hard to imagine that the Li Sect has so many experts!¡±


    Liu Sisi chuckled lightly.<div>


    Today, she wore a in light blue dress and had her hair done up in a simple cloud bun adorned with a few small pearls. No other embellishments were worn, making her look especially spirited and capable.


    ¡°Instruct them to proceed as nned. No one will be allowed to harm a single hair on him! If necessary, activate the fifth n!¡±


    Ye Lei, I won¡¯t let anyone separate us for any reason!


    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡±


    The figure bowed and then vanished towards the doorway, disappearing from sight as if it had never been there.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    ¡°Madam, someone is seeking an audience outside.¡± Old Cheng¡¯s voice came from outside.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Who woulde looking for her at a time like this?


    ¡°It¡¯s someone from the old house.¡±


    Sure enough, it was someone from the old house. Led by Old Cheng, Ms. Xin entered.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, how has your health been recently?¡± Making conversation, Ms. Xin greeted her formally.


    With a casual nce, Liu Sisi noticed that Ms. Xin¡¯s stomach was slightly protruding. It had been four months, after all!<div>


    ¡°Good. Sit down, sister-inw, and tell me what¡¯s going on. What brings you here?¡±


    Following Liu Sisi¡¯s words, Ms. Xin sat down and hesitated for a moment before whispering, ¡°Third Sister-inw, are you going to the city today? And to the government office?¡±


    ¡°Why would you ask that?¡± Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow in surprise. How did the other person know?


    ¡°I¡­ Third Sister-inw, if you¡¯re going to the city, please take Cui¡¯er with you. Let her stay by your side, much better than having Ms. Gao with you!¡±


    Growing more anxious with every word, Ms. Xin continued, ¡°Third Sister-inw, Cui¡¯er will never do anything to harm you. Please let her be with you! Let Cui¡¯er repay your kindness for helping her escapest time!¡±


    ¡°Cui¡¯er, do you know something?¡± Liu Sisi asked seriously.


    Thinking back to yesterday evening¡¯s incident, Ms. Xin¡¯s eyes darkened, and she unconsciously grasped her square headscarf tightly in her hand.


    ¡°No, not really! Really not, Third Sister-inw, don¡¯t ask. Just let Cui¡¯er be with you, Cui¡¯er¡­¡±


    As Ms. Xin spoke, she slowly knelt down.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°What are you doing? If you don¡¯t care for yourself, at least think about the child in your stomach. Get up!¡±


    Liu Sisi scolded her hastily, but when Ms. Xin didn¡¯t budge, Liu Sisi sighed helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to take you with me. I just didn¡¯t n to go to the city myself. How can I take you?¡±


    ¡°Cui¡¯er heard that you¡¯ve been going to the city every daytely. Howe¡­?¡±


    It seemed like the other person had been keeping a close eye on her!<div>


    Liu Sisi suddenly changed her mind.


    ¡°Get up! Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to go to the city with me? What are you still kneeling for?¡±

 Chapter 545: 545: A Day Apart Feels Like Three Autumns

    Chapter 545: A Day Apart Feels Like Three Autumns


    ¡°Report¡ª¡ª¡±


    A government office¡¯s runner rushed into the county government: ¡°Lord County Magistrate, the scout reports that the messenger has arrived at the East City gate and will soon be at the government office.¡±


    ¡°Damn! What have you been doing? Howe you only found out now!¡±


    County Magistrate Su was both anxious and angry, he hastily put on his official hat: ¡°Quickly prepare to go out and wee the messenger!¡±


    Originally, he had wanted to go out of the city gate to wee the messenger, but now that the messenger had entered the city, it was impossible!


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll go too!¡±


    Xin Quan did not want to fall behind and rushed to follow.


    ¡°Lord Xin, how confident are you about this matter?¡± County Magistrate Su was still a bit uneasy.


    ¡°Just rx! My uncle has worked hard to his death. If you still worry, you¡¯ll know the oue in a while.¡±


    The two men walked into the hall while talking.


    As soon as they left the county government, they saw a steed rushing straight towards them. It stopped at the doorway of the government office, and the rider dismounted.<div>


    ¡°So, the messenger has arrived! Quickly pleasee inside!¡±


    County Magistrate Su was overjoyed and hurriedly weed the messenger in.


    Meanwhile, at Liuping Town.


    Liu Sisi instructed the servants to drive the carriage.


    Originally, Ms. Gao was apanying Liu Sisi, but now it was Ms. Xin who took her ce. Old Cheng drove the carriage and once again advanced along the usual route.


    There were two more people in the carriage than usual! It was none other than Di Xuan and Di Ying.


    Liu Sisi had no intention of taking the two with her, but she couldn¡¯t resist Di Ying¡¯s tearful face.


    Di Xuan sat in the corner holding YingEr, not saying a word. He just nced at Liu Sisi from time to time. YingEr, on the other hand, pouted her small mouth. She had tried to get close to Liu Sisi several times, but Di Xuan forcibly held her back.


    ¡°I heard that Third Brother was locked up in the ck prison. I wonder if it¡¯s true?¡± The journey was long, and Ms. Xin was trying to make conversation.


    ¡°Of course it is.¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at her casually: ¡°By rights, County Magistrate Su has no authority to interrogate Ye Lei, which is why the case was reported up to Gongzhou City. As for Gongzhou City¡¯s attitude, we will find out today.¡±


    She used to be ignorant of Ms. Xin¡¯s identity, but since she began to graduallye into contact with the power of the Li Sect, she naturally understood what Ms. Xin used to do.


    As for Ms. Xin¡¯s concealment of her own identity, she didn¡¯t expose it. After all, Ms. Xin genuinely wanted to say goodbye to her past. As Third Sister-inw, she would naturally help her do so.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, please don¡¯t worry. Third Brother will surely have a favorable turn of events.¡±


    Ms. Xin seemed troubled.


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up at the sky outside the window but did not tell Ms. Xin that her own uncle was the Garrison Commander of Gongzhou City.


    The carriage continued to stroll leisurely towards the county city.


    A rider came up to the carriage and rode side by side: ¡°Miss, there¡¯s news from over there that the messenger has already entered the government office.¡±<div>


    ¡°I see! Was it just the messenger alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    So the messenger had already gone in?


    At the moment, Liu Sisi suddenlyughed! It seems that the results were already out!<div>


    The carriage continued to move forward, and not long after, someone reported again: ¡°Miss, the messenger has entered the county government office and is meeting with the Lord County Magistrate.¡±


    ¡°Keep investigating! Old Cheng, speed up the carriage!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Liu Sisi directly lifted the carriage curtain, her gaze heavy, as if to invite the storm be even more violent!


    In the county government.


    The news delivered by the messenger left County Magistrate Su and Xin Quan with heavy hearts.


    ¡°Lord Xin, what do you think your uncle meant by this?¡± County Magistrate Su pointed at the official document on the table with the seal, extremely dissatisfied.


    Xin Quan¡¯s face was also gray with defeat. He didn¡¯t expect that the Garrison Commander would say something so ambiguous.


    ¡°County Magistrate Su, your question is strange. You and I saw this official document at the same time, how could I know what it means?¡±


    County Magistrate Su sprang up from his chair: ¡°Lord Xin, don¡¯t tell me you want to shirk your responsibility at this moment? Don¡¯t forget, if there is an investigation from above, neither you nor I can escape the corruption charges, so don¡¯t delude yourself into thinking you can clean your own ass!¡±


    Xin Quan¡¯s heart caught fire as well! But he forcibly suppressed his anger: ¡°Lord Su, your words are too harsh! My uncle is extraordinarily strict, and he must go through the process ording to the imperial edict. What can I do? I initially wanted to stay in Gongzhou Mansion, but he forcibly stuffed me into this godforsaken ce. I¡¯ve been holding a bellyful of anger, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    After thinking about it, he said, ¡°There¡¯s no other way since things havee to this point. Why don¡¯t we¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed outside and then made a downward cutting motion with his hand¡­<div>


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s face twisted horribly, and after pondering for a moment, he finally made a decision.


    ¡°Fine! It¡¯s all or nothing; dead or alive! Let¡¯s do it!¡±


    In the courtroom.


    Di Yelei had been taken out of the ck prison, everyone returned to their respective positions, leaving Di Yelei standing alone in the courtroom.


    Outside the courtroom, the ce was packed withmon people standing shoulder to shoulder, making it impossible to get through.


    When Liu Sisi led everyone to the entrance of the government office, what she saw was such a grand asion.


    Ignoring her bulky body, she followed Old Cheng, who was clearing the way, and squeezed into the front of the crowd.


    Di Yelei was also searching for Liu Sisi¡¯s figure in the crowd, and as he looked around, the gazes of the two finally met from afar.


    ¡°Sisi!¡±


    He greedily stared at Liu Sisi, sizing her up and down. His eyes were filled with surprise and deep love.


    She was dressed in a particrly simple outfit today, and perhaps due to the crowding, a few strands of her hair hung loose on her cheeks, making her small face even more delicate and blushing!


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him!


    It had been several days since she saw himst, which truly justified the saying, ¡°A day apart feels like three autumns.¡±<div>


    She quickly looked him over. Di Yelei still wore the same clothes from when he was captured. Due to wearing them for so long, his clothes clung to his body like dried salted vegetables, exposing arge patch of bronze-colored chest.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    His neck was shackled with a heavy cor, and his wrists and ankles were bound with thick iron chains. Each step he took emitted the sound of his fetters nking together.


    Despite this, his spirits were still high, and his radiant eyes stared unblinkingly at her.


    Noticing her gaze, he grinned and chuckled a few times, his face filled with simplicity.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re here?¡± His voice was very low.


    ¡°I¡¯m here! Ye Lei, how are you¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes turned red, and her body involuntarily took a few steps forward¡­


    But she almost kicked the high threshold of the county government¡¯s doorway and almost fell onto the court floor.


    ¡°Be careful, Sisi!¡±


    Di Yelei cried out in rm, instinctively wanting to rush forward and support Liu Sisi.


    But another pair of hands were faster!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Before Di Yelei could act, someone beside him had already reached out and grabbed Liu Sisi.<div>

 Chapter 546: 546: Scared by the Beating!

    Chapter 546: Scared by the Beating!


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, are you alright? Don¡¯t scare Cui¡¯er¡­¡±


    Ms. Xin was obviously scared too, tightly holding Liu Sisi¡¯s hand and not daring to let go.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Thank you, sister-inw.¡±


    Liu Sisi was also sweating profusely from the fright! If it weren¡¯t for Ms. Xin catching her in time, she might have really fallen.


    She looked up at Di Yelei, shook her head, and gestured that she was okay.


    Di Yelei finally breathed a sigh of relief!


    ¡°Sisi, you really should be more careful¡­¡±


    As Di Yelei dragged the rattling iron chain, the two finally held hands.


    ¡°Ye Lei, I¡¯m fine, I just didn¡¯t notice what was at my feet just now.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled awkwardly.


    It was difficult for her to step over the high doorway of the county government office while pregnant. If she had fallen, who knows what unexpected things could have happened!<div>


    She subconsciously looked around and a sense of alertness rose in her heart. In her original standing position, only Old Cheng and Ms. Xin were standing there.


    Who had pushed her from behind just now?


    She remembered that during the Lunar New Year¡¯s Eve, someone had almost tripped her as well. Fortunately, Ms. Xin reacted quickly and saved her.


    Could it be¡­ that this was just another drama orchestrated by Ms. Xin?


    The other party¡¯s scheming was just too heavy, but what good would it do for her?


    Ms. Xin¡¯s deep, meaningful gaze left Liu Sisi feeling inexplicably uneasy. However, she could not exin herself clearly. All she could do was smile awkwardly and fall silent.


    County Magistrate Su couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. He picked up the wooden block and mmed it down heavily, scolding loudly!


    ¡°Silence, silence, criminal, kneel down!¡±


    ¡°Majestic! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    The governmental office¡¯s runners on both sides began their routine of proiming the proceedings, tapping their killing rods on the ground to create a dense tter.


    Di Yelei was full of bravado, disying his arrogance!


    Yesterday, he had been forcibly fed Ten-Scent Soft Tendon Powder. At the moment, his hands and feet were weak, and he could barely stand. Yet, he still stood proudly in the court room!


    ¡°I the Official am a seventh-rank sub-captain, just like County Magistrate Su. There is absolutely no reason for me to kneel before you!¡±


    His cold and piercing aura soared, his face filled with murderous intent!


    ¡°And you have no authority to judge me. You two are knowingly breaking thew. Release me immediately, or I will file aint, and the consequences for abusing your power will be severe. Humph!¡±


    County Magistrate Su couldn¡¯t help but tremble, feeling an inexplicable chill run down his spine. It was as if Di Yelei would storm the court and snap his neck at any moment!


    An inexplicable goosebump sensation spread across his body, making him shiver uncontrobly.


    Seeing the expressions of the two officials, themon people around the county office couldn¡¯t help but gossip in hushed voices, criticizing County Magistrate Su.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Weren¡¯t they supposed to be trying a vicious criminal who raped and murdered? What¡¯s happening now?¡±<div>


    ¡°What vicious criminal? He is a seventh-rank sub-captain. Do you think he needs to rape and murder someone to get the woman he wants?¡±


    ¡°They say these officials collude with each other. Just a few days ago, I heard that Lord Sub-Captain was pleading for the people and intercepted County Magistrate Su and others many times. That¡¯s probably when the seeds of disaster were nted¡­¡±


    ¡°Does County Magistrate Su really know thew and yet still break it by trying a fellow official?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±<div>


    Around them, mors and whispers continued nonstop!


    How could ordinary people understand these matters? Among the noisy crowd, there were probably quite a few Li Sect members present.


    What they want is to create public opinion among the masses!


    Liu Sisi slightly lowered her eyes, suppressing the ferocity in her gaze!


    The has already been cast. Whether the fish dies or the breaks will be clear very soon!


    Neither County Magistrate Su nor Xin Quan expected such a situation to happen today.


    When they realized what was going on, their anger only grew.


    ¡°Bring the criminal to the hall!¡±


    ¡°Silence, silence! No loud noises are allowed in the court, and those who vite this rule will be punished with twenty strokes of the rod as a warning to others!¡±


    To cover up his embarrassment, he heavily struck the wooden block multiple times.


    ¡°How daring of you, Di Yelei! You don¡¯t even realize that you¡¯re at death¡¯s door? Get someone to beat him, to beat him to death!¡±


    As he spoke, he picked up a token and threw it at Di Yelei¡¯s feet with a sharp noise.


    ¡°You dare! I am a seventh-rank sub-captain!¡±<div>


    Di Yelei sternly berated, his arrogant and untamed face full of ferocity.


    ¡°Until the judgment of the household department official, the Imperial Censor, and the Imperial Censorate have passed and no crime is confirmed, I¡¯d like to see who dares to touch me!¡±


    With a flick of his hand, he shook off the governmental office¡¯s runner who was about to take action and walked right up to County Magistrate Su in just two strides.


    ¡°Damn it! Hurry, hurry up, go get him, grab him!¡±


    County Magistrate Su was furious, continuously pounding the wooden block, causing the entire courtroom to resound with sharp noises!


    It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t clear about Di Yelei¡¯sbat power!


    It was precisely because he knew that he was even more worried.


    ¡°County Magistrate Su! In order to frame and persecute the loyal, to plot against the imperial court¡¯s appointed officials, you have even personally killed your own niece! The morality of the world has declined, do not think that you can cover up this bright sky!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s words instantly stunned the surrounding office¡¯s runners!


    Most of them had worked with County Magistrate Su for so long, and they naturally knew what sort of person he was.


    Moreover, they had witnessed Di Yelei¡¯s formidable power, which was obvious to all.


    At this moment, being used in the court, everyone hesitated and stayed in ce, not daring to rush forward.


    The magistrate was furious!<div>


    ¡°Catch him! Beat him! Beat him hard, beat him to death for me!¡±


    His anger caused him to even forget to say ¡°I the Official¡± as he just wanted to directly shut Di Yelei¡¯s mouth.


    On the other hand, Xin Quan, who would normally sit quietly in a corner, was now sitting beside the shivering case book, coldly watching everything in the court room.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A suspicion shed in his eyes.


    It¡¯s not right! No one is trying to save him, how strange!


    ¡°County Magistrate Su, Xin Quan! You two conspired together and tried to pin crimes on me without the trial of the three masters. I tell you, heaven is watching, and your days are numbered!¡±


    He shook the iron chains in his hand, making a ttering noise, and stepped closer and closer to County Magistrate Su¡¯s location.


    The office¡¯s runners, who had suffered at Di Yelei¡¯s hands before, fled even faster, leaving County Magistrate Su exposed in front of him.


    County Magistrate Su was immediately shocked and couldn¡¯t help but retreat.


    ¡°Quick, quick, stop him, stop him! Don¡¯te any closer, you scoundrels! Are you guys here just to eat your fill? Hurry up and catch him for me!¡±


    Only then did the governmental office¡¯s runners slowly step forward, dodging and hesitating, pushing and shoving one another, none daring to confront Di Yelei directly.


    They can¡¯t be med, it was just that they had been terrified by Di Yelei in the past!


    <div>

 Chapter 545: A Day Apart Feels Like Three Autumns

    Chapter 545: A Day Apart Feels Like Three Autumns


    ¡°Report¡ª¡ª¡±


    A government office¡¯s runner rushed into the county government: ¡°Lord County Magistrate, the scout reports that the messenger has arrived at the East City gate and will soon be at the government office.¡±


    ¡°Damn! What have you been doing? Howe you only found out now!¡±


    County Magistrate Su was both anxious and angry, he hastily put on his official hat: ¡°Quickly prepare to go out and wee the messenger!¡±


    Originally, he had wanted to go out of the city gate to wee the messenger, but now that the messenger had entered the city, it was impossible!


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll go too!¡±


    Xin Quan did not want to fall behind and rushed to follow.


    ¡°Lord Xin, how confident are you about this matter?¡± County Magistrate Su was still a bit uneasy.


    ¡°Just rx! My uncle has worked hard to his death. If you still worry, you¡¯ll know the oue in a while.¡±


    The two men walked into the hall while talking.


    As soon as they left the county government, they saw a steed rushing straight towards them. It stopped at the doorway of the government office, and the rider dismounted.


    ¡°So, the messenger has arrived! Quickly pleasee inside!¡±


    County Magistrate Su was overjoyed and hurriedly weed the messenger in.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Meanwhile, at Liuping Town.


    Liu Sisi instructed the servants to drive the carriage.


    Originally, Ms. Gao was apanying Liu Sisi, but now it was Ms. Xin who took her ce. Old Cheng drove the carriage and once again advanced along the usual route.


    There were two more people in the carriage than usual! It was none other than Di Xuan and Di Ying.


    Liu Sisi had no intention of taking the two with her, but she couldn¡¯t resist Di Ying¡¯s tearful face.


    Di Xuan sat in the corner holding YingEr, not saying a word. He just nced at Liu Sisi from time to time. YingEr, on the other hand, pouted her small mouth. She had tried to get close to Liu Sisi several times, but Di Xuan forcibly held her back.


    ¡°I heard that Third Brother was locked up in the ck prison. I wonder if it¡¯s true?¡± The journey was long, and Ms. Xin was trying to make conversation.


    ¡°Of course it is.¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at her casually: ¡°By rights, County Magistrate Su has no authority to interrogate Ye Lei, which is why the case was reported up to Gongzhou City. As for Gongzhou City¡¯s attitude, we will find out today.¡±


    She used to be ignorant of Ms. Xin¡¯s identity, but since she began to graduallye into contact with the power of the Li Sect, she naturally understood what Ms. Xin used to do.


    As for Ms. Xin¡¯s concealment of her own identity, she didn¡¯t expose it. After all, Ms. Xin genuinely wanted to say goodbye to her past. As Third Sister-inw, she would naturally help her do so.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, please don¡¯t worry. Third Brother will surely have a favorable turn of events.¡±


    Ms. Xin seemed troubled.


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up at the sky outside the window but did not tell Ms. Xin that her own uncle was the Garrison Commander of Gongzhou City.


    The carriage continued to stroll leisurely towards the county city.


    A rider came up to the carriage and rode side by side: ¡°Miss, there¡¯s news from over there that the messenger has already entered the government office.¡±


    ¡°I see! Was it just the messenger alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    So the messenger had already gone in?


    At the moment, Liu Sisi suddenlyughed! It seems that the results were already out!


    The carriage continued to move forward, and not long after, someone reported again: ¡°Miss, the messenger has entered the county government office and is meeting with the Lord County Magistrate.¡±


    ¡°Keep investigating! Old Cheng, speed up the carriage!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Liu Sisi directly lifted the carriage curtain, her gaze heavy, as if to invite the storm be even more violent!


    In the county government.


    The news delivered by the messenger left County Magistrate Su and Xin Quan with heavy hearts.


    ¡°Lord Xin, what do you think your uncle meant by this?¡± County Magistrate Su pointed at the official document on the table with the seal, extremely dissatisfied.


    Xin Quan¡¯s face was also gray with defeat. He didn¡¯t expect that the Garrison Commander would say something so ambiguous.


    ¡°County Magistrate Su, your question is strange. You and I saw this official document at the same time, how could I know what it means?¡±


    County Magistrate Su sprang up from his chair: ¡°Lord Xin, don¡¯t tell me you want to shirk your responsibility at this moment? Don¡¯t forget, if there is an investigation from above, neither you nor I can escape the corruption charges, so don¡¯t delude yourself into thinking you can clean your own ass!¡±


    Xin Quan¡¯s heart caught fire as well! But he forcibly suppressed his anger: ¡°Lord Su, your words are too harsh! My uncle is extraordinarily strict, and he must go through the process ording to the imperial edict. What can I do? I initially wanted to stay in Gongzhou Mansion, but he forcibly stuffed me into this godforsaken ce. I¡¯ve been holding a bellyful of anger, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    After thinking about it, he said, ¡°There¡¯s no other way since things havee to this point. Why don¡¯t we¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed outside and then made a downward cutting motion with his hand¡­


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s face twisted horribly, and after pondering for a moment, he finally made a decision.


    ¡°Fine! It¡¯s all or nothing; dead or alive! Let¡¯s do it!¡±


    In the courtroom.


    Di Yelei had been taken out of the ck prison, everyone returned to their respective positions, leaving Di Yelei standing alone in the courtroom.


    Outside the courtroom, the ce was packed withmon people standing shoulder to shoulder, making it impossible to get through.


    When Liu Sisi led everyone to the entrance of the government office, what she saw was such a grand asion.


    Ignoring her bulky body, she followed Old Cheng, who was clearing the way, and squeezed into the front of the crowd.


    Di Yelei was also searching for Liu Sisi¡¯s figure in the crowd, and as he looked around, the gazes of the two finally met from afar.


    ¡°Sisi!¡±


    He greedily stared at Liu Sisi, sizing her up and down. His eyes were filled with surprise and deep love.


    She was dressed in a particrly simple outfit today, and perhaps due to the crowding, a few strands of her hair hung loose on her cheeks, making her small face even more delicate and blushing!


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him!


    It had been several days since she saw himst, which truly justified the saying, ¡°A day apart feels like three autumns.¡±


    She quickly looked him over. Di Yelei still wore the same clothes from when he was captured. Due to wearing them for so long, his clothes clung to his body like dried salted vegetables, exposing arge patch of bronze-colored chest.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    His neck was shackled with a heavy cor, and his wrists and ankles were bound with thick iron chains. Each step he took emitted the sound of his fetters nking together.


    Despite this, his spirits were still high, and his radiant eyes stared unblinkingly at her.


    Noticing her gaze, he grinned and chuckled a few times, his face filled with simplicity.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re here?¡± His voice was very low.


    ¡°I¡¯m here! Ye Lei, how are you¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes turned red, and her body involuntarily took a few steps forward¡­


    But she almost kicked the high threshold of the county government¡¯s doorway and almost fell onto the court floor.


    ¡°Be careful, Sisi!¡±


    Di Yelei cried out in rm, instinctively wanting to rush forward and support Liu Sisi.


    But another pair of hands were faster!


    Before Di Yelei could act, someone beside him had already reached out and grabbed Liu Sisi.

 Chapter 547: 547: Abnormality

    Chapter 547: Abnormality


    This is a case of innocent bystanders falling victim to the gods¡¯ quarrel!


    Although it¡¯s expected to be loyal to one¡¯s superiors, it¡¯s better to avoid getting involved in situations where you¡¯ll clearly end up getting beaten and won¡¯t gain anything!


    ¡°Come on! Whoever dares to step up today, don¡¯t me me, Di Yelei, for disregarding our brotherly bond!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s momentum is soaring! He feels the return of his power!


    Wherever his gaze passes, the governmental office¡¯s runners automatically back off.


    Just as the situation is about to spiral out of control, Xin Quan, who has been sitting quietly to the side finally speaks up.


    ¡°Ahem! Stop fighting!¡±


    Although Di Yelei seems extremely irritable, he has been closely monitoring the surroundings all along.


    As soon as Xin Quan speaks, Di Yelei stops his actions.


    ¡°Lord Xin Quan, you, in collusion with the Su County Magistrate, havemitted corruption and bribery. During your temporary management of the armory, you embezzled the silver funds allocated by the imperial court. Now you are conspiring with Su County Magistrate to frame up a loyal man. What crimes should you be punished for?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ there¡¯s such a thing?¡±<div>


    ¡°My goodness! They even dared to embezzle the silver allocated by the imperial court¡­¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Release him! Let Lord Di go! Release him¡­¡±


    The outcry and condemnation of the civilians outside grows louder and louder, gradually forming a huge wave.


    ¡°Silence! Silence!¡±


    County Magistrate Su knocks on the wooden block: ¡°Whoever makes any more noise and interrupts my trial will be charged as an aplice! Arrest them immediately and lock them up in prison for ten days to half a month!¡±


    With his knock on the wooden block, the chaotic governmental office¡¯s runners hastily abandon Di Yelei, stand in two neat rows, and start banging on their killing rods!


    The unique oppressive atmosphere in the court room returns.


    Naturally, Di Yelei won¡¯t confront Su County Magistrate in front of so many people. After the sound of the wooden block, he stands coldly in ce, not speaking or moving.


    Even though it¡¯s early spring in March, Su County Magistrate is sweating profusely!


    He takes out a handkerchief, wipes his sweat haphazardly, and throws it carelessly on the desk, holding back his anger.


    ¡°Bring the corpse of the victim!¡±


    As Su County Magistrate¡¯s words fall, two people below lift the victim¡¯s corpse up.


    Since the deceased was Su County Magistrate¡¯s niece, the body was not dragged into Yizhuang like ordinary people¡¯s but ced in an ice cave.


    At the moment it¡¯s brought out, the body is covered with a thinyer of frost.


    What follows is naturally a series of standard procedures, the forensic doctor exining the situation of the deceased, and subsequently summoning the witnesses present at that time.


    As everyone takes the stage, Mrs. Su and her sister-inw cry and make a scene in the court room.


    Liu Sisi watches everyone¡¯s performance with cold eyes, not saying a word.


    Also smiling without speaking is Di Yelei!


    Only after everyone¡¯s excellent performance is over, Di Yelei coldly snorts.<div>


    ¡°County Magistrate Su, you are both the chief judge and the grieving party. Even if you forcefully fabricate evidence to close the case today, will you really pass the inspection by the Patrol Imperial Envoy with such an excuse?¡±


    ¡°You scoundrel! Di Yelei, you were clearly caught red-handed with both the person and the evidence and still dare to argue? Guards! Give me the Official thirty hits of the boards first!¡±


    County Magistrate Su angrily said, forcefully throwing the token at Di Yelei¡¯s feet.


    Even if it¡¯s known that he was forced to admit his guilt, so what?<div>


    Later on in the trial, when he is tortured, he¡¯ll die in prison within a few days, and it will have nothing to do with County Magistrate Su.


    Who else can say anything against it?


    ¡°Hold on! ording to the imperial edict, even if the criminal doesn¡¯t confess, they can only be given five hits in the first round. County Magistrate Su, you let them hit Di with 30 boards, clearly trying to give him a way out. What a poisonous heart you have!¡±


    Boom!


    Di Yelei¡¯s words are like a scoop of water added to a boiling oil pan, immediately exploding in the crowd!


    There have been many people who have suffered wrongful imprisonment throughout history. As soon as Di Yelei spoke up, his words immediately caused a thousand waves.


    The voices of countless people echoed all around.


    ¡°Come! Hold him for me and hit him directly! Let¡¯s see who else dares to speak nonsense!¡±


    At the moment, County Magistrate Su waspletely disregarding the consequences, only hoping to resolve the matter directly: ¡°Hit him! If he dies, I the Official will take responsibility. Juste at me with whatever you have!¡±


    I¡¯d like to see who else is capable of saving you!


    ¡°Wait! Lord County Magistrate, hold on, Sisi has something to say.¡±


    As the situation got more and more out of hand, Liu Sisi raised her voice and walked into the hall.


    County Magistrate Su nced back at Xin Quan, indeed noticing a look of vignce on his face.<div>


    They couldn¡¯t have forgotten that in order to deal with their lingering worries, they had sent several groups of people to Liuping Town, but no matter how tightly they guarded, none of the people they sent ever returned.


    If they still didn¡¯t know they had encountered a tough opponent by now, they must be pigs!


    But even if they knew, it was toote for them to turn back now.


    ¡°This is not a ce for women to speak! Leave at once! Considering that you are a woman and with child, I will let you off this time for your offense!¡±


    County Magistrate Su spoke with some hesitation.


    Once Liu Sisi stepped forward, why would she simply back away?


    ¡°Lord County Magistrate, it¡¯s not that I, Liu Sisi, want to pick at things, but this situation is really not right!¡±


    ¡°What exactly is wrong?¡± Su County Magistrate¡¯s tone was somber.


    ¡°Look at the deceased! Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a problem?¡± Liu Sisi pointed at the dead girl¡¯s appearance.


    It¡¯s a pity that a 20-year-old girl had her life cut short because of the private desires of some people. It¡¯s a heartless, insane act!


    ¡°Where is the problem? Liu Sisi, I¡¯m showing you leniency on Lord Gan¡¯s behalf, and you¡¯ve been pushing your luck over and over again. If you don¡¯t step back, I will deal with you as well!¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up at County Magistrate Su, her face bearing a faint smile, but her eyes shed with a hint of mockery. It disappeared quickly before anyone could capture it.


    ¡°County Magistrate Su, just let Sisi finish before you get angry.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi gave a light cough: ¡°Normally speaking, since Madam¡¯s niece has been dead for so long, even if she was kept in an ice cave, her appearance should have changed by now¡ªno longer as lifelike as when she was alive. How strange!¡±


    Liu Sisi pretended to think, frowning repeatedly: ¡°It¡¯s too abnormal. Is it possible that Madam¡¯s niece isn¡¯t dead? That¡¯s why she maintains such a lifelike appearance?¡±


    ¡°Truly, women are easily frightened by the unfamiliar! Forensic doctor, please tell her the reason!¡± County Magistrate Su sighed in relief.


    So that¡¯s what it was, what a scare he had almost given himself.

 Chapter 548: 548: Deceiving the Heavens and Crossing the Sea!

    Chapter 548: Deceiving the Heavens and Crossing the Sea!


    The forensic doctor naturally did not dare to hesitate, got up to pay his respects to Liu Sisi, and then said.


    ¡°Madam, since the corpses in the governmental office mostly die from unnatural causes, and due to concerns about the adverse effects of temperature, the corpses are soaked in anti-decay solution when transported to Yizhuang. This is the reason why the corpses can be preserved for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it is!¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded again and again, looking as if she understood.


    However, a momentter, she still shook her head: ¡°But¡­I still feel something¡¯s not right. Look at her face, why is it so enchanting?¡±


    ¡°What enchanting or not enchanting? Madam, I have been tolerant of you out of respect for Lord Gan, but why do you continue to desecrate the dead? What is your intention?¡±


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s face was filled with grief.


    ¡°Moreover, Liu Sisi, you and Di Yelei are a married couple, who would dare believe what you say?¡±


    ¡°County Magistrate Su, as a devoted official to the civilians, why do you like to falsely use others? Instead of arguing with Sisi here, why don¡¯t you take a look for yourself? See if what Sisi said is false?¡±


    Liu Sisi sneered secretly, but her face was as innocent as possible, blinking her long, curled eyshes.


    Such a situation made Di Yelei¡¯s back feel chilly, and Sisi was up to her tricks again!<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ll look at it if I have to, am I afraid of you?¡±


    County Magistrate Su strode down from the court and looked down beside Cailian¡¯s corpse: ¡°What are we looking at? Isn¡¯t everything fine? Is there a problem¡­ Oh my God!¡±


    He too was startled by Cailian¡¯s face! He fell to the ground and almost lost his temper.


    Everyone hurriedly stretched out their necks, carefully examining the appearance of the deceased.


    Sure enough, as Liu Sisi said, what a beautiful face!


    Liu Sisi looked innocent, her eyes as clear as a pool of water as she looked at County Magistrate Su.


    ¡°Lord County Magistrate, do you see it now? Cailian¡¯s face is even more beautiful and better-looking than when she was alive!¡±


    County Magistrate Su did not respond! Xin Quan and Mrs. Su above were dumbfounded and speechless.


    The civilians who hade to watch the trial today also swarmed forward, one by one, carefully examining the deceased¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh my! It¡¯s indeed more beautiful than a living person¡¯s face! Is this really a dead person who has been dead for more than half a month? It doesn¡¯t look like it.¡±


    ¡°What? Already dead for more than half a month? What¡¯s going on? Why didn¡¯t the face of the dead person change? This is strange.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that this person is actually alive, but people mistakenly thought she was dead¡­¡±


    ¡°I also think there is a possibility. Should we call a doctor¡­¡±


    Everyone was talking loudly, pushing and shoving, saying all kinds of things.


    At this moment, everyone¡¯s concern was no longer whether Di Yelei was the criminal, but whether the so-called deceased was still alive or not.


    Everyone on the court looked terrible! Especially County Magistrate Su and his wife, who couldn¡¯t express their bitterness under Xin Quan¡¯s surprised gaze.


    Initially, fearing the news would leak, they acted without resorting to others. They knew whether Cailian was dead or alive.


    At the moment, seeing the surrounding people yelling that Cailian was still alive, the two naturally felt guilty.


    ¡°Ah! I know the reason now!¡±<div>


    Just as everyone was at a stalemate, the forensic doctor beside them suddenly pped himself and thought of a question.


    The forensic doctor gave County Magistrate Su a fist greeting: ¡°Lord Su, in the past, I have heard that there are people of extraordinary talent in themon society who can make lifelike human skin masks for disguise. It is said that these masks are specially treated, and anyone wearing them can change into any appearance they want. I was wondering, is Miss Cailian still alive?¡±


    ¡°What? Are you certain such a method exists?¡±


    County Magistrate Su stared nkly at the forensic doctor, wishing he could tear his big mouth apart.<div>


    The forensic doctor was still immersed in the possibility that he had discovered the truth of the matter and had note to his senses.


    Hearing this, he quickly nodded: ¡°Your Honor, I may not know how to make human skin masks, but I have heard about the face-changing technique using human skin masks from my Master before¡ªthis is my first time seeing it! However, my Master also said that to remove the human skin mask, you need to carefully search and find the edges before you can take it off.¡±


    As the forensic doctor spoke, his fingers gently searched along the hairline of the corpse.


    Liu Sisi quietly took a few steps back, away from the pungent smell of the corpse and the preservative, and looked up at Di Yelei.


    She had done what she was supposed to do, and now it was up to him to finish the rest.


    Di Yelei gave her a slight nod, signaling her not to worry.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    County Magistrate Su and the others, on the other hand, looked more nervous and wanted to p the forensic doctor dead.


    Then, they said in a threatening tone, ¡°Did you find it? If not, it¡¯s probably just¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Found it! It really is a human skin mask!¡±


    The forensic doctor¡¯s hands constantly searched along the hairline of the deceased when his expression suddenly returned to normal! Interrupting County Magistrate Su.


    As his words fell, his fingers slowly moved, and sure enough, a thinyer of human skin was peeled off from the hairline, revealing a decaying face underneath.


    Even so, the difference between the two faces was so great that one could tell at a nce that they were not the same person at all.


    ¡°It turns out there really are two people, and the deceased¡¯s face did have a human skin mask on it!¡±<div>


    ¡°Heavens! Who on earth did this? How could they deceive so many people? ¡±


    ¡°The question now is, if the deceased is not Lord Su¡¯s niece, then who is she? Where has Su¡¯s niece gone?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Everyone fell silent, finally focusing their eyes on County Magistrate Su.


    County Magistrate Su felt a sense of panic in his heart: ¡°This¡­ I don¡¯t know about this matter either¡­¡±


    He was also questioning in his heart: had Cailian been reced by someone else before she was killed? Or was she harmed after she died?


    The surrounding people¡¯s faces didn¡¯t look good, either, and their hearts were probably pondering the same question.


    ¡°Ah! How could this happen? This¡­ isn¡¯t this my poor daughter who died of a serious illness?¡±


    One of the businessmen dressed as a middle-aged man in the crowd looked left and right, growing more and more incredulous.


    ¡°Lord County Magistrate, how did my daughter end up here? I clearly sent her up the hill and buried her 20 days ago. Which damned person did this heartless thing? Lord County Magistrate, you must seek justice for themon people!¡±


    The businessman couldn¡¯t suppress his grief and anger any longer and cried out loud.


    The onlookers sighed. This was a true case of unwarranted disaster!


    <div>

 Chapter 549: 549: Failed to Steal a Chicken Instead Lost a Handful of Rice

    Chapter 549: Failed to Steal a Chicken Instead Lost a Handful of Rice


    Di Yelei had a sinister smile on his face, and suddenly raised his thick ck eyebrows!


    ¡°Lord Su the Su County Magistrate, this businessman is asking you a question! Why don¡¯t you answer?¡±


    Didn¡¯t the Su County Magistrate say that he killed his niece?


    Now that his niece has be a dead person, let¡¯s see what else he has to say!


    ¡°Your Honor! You must uphold justice for me! People say that the dead should rest in peace after being buried. This person who has been buried for days has now been brought to the court and has be the niece of Su County Magistrate? If everyone were to follow this example, what will happen¡­ Your Honor?!¡±


    The businessman was also a clever person. If he hadn¡¯t figured out what was going on after watching themotion for so long, then he would have lived in vain for decades!


    In the crowd, Di Xuan held YingEr¡¯s hand with excitement on his face!


    ¡°Little sister, Dad¡¯s suspicions have been cleared, and Dad is fine now! Everything is fine! Hahaha¡­¡±


    His excitement also stirred the people around them, and everyone turned their heads to look at the excited group of people.


    Just across from them, two figures dressed as farmers in straw hats squeezed out of the crowd.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The two walked away, and it wasn¡¯t until they turned the corner of the gate of the government office that they picked up their pace.<div>


    ¡°Master, are we just leaving like this? Didn¡¯t you say¡­¡± you wanted to give the son-inw a hard time?


    The man in front with fast steps lifted his head, revealing the face under the straw hat.


    If it wasn¡¯t Elder Leisure, who could it be?


    Elder Leisure had no expression on his face: ¡°I changed my mind. I suddenly felt that it might not be a bad idea to spare his life. Order to proceed as originally nned, and send him to the border city for me. What kind of ambition can a man have if he sticks to taking care of his wife and children?¡±


    ¡°What about the orders for the miss¡­¡±


    The man hesitated a lot.


    ¡°If Sisi orders anything, you just go ahead and do it, and fully cooperate with her!¡±


    Elder Leisure sighed! ¡°Although I used her to force that stinky brat, it was also ast resort. No matter what, she is my daughter and I cannot let others bully her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    In the government office, Su County Magistrate¡¯s forehead throbbed with pain. It was really a case of failing to steal a chicken but actually losing a handful of rice.


    But how could he understand what was going on in front of him?


    He turned to talk with Xin Quan in a low voice, and the two seemed to be discussing something, with Xin Quan nodding frequently.


    It was only then that the Su County Magistrate said, ¡°Come on! Take Di Yelei back to the prison, and wait until I have investigated the ins and outs of the matter before making a decision!¡±


    What?


    Everyone was shocked!


    Is Su County Magistrate still unwilling to let go even now?


    ¡°Lord Su, you and I are both seventh-rank officials, you originally had no right to interrogate me. That¡¯s one mistake. You are the uncle of the deceased, but ording to the Imperial edict of the Great Zhao, you must not participate in the trial of the case, yet you knowinglymitted the offense! That¡¯s two mistakes. You initially wronged me for raping and killing your niece, and forcibly imprisoned me in the ck prison. That¡¯s three mistakes.¡±


    Di Yelei stepped on every point and questioned Su County Magistrate.


    ¡°Now that it has been proven that the murder is purely fictitious, Lord Su, are you still unwilling to release the prisoner?¡±<div>


    Su County Magistrate clenched his teeth in anger: ¡°I don¡¯t care about those things! Even if it¡¯s proven that the deceased is not Cailian, the whereabouts of the real Cailian is still a mystery. Before I find her, I will not release him! Come on, take him down and lock him up in the prison!¡±


    This was purely a strong insistence!


    ¡°Lord Su, you are a dog official! I¡¯ll fight you to the death!¡±


    Di Yelei, disregarding the shackles on his body, struggled to rush forward, intending to directly pull Su County Magistrate down.<div>


    However, the heavy shackles and the heavy handcuffs and leg irons seriously restricted his actions, on the contrary, the governmental office¡¯s runners surrounded him.


    How could these government runners be a match for Di Yelei?


    Even though he was currently restricted in his movements, it couldn¡¯t overshadow his enormous strength!


    He wielded the heavy shackles, and the iron chains in his hands turned into weapons against the governmental office¡¯s runners! Fortunately, none of them were trying to kill him, and both sides were stuck in a stalemate.


    Everyone was exchanging blows, but nobody could gain the upper hand!


    ¡°Di Yelei, don¡¯t mess around! Look what¡¯s in my hand!¡±


    Xin Quan suddenly roared, ¡°Do you not care about your own life, and do you not care about the lives of your wife and child either?¡±


    Di Yelei was shocked!


    He hurriedly turned his head back, only to see Di Xuan, who had been tightly controlled by Xin Quan at some point.


    ¡°Let him go! You bastard!¡±


    Di Yelei immediately became furious and charged towards Xin Quan.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was pale. She had just been busy trying to save Di Yelei, but she forgot that there were still two children over there!


    Perhaps, she shouldn¡¯t have taken the two children with her in the morning out of sympathy.<div>


    At the moment, the children were being used as leverage against Di Yelei! Such a mistake could have been avoided, and she couldn¡¯t help but me herself. Indeed, one cannot anticipate everything!


    ¡°Brother! Dad! Mom! Wuuwuu¡­¡±


    YingEr was crying loudly at this moment and was being protected by Old Cheng behind her.


    During the chaos, Xin Quan suddenly attacked the two children.


    In a moment of desperation, Old Cheng managed to save YingEr but could only watch as Di Xuan was captured by Xin Quan.


    ¡°Stop! If you take one more step, I¡¯ll have him beheaded.¡±


    Xin Quan held Di Xuan¡¯s neck with one hand, and dragged him back, clearly prepared to snap his neck at any moment!


    Di Xuan¡¯s eyes rolled back due to the force of being dragged, his face swollen and red, apparently struggling to breathe.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re just children! Xin Quan, let him go! If anything happens to him, I¡¯ll make you pay!¡±


    Liu Sisi shouted angrily, while Ms. Xin was desperately protecting her side.


    ¡°If you want me to let him go, then Di Yelei, surrender! Do you want to watch your son die right in front of your eyes?¡±


    Xin Quan¡¯s roar shook Di Yelei to the core!


    He lifted his gaze to the ck-faced Di Xuan and finally gave up his resistance.<div>


    The nearby runners quickly closed in, bound him up, dragged him, and sent him back to the dungeon prison.


    ¡°Sisi! Sisi, take good care of yourself, and the children¡­¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s voice was still echoing in the distance.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Ye Lei, no¡­ Xin Quan, let Xuan¡¯er go quickly, let him go¡­¡±


    Unable to hold back her tears, Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes turned red and she charged at Xin Quan, biting his arm hard¡­


    ¡°Ah! Damn it!¡±


    Xin Quan winced in pain and violently threw away Di Xuan from his grasp. At the same time, Liu Sisi, who was heavily pregnant, was also thrown out.


    A muffled groan of pain came from Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth.


    It¡¯s over!


    She didn¡¯t dare to think about the consequences of her fall¡­ She instinctively closed her eyes and shielded her stomach.


    She suddenly felt that something was wrong with the sensation below her.

 Chapter 550: 550: Chaos!

    Chapter 550: Chaos!


    She lowered her head and saw that it was Ms. Xin who had shielded her and became her flesh padding.


    ¡°Cui¡¯er, how could you¡­ Are you all right?¡± Liu Sisi unconsciously asked, scrambling to check on Di Xuan who was lying next to her.


    Di Xuan appeared to have passed out. Liu Sisi instinctively crawled towards him.


    But suddenly, arge hand reached out from the side, aiming to grab at Liu Sisi¡¯s back.


    Ms. Xin¡¯s face was full of pain. She slowly opened her eyes just in time to see this scene and let out a startled cry.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Before Liu Sisi could react, Ms. Xin suddenly pulled her and, with a swift motion, moved her to a different spot. Liu Sisi saw the world in front of her blur, and she found herself standing in a different ce.


    Ms. Xin¡¯s movements were not slow at all, in a blink of an eye, she was already engaged in a fight with the person behind her.


    When Liu Sisi turned around, she saw it was actually a constable attacking Ms. Xin; they fought fiercely for several rounds before they broke apart.


    ¡°Everyone back off!¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly turned around to see that Di Xuan had been saved by Old Cheng, and the constable had already retreated to Xin Quan¡¯s side.<div>


    ¡°You actually dared to bite me¡­¡± Xin Quan¡¯s face was ferocious.


    He stepped forward, wanting to make Liu Sisi suffer. Unexpectedly, the civilians watching from the outside also started to riot!


    ¡°Lord Di is innocent, release Lord Di!¡±


    ¡°Even a child and pregnant woman are not spared, is this what a caring official should do? Brothers, these corrupt officials want to force us to our deaths!¡±


    ¡°Corrupt official! You make yourself rich through corruption, framing the innocent when exposed, you are the ones who should be beheaded!¡±


    ¡°Everyone don¡¯t be afraid! We can¡¯t reason with these corrupt officials, let¡¯s fight these corrupt officials! Everyone, charge!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, charge¡­¡±


    In an instant, countless civilians became more and more excited and rushed into the government office.


    At this moment, no one needed to incite them, the angered civilians became more agitated and started to attack the constables around them. The shouts were everywhere!


    Seeing the civilians starting to rebel, County Magistrate Su and Xin Quan panicked!


    ¡°Troublemakers! All of you troublemakers deserve to die!¡±


    ¡°Go! What are you standing around for? Hurry up and arrest people! Seize all these rebellious troublemakers!¡±


    County Magistrate Su yelled out loud.


    But he and Xin Quan exchanged a nce and quietly retreated.


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor!¡±


    The constables were arresting people everywhere, and those who had previously helped to argue were captured on some vague charges! These constables were like a group of rabid dogs.


    The crowd was in total chaos!


    Everyone was screaming, running madly, and cries for help were echoing everywhere, people dispersed and fled in all directions.


    However, more people turned around and started attacking the government office.<div>


    ¡°Hurry, hurry up! Go forward, constables and officers! What are you doing? Hurry! Hurry up and close the door! Close the main gate¡­¡±


    Seeing the situation getting out of control, the County Magistrate Su no longer cared about anything else, he quickly fled to the back hall.


    Weary and running back to the back hall, both County Magistrate Su and Xin Quan showed panic on their faces!


    Listening to the increasingly loud shouting from outside, County Magistrate Su could no longer restrain his anger.<div>


    ¡°Bastard! That damn coroner dare to betray me? Get to the bottom of this immediately! What the hell is going on?¡± His words were clearly disced anger.


    ¡°What the hell is going on? That was clearly Cailian, how did she end up being the businessman¡¯s daughter! There¡¯s definitely a catch here, go and investigate, hurry!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The governmental office¡¯s runners hurriedly backed out.


    Once everyone exited, Xin Quan mmed his fist down on the table.


    ¡°Su, didn¡¯t you say it was foolproof? Is this your idea of foolproof? A situation full of errors, you¡¯re even confident enough to im it?¡±


    Although County Magistrate Su was also furious, he had no temperament in front of Xin Quan.


    ¡°Lord Xin! You saw what happened, too. I sacrificed my own niece to this mess, and I still don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to exin it to my family! Stop making it worse!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Hmph! What do you mean by saying I¡¯m causing trouble?¡±


    Xin Quan stood up from his chair: ¡°You¡¯d bettere up with a good n. Didn¡¯t you let Zhang Shixin make his movest time? Howe he hasn¡¯te back yet, did something go wrong?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ how could that be? Lord Xin, don¡¯t scare yourself!¡±


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s smile was somewhat strained.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so! It¡¯ste, I¡¯ll go home first and discuss the detailster.¡±


    After saying this, Xin Quan did not wait for County Magistrate Su to say anything more, throwing his sleeve over his shoulder, he promptly left the government office through the side door. He left in a flourish!<div>


    County Magistrate Su was in a panic, he had actually forgotten about the matter with Zhang Shixin! It seemed that it had been two days since the guy had left, why hadn¡¯t he returned yet?


    But just as Xin Quan said, there wouldn¡¯t be another mishap on their end, right?


    Looking at the suddenly closed door of the government office, themon people took out countless rotten eggs, vegetable leaves, and pickles, and started pelting the door!


    That County Magistrate Su really had some nerve to stir up such a huge public outrage!


    After a fierce battle, Liu Sisi managed to retreatment. Upon careful examination, it didn¡¯t look like she had any serious problems.


    Leading Di Xuan and Di Ying, they carefully retreated, which was easy thanks to Ms. Xin and Old Cheng¡¯s protection and the spontaneous addition of countless reinforcements, allowing them to squeeze out of the crowd.


    Among their group, some were young, others were pregnant, none of them were suitable for charge into battle.


    ¡°Miss, this County Magistrate Su has gone mad. It¡¯s better to evacuate the county city as soon as possible, leaving us freer to act. Save Su County from resting, and then starting to deal with you!¡±


    A man dressed as a farmer approached her and said in a low voice.


    He was right, at the moment Xuan¡¯er was still unconscious. She herself and Ms. Xin were pregnant and they were dragging two children. If they lingered, they would not only be useless but also be a burden to everyone.


    ¡°Very well! How is the situation over there?¡±


    Liu Sisi swept around, this ce had already turned into a mess.


    ¡°Our people have already intervened, miss, please rest assured.¡±<div>


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Tell our brothers, do not hesitate when the timees to act, hit back hard for me. This County Magistrate Su deserves to die! Let¡¯s go!¡± Liu Sisi heaved a sigh of relief.


    Without any hesitation, she then pulled everyone onto the carriage and galloped towards the city gate.


    Passing by people who were rushing back from the city gate and those who were fleeing the city in panic, their cries and shouts filled the air.


    Several frightened people in the carriage were shivering. Liu Sisi tightly held Xuan¡¯er in her arms. It wasn¡¯t until they left the city gate that they could breathe a sigh of relief.


    Only then did Liu Sisi find time to examine Di Xuan¡¯s injuries carefully.


    There were several purple-ck finger marks on Di Xuan¡¯s neck. As expected, Xin Quan was merciless when he struck.

 Chapter 551: 551: Miscarriage

    Chapter 551: Miscarriage


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, how are you? Are you injured anywhere?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t care about anything else as she carefully lifted Di Xuan¡¯s clothes and sleeves, meticulously inspecting him.


    Except for the frightening bruise on his neck and a streak of blood on the skin below his chin, she found no other new injuries.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    Di Xuan silently closed his arms slowly and buried his head in Liu Sisi¡¯s chest.


    He shook his head forcefully: ¡°Mom, Xuan¡¯er is okay¡­¡±


    He kept seeing the scene of Liu Sisi stepping forward to protect him.


    He had lost consciousness earlier, but the scene where Liu Sisi bit Xin Quan kept shing before his eyes.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Liu Sisi saving him, he might now¡­


    For a moment, Di Xuan¡¯s heart was filled with mixed emotions. He couldn¡¯t exin how he felt.


    ¡°Brother, didn¡¯t you say that Dad is innocent? Why won¡¯t Lord County Magistrate release him?¡±<div>


    Seeing that they were getting farther and farther from the county, Di Ying pouted.


    ¡°These corrupt officials! I originally thought they wouldn¡¯t go this far, but they have no bottom line!¡±


    Liu Sisi cursed angrily.


    In her mind, since it was proven that the deceased was not Cailian, Di Ye Lei¡¯s so-called murder charge should be invalidated, and he should be released immediately!


    What she didn¡¯t expect was that County Magistrate Su was determined to destroy Di Ye Lei, not giving him any chance to survive.


    Even in the face of public fury, he forcibly detained Di Ye Lei.


    Now, to save Di Ye Lei, it seemed they would need to use extreme methods!


    She clenched her fists tightly!


    Her thoughts spun a thousand times in her heart.


    ¡°Mom, what about Dad? Dad is still inside, Ying¡¯er wants Dad, wu wu¡­¡±


    Ying¡¯er couldn¡¯t help crying softly.


    ¡°Ying¡¯er, don¡¯t cry, your dad will be alright, trust mom¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi lowered her head, trying tofort Ying¡¯er.


    ¡°Cui¡¯er?¡±


    Upon lowering her head, her gaze was shocked by the blood spreading at Ms. Xin¡¯s feet!


    ¡°Cui¡¯er! Cui¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong with you? Cui¡¯er, don¡¯t scare me¡­¡±


    The blood seeped out from Cui¡¯er¡¯s lower abdomen, flowing rapidly at her feet; spreading out and only looking like it would increase in amount.


    Ms. Xin¡¯s face was covered in sweat; she was in so much pain that her entire body was trembling: ¡°Third sister-inw, save¡­save my child¡­save¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her words, her body went limp, and she copsed to the ground.<div>


    ¡°Cui¡¯er!¡±


    Liu Sisi let out a panicked and sorrowful cry!


    Then there was a scene of great chaos!


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t care about anything else and hurriedly took Ms. Xin back to the clinic.<div>


    Looking at Dr. He, who had been inside for a long time and had note out, the blood one after another was carried out, everyone¡¯s faces became increasingly ugly.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart gradually sank, and she subconsciously clenched her fists.


    If it weren¡¯t for Xin Quan being thrown out at that moment, and Ms. Xin promptly cushioning her back, maybe the person lying inside would be her!


    Hopefully, Ms. Xin and her child will be safe!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    On top of Heilong Mountain.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re saying something happened at the county government? Everything was fine when I left, how did something happen in the blink of an eye!¡±


    Elder Leisure¡¯s face was filled with rage! He hated things that were out of his control the most.


    At the moment, he appeared lively and vigorous, showing no signs of madness at all.


    ¡°It is said that not long after Your Highness left, the son-inw over there had clearly washed away his suspicion of homicide, but County Magistrate Su still refused to release him, which eventually provoked public anger and escted to an uncontroble situation,¡±


    A person said respectfully, kneeling on one knee.


    ¡°Interesting, is this County Magistrate Su looking for death? How dare he make things difficult for my son-inw!¡±


    Elder Leisure¡¯s face was gloomy, with a decisive killing intent surging forth. Then, he thought of something else.


    ¡°What does my daughter have to say about this?¡±<div>


    The person lowered his head even more: ¡°The youngdy has already made arrangements, it seems¡­ she wants to have jade and stone burn together.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What do you mean by jade and stone burn together?¡±


    ¡°The youngdy has prepared a lot of empty thunder¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s head lowered until it almost touched the ground, his body unconsciously shuddering.


    Sure enough, a madman¡¯s daughter is also a madman! He had seen for himself how powerful that empty thunder was! The thought of a considerable amount of empty thunder made his scalp tingle.


    Elder Leisure¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply. A momentter, the gloom on his face dissipated, and he burst outughing instead.


    ¡°Good! Worthy of being my daughter, indeed! Good! Very good! Haha¡­ Send orders down and proceed ording to my daughter¡¯s instructions. Prioritize her safety above all else.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Also, about that Di something kid.¡±


    Elder Leisure mentioned him with an unhappy expression on his face, but also with a sense of helplessness.


    ¡°Since Sisi likes him and he¡¯s devoted to Sisi, let¡¯s keep him for now. Let him gain some experience first, so he can barely be worthy of my Sisi. After all, she has her eyes set on such a rough man¡­ Sigh!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°By the way! That County Magistrate Su is quite arrogant, isn¡¯t he? Arrange a good show for him. I want to see how long he can maintain his arrogance!¡±<div>


    Elder Leisure¡¯s face remained calm, even at the moment of deciding life and death, his expression stayed the same.


    ¡°Yes, I will immediately pass down the order.¡±


    As the man raised his head slightly and looked at the figure standing in front of him, he added, ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. The actress who was nted by the youngdy¡¯s side tried to help her during the day, but ended up having a miscarriage. She¡¯s still in critical condition.¡±


    ¡°What? There¡¯s still such a thing happening? How is Sisi? Has she been hurt?¡±


    ¡°Youngdy is unharmed and safe.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ As for the actress, if she survives this ordeal, grant her a peaceful retirement! Let it be a reward for her loyalty in protecting my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The man¡¯s face showed clear joy.


    ¡°Also, don¡¯t bother me with such trivial matters in the future!¡±


    Elder Leisure nced at him coldly, causing the man to shudder in fright!


    His powerful aura almost pressed him to the ground.


    He tremblingly exited the bamboo house, wiping his forehead with his hand, feeling a sense of relief after escaping death.


    Just now, when the other party looked at him, he had clearly seen the killing intent in his eyes!<div>


    ¡­


    In the clinic.


    Liu Sisi had been waiting all night.


    At midnight, Ah Bao, who had received the news, finally appeared.


    Although Ah Bao was fearless and unscrupulous in his actions, he genuinely cared about Little Cui and treated her well.


    He was originally waiting at home for Little Cui toe back. Just as he was anxiously waiting, he saw Old Chenging to report the news, only to find out that something had happened to Little Cui.


    As soon as he arrived at the clinic, he ran towards the inner room, only to be stopped by Da Niu and Er Niu.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Author¡¯s Note: I¡¯m currently hospitalized for gynecological problems and scheduled to be discharged in 7 days. So, updates might be less frequent during this period, but I¡¯ll try my best to keep up. Please support and encourage me!

 Chapter 552: 552: Not being manly!

    Chapter 552: Not being manly!


    ¡°Let go of me! I want to go in and see Little Cui! Little Cui, Little Cui, answer me! Little Cui¡­¡±


    He shouted loudly, startling Di Xuan who was sleeping in the outer room.


    Di Xuan¡¯s neck injury was severe, Xin Quan had almost broken his neckbones, so Old He had asked him to stay temporarily in the outer room to recuperate.


    ¡°Shut up! Do you want Little Cui to live or not?¡±


    Liu Sisi scolded him fiercely: ¡°You¡¯re a grown man, can¡¯t you stay calm? Must you make everyone panic and disturb the patient?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I just want my Little Cui to be safe and sound! Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know, Little Cui ended up in there because of you!¡±


    Ah-Bao cursed loudly and tried to rush towards Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi was unusually silent.


    Ah-Bao was right! It was her fault that Little Cui was hurt.


    If she hadn¡¯t impulsively rushed to save Di Xuan, Xin Quan wouldn¡¯t have thrown her out. If she hadn¡¯t been thrown out, Little Cui wouldn¡¯t have had to sacrifice herself to save her, let alone fight with the governmental office¡¯s runners. And it wouldn¡¯t have escted to such a serious situation!


    As Di Ah-Bao continued to scold fiercely, he not only sshed water and stomped but also disrespected Liu Sisi¡¯s ancestors for multiple generations.<div>


    Fortunately, Da Niu and Er Niu each held one of his arms to stop him from rushing over.


    But his verbal abuse became even more vicious!


    Taking favor from others made her feel indebted, especially when she owed such a great debt involving two lives. Liu Sisi humbled herself by keeping her head down, letting him continue cursing.


    Di Ah-Bao didn¡¯t stop but became even more aggressive, kicking and struggling to break free. If not for Da Niu and Er Niu holding him back, he would have already pounced on Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi tried to bear with it, but finally, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore!


    ¡°Little brother, watch yournguage. There¡¯s a saying ¡®When you marry a chicken, follow the chicken; when you marry a dog, follow the dog¡¯. Since I, Liu Sisi, married into Di Family, aren¡¯t your ancestors also mine? If you continue to scold like this, outsiders may think you¡¯re unhappy with our ancestors.¡±


    These words from Liu Sisi infuriated Di Ah-Bao even more!


    ¡°Liu Sisi! You¡¯re just a new wife, stop acting so high and mighty! You¡¯re being too arrogant¡­¡±


    She hadn¡¯t been acting high and mighty, had she?


    ¡°And don¡¯t even think about trying to control Di Family! We have both old and young in our home, and it¡¯ll never be your turn to be the head! You think just because you¡¯re a little clever, you can look down on everyone else¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to be the head of Di Family either; it was too much responsibility. She already had enough on her te, and fewer issues would be better for her.


    And she was dumb, not clever, all right?


    If she were clever, would she let him scold her like this?


    ¡°If Little Cui is fine, then everything will be fine. But if anything happens to her¡­ Humph!¡±


    If something did happen to Little Cui, her conscience would be tormented for a lifetime, and she wouldn¡¯t need him scolding her like this.


    Liu Sisi pondered and sat down on a chair.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She was also a pregnant woman, and she hadn¡¯t closed her eyes for several days in a row, her body could hardly keep standing and she felt too weak.


    She would have to fight many more battles tomorrow, and she mustn¡¯t copse now!


    Gently closing her eyes to rest, she let Di Ah-Bao¡¯s curses sting her ears.<div>


    In the inner room, Little Cui faintly heard the angry shouting from outside.


    She tried to move but felt her entire bodypletely devoid of strength, unable even to open her eyes, which should be a simple task.


    A hoarse voice by her ear said, ¡°Don¡¯t move! It took great effort for yours truly to pull you back from the gates of hell, so don¡¯t go barging in again! You¡¯ll feel better after some sleep.¡±


    Ms. Xin wanted to speak, but was unable to resist the darkness¡¯s call and fell asleep once more.<div>


    In her sleep, the nightmares of her past returned to her dreams.


    Old He¡¯s needles piercing her hands did not falter, his hand steady and urate, without a single deviation.


    The medicine pageboy brought in the boiled medical drink, and Old He looked over, instructing: ¡°You, call a family member from outside toe in and feed the medicine!¡±


    ¡°Alright, Old He.¡±


    The medicine pageboy was somewhat surprised. In the past, Old He had never allowed rtives to enter during treatment. What happened today?


    Surprised as he was, his footsteps did not slow, quickly leaving the inner room.


    Di Ah-bao had stopped cursing since the medicine pageboy brought the medicine in, and at the moment, he had his neck stretched out, trying to look inside. As soon as the pageboy opened the door, he almost bumped into Di Ah-bao.


    ¡°Young man, how is my sister-inw?¡±


    Liu Sisi was resting with her eyes closed, but she had already woken up when the medicine pageboy brought the medicine in. Seeing the pageboye out, she hurriedly stepped forward to ask.


    Di Ah-bao looked at Liu Sisi with dissatisfaction, anxiously asking, ¡°Little brother, how is my wife? Is she okay?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss about? Your noise is disturbing the patient. Now someone has to feed the medicine to the patient. Who¡¯s going in?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡±


    Both voices rang out at once, and both heads red at each other.<div>


    ¡°Get out! It¡¯s all your fault that Little Cui is like this!¡± Di Ah-bao was furious.


    Liu Sisi did not back down either: ¡°You go in? Are you sure you¡¯ll feed Little Cui her medicine once you go in, and not torment her?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ ¡±


    Di Ah-bao said one word before he couldn¡¯t continue.


    Truth be told, he had been spoiled by Ms. Zhao since he was young and further pampered by Ms. Xin after they married. He had never done the work of looking after a sick person!


    After saying one word, he couldn¡¯t continue.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t expect an answer from him. She turned to the medicine pageboy and said, ¡°Little brother, let me go in and feed her the medicine.¡±


    The pageboy nced at the group instead and shook his head: ¡°Considering your exhausted face and that you¡¯re pregnant, you should rest well! If you keep going like this and copseter, wouldn¡¯t that put more work on our Old Master to treat you? In my opinion, it¡¯s better to let this Auntie help.¡±


    The pageboy pointed to Nanny Hu, who was standing behind Liu Sisi.


    Nanny Hu hurriedly came forward, patting her chest to guarantee, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, young man. I, Granny Hu, have given birth to three children. I have plenty of experience. Just tell me what needs to be done.¡±


    ¡°Very well,e in quickly!¡±


    It was only then that the pageboy withdrew his gaze.


    Watching Granny Hu enter the inner room, Di Ah-bao tried to follow her in but was stopped by the medicine pageboy.<div>


    ¡°Hey hey, what are you doing pushing your way in? Can¡¯t you see they¡¯re trying to save the patient inside? Do you have any manners? Get out of the way!¡±


    The medicine pageboy didn¡¯t leave any face for Di Ah-bao, ¡°Are you even a man? Dithering like that, you¡¯re just like a woman, how disgraceful!¡±

 Chapter 553: Debt Owed

    Chapter 553: Debt Owed


    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re saying I¡¯m like a woman?¡± Di Ah-bao was truly incensed at thisment.


    ¡°What else do you think? Which man goes around swearing in public like a nagging old woman! It¡¯s aplete disgrace to men!¡±


    The medicine pageboy didn¡¯t think he was wrong in what he said. After that, he looked Di Ah-bao up and down, a look of absolute disdain on his face.


    ¡°You, you! ¡­¡±


    Di Ah-bao pointed at the medicine pageboy, speechless.


    Thinking about it carefully, he did seem¡­ somewhat like a nagging old woman?


    The medicine pageboy also nced at Liu Sisi, his expression was filled with a great deal of frustration.


    ¡°You¡¯re as pale as a ghost! If you don¡¯t rest, don¡¯t wait until morning, I¡¯ll have to rescue another patient. Are you sure you still want to stay here?¡±


    The medicine pageboy spoke without waiting for Liu Sisi to answer, then went into the inner room and closed the door.


    A bitter smile spread across Liu Sisi¡¯s face!


    She understood that the medicine pageboy was speaking on her behalf, but she genuinely felt guilty towards Ms. Xin!


    The rescue was ongoing, but Liu Sisi was really too tired, she went into the room where Di Xuan was recuperating, looked around, then leaned against the head of the bed and fell asleep.


    It seemed like she hadn¡¯t slept long before she heard Di Ah-bao¡¯s voice outside, and Liu Sisi abruptly got up and went outside.


    Old He had alreadye out from the inside and was instructing Di Ah-bao on what to watch for.


    ¡°¡­The bleeding has stopped for now, but the patient is weak, it is not appropriate to move her right now, just let the patient heal here. Also, remember to abstain from sex for a month, boil one pack of soup medicine three times to make one bowl, drink it three times a day. Remember to eat light and nourishing food¡­¡±


    Old He went on and on, instructing about a bunch of things to be cautious about, and Di Ah-bao had a bitter face listening to it, somewhat confused.


    He could only agree as he listened: ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­¡±


    Old He also looked tired, having seen patients all day, he had been busy all night, and he was visibly exhausted now.


    After giving all the instructions, he casually waved his hand and went to rest with the help of the medicine pageboy.


    Di Ah-bao didn¡¯t care about anything else and immediately turned around and went into the room to see Ms. Xin.


    ¡°Little Cui¡¯er, Little Cui¡¯er it¡¯s me! I¡¯m Ah Bao, Cui¡¯er, quickly open your eyes and look at me¡­¡±


    Looking at the deeply concerned Di Ah-bao, Liu Sisi stopped her steps from crossing the room¡¯s threshold. She turned around and asked the also very tired Granny Hu.


    ¡°Granny Hu, how is my sister-inw¡¯s condition now?¡±


    ¡°s! It¡¯s a pity, the child could not be saved, and it was a boy.¡±


    Granny Hu looked around, making sure no one else was around, then pulled Liu Sisi to one side and whispered to her.


    ¡°Just now, I heard Old He and the medicine pageboy say that because Little Cui took too many contraceptives in her early years, it was not stable when she got pregnant. Now that there¡¯s been a miscarriage, I¡¯m afraid¡­she won¡¯t be able to get pregnant again.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Are you serious?¡±


    Liu Sisi gasped sharply, almost losing her footing and involuntarily touched her round belly.


    The loss of a child was already an agonizing event for a woman.


    Now, not only had Ms Xin lost a child, but she had also lost the opportunity to be a mother again¡­


    All because of her!


    If it wasn¡¯t for saving her, Ms Xin wouldn¡¯t have¡­


    ¡°Madam, what¡¯s wrong with you? Are you too tired? Do you want to go back to your room and rest?¡±


    Granny Hu curiously looked at her, what was going on with the Madam?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, you go get Le Ping to take care of Xuan¡¯er, as for the sister-inw, you can take care of her. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything at home. As for what you just said, don¡¯t tell Ms. Xin for now, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam! I know what to do, Madam Cui can¡¯t be stimted anymore.¡±


    Granny Hu was not young, she naturally knew what was more important now.


    ¡°Alright then, have Ms. Gao prepare a rooster for us. Once the sister-inw wakes up, we¡¯ll eat.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    After Nanny Hu leaves, Liu Sisi quietly goes to the door, gently nudging the partially open room door open slightly to peek inside.


    Di Ah-bao is holding Ms. Xin¡¯s hand and appearing to say something.


    His face is full of smiles, giving exnations with apanying hand gestures, seemingly unaware that Ms. Xin has lost her unborn child.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Liu Sisi quietly sighed, closing the door and leaving the inner room.


    The old woman who helps in the clinic hase to clean. Upon seeing Liu Sisi, she quickly bows in respect. Liu Sisi then exchanges a few polite words with her then discreetly slips her some copper coins and asks her to help take care of Ms. Xin before she returns home.


    She still has many important matters to handle!


    The sky is gradually getting brighter!


    Outside the county government office.


    After an unsettled night, the scene in front of the government office gate looks like aftermath of a disaster.


    The ground is littered with all kinds of debris. Unclear stains are everywhere, and the county jail is filled to the brim with people, filled with sighs and grievance.


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s anxiety is almost wearing out the floor as he paces back and forth.


    He barely sleptst night.


    Transpiring events have kept him awake. Where has that idiot Zhang Shixin disappeared to? How are his affairs getting on?


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t that bastard Xin Quane yet? Someone! Go hurry! Quickly, go!¡±


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s angry shout leaves a lone governmental runner, who hurriedly leaps up without any hesitation and practically collides with the personing in from outside.


    ¡°Your Honor! Your Honor, good news! Your Honor!¡±


    The neer doesn¡¯t pay attention to the unexpected ghost in front of him, rushing into the back hall.


    Good news is wee! The best thing County Magistrate Su wants to hear at the moment is good news!


    He suppresses his tumultuous feelings and sits down on a chair.


    ¡°What¡¯s the good news? Speak!¡±


    ¡°Gongzhou has sent news again! The messenger is outside the county government gate, the person is Tan Hong, a confidant of the Garrison Commander of Gongzhou, bringing the Garrison Commander¡¯s official letter!¡±


    This indeed is good news!


    County Magistrate Su stands up from his chair in high spirits,ughing heartily after a while: ¡°Good! It truly is good news! Quickly, invite the messenger in!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The governmental runner hastily bows.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    County Magistrate Su suddenly changes his mind: ¡°No, no, no! It would be better for me, the official, to personally greet him. Quickly, fetch my official robe!¡±


    It¡¯s an opportunity he will take advantage of now that Xin Quan is not around; he wants to see what the Garrison Commander¡¯s specific instructions are.


    ¡°Yes, Old Master.¡±


    The governmental runner hastily agrees.


    Leaving aside how County Magistrate Su entertained Tan Hong, let¡¯s just focus on the residence where Liu Sisi temporarily resides in the small town. Early in the morning, several uninvited guests have arrived.


    As the saying goes, good news never goes beyond the gate, while bad news spreads far and wide!


    Di Yelei¡¯s case caused a very bad impact yesterday. The whole county town was in chaos, the government runners and constables everywhere, arresting people.


    This matter spread rapidly, as if it had grown wings.

 Chapter 554: Ms. Wang Turns Her Face Cold-Heartedly

    Chapter 554: Ms. Wang Turns Her Face Cold-Heartedly


    Ms. Wang was extremely anxious and worried the whole night. She couldn¡¯t wait for dawn, so she dragged Di Gaoyuan to the residence early in the morning.


    Unexpectedly, Liu Sisi had stayed at the clinic to take care of Ms. Xin yesterday, and missed Ms. Wang.


    Upon entering the residence, Ms. Wang dragged Ms. Zhao aside. The two whispered to each other for a while before finding Elderly Mr. Di.


    ¡°Gaoyuan, what brings you here?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di squinted his eyes as he looked at the sneaky Ms. Wang.


    As a father, he knew his son well. Di Gaoyuan had always been a man of few emotions, and Ms. Wang was cunning and penny pinching. Knowing that they hade here early in the morning, he didn¡¯t believe their intentions were innocent.


    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s nothing! Gaoyuan just missed you and wanted toe and see you.¡±


    Di Gaoyuan chuckled awkwardly, his eyes asionally ncing at Ms. Wang, clearly seeking help.


    But Elderly Mr. Di did not pursue the matter further. He picked up his dry pipe and loaded it with tobo, before fumbling for flint to light it. He then remembered he hadn¡¯t smoked dry tobo in a long time, so where would flint be? He held the pipe in his hand and looked at Di Gaoyuan.


    Di Gaoyuan helped him light the pipe. Under his father¡¯s gaze, Di Gaoyuan felt his scalp tingle and forced a smile before lowering his head in embarrassment.


    Ms. Wang, who had been waiting for an opportunity to speak, was delighted when Elderly Mr. Di asked about their reason for being there. She hurried over.


    ¡°Father-inw! There was a huge incident in the city yesterday, involving Third Brother. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard about it?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s body shuddered ever so slightly before he snorted dismissively.


    +¡±What have I heard?¡±


    He picked up his pipe and took several puffs.


    Ms. Wang secretly nudged Di Gaoyuan, but he pretended to be an innocent bystander and remained silent, much to her annoyance!


    Elderly Mr. Di indifferently observed their actions and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Left with no choice, Ms. Wang rubbed her hands and began speaking: ¡°Father-inw! There was a major incident at the governmental office yesterday! Third Brother was arrested. Moreover, everyone who tried to speak up for Third Brother was apprehended one by one by Lord County Magistrate. He even said that whoever speaks on behalf of Third Brother would be treated as an aplice. This¡­¡±


    After her lengthy exnation, Elderly Mr. Di was still smoking his pipe calmly, without responding.


    Ms. Wang looked at Ms. Zhao, who also waved at her to continue. So, she gritted her teeth and pressed on.


    ¡°Father-inw! ording to the imperial court¡¯s decree, government criminals are either exiled thousands of miles away or sent to work in the mines. Both are dead ends! Our Di family has never had a criminal in all the generations that have passed, starting from our ancestors. If we create such a precedent now, won¡¯t our ancestors rise up from their graves to scold us, their descendants?¡±


    Unexpectedly, after suffering many setbacks, it seemed Ms. Wang had be wiser.


    Elderly Mr. Di put down his pipe and knocked out the ashes on the ground. His eyelids flickered ever so slightly.


    ¡°Even if our ancestors were to scold us, they would scold me, the old man. It¡¯s not your turn to worry about it. Instead of worrying about these unnecessary things, it¡¯s better to go back to the fields and loosen the soil. Spring plowing will begin soon, and we should be preparing for that.¡±


    These were not the words they wanted to hear!


    Ms. Wang would not give in!


    Despite the cold nces Di Gaoyuan sent her, she stubbornly took two steps forward.


    ¡°Father-inw! I¡¯ll be blunt! Third Brother hasmitted a serious crime of murder. Now, he has been thrown into the ck prison and is about to be sent to Gongzhou City. Government crimes are subject to the n punishment system. We should expel Third Brother from the Di family while the official sentence has not yet been handed down¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was infuriated and mmed the table, preventing Ms. Wang from continuing.


    Ms. Wang, naturally, refused to back down: ¡°Father-inw, Di Yelei may be your son, but Gaoyuan is also your son! Are you willing to watch our entire family perish because of one son? Moreover, Third Brother had already caused the death of his mother and wife¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! I said enough!¡±


    Enraged, Elderly Mr. Di stretched his hand out and flipped the table.


    The table crashed to the ground, almost hitting Ms. Wang directly, startling her!


    Her face turned pale with fear.


    ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of being implicated by my Di family, there¡¯s a simple solution! Gaoyuan, when you get home, write a divorce letter, and you can go back to your Wang family. From then on, you won¡¯t have to worry about my Di family implicating you. Get out!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was truly furious!


    Not only did he overturn the table, but he also raised his crutch, appearing as if he was about to strike down.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°Dad! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    ¡°Old man¡­¡±


    Several people cried out in shock at the same time, all rushing forward to stop Elderly Mr. Di. Some were holding onto his crutch, while others were holding onto his arm. At this moment, these three people were quite united.


    The scene that Liu Sisi saw when she walked in was just this.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Dad?¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke, the entangled group stopped fighting and turned to look at her together.


    ¡°Si, Sisi¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was somewhat at a loss, finally calming down and slowly lowering his crutch.


    Ms. Wang¡¯s eyes rolled around restlessly, and even Di Gaoyuan and Ms. Zhao next to her avoided Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Dad, has everyone had breakfast? Would you like to have more together?¡±


    Liu Sisi did not ask why, and she did not want to.


    Given Ms. Wang¡¯s character, it was clear what had happened when she was nearly hit by the old man with his crutch.


    Already exhausted, she had no interest in getting involved with whatever drama Ms. Wang was stirring up!


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, we have all had breakfast. You can have yours.¡±


    In the end, it was Di Gaoyuan who spoke.


    Liu Sisiughed softly and nced at everyone before faintly scanning them one by one: ¡°Alright then!¡±


    Having said that, she turned and headed to the kitchen.


    Ms. Wang, who was standing to one side, became anxious!


    ¡°I say, Third Sister-inw, at a time like this, how can you still have the face to pretend? Don¡¯t you see yourself for what you are? We¡¯re about to be thrown into prison, and yet you still have that arrogant expression on your face. Who are you putting on this act for?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s steps paused, and she couldn¡¯t help but turn to look back. Then, sheughed!


    ¡°Who canpare with you? You pretend to be human, but who knows what¡¯s inside?¡±


    ¡°How dare you! You¡¯re calling me a beast?¡± Ms. Wang was furious.


    ¡°Beasts never realize that they¡¯re beasts, especially when they look just like humans.¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head and continued speaking. Talking to such a beast was just a waste of time, so she turned and entered the kitchen.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°You¡­ Liu Sisi, youe back here!¡± Ms. Wang finally realized that she was being insulted.


    ¡°By the way, since you have no intention of having Ye Lei as your brother, from now on, Ye Lei will no longer have a sister-inw like you! You better take care of yourself!¡±


    As soon as Liu Sisi left, the people outside stared at each other with wide eyes.

 Chapter 555: 555: The Stubborn Elderly Mr. Di, Secret Orders from Garrison Commander

    Chapter 555: The Stubborn Elderly Mr. Di, Secret Orders from Garrison Commander


    Elderly Mr. Di blew his beard and widened his eyes: ¡°I¡¯ve been unworthy of Third Child since he was little, and I¡¯m also unworthy of the Dou Family. This time, no matter what, I, as a father, will stand by his side!¡±


    ¡°Father, what are you talking about? Isn¡¯t Gao Yuan also the son of you and mother-inw? Father¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di shook his crutch: ¡°Let me say it again, if you are afraid of being implicated, you can leave the family voluntarily or return to your Wang Family. It¡¯s up to you!¡±


    After saying that, he turned around and entered the room, leaving several people behind.


    He was utterly disappointed in his second child!


    Ms. Wang shouted from behind, but there was no response from the room.


    ¡­


    Di Yelei was suffering greatly in the ck prison.


    Due to concerns about him escaping, when County Magistrate Su put him back into the ck prison, he did not remove the cor and handcuffs on Di Yelei¡¯s neck and wrists and ankles.


    The cor was made of an unknown wood and weighed about a hundred pounds; along with the weight of the handcuffs and shackles, he didn¡¯t feel the burden at first. However, as time went on, the pain of not being able to straighten his hands and raise his head became unbearable.


    What was even more important was his anxiety for the safety of everyone outside. His heart was burning with impatience.<div>


    There was no reference point in the darkness, and he had no way of knowing how time passed. His anxiety grew stronger as time went on.


    Finally, when the faint sound transmitted from the ground, he suddenly tensed up!


    Why would there be movement underground?


    Could it be¡­


    The sounds underground continued, and Di Yelei¡¯s muscles were tense, ready to strike at any moment.


    Sure enough, after a moment, a stone b at the edge of the ck prison shifted slightly. Soon, it was lifted, revealing a pitch-ck head.


    ¡°Speak! Who are you?¡±


    As the head had not yet fully emerged, a stern shout sounded above it.


    ¡°Son-inw? Finally, I¡¯ve found you! Little Miss sent me¡­¡±


    The visitor whispered, then jumped out from under the stone b, revealing a rather short man.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Little Miss?¡± Di Yelei squinted his eyes, filled with suspicion.


    ¡°Son-inw, we are all servants of Young Master. Before Young Master entered the capital, he ordered us to follow Little Miss¡¯s instructions.¡±


    ¡°Which Young Master?¡±


    ¡°¡­Young Master Nan, of course¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    Di Yelei nodded to show he understood: ¡°How is Sisi now?¡±


    ¡°Son-inw, please don¡¯t worry, Little Miss, Young Master, and the littledy are all fine! That day¡­ ¡±


    While people entered the dungeon prison, the governmental office remained unaware. At the moment, they were busy greeting Tan Hong, a trusted envoy sent by Lord Garrison Commander.


    Upon arriving, Tan Hong naturally searched for Xin Quan. County Magistrate Su was well prepared and quickly attended to the envoy carefully.<div>


    ¡°Brother Xin is doing his utmost to serve the court, and he has been extremely busy. He worked tirelessly until dawn yesterday. Envoy, if you can wait a moment, allow me to call for Brother Xin, so he can follow your instructions?¡±


    ¡°Since Lord Xin is so exhausted, let him rest well. I can entrust the matter to you.¡±


    These words delighted County Magistrate Su!


    But he forcibly suppressed the excitement on his face: ¡°Thank you, Lord, for your trust and cultivation. Your Honor, please wait a moment; I have prepared a delicious meal for you. We can wait until you are full and then discuss it in detail.¡±<div>


    Although he was extremely anxious in his heart, wanting to get the details from the envoy as soon as possible, he knew this was not something he could rush.


    ¡°No need. Food can be eaten anytime. Let me convey Lord Garrison Commander¡¯s instructions first.¡±


    Tan Hong shook his head directly, taking in the change of his expression. His eyes shifted, and with a stern face, he announced.


    ¡°Lord Garrison Commander orders that the criminal Di Yelei be tightly bound and thrown into the death cell immediately! In three days, he will be escorted to Gongzhou Mansion. It must not be mistaken!¡±


    As soon as Tan Hong¡¯s order was given, County Magistrate Su let out a sigh of relief and smiled with joy.


    ¡°This¡­ Lord Tan, why did the Garrison Commander suddenly¡­¡±


    Just yesterday, he had ordered a thorough trial and given the surnamed Di a fair trial. Why the sudden change of attitude today? What¡¯s the reason?


    ¡°Why are you asking so many questions? Just get everything you need to do done, and ask less and do more.¡±


    Tan Hong had an innocent look on his face: ¡°We are all just following orders, it¡¯s best not to question the intentions from above.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I¡¯ll get everything done right away. Lord Tan, why don¡¯t you rest in the inner hall for a while and have some food?¡± County Magistrate Su squinted his eyes with a smile.


    Tan Hong thought for a moment: ¡°Alright. The Garrison Commander also has something to say to Lord Xin, so I will eat while waiting for Lord Xin to wake up.¡±


    Tan Hong followed the governmental office¡¯s runners into the inner hall.


    Looking at the gradually receding back, County Magistrate Su could no longer contain the joy in his heart andughed out loud.<div>


    ¡°Hahaha! Di Yelei, Di Yelei, you finally got youreuppance! This is the consequence of opposing me!¡±


    ¡°Enjoy yourst few days alive to the fullest! Hahaha¡­¡±


    The arrogantughter echoed through the county government hall.


    A hawk flew into Liuping Town.


    Liu Sisi took a short break and then went to check on Ms. Xin at the clinic. Ms. Xin was already asleep, but Di Ah-bao¡¯s mood had calmed down a lot. He gave her a cold nce, then turned around and closed the door, almost hitting Liu Sisi¡¯s stomach.


    Liu Sisi let out a bitterugh, then went to check on Xuan¡¯er. Xuan¡¯er was recovering quite well, sitting at the head of bed and chatting with Di Ying.


    ¡°Miss, Miss is in trouble!¡±


    Old Cheng rushed in and directly mmed open the room door: ¡°Miss! Something¡¯s wrong, there¡¯s big trouble!¡±


    Behind him was a familiar man.


    ¡°Calm down, can the situation be worse than it is now?¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s face wasposed.


    ¡°Miss! They just reported that County Magistrate Su has secretly ordered Di Yelei to be tightly bound, thrown into the death cell, and escorted to Gongzhou Mansion overnight.¡± The man quickly reported.


    ¡°Is this information reliable?¡± Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow in surprise.


    ¡°We have people inside, it¡¯s absolutely true.¡±<div>


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up, her gaze fixed in the direction of Macheng County but remaining silent for a long time.


    ¡°Miss, what should we do now? Please give us instructions.¡±


    ¡°Continue to execute the original n! Don¡¯t be soft-handed when necessary!¡±


    If he wanted to push them to death, she wouldn¡¯t mind a bloodbath, staining the governmental office of Macheng County with blood!


    ¡°Yes, Miss!¡±


    The man left upon receiving orders.


    Looking at the departing horse, Di Xuan¡¯s face turned pale as he subconsciously tightened his grip on Di Ying¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Brother, I¡­ my hand hurts¡­¡±


    Di Ying could no longer hold back, and she was about to cry.


    The crying face of the little girl made Di Xuan¡¯s tears unstoppable, rolling down one by one.


    ¡°Be good, YingEr, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s brother¡¯s fault¡­¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 556: 556: Not Reciprocating is Impolite

    Chapter 556: Not Reciprocating is Impolite


    Di Ying can¡¯t help but frown ufortably.


    ¡°Brother, dad will be alright, right? Dad wille back safely, right? Dad promised me he would weave me grass locusts and take me out riding horses. Dad, I want dad! Wuu wuu¡­¡±


    As she spoke, her tears rolled down her face.


    ¡°I miss dad too¡­¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s eyes turned red, and tears silently fell. His voice was still somewhat hoarse.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry! Dad said that a real man shouldn¡¯t cry! I won¡¯t cry! I won¡¯t!¡±


    He forcefully wiped the tears from his face, trying his best to act like an adult.


    The siblings¡¯ crying attracted the attention of everyone in the clinic, and all of their eyes were moist.


    Only Liu Sisi stood with her back to everyone, looking at an ink treasure painting on the wall.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be fine! I promise.¡±


    Her words seemed toe from far away.<div>


    When everyone¡¯s gaze focused on her, she seemed to sense it and turned her head.


    Her face still wore a faint smile, as gentle as a breeze brushing past willows.


    ¡­


    County Magistrate Su and Xin Quan prepared a table of drinks and warmly entertained Tan Hong.


    Rather than genuine hospitality, they were trying to probe for what the Garrison Commander had said.


    Little did they know that this messenger was also tight-lipped. They drank from noon until nightfall, eventually getting the other party drunk and extracting useful information.


    ¡°Lord Xin, do you think the words uttered by Tan Hong are true or false?¡± County Magistrate Su was hesitant.


    Xin Quan pondered:¡±I think it should be true. My uncle has pampered me since I was young. Unless Master Shang pressured my uncle, he would only issue such an order reluctantly. What we have to do is to act before that person, and¡­¡±


    Both nodded.


    In the end, they decided to escort Di Yelei to Gongzhou City under the cover of darkness, not wanting to dy any further and risk more trouble!


    As for Di Yelei, it was pitch ck in the prison cell.


    The stifling air, the surrounding darkness, and the asional rustling sound of mice were amplified countless times by his senses, constantly assaulting the minds of the prisoners inside.


    However, this was not the most important thing. What was unbearable was the dead silence of the prison cell, with no one to talk to and ease the boredom.


    Just like Di Yelei at this moment.


    His mind was filled with random thoughts, mostly of his past memories with Liu Sisi.


    Her smiles and movements, the infinite charm was reliving itself over and over again in his mind like a fast-forwarded slideshow.


    Suddenly, there was a slight trembling sound from beneath the floor. Although it was faint, the silence around him amplified it!


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, staring intently at the movement beneath the floor.


    Soon after, the movement beneath the floor became more frequent. A stone b was pushed open, and a person¡¯s head slowly emerged from inside.<div>


    ¡°Son-inw!¡± the person whispered softly.


    Di Yelei¡¯s heart rejoiced: ¡°How is Sisi? Did you bring water with you?¡±


    All of this, of course, was prearranged! The end of that tunnel led to his newly built government residence.


    ¡°I brought clear water and some grains. Miss is fine. Son-inw, please don¡¯t worry. She told me to tell you to be careful tonight; there might be trouble! They will definitely make a move!¡±<div>


    The person¡¯s movements were swift, and their voice was soft, hardly making any noise.


    ¡°Over there,¡± naturally referred to County Magistrate Su.


    ¡°I understand. You go back and tell Sisi that I am fine and tell her not to worry. Take good care of herself and the children.¡±


    ¡°Yes, son-inw.¡±


    The person vanished underground again, and the stone b closed over the entrance.


    Seeing the stone b in the corner returning to its original state, Di Yelei threw back his head and swallowed thest bite of food.


    Tonight, huh?


    County Magistrate Su and Xin Quan are eager to get rid of him as soon as possible, so they will definitely take action quickly. However, it¡¯s also impolite to not reciprocate, isn¡¯t it?


    Well, it¡¯s better to solve the problem sooner and get it over with.


    As soon as the sky darkened, numerous figures began to move!


    A team of horsemen, under the cover of darkness, left the county government office silently, escorting a prison cart out of the West City gate, heading towards Gongzhou City.


    The prisoner in the cart was disheveled, their facepletely obscured. Apanied by the sound of wheels rolling on the official road, the cart swayed and gradually moved into the distance.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This night was destined to be tumultuous!<div>


    Even the moon in the sky hid in the thick clouds, and there was no sign of wind in the surroundings.


    In a small courtyard within the county which had been almost forgotten by people, a robust figure suddenly burst in, breaking the silence of the courtyard.


    ¡°Son-inw!¡±


    The figure stopped and casually nced around.


    ¡°Has Nan Tianzong sent a message yet?¡±


    As he spoke, he casually entered a room.


    If Liu Sisi were here, she would easily recognize that this small courtyard was the same one that Nan Tianzong had brought her to previously. The locked room next to this one had the beauty profiles she had seen before, and the woman on the painting, who looked exactly like her, still smiled at her.


    ¡°Son-inw! Son-inw! Son-inw!¡±


    As he entered the room, everyone inside kneeled and greeted him.


    ¡°Get up, all of you! Today, Ye Lei should be the one thanking you. If not for your help, Di Yelei at this moment would be in a prison cart heading to Gongzhou City.¡±


    Di Yelei expressed his gratitude, and bowed to everyone with a fist greeting.


    ¡°Son-inw is too serious; this is something we should have done.¡±


    The man taking the lead here was none other than Shopkeeper Hao from the wine-house.<div>


    ¡°Thank you all for your help. Rest assured, I will keep this kindness in my heart. Once Nan Tianzong returns, I will report everything to him and give you all credit!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Son-inw!¡±


    Everyone thanked him in unison.


    Shopkeeper Hao took two steps forward: ¡°Son-inw, what should we do now?¡±


    ¡°A popr saying goes, ¡®It¡¯s impolite not to reciprocate.¡¯ Also, ¡®If someone treats me with respect, I¡¯ll treat them with even more respect.¡¯ Tonight, it¡¯s time for us to take back what¡¯s ours, with interest.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face had a faint smile, but a cold glint of murderous intent shed in the depths of his eyes for an instant.


    In the County Magistrate¡¯s official residence.


    It was very quiet all around, except for the asional guards passing by during their night watch.


    A shadow shed on the fence and immediately appeared on the long corridor where the guard had just passed. The figure moved as lightly as a kitten.


    The shadow seemed to be carrying something, crouching and hurrying, darting into the inner courtyard and stopping outside a well-lit room.


    In the room, County Magistrate Su was thoroughly enjoying himself, ying with his concubine.


    He rarely had such a good mood tonight, venting his frustration on the concubine twice before finally falling asleep contentedly.


    He slept soundly this time, having sent away his biggest threat. He awoke from his dreams with a smile.<div>


    However, a strange smell at the edge of his nose caused him to frown repeatedly. Unable to resist it any longer, he opened his eyes and was immediately frightened by the scene before him!

 Chapter 557: 557: Di Yelei’s Counterattack, County Magistrate Su’s Horror!

    Chapter 557: Di Yelei¡¯s Counterattack, County Magistrate Su¡¯s Horror!


    Right beside himy a naked female body!


    The body was none other than his anxiously sought-after niece, Cailian!


    Just as he had ordered people to do, Cailian was **** all over her body and a knife was stuck into her chest.


    Blood ran down from her eyes, mouth, and ears, sending shivers down anyone¡¯s spine just by looking at her.


    But that wasn¡¯t the most important thing. His hand was still resting on a bountiful part of her body, and an unbearable smell kept wafting off of her.


    Her eyes were wide open, her gray irises staring straight and unblinking at him!


    Just like when he had stabbed her in the chest with his own hands.


    ¡°Ah! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    He tumbled and crawled off the head of the bed, unable to contain his fear, crying out loud.


    ¡°Help! Help! Help, help! Someonee quickly¡­ ¡±


    Soon, hurried footsteps and shouts of surprise came from outside.<div>


    ¡°Over here! Hurry, hurry! It¡¯s His Lordship¡¯s voice!¡±


    ¡°Quickly, go see what happened? Has something happened to His Lordship?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in! Everyone, break down the door! Quick, save His Lordship¡­ ¡±


    Bang! Bang, bang!


    After several forceful blows, the door was finally broken down.


    ¡°Lord, how are you? You¡­ ¡±


    The door swung wide open, revealing the naked body lying next to County Magistrate Su, exposed for everyone to see!


    The crowd exchanged nces, unsure how to react.


    Fortunately, a runner suddenly remembered the most important question.


    ¡°Ah! Where¡¯s His Lordship?¡±


    Everyone hurriedly searched, only to find Su County Magistrate trembling under the table.


    ¡°Over here, over here! My Lord, pleasee out!¡±


    ¡°Your Honor, let us help you out¡­ ¡±


    The group of governmental office¡¯s runners coaxed and dragged Su County Magistrate from under the table.


    At the moment, Su County Magistrate was in shambles, his hair disheveled, his white inner clothes stained with blood, and his trembling hands were also full of blood¡­


    ¡°My Lord, what happened? You and your niece¡­ ¡±


    Could it be that something happened between them, so he killed her in the end?


    A hint of uncertainty shed through the eyes of the governmental runners.


    ¡°Bastard!¡±<div>


    Seeing his current situation, could Su County Magistrate not know that he had fallen into someone¡¯s trap?


    But Di Yelei had already been escorted out of Macheng County, and it was unknown how far he had traveled by now. Who would have done this to him, using such underhanded tactics?


    A smiling face shed through his mind, but he shook his head with all his might: Impossible! It absolutely couldn¡¯t be her!


    He was enraged and ashamed, and raised his hand to p the man beside him.<div>


    p!


    A loud smack left the runner dazed.


    ¡°Your Honor, you¡­ ¡±


    ¡°You worthless fools, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and get rid of the body! Throw it into the burial mound!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor.¡±


    Everyone hung their heads, concealing their inexplicable feelings.


    The group clumsily tried to carry Cailian away.


    ¡°What are you all busy doing?¡±


    A sudden voice came from the doorway, and everyone turned around.


    Di Yelei and Zuo Xingyu walked in, one after the other, just in time!


    As everyone backed away, countless pairs of eyes focused on the embarrassed County Magistrate Su in the middle.


    ¡­


    Dawn was approaching!<div>


    A streak of morning glow broke through the thick clouds, finally revealing a smiling face.


    Liu Sisi took advantage of the darkness, left the manor and walked up a nearby hill, gazing towards Macheng County.


    She was waiting for the final result to arrive.


    As expected, it didn¡¯t take her long to see a white light streaking across the sky, pointing skyward from the direction of Macheng County! Slowly, the white light in that part of the sky exploded, shining as brilliantly as a fire tree and silver flowers.


    ¡°They actually initiated the third contingency n? County Magistrate Su, you deserve to die!¡±


    Liu Sisi muttered to herself.


    ¡°Bring them here!¡± she shouted loudly.


    A figure suddenly appeared out of thin air and immediately knelt on one knee: ¡°Miss.¡±


    ¡°Order them that since Su County Magistrate¡¯s eye-opening trick is useless, destroy it for me! I don¡¯t want it to be an eyesore!¡±


    A good man will be bullied, and a good horse will be ridden!


    She had originally intended to give them a quick death, but now she had changed her mind!


    She was going to y with them slowly until they died!


    Enjoy a game of cat and mouse!<div>


    ¡°Yes! I will order them to do so.¡±


    ¡°Remember, do it cleanly and smoothly, and don¡¯t let anyone see anything unusual.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss!¡±


    ¡°By the way, who are the leaders of your Li Sect?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Liu Sisi suddenly asked an extra question, stopping the figure who was about to turn around.


    The figure paused and looked back: ¡°This¡­ Miss, I cannot say, it¡¯s better for you to ask the heir yourself.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t say, it doesn¡¯t matter!¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly lost interest, got up, and turned to walk away.


    It didn¡¯t matter if these people didn¡¯t want to talk. The next time she saw Nan Tianzong, she would definitely dig out the truth from his mouth!


    ¡­


    A fast horse on an 800-mile express run galloped past on the official road!


    Ahead was a convoy of officers transporting a prisoner cart. Each of them carried a big de and had a sharp look in their eyes.


    Among them were Di Yelei and Zuo Xingyu¡¯s acquaintances, Xiaoliang.<div>


    Xiaoliang was nervous, almost not daring to look up at Di Yelei.


    They said they were escorting Di Yelei, the official criminal, to Gongzhou City, but in fact, they were headed further and further into a remote area. Up ahead was ck Wind Ridge, notorious for being infested with bandits.


    At their current pace, they would be deep in the heart of ck Wind Ridge by nightfall.


    It seemed like there was a lot going on in Gongzhou City!


    He wanted to turn back countless times, thinking of his wife and children, but he steeled himself and kept moving forward.


    Everyone¡¯s thoughts were simr, and they exchanged nces in secret. However, the leader was the manager appointed by Lord Xin Quan, and no matter how many words they had, they couldn¡¯t voice them out.


    Finally, everyonemunicated with their eyes, pushing Xiaoliang forward.


    ¡°Honorable Manager, should we set up camp here? Or should we speed up and pass through ck Wind Ridge ahead?¡±


    The managerzily scanned the crowd, his face full of discontent: ¡°Do I really need you to teach me how to do my job?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all, Honorable Manager.¡±


    Xiaoliang swallowed hard: ¡°Honorable Manager, you may not have traveled this road before, so you don¡¯t know. About ten miles ahead is ck Wind Ridge. You must have heard of it, Honorable Manager. It¡¯s a notorious den of bandits. If we continue at our current pace, won¡¯t we just be walking right into the hands of the bandits? So, what do you think, Manager¡­?¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement, endorsing Xiaoliang¡¯s words.

 Chapter 558: 558: The Message Brought by Guihua, and the Purpose of Zuo Xingyu’s Visit

    Chapter 558: The Message Brought by Guihua, and the Purpose of Zuo Xingyu¡¯s Visit


    If it wasn¡¯t for knowing that there were bandits up ahead, would I need to be so hurried in managing this?


    Although the manager silentlyined, he said indifferently: ¡°With the heavens and the earth as our witness, we are government officials. Where would so many bandits dare to rob us?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Or is it that you are not confident in your own skills and think you cannot deal with just one or two small thugs?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case, Sir Manager¡­¡±


    ¡°If you really are not that capable, why did you initially be governmental office¡¯s runners and constables in the first ce? You might as well go back home and continue drinking milk!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiaoliang was defeated.


    Everyone could only continue walking forward, but their steps were slower and slower.


    However, the manager on the side kept urging them!


    ¡°Hurry up, walk faster, you¡¯re all dawdling, do you want to crush the ants to death along the way? Hurry up!¡±<div>


    The urging sound,bined with the sound of horse hooves and the grinding of carriage wheels on broken stones, only emphasized the silence and destion on both sides of the road.


    Moreover, the dark, hazy daylight made people¡¯s scalps feel numb.


    ¡°Hurry up! Move faster!¡±


    As the manager cursed and urged, the soldiers became slower and slower, and no one was willing to continue walking forward.


    At this moment, a sudden sound of urgent horse hooves came from behind them.


    ¡°Report! -¡±


    The messenger caught up with the prison cart carrying Di Yelei before dusk.


    Everyone around the prison cart was on high alert!


    Only after clearly seeing that the neer was a messenger did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Report! By order of the Su County Magistrate and Lord Tan, hurry to escort the criminal Di Yelei back to Macheng County! There must be no mistakes!¡±


    ¡°What? Back to Macheng County!¡±


    Surprised, the manager eximed while everyone else breathed a sigh of relief. At least they wouldn¡¯t have to enter the tiger¡¯sir, and they managed to save a few lives!


    ¡­


    Liu Sisi visited the clinic again.


    To visit Ms. Xin, who had not fully recovered.


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re here. My elder actually has something to discuss with you.¡± As soon as the medicine pageboy saw her, he hurriedly called out.


    Old He is looking for me? Is it because of some issue with Ms. Xin? Thinking of this, Liu Sisi hurriedly took a few quick steps.


    ¡°Alright. Where is Old He now?¡±


    ¡°Madam, please follow me.¡±<div>


    the medical pageboy led Liu Sisi directly into the inner room.


    Old He was busy inside, mixing medicinal ingredients in his hands, and as soon as he saw Liu Sisi enter, he hurriedly waved to her.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re here. Come and sit down.¡±


    ¡°Old He, did you call me here because my sister-inw¡¯s condition has worsened?¡±<div>


    Without waiting for an invitation to sit, Liu Sisi hurriedly asked about Ms. Xin¡¯s condition.


    ¡°You rx. I used a ginseng root 300 years old to snatch her life back from the King of Hell. There are no problems with her for now. However¡­¡±


    Old He turned around while talking, walked over to and sat down across from her: ¡°In order to save her life at the time, I sealed her major acupoints to stop the bleeding. But due to this, she will never be able to get pregnant again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I found out yesterday.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s voice was very low. After thinking for a moment, she asked another question: ¡°Old He, what about Elder Leisure¡¯s condition? Can his madness be cured?¡±


    ¡°His illness isn¡¯t very serious. As long as he is not agitated, he can be the same as a normal person. It can¡¯t be rushed.¡±


    Old He hesitated a bit, wanting to tell the truth, but then thought better of it and held his tongue.


    ¡°Well! I¡¯ll trouble you a lot then, Old He.¡±


    ¡°Never mind. I have been taking care of his illness for many years, and I have some experience. Preventing the condition from getting worse is easy.¡±


    Old He waved his hand and handed over a few prescriptions: ¡°Your health has not been goodtely. These three prescriptions were specially prepared for you by my father. Take them home and cook them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Old He, for being by Sisi¡¯s side. It really saves her a lot of trouble.¡±


    Liu Sisi took the medicinal materials and thanked him again and again before leaving the clinic.


    After brewing and taking the medicine, Liu Sisi took a short rest.<div>


    In the afternoon, Guihua came to the small town.


    ¡°¡­So Ms. Wang asked Mr. Land Officer to testify and formally separated the household registration from the Di Family. From then on, there is no connection with the Di Family!¡±


    Guihua whispered, her eyes ncing frequently at Elderly Mr. Di outside the house.


    ¡°Can Ms. Wang really do such a thing?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi chuckled, amazed that Ms. Wang would voluntarily leave the Di Family. She must be afraid of dying!


    But considering the cruel ¡°guilt by association¡± system, she immediately understood!


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t the Land Officer send someone to notify us?¡±


    ¡°Who said no one was sent? Someone was sent long ago, but your father drove them away, saying that anyone could leave, and he would agree to all.¡± Guihua felt quite emotional.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, then walked up and held Guihua¡¯s hand: ¡°Sister Guihua, there¡¯s something I want to discuss with you. You¡¯ve seen Ye Lei¡¯s condition now. What can we do if we really reach that point? So, I was thinking about YingEr and Yun Er¡¯s engagement¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ªdon¡¯t say anything more! My family¡¯s Zhang Peng said that even if we die, our two families will die together! This includes Yun Er. His feelings for YingEr are real, don¡¯t be so old-fashioned and don¡¯t try to persuade me anymore.¡±


    ¡°But Sister Guihua, you don¡¯t know, this¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your big brother Zhang a constable? Doesn¡¯t he know the consequences? Don¡¯t worry! At worst, our two families will be exiled to work together. After all, isn¡¯t it just doing something? Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Guihua was determined.<div>


    It¡¯s easy to add flowers to the brocade, but it¡¯s hard to send charcoal in the snow!


    Guihua¡¯s attitude made Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes fill with tears, which nearly rolled down her face.


    ¡°Sister Guihua¡­¡±


    Even after seeing Guihua off, Liu Sisi still took a while to recover from the shock.


    It was only when Old Cheng came in to report that she was startled from her contemtion.


    ¡°Madam, Constable Zuo is here to talk about something important.¡±


    ¡°Really? Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Just outside the door¡­¡±


    Seeing Zuo Xingyu again, Liu Sisi found he seemed to have lost more weight, and the main thing was that his furrowed brows seemed even deeper.


    She used to hate Zuo Xingyu, but with the return of her memories and hearing Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s testimony that day, her feelings towards Zuo Xingyu were mixed.


    She couldn¡¯t describe the taste in her heart.


    ¡°Constable Zuo, long time no see.¡±


    Liu Sisi broke the silence first.<div>


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s wise eyes scanned Liu Sisi. Her expression was normal, but her face was an unhealthy gray-white.


    She sat across from him, wondering what he was thinking.


    ¡°It¡¯s been some days since Ist saw you. How are you, Madam?¡±


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows in surprise!


    What is this, a casual conversation between former lovers? This is too melodramatic!


    ¡°Recently, it¡¯s been okay. Sisi wants to thank Constable Zuo for your help with my family¡¯s Ye Lei.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke, then stood up and gave a slight bow to Zuo Xingyu.

 Chapter 559: 559: Zuo Xingyu Comes to the Door

    Chapter 559: Zuo Xingyu Comes to the Door


    Zuo Xingyu moved his body to the side, subtly avoiding the curtsy from her.


    His expression wasplicated, carrying an unforeseen meaning. He looked closely at Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Madam Di, please, no need for such formalities! Given the rtionship between Ye Lei and I, your thanks are unnecessary. Please, rise!¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke these two words lightly, but they were for the man in front of her.


    Although her words were light, Zuo Xingyu, with his keen hearing, naturally heard them.


    His body shivered slightly and then steadied again!


    Only his thin lips tighten up further, and his fists clenched secretly.


    ¡°Madam, there¡¯s no need to thank me. It would harm the bond between Brother Ye Lei and me! On another note, I am not here today to hear your thanks.¡±


    Perhaps she was overthinking and misinterpreting things.


    Zuo Xingyu said these words somewhat irritably and red at her in the process.<div>


    ¡°Fine! Sisi will refrain from saying ¡®thanks¡¯ then.¡±


    If he didn¡¯t want her to mention it, naturally she wouldn¡¯t bring it up again and tactfully changed the subject.


    ¡°Constable Zuo, how is Ye Lei¡¯s situation?¡±


    ¡°Madam, why asking as if it¡¯s strange? You should have the information faster than me.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu thought for a moment: ¡°The reason for my visit today is to discuss another matter. About the incident that urredst night at the official residence of County Magistrate Su. Here¡¯s what happened¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean you were present at the scene? Who else was there?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked only after Zuo Xingyu had detailed the entire incident.


    A rare smile showed up on Zuo Xingyu¡¯s face: ¡°It was such a coincidence! Besides me and the Lord Garrison Commander¡¯s trusted aide Tan Hong, there was one more person! The Imperial Censor, Lord Mo Liancheng, who was appointed by the Imperial Envoy to conduct the inspection!¡±


    ¡°Lord Imperial Envoy is still in Macheng County?¡±


    This unexpected news made Liu Sisi overjoyed, and she involuntarily stood up from her chair: ¡°Is this really true?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s true! Initially, the Imperial Censor didn¡¯t reveal any traces. He only revealed his identity when County Magistrate Su wanted to destroy the evidence. At the moment, he is in charge of all affairs in the county government of Macheng, so¡­¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s finger lightly tapped the table: ¡°This Lord Mo seems to have appeared out of nowhere with no traces. It¡¯s still unclear whether this is a good or bad thing¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi also put away her delighted expression and sat back down in the chair.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s good or bad is irrelevant. As long as the crime of Su County Magistrate murdering his own niece is established, he won¡¯t be able to hold his position any longer, right?¡±


    ¡°It might not be that easy.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu shook his head: ¡°Although Cailian¡¯s corpse was preserved in the cold cave and didn¡¯t rot, a forensic examination would still reveal the cause and time of her death. Therefore¡­¡±


    ¡°Therefore, all I wait for is an opportunity to continue the investigation!¡±


    Liu Sisi unexpectedlyughed!


    ¡°We have already discovered that Cailian was actually killed by Su County Magistrate!¡±<div>


    With a lightugh and a certain rhythm in her eyes: ¡°At the moment, although we¡¯re framing him, isn¡¯t that just a replication of the crime scene?¡±


    Was Su County Magistrate frightened by that? Perhaps the crime scene at that time was just like the present situation, right?


    But then, who did this? Even though she ordered it, it was actually executed by people from the Li Sect without any notice or traces.


    Don¡¯t me her for being ruthless!<div>


    Compared to him wanting to end Ye Lei¡¯s life directly, she was indeed too kind!


    ¡°Who did this?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it your people who did it?¡± Zuo Xingyu raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡°No! If it were our people, they would have reported their sess long ago. Besides, I genuinely admire the one capable of pulling off such tactics!¡± Liu Sisiughed as she was rarely in such a good mood. This move truly won her over!


    Zuo Xingyu furrowed his brows. Who exactly was responsible for this?


    Liu Sisi suddenly thought of another question: ¡°Oh yes, since Constable Zuo is here, there¡¯s something else I¡¯d like to consult with you.¡±


    ¡°Please ask, Madam Di.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest. However, his heart was pounding secretly.


    Is she going to ask about the past interactions between the two of them?


    Unexpectedly, a sense of anticipation and tension shed across his heart. How should he respond properly?


    ¡°Great, then Sisi will just ask directly.¡±


    Without recognizing Zuo Xingyu¡¯s current anxious mood, Liu Sisi raised her queries.


    ¡°You just mentioned your affiliation with the Li Sect. Aren¡¯t you working for the Li Sect? Why did you say it like that?¡±<div>


    Zuo Xingyu raised his eyebrows in surprise and took a deep look at Liu Sisi: ¡°Is that your question?¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded seriously.


    ¡°Is that not the question I should ask? If¡­it¡¯s difficult for you to answer then you can¡­¡±


    Before she could say anything more that might infuriate him further, Zuo Xingyu interrupted her.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing difficult to talk about. It¡¯s just that when I was initially investigating a case, I unintentionally discovered several secrets on ck Dragon Mountain. Subsequently, the Li Sect found me and asked me to be their spy. To save my life, I agreed without a second thought.¡±


    These words which were supposed to be thrilling were spoken by him with a poker face and t tone, making everything sound highly unusual.


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°What else could there be? To protect those around me from danger and prevent others from threatening me, I voluntarily severed my rtionships with my rtives and friends. That¡¯s it!¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡±


    Why did Liu Sisi feel that he was actually exining to her?


    She shook her head forcefully, scattering the images that shouldn¡¯te to her mind!


    ¡°Then¡­do you know about the human skin mask revealed by the coroner in the courtroom that day?¡±


    That day, she had indeed unmasked him ording to the initial n.<div>


    She had thought that his face was just painted until she saw the coroner peel off a human skin mask from the face of the corpse. Only then did she realize that there was indeed a technique for changing one¡¯s face in this world!


    Zuo Xingyu thought about it: ¡°Weter investigated the identity of the deceased. The young girl had suffered from a serious illness since childhood and recently passed away due to the illness. The businessman gave her an borate burial, butter the corpse suddenly appeared in the court, which terrified many people¡­¡±


    Even though Zuo Xingyu¡¯s words were vague, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mind and impatiently waived her hands repeatedly.


    ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t care for this matter! What I¡¯m asking is, where did that human skin maske from and how was it made?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu lightly shook his head: ¡°I¡¯m just an external helper. How could I possibly know in detail about such extremely confidential matters? Perhaps you could ask your Brother Nan?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Why does his words sound so sour?

 Chapter 560: 560: The Thing I Regret Most!

    Chapter 560: The Thing I Regret Most!


    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t say anything then! Hmm!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mind quickly turned.


    She had to ask Nan Tianzong about the human skin mask. Does this mean he knows and is involved in such a secretive issue?


    A lightning-like ray quickly lit up her mind, but it was hazy and crossed her mind quickly!


    So quickly that she could not hold onto it, the thought quietly disappeared again.


    She frowned while thinking hard, but her mind felt scattered. She couldn¡¯t remember anything.


    She only faintly felt that she missed something very important.


    Zuo Xingyu seemed a bit helpless, but more of it was disappointment.


    While looking at the increasingly unfamiliar face in front of him, his heart ached.


    He quietly stood up to say goodbye.


    Liu Sisi detained him for a while before letting him leave through the room door. She watched as he jumped on his horse and rode away.<div>


    He severely whipped the horse, and looked back at Liu Sisi, who was still under the eave speaking with Old Cheng. Bitterness continuously welled up in his heart.


    He still remembers when he first met her, she was a little girl.


    She was tilting her little head, wearing a pink dress, her twin pigtails tied up, and herrge eyes full of cunning.


    ¡°Big brother, are you Zuo Xingyu? Are you engaged to my second sister?¡±


    ¡°No! I won¡¯t allow it! Zuo Xingyu, I¡¯m telling you, you are my fianc¨¦, you cannot marry my second sister. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Why not? I just like you! I, Liu Sisi, always get what I want, why are there so many questions?¡±


    Her frowns and smiles, the innocence in her every move captured his heart instantly.


    Eventually, he was d to learn that he was engaged to her! Even though he knew he would have to wait for her to grow up, he was willing to wait!


    However, his father¡¯s sudden death, and his unintentional discovery of Heilong Mountain disrupted everything!


    His life deviated from its original trajectory. The powerful influence of the Li Sect was like a big de hanging over his head! Although he understood that while it was dangerous, it also presented an opportunity!


    As expected! He was assigned to Macheng County, and he solidified his position as the constable through his efforts.


    However, he was not satisfied. How could he be content with being the constable of a small county?


    His horizons broadened, his heart naturally broadened as well. At the same time, he understood the Li Sect more and more deeply!


    He was constantly worried that the knife above his head would fall at any moment!


    Therefore, he did not dare to get married and have children!


    Because he liked her, he was even more reluctant to implicate her!


    He hoped that she could be good, safe and sound, getting married and having children. Even if that meant she hated him, he was still content!


    But why at this moment does his heart ache so much?


    It was as if someone was using a blunt saw to slowly cut his heart, it hurt so much, every breath was painful.<div>


    He wanted to stay away from her!


    But against his will, he was drawn to her.


    Every moment of seeing her again was a torment to him!


    She was like the candlelight of his life, and he turned into a moth, knowing it meant his destruction yet still rushing forward!<div>


    He suddenly pulled back his horse, causing the horse to neigh loudly as it reared on its hind legs in pain!


    ¡°Eek¡ª¡±


    Left Star hurriedly calmed the horse down. When it finally settled, he found himself near the same road where he first discovered the corpse of Big Mouth Li.


    This was the ce where he first saw Liu Sisi after her wedding.


    All theplications started here!


    In front of him slowly appeared an image of an innocent girl, herrge eyes shing as she curiously looked at him. Her eyes, clean and pure, were brighter and clearer than a zed cup, instantly reaching the depths of his heart¡­


    He slowly closed his eyes, his fists tightly clutching the horse¡¯s reins, and his teeth grinding.


    No! He, Zuo Xingyu, would never regret anything he did!


    He will absolutely not regret it!


    Never!


    He let out a long howl!


    When he opened his eyes again, his face had regained its calm, as if nothing had happened.


    After sending off Zuo Xingyu, Liu Sisi went to the bookstore with Old Cheng.<div>


    The bookstore had been closed for a few days, and the main entrance was tightly shut at the moment, deste and deserted.


    Upon seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s arrival, Di Cheng carefully removed a door panel and invited her in.


    What surprised Liu Sisi was that besides Xiao Feng, the elderly Mr. Di was also present.


    As soon as they brought Liu Sisi in, the two of them fell to their knees and respectfully kowtowed three times to Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi was taken aback! She hurriedly stepped forward to help them up, ¡°What are you doing? Get up, get up quickly!¡±


    Di Cheng and Xiao Feng insisted on kowtowing three times before they stood up.


    ¡°Third Aunt, this is thest time Di Cheng will call you as such.¡±


    Upon hearing Di Cheng¡¯s words, Liu Sisi retracted the hand she had extended. She turned her head to look at the seated Elderly Mr. Di, a shadow crossing her eyes.


    ¡°Regardless of what you have to say, say it after you get up.¡±


    Given Ms. Wang¡¯s previous separation from the Di family, she wouldn¡¯t find it strange if anything unusual happened at this moment!


    However, Di Cheng just smiled: ¡°Third Aunt knows well, Di Cheng has been close to Third Uncle since childhood, and my parents¡¯ attitude towards me is evident to you both. As their child, I have no say in their decision to leave the Di family. However, I am here to rify my stance.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t speak, but her eyes flicked to Elderly Mr. Di.


    Elderly Mr. Di didn¡¯t say anything but nodded approvingly at Di Cheng.<div>


    ¡°Cheng¡¯er and grandfather have discussed this. From today, Cheng¡¯er will be adopted into Third Uncle¡¯s family. This way, even if we end up in the mines, Cheng¡¯er would be able to share some responsibilities and alleviate some of Third Uncle¡¯s burden. And there¡¯s Xiao Feng¡­¡±


    Speaking of this, Di Cheng turned around and looked at Xiao Feng beside him with a smile, gently holding her hand: ¡°Xiao Feng will also take good care of Third Aunt, please rest assured!¡±


    ¡°Where did you get this idea from?¡±


    Liu Sisi felt her tongue tie up in knots!


    Adoption was typically considered in cases where someone didn¡¯t have a son, but she had never heard of it happening in a situation like this.


    However, she understood what Di Cheng meant. If Di Yelei were to abide by the imperial edict, he would be sent to some ce of harsh cold or forced tobor in the mines. Xuan¡¯er and YingEr were too young, and she herself was pregnant; such a journey would likely lead to a perilous oue. However, if the couple Di Cheng and Xiao Feng joined them, they could help shoulder some of the burdens¡­


    Unfortunately, she would not let Ye Leie to any harm! But as for the couple before her¡­n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes shed, and she solemnly said, ¡°Cheng¡¯er, I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but this is deliberately throwing yourself into danger. Is it worth it?¡±

 Chapter 561: The Mysterious Appearance of the Imperial Emissary of the Divine Dragon

    Chapter 561: The Mysterious Appearance of the Imperial Emissary of the Divine Dragon


    ¡°It¡¯s worth it! Third Aunt.¡±


    On the contrary, it was Xiaofeng who spoke up from the side, smiling generously, ¡°Xiaofeng had many misunderstandings about Third Uncle and Third Aunt in the past. It was Di Cheng who told Xiaofeng the details, and Xiaofeng realized how good Third Uncle and Third Aunt were. As for Di Cheng¡¯s decision, Xiaofeng is aware and supportive of it. Also, my father supports this matter, so Third Aunt, please rest assured.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Liu Sisi still wants to say more.


    Elderly Mr. Di lightly coughed, and stood up from the chair.


    ¡°Sisi, this is my decision. I like this grandson Di Cheng. You are his Third Aunt, and the whereabouts of Third Child are unknown at the moment. They also kowtowed to you three times. You have done so much for him, so it¡¯s right for him to call you ¡®mom¡¯.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought about it and finally came up with a perfect solution.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way! I, Sisi, will make a decision on behalf of Ye Lei and ept Cheng¡¯er. As for the family tree¡­ please trouble father to add Di Cheng¡¯s names under Ye Lei¡¯s.¡±


    ording to the rules here, adding Di Cheng to Di Yelei¡¯s name on the family tree means that Di Cheng is Di Yelei¡¯s eldest son and daughter-inw!


    Elderly Mr. Di thought for a while and then nodded, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea too!¡±


    ¡°Di Cheng (Xiaofeng), meet Mother.¡±


    Di Cheng and Xiaofeng kowtowed three times again.


    ¡°Get up!¡±


    Liu Sisi was also happy! When Ms. Wang finds outter that she has lost a good son, she will definitely regret it!


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in the county, County Magistrate Su has be a frightened bird at the moment!


    He anxiously paced back and forth in the back hall, wishing he could wear through the floor.


    ¡°What to do? What to do? What should we do now, and how could such a coincidence happen? Who is plotting against me in secret?¡±


    Madam County Magistrate was also dizzied by his pacing and couldn¡¯t help but scold him.


    ¡°Old Master, can¡¯t you just sit down for a while? You¡¯ve been pacing since this morning. Aren¡¯t your legs soft yet?¡±


    ¡°You know nothing! My official hat is about to be lost now, how can I care about my leg pain?¡±


    County Magistrate Su cursed!


    However, he had not felt anything, but when his wife reminded him, he realized that his legs were as heavy as if they were filled with lead!


    He grumbled, but he sat down in the chair as his wife suggested, looking worried and unhappy.


    Madam Su hurriedly leaned over, ¡°Old Master, are we just sitting here waiting for death, without any solutions?¡±


    ¡°If I had a solution, why would I be so annoyed and irritable?¡±


    County Magistrate Su sighed repeatedly!


    ¡°Not to mention the disappearance of several groups of soldiers sent to Liuping Town, but also not a single message has been transmitted. And this surnamed Di¡­ What¡¯s so strange about him? Our soldiers clearly escorted him towards Gongzhou City. Even if he wanted to harm me, he wouldn¡¯t have grown a thousand-mile eye and listened to the wind.¡±


    ¡°Old Master, it seems that you are overthinking!¡±


    Madam Su, who has seen a lot, pointed out another way of thinking.


    ¡°Even if this surnamed Di wants to harm you, he is far beyond reach, isn¡¯t he? At present, the most important thing is to think about how to deal with this Patrol Imperial Envoy, Lord Mo!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true! I was confused.¡±


    County Magistrate Su pped his forehead and suddenly realized!


    ¡°What do you think Lord Mo is up to? Which side is he on? If this case is really to be investigated, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s heart was in turmoil!


    He had personally dealt with Cailian in the beginning, and if Mo Liancheng really wanted to investigate, it might actually lead back to him¡­


    ¡°Old Master, you should ask, who is this Lord Mo sent by!¡±


    Madam Su was on point!


    Just as the two were conspiring, there were hurried knocks on the door outside.


    ¡°Old Master, something¡¯s wrong with Old Master!¡±


    At the moment, which shortsighted servant was trying to stir up trouble?


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    County Magistrate Su was furious, he yanked open the main entrance, and spat thick phlegm onto the arriving person.


    ¡°Your bloody master is standing right here in good shape, what¡¯s not right? Blind and useless thing!¡±


    The thick phlegm hung onto the eyebrows of the person who arrived, and he didn¡¯t dare to wipe it off.


    ¡°Yo-your, Honor¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems like you are the official¡¯s superior!¡±


    County Magistrate Su is still not satisfied, and he fiercely kicked the arriving person!


    ¡°What are you even saying? What use is raising such useless people like you?¡±


    The person who arrived was in severe pain, he couldn¡¯t help but cover the painful area and mumble a low response.


    ¡°It, it is Businessman Zhang¡¯s wife making amotion outside the mansion gate again, demanding to see you-your Honor¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn it! What the hell am I keeping you useless bunch for?¡±


    County Magistrate Su was still not satisfied and kicked him hard once more.


    That Zhang Shixin might have already died God knows where, but that Shen Qiu has been pestering him for the man every two or three days. Where is he supposed to find someone to hand over? It¡¯s just a useless bunch of troublemakers!


    ¡°But, but¡­ We cannot hold her back!¡±


    The person who arrived had a wretched expression on his face, thinking about how unlucky he was today!


    ¡°If you can¡¯t hold her back, all of you can get lost! All just a bunch of waste!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­¡±


    The person tumbled and crawled, running away swiftly. It was as if a ghost was chasing after him from behind.


    ¡°Your Honor!¡± Someone dressed as a governmental office¡¯s runner entered the courtyard.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    County Magistrate Su cursed and grumbled, the anger in his heart still could not be vented, but he had to suppress it forcefully.


    ¡°Your Honor!¡±


    The person greeted with a fist and a bow.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°The officials escorting Lord Di and the others have already entered the South City Gate of Macheng County and are preparing to return to the governmental office. Lord Mo has asked the Old Master toe and assist in the trial of this case.¡±


    ¡°What? How could it be so fast? Has this surnamed Di already arrived in the county?¡±


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s heart was pounding, howe he didn¡¯t get any news?


    Mrs. Su thought of something else, ¡°How is the situation with Lord Xin Quan?¡±


    ¡°Lord Xin has also been summoned to the court by Lord Mo.¡±


    ¡°This¡­ Old Master, how high-ranking is Lord Mo? Could he be even higher-ranking than the Governor of Gongzhou Prefecture and Chengdu Prefecture?¡±


    ¡°Idiot! Really, women have long hair but short insight!¡±


    County Magistrate Su scolded loudly, ¡°Chengdu Prefecture governs Gongzhou, Dazhou, Luzhou, Zizhou, Yazhou, Maozhou, and other ces, while the appointed Patrol Imperial Envoy Lord Mo has jurisdiction over Chengdu Prefecture, Jiangling Prefecture, Xingyuan Prefecture, and other territories. He can freely dismiss and promote officials, and he represents His Majesty the current Emperor on his travels. Now you tell me, who is superior and who is inferior?¡±


    Mrs. Su shrank her head when being scolded, hesitating to speak, ¡°So, should you go or not go?¡±


    ¡°How can I not go, of course, I have to go!¡±


    County Magistrate Su made up his mind and ordered, ¡°Quickly, get my official robe. I want to see, without evidence, how he can deal with me?¡±


    The followers moved swiftly, quickly fetching the official robe and carefully helping him put it on.

 Chapter 562: Released without Charge

    Chapter 562: Released without Charge


    He cleared his throat lightly, gathering his courage to step out of his room when suddenly, a fragrant breeze came.


    It turned out to be several favored concubines of varying ages in the backyard.


    ¡°Old Master, I heard that the Lord Imperial Envoy Inspector is here, is that true?¡± A beautiful-looking concubine squeezed over.


    Before she could finish her words, she was pushed away by another concubine: ¡°Old Master, I know that you will surely be sessful ande back safely¡­¡±


    ¡°Get away, get away, you little vixen!¡±


    A hot-tempered concubine nearby pushed her away directly, her waist as slender as a water snake, and squeezed into County Magistrate Su¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Old Master, will you encounter any problems on this trip? It is said that this Inspector was personally appointed by His Majesty, isn¡¯t it true?¡±


    At that moment, County Magistrate Su had no energy to deal with these beauties!


    He pushed the charming woman beside him irritably, his face full of annoyance!


    ¡°What do you want to learn about this for? Just stay in the backyard and enjoy yourselves with music and storytelling. Don¡¯t bother me the Official!¡±


    Having said that, he forcibly pulled off the little demon wrapped around him and marched away with long strides.


    Mrs. Su nced coldly at these little demons, thinking of the past when these concubines fought for favor every day, and how she almost died of anger because of these little demons.


    At present, this situation was just what she wished for, just like she wanted!


    She snorted coldly, twisted her plump hips, and went into the inner room.


    Let these little demons make trouble as they wished, as long as her husband remained in office for one day, he could not do without her, the legitimate Madam!


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Hmph! Let these little demons be proud for another two days!


    ¡­


    A prisoner escort carriage hurriedly entered the government office and went into the dungeon prison.


    The unkempt criminal on the carriage was pulled down and pushed to the back hall to be strictly guarded.


    Di Yelei sneaked into the county government¡¯s dungeon.


    He naturally knew his way around the surroundings and silently sneaked in without alerting the nearby guards.


    Ahead, the specially appointed Inspector Lord Mo had already taken his seat in the court room.


    Mo Liancheng was different from others. He wore very ordinary cloth clothes, looked neither fat nor thin, and had a middle-aged appearance, with a smiling face that didn¡¯t reveal anything special.


    After he took his seat in the court room, he did not proceed with the trial immediately but instead chatted with Xin Quan and County Magistrate Su on the side.


    Xin Quan and County Magistrate Su were both terrified, answering hesitantly. In a short time, their foreheads were covered in cold sweat, and they could hardly withstand Mo Liancheng¡¯s questioning.


    Di Yelei turned a deaf ear to the questioning in the front hall and hid silently behind the door curtain like a gecko.


    As the Imperial Envoy¡¯s group of governmental runners passed by, the originally seated ¡°Di Yelei¡± stood up. His bone joints emitted low crackling sounds, and he quickly shrank. He then slipped out of his handcuffs and shackles, quickly took off the disguise on his body, revealing a thin and sharp face, quickly changed into a governmental office runner¡¯s clothes, and nodded slightly in the direction of Di Yelei!


    Di Yelei came out without a word from his hiding ce and put the disguise back on.


    ¡°Son-inw, forgive me.¡±


    His voice was very low, and his movements were very fast. He got up and fiddled with Di Yelei¡¯s hair, creating the same messy chicken coop hairstyle as before.


    He then quickly went towards the narrow alleyway nearby and left.


    Di Yelei moved his hands and feet, shaking the chains in his hand with satisfaction!


    Only those who canugh to the end are the real winners!


    County Magistrate Su, Xin Quan, it¡¯s time for him, Di Yelei, to hold his head up high.


    In the front hall, Mo Liancheng suddenly put down the teacup in his hand, retracted the smile on his face, and directly raised his hand to grab the wooden block and hit it.


    Bang!


    ¡°Su County Magistrate, Xin Quan, do you two know the crimes you¡¯vemitted?¡±


    Su County Magistrate and Xin Quan shivered, frightened and slid directly off their chairs.


    ¡°Lord Mo, what crimes have wemitted?¡±


    Mo Liancheng, however, was an unconventional man, and scoffed coldly.


    ¡°Do you really think I, the Imperial Envoy, would wrong you? I have been in Macheng County for more than a month now. What have you two been up to? Do you truly think I¡¯m a fool?¡±


    Su County Magistrate and Xin Quan exchanged nces, and in the current situation, they could not shrink back! They braced themselves.


    ¡°Lord Mo, you are the Imperial Envoy, the Inspector-General appointed by His Majesty. You must not wrongly use us, the subordinate officers! We have been dutifully serving the imperial court with devotion. How can we be considered criminals?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, it seems you won¡¯t give up until you¡¯re desperate. Fine! This Imperial Envoy will allow you to see for yourselves why I make such a im!¡±


    Mo Liancheng casually picked up an Order Letter and threw it on the ground.


    ¡°Bring the person in quickly!¡±


    His face was full of cold smiles, scanning the two with sharp eyes.


    Su County Magistrate and Xin Quan still bracing themselves, showing no signs of backing down.


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor!¡±


    The Imperial Envoy¡¯s trusted soldiers went out and quickly brought someone in.


    As this person arrived, the bodies of Su County Magistrate and Xin Quan softened, directly copsing in their chairs.


    Among all the dangers, the one least expected!


    At this moment, only one thought emerged in Su County Magistrate¡¯s mind!


    It¡¯s over!


    The person who arrived was none other than Zhang Shixin, who had been missing for many days and couldn¡¯t be found by the Su County Magistrate!


    Zhang Shixin looked haggard, barely lifting his head to look at Su County Magistrate and Xin Quan before dropping his gaze again.


    The situation was hopeless!


    ¡­


    ¡°In the case of Di Yelei raping and murdering Su County Magistrate¡¯s niece Cailian, it is confirmed that it was a false and wrongful case. ording to thews of the Great Zhao, the used shall be released immediately, with their official positions restored. Effective immediately!¡±


    The verdict was quickly handed down, and the governmental runners picked up the gong and announced the good news!


    Compared to the cheering crowd outside, Su County Magistrate, within his official residence, wore a lifeless expression.


    Slumped in his chair, Su County Magistrate stared nkly at a random point in the air.


    ¡°Is this a sign of my impending doom? Couldn¡¯t you leave me a way out, God?¡± Su County Magistrate was on the verge of a breakdown.


    By his side, Mrs. Su¡¯s face turned pale, and she couldn¡¯t help but secretly calcte her chances.


    ¡°Old Master, don¡¯t worry. Hasn¡¯t Lord Mo not yet announced your crimes? What are you so worried about?¡±


    ¡°What do you, a woman, understand? Mo Liancheng said he would first withhold our crimes and then submit them to Chengdu Prefecture for Lord Governor to personally interrogate!¡±


    ¡°So¡­does Lord Mo mean to escort you two to Chengdu Prefecture?¡± Mrs. Su was also taken aback.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say that¡­¡±


    Since Mo Liancheng didn¡¯t say so, but instead gave him a gloomy look, Su County Magistrate became even more panicked!


    ¡°Your Honor, something has happened outside!¡± The person rushed in once more to report!


    ¡°What on earth has happened again?¡± Su County Magistrate hardly had the strength to speak.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s the several concubines, they¡­they¡­¡±

 Chapter 563: The Reunion of Husband and Wife

    Chapter 563: The Reunion of Husband and Wife


    Although there was a storm raging outside, she was very happy in her heart for having epted Di Cheng as her adopted son.


    Once she got back home, she instructed Granny Hu to buy groceries and invited Liu Zhi¡¯er and Old He to join them for a meal to celebrate the adoption of Di Cheng.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In the past, when the neighbors saw Liu Sisi and others, they would swarm over like bees. But at the moment, when they saw her walking by, they scattered as if she carried a contagious disease, keeping as far away as possible.


    Liu Sisi watched them with cold eyes, not looking away as she led Di Cheng and Xiao Feng into the residence.


    Soon the cooked dishes were served, and everyone enjoyed themselves without observing the usual formalities, chatting while eating.


    On the other hand, Ms. Zhao, who sat on the side, had an exceptionally badplexion. Seeing everyone talking andughing, she knew that behind their smiles was hidden sorrow. Still, she felt a strong sense of unease in her heart! Deliberately, she picked up the bamboo chopsticks and scattered the dishes from the bowl all over the ce.


    ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss about? If you¡¯re full, go away and stop bothering people!¡± Elderly Mr. Di left her no face.


    Who was bothering whom, after all?


    Ms. Zhao was also aggrieved! It was just a troublemaker, but he was treasured so much!


    ¡°Why¡­ Why should I leave?¡±


    Ms. Zhao threw down the bamboo chopsticks: ¡°He¡¯s just an ill-fated man who brought bad luck to his mother and wife. Previously, he only caused harm to himself, but now he brings the whole family into suffering. How unlucky I am¡­¡±


    ¡°You still speak! Have you made enough trouble? Do you think you are still the same as before? Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know! To cover up the fact that you killed Dou Family¡¯s wife, you deliberately framed Third Child for bringing bad luck to his mother and wife!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di became furious, and his words poked at Ms. Zhao¡¯s sore spots without leaving her any face to spare!


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s face immediately copsed. The bitterness in her heart was too hard to exin to outsiders.


    So-called mending a broken mirror anding back together was just a joke to her now!


    After trying so hard for so long, she abandoned her dignity, her pride, and poured out her everything, kneeling and bowing three times before Dou Family¡¯s wife¡¯s grave.


    What was it for? It was for having apanion, a support! But what about now? She lost so much, yet she gained only their eternal ridicule and growing distance.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her! How many times do I have to say it?¡±


    Ms. Zhao could no longer hold back and yelled! Again and again, she held back without result, and now she could bear it no more!


    ¡°Old man, you¡¯ve changed! You heartless thing! Did I say something wrong? For your Third Child alone, you ruined all of us! And you still won¡¯t allow anyone to say anything! What kind of heart do you have?¡±


    ¡°My heart is my own conscience! How would a ck-hearted person like you know?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di red at her with a cold face.


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s arrogance gradually faded under his hateful gaze.


    For the first time, she clearly realized: he hated her!


    She slumped back into her chair, utterly disheartened. He actually hated her!


    Di Cheng, who sat beside, moved his mouth as if to say something to help Ms. Zhao but was gently touched by Xiao Feng. In the end, he said nothing.


    Liu Sisi continued to eat and chat with Liu Zhi¡¯er next to her, showing no intention of speaking.


    She sneered in silence, thinking that if Ms. Zhao could still not recognize the situation, she would suffer even more in the future!


    As everyone was eating, Old Cheng rushed in rolling and crawling from the main entrance.


    ¡°Madam! Madam, there¡¯s good news! Tremendous good news! The Lord Imperial Envoy personally issued an order that Old Master¡¯s case was a wrongful one! He released Old Master and reinstated him to his previous post!¡±


    Overwhelmed with joy, Liu Sisi¡¯s head spun for a moment!


    Unable to hold back any longer, she sprang to her feet and turned sharply to face him: ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken? Where did this newse from?¡±


    Liu Sisi could no longer care about anything else and turned and walked out, walking faster and faster.


    ¡°Absolutely true! There were several pieces of news about this all at once, and it¡¯s impossible for me not to hear it all.¡±


    Old Cheng hurriedly followed with a quick jog.


    Di Cheng thought for a moment, then directly put down his bowl and chopsticks and caught up with the two in front.


    After getting the gist of the situation from Old Cheng, Liu Sisi quickly ran towards the exit of the town! She had to see him, she had to see him right away!


    At this moment, she couldn¡¯t wait any longer!


    When Ms. Zhao saw the current situation, she could hardly breathe due to the breath stuck in her throat, and after a long time, she couldn¡¯t help cursing angrily.


    ¡°Such a debt-collecting ghost turned things around, a true indestructible cockroach, he¡­¡±


    p!


    Before she could finish, the elderly Mr. Di next to her raised his hand and, without a word, pped her across the face, making a crisp sound.


    Ms. Zhao was taken aback by the p, covering her cheek in shock: ¡°You¡­ you dare to hit me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hitting you, yes!¡±


    After Elderly Mr. Di finished speaking, he pped her other cheek, sending her spinning in ce and falling to the ground.


    ¡°Get lost! My Di family can¡¯t afford to support you, a big Buddha. Stay where it¡¯s cool!¡±


    After saying this, he also leaned on his crutch and quickly followed Di Xuan and Di Ying.


    ¡°Madam, get in the carriage, Old Cheng will take you there!¡±


    Old Cheng quickly ran towards the stable, and soon drove the carriage to catch up.


    Liu Sisi was panting as she ran, and her stomach was starting to hurt at this moment. Hearing this, she didn¡¯t hesitate and quickly climbed into the carriage, lifting the carriage curtain and crawling inside.


    ¡°Hurry! Let¡¯s go to the county!¡± Liu Sisi ordered loudly.


    Ye Lei! Ye Lei, are you okay? I really miss you! I want to see you right away!


    Di Cheng, who was following close behind, didn¡¯t hesitate to climb into the carriage and sit in front.


    ¡°Alright! Madam, please take a seat.¡±


    Without a second word, Old Cheng quickly raced the horses.


    Just as they ran out of the town entrance, several galloping steeds approached from the front. Spotting the carriage, they hurriedly stopped. Several figures jumped off their horses and surrounded the carriage.


    ¡°Madam, Old Master is back!¡± Old Cheng yelled in surprise.


    Liu Sisi saw him, and before the carriage coulde to aplete stop, she leaped off the carriage.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Di Yelei cried out in shock! He quickly rushed forward, grabbing her right before she fell to the ground and tightly embraced her, his heart pounding in his chest.


    Liu Sisi did not notice the danger at all, her eyes were only filled with him. Seeing him perfectly fine in front of her eyes, she couldn¡¯t hold back the excitement in her heart and plunged directly into Di Yelei¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Ye Lei!¡­¡± Her voice trembled, and her whole body shook uncontrobly!


    Don¡¯t be fooled by her calm and poised demeanor while directing people these days to deal with various aspects of the situation.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Got out of my second surgery yesterday, manuscript stock used up. Dear readers, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll try my best to keep up with three updates a day.

 Chapter 564: Ye Lei and Sisi Embracing, Unable to Control their Feelings

    Chapter 564: Ye Lei and Sisi Embracing, Unable to Control their Feelings


    But in reality, these past days she had been tossing and turning every night, unable to sleep at all. The anxiety in her heart had no outlet.


    But now, he¡¯s back!


    He¡¯s back by her side!


    What could make her happier than this?


    ¡°Ye Lei, Ye Lei! Ye Lei, I missed you, I missed you so much¡­¡±


    She hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Di Yelei pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.


    ¡°Sisi, I missed you too¡­¡± The next moment, his kissnded on her lips.


    Passionate and wild!


    Tossing and turning!


    He kept kissing her lips passionately, giving her a tingling sensation that spread from her lips, like ants gnawing at her heart.


    The strong arms that held her also transmitted an enormous strength, apanied by his trembling.


    This conveyed to Liu Sisi¡¯s heart through their tightly intertwined bodies.


    The people around them silently watched the embracing couple, their eyes filled with relief, admiration, and more than anything, blessings.


    Silent, they turned their backs and looked at another side.


    The setting sun gradually went down, casting a golden glow on the pair, draping everything nearby with a golden coat, golden and dazzling, pure charm.


    He wantonly invaded her mouth, her body seemed boneless, as he advanced step by step, she could only passively endure.


    She clung tightly to his clothes, holding them firmly in her hand. This small support was the only thing that kept her standing, preventing her from falling on the ground.


    Finally he let her go, looking at Liu Sisi¡¯s face with his shining ck eyes, not willing to miss a single detail.


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re back, Ye Lei!¡±


    Her eyes had only him in them, she tipped up her toes and looked up at him.


    His face was full of affection, and his ck eyes gradually filled with a mist, but he wasughing so freely!


    A faint blush gradually rose to her face, and a long string of crystal tears slipped down from her eyes, like peonies after spring rain, bewitching and enticing.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t cry¡­¡±


    But hisughter only increased, he reached out arge hand and gently wiped away her tears.


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t cry!¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded firmly,ughing happily.


    But the burning tears only fell more and more, string after string, no matter how much she wiped, they wouldn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°Okay okay, you¡¯re not crying! My Sisi wouldn¡¯t cry!¡±


    Di Yelei smiled lovingly, couldn¡¯t help holding her in his arms again, silently apanying her.


    He would never let go!


    ¡­


    At County Magistrate Su¡¯s official residence.


    His patience was almost exhausted by the person in front of him!


    ¡°What do you want to say? What kind of trouble have the several concubines caused again?¡±


    Anger made County Magistrate Su¡¯s tone harsher.


    The servant, scared stiff, afraid to be kicked again, quickly closed his eyes and blurted out what he wanted to say.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s bad! Several concubines have all left!¡±


    ¡°The concubines can leave if they wish, why did you stop them?¡± County Magistrate Su¡¯s face grew even darker.


    ¡°But¡­ they took everything from their courtyards with them, even big and small packages! They brought a lot of things and then left the manor¡­¡± The servant looked at County Magistrate Su with pity and quickly lowered his head.


    A bang erupted in County Magistrate Su¡¯s head!


    His entire body swayed for a moment; he almost fell to the ground.


    ¡°Old Master¨Cwhat¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    Mrs. Su hurriedly helped him stay steady, feeling very pleased inside her heart!


    Wasn¡¯t he always doting on this or that Little Demon in normal days? But look! The moment things started looking bad, these Little Demons immediately made themselves scarce, not hesitating in the least.


    Even better if all the Little Demons left! The Old Master should finally realize who was on his side, wouldn¡¯t he?


    Thinking about this, she turned her head to re at the servant: ¡°Have all the concubines left? Did they say why they are leaving?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The servants were even more terrified of this Madam County Magistrate!


    The servant struggled to swallow saliva: ¡°The brothers and I stopped several concubines at the mansion¡¯s entrance. They are there now, making a big fuss¡­Madam County Magistrate, should the two of you go see?¡±


    It took County Magistrate Su some time to calm down. Hearing this, he could no longer stay calm!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let us see who these ungrateful wretches are! Let¡¯s see who dares to kick up a fuss about leaving!¡±


    Having said this, he pushed away Mrs. Su¡¯s supporting arm and marched towards the mansion entrance.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Old Master, wait for me!¡±


    Mrs. Su quickly motioned for the others to follow and hurriedly went after him.


    By the time County Magistrate Su and Mrs. Su arrived at the mansion¡¯s main gate, sharp, tumultuous voices could be heard from afar.


    ¡°On what grounds are you not letting us leave? We want to leave the manor for fun. If you dare obstruct us again, don¡¯t me us for being rude!¡±


    ¡°What kind of unruly behavior have you all been taught?¡±


    ¡°Make way! If we take this matter up with the Old Master, you¡¯ll all pay!¡±


    ¡°Get lost¡­¡±


    Everyone was arguing incessantly, filling the air with a myriad of different voices.


    Unable to hold back, County Magistrate Su quickened his pace.


    He saw several shapely concubines in colorful dresses constantly arguing with the gatekeepers, their pointing fingers practically poking the gatekeepers¡¯ faces. It seemed as if the gatekeepers weren¡¯t holding up any longer.


    ¡°Cough! Who wants to lodge aint? I¡¯m right here. Go on, tell me all about it.¡±


    The County Magistrate strode over with his hands behind his back.


    Once these concubines heard County Magistrate Su¡¯s voice, they all quieted down instantly.


    They all turned around and gradually drew nearer to County Magistrate Su: ¡°Old Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Humph! All of you, carrying big and small packages, where exactly do you n to go? Is there a famous performer in town? Do you want to see the show?¡±


    County Magistrate Su cast a cold nce at everyone, sweeping his gaze over all of them, chuckling scornfully throughout.


    Seeing as everyone else was mute, the fourth concubine, relying on the Old Master¡¯s usual favoritism towards her, stepped forward, her waist swaying like a water snake: ¡°Yes, Old Master, indeed, there is a famous performer in town. He¡­¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    County Magistrate Su had no patience to hear her out. He directly kicked out,nding a vicious kick.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Fourth concubine let out a piercing scream, she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood before fainting.


    The remaining group was even more silent. They dared not say a word, huddling together.


    There wasn¡¯t a single hint of mercy in County Magistrate Su¡¯s eyes. He swept his gaze over the crowd one by one.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re all so eager to leave, fine! Let me help you! Servants!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    County Magistrate Su said ruthlessly, ¡°Take away everything on these shameless peasants! Then strip off their clothes and throw them into the Whorehouse! Make sure to tell the manager, we can¡¯t let these wretches have an easy time!¡±


    Having said that, he turned away, ignoring the cries of despair that began to sound behind him, and strode off.

 Chapter 565: 565: Your Husband Takes You to See a Wonderful Show!

    Chapter 565: Your Husband Takes You to See a Wonderful Show!


    At the boundary of the town.


    Cherry blossoms filled the trees, petals sprinkling down like a cascading waterfall, the whole world submerging into the overflowing fragrance and enchanting dance of the flower petals.


    Paved with cherry blossom petals, the cobblestone road, nting sunlit grass, and trees wound through the streets, with cherry blossom petals swirling as if snow was falling, staining the hair and dresses of people.


    With a rxed expression, Di Yelei carried a shallow smile, gently holding Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, embracing her obviously full figure, walking together without a care, leisurely strolling along the cobblestone road.


    Liu Sisi matched his pace, slowly moving forward.


    The falling cherry blossoms at the end of March seemed to float down like fine snow, following the gentle breeze, swirling down in a graceful dance; their dark-pink petals scattered in the wind, seemingly filling the entire sky.


    Colorful butterflies fluttered about, apanying the sky full of petals, dancing together through the air of youth.


    Although the cherry blossoms had fallen, their fragrance still lingered.


    Apanying each other along the cobblestone road, the two walked silently, their hands sped together, their harmonious movement and mutual understanding were heartwarming.


    At this moment, tender feelings transformed into a soft fingertip, side by side, under heaven and earth.


    That year, whose eyes did the chaotic cherry blossoms affect, turning an iron-willed man into a sharp-edged sword!<div>


    This closely embraced scene was so warm and harmonious, gradually bing one with nature.


    Passersby who walked by the couple couldn¡¯t help but secretly look back, watching this lovely pair of husband and wife, revealing a knowing smile!


    Even the quietly following followers couldn¡¯t help but tear up. The two of them making it to today had not been easy!


    Even Di Cheng¡¯s eyes reddened, feeling deeply moved, thinking how wonderful would it be if he could love and cherish his Xiao Feng this much till old age?


    Di Yelei reached out, gently plucking a cherry blossom, and carefully tucked it behind Liu Sisi¡¯s hair.


    ¡°How is it? Do you like it?¡±


    Di Yelei softly chuckled as he gently brushed her fallen hair from her ear.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks flushed, unable to hold back a smile! She gently nodded.


    ¡°Mmm! I like it! As long as it¡¯s from you, I like it.¡±


    ¡°Naughty!¡±


    Di Yelei yfully flicked her little nose, which made her frown, and again he couldn¡¯t help butugh heartily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that, I hate it! This nose really hurts.¡±


    She rolled her eyes at him, then immediately refused to submit, pinching him back in return.


    ¡°Where does it hurt? Let me rub it for you?¡±


    With thick skin and rough temperament, Di Yelei didn¡¯t care and continued tough softly, raising a hand to give her a few rubs. The rubbing made Liu Sisi¡¯s little nose redder and sore, and her two eyes quickly filled with tears, looking like a little white rabbit.


    ¡°Stop, stop fooling around¡­ There are many people watching here, stop it!¡±


    Liu Sisi was both embarrassed, angry, and annoyed, pushing at him hard. His body didn¡¯t budge, however, and instead, he pulled her closer into his arms as she struggled.


    Their banter made the people following at a distance burst intoughter, seeing Di Yelei looking back, they hurriedly turned their heads and huddled together, discussing something.


    ¡°Who? You see, they¡¯re not looking at us.¡±<div>


    Heughed heartily, suddenly bending down and directly lifting her up, striding towards the direction of the carriage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Your husband will take you to see a good show. There¡¯s an exciting drama about to take ce.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Where are we going to watch?¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly hooked her arms around his neck.<div>


    ¡°To the county!¡±


    Di Yelei leaped, jumped onto the carriage, and quickly got in.


    ¡°Go now? Isn¡¯t the city gate about to close?¡±


    Liu Sisi took the opportunity to sit down, curiously looking at Di Yelei.


    The city gates here close at sunset, and even if there is an asional dy, the gates would definitely be closed by the time the carriage enters the city.


    ¡°Just a city gate, it wants to stop me, Minister Di?¡±


    Di Yeleiughed heartily!


    As the lights came on, the city gate was already closed. The windmps hung on the city walls, their flickering candlelight casting shadows of the guarding soldiers walking back and forth along the walls.


    A carriage soon arrived at the city gate.


    ¡°Old Master, we have reached the city gate.¡± Old Cheng stopped the carriage and raised his head to report.


    The carriage curtain shook, and then someone lifted it from the inside. Di Yelei leaned out from the carriage, revealing a satisfied face as he looked up at the city wall.


    ¡°Go ahead and call out, Minister Di is returning to the city.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Master!¡± Old Cheng quickly got off the horse and shouted loudly.<div>


    A momentter, the city gate really opened!


    Liu Sisi in the carriage looked back at the closed city gate behind her, still not quiteprehending it.


    ¡°Strange! How did the soldiers guarding the city gate let us pass?¡±


    Di Yelei proudly said: ¡°Hahaha¡­ Of course! Because from today on, these soldiers are temporarily under my jurisdiction, so they naturally obey my orders.¡±


    ¡°Oh! So¡­ how many soldiers are you in charge of now?¡±


    Liu Sisi was also happy at heart! What did it mean for Di Yelei to be in charge of the soldiers in Macheng County?


    ¡°I haven¡¯t counted carefully, so I really don¡¯t know!¡±


    Di Yelei thought for a moment, then grabbed her hand and gently bit it: ¡°This is not something you, a woman, should be concerned about. Your duty now is to take good care of yourself and strive to give your husband a big fat boy as soon as possible! Haha¡­ ¡±


    Heughed heartily.


    ¡°What the heck! I¡¯m not a baby-making machine. Besides, Di Yelei, didn¡¯t you forget something?¡±


    Liu Sisi ignored the bumpiness of the carriage, stood up, raised her small hand, and directly twisted his ear.


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts, it hurts¡­ ¡±


    Di Yelei pretended to be in pain, deliberately speaking loudly enough for the people outside to hear.<div>


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face flushed instantly!


    She didn¡¯t use any force, did she? She hurriedly let go of her hand, thought about it, and realized she couldn¡¯t back down!


    She twisted his ear again.


    ¡°Nonsense! Where does it hurt? I haven¡¯t even exerted any strength. Di Yelei, I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t even think about trapping me in the backyard quadrangle! I think you¡¯re deliberately pretending to be deaf and not wanting to listen, right?¡±


    ¡°Ouch, ouch, it really hurts! Why don¡¯t you help me rub it, and it won¡¯t hurt anymore¡­ ¡±


    Di Yelei winked at her and casually pulled her into his arms. His hand grabbed her little hand and pressed it to a certain ce on himself¡­


    ¡°Stop messing around, you¡­ don¡¯t you see where we are now? Let go! Ugh¡­¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi struggled anxiously but couldn¡¯t break free from his strength.


    He looked proudly at her as she twisted in his arms, both embarrassed and angry. Shepletely delighted him.


    He couldn¡¯t help but lower his head and once again muffled her incessant little mouth.


    ¡°Mmm, don¡¯t¡­ mmm¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s struggle weakened, and by the time he finally let her go, her cheeks were already burning red, her eyes filled with tender affection, like a pool of clear water.


    <div>

 Chapter 566: 566: Taking You to Watch a Great Show!

    Chapter 566: Taking You to Watch a Great Show!


    The carriage came to a halt in front of a grand mansion.


    Liu Sisi lifted the carriage curtain and looked down, before eximing in surprise. This was indeed the official residence of the County Magistrate Su.


    ¡°Ye Lei, why did you bring me here?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t her first time at Su County Magistrate¡¯s residence, and to be honest, she had no fondness for this ce at all.


    ¡°Naturally, I brought you here to watch the fun. Don¡¯t worry, we probably have to wait a bit.¡±


    Di Yelei immediately let down the curtain, took Liu Sisi in his arms, and jumped straight out of the carriage.


    Before they even approached the County Magistrate¡¯s residence, they could hear the cries of despair and pleadinging from inside. The guards who were originally at the entrance, however, were nowhere to be found.


    ¡°This way! Let¡¯s go in from the outside and take a look.¡±


    Di Yelei wasn¡¯t the least bit uneasy about trespassing; instead, he quickly led Liu Sisi past the main entrance.


    ¡°Hmm! What¡¯s going on here? Isn¡¯t this the residence of Su County Magistrate? Did I go to the wrong ce?¡±


    Inside the entrance, several concubines¡¯ cries for mercy echoed one after another, with a deeply tragic tone. The County Magistrate Su brushed off his sleeve, and bitterly prepared to leave. Mrs. Su¡¯s face still held a vicious smile that had not yet faded.<div>


    Di Yelei¡¯s sudden outcry stopped the Su County Magistrate in his tracks, and he turned around abruptly, looking at the two who had just entered with surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually you¡­ ¡±


    The Su County Magistrate spoke through gritted teeth, as if he wished he could swallow Di Yelei whole.


    Di Yelei raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled: ¡°Isn¡¯t it me?¡±


    True to form, Su County Magistrate was such an old hand in officialdom. In just a moment, his expression eased, and he suddenly burst intoughter.


    ¡°Di Yelei, oh, Di Yelei, so you came to my residence at this moment to watch me be humiliated? You¡¯re too naive! How could I possibly let you have your way?¡±


    ¡°When did I ever say I came here today to watch you be humiliated? You¡¯ve really guessed wrong. I came to add insult to injury!¡± Di Yelei didn¡¯t bother to hide his intentions at all.


    ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s a shame! Today, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to disappoint you!¡±


    Su County Magistrate gnashed his teeth.


    Di Yelei casually nced at the crying concubines nearby, unconcerned, and spread his hands: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, as long as my wife and I can go out for a walk, it¡¯s worth it!¡±


    As he spoke, he smiled at Liu Sisi and gently shook her little hand.


    The couple¡¯s eyes met in mid-air, and a warm current flowed through their hearts, making Liu Sisi understand what he meant by watching the fun.


    One had to admit, Di Yelei was truly cunning!


    Su County Magistrate could no longer maintain his smile. He turned and red at several concubines and then looked at his wife beside him, running out of patience: ¡°Di Yelei, thirty years in the West River and thirty years in the East River! My loss today doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s see who gets thestugh, and whoughs the longest! Hmph!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something I should be saying to you.¡±


    Di Yelei let go of Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, took a casual step forward, andzily nced at him: ¡°Are you still harboring illusions about the Garrison Commander of Gongzhou City? Perhaps you don¡¯t know that he¡¯s in deep trouble himself, and how can he protect you and Xin Quan? Aren¡¯t you curious about why such a prestigious Garrison Commander would constantly change his mind?¡±


    The Su County Magistrate¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed, and a thought shed through his mind.


    ¡°It was you! It was you meddling, wasn¡¯t it? You arranged everything from the very beginning, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You, you! Even now, you still haven¡¯t noticed anything. Don¡¯t you think the Imperial Envoy¡¯s arrival is too suspicious? Why would Zhang Shixin end up in the hands of the Imperial Envoy? Why would Cailian, who is clearly dead, appear in your room? Where did your concubine go? And the ount book you used to pay your respects to those lords is missing¡­ All of this is because of an extra hand.¡±<div>


    As Di Yelei spoke, he stepped closer and closer to the County Magistrate Su, eventually pressing right up against him: ¡°Guess who orchestrated all of this?¡±


    ¡°Who did it? You¡­ you better not tell me that everything was done by you. I don¡¯t believe it!¡±


    County Magistrate Su yelled in desperation.


    He was shocked in his heart, but his mind was racing.<div>


    No! It¡¯s impossible! Di Yelei had been locked up at the gate of the government office the whole time, then escorted to Gongzhou City. He simply didn¡¯t have the time¡­


    Wait a moment!


    County Magistrate Su suddenly thought of a question.


    Back in the governmental office when the Cailian case was being heard, the human skin mask that was removed from Cailian¡¯s face¡­


    He took a deep breath and couldn¡¯t help but raise his head to look at him.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve finally figured it out. That¡¯s good, so you won¡¯t be a foolish ghost.¡±


    Di Yelei turned to walk outside but stopped after only two steps and turned back around: ¡°Oh! I almost forgot to tell you, it¡¯s hard to believe how precise Zhang Shixin is when he bites someone. Just a gentle schr on the outside. Can you guess how much the Imperial Envoy believed?¡±


    After saying that, Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help butugh loudly before taking Liu Sisi and walking outside.


    Three ck lines appeared on Liu Sisi¡¯s forehead!


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel she and Di Yelei were like the arrogant and domineering viins in the stories, a side of Di Yelei she had never seen before.


    County Magistrate Su¡¯s face turned pale, and he couldn¡¯t help but stamp his foot: ¡°nder! This is real nder! I want to see the Imperial Envoy! I want to go to Gongzhou City, I want to see the Garrison Commander, Lord¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems that Lord Su has seen a lot of the world and knows many important people! However, I do not know what precisely Lord Imperial Envoy has ndered you for?¡±


    There was a sudden deep voice from the doorway, and a middle-aged man walked in from the outside.<div>


    Several astute followers followed closely behind him, entering slowly from the outside, their eyes casually ncing at County Magistrate Su before focusing on Liu Sisi.


    ¡°You must be Liu Sisi, right? Like! Really like! So alike!¡±


    Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow in surprise, who was this person in front of her?


    ¡°Sisi, this is Lord Imperial Envoy Mo who is going to clear my name!¡± Di Yelei hurriedly introduced.


    So, this is Mo Liancheng? Liu Sisi looked him up and down.


    Mo Liancheng stood there casually, and at first nce, there was no way to tell that he was an Imperial Envoy who had received the Emperor¡¯s favor.


    Mo Liancheng also examined Liu Sisi from head to toe, eximing repeatedly.


    She really was her daughter! She looked just like her! It was as if they were carved from the same mold!


    ¡°Sisi has met the Imperial Envoy.¡± Liu Sisi performed a half-squatting courtesy.


    ¡°No¡­ Get up quickly. You are carrying a child now, be careful of the children in your belly.¡± Mo Liancheng sighed, pretending to help her up.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 567: Attacking the Mind is Supreme

    Chapter 567: Attacking the Mind is Supreme


    As the three of them chatted happily, the scene in front of them was truly stimting for County Magistrate Su who was standing aside.


    However, he had to smile and greet them with authority.


    ¡°Lord Imperial Envoy, it¡¯ste today, why has the Imperial Envoy visited sote at night? Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Well, indeed I, the Imperial Envoy, actually have something to ask County Magistrate Su.¡±


    Mo Liancheng turned his head: ¡°County Magistrate Su, Zhang Shixin exined a lot of things during the day, I¡¯m afraid you will have to trouble yourself to go through it and exin the details. Of course, this is not a formal court, just an informal chat. Oh, I forgot to tell County Magistrate Su, in the afternoon, Lord Xin Quan also came to see me once, and had a brief talk until just a moment ago before leaving.¡±


    Mo Liancheng spoke casually, but it made County Magistrate Su¡¯s legs soft, almost copsing on the ground.


    ¡°Xin Quan¡­ that¡¯s impossible, we were supposed to advance and retreat together!¡±


    ¡°County Magistrate Su, Lord Xin is much more aware of the current situation than you. He has pushed all the me on you, and you are still foolishly taking the me for him here. I don¡¯t know how heughs at you for being foolish in his heart. What do you say? County Magistrate Su, please!¡±


    A burly man emerged from beside Mo Liancheng and made an inviting gesture to County Magistrate Su, clearly not giving him any chance to change his mind.


    County Magistrate Su had a bitter taste in his mouth, and the situation was already beyond his control!


    ¡°Xin Quan! You dog- damned beast! You deserve the death of your whole family!¡± County Magistrate Su couldn¡¯t help but curse out loud.


    On the other hand, Mrs. Su next to him became anxious!


    She quickly took two steps forward, grabbed County Magistrate Su¡¯s cor directly, and knelt on the ground with a thud.


    ¡°My lord, where are you going? You can¡¯t leave me behind¡­¡±


    County Magistrate Su shuddered and couldn¡¯t help but forcefully break Mrs. Su¡¯s hand: ¡°Madam,ter I will give you a divorce letter, you¡­ just go home! Don¡¯t stay here any longer.¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯m not going anywhere, my lord!¡±


    Mrs. Su didn¡¯t care about the man¡¯s rough action and lunged at Liu Sisi¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Mrs. Di, Mrs. Di! Mrs. Di, please show mercy and spare my husband this time! We have known each other for days, please, as an older sister, I beg you¡­ ¡±


    ¡± Speaking of sisterhood, when you plotted to frame my husband, did you ever think we were sisters? When you sent people again and again to assassinate Sisi at Liuping Town, did you ever think that I was your younger sister? When you repeatedly tried to take Ye Lei¡¯s life, did you ever think that I, Liu Sisi, was your good sister?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s cold expression broke Mrs. Su¡¯s fingers one by one. There was no expression on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I can¡¯t, and don¡¯t want such a sister like you!¡±


    At this moment, Liu Sisi finally understood the meaning of a bustling scene Di Yelei talked about. He had probably known this scene would happen long ago, and deliberately brought her here.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s not like that! Sisi, listen to me¡­ Sisi¡­¡±


    Afterward, there was nothing but chaos.


    When Di Yelei and Liu Sisi walked out of the manor together, Liu Sisi did not look back.


    ¡°You, Di Yelei, tell me! Did you deliberately guide and dismantle County Magistrate Su¡¯s awareness and make him confess? You confess to me!¡±


    Di Yeleiughed loudly, and then held Liu Sisi¡¯s small hand: ¡°Our Sisi understands her husband¡¯s heart the most.¡±


    ¡°You stop trying to confuse me, just tell me, is the so-called Xin Quan¡¯s confession a non-existent thing?¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t guessed it right this time.¡±


    Di Yelei wascent, helping Liu Sisi into the carriage: ¡°It¡¯s true that Xin Quan went to see the Imperial Envoy, but he was originally invited by Lord Mo, and was then detained by Lord Mo, who took good care of him until now.¡±


    ¡°I see, you guys are taking the strategy of attacking the mind!¡± Su County Magistrate already hated Di Yelei, and he deliberately took himself to provoke Su County Magistrate, which was obviously on purpose to let him lose his mind.


    Liu Sisi took the opportunity to get on the carriage and leaned her head on his shoulder as Di Yelei sat down.


    It felt like it had been so long since they were so rxed!


    ¡°You, what¡¯s in your head! All these things at the moment are done by men, so you should take good care of yourself. The rest will be handled by your husband.¡±


    Di Yelei gently stroked her waterfall-like ck hair, and thinking of the recent events, he felt it was better to keep her in the dark.


    ¡°Okay, okay, you don¡¯t want me to know, then I won¡¯t ask.¡±


    Liu Sisi did not deliberately trouble him: ¡°But you must remember, always put your safety first. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my good wife!¡±


    Di Yelei hugged her tightly, moved!


    The carriage drove all the way to a small courtyard, where guards stood near the courtyard, and the defense was strict.


    ¡°Yelei, where is this?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked carefully left and right. This didn¡¯t seem to be the way home. Where on earth was it? Her eyes were full of curiosity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, before we go back, I¡¯ll take you to a ce to meet someone. After meeting him, it¡¯s not toote to go back outside.¡±


    Di Yelei smiled mysteriously, and then jumped off the carriage and helped Liu Sisi down.


    Today¡¯s events made Liu Sisi feel like riding a roller coaster. Earlier, she was still running around for the arrest of the originalndlord, and then she was worrying about Di Cheng¡¯s adoption. It seemed like in a blink of an eye, Yelei came back! Then Mo Liancheng¡¯s appearance changed the color of the heavens and earth!


    Then everything felt unreal to her. Not to mention the suddenly aggressive Di Yelei at the moment.


    However, Di Yelei seemed oblivious as he gently led her forward, directly approaching the small courtyard.


    If Liu Sisi didn¡¯t recognize where this was from the outside, the moment she entered the small courtyard, she understood immediately.


    This was the courtyard that Nan Tianzong had brought her to. Inside that room, there was a painting of a beautiful married woman who looked just like her.


    ¡°Yelei, how did you find this ce?¡±


    Could it be that Di Yelei also knew that painting was here?


    ¡°This is the headquarters of Li Sect. I have been staying here, going through these difficult times recently.¡± Di Yelei said while leading Liu Sisi to the room in the middle.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Subordinates pay their respects to the Miss and son-inw!¡±


    As the two entered, everyone inside bowed down to the ground.

 Chapter 568: Doubt

    Chapter 568: Doubt


    Liu Sisi was not unfamiliar with everything in front of her and quickly understood many things.


    She originally thought that she had beenmanding the people inside Li Sect all along, but it seemed that Di Yelei might have contributed a lot too.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You all get up!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, miss. Thank you, son-inw.¡±


    Everyone stood up in unison.


    Di Yelei took Liu Sisi and sat in the main seat, waving to the people below.


    ¡°All right! Go do what you should be doing, and report any news at any time!¡±


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Yes, son-inw!¡±


    Everyone left in unison.


    Liu Sisi was astonished!


    ¡°I never thought you couldmand them too!¡±


    Her words were somewhat sarcastic.


    ¡°Are you angry? In fact, when you were unconscious, Tianzong was worried about your safety, so he handed these Li Sect brothers over to me tomand. So¡­¡±


    Di Yelei smiled casually.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it.¡± Liu Sisi was not angry, she just said it casually.


    ¡°Come! I¡¯ll take you to a ce.¡±


    Although he had been here many times, he might not have been in that room.


    Liu Sisi happily led Di Yelei out the door and walked towards the hut in her memory.


    As the room door was pushed open, there was nothing on the wall that originally hung the beauty profile. Instead, there was a vigorous calligraphy ink treasure hanging quietly on the wall, as if mocking Liu Sisi¡¯s na?vet¨¦.


    ¡°Sisi, did you bring me here to see this writing?¡±


    Di Yelei scratched his head awkwardly: ¡°I¡¯m really not good at these, I don¡¯t know if this writing is good or bad.¡±


    ¡°No! There was originally a beauty profile here, a woman who looks nine-tenths like me¡­¡±


    As she spoke, Liu Sisi¡¯s mind also moved.


    Maybe the beauty profile was taken away by Brother Nan?


    ¡°Beauty profile? What kind of beauty is it?¡± Di Yelei looked down at her.


    Liu Sisi suddenly didn¡¯t want to pursue the painting matter anymore.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a beauty. What, do you want to see it?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I want to see it. But the person your husband wants to see the most is you¡­¡± As he spoke, Di Yelei raised his hand and directly scraped her little nose, making Liu Sisi feel painful.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡±


    Liu Sisi red at him.


    ¡°Really! Come, let¡¯s see what good things are in this room.¡±


    When Nan Tianzong handed this ce over to him, he was in a hurry. Although he used here as a temporary hiding ce, he had never carefully examined the huts in the courtyard.


    As he spoke, he quickly and carefully searched. With his search, wow! It turned out that there were several secret passages in this room, and it was unknown how deep they were and where they led to.


    The two just took a brief look and then withdrew.


    ¡°It¡¯s not early today, and it¡¯s not good to find a wine-house to rest at the moment. Going back to Liuping Town is even more troublesome. It¡¯s better to stay here for one night than running around.¡± Di Yelei said generously.


    Liu Sisi did not object, as she was indeed tired.


    This room was quite nice, so the two of them decided to rest here for the night, and head home after daybreak tomorrow.


    At night, Liu Sisi was sleeping in a daze and faintly heard the sound of Di Yelei giving instructions to his subordinates outside.


    Liu Sisi struggled a few times and finally managed to open her eyes. As expected, Di Yelei was not in the room, and without guessing, he must be outside giving some instructions.


    Liu Sisi tiptoed to the window and looked up at the outside, immediately recognizing a woman standing with Di Yelei.


    As it was night and only a side profile backlit, she couldn¡¯t see the woman¡¯s face clearly.


    ¡°Arrange this matter, and instruct those who act to be quick. At this moment, there¡¯s no time to worry about anything else.¡±


    ¡°Yes, son-inw.¡±


    The woman obediently replied with her eyebrows down.


    ¡°Ye Lei! Ye Lei¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi called out twice, and Di Yelei, who was talking, turned his head.


    His face clearly showed happiness, then he waved at the woman, gesturing her to leave quickly.


    The woman looked at Di Yelei with tears in her eyes, resenting that his attention was captured by the figure inside the window, and feeling very angry.


    Di Yelei truly lived his life carelessly.


    ¡°Sisi, hurry back to bed. It¡¯s quite cold outside, and you can¡¯t be reckless anymore.¡±


    After a short while, Di Yelei turned around and walked back toward the room Liu Sisi was in, still carefully instructing her.


    In the end, he even thoughtfully closed the room door for her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal being in the room! There¡¯s morning dew outside, and at this time, the outside is too damp to be exposed. I was so tired just now that I didn¡¯t even know when you went out.¡± said Liu Sisi, a bit annoyed.


    ¡°Stop it, I deliberately chose to go out to give instructions when you were asleep. I don¡¯t want to be separated from you. Sisi, do you understand my feelings?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I also hope that we can be together forever.¡±


    Lamenting, Liu Sisi buried her face in Di Yelei¡¯s arms.


    In her mind, she kept reying the earlier scene of that woman clinging to Di Yelei like a delicate bird, and Liu Sisi felt like her entire body was not well.


    Di Yelei took the opportunity to embrace her and theny back down together with Liu Sisi, acting as her back pillow.


    His tall and sturdy body was below her, and her body was on top of him, the round and rolling belly not harmed at all.


    ¡°Come on, hurry up and get up here, the ground is cold.¡±


    Di Yelei hugged her tighter and pulled the quilt over them again.


    ¡°Ye Lei, who was that woman just now?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked as she gently drew circles on Di Yelei¡¯s chest with her hand.


    She did it on purpose!


    Watching Di Yelei¡¯s face turn bitter as he grabbed her mischievous little hand, she evenughed!


    She knew that his chest was his most sensitive area!


    ¡°What are you thinking? That woman came specifically to deliver information. She¡¯s an upright and incorruptible official of Yihong Courtyard, and she¡¯s the one who sent thetest news, so naturally I had to go out and meet her. You, don¡¯t think about these irrelevant things, haven¡¯t I promised you that I will never let anyonee between us in this lifetime?¡±


    ¡°Alright! That¡¯s what you said yourself!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s tone was indifferent.


    She was not a fool and could see that Di Yelei didn¡¯t want to discuss this matter further. However, that was not her intention.


    Before closing her eyes, she thought that she should carefully investigate who the woman she had seen earlier was tomorrow.


    Being entrusted with an important task by Brother Nan, that person might not be so simple after all.

 Chapter 569: 569: Change

    Chapter 569: Change


    ¡°Hmm! Since you can¡¯t sleep, why don¡¯t we do something else?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s deep, mischievousughter reached her ears.


    Something else?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Still groggy, Liu Sisi hadn¡¯t fully processed the situation when she found her position changed, being embraced by Di Yelei, and lying directly on top of him. Immediately, hisrge hands wrapped her up, leaving her struggle to end abruptly.


    Grinding¡­ biting¡­ entangling¡­


    Heavy breathing intertwining¡­


    A gentle night of tender rain, lingering affection.


    As the sky began to brighten, Liu Sisi had already fallen into a deep sleep, but Di Yelei seemed lively, as if he could still go on for a couple more rounds.


    He firmly embraced Liu Sisi¡¯s gradually filling petite figure, then copsed dejectedly onto the pillow.


    Sisi is indeed tired, she needs a good rest.<div>


    Fighting to contain himself, he held her tight, forcing himself to sleep.


    By the time Liu Sisi woke up, Di Yelei was no longer in the room.


    After casually washing up and heading out, Liu Sisi saw Di Yelei and Di Cheng standing under a plum tree from afar. Di Yelei¡¯s hand was on Di Cheng¡¯s shoulder as they seemed to be in deep conversation.


    The morning sun shone on Di Cheng¡¯s face, lighting up a brilliant, sunny smile that was unlike his previous self.


    Liu Sisi also felt relieved, she had forgotten to tell Yelei about Di Cheng¡¯s situation yesterday.


    However, from what she could see now, there was no need for her to say anything.


    Later, Di Yelei led Liu Sisi and others on a visit to the official residence, which was nearingpletion. Inside, the artisans were busy putting the finishing touches on the building, and it would soon be ready to move in.


    The group toured the house for a bit, which wasn¡¯t particrlyrge, being only a quarter the size of County Magistrate Su¡¯s residence, yetparable to the size of a wealthy family¡¯s house in the small town. Liu Sisi grew more satisfied as she looked around.


    A house toorge would be wasteful, while too small wouldn¡¯t amodate the entire family. Liu Sisi also inspected several hidden passageways in the residence, one led to the ck prison, one to the outside of East City gate, and another directly to the small house they had stayed in the night before. However, what piqued her interest the most was the spacious cer.


    It was notably segmented, with sections for ice storage and other items.


    Moreover, the cer was quite deep, capable of storing a fair amount of supplies.


    Her mind stirred, and she immediately thought of the grain stored in the temporary cer they had rented in Liuping Town.


    Even if she were to move all the grain here, the storage wouldn¡¯t even be a quarter full.


    ¡°Sisi, take a look at the official residence and see if it¡¯s missing anything. Make any changes you want, and add more furnishings if necessary.¡±


    Di Yelei also liked the serene environment, although it was iparable to those grand mansions. It perfectly suited his taste, especially seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s satisfied expression in the darkness of the night.


    ¡°No need to add more furnishings. A house is for living, not forparison. Besides, you¡¯re now an official of the imperial court. If you were criticized for building your mansion too big and luxurious, wouldn¡¯t it be counterproductive? Why not take this silver, buy more grain, and asionally provide relief to the civilians? Isn¡¯t that better?¡±


    Liu Sisi replied casually.


    It instantly made Di Yelei¡¯s eyes light up!


    ¡°Good! Sisi, your idea is great. After we move into this residence, we can distribute porridge every day to help the poor families around us.¡±<div>


    ¡°Every day? Isn¡¯t that too much? If we do that, we might be nurturing parasites. Just like how you spoiled your Second Sister-inw in the past, she woulde to your house every day for food, yet when have you heard her praise you or thank you for your hard work?¡± Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°Well¡­what should we do then?¡± Recalling his Second Sister-inw¡¯s ungrateful acts, Di Yelei also realized this was a big issue.


    ¡°In fact, I might have a good idea.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°You now have the power to control the military of Macheng County, right? You can also recruit some refugees! These recruited refugees can be arranged to work in exchange for three meals a day. At the end of the month, their wages can be paid directly in the form of grain instead of silver. Isn¡¯t that a win-win solution?¡±<div>


    ¡°Great idea!¡±


    Di Yelei excitedly pped his thigh and praised: ¡°The question is, what kind of work should we arrange for them?¡±


    ¡°Where do you think there¡¯s a shortage of manpower now? Or what needs to be improved the most?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t really noticed¡­¡±


    Di Yelei frowned and pondered: ¡°Maybe, I can¡­¡±


    ¡°No rush, there¡¯s still plenty of time to think about these thingster.¡± Liu Sisi already had an idea in mind but understood it was too early to discuss this matter at the moment.


    When Di Yelei and his group returned to the small town, they received apletely different treatment from before.


    Starting from the east side of the town, arge crowd was gathered, waiting expectantly at the intersection.


    Old Cheng, who was driving the carriage, was taken aback by the sight!


    ¡°Old Master, Madam! There are so many onlookers at the entrance of the town, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is it because today is Market Day?¡± Di Yelei casually pulled back the carriage curtain.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem so. Third Uncle, wait a moment, Cheng¡¯er will go and have a look.¡±


    Di Cheng, sitting beside Old Cheng, quickly got off the carriage and ran in the direction of the crowd.<div>


    ording to the local custom, children who were adopted from their brother¡¯s family should address Di Yelei and Liu Sisi as Dad and Mom. Di Cheng found it awkward to call them that way, and Di Yelei was not used to it either, so they continued with the old way of addressing each other.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Di Cheng toe back: ¡°Third Uncle, these people are here to see you!¡±


    He looked excited!


    Apparently, after Di Yelei resumed his official position, the news quickly spread back to the small town. Those who used to avoid him like the gue were now flocking back to him, along with others who were simply happy to see County Magistrate Su fall from grace, and those with unknown intentions¡­ In any case, everyone had heard that Di Yelei was returning today and gathered at the entrance of the town, eagerly awaiting his arrival.


    ¡°Old Master, what should we do now?¡±


    Old Cheng felt uneasy, as he seemed to be at a loss for what to do with so many onlookers!


    ¡°Old Cheng, drive the carriage forward slowly and be careful not to hurt any pedestrians.¡±


    Liu Sisi said casually while opening the carriage curtain to look outside.


    As the carriage moved slowly forward, more and more people crowded around, making it almost impossible for the carriage to move.


    There were cheers, excited noises, apuse, and curious onlookers, who all but swarmed the carriage, making it inch along.

 Chapter 570: 570: Three Things That Benefit the Rural Neighbors

    Chapter 570: Three Things That Benefit the Rural Neighbors


    Despite it being only a short distance, they spent nearly an hour just walking around the east side of the small town.


    ¡°Ye Lei, there are really too many onlookers. Why don¡¯t we just abandon the carriage and walk?¡± Liu Sisi suggested.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll be able to get home.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s words naturally gained Di Yelei¡¯s support, and he immediately stood up from the carriage.


    As Di Yelei led Liu Sisi out of the carriage, the cheers and apuse around them grew louder.


    ¡°There they are! It¡¯s Minister Di, indeed! You all look, look, so handsome¡­¡± This was someone being infatuated.


    ¡°Is this the Lord Di who got rid of a great disaster for the people? County Magistrate Su framed Lord Di, I saw the trial in the court myself¡­¡± This was a rare fair remark.


    ¡°Heh heh! So this is the lucky Minister Di? Such a good fortune met him, his luck is really extraordinary. If only I could be like that¡­¡± This was a sarcastic remark.


    Someone immediately chimed in from the side: ¡°With you like that, even if you really encounter such a good thing, I¡¯m afraid you would have lost your life long ago, and not be so cocky here!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ well said¡­¡± Everyone burst intoughter.


    Listening to the surroundingments, Di Yelei and Liu Sisi exchanged nces before Di Yelei stepped forward.<div>


    ¡°Fellow vigers, everyone, please listen to what I, Di Yelei, have to say, alright?¡±


    Di Yelei pressed his hands down, calming everyone¡¯s agitation. ¡°Fellow vigers, I, Di Yelei, was born and raised in Liuping Town. Don¡¯t worry, and don¡¯t let the crowd obstruct each other¡¯s business. If you really have any urgent matters, you can alsoe to me. As long as it is within my power, I will take care of it for you. What do you think?¡±


    After speaking loudly, Di Yelei casually nced at the crowd with a smile on his face.


    After a while, an old grandpa walked out from the crowd.


    ¡°Good! Lord Di, since you are one of us from Liuping Town, you must do real and good deeds for everyone! You all say, right?¡± The old grandpa looked back at the crowd, and everyone immediately started shouting.


    ¡°Yes! The old man is right, we don¡¯t want to hear the empty promises. We just hope that Lord Di will do some real and good deeds for us.¡±


    Di Yelei looked back at Liu Sisi and thenughed!


    ¡°That is easy! I, Di Yelei, shall put the big talk up front today. As long as I, Di Yelei, am still in the position of Minister, I will do three real deeds for everyone. How about that?¡±


    ¡°What are the three real deeds? Lord Di, please tell us now.¡± Someone in the crowd urged.


    ¡°This is simple, let me just give you a general idea.¡±


    Di Yelei confidently put his left hand behind his back and raised his right hand with one finger: ¡°First, I¡¯ve decided to personally recruit manpower to expand and widen the small bridge at the narrow pass connecting Liuping Town to Macheng County.¡±


    He spoke confidently and looked around to see that everyone was listening attentively before he continued with satisfaction.


    ¡°Although the bridge is still passable now, it has been neglected for a long time, and the stone bs on it are severely tilted, so it¡¯s time for a careful repair! Even the official road to the county should be repaired. I don¡¯t n to do anything else, I just n to invest myself in gathering those withoutnd or roaming people to work, providing food and amodation, with wages being thirty catties of grain per month. If you¡¯re willing, you can sign up tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°This is good, this is a big real thing. That small bridge should have been repaired a long time ago, but no one has ever paid for it. Now we don¡¯t have to worry about the bridge being washed away by a heavy rain, making it difficult to enter the city¡­¡±


    ¡°Provided food and amodation, and there is also grain to take, this is really good. Using grain to calcte the wages is safer than silver¡­¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know when the work will begin? My family is also idle at home, as long as the busy season is over, they can go out and earn some rice to eat¡­¡±


    Everyone was talking and looked very happy.


    Di Yelei waited until the surrounding voices gradually subsided before lightly coughing and bending his second finger.


    ¡°Secondly, I n to build a porridge shed outside the North City of the county. From now on, every first day and fifteenth day of the lunar month, in rice porridge will be given out. Any elderly people, disced refugees, and children can go and get a share. This is another real deed for the people.¡±<div>


    ¡°Good! This is really a good thing¡­¡±


    Surprisingly, the public reaction to this matter was much colder than Di Yelei had expected.


    It makes sense! Generally, people with hands and feet wouldn¡¯t necessarily swallow their pride to get porridge, even if they knew it was being distributed.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t mind, and immediately smiled at Liu Sisi and tightened her hand: ¡°Third, my wife ns to establish a school. The purpose of this school is to enable more children from poor families to read and read good books!¡±<div>


    He spoke passionately, but couldn¡¯t help but admire Liu Sisi in his heart.


    If it weren¡¯t for her mentioning this matter earlier in the morning and discussing further on the carriage ride, he might not have had this idea yet!


    If that were the case, he might not even know how to answer people¡¯s deliberate questions.


    Buzz! ¡ª¡ª


    The surroundingments suddenly rose!


    A school? How could this not excite everyone!


    Di Yelei raised his hand and tried to suppress the people¡¯s excitement several times, but to no avail. Everyone was chattering and offering their opinions, wishing that the school could be opened immediately.


    Liu Sisi also looked around and stepped forward, raising her hand. Only then did the surroundingments gradually subside.


    ¡°In fact, my husband made a small mistake just now. What Sisi intends to open is not just a school, but an academy! You may be unfamiliar with the term ¡®academy,¡¯ but the simplest exnation is a ce dedicated to reading. Here, the traditional teaching mode will be changed, with teaching in the academy divided into two parts: one where the students are taught by mentors with an education gift, and the other a work-study program, which simply means letting students exchangebor for the right to study, studying half a day and working half a day!¡±


    Before Liu Sisi could finish her speech, the ce was buzzed again, and almost everyone began to discuss!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    A work-study program? Such a novelty term!


    Even if there were students before who exchangedbor for the right to study, they made use of the early morning andte-night hours, so how could they only study half a day?


    The pregnant woman in front of them was really talking big!<div>

 Chapter 571: 571: Lobbying

    Chapter 571: Lobbying


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, Sisi hasn¡¯t finished speaking yet.¡±


    Liu Sisi waved her hands for quite a while before she finally managed to suppress the voices of the crowd: ¡°Not only can men attend school, but women who wish to learn can also enroll. However, the ssrooms for women will be separate from those for men, and the teachers will also be women. Anyone between the ages of eight and fifteen can attend!¡±


    ¡°As for the specifics, enrollment will begin at the end of the summer heat in August. If anyone wants to attend, you can alle and register at that time.¡±


    The reason for choosing this enrollment period is not only because Liu Sisi¡¯s due date is between the end of May and early June, but also because it is in line with the local customs. People here mainly cultivate crops, and ordingly, there are three main periods for students to enroll: spring, autumn, and winter.


    Spring enrollment, like Di Xuan and Zhang Peng¡¯s, begins after the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year and generallysts three months, ending before the Qingming Festival.


    Autumn enrollment takes ce after the autumn harvest andsts until the Lunar New Year. Of course, there is also a winter enrollment in October, whichsts until before the Qingming Festival of the following year, with a one-month break during the Spring Festival.


    Of course, these enrollment methods are mostly adopted by the poorer students, while the wealthy families¡¯ children are not included.


    As soon as Liu Sisi finished speaking, it was as if adle of cold water had been added to a boiling oil pan, and the crowd immediately erupted!


    ¡°Are they really going to open enrollment for girls? Oh my God! What is happening?¡±


    ¡°Can girls also exchangebor for the opportunity to study?¡±<div>


    ¡°Does this mean they¡¯re going to have women and menpete together in the future? What is going on¡­¡±


    Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Di Yelei had quietly led Liu Sisi off the carriage and returned to their residence.


    Everyone was extremely excited!


    Even Di Cheng¡¯s face was full of joy.


    Upon returning home, the first to rush out from inside to greet them was Di Ying, who had been impatiently waiting!


    ¡°Dad, Mom! Howe you just got back? Didn¡¯t youe back yesterday? Why didn¡¯t youe to see Ying¡¯er, waaa¡­¡±


    YingEr burst into tears, causing Di Xuan to bite his lip and remain silent.


    Di Yelei hurriedly picked her up, gently patting her back and softlyforting her for a while until YingEr finally stopped crying and smiled.


    After that, Di Yelei carried YingEr into the courtyard, where he saw Elderly Mr. Di standing under the eaves with a crutch, his face full of excitement and tears hidden in his eyes.


    Di Yelei put Di Ying down and knelt on one knee, choking back tears as he said, ¡°Dad, Yelei is back!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was also choking back tears as he took several deep breaths, ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re back, it¡¯s good you¡¯re back, very good!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di stepped forward and personally helped Di Yelei up, forcefully patting his shoulder.


    Liu Sisi looked at the scene before her, raising her head to look at the sky, and then her eyes welled up with tears.


    The storm had finally passed! How wonderful!


    In the following days, Di Yelei was busy dealing with the details of the bridge repair and road construction project and the official handover with the authorities in Macheng County. He was extremely busy.


    Meanwhile, Liu Sisi was busy dealing with matters rted to the official residence, arranging and filling spaces where needed. She also took advantage of the darkness to buy and transport arge amount of grain for storage, making ns to move in at any time.


    On the other hand, she was also upied with another task ¨C paying homage to ancestors during the Qingming Festival!


    The locals attached great importance to the Qingming Festival ancestor worship, and a considerable number of officials and patriots would return to their hometown during this period to pay homage to their ancestors.


    Di Yelei was no exception!<div>


    Since the Qingming Festival and the Cold Food Festival were close together, a few days before the Qingming Festival, Liu Sisi took Di Xuan to the vige school to bid farewell to his honorable teacher, Elder Mr. Xu.


    When Liu Sisi handed over the education gift with both hands, Elder Mr. Xu snorted coldly and stared at her for a long time before epting the gift from her.


    ¡°I heard¡­ you want to open an academy?¡± Elder Mr. Xu¡¯s voice was cold.


    Liu Sisi was not bothered by his indifferent attitude and smiled: ¡°Elder Mr. Xu is indeed well-informed. I do have this idea, but as for whether it will seed or not, it depends on whether respected schrs like you would deign to join us.¡±<div>


    ¡°Hehe, I don¡¯t have that ability. Mrs. Di should find someone more talented instead.¡± Elder Mr. Xu declined directly without giving any face.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t feel annoyed.


    If Elder Mr. Xu had agreed directly, that would have been strange.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing this to benefit our fellow vigers and cultivate more pirs of society for our hometown. Even if they are not pirs, they should at least be literate, and not be blind in life. That¡¯s enough. But I alone am not capable enough to do this. That¡¯s why we need talents like Elder Mr. Xu¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi went on and on for quite a while, but he still maintained a cold smile without any extra movement.


    ¡°Are you done? If so, the main entrance is over there, and I won¡¯t see you off!¡± Elder Mr. Xu bluntly expelled her without any reservation.


    Seeing that things were not going well, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t bother too much. She stood up, bowed to Elder Mr. Xu, and said with a smile: ¡°Elder Mr. Xu, it¡¯s a pity that such a great Confucian schr as yourselfcks any sense of serving the country and the people. You are not even aspassionate as a woman like me. How can you talk about serving the country? In that case, let¡¯s forget that I ever mentioned this. Take care!¡±


    After saying this, Liu Sisi bade farewell to Elder Mr. Xu and turned to leave.


    ¡°You! You¡­¡±


    Elder Mr. Xu was so enraged that his beard bristled and his eyes stared at Liu Sisi¡¯s receding back: ¡°Indeed, only women and petty people are hard to raise!¡±


    Although Liu Sisi walked away, her excellent hearing still caught his words. She turned back and said: ¡°A truth that even I, a woman, understands but Elder Mr. Xu doesn¡¯t? That just shows that he is nothing but a petty man! For a petty woman like me to bepared with a petty man¡­ what a sigh!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eloquence was truly infuriating!


    ¡°Indeed¡­ a smooth-talking viin!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Left behind, Elder Mr. Xu was so angry that his beard bristled and his eyes bulged, and it took quite a while for him to calm down.


    On the contrary, Di Xuan, who was following behind Liu Sisi, had his head down, feeling embarrassed and unable to lift his spirits.


    Liu Sisi turned back and saw Di Xuan¡¯s expression, and heaved a sigh: ¡°Xuan¡¯er, if you want others to respect you, it¡¯s not enough to just be submissive. You also need to show your true abilities to make others see that you¡¯re qualified to talk to them. Only then will they care and take you seriously!¡±


    ¡°But what if Elder Mr. Xu refuses to teach me in the second half of the year?¡± Di Xuan still looked dejected.


    ¡°Even without this happening, you can¡¯t continue to study with Elder Mr. Xu. You, as his son, should help your father with his business. Shouldn¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 572: 572: Qingming Festival Ancestor Worship (1)

    Chapter 572: Qingming Festival Ancestor Worship (1)


    As a son, he should have some responsibilities and obligations. This is not the modern era where he can act as he pleases, but an ancient time where families hold their honor as a unit!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words left Di Xuan silent.


    Lately, he had been more cautious about his actions. Ever since his father returned safely, even though his mother still treated him well as always, that ¡°well¡± seemed to have more superficial aspects, with much of its essence missing.


    For instance, she used to personally guide his studies and arrange his meals. Now, she would mostly wait for him to finish his homework, and when they met, she would casually ask a couple of questions. The one arranging his meals had be his attendant student, Le Ping.


    Yesterday, she had brought him the clothes and shoes needed for the Qingming Festival. Her speech was even getting more indifferent¡­


    All of these changes made him feel estranged and unsure what to do. Yet, he understood that he had hurt her feelings¡­


    ¡°Gain and loss alwayse hand in hand. The heavens are always bnced; when you gain something, you are destined to lose something, or you need to exert some effort. There¡¯s no free lunch in this world. Even if there is, you should consider whether the lunch is a bait thrown by others¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi looked back when she heard nothing from behind for a long while. She saw Di Xuan standing far behind her at the intersection, his eyes full ofplicated thoughts and usations.


    At that moment, Liu Sisi felt like the biggest viin¡­


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, do you have something to say to me?¡±<div>


    Di Xuan quickened his pace to catch up with Liu Sisi, but suddenly didn¡¯t know how to start: ¡°Mother, I¡­¡±


    What should he say?


    Should he say she no longer cared for him? But she still made sure Le Ping took good care of his meals.


    Should he say she mistreated him? Even that was untrue. He had everything he needed in terms of food, clothing, housing and so on. The only difference was that the person doing it had changed¡­


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t have much to say. I just¡­ I just miss Mr. Xu¡­¡± Di Xuan lowered his head.


    Naturally, Liu Sisi could tell Di Xuan was not telling the truth; her eyes shed, but she didn¡¯t press on about it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will definitely persuade Mr. Xu toe and teach at our academy. It¡¯s just a matter of time!¡±


    After speaking, she turned and walked ahead.


    Probably, the reason why Elder Xu disdainfully refused her was that he did not believe in her ability. But what about it? She would show him what she was capable of!


    Two days before the Qingming Festival, Di Yelei took Liu Sisi and the children back home with Elderly Mr. Di.


    It had been many days since theyst returned home. The sudden homing gave them a sense of familiarity everywhere.


    Especially Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua, as soon as they got home, they started running around joyfully, dashing in and out of the house, then running outside to have more fun and pee a few times.


    The sound of dogs barking echoed at the foot of the mountain, announcing to the surrounding vigers that the Di Family had returned!


    Di Xuan and Di Ying were also running around happily, with Big Fur trailing behind them, adding Snow Wave, Snowy Delight, and Joyful Peace to the troupe, effectively making them a team of mini-tractors.


    Liu Sisi also caught the infectious joy of others¡¯ and looked around Di Family¡¯s inside and out.


    Although the stable had been unused for quite a while, it now seemed neat and tidy with a few horses tethered. The chickens in the coop had long since been ughtered or taken away, and their absence was now reced by vibrant, youthful wild vegetables. Especially for the fields of rapeseeds, dandelions and small water spinach, the clusters of nts?were sprouting forth, their oily greens promising delicious taste at just a nce.


    Moved by this sight, Liu Sisi instructed those behind her to start picking these. That sorted out the supply of green leafy vegetables for lunch and dinner today!


    She further ventured into what was once a room for cultivating vegetables using the underfloor heating and surprisingly discovered that under the withered stems of white turnip radishes, heaps of small turnip shoots were sprouting, probably the sprouts after naturally sown seeds. This was a delightful surprise!


    With a smile on her lips, Liu Sisi continued on her tour, next checking out the lotus roots ntedst year.<div>


    The water at the edge of the well flowed calmly, constantly overflowing from its opening. A thick ring of green moss had grown around the edge of the well due to the absence of human trampling, showing exceptionally good growth. The water trickling along the edge of the well flowed into the lotus pond below. At this moment, the baby lotuses in the pond were just peeking out of the water.


    Although some leaves had begun to unfurl, the majority of the lotus leaves were still in bud pointing upwards, spreading out over the clear pool, clear enough to see the bottom. A kingfisher of a vibrant green color perched on the side of the pond, flew into the air as soon as Liu Sisi arrived, skimming quickly over the water and causing numerous ripples to form before shooting out from over the top of the iron fence and flying into the distance.


    In the corner of the wall, the two grapevines had also sprouted green leaves, and clusters of unripe green grapes were hidden among the modest-sized leaves.


    Peeping outside from over the top of the fence, a winding path leading to the back mountain seemed more apparent amidst the lush greenndscape, brimming with vibrant vitality.<div>


    Looking at the scenery before her, Liu Sisi felt increasingly pleased. It¡¯s so good to be home!


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, you¡¯re back?¡±


    A surprised and delighted voice was heard from outside the house.


    Liu Sisi replied with joy, and hurriedly made her way outside, ¡°Sister Guihua, I¡¯m here!¡±


    Guihua came over as soon as she saw Liu Sisi, her eyes squinting with happiness, ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re finally back! If you hadn¡¯t returned today, I was considering heading down to the small town to look for you.¡±


    ¡°Of course, not! Tomorrow is Cold Food Festival, and the day after is Qingming Festival. Even if I didn¡¯t wish to return, Ye Lei and father won¡¯t have let me.¡±


    Seeing Guihua here made Liu Sisi feelpletely at ease.All ces are good, but none is better than my hometown. ¡®A golden house or a silver house is not as good as your own dog house.¡¯n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She tightly held Guihua¡¯s hand and walked slowly, wearing an open and cheerful smile.


    Guihua also looked very pleased, ¡°Absolutely! This annual ancestral ceremony is crucial! Especially now that Brother Ye Lei has been appointed as a sub-captain, we should celebrate even more. But, when I just entered, I saw your mother-inw heading towards the old house¡­ Is everything alright?¡± Her voice faded as she spoke on.


    Her mother-inw was at the old house? Liu Sisi hadn¡¯t noticed this.


    ¡°Ignore her. As long as she¡¯s not creating trouble, we just need to take care of an old person. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Liu Sisi had a very easygoing view on this.


    ¡ª¡ª


    My oldputer stopped working, and I¡¯m not used to operating the new one. Thank you, my dear readers, for pointing out any typos. Kisses!<div>

 Chapter 573: 573: Qingming Festival Ancestor Worship (2)

    Chapter 573: Qingming Festival Ancestor Worship (2)


    Previously, Ms. Zhao was quite aggressive, mainly because Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s invisible support fueled her confidence. After that, she became even more unscrupulous.


    Nowadays, Elderly Mr. Di wouldn¡¯t side with Ms. Zhao at all, so if she wanted to cause trouble, she had to weigh her chances carefully.


    It was rare for Liu Sisi to return to her hometown, so naturally, she took Guihua¡¯s hand and didn¡¯t let go. The two seemed to be back to their initial days, chatting andughing in the hall.


    On their way, they met Di Yelei and Zhang Peng walking out of the kitchen together,ughing and carrying bows and arrows on their shoulders.


    ¡°Eh? Where are you guys going?¡± Liu Sisi curiously asked, pretending not to know.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it rare toe back here? Ye Lei¡¯s hands have been itching, so we¡¯re nning to go to the mountain and bring back some game to add to our meal.¡± Zhang Peng said with a smile.


    Instead, Di Yelei on the side tugged at the corner of his clothes and coughed lightly, his gaze wandering incessantly.


    Liu Sisi stared at him with amusement: ¡°If you want to go hunting, just go! You just can¡¯t sit idle for a moment! Oh, remember to bring Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua with you. They have been tied at home and have be impatient, it¡¯s an excellent opportunity for them to get some exercise.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Sisi, you¡¯re so nice! We¡¯ll be back soon. It won¡¯t take long to catch a couple of pieces of game.¡± Di Yeleiughed with a simple and honest face.


    ¡°You said it yourself!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t take it seriously; going out to hunt wasn¡¯t something that could be done casually. If they really went into the mountains, who knew where they would end up chasing the game?


    Di Yelei was extraordinarily excited! He turned around, called out to Di Cheng and loudly summoned Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua. The two little guys ran over quickly, howling around Di Yelei without stopping.


    Calling them little guys ¨C where were they little now?


    Nowadays, Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua weighed several dozen jin each, shedding their past cuteness and bing two mighty and robust hounds.


    When they opened their big mouths, the sharp tusks inside could easily frighten arge group of timid people!


    Following Zhang Peng were not only the hounds but also Zhang Yun with a bow and arrow.


    Most days, Zhang Yun stayed at Di Residence in the small town while attending the vige school, only asionally going home. With his leisure time, Zhang Peng had already taken him up the mountain several times, and his hunting skills were visibly improving.


    His gaze lingered affectionately on YingEr, clearly wanting to stay, but he had no choice but to follow behind his dad, looking back every few steps.


    At the moment, YingEr was ying happily with a few children,pletely oblivious to Zhang Yun¡¯s sad expression.


    Feeling helpless, Zhang Yun finally followed the three, chasing after them.


    Behind him were also Da Niu and Er Niu, as well as a new guard recently seen by Di Yelei¡¯s side.


    This guard had only suddenly appeared a few days ago, and being quiet and unobtrusive, people overlooked his presence wherever he went.


    Granny Hu and Ms. Gao had given the hall a thorough cleaning, and it lookedpletely new. Liu Sisi and the others seemed to have endless things to talk about, chatting about everything from north to south. The boss married this year; the family next door had a daughter getting married. The family in the south corner of the vige had a sow that bore many piglets this year, and the family at the north side rented even morend¡­ As Guihua kept talking, the time quickly reached noon.


    Ms. Zhao still hadn¡¯t returned, and Liu Sisi sent people to urge her several times, but Zhao¡¯s figure was still nowhere to be seen. Helplessly, everyone had to eat first.


    Today¡¯s lunch couldn¡¯t be considered abundant, but it was very delicious.


    As soon as the delicious green vegetables were served, the meat dishes in the middle of the table seemed to be mere apaniments. Even YingEr and Da Mao spent half their time picking up the vegetables with their chopsticks.


    After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Guihua proposed they go fish at the river.


    As soon as the proposal was made, it was unanimously approved by everyone present.


    Liu Sisi thought for a while, there were already tools at home for catching the fish, so going outside and walking around would be good! She then nodded her head in agreement.<div>


    The children cheered and went to prepare!


    Among the children, Di Xuan was the oldest, so naturally, he took the lead. He quickly gathered thick hemp rope and bamboo poles, collectedrge basins and kitchen scraps from the ughterhouse, and led the group majestically towards the great river.


    Liu Sisi and Ms. Gao were both pregnant. Since most of the group were young children, Liu Sisi chose a location near the stone bs where people usually washed theirundry. It was a rtively wide area, with deeper water and lush water grass¡ªa perfect spot to set up for fish-catching.


    When there are more children, there is more noise. In no time, several children started fighting and crying out loud¡­<div>


    Liu Sisi was busy tying the bamboo poles together when she saw themotion. Naturally, she had to scold the children before they could continue fishing.


    As the actual fishing began, several children gathered around in excitement.


    Liu Sisi and Guihua had to scold them again to get them to step back, as they collected the small fish caught using the bamboo poles into the water bucket.


    This time of the year was not the best for fishing because even though the weather was warm, the water temperature in the river was not very high, so most fish had gathered in deeper waters.


    After scooping several times, they were unable to catch many fish. Di Xuan, unwilling to give up, used the bamboo pole to stir the water weeds nearby. He hit and agitated the water as Guihua fished around and unexpectedly caught a big ckfish. The fish struggled non-stop in therge basin.


    ¡°Quickly! Quickly! Move it over here! Don¡¯t let it fall back into the water, or even superpowers won¡¯t be enough to catch it again!¡±


    Everyone rushed to retrieve the basin and lifted the ckfish out of it.


    ¡°What a big ckfish! It¡¯s rare to see one this size! Di Xuan, well done!¡±


    Everyone gathered around the water bucket, excitedly discussing and praising Di Xuan, who was over the moon!


    This wild ckfish was different. It weighed at least three or four catties, and even in the water bucket, it struggled tirelessly, trying to jump back into the water.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we try hitting the water weeds around here and see if we can get more catches?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Seeing they had caught such a big ckfish, everyone¡¯s spirits lifted and they began to imitate the sessful method.


    But they couldn¡¯t replicate their earlier luck. Besides catching a few small crucian carp andmon carp, they only managed to get some field snails and river ms.<div>


    The river was full of field snails and ms, and soon the entire water bucket was full. Only then did everyone put their bamboo poles andrge basins away and start walking home.


    Before they even reached home, they saw Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang standing in front of the Di Residence¡¯s gate, arguing with Elderly Mr. Di who had stayed at home.


    Liu Sisi looked at Guihua instinctively, only to find that Guihua was also looking back at her. In each other¡¯s eyes, they saw surprise!

 Chapter 574: 574: Qingming Festival Ancestor Worship (3)

    Chapter 574: Qingming Festival Ancestor Worship (3)


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t say much, just walked quickly forward.


    Therge group of people returning naturally rmed those arguing above, all of their words suddenly stopped.


    As everyone approached, Liu Sisi nced at their faces and gave a lightugh.


    ¡°Father, it¡¯s quite windy outside the courtyard, don¡¯t catch a cold standing here! Let¡¯s go inside!¡±


    She never mentioned anything about Ms. Wang.


    ¡°Alright, alright! Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s expression eased, looking at the full water bucket his mood suddenly improved: ¡°You caught so many so quickly? It seems everyone will have a great meal tonight.¡±


    Little Ying, who was nearby, was delighted!


    She happily hopped to Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s side, lifting her head proudly: ¡°Isn¡¯t it! Grandfather, it¡¯s a shame you didn¡¯t go and see today, brother might have caught the biggest fish, this ck fish was caught by him. In the afternoon¡­ ¡±


    As people talked, they unburdened themselves and walked towards the courtyard. However, Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang, who were standing outside the courtyard, were unintentionally forgotten.<div>


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s face darkened, even Ms. Wang¡¯s expression changed. She hurriedly elbowed Ms. Zhao and gestured with her eyes. Ms. Zhao could no longer hold back and shouted.


    ¡°Wait! Liu Sisi, you killed my grandchild, and you just want to leave like this?¡±


    Liu Sisi retracted her foot that was stepping into the courtyard gate, turned her head and looked back, lowering her eyes to hide the mockery inside.


    ¡°Mother-inw, what you said is wrong!¡±


    Liu Sisi gave a faint smile: ¡°If sister-inw wants to ask Sisi forpensation, Sisi will definitely not refuse and will make amends as required. But when you say that, isn¡¯t there ack of confidence in your words?¡±


    Ms. Zhao was almost unable to respond.


    If it weren¡¯t for her dead sister-inw¡¯s reluctance toe here, where would she be embarrassed like this?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°You took advantage of Ms. Xin¡¯s honesty and easily bullied her, so you deliberately harmed her, causing her miscarriage. You¡¯re such a treacherous person!¡±


    Ms. Zhao couldn¡¯t hold back and shouted again.


    ¡°Huh! Is that true?¡±


    Liu Sisi said coldly and turned around again, stepping directly into the gate.


    Even if she feels guilty and regretful towards Ms. Xin in her heart, that¡¯s only about Ms. Xin. After all, Ms. Xin lost her child while trying to save her. But Ms. Zhao wants to use this to negotiate terms with her, which is simply a beautiful dream!


    ¡°You! ¡­ Liu Sisi, don¡¯t think you¡¯re so great just because you became Mrs. Sub-Captain! I¡¯m telling you, no matter what, I, Zhao, am still your mother-inw! If you dare to be disloyal and unfilial, I will spread the word everywhere and even appeal to Lord Imperial Envoy!¡±


    Ms. Zhao¡¯s words became increasingly joyful, as if she had already seen Liu Sisi being sessfully driven out of the Di Family, and she couldn¡¯t help but dance.


    ¡°Go to the Imperial Envoy and report me? Hehe.¡±


    These words couldn¡¯t help but make Liu Sisiugh out loud!


    She turned back and hurriedly took two steps closer to Ms. Zhao, looking down on her with a face full of pity.


    ¡°Mother-inw, when I, Sisi, call you mother-inw here, it¡¯s for the sake of the deceased mother-inw that I keep you in the Di Family. Don¡¯t mistake my generosity for your arrogant attitude. At that time, I, Liu Sisi, made you kneel down in front of the whole vige, at the grave of the deceased mother-inw, and pray for mercy; today, I, Liu Sisi, can make you kneel down at my feet, begging for my forgiveness.¡±


    These words made Ms. Zhao jump up immediately, pointing at Liu Sisi¡¯s nose and cursing, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it! Liu Sisi, stop daydreaming! I, Zhao, have been fooled by you once. Do you think you can fool me again?¡±<div>


    ¡°I, Liu Sisi, never speak nonsense or big words! Of course, you can choose not to believe me, but you will bear the consequences!¡±


    These words were Di Yelei¡¯s favorite when he got angry. At this moment, Liu Sisi borrowed them.


    She narrowed her eyes slightly, staring at the finger near her face, ¡°Also, I, Liu Sisi, don¡¯t like people pointing fingers at me! It makes me want to destroy them. Hmm?¡±


    A cold snort from her nose startled Ms. Zhao!<div>


    She quickly withdrew her hand and hid her right hand behind her back. Suddenly realizing that this action was a sign of weakness to Liu Sisi, she didn¡¯t care about anything else and started cursing!


    On the other hand, Ms. Wang, who had been silent all the time, was worried!


    This old woman had originally agreed to engage in diplomacy first and then resort to force. However, within a few sentences, she was frightened by the opponent and lost herposure. The tasks that needed to be done were not handled properly. Soon it would be Qingming Festival, and if their family members couldn¡¯t recognize their masters and return to their n, wouldn¡¯t they be wandering ghosts?


    After all, this was all Liu Sisi¡¯s fault in front of them. If it weren¡¯t for her, how could they have ended up in such a situation?


    But since they were at the mercy of others, they had no choice but to bow their heads!


    At this thought, Ms. Wang tried to muster a smile on her face: ¡°Third Sister-inw, this matter is your fault. No matter what, the mother-inw is your elder. How can you speak to her like that?¡±


    ¡°Elders should behave like elders to earn the respect of juniors. If an elder doesn¡¯t act like an elder, and a junior still goes along with the elder¡¯s wishes, that would truly be unfilial! Moreover, it would harm the elder by making them the target of public criticism. Mother-inw, do you think my words make sense?¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled lightly and shallowly. Without waiting for Ms. Zhao to speak, she turned her head to look at Ms. Wang and carefully sized her up and down. It wasn¡¯t until Ms. Wang began to feel ufortable under her gaze that she spoke again.


    ¡°I say, Eldest Sister-inw, who are you? You¡¯re interfering in other people¡¯s family affairs. Aren¡¯t you overextending yourself?¡±


    Ms. Wang was angered by this: ¡°Third Sister-inw, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Who is the Third Sister-inw? It seems that Ye Lei only has one big brother who is thousands of miles away and a younger brother. Is it possible you have mistaken me for someone else?¡±


    Liu Sisi smirked at the corner of her mouth and gave the two of them a cold nce.


    Watching the two dumbfounded and speechless people, she turned around and went back into the courtyard and closed the room door.<div>


    If you don¡¯t want to save face, then I don¡¯t need to give you any either!


    Soon after, a few people went to the opening of the well and began to sort out the small fish and shrimps they brought back. Everyone was in high spirits and buzzing with excitement.


    Not long after, Ms. Gao walked over to Liu Sisi and whispered in her ear, causing Liu Sisi to involuntarily look up towards the courtyard entrance.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sisi? Did something happen?¡± Guihua asked curiously from the side.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just some whimsical people causing amotion at the entrance. Dad has already gone over to handle it, so I won¡¯t go join the fun.¡± Liu Sisi casually replied.

 Chapter 575: Qingming Festival Ancestor Worship

    Chapter 575: Qingming Festival Ancestor Worship


    Since the second family branch left the Di Family, they were no longer part of it.


    They hoped to benefit from Ye Lei¡¯s career, but when they found out that he was in big prison, they didn¡¯t hesitate to leave the Di Family to save themselves.


    Liu Sisi sneered in her heart. They did this to save their lives, and she shouldn¡¯t stop them. However, with their actions, the brotherly feelings they once had naturally vanished.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It would be a lie to say that Di Yelei was not heartbroken, though he never spoke about it. More than once, Liu Sisi woke up in the middle of the night to see Di Yelei staring nkly at the head of the bed, with such an intense loneliness on his face, like dark clouds that could not be dispersed.


    ¡°But can you really avoid going?¡±


    Guihua hesitated, ¡°I¡¯m afraid your father-inw won¡¯t be able to handle that shrew, will he?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head and casually tossed the cleaned small fish into a small basin next to her.


    The more noise Ms. Wang made, the better. If word spread, she would be the one who would be pointed at by thousands of people! If she were smart, she would cause a scene and then leave on her own ord instead of constantly lingering.


    However¡­ the father-inw seemed easygoing, but he had his own set of principles.


    Di Gaoyuan was treacherous and unfaithful. Instead of helping his brother when he needed it, he pushed him further into trouble and abandoned him.


    Could he agree to his request?


    Liu Sisi was very curious, but her hands didn¡¯t stop working. When everyone finished cleaning and handling a whole carrying pole¡¯s worth of fish, they allughed and went back to the room.


    As expected, there was not a single person outside the courtyard door, and Ms. Wang had disappeared. On the other hand, the voices of Elderly Mr. Di and Ms. Zhao arguing asionally came from the house.


    The few of them exchanged nces and went straight to the kitchen. Since they hade back for a rare visit today, Liu Sisi decided to cook dinner herself.


    Nowadays, with many more people in the family, there are many things that Liu Sisi doesn¡¯t have to do herself, like cooking today. So when she said she wanted to cook dinner herself, everyone looked at her with great interest.


    Thickening the sauce, blending, fierce stir-frying on high heat, boiling soup, braising, and simmering¡­ soon, a tableful of dishes came out of the pot.


    After that, she stir-fried a few vegetarian dishes and urged everyone to set the table.


    Just as they were busy, a noisymotion and a barking of dogs came from outside, indicating that Di Yelei and the others had returned!


    ¡°You¡¯vee home just in time for dinner, and the most amazing thing is that Sisi cooked all of these dishes herself today! Just smelling them makes you feel incredibly delicious, so don¡¯t eat so much that you lose your tongueter.¡± Guihua joked.


    Upon hearing that Di Yelei and hispanions had returned, Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was filled with joy! They had been gone for more than half a day, so it was rare for them toe back so early. It was quite surprising!


    Outside, Zhang Yun was carrying a fat rabbit and boasting to YingEr with a smile on his face.


    ¡°YingEr, look at this fat rabbit, I caught it myself, here, it¡¯s for you!¡± His face was full of smiles.


    YingEr looked left and right before reaching out to take it. The wild rabbit struggled in her hands, almost escaping, but Zhang Yun quickly caught it again.


    ¡°Ah, it wants to escape? Tee hee!¡±


    As a hunter¡¯s daughter, YingEr was much bolder now. She watched the plump rabbit and poked its chubby belly with her little finger.


    The fat rabbit couldn¡¯t help but kick again, but it had no more chances to escape.


    Di Yelei and Zhang Pengughed heartily at the scene. They didn¡¯t catch much game today, but luckily they caught a wild boar, which made everyone happy.


    When called to have dinner, everyone took their seats quickly and started eating with their chopsticks.


    The cooked dishes smelled delicious and tasted even better. Di Yelei had a big appetite and ate quickly, but he seemed at ease. Soon, arge bowl of rice was finished.


    After eating several bowls, he finally put down his chopsticks with satisfaction.


    The others also felt satisfied, even Liu Sisi ate half a bowl more than usual.


    ¡°Sisi, your cooking skills are better than the pce chefs! It¡¯s a pity that the old Emperor doesn¡¯t have such a treat.¡± Guihua felt too full.


    ¡°What an exaggeration¡­ I just use the same seasonings as you all.¡± Liu Sisi shook her head with a smile.


    In fact, Liu Sisi also found it strange that with the same ingredients and cooking methods, the dishes she made had a different taste than those others made. She couldn¡¯t figure out why.


    Elderly Mr. Di had eaten many fried small fish tonight. The crispy and fragrant golden-brown fish were irresistible.


    He put down his bowl and chopsticks and said with satisfaction after a big burp, ¡°Sisi, tomorrow is the Cold Food Festival. Why don¡¯t you make some more fish or crispy meat tonight to eat tomorrow and to serve during the ancestral worship the day after? It¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed, her eyes curved like crescents: ¡°Father is right, with the wild boar that Yelei and Brother Zhang caught, I¡¯ll cook itter.¡±


    After everyone agreed, they went about their tasks. When Liu Sisi had finished frying the vegetarian balls, she began making Qingming pastry.


    Qingming pastry was made with Qingming herbs washed and soaked in water, then mixed with glutinous rice dough. It was then filled with various ingredients, and pan-fried or steamed in bamboo steamers. It could be used for offerings to ancestors or eaten by themselves.


    When the Qingming pastries were ready, the wild boar meat was brought in from outside. Liu Sisi got busy again.


    The next day was the Cold Food Festival. ording to tradition, the whole family went out early to pick willow branches by the riverbank.


    With willow branches on both adults and children¡¯s heads, they went to the grain-drying yard. The yard was bustling with people ying music, fighting cocks, racing dogs, ying chess, and ying football. It was not surprising that after the Qingming Festival, every household would be busy with the spring plowing. This was considered thest feast before the busy season and everyone participated in the festivities.


    Di Yelei and his group moved to the other side of the grain-drying yard. Here, various games, such as football, arrow shooting, and horse polo were being held.


    Not only children were ying the games, Di Yelei was immediately called over when he appeared.


    ¡°Lord Di, would you care to join us in a game of football?¡± A familiar man waved a football in his hand, inviting Di Yelei.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Di Yeleiughed, then directly joined the center of the scene.

 Chapter 576: Qingming Festival Ancestor Worship (5)

    Chapter 576: Qingming Festival Ancestor Worship (5)


    Even Zhang Peng didn¡¯t want to be left out, and joined in as well.


    Subsequently, Di Xuan, YingEr, Da Mao, and others spread out to have their own fun, only Liu Sisi, due to health issues, naturally couldn¡¯t participate in these activities. However, she couldn¡¯t bear to leave either, standing at the periphery watching everyone y football.


    Perhaps knowing Liu Sisi was watching from the sidelines, Di Yelei put extra effort into his kicks. He manipted the ball to go in and out several times, repeatedly breaking through the opponent¡¯s goal, demonstrating exceptional bravery!


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but stand and p enthusiastically from time to time, itching to join in herself!


    Of course, that was just wishful thinking!


    During a break, Di Yelei put down the ball and walked over. Bare-armed and grinning broadly, he raised an eyebrow towards Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Sisi, what do you think? How many goals did your husband score just now? How¡¯s my football skill?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes turned into crescents,ughing out loud. She took the towel in her hand, carefully wiping the sweat slipping down his forehead while expressing her heartfelt admiration.


    ¡°Indeed, you were outstanding! This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you y football. So aside from hunting, you¡¯re also adept at other sports!¡±


    ¡°Indeed! Who do you think is your husband? Isn¡¯t it so, little kitten?¡± Di Yelei boasted haughtily.


    ¡°Pfft! Look at your smug face. Lower your head, let me wipe the sweat on your neck too.¡±


    Liu Sisi rolled her eyes at him, nced back at the others, then leaned in and whispered something.


    Di Yelei straightened up, raising an eyebrow in surprise: ¡°Really that¡¯s necessary? We¡¯re all just having a good time, is that really needed?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s necessary! Times have changed, if you outshine everyone else, what will they think? A seventh-rank sub-captain acting so superior is totally uneptable!¡±


    Liu Sisi reasoned gently.


    She understood Di Yelei¡¯s intentions. While winning would definitely be celebrated, it might leave an impression of arrogance and rudeness in the hearts of others, so Liu Sisi suggested that Yelei should avoid grabbing the ball too much.


    Sure enough, when Di Yelei went up again, he almost fell over trying to dodge an opponent, losing the ball while the crowd gasped in surprise.


    After that, the ball stayed in the opponent¡¯s hands until just before the final whistle, only then did the ball return to Di Yelei¡¯s hands. After a long-range shot from Di Yelei, the ball went straight into the opponent¡¯s goal. The goalkeeper could do nothing to stop it.


    Di Yelei was grinning from ear to ear!


    Though they lost the second half, Di Yelei¡¯s long-range shot just at the end of the game left a deep impression on everyone.


    Liu Sisi just shook her head, chuckling. Such stubbornness to not admit defeat was what won her heart.


    ¡°Sisi, hehehe¡­.¡±


    He dashed over, shing a wide grin at her: ¡°Good Sisi, help me wipe my sweat again.¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re drenched in sweat, what good is it to wipe your face? We might as well not wipe at all.¡±


    Despite her words, she still raised her hand to carefully wipe his sweat.


    She then took out Qingming pastries and other food items, handing them over.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t decline, he took them and began eating heartily.


    He sighed inwardly as he watched the woman in front of him. Indeed, having a wise wife is a blessing, someone who knows your needs!


    The next day marked the arrival of Qingming Festival.


    Everyone was up before dawn, dressed in in clothes, finished their ablutions and began climbing the Ancestral Tomb Hill.


    The Di family¡¯s Ancestral Tomb Hill was located at the foot of a mountain on the way to the county. The hill wasn¡¯trge, and the number of graves on it were few. It was no surprise, the Di family had only settled in Upper Vige for about a hundred years, naturally they couldn¡¯tpare with those long-established powerful and wealthy families.


    Except for Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s branch of the family, there were no other people. What surprised Liu Sisi the most was that Di Gaoyuan¡¯s family had actually followed as well!


    There were many members in theirrge family. The sparks in Di Cheng¡¯s eyes were noticeable, making him involuntarily lower his head.


    Everyone, including Elderly Mr. Di, didn¡¯t talk much, and simply let the family follow behind them shamelessly.


    The Qingming Festival ritual involves two main tasks: first, repairing the graves, and second, burning paper money and offering sacrifices.


    Today, the entire Di Family hade to sweep the graves. Di Yelei and Di Ah-Bao were the first ones to start cleaning the weeds from the tomb. Even Di Cheng and Di Xuan helped.


    Liu Sisi, on the other hand, obediently followed orders and carried out each task with Zhao and other women, starting with tearing paper money.


    All the items used for the ritual were brought out one by one, hung on the small trees beside the tomb or bamboo poles, or even pressed beside the tomb by cing rocks or clumps of soil.


    What surprised Liu Sisi the most was that they tore up the silk and cloth into strips called torn money.


    After Di Yelei and Di Ah-Bao had cleared all the weeds from the ancestors¡¯ tombs on the Ancestral Tomb Hill and repaired the broken tombs, they turned back and started the rites.


    Pig¡¯s head, whole sheep, whole chicken, Qingming pastries¡­ Arge variety of food and pastries wereid out for the ritual.


    Then, they started burning incense for worship.


    Following tradition, they inserted three incense stick at each tomb after the worship.


    While inserting the three incense sticks, they also had to pay respect at solitary and wild graves that were nearby.


    After the worship, they looked up to see remnants of burnt paper bills flying everywhere, a distinctive scene near Qingming Festival. Graves without paper money were generally lonely ones without any descendants.


    Lastly, they burnt the ¡°baggage¡±. The ¡°baggage¡± was the mail post sent from the ¡°world of the living¡± to the ¡°afterworld¡± by the descendants for their ancestors.


    After all this, the Qingming ritual was consideredplete.


    Then, it was time to share and eat the sacrifice from the Qingming ritual.


    The locals believed that consuming the offerings would bring luck and longevity to the descendants, ensuring a year of good fortune.


    ording to tradition, the person who distributed the food was Mrs. Zhao. Since all the food and items had been prepared by Liu Sisi, she naturally stood aside, and didn¡¯t move.


    As Zhao was distributing the food, her eyes were rolling around, which made Liu Sisi frown.


    As expected, after ncing at everyone, Zhao directly gave the whole sheep to Di Ah-Bao.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Since Ah-Bao is the youngest here and Mrs. Xin is still recuperating, this littlemb is for you!¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at the fatmb, which was so big and yet she called it little?


    However, she didn¡¯t say anything.


    Next, Mrs. Zhao picked up the whole chicken and pig¡¯s head and gave them to Mrs. Xin.


    ¡°Ah Bao has lost weight recently, this chicken will help him to regain his strength.¡±


    By now, only pastries and the Qingming pastry were left.


    Mrs. Zhao picked up the te of Qingming pastries and handed it to Liu Sisi: ¡°Sisi, your food is delicious, especially these pastries. I really like them. Let¡¯s keep them for dinner.¡±


    The corners of Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. She understood Mrs. Zhao¡¯s hidden motive, and immediately smiled.


    ¡°If mother-inw likes the Qingming pastries that Sisi makes so much, then that¡¯s great!¡±


    She suddenly turned around and instructed Granny Hu behind her: ¡°Granny Hu, did you hear what my mother-inw said clearly? It¡¯s rare that my mother-inw enjoys the Qingming pastries made by Sisi and wants them often. From today onwards, make sure to give my mother-inw two Qingming pastries for each meal. All of you servants need to pay close attention to the food and not undermine my mother-inw¡¯s devotion to Buddha.¡±

 Chapter 577: 577: Qingming Festival Ancestor Worship (6)

    Chapter 577: Qingming Festival Ancestor Worship (6)


    ¡°Yes, Madam, I have made a note of it.¡±


    Old Granny Hu beside her quickly bowed her head and answered obediently.


    ¡°Hmm! That¡¯s good!¡±


    There was no change in the smile on Liu Sisi¡¯s face, still as warm as spring. She didn¡¯t even look at the remaining sacrificial food, gracefully lifted her skirt and turned to walk toward the foot of the mountain.


    On the other side, Di Yelei, Elderly Mr. Di, and Di Ah-bao seemed to be discussing something, with serious expressions on their faces.


    Di Yelei¡¯s gaze was fixed on Ah-Bao: ¡°¡­That¡¯s about it. I know that my sister-inw¡¯s miscarriage due to saving Sisi is my fault. As long as my little brother asks, I will do everything in my power to make it up to you!¡± Di Yelei spoke sincerely.


    Ah-Bao was chewing a straw, swinging his thigh carefree. Hearing Di Yelei finish speaking, he spat it out with a sound and waved his hand casually.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about these things with me, you¡¯d better talk to Little Cui instead. Whatever she says, I¡¯ll do. I have no opinion.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ This is your child after all, how can you¡­¡± Be so indifferent!


    Di Yelei was at a loss for words.<div>


    Di Ah-bao, with a rascal-like expression on his face, eyed his Third Brother: ¡°You know what kind of person I am! In my family, Cui¡¯er makes all the decisions. Don¡¯t bother me with these things in the future! I¡¯ve already made an appointment with Chen Er from the neighboring vige to y cricket fighting! I don¡¯t have time to deal with you.¡±


    Having said that, he turned and walked toward the direction of Little Cui. Soon, he was in front of her, looking at her with a tender and gentle gaze, as if she were a delicate doll.


    ¡°Third Brother!¡±


    Di Yelei called out, but Di Ah-bao didn¡¯t turn his head.


    Old Man Di sighed beside: ¡°Ah-Bao is really the one living the carefree life! Although he always follows Ms. Xin¡¯s instructions, he¡¯spletely changed since he got married, turning over a new leaf.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my sister-inw is indeed amazing.¡±


    Speaking of this, Di Yelei nodded in agreement.


    Down below, Liu Sisi blinked curiously and whispered to Di Ying and Di Xuan: ¡°Xuan¡¯er, Ying¡¯er, are you finished? We should go.¡±


    ¡°Mom, where are we going?¡±


    YingEr hopped over, her body covered with cow thorns and traces of mud on her face.


    Liu Sisi grabbed her and wiped the mud off her face.


    ¡°Look at you, covered in mud! Now that we¡¯ve visited this site, we should go to your biological mother¡¯s grave too.¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s eyes lit up at the idea! Could they really go to his biological mother¡¯s grave? This was wonderful!


    On the other hand, Di Ying didn¡¯t seem as touched as Di Xuan, she just pouted: ¡°Huh? We have to visit another grave! Can I not go, please?¡±


    At the moment, she was clearly having fun.


    Before Liu Sisi could say anything, Di Xuan nearby grew anxious!


    ¡°Ying¡¯er! What nonsense are you talking about! Stop fooling around, who could refuse to visit their own mother¡¯s grave?¡± He scolded Di Ying.


    His shout startled Ying¡¯er, and she nearly burst into tears.


    ¡°I, I¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Alright, YingEr, don¡¯t cry anymore. Your mom is buried on the hill over there, how could we not go see her? Let¡¯s go.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi led YingEr toward the other hilltop.


    YingEr obediently walked beside her, but continued to wipe her tears as they went.


    Di Xuan trailed behind, annoyed at his sister¡¯s inability to understand the situation.<div>


    Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang, who were left behind, pursed their lips and spat disdainfully: ¡°Tsk! What a show they¡¯re putting on!¡±


    The group walked to the foot of the mountain when Di Yelei quickly caught up: ¡°Sisi, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to pay respect to my elder sister! Today is Qingming Festival, so it¡¯s a good opportunity for Xuan¡¯er and YingEr to pay their respects.¡± Liu Sisi mentioned Ms. Qiao without any hint of displeasure.


    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s for this! What are you waiting for? Don¡¯t you know what time it is? Hurry!¡±


    Di Yelei was exceptionally pleased! With such a virtuous wife, what more could he ask for?


    They arrived at Ms. Qiao¡¯s grave, tidied it up and paid their respects.


    Liu Sisi took three sticks of incense, bowed three times, closed her eyes and prayed: ¡°Elder Sister, I am Yelei¡¯s wife now. I¡¯ve brought Xuan¡¯er and YingEr for you to see. I, Liu Sisi, have treated them fairly. May your spirit in heaven protect them, and help them grow up healthy and safe.¡±


    After praying, she bowed another three times before cing the incense sticks.


    Di Xuan stepped forward to pay respects: ¡°Mom! It¡¯s your unfilial son, Xuan¡¯er, only nowing to see you. Mom, why did you leave me? I miss you so much¡­¡±


    When it was Di Ying¡¯s turn, she hesitated before taking the incense: ¡°Mom, YingEr is doing well. Dad treats YingEr well, and so does mother-inw. Brother also treats YingEr well¡­ except he always yells at me, I¡­ hmph!¡±


    On the other hand, Di Yelei stood by the grave and silently offered his incense, gently touching the tombstone.


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll take good care of Xuan¡¯er and YingEr. They¡¯ll grow up safe and sound!¡±


    After finishing the ceremony and returning home, YingEr quickly went to y with Da Mao as if nothing had happened, while Di Xuan locked himself in his room for quite a while.<div>


    Meanwhile, Di Yelei held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand all the way back, smiling like a kitten that stole some fish!


    ¡°Sisi, thank you! Thank you for your understanding and consideration. I am both moved and delighted¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? No matter what, she is Xuan¡¯er and YingEr¡¯s birth mother. It¡¯s just unfair that she can¡¯t even be buried in the family graveyard¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi felt somewhat somber ¨C a sort of shared sorrow with the same kind, especially as her growing belly became more and more noticeable. She became increasingly anxious.


    The medical conditions here are limited. Nothing must go wrong!


    ¡°What are you worrying about? I¡¯ve already arranged with Old He. He will be right outside during your childbirth, and so will I. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Di Yelei spoke earnestly, gripping her hand tightly.


    After staying in Upper Vige for a few days, the group returned to the small town and began moving their belongings.


    They brought all the things they bought in the small town into the official residence in the city, and soon the entire family chose an auspicious day and moved in.

 Chapter 578: 578: Officially Ranked Sixth Grade!

    Chapter 578: Officially Ranked Sixth Grade!


    Before leaving, Liu Sisi visited Ms. Xin at the old house once.


    Although Ms. Xin had a miscarriage and injured her body, herplexion was actually better than before.


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s arrival, she weed her warmly and asked her to sit down: ¡°Has Third Sister-inw been very busytely? Why do you have the leisure to visit Cuihua today?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯ve been quite busy recently. But I came here today for two reasons. First, to thank you for saving me back then. Second, to see if you need anything here?¡±


    Liu Sisi helped Ms. Xin up with a smile on her face and assisted her to sit down on the bed.


    Ms. Xin smiled faintly: ¡°You¡¯re making a big deal out of this, Third Sister-inw. Look at Cuihua now, I have no worries about food and clothing. What else do I need? On the contrary, it¡¯s Ah-Bao, who is idle at home all day and has no ambition. I just can¡¯t feel at ease. Sigh! If only he could be half as good as Third Brother!¡±


    Liu Sisi had an idea in her mind, so she continued the conversation.


    ¡°What you said is true! It¡¯s not right for my little brother, a grown man, to stay at home all the time. Your third brother is now the sub-captain and in charge of the heavy responsibility of guarding Macheng County. But he doesn¡¯t have a few trustworthy people around him. It¡¯s a pity.¡±


    Ms. Xin held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand warmly: ¡°Where is thising from, Third Sister-inw? Isn¡¯t it said that ¡®brothers fight together like tigers, and father and son soldiers fight together on the battlefield¡¯? Since Third Brothercks people around him, why not let Ah-Bao try? If it really doesn¡¯t work out, you can just send him back. What do you think, Third Sister-inw?¡±


    Liu Sisiughed and was very happy: ¡°Having the help of my little brother is the best! When I get back, I¡¯ll tell Ye Lei tonight. I¡¯m sure Ye Lei will be delighted when he hears about it!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Little Cui¡¯er smiled shyly: ¡°I¡¯m just adding trouble for Third Brother and Third Sister-inw¡­¡±


    Everyone knew what kind of person Di Ah-bao was and how he was regarded in the vige. Little Cui¡¯er didn¡¯t make any demands, but instead wanted to find a job for Di Ah-bao. Liu Sisi thought about it, and this matter would probably fall on Di Yelei. He would have to find him a job that was easy, didn¡¯t cause any worries, earned a lot of silver, and most importantly, didn¡¯t have to worry about him making blunders.


    After discussing with Di Yelei when she got back, Di Yelei couldn¡¯te up with a conclusion for quite a while. In the end, he decided to let him be an Observation Envoy. In those days, the Observation Envoy was a leisurely job, just a title, and was actually just an idler who helped wealthy families with their ns.


    This was like giving free money to Di Ah-Bao!


    When Ms. Xin heard about this, her face did not show any emotions, and she just smiled faintly. On the contrary, Di Ah-Bao grumbled for a long time, and in the end, with a re from Ms. Xin, he finally agreed reluctantly.


    Now that Di Ah-Bao was to serve as the Observation Envoy for Di Ye-Lei, both he and his wife, Ms. Xin, moved into the official residence with Di Ye-Lei and the others.


    Only Di Gaoyuan and his family from the second branch were left behind, which greatly angered Ms. Wang!


    Outside, the spring plowing was in full swing. But this year, it started raining from the beginning of spring, and now, when rainwater is needed, there are one after another sunny days, and not a drop of rain has fallen.


    Every day, Di Yelei would be busy from morning until night, trying to do his duties even better.


    At the moment, he is the temporarymander of Macheng County and is also the sub-captain in charge of armories and other matters. Even if he wanted to take a break, he couldn¡¯t find the time due to the difficulties in handling the handover procedures.


    Di Ah-Bao followed him every day, gradually looking more like brothers. On the other hand, Ms. Xin lived quietly in the small courtyard assigned to Di Ah-bao, either making a summer shirt for Elderly Mr. Di or a small purse for YingEr. She was so quiet that she hardly ever went out.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er and Da Mao stayed in the small town. The lease for the mansion hadn¡¯t expired yet, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s dumpling shop was doing well, and Aunt Cao couldn¡¯t stop grinning at the money she earned. In the end, they decided that Aunt Cao would move into the mansion and live with Liu Zhi¡¯er and her child. Also, Miao Cuihua naturally joined them.


    Miao Cuihua was thriving in the bookstore, and she loved living in the small town to save time on travel. Naturally, she agreed wholeheartedly.


    Surprisingly, with Miao Cuihua the ¡®giant¡¯ present, nobody dared to bully Liu Zhi¡¯er and her son.


    However, there was one thing that Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t rest easy about; it was that the Cao family kept pestering Liu Zhi¡¯er!


    As time quickly passed by and it waste March, the imperial court¡¯s official appointment for Di Yelei arrived!


    ¡°Former sub-captain of Macheng County, Di Yelei, has been conscientious and strict with himself, thus being appointed as Captain Zhiguo. He is responsible for escorting supplies to the border city within three days. No mistake is allowed!¡±


    Apanying this appointment was a long letter personally penned by Nan Tianzong.


    The letter¡¯s content mentioned their well-being, followed by a detailed analysis of the court¡¯s power dynamics and rtionships among theplex and conflicting factions. Later, he hinted at the critical situation in the border city and the need for Di Yelei¡¯s help.<div>


    And to offer this help, Di Yelei naturally had to go to the border city!


    ¡°Do you really have to go? Can¡¯t you say no? There are plenty of people who can transport the supplies. Why do they specifically have to send you? Why don¡¯t I write Brother Nan a letter and ask him to find someone else?¡±


    While helping him pack, Liu Sisi softly questioned him, desperately trying to hold back her tears.


    Di Yelei stood by her side with his eyes full of reluctance, speaking softly, ¡°This is a difficult favor granted by the Imperial Envoy. Moreover, it is a court appointment, not something that can be easily declined. Besides, I¡¯m only going to the border city to escort the supplies to the capital. I¡¯ll be back quickly.¡±<div>


    ¡°Really? Will it be fast?¡±


    Atst, Liu Sisi raised her head, looking at him with hopeful eyes.


    ¡°Can you¡­ make it back before the baby is born?¡±


    The child in Liu Sisi¡¯s womb was over seven months old. For Di Yelei to head to the border city and escort the supplies back, it seemed impossible!


    But, at this moment, staring into Liu Sisi¡¯s big watery eyes brimming with hope, he could not bring himself to say no.


    He reached out and wrapped his arms around her like wings, protective of her and the child in her womb.


    ¡°I will! I¡¯ll be back before you give birth. I promise!¡±


    Di Yelei solemnly vowed, all but swearing an oath, finally making Liu Sisi smile through her tears.


    ¡°Alright! This is what you promised, and I won¡¯t forget!¡±

 Chapter 579: 579: Farewell

    Chapter 579: Farewell


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! I promised you, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Di Yelei shook his head helplessly with a face full of affection.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t intend to let him off easily. Looking around to make sure no one was nearby, she asked in a low voice, ¡°Tell me the truth. Did the imperial court really just order you to deliver supplies, or was there another reason?¡±


    If it was just about delivering supplies, Nan Tianzong wouldn¡¯t be so anxious that he would have Di Yelei to go personally. There must be something fishy going on!


    ¡°You! You just think too much!¡±


    Di Yeleiughed and hugged her tightly, taking the opportunity to heavily kiss her little mouth. Lifting his head to gaze at her cheeks reddened by the afterglow, he couldn¡¯t resist lowering his head for another fierce round of kisses.


    In fact, Liu Sisi had guessed correctly!


    On the surface, his mission was to deliver a batch of ck-spotted zed porcin to Chengdu Prefecture. These porcins were transported from Gongzhou City to Hezhou Wharf, which is adjacent to Macheng County. ording to normal practice, they would be transported from Gongzhou to Wanzhou, then through Hezhou, north to Suizhou, and Ziyang before reaching Chengdu Prefecture.


    However, the problem lies in the transfer at Hezhou! The Lord Imperial Envoy originally only intended to investigate a county magistrate in Macheng County, but unexpectedly, he stumbled upon a series of issues.


    The so-called ck-spotted zed porcinsing to Hezhou are merely a cover. What is actually being transported are horse ships for transporting horses!<div>


    That is what truly matters!


    Horses in this era were as indispensable to people as cars and nes are today!


    As this matter involves factions within the imperial court trying to hold each other back, Nan Tianzong, after much consideration, felt that there was no one more suitable than Di Yelei to handle it!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    There were several reasons. Firstly, Di Yelei was still considered a neer in the imperial court and was less likely to attract attention from the other side. Secondly, as Di Yelei was his brother-inw, if he didn¡¯t promote him now, when would he? It was difficult for military officers to advance in their careers, especially since Macheng County hadn¡¯t seen any battles for decades. If Di Yelei were not to take a risk and seek opportunities for growth, he would probably only end up living out the rest of his days in the small region of Macheng County!


    So, taking all these factors into consideration, Di Yelei had to be the one to embark on this journey!


    Of course, there were also considerable risks involved in this mission. The danger came mainly from those who did not want these so-called ¡°supplies¡± to reach Chengdu Prefecture and intended to cause trouble.


    On the day Di Yelei left, Liu Sisi went to the wharf to see him off!


    He was to take a ship from the wharf to Hezhou, then follow the ship convoy north to Chengdu Prefecture.


    Due to the long distance of the trip, Di Yelei brought Da Niu and Er Niu along as well as four carefully selected followers from the Li Sect, plus Di Cheng and Di Ah-bao.


    Having thetter two apany the mission was also intended as an opportunity for them to learn and grow.


    Among the three couples reluctant to part ways on the wharf, Liu Sisi was the mostposed!


    Di Ah-bao, the fool, clung tightly to Ms. Xin and refused to let go, saying he didn¡¯t want to go. On the other side, Xiao Feng was dressed in men¡¯s clothes, with a bundle slung across her shoulders, looking as if she also wanted to embark on the journey.


    Liu Sisi carefully instructed Di Yelei, ¡°You¡¯ve experienced long trips before, so I won¡¯t go into too much detail about the things you should pay attention to on the road. However, I have one more thing for you to take for self-defence. Remember to bring it.¡±


    The extra thing Liu Sisi was giving him, of course, was the empty thunder she had developed a few days earlier!


    Last time, she had been determined to use the empty thunder to cause trouble if anything happened to Di Yelei. If he really got into trouble, she would detonate the empty thunder and send the so-called County Magistrate Su to hell!


    She tirelessly exined a whole bunch of precautions and techniques, fearing Di Yelei might identally hurt himself if not operating it correctly.


    ¡°Alright, I know how to handle it. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be careful¡­ I know, you already said that just now. Yes, I¡¯ll definitely remember¡­ ¡±


    Seeing that the ship was about to leave, Di Yelei nodded obediently to everything.


    ¡°You know? You can listen to me one more time even if you know everything. This is not a small matter¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi red at him while Di Cheng and Xiao Feng¡¯s quarrel grew louder on the side.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t care! You can go if you want, but I must follow you no matter what! Since I was young, I, Xiao Feng, have been raised as a boy. Just a simple boat ride can¡¯t be too difficult for me!¡±


    Di Cheng had a difficult expression on his face: ¡°Xiao Feng, don¡¯t be like this¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Feng¡¯er? Cheng¡¯er?¡±<div>


    Di Yelei was attracted by their quarreling and walked two steps closer to ask.


    ¡°Third Uncle, it¡¯s Xiao Feng, she¡­she¡­¡± Di Cheng lowered his head with a troubled expression.


    Xiao Feng simply pushed Di Cheng aside, stepped in front of Di Yelei, and gave him a bold fist greeting: ¡°Third Uncle, Xiao Feng also wants to follow you and see the world. I hope you¡¯ll allow it!¡±


    ¡°You? You also want toe along?¡±


    Di Yelei was somewhat surprised! He had always known that Xiao Feng was strong-willed, but he never expected her to be so strong-willed like this!


    ¡°This trip, we¡¯ll be traveling north by water, which is not like walking onnd. Of course, the hardships don¡¯t need to be mentioned. Also, there will be only men on the ship. As a woman, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be¡­¡±


    His words were full of hesitation.


    Xiao Feng quickly rebutted: ¡°Third Uncle, rest assured, I¡¯m not a weak person! Besides, I have Third Uncle and Ah-Cheng with me on this trip. Third Uncle, please allow me to go¡­¡±


    ¡°Let her go, Yelei.¡±


    It was Liu Sisi next to him who decided and agreed! Since she herself couldn¡¯t join them because of the baby in her belly for more than seven months, otherwise, she would definitely go too! Therefore, she could understand Xiao Feng¡¯s feelings.


    Xiao Feng was immediately overjoyed!


    ¡°Thank you, Third Aunt!¡±


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s agreement, Di Yelei could only relent: ¡°Alright! It¡¯s not early, let¡¯s get on board!¡±<div>


    ¡°Alright! Thank you, Third Uncle and Third Aunt!¡±


    Xiao Feng happily grabbed Di Cheng¡¯s hand and quickly ran up the ship.


    On this side, after seeing Xiao Feng on the ship, Di Ah-Bao¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up!


    ¡°Third Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think nonsense! Your sister-inw hasn¡¯t fully recovered, and you want to drag her onto the ship to suffer?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s words made Di Ah-Bao give up, and he reluctantly bid farewell to Ms. Xin. With every three steps, he would look back and climb onto the ship.


    ¡°You should get on the ship too! Take care of yourself!¡±


    Liu Sisi was also reluctant to part. She originally thought she was strong, but unexpectedly, her tears fell non-stop as if they cost nothing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry! Be good, Sisi. Your husband will be back soon, behave! Little kitten¡­¡±


    Di Yelei gently coaxed her. The more he coaxed her, the more tears she shed.


    It is said that women are made of water, and it is indeed true!


    Di Yelei sighed! Until he boarded the ship, as it gradually sailed away, finally reaching the middle of the river where he could only see the small ck dot on the wharf, he waved his hand reluctantly!


    Sisi, wait for me, I¡¯ll be back soon!<div>

 Chapter 580: 580: Sisi Production (Part 1)

    Chapter 580: Sisi Production (Part 1)


    Life without Di Yelei was extraordinarily fulfilling for Liu Sisi.


    She busied herself with implementing the three things Di Yelei had once promised to do!


    Repairing bridges and roads, distributing porridge and treating the sick, and setting up an academy ¨C all of these gradually made it onto her agenda.


    The matter of treating the sick and saving the dying was simply delegated to Heji Clinic, a rather easy solution. As for the repairing of bridges and roads, Di Yelei had already arranged everything before leaving, employing skilled workers with experience in bridge repair. However, there were clearly not enough people for the side tasks!


    Liu Sisi thought about it and came up with a good idea!


    Every time she distributed porridge and treated the sick, she would heavily publicize the bridge and road repairs! Naturally, this attracted some idleborers and tramps to help ¡ª of course, arge number of people were attracted by the three meals per day.


    For those who helped with the bridge and road repairs, Liu Sisi was naturally generous.


    ¡°Madam, just by helping with the bridge and road repairs and doing some odd jobs, these people can get three full meals a day. It¡¯s simply a waste! It would be better to change it to two meals a day! This is a situation that many people cannot ask for, so there¡¯s no fear that they won¡¯t do the work,¡± said Granny Hu, who couldn¡¯t help but remark as she watched the rice and grain disappearing like flowing water.


    Recently, Ms. Gao had given birth to a boy, and Liu Sisi named him Le¡¯an, following his elder brother Le Ping¡¯s name, which is easy to remember and sounds good.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment and casually asked Shopkeeper Gu who was nearby, ¡°How much grain do we have left? How long can we hold out with the supplies in our cer at the current rate of consumption?¡±<div>


    Shopkeeper Gu from Silver Pavilion was originally from Li Sect and had been specially transferred by Liu Sisi to keep the ounts for the bridge and road repairs.


    Shopkeeper Gu hesitated for a moment before ttering his abacus, ¡°Madam, at the current rate of consumption, the supplies in our cer can onlyst at most three to four months. After four months, there won¡¯t be a single grain of rice left in the cer.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Liu Sisi casually replied.


    She did not tell them that there were two other cers hidden away! The supplies in this cer were only one-third of their total!


    ¡°Immediately purchase some more rice and grain, and buy enough for a year at the current rate of consumption. In addition, don¡¯t just buy rice but also some coarse cereals. From now on, we will limit the supply; breakfast and dinner will be a bowl of vegetable porridge and five steamed cornbread per person, and lunch will remain unchanged. I believe everyone can still have enough to eat.¡±


    The people who didn¡¯t have enough to eat probably had a lot of energy, so their work efficiency might be astonishing! And if their appetite was small, they might even save quite a bit.


    Granny Hu did not approve, ¡°Madam, you haven¡¯t seen it yet, these people not only eat themselves, but also secretly stash away food like steamed buns, buns, and cornbread to take home. This is simply taking advantage of your kindness!¡±


    Actually, Liu Sisi had known about this for a long time.


    She shook her head with a smile and instructed Shopkeeper Gu, ¡°Just do as I said, and give the order as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    Shopkeeper Gu hurriedlyplied, turned to leave but turned back, ¡°Madam, the price of grain on the market is much higher than before. Are we really going to buy it now? Should we wait until the fall¡­?¡±


    ¡°No need, you can go and contact people right now to see which big households have such arge supply of goods. Purchase it as soon as possible.¡±


    If her guess was right, this year¡¯s grain prices would not only not fall but would rise even higher.


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    Shopkeeper Gu exited hastily.


    Granny Hu still had a pained expression on her face, and couldn¡¯t help but look at the piles of empty buckets. These buckets were originally used to hold rice, porridge, steamed buns, buns, and cornbread.


    ¡°Nanny Hu, don¡¯t worry about the food. You should know that clear water has no fish! Some people¡¯s husbands are working here but their wives and children are still at home, struggling to survive.¡± Liu Sisi knew she shouldn¡¯t indulge them, but she couldn¡¯t help herself.


    ¡°Alright! Since Madam is so kindhearted, I, as an old woman, will continue to work.¡±


    Granny Hu could understand. She thought back to the days when her own family had sold themselves into servitude just for a few mouthfuls of food.<div>


    Liu Sisi¡¯s thoughts raced, she had both expanded and repaired the bridge, so why not just expand the small wharf as well, and raise the dam below slightly? At least it could amodate small boats, and it would be helpful to nearby families, which is what a true good deed should be.


    But she couldn¡¯t do it alone! Because if the dam was raised, the flooded area would berger, and that would involve a lot more!


    These two matters could be resolved more easily, but the most difficult was the matter of the academy!


    The academy needednd and nning for its architecture. It took Liu Sisi days to finish the topographic map of the academy.<div>


    After weighing her options, Liu Sisi finally chose a piece ofnd near the hot spring vi. In order to obtain thend contract for this piece ofnd, she had gone to great lengths.


    She was busy with all these things, and it seemed like she hadn¡¯t made much progress, but in the blink of an eye, it was early June!


    The drought continued!


    There hadn¡¯t been any rain since the Spring Equinox, and although the peanuts, soybeans, cotton, and sesame nted in April were in the ground, the rice that was supposed to be nted at the end of May and early June was suffering from ack of rain. The fertile fields near the river had water for nting, but the terraced fields in higher areas could only look up and sigh.


    At the moment, Liu Sisi had no interest in these matters, and her belly was as big as a ball. Her round, protruding belly was so startling that it made people feel uneasy at first nce!


    She was originally busy sorting out various drawings, but her belly began to feel waves of pain one after another. At first, it was just a faint pain that she ignored. But slowly, the faint pain turned into a tearing, intense pain that almost made her unable to stand straight, holding her belly and unable to take a single step, while sweat rolled down her forehead.


    ¡°Nanny Hu, Ms. Gao¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi called out, but the pain made her cry out in a groan, which was drowned out by Le¡¯an¡¯s loud cries.


    She held her big belly and, when the wave of pain passed, walked to the doorway and called out a few more times, ¡°Nanny Hu, Ms. Gao¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh dear! Madam, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    Granny Hu finally heard Liu Sisi¡¯s call and came out. As soon as she saw her appearance, Granny Hu, who had experienced childbirth, immediately understood that Sisi was startingbor! She hurriedly went forward to assist Liu Sisi to turn around.


    ¡°Madam, quickly go back to your room, lie down, and I will go call the midwife for you!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Someonee quick! The Madam is giving birth!¡±<div>


    With Granny Hu¡¯s loud cry, the entire official residence instantly turned into chaos!

 Chapter 580: Sisi Production (Part 1)

    Chapter 580: Sisi Production (Part 1)


    Life without Di Yelei was extraordinarily fulfilling for Liu Sisi.


    She busied herself with implementing the three things Di Yelei had once promised to do!


    Repairing bridges and roads, distributing porridge and treating the sick, and setting up an academy ¨C all of these gradually made it onto her agenda.


    The matter of treating the sick and saving the dying was simply delegated to Heji Clinic, a rather easy solution. As for the repairing of bridges and roads, Di Yelei had already arranged everything before leaving, employing skilled workers with experience in bridge repair. However, there were clearly not enough people for the side tasks!


    Liu Sisi thought about it and came up with a good idea!


    Every time she distributed porridge and treated the sick, she would heavily publicize the bridge and road repairs! Naturally, this attracted some idleborers and tramps to help ¡ª of course, arge number of people were attracted by the three meals per day.


    For those who helped with the bridge and road repairs, Liu Sisi was naturally generous.


    ¡°Madam, just by helping with the bridge and road repairs and doing some odd jobs, these people can get three full meals a day. It¡¯s simply a waste! It would be better to change it to two meals a day! This is a situation that many people cannot ask for, so there¡¯s no fear that they won¡¯t do the work,¡± said Granny Hu, who couldn¡¯t help but remark as she watched the rice and grain disappearing like flowing water.


    Recently, Ms. Gao had given birth to a boy, and Liu Sisi named him Le¡¯an, following his elder brother Le Ping¡¯s name, which is easy to remember and sounds good.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment and casually asked Shopkeeper Gu who was nearby, ¡°How much grain do we have left? How long can we hold out with the supplies in our cer at the current rate of consumption?¡±


    Shopkeeper Gu from Silver Pavilion was originally from Li Sect and had been specially transferred by Liu Sisi to keep the ounts for the bridge and road repairs.


    Shopkeeper Gu hesitated for a moment before ttering his abacus, ¡°Madam, at the current rate of consumption, the supplies in our cer can onlyst at most three to four months. After four months, there won¡¯t be a single grain of rice left in the cer.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Liu Sisi casually replied.


    She did not tell them that there were two other cers hidden away! The supplies in this cer were only one-third of their total!


    ¡°Immediately purchase some more rice and grain, and buy enough for a year at the current rate of consumption. In addition, don¡¯t just buy rice but also some coarse cereals. From now on, we will limit the supply; breakfast and dinner will be a bowl of vegetable porridge and five steamed cornbread per person, and lunch will remain unchanged. I believe everyone can still have enough to eat.¡±


    The people who didn¡¯t have enough to eat probably had a lot of energy, so their work efficiency might be astonishing! And if their appetite was small, they might even save quite a bit.


    Granny Hu did not approve, ¡°Madam, you haven¡¯t seen it yet, these people not only eat themselves, but also secretly stash away food like steamed buns, buns, and cornbread to take home. This is simply taking advantage of your kindness!¡±


    Actually, Liu Sisi had known about this for a long time.


    She shook her head with a smile and instructed Shopkeeper Gu, ¡°Just do as I said, and give the order as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    Shopkeeper Gu hurriedlyplied, turned to leave but turned back, ¡°Madam, the price of grain on the market is much higher than before. Are we really going to buy it now? Should we wait until the fall¡­?¡±


    ¡°No need, you can go and contact people right now to see which big households have such arge supply of goods. Purchase it as soon as possible.¡±


    If her guess was right, this year¡¯s grain prices would not only not fall but would rise even higher.


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    Shopkeeper Gu exited hastily.


    Granny Hu still had a pained expression on her face, and couldn¡¯t help but look at the piles of empty buckets. These buckets were originally used to hold rice, porridge, steamed buns, buns, and cornbread.


    ¡°Nanny Hu, don¡¯t worry about the food. You should know that clear water has no fish! Some people¡¯s husbands are working here but their wives and children are still at home, struggling to survive.¡± Liu Sisi knew she shouldn¡¯t indulge them, but she couldn¡¯t help herself.


    ¡°Alright! Since Madam is so kindhearted, I, as an old woman, will continue to work.¡±


    Granny Hu could understand. She thought back to the days when her own family had sold themselves into servitude just for a few mouthfuls of food.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s thoughts raced, she had both expanded and repaired the bridge, so why not just expand the small wharf as well, and raise the dam below slightly? At least it could amodate small boats, and it would be helpful to nearby families, which is what a true good deed should be.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But she couldn¡¯t do it alone! Because if the dam was raised, the flooded area would berger, and that would involve a lot more!


    These two matters could be resolved more easily, but the most difficult was the matter of the academy!


    The academy needednd and nning for its architecture. It took Liu Sisi days to finish the topographic map of the academy.


    After weighing her options, Liu Sisi finally chose a piece ofnd near the hot spring vi. In order to obtain thend contract for this piece ofnd, she had gone to great lengths.


    She was busy with all these things, and it seemed like she hadn¡¯t made much progress, but in the blink of an eye, it was early June!


    The drought continued!


    There hadn¡¯t been any rain since the Spring Equinox, and although the peanuts, soybeans, cotton, and sesame nted in April were in the ground, the rice that was supposed to be nted at the end of May and early June was suffering from ack of rain. The fertile fields near the river had water for nting, but the terraced fields in higher areas could only look up and sigh.


    At the moment, Liu Sisi had no interest in these matters, and her belly was as big as a ball. Her round, protruding belly was so startling that it made people feel uneasy at first nce!


    She was originally busy sorting out various drawings, but her belly began to feel waves of pain one after another. At first, it was just a faint pain that she ignored. But slowly, the faint pain turned into a tearing, intense pain that almost made her unable to stand straight, holding her belly and unable to take a single step, while sweat rolled down her forehead.


    ¡°Nanny Hu, Ms. Gao¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi called out, but the pain made her cry out in a groan, which was drowned out by Le¡¯an¡¯s loud cries.


    She held her big belly and, when the wave of pain passed, walked to the doorway and called out a few more times, ¡°Nanny Hu, Ms. Gao¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh dear! Madam, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    Granny Hu finally heard Liu Sisi¡¯s call and came out. As soon as she saw her appearance, Granny Hu, who had experienced childbirth, immediately understood that Sisi was startingbor! She hurriedly went forward to assist Liu Sisi to turn around.


    ¡°Madam, quickly go back to your room, lie down, and I will go call the midwife for you!¡±


    ¡°Someonee quick! The Madam is giving birth!¡±


    With Granny Hu¡¯s loud cry, the entire official residence instantly turned into chaos!

 Chapter 581: 581: Sisi Production (Part 2)

    Chapter 581: Sisi Production (Part 2)


    Liu Sisi had always been delicate. Since she arrived in this world, especially during theter stages of her pregnancy, she had paid particr attention to maintaining a bnced diet to keep her body in good shape.


    The women here were required to rest and take care of themselves before giving birth. Yet, Liu Sisi was constantly busy, running between the county, riverside, small bridges, and academy field. Apart from her high spirits, it seemed that she had not gained much weight, except for her belly, which had swollen like a blubber ball!


    From ancient times to present, childbirth has been like stepping into the gate of hell for women!


    The midwife had been living in the official residence more than a month in advance, and Dr. He had been checking Liu Sisi¡¯s pulses almost daily, repeatedly assuring that the mother and child were in good condition.


    Today was no exception, but unexpectedly, the crisis suddenly developed!


    Blood-soaked water was carried out of the room in basin after basin, leaving everyone both inside and outside the room extremely anxious!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Dr. He caught one of the midwives as she came out and asked anxiously, ¡°How is it? How is the situation inside? Is Sisi alright?¡±


    The midwife, who had been brought into the manor more than a month ago, rushed out of the room in panic. When a hand suddenly appeared beside her, she was startled!


    ¡°Doctor¡­ Madam¡­ Madam is hungry and wants to eat something¡­¡±


    Dr. He¡¯s eyes lit up!<div>


    ¡°Eating is good! Eating will give her strength! Wait! I have a 500-year-old wild ginseng here! Take two slices and stew them in her food, then let her take another slice¡­ No, no, no! Let our medicine pageboy prepare the herbs! Pageboy! Pageboy¡­¡±


    Dr. He was in a muddle!


    In the delivery room, Liu Sisi was sweating profusely. At this moment, it was scorching June, and the moment she felt pain, her clothes and sheets had been soaking wet. Her hair was clumped and stuck to her face!


    Despite her pain, she gritted her teeth and refused to cry out!


    ¡°Madam, if you¡¯re in pain, just cry out! Crying will make you feel better! Be careful not to hurt yourself like this!¡± The nearby midwife couldn¡¯t bear to watch and advised her.


    Most women would scream in pain because of fear, and they had never seen anyone give birth without making a sound! They couldn¡¯t risk any idents!


    As soon as a wave of pain subsided, Liu Sisi caught her breath and smiled, ¡°No problem! It¡¯s not time to cry yet. By the way, why hasn¡¯t the food arrived?¡±


    What she truly wanted to ask, was why Ye Lei hadn¡¯te back yet?


    She remembered when he left, he had said he would be back before the birth. But now, she was about to deliver, and he was still on a boat far away!


    She wished she could push the baby back inside and wait one more day for him, but¡­


    It was toote!


    ¡°Madam, the soup medicine is here! This is what Dr. He personally prepared for you! Drink it while it¡¯s hot!¡±


    An old woman brought in a bowl of ginseng soup.


    ¡°Alright, bring it over.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly finished the soup medicine in the bowl and handed it to the side: ¡°Quick! Go and get the Old Master¡¯s letter for me!¡±


    Before her words had faded, Ms. Gao hurriedly pushed open the door and ran in.


    ¡°Madam, the Old Master¡¯s letter has arrived!¡±


    ¡°Quick! Come and let me see!¡±


    Liu Sisi eagerly grabbed it, tore it open, and quickly scanned the letter.<div>


    Di Yelei¡¯s handwriting had noticeably improved! Seeing it at first nce, Liu Sisi was delighted! It seemed that he hadn¡¯t neglected his calligraphy practice these days. However, as she continued reading, the smile on her face disappeared, and she stood motionless, clutching the letter in her hands.


    ¡°Madam, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Seeing that Liu Sisi¡¯s face was off, the midwife beside her called out anxiously!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s hand suddenly trembled, apanied by a violent contraction in her lower abdomen. She let out a muffled groan, and the letter slipped to the floor.<div>


    ¡°He¡­ is still on the boat from Suizhou to Hezhou¡­Ah!¡­ It hurts¡­¡±


    Her belief shattered, Liu Sisi¡¯s momentum faltered, and she began to wilt.


    ¡°Madam, are you alright? Hold on, you can¡¯t let your breath out. Think of yourself and the unborn child in your belly¡­Madam¡­¡± The midwife was also anxious!


    Liu Sisi slowly gathered herself, lifted her head, and looked around, giving orders to the midwife.


    ¡°You,e here! Help me sit up against the head of the bed¡­I want to eat. I need to regain my strength!¡±


    Since she knew she could depend on no one, she could still depend on herself, couldn¡¯t she?


    She was the mother of the little guy in her belly; she couldn¡¯t let hime into the world for nothing!


    The midwife saw the determination in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes and felt relieved!


    ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t worry, Madam. We already sent someone to invite Granny Xu, the most famous midwife in the county. She is the one who examines the beauties selected for the pce from Macheng County. She¡¯s very skilled at delivering babies!¡±


    Granny Xu?


    Life is full of familiar faces everywhere!


    At this moment, far away at Hezhou wharf, a man was leaping off the ship and, in one smooth motion, led a horse from the wharf. He grabbed the horse whip and bowed to the approaching person as someone quickly chased after him.


    ¡°Third Uncle, are you sure you want to travel bynd? Thend route is much more difficult than the water route, you¡­¡±<div>


    Di Cheng looked anxious.


    Di Yelei led a strong horse and just as he was about to mount, he turned back and looked at Di Cheng: ¡°Cheng¡¯er, I promised your Third Aunt that I will be back before she gives birth. This is a promise I made to her personally. The water route is too slow. Since we have to change directions when we reach Hezhou, it¡¯s better for me to ride a horse across the mountains and take shortcuts. I will definitely arrive half a day earlier. You just follow everyone else on the water route back, remember!¡±


    After giving his instructions, Di Yelei wasted no more time, jumped on the horse, and galloped away.


    ¡°Third Uncle! Third Uncle¡­¡±


    Di Cheng¡¯s calls couldn¡¯t bring back Di Yelei and he reluctantly turned back.


    May he make it in time!

 Chapter 582: 582: Sisi Production (Part 3)

    Chapter 582: Sisi Production (Part 3)


    After devouring arge bowl of poached eggs, Liu Sisi finally felt some strengthing back to her body. As the sky began to brighten, Liu Zhi¡¯er arrived just in time. At the sight of a familiar face, Liu Sisi¡¯s fluttering heart finally harbored some peace and she managed to muster a smile.


    ¡°You! I don¡¯t know what to say about you!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er carefully washed her hands with boiled water, put on the clothes Liu Sisi had sterilized by boiling and dried in advance before making her way to her.


    ¡°You had contractionsst night, why did you wait until daybreak to call me? Didn¡¯t we agree that as soon as you beginbor, someone should wake me up? You always take your body so lightly!¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled: ¡°I knew I wouldn¡¯t give birth so quickly. Youing earlier would just make you anxious!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ when will you learn to take better care of yourself?¡±


    Filled with both worry and frustration, Liu Zhi¡¯er says, ¡°Stop talking now, close your eyes and rest. By the way, is there anything else we need to be careful about?¡± Having given birth to three children herself, Liu Zhi¡¯er instinctively thought to ask Liu Sisi.


    ¡°There is nothing much to worry about. Just instruct everyone who enters this room to change their clothes and clean their hands with boiled water. Understood?¡± After saying this softly, Liu Sisi closed her eyes. Giving birth really was a tiring process¡­


    The reason for changing clothes and cleaning hands with boiled water was her way to prevent any possible spread of infection.


    However, Liu Zhi¡¯er interpreted it as Liu Sisi being worried about someone trying to harm her! Given Sisi¡¯s current status and considering past events, it was indeed a possibility!<div>


    Therefore, throughout the process of the birth, she strictly enforced Liu Sisi¡¯s instructions.


    Soon, good news from outside reached them, Granny Xu had arrived and was waiting outside the door.


    With Granny Xu¡¯s arrival, Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was further eased.


    Upon entering the delivery room, Granny Xu immediately dismissed the superfluous midwives, each to their own duties. Even Liu Zhi¡¯er was tasked with guarding the door, leaving just a short, plump woman as her assistant.


    She examined Liu Sisi¡¯s stomach, lightly eximing ¡°ah¡±, her expression momentarily turning sour before quickly regaining herposure.


    Despite her quick reaction, Liu Sisi was keen enough to observe the change and immediately felt a sinking feeling. A wave of thoughts surged in her heart. As a wave of pain subside, Liu Sisi clutched Granny Xu¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Granny Xu, is my baby not properly positioned?¡±


    Granny Xu retained her usual gentleposure: ¡°Madam, please be at ease. Every woman since ancient times has had to pass the test of childbirth. Truly, a woman¡¯s journey isn¡¯tplete without it. Your baby is well positioned, keep your mind at ease!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Responding lightly, Liu Sisi¡¯s grip on Granny Xu¡¯s arm eased and she slid her hand back onto the bed, her smile all the more poignant.


    ¡°Granny Xu, if it bes impossible to save both myself and the child, please, I beg you, do your best to save the baby in my stomach!¡±


    She already considered her own life as one borrowed. Living through another life in this world was more than enough, she was satisfied! But her child in her womb had not yet seen this beautiful blue sky, and must not be lost so soon!


    ¡°Madam, please be at ease! You will definitely give birth safely, and I, Granny Xu, cannot afford to lose my reputation!¡±


    Granny Xu responded as usual, with an amiable smile.


    Outside the delivery room, a growing crowd gathered at this moment.


    Sincest night, Elderly Mr. Di had been waiting in the hall outside. He had not slept for an entire night. The things he thought of the most were those of the past. Back then, Mrs. Dou gave birth to their third child on the brink of death, passing away soon after. After that, Third Child¡¯s tragically doomed wife also followed Mrs. Dou¡¯s fate, causing the infamous reputation of Third Child¡¯s curse of causing the demise of his mother, his wife, and his son to spread even more prevalent¡­


    Thinking of all this, Elderly Mr. Di lit three sticks of incense once again, pleading with the heavens: the daughter-inw Liu Sisi, she¡¯s an excellent woman, please, for the love of God, take care of her! Also take care of the child she carries, it would be best if both mother and child could stay safe ¡­


    Sitting off to one side, Di Xuan had his head lowered. He was awake because of themotion outside and was not like Di Ying, who was sleeping like a log. His eyebrows were deeply furrowed, his fists clenching and unclenching at irregr intervals..


    Mrs. Zhao and Mrs. Xin, who were sitting in their respective ces, seemed to be lost in their own thoughts.<div>


    The busiest of all was Liu Zhi¡¯er! She was bustling about instructing everyone in the kitchen to boil water, cook rice, and make medicinal soup. She was spinning around like a top.


    Meanwhile, Old He was standing outside the delivery room, with his hands behind his back. He appeared calm, but his heart was aching to rush in and give a hand.


    Inside the house, the frequency of Liu Sisi¡¯s heart-breaking screams was gradually increasing and bing eerie.


    Finally, the screams subsided a bit and Di Ying, rubbing his eyes, came in from the courtyard.<div>


    ¡°Err, yawn¡ª Grandpa He, you¡¯re here as well? Why are everyone gathered here? Are you all waiting to go out for a meal with my mother?¡±


    It was only just now that Di Ying had woken up, quickly washing his face andbing his hair before he rushed over to Liu Sisi.


    Today, YingEr was wearing a light yellow summer dress. The ribbon flowers on his twin buns, tied with silk tassels, were shaking along with his movements. His smiling face looked like a winter jasmine, bringing a refreshing springtime aura. With this backdrop, his blushing little face resembled a peach, and his eyes were curved with joy, like a crescent moon. Looking at his face could put a smile on anyone¡¯s face.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Everyone was still shocked by the previous events and no one had recovered yet.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t my mother inside? Oh¡ªI know, my mother is sleeping in, isn¡¯t she? I¡¯ll go wake her up.¡± Di Ying cheerfully said, and was about to push open the door.


    How could everyone let him in?


    Several hands reached out simultaneously to stop him in time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go in, your mother is inside giving birth to your little brother!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    YingEr¡¯s eyes sparkled like two small stars: ¡°Grandpa, is my mother really giving birth to a little brother for YingEr?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. You must never go in and disturb her, understood?¡± Elderly Mr. Di reiterated with emphasis.


    ¡°Good! YingEr understands.¡±


    YingEr nodded seriously, then obediently followed Xue Yi, who arrived shortly after, looking back three steps at a time, to go downstairs for a meal.<div>


    YingEr¡¯s arrival dissipated the gloom at the scene and everyone started to scatter. However, their eyes never left the delivery room, keeping a close watch on the situation inside.


    Right around 7 to 9, an uninvited guest arrived at the official residence!


    Upon entering the residence, Zuo Xingyu leaned against the beam pir, his constable¡¯s de close at hand, and began to rest his eyes.


    The chilling screams became more frequent¡­.

 Chapter 581: Sisi Production (Part 2)

    Chapter 581: Sisi Production (Part 2)


    Liu Sisi had always been delicate. Since she arrived in this world, especially during theter stages of her pregnancy, she had paid particr attention to maintaining a bnced diet to keep her body in good shape.


    The women here were required to rest and take care of themselves before giving birth. Yet, Liu Sisi was constantly busy, running between the county, riverside, small bridges, and academy field. Apart from her high spirits, it seemed that she had not gained much weight, except for her belly, which had swollen like a blubber ball!


    From ancient times to present, childbirth has been like stepping into the gate of hell for women!


    The midwife had been living in the official residence more than a month in advance, and Dr. He had been checking Liu Sisi¡¯s pulses almost daily, repeatedly assuring that the mother and child were in good condition.


    Today was no exception, but unexpectedly, the crisis suddenly developed!


    Blood-soaked water was carried out of the room in basin after basin, leaving everyone both inside and outside the room extremely anxious!


    Dr. He caught one of the midwives as she came out and asked anxiously, ¡°How is it? How is the situation inside? Is Sisi alright?¡±


    The midwife, who had been brought into the manor more than a month ago, rushed out of the room in panic. When a hand suddenly appeared beside her, she was startled!


    ¡°Doctor¡­ Madam¡­ Madam is hungry and wants to eat something¡­¡±


    Dr. He¡¯s eyes lit up!


    ¡°Eating is good! Eating will give her strength! Wait! I have a 500-year-old wild ginseng here! Take two slices and stew them in her food, then let her take another slice¡­ No, no, no! Let our medicine pageboy prepare the herbs! Pageboy! Pageboy¡­¡±


    Dr. He was in a muddle!


    In the delivery room, Liu Sisi was sweating profusely. At this moment, it was scorching June, and the moment she felt pain, her clothes and sheets had been soaking wet. Her hair was clumped and stuck to her face!


    Despite her pain, she gritted her teeth and refused to cry out!


    ¡°Madam, if you¡¯re in pain, just cry out! Crying will make you feel better! Be careful not to hurt yourself like this!¡± The nearby midwife couldn¡¯t bear to watch and advised her.


    Most women would scream in pain because of fear, and they had never seen anyone give birth without making a sound! They couldn¡¯t risk any idents!


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As soon as a wave of pain subsided, Liu Sisi caught her breath and smiled, ¡°No problem! It¡¯s not time to cry yet. By the way, why hasn¡¯t the food arrived?¡±


    What she truly wanted to ask, was why Ye Lei hadn¡¯te back yet?


    She remembered when he left, he had said he would be back before the birth. But now, she was about to deliver, and he was still on a boat far away!


    She wished she could push the baby back inside and wait one more day for him, but¡­


    It was toote!


    ¡°Madam, the soup medicine is here! This is what Dr. He personally prepared for you! Drink it while it¡¯s hot!¡±


    An old woman brought in a bowl of ginseng soup.


    ¡°Alright, bring it over.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly finished the soup medicine in the bowl and handed it to the side: ¡°Quick! Go and get the Old Master¡¯s letter for me!¡±


    Before her words had faded, Ms. Gao hurriedly pushed open the door and ran in.


    ¡°Madam, the Old Master¡¯s letter has arrived!¡±


    ¡°Quick! Come and let me see!¡±


    Liu Sisi eagerly grabbed it, tore it open, and quickly scanned the letter.


    Di Yelei¡¯s handwriting had noticeably improved! Seeing it at first nce, Liu Sisi was delighted! It seemed that he hadn¡¯t neglected his calligraphy practice these days. However, as she continued reading, the smile on her face disappeared, and she stood motionless, clutching the letter in her hands.


    ¡°Madam, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Seeing that Liu Sisi¡¯s face was off, the midwife beside her called out anxiously!


    Liu Sisi¡¯s hand suddenly trembled, apanied by a violent contraction in her lower abdomen. She let out a muffled groan, and the letter slipped to the floor.


    ¡°He¡­ is still on the boat from Suizhou to Hezhou¡­Ah!¡­ It hurts¡­¡±


    Her belief shattered, Liu Sisi¡¯s momentum faltered, and she began to wilt.


    ¡°Madam, are you alright? Hold on, you can¡¯t let your breath out. Think of yourself and the unborn child in your belly¡­Madam¡­¡± The midwife was also anxious!


    Liu Sisi slowly gathered herself, lifted her head, and looked around, giving orders to the midwife.


    ¡°You,e here! Help me sit up against the head of the bed¡­I want to eat. I need to regain my strength!¡±


    Since she knew she could depend on no one, she could still depend on herself, couldn¡¯t she?


    She was the mother of the little guy in her belly; she couldn¡¯t let hime into the world for nothing!


    The midwife saw the determination in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes and felt relieved!


    ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t worry, Madam. We already sent someone to invite Granny Xu, the most famous midwife in the county. She is the one who examines the beauties selected for the pce from Macheng County. She¡¯s very skilled at delivering babies!¡±


    Granny Xu?


    Life is full of familiar faces everywhere!


    At this moment, far away at Hezhou wharf, a man was leaping off the ship and, in one smooth motion, led a horse from the wharf. He grabbed the horse whip and bowed to the approaching person as someone quickly chased after him.


    ¡°Third Uncle, are you sure you want to travel bynd? Thend route is much more difficult than the water route, you¡­¡±


    Di Cheng looked anxious.


    Di Yelei led a strong horse and just as he was about to mount, he turned back and looked at Di Cheng: ¡°Cheng¡¯er, I promised your Third Aunt that I will be back before she gives birth. This is a promise I made to her personally. The water route is too slow. Since we have to change directions when we reach Hezhou, it¡¯s better for me to ride a horse across the mountains and take shortcuts. I will definitely arrive half a day earlier. You just follow everyone else on the water route back, remember!¡±


    After giving his instructions, Di Yelei wasted no more time, jumped on the horse, and galloped away.


    ¡°Third Uncle! Third Uncle¡­¡±


    Di Cheng¡¯s calls couldn¡¯t bring back Di Yelei and he reluctantly turned back.


    May he make it in time!

 Chapter 582: Sisi Production (Part 3)

    Chapter 582: Sisi Production (Part 3)


    After devouring arge bowl of poached eggs, Liu Sisi finally felt some strengthing back to her body. As the sky began to brighten, Liu Zhi¡¯er arrived just in time. At the sight of a familiar face, Liu Sisi¡¯s fluttering heart finally harbored some peace and she managed to muster a smile.


    ¡°You! I don¡¯t know what to say about you!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er carefully washed her hands with boiled water, put on the clothes Liu Sisi had sterilized by boiling and dried in advance before making her way to her.


    ¡°You had contractionsst night, why did you wait until daybreak to call me? Didn¡¯t we agree that as soon as you beginbor, someone should wake me up? You always take your body so lightly!¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled: ¡°I knew I wouldn¡¯t give birth so quickly. Youing earlier would just make you anxious!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ when will you learn to take better care of yourself?¡±


    Filled with both worry and frustration, Liu Zhi¡¯er says, ¡°Stop talking now, close your eyes and rest. By the way, is there anything else we need to be careful about?¡± Having given birth to three children herself, Liu Zhi¡¯er instinctively thought to ask Liu Sisi.


    ¡°There is nothing much to worry about. Just instruct everyone who enters this room to change their clothes and clean their hands with boiled water. Understood?¡± After saying this softly, Liu Sisi closed her eyes. Giving birth really was a tiring process¡­


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The reason for changing clothes and cleaning hands with boiled water was her way to prevent any possible spread of infection.


    However, Liu Zhi¡¯er interpreted it as Liu Sisi being worried about someone trying to harm her! Given Sisi¡¯s current status and considering past events, it was indeed a possibility!


    Therefore, throughout the process of the birth, she strictly enforced Liu Sisi¡¯s instructions.


    Soon, good news from outside reached them, Granny Xu had arrived and was waiting outside the door.


    With Granny Xu¡¯s arrival, Liu Sisi¡¯s heart was further eased.


    Upon entering the delivery room, Granny Xu immediately dismissed the superfluous midwives, each to their own duties. Even Liu Zhi¡¯er was tasked with guarding the door, leaving just a short, plump woman as her assistant.


    She examined Liu Sisi¡¯s stomach, lightly eximing ¡°ah¡±, her expression momentarily turning sour before quickly regaining herposure.


    Despite her quick reaction, Liu Sisi was keen enough to observe the change and immediately felt a sinking feeling. A wave of thoughts surged in her heart. As a wave of pain subside, Liu Sisi clutched Granny Xu¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Granny Xu, is my baby not properly positioned?¡±


    Granny Xu retained her usual gentleposure: ¡°Madam, please be at ease. Every woman since ancient times has had to pass the test of childbirth. Truly, a woman¡¯s journey isn¡¯tplete without it. Your baby is well positioned, keep your mind at ease!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Responding lightly, Liu Sisi¡¯s grip on Granny Xu¡¯s arm eased and she slid her hand back onto the bed, her smile all the more poignant.


    ¡°Granny Xu, if it bes impossible to save both myself and the child, please, I beg you, do your best to save the baby in my stomach!¡±


    She already considered her own life as one borrowed. Living through another life in this world was more than enough, she was satisfied! But her child in her womb had not yet seen this beautiful blue sky, and must not be lost so soon!


    ¡°Madam, please be at ease! You will definitely give birth safely, and I, Granny Xu, cannot afford to lose my reputation!¡±


    Granny Xu responded as usual, with an amiable smile.


    Outside the delivery room, a growing crowd gathered at this moment.


    Sincest night, Elderly Mr. Di had been waiting in the hall outside. He had not slept for an entire night. The things he thought of the most were those of the past. Back then, Mrs. Dou gave birth to their third child on the brink of death, passing away soon after. After that, Third Child¡¯s tragically doomed wife also followed Mrs. Dou¡¯s fate, causing the infamous reputation of Third Child¡¯s curse of causing the demise of his mother, his wife, and his son to spread even more prevalent¡­


    Thinking of all this, Elderly Mr. Di lit three sticks of incense once again, pleading with the heavens: the daughter-inw Liu Sisi, she¡¯s an excellent woman, please, for the love of God, take care of her! Also take care of the child she carries, it would be best if both mother and child could stay safe ¡­


    Sitting off to one side, Di Xuan had his head lowered. He was awake because of themotion outside and was not like Di Ying, who was sleeping like a log. His eyebrows were deeply furrowed, his fists clenching and unclenching at irregr intervals..


    Mrs. Zhao and Mrs. Xin, who were sitting in their respective ces, seemed to be lost in their own thoughts.


    The busiest of all was Liu Zhi¡¯er! She was bustling about instructing everyone in the kitchen to boil water, cook rice, and make medicinal soup. She was spinning around like a top.


    Meanwhile, Old He was standing outside the delivery room, with his hands behind his back. He appeared calm, but his heart was aching to rush in and give a hand.


    Inside the house, the frequency of Liu Sisi¡¯s heart-breaking screams was gradually increasing and bing eerie.


    Finally, the screams subsided a bit and Di Ying, rubbing his eyes, came in from the courtyard.


    ¡°Err, yawn¡ª Grandpa He, you¡¯re here as well? Why are everyone gathered here? Are you all waiting to go out for a meal with my mother?¡±


    It was only just now that Di Ying had woken up, quickly washing his face andbing his hair before he rushed over to Liu Sisi.


    Today, YingEr was wearing a light yellow summer dress. The ribbon flowers on his twin buns, tied with silk tassels, were shaking along with his movements. His smiling face looked like a winter jasmine, bringing a refreshing springtime aura. With this backdrop, his blushing little face resembled a peach, and his eyes were curved with joy, like a crescent moon. Looking at his face could put a smile on anyone¡¯s face.


    Everyone was still shocked by the previous events and no one had recovered yet.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t my mother inside? Oh¡ªI know, my mother is sleeping in, isn¡¯t she? I¡¯ll go wake her up.¡± Di Ying cheerfully said, and was about to push open the door.


    How could everyone let him in?


    Several hands reached out simultaneously to stop him in time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go in, your mother is inside giving birth to your little brother!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    YingEr¡¯s eyes sparkled like two small stars: ¡°Grandpa, is my mother really giving birth to a little brother for YingEr?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. You must never go in and disturb her, understood?¡± Elderly Mr. Di reiterated with emphasis.


    ¡°Good! YingEr understands.¡±


    YingEr nodded seriously, then obediently followed Xue Yi, who arrived shortly after, looking back three steps at a time, to go downstairs for a meal.


    YingEr¡¯s arrival dissipated the gloom at the scene and everyone started to scatter. However, their eyes never left the delivery room, keeping a close watch on the situation inside.


    Right around 7 to 9, an uninvited guest arrived at the official residence!


    Upon entering the residence, Zuo Xingyu leaned against the beam pir, his constable¡¯s de close at hand, and began to rest his eyes.


    The chilling screams became more frequent¡­.

 Chapter 583: 583: Sisi Production (Part 4)

    Chapter 583: Sisi Production (Part 4)


    Granny Xu¡¯s face was calm, she satposedly, examining Liu Sisi¡¯s physical condition diligently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, your body¡¯s frame hasn¡¯t fully opened yet. Don¡¯t push at this time, to prevent yourself from wasting energy, as you may not have any left when you need to push. Old woman like me and you, Madam, have a long history together. No matter what, I will ensure the safety of you and your child. Please be confident,¡± she said.


    ¡°Uh¡­ah¡­ It hurts¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi felt as if she was run over by a truck, the pain was unendurable. While she could hear Granny Xu¡¯s voice, the pain was too unbearable and she couldn¡¯t speak. She could only moan instinctively. The world before her was repeatedly spinning.


    ¡°You¡¯re almost there! Your birth canal has already opened three fingers wide, you¡¯ll give birth soon. Don¡¯t push now, try to breathe and conserve strength¡­¡±


    Granny Xu¡¯s voice seemed to being from a far-off ce.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­I¡¯m in so much pain. Ye Lei, where are you? It hurts¡­¡±


    The intensebor pains left Liu Sisi incessantly shaking her head, sping tightly onto the bedpost and pillow. She stuffed the pillow into her mouth to bite down hard, she could barely react anymore.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Granny Xu abruptly stood up and checked.


    Liu Sisi struggled to spit out the pillow: ¡°Granny Xu, I¡¯m not pushing. It¡¯s my stomach pushing on its own.¡±<div>


    ¡°Alright, Madam, don¡¯t worry. When I tell you to pushter on, then you push. Understood?¡±


    Granny Xu instructed while gently stroking Liu Sisi¡¯s round belly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Both of you,e over here. Prepare to help. Bring the scissors, clean towels, and also bring the alcohol and warm water basin.¡±


    Granny Xu calmly gave instructions, inexplicably reassuring Liu Sisi.


    The waves of pain continued. At this moment, Liu Sisi felt as if she had used up all her strength and could only follow Granny Xu¡¯s instructions through her primal instincts.


    ¡°Madam, push hard now. Take advantage of the contraction, push all at once and the baby wille out.¡±


    ¡°The baby¡¯s head ising out! Quick, be careful! Gentle¡­¡±


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t push too hard. Be careful not to hurt your birth canal. The baby¡¯s head is not too big, it should be easy to deliver.¡±


    ¡°Madam, push! Push¡­ The baby¡¯sing out, quickly catch it!¡±


    Soon after, you could hear excited cries from inside, followed by the loud crying of a newborn echoing from the room.


    Everyone waiting outside the delivery room jumped up from their chairs at this moment, their eyes glued to the door. Only they knew what they were feeling at that moment.


    ¡°The baby is born! The baby is born! God bless us! God bless!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t hold back his tears. Perhaps only he could understand his feelings at that moment!


    Everyone crowded at the room¡¯s doorway, vying to catch the first glimpse.


    Inside the delivery room, Liu Sisi also heard the child¡¯s sharp cries and rxed back onto the pillow, a smile on her face.


    The baby was born safely, and they had finally gotten through the ordeal!


    As expected, a momentter, a midwife came out holding a swaddled baby, cracking the door open just a bit. Her face was full of smiles as she congratted Elderly Mr. Di.


    ¡°Congrattions, Old Master! It¡¯s a little Miss. Currently both mother and daughter are safe. Congrattions, Old Master! ¡±


    It¡¯s a little Miss!<div>


    Di Xuan, who was standing nearby, let out a long sigh of relief! It wasn¡¯t until that moment that he realized his legs were so weak that they could barely support his body, shaking violently. Luckily, everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to the baby, and no one noticed his current state.


    A flicker of disappointment crossed Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s eyes! But soon after, he let it go.


    ¡°Good! Very good, as long as both mother and daughter are safe, everything is fine,¡± he said. ¡°Nothing is better than people being safe and sound!¡±


    In the midst of speaking, he extended his trembling hand to gently take the child, examining it carefully.<div>


    The child looked extraordinarily tiny, red and wrinkled, and one could not tell who he looks like.


    Inside the delivery room, Liu Sisi closed her eyes to rest. Childbirth felt like she had barely escaped from the gates of hell. The King of Hell didn¡¯t want her, so she was pushed back.


    As she thought of this, she gently fingered her belly, but soon, the smile on her face disappeared, and she couldn¡¯t help crying out in rm.


    ¡°Granny Xu!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words startled Guihua, who was tidying up the room, making her turn around hurriedly.


    Outside the delivery room, a group of people gathered around to check out the baby in the swaddling clothes.


    ¡°Oh my god¡­ this child loves to sleep, and is still sleeping so deeply now, this is really incredible!¡±


    ¡°Yes, let me have a look too. Quick, turn around, let me see¡­¡±


    While everyone was jubnt, the delivery room door was suddenly thrown open from inside, and a worried cry came from the entrance.


    ¡°It¡¯s an emergency! Madam! Madam, she¡­ she¡­¡±


    The hand of Elder Mr. Di, who was holding the baby, trembled and was about to drop the baby on the ground, but he managed to steady his grasp in time.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? You betterplete your sentence quickly!¡±


    Old He next to him was getting anxious!<div>


    He had guaranteed to Liu Sisi that both mother and daughter would be safe.


    But now there was trouble, which frightened Old He, making him head straight for the delivery room.


    ¡°Make way! Why are you blocking the door?¡±


    The Di elder on the side was also worried and hurriedly grabbed Old He: ¡°Wait, my daughter-inw is giving birth inside, what does it have to do with you as a man going in?¡±


    Old He red, forcefully pushing Elderly Mr. Di away: ¡°Ignorant! Is saving lives more essential, or so-called reputation? Step aside! Let me go in and save her! Don¡¯t dy the critical time for me to save others.¡±


    Finally, the midwife at the side spat out the phlegm that had been stuck in her throat and rushed to stop Dr. He from dashing in.


    ¡°Oh, dear! Let this young woman finish her sentence. Madam, Madam has another child in her belly. They are twins! Terrible!¡±


    ¡°What? Twins!¡±


    All the people in the scene were stunned!


    The Di family had no precedent of twins being born, so no one had anticipated this possibility, and it took a long while for them to react.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­it turns out to be twins, twins! Haha¡­ ¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di suddenly burst intoughter! The burden on his heart seemed to be lifted all at once.


    The people nearby disyed a variety of expressions, akin to a drama on stage. Especially Di Xuan, who gradually disappeared behind the screen at the side of the hall, his facepletely obscured.<div>

 Chapter 584: 584: Sisi Production (Part 5)

    Chapter 584: Sisi Production (Part 5)


    However, everyone in the center of the scene was busy thinking about their own matters, and no one paid attention to his abnormality.


    Elderly Mr. Diughed for quite a while before stopping. Lifting his head, he saw the midwife stunned in the doorway, and immediately coughed heavily.


    ¡°Ahem! What are you dazed about? Hurry up and continue delivering the baby. Tell everyone that today, every midwife attending the birth will get double red envelopes!¡±


    The midwife was overjoyed!


    ¡°Thank you for your reward, Old Master!¡±


    After her gratitude, she went back in with great joy to continue delivering the baby.


    He was about to hand the child to the waiting midwife, but a big hand beside snatched it before he could.


    ¡°This child is so beautiful! I¡¯m so fond of her. Why not let her be my goddaughter?¡± Zuo Xingyu lowered his head to look at the tiny baby in his arms, unable to stop his eyes from turning red.


    If only¡­ this child was his and her child, how great would that be?


    ¡°Give me the child quickly!¡±<div>


    Elderly Mr. Di didn¡¯t trust this unmarried man to hold his precious granddaughter. He hurriedly took the baby, handed it to the waiting midwife, and she was carried back into the delivery room.


    ¡°As for recognizing family or not, that¡¯s something you have to talk to Third Child and Sisi about. If they agree, as the grandfather, I naturally have no problem with it.¡±


    First, you¡¯ll have to pass the test of Third Child and Sisi!


    Zuo Xingyu also knew that he had been impulsive! He then reluctantly moved the corner of his mouth on his poker face.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! It was I from the Zuo Family who did not think thoroughly!¡±


    With Ye Lei far away, and Sisi still in the delivery room fighting for her life with the King of Hell, it was inappropriate for him to mention it at the moment. However, he was determined to achieve this. By mentioning it in advance, he was mentally preparing everyone.


    Looking at the closed room door again, First Son He had a troubled expression on his face. He frowned, stroking his long beard, thought for quite a while, and then shook his head.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right! I¡¯ve been checking Sisi¡¯s pulse countless times, and it¡¯s not the pulse of having twins. On the contrary¡­ sizzle! It¡¯s especially messy. What¡¯s going on? This is really strange¡­¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    His words made Elderly Mr. Di beside himugh out loud, unable to resist teasing him.


    ¡°It turns out to be twins! Hey, Old He, you always boast about how awesome and skilled you are, right? Now it seems that you¡¯re just so-so! If you were really that good, you quack doctor, with your daily pulse reading, how could you not find out that Sisi was carrying twins?¡±


    ¡°Practicing medicine and saving people means learning until old age. You old immortal, don¡¯t know a fart! Oh ¡ª I know! You must have lost to me in three moves in yesterday¡¯s chess game, and today you¡¯re deliberately frustrating me here, aren¡¯t you?¡± Old He¡¯s eyes rolled back as he retorted immediately.


    ¡°Pah! You¡¯re obviously older than me by a few months. I think you¡¯re the real old immortal! Considering today is a double happiness day, this old man won¡¯t argue with you. Hmph!¡± Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s face was full of triumph.


    ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m older than you? This is called getting stronger with age, understand? I¡¯m telling you¡­¡±


    Old He next to him was clearly not convinced! He couldn¡¯t help arguing back.


    The two of them went back and forth, making quite a lively dispute!


    If others saw the two of them at this moment, their eyeballs would probably drop to the ground!


    Was that crazy old man jumping up and down like a monkey really the Dr. He with the best medical skills in the Great Zhao? They must have recognized the wrong person!


    ¡­


    A steed galloped wildly through the mountain wilderness!<div>


    This was a mountain path. In order to take a shortcut, Di Yelei abandoned the winding official road and headed straight into the gorge and mountain streams, climbing mountains and crossing rivers for several hours. At this moment, the speed of the steed was visibly slowing down, with white foam dripping at the edges of its mouth. The horse toppled to the ground, unable to get up after struggling for quite a while, clearly showing that it could run no more!


    Damn it! As long as they could cross one more mountain ridge, they would be home!


    Di Yelei made up his mind, abandoned the horse, and headed directly towards his home, starting to cross the mountain!


    ¡­<div>


    On Liu Sisi¡¯s side, the childbirth was still ongoing.


    Granny Xu was chattering nonstop: ¡°As soon as I came in earlier, I felt something was off about the Madam¡¯s stomach, and it turns out she was having twins. However, Madam¡¯s body is slender, so although her stomach looked a bitrger than a singleton pregnancy, the difference is not very noticeable.¡±


    ¡°Indeed! I didn¡¯t expect it to be twins.¡±


    Liu Sisi was also delighted, as giving birth to two at once was easier than giving birth one after another, right?


    Fortunately, the sessful birth of the first child gave Liu Sisi a glimpse of victory. When she found out she still had a child in her stomach, it would be a lie to say she wasn¡¯t surprised and excited!


    Watching Liu Zhi¡¯er receive the soup medicine and cooked dishes brought in by the midwife, she came to her side, smiling brightly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it! When I gave birth to my three monkeys, I had to go through it three times. You, on the other hand, only need to give birth once for two children, which is much morefortable.¡± While talking, she scooped a heaping spoonful of steamed egg custard into her mouth.


    The egg custard melted immediately in her mouth, saving Liu Sisi the time and effort of chewing.


    She gulped it down in a hurry: ¡°Shouldn¡¯t twins be harder than singletons?¡±


    She was asking this question knowingly. Although she hadn¡¯t even had a boyfriend in her previous life, she knew twins were more likely to have difficult births than singletons, but there were no prenatal examinations in this world, and they couldn¡¯t even tell how many children were in her stomach.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er gave her a sidelong nce and fed her another mouthful of steamed egg custard: ¡°Why are you thinking about this? You¡¯ve already had one, so just follow Granny Xu¡¯s instructions. Don¡¯t push if she doesn¡¯t tell you to, and we¡¯ll take our time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded, and by now, there was no other way.<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er carefully put away her inner worry, and smiled cheerfully: ¡°When my brother-inwes back and sees the twins, he¡¯ll definitely be overjoyed!¡±


    Hearing this, Liu Sisiughed: ¡°Yes! He loves children, and his favorite thing to do is to talk to the baby in my stomach!¡±


    As soon as Di Yelei was mentioned, Liu Sisi burst intoughter. But after a moment, her smile disappeared: ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is now, whether he¡¯s made it ashore or not¡­¡±


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t worry, your brother-inw must be rushing back day and night. He¡¯s out on business, not just for fun, so you can trust him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    She knew he was busy with work, and she understood.


    Even if she wasn¡¯t hungry, she still forced herself to eat.


    It wasn¡¯t until she couldn¡¯t eat anymore that she closed her eyes, shaking her head, and prepared for the next wave of pain toe.


    Since there was the crying of the first child beforehand, when another cry, like the sound of a cat, came from inside, everyone thought it was the first child crying again. It wasn¡¯t until they saw the midwife bring out another child that everyone realized the second child had been born!

 Chapter 583: Sisi Production (Part 4)

    Chapter 583: Sisi Production (Part 4)


    Granny Xu¡¯s face was calm, she satposedly, examining Liu Sisi¡¯s physical condition diligently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, your body¡¯s frame hasn¡¯t fully opened yet. Don¡¯t push at this time, to prevent yourself from wasting energy, as you may not have any left when you need to push. Old woman like me and you, Madam, have a long history together. No matter what, I will ensure the safety of you and your child. Please be confident,¡± she said.


    ¡°Uh¡­ah¡­ It hurts¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi felt as if she was run over by a truck, the pain was unendurable. While she could hear Granny Xu¡¯s voice, the pain was too unbearable and she couldn¡¯t speak. She could only moan instinctively. The world before her was repeatedly spinning.


    ¡°You¡¯re almost there! Your birth canal has already opened three fingers wide, you¡¯ll give birth soon. Don¡¯t push now, try to breathe and conserve strength¡­¡±


    Granny Xu¡¯s voice seemed to being from a far-off ce.


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­I¡¯m in so much pain. Ye Lei, where are you? It hurts¡­¡±


    The intensebor pains left Liu Sisi incessantly shaking her head, sping tightly onto the bedpost and pillow. She stuffed the pillow into her mouth to bite down hard, she could barely react anymore.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Granny Xu abruptly stood up and checked.


    Liu Sisi struggled to spit out the pillow: ¡°Granny Xu, I¡¯m not pushing. It¡¯s my stomach pushing on its own.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Madam, don¡¯t worry. When I tell you to pushter on, then you push. Understood?¡±


    Granny Xu instructed while gently stroking Liu Sisi¡¯s round belly.


    ¡°Both of you,e over here. Prepare to help. Bring the scissors, clean towels, and also bring the alcohol and warm water basin.¡±


    Granny Xu calmly gave instructions, inexplicably reassuring Liu Sisi.


    The waves of pain continued. At this moment, Liu Sisi felt as if she had used up all her strength and could only follow Granny Xu¡¯s instructions through her primal instincts.


    ¡°Madam, push hard now. Take advantage of the contraction, push all at once and the baby wille out.¡±


    ¡°The baby¡¯s head ising out! Quick, be careful! Gentle¡­¡±


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t push too hard. Be careful not to hurt your birth canal. The baby¡¯s head is not too big, it should be easy to deliver.¡±


    ¡°Madam, push! Push¡­ The baby¡¯sing out, quickly catch it!¡±


    Soon after, you could hear excited cries from inside, followed by the loud crying of a newborn echoing from the room.


    Everyone waiting outside the delivery room jumped up from their chairs at this moment, their eyes glued to the door. Only they knew what they were feeling at that moment.


    ¡°The baby is born! The baby is born! God bless us! God bless!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t hold back his tears. Perhaps only he could understand his feelings at that moment!


    Everyone crowded at the room¡¯s doorway, vying to catch the first glimpse.


    Inside the delivery room, Liu Sisi also heard the child¡¯s sharp cries and rxed back onto the pillow, a smile on her face.


    The baby was born safely, and they had finally gotten through the ordeal!


    As expected, a momentter, a midwife came out holding a swaddled baby, cracking the door open just a bit. Her face was full of smiles as she congratted Elderly Mr. Di.


    ¡°Congrattions, Old Master! It¡¯s a little Miss. Currently both mother and daughter are safe. Congrattions, Old Master! ¡±


    It¡¯s a little Miss!


    Di Xuan, who was standing nearby, let out a long sigh of relief! It wasn¡¯t until that moment that he realized his legs were so weak that they could barely support his body, shaking violently. Luckily, everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to the baby, and no one noticed his current state.


    A flicker of disappointment crossed Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s eyes! But soon after, he let it go.


    ¡°Good! Very good, as long as both mother and daughter are safe, everything is fine,¡± he said. ¡°Nothing is better than people being safe and sound!¡±


    In the midst of speaking, he extended his trembling hand to gently take the child, examining it carefully.


    The child looked extraordinarily tiny, red and wrinkled, and one could not tell who he looks like.


    Inside the delivery room, Liu Sisi closed her eyes to rest. Childbirth felt like she had barely escaped from the gates of hell. The King of Hell didn¡¯t want her, so she was pushed back.


    As she thought of this, she gently fingered her belly, but soon, the smile on her face disappeared, and she couldn¡¯t help crying out in rm.


    ¡°Granny Xu!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words startled Guihua, who was tidying up the room, making her turn around hurriedly.


    Outside the delivery room, a group of people gathered around to check out the baby in the swaddling clothes.


    ¡°Oh my god¡­ this child loves to sleep, and is still sleeping so deeply now, this is really incredible!¡±


    ¡°Yes, let me have a look too. Quick, turn around, let me see¡­¡±


    While everyone was jubnt, the delivery room door was suddenly thrown open from inside, and a worried cry came from the entrance.


    ¡°It¡¯s an emergency! Madam! Madam, she¡­ she¡­¡±


    The hand of Elder Mr. Di, who was holding the baby, trembled and was about to drop the baby on the ground, but he managed to steady his grasp in time.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? You betterplete your sentence quickly!¡±


    Old He next to him was getting anxious!


    He had guaranteed to Liu Sisi that both mother and daughter would be safe.


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    But now there was trouble, which frightened Old He, making him head straight for the delivery room.


    ¡°Make way! Why are you blocking the door?¡±


    The Di elder on the side was also worried and hurriedly grabbed Old He: ¡°Wait, my daughter-inw is giving birth inside, what does it have to do with you as a man going in?¡±


    Old He red, forcefully pushing Elderly Mr. Di away: ¡°Ignorant! Is saving lives more essential, or so-called reputation? Step aside! Let me go in and save her! Don¡¯t dy the critical time for me to save others.¡±


    Finally, the midwife at the side spat out the phlegm that had been stuck in her throat and rushed to stop Dr. He from dashing in.


    ¡°Oh, dear! Let this young woman finish her sentence. Madam, Madam has another child in her belly. They are twins! Terrible!¡±


    ¡°What? Twins!¡±


    All the people in the scene were stunned!


    The Di family had no precedent of twins being born, so no one had anticipated this possibility, and it took a long while for them to react.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­it turns out to be twins, twins! Haha¡­ ¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di suddenly burst intoughter! The burden on his heart seemed to be lifted all at once.


    The people nearby disyed a variety of expressions, akin to a drama on stage. Especially Di Xuan, who gradually disappeared behind the screen at the side of the hall, his facepletely obscured.

 Chapter 584: Sisi Production (Part 5)

    Chapter 584: Sisi Production (Part 5)


    However, everyone in the center of the scene was busy thinking about their own matters, and no one paid attention to his abnormality.


    Elderly Mr. Diughed for quite a while before stopping. Lifting his head, he saw the midwife stunned in the doorway, and immediately coughed heavily.


    ¡°Ahem! What are you dazed about? Hurry up and continue delivering the baby. Tell everyone that today, every midwife attending the birth will get double red envelopes!¡±


    The midwife was overjoyed!


    ¡°Thank you for your reward, Old Master!¡±


    After her gratitude, she went back in with great joy to continue delivering the baby.


    He was about to hand the child to the waiting midwife, but a big hand beside snatched it before he could.


    ¡°This child is so beautiful! I¡¯m so fond of her. Why not let her be my goddaughter?¡± Zuo Xingyu lowered his head to look at the tiny baby in his arms, unable to stop his eyes from turning red.


    If only¡­ this child was his and her child, how great would that be?


    ¡°Give me the child quickly!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di didn¡¯t trust this unmarried man to hold his precious granddaughter. He hurriedly took the baby, handed it to the waiting midwife, and she was carried back into the delivery room.


    ¡°As for recognizing family or not, that¡¯s something you have to talk to Third Child and Sisi about. If they agree, as the grandfather, I naturally have no problem with it.¡±


    First, you¡¯ll have to pass the test of Third Child and Sisi!


    Zuo Xingyu also knew that he had been impulsive! He then reluctantly moved the corner of his mouth on his poker face.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! It was I from the Zuo Family who did not think thoroughly!¡±


    With Ye Lei far away, and Sisi still in the delivery room fighting for her life with the King of Hell, it was inappropriate for him to mention it at the moment. However, he was determined to achieve this. By mentioning it in advance, he was mentally preparing everyone.


    Looking at the closed room door again, First Son He had a troubled expression on his face. He frowned, stroking his long beard, thought for quite a while, and then shook his head.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right! I¡¯ve been checking Sisi¡¯s pulse countless times, and it¡¯s not the pulse of having twins. On the contrary¡­ sizzle! It¡¯s especially messy. What¡¯s going on? This is really strange¡­¡±


    His words made Elderly Mr. Di beside himugh out loud, unable to resist teasing him.


    ¡°It turns out to be twins! Hey, Old He, you always boast about how awesome and skilled you are, right? Now it seems that you¡¯re just so-so! If you were really that good, you quack doctor, with your daily pulse reading, how could you not find out that Sisi was carrying twins?¡±


    ¡°Practicing medicine and saving people means learning until old age. You old immortal, don¡¯t know a fart! Oh ¡ª I know! You must have lost to me in three moves in yesterday¡¯s chess game, and today you¡¯re deliberately frustrating me here, aren¡¯t you?¡± Old He¡¯s eyes rolled back as he retorted immediately.


    ¡°Pah! You¡¯re obviously older than me by a few months. I think you¡¯re the real old immortal! Considering today is a double happiness day, this old man won¡¯t argue with you. Hmph!¡± Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s face was full of triumph.


    ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m older than you? This is called getting stronger with age, understand? I¡¯m telling you¡­¡±


    Old He next to him was clearly not convinced! He couldn¡¯t help arguing back.


    The two of them went back and forth, making quite a lively dispute!


    If others saw the two of them at this moment, their eyeballs would probably drop to the ground!


    Was that crazy old man jumping up and down like a monkey really the Dr. He with the best medical skills in the Great Zhao? They must have recognized the wrong person!


    ¡­


    A steed galloped wildly through the mountain wilderness!


    This was a mountain path. In order to take a shortcut, Di Yelei abandoned the winding official road and headed straight into the gorge and mountain streams, climbing mountains and crossing rivers for several hours. At this moment, the speed of the steed was visibly slowing down, with white foam dripping at the edges of its mouth. The horse toppled to the ground, unable to get up after struggling for quite a while, clearly showing that it could run no more!


    Damn it! As long as they could cross one more mountain ridge, they would be home!


    Di Yelei made up his mind, abandoned the horse, and headed directly towards his home, starting to cross the mountain!


    ¡­


    On Liu Sisi¡¯s side, the childbirth was still ongoing.


    Granny Xu was chattering nonstop: ¡°As soon as I came in earlier, I felt something was off about the Madam¡¯s stomach, and it turns out she was having twins. However, Madam¡¯s body is slender, so although her stomach looked a bitrger than a singleton pregnancy, the difference is not very noticeable.¡±


    ¡°Indeed! I didn¡¯t expect it to be twins.¡±


    Liu Sisi was also delighted, as giving birth to two at once was easier than giving birth one after another, right?


    Fortunately, the sessful birth of the first child gave Liu Sisi a glimpse of victory. When she found out she still had a child in her stomach, it would be a lie to say she wasn¡¯t surprised and excited!


    Watching Liu Zhi¡¯er receive the soup medicine and cooked dishes brought in by the midwife, she came to her side, smiling brightly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it! When I gave birth to my three monkeys, I had to go through it three times. You, on the other hand, only need to give birth once for two children, which is much morefortable.¡± While talking, she scooped a heaping spoonful of steamed egg custard into her mouth.


    The egg custard melted immediately in her mouth, saving Liu Sisi the time and effort of chewing.


    She gulped it down in a hurry: ¡°Shouldn¡¯t twins be harder than singletons?¡±


    She was asking this question knowingly. Although she hadn¡¯t even had a boyfriend in her previous life, she knew twins were more likely to have difficult births than singletons, but there were no prenatal examinations in this world, and they couldn¡¯t even tell how many children were in her stomach.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er gave her a sidelong nce and fed her another mouthful of steamed egg custard: ¡°Why are you thinking about this? You¡¯ve already had one, so just follow Granny Xu¡¯s instructions. Don¡¯t push if she doesn¡¯t tell you to, and we¡¯ll take our time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded, and by now, there was no other way.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er carefully put away her inner worry, and smiled cheerfully: ¡°When my brother-inwes back and sees the twins, he¡¯ll definitely be overjoyed!¡±


    Hearing this, Liu Sisiughed: ¡°Yes! He loves children, and his favorite thing to do is to talk to the baby in my stomach!¡±


    As soon as Di Yelei was mentioned, Liu Sisi burst intoughter. But after a moment, her smile disappeared: ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is now, whether he¡¯s made it ashore or not¡­¡±


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t worry, your brother-inw must be rushing back day and night. He¡¯s out on business, not just for fun, so you can trust him.¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    She knew he was busy with work, and she understood.


    Even if she wasn¡¯t hungry, she still forced herself to eat.


    It wasn¡¯t until she couldn¡¯t eat anymore that she closed her eyes, shaking her head, and prepared for the next wave of pain toe.


    Since there was the crying of the first child beforehand, when another cry, like the sound of a cat, came from inside, everyone thought it was the first child crying again. It wasn¡¯t until they saw the midwife bring out another child that everyone realized the second child had been born!

 Chapter 585: Sisi Production (Part 6)

    Chapter 585: Sisi Production (Part 6)


    ¡°It¡¯s born, it¡¯s born! It¡¯s a big fat boy!¡± The midwife grinned, showing her teeth.


    ¡°Congrattions, Old Master! It¡¯s a grandson, it¡¯s a boy! Congrattions to you, sir! This is a pair of dragon and phoenix babies! Your family is going to prosper!¡±


    ¡°No, no! The Old Master is now Lord Sub-Captain and has long since prospered! Look, I should be punished for saying that! I should be punished!¡± The midwife yfully pped her own cheek and broke into a radiant smile!


    ¡°Well said! I¡¯ll reward youter, Old Master is generous, and will give the midwife an extra big red envelopeter!¡±


    These words made Elderly Mr. Di nearly split his face open with joy!


    Just now, when Sisi gave birth to a girl, he was already overjoyed. Now that Sisi has given birth to a grandson, a dragon and phoenix child! Could there be anything better than this?


    ¡°That¡¯s a really good daughter-inw! Tsk tsk!¡± Old He next to him was so envious that his face turned red!


    ¡°Howe you¡¯re so lucky? You casually spent 10 taels of silver to buy a knowledgeable, polite, and capable daughter-inw who is also very good to you! Nowadays, she even gives birth to a pair of dragon and phoenix babies! Me? I just¡­ I am so envious that I want to snatch her from you!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu, standing nearby, quietly stepped back two steps. He looked at the old man holding the swaddled baby and smiling so wide that his mouth wouldn¡¯t close, and he felt a wave of bitterness spreading in his heart.


    If he hadn¡¯t forced Sisi to cancel the marriage, if he had followed his grandfather¡¯s arrangement and married Sisi, would it be possible that this child would actually be his own child?


    A heartache spread from the depths of his soul, and this unbearable pain almost knocked him down. He involuntarily stepped back several steps.


    Grandfather, it¡¯s true that Yu Er was wrong! Yu Er has failed your aspirations and arrangements!


    You were the one who saw it all clearly!


    He staggered as if unable to stand, and when he turned his head, his bloodshot eyes met a pair of eyes filled with murderous intent. Both of them were stunned by the message behind the other¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Bad news! Old Master, the Madam¡­ the Madam, she¡­¡±


    That midwife who couldn¡¯t finish her words just now came running again!


    However, after ¡°crying wolf¡± so many times, everyone was used to it and asked indifferently.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you ever going to be done?¡± Elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t help but scold.


    The midwife smiled bitterly: ¡°Old Master, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m not finished. It¡¯s just that¡­ Madam, she still has a child in her stomach!¡±


    ¡°What? Another child?¡±


    Elderly Di staggered and almost fell down, but First Son He next to him quickly caught him.


    ¡°What you said is true? Sisi¡¯s stomach is really carrying another child?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. Granny Xu has already confirmed it herself. The Madam¡¯s stomach indeed has another child,¡± the midwife nodded earnestly.


    This midwife really had an extraordinary way with words!


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    Old He couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud, sitting on a chair nearby andpletely disregarding his image. Of course, he had already lost his dignity long ago.


    ¡°I finally understand! No wonder her pulse was so strange! No wonder I felt weird no matter how I checked! No wonder! Everything is clear now. She¡¯s not carrying twins, but triplets! Hahaha¡­¡±


    His wildughter echoed, but the surrounding area was quiet with no one speaking.


    In the delivery room, Liu Sisi had already exhausted her strength.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She felt an icy chill!


    This chill seemed to spread from the depths of hell, chilling her to the core.


    Fresh blood continued to drip down the bed board, staining the sheets underneath a bloody red, with signs of further spreading.


    ¡°Madam, madam, wake up, wake up!¡±


    Granny Xu pped Liu Sisi¡¯s face, trying to awaken her consciousness.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was beside her, was also extremely anxious, constantly calling out softly, ¡°Sisi, Sisi, wake up! Please don¡¯t scare me, Sisi, wake up!¡±


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­ is he back¡­ Ye Lei, I¡¯m so cold! Cold¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was pale white without a trace of color. If it wasn¡¯t for her chest still heaving, one might have mistaken her for a corpse!


    ¡°Sisi, you mustn¡¯t sleep, you can¡¯t fall asleep, there¡¯s still a child in your womb! Wake up¡­¡±


    Tears couldn¡¯t help but roll down Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face.


    ¡°If you only think about crying, get out of here!¡±


    Granny Xu beside her ruthlessly drove Liu Zhi¡¯er away: ¡°If you can still do something,e over and help me.¡±


    Two midwives went to take care of the child just born, and another went outside to report, leaving no one else avable in the room!


    ¡°I can do it, I¡¯ll definitely be able to. She is my sister after all! If there¡¯s anything I can help with, Granny Xu, just order Zhi¡¯er what to do.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er wiped away her tears. Now was not the time to cry.


    ¡°Alright, just do as I say.¡± Granny Xu¡¯s face was solemn, with no trace of a smile.


    Triplets were not that easy to give birth to!


    Whether the adults and children could live depended on the judgment of the heavens! All she could do now was try her best!


    Hot water was quickly brought in, and Liu Zhi¡¯er helped Liu Sisi clean her lower body, following Granny Xu¡¯s instruction, and bent Liu Sisi¡¯s legs.


    Granny Xu took a deep breath and began to massage Liu Sisi¡¯s body.


    Outside the delivery room, the midwife was carefully reporting.


    ¡°This is already the third child. The child¡¯s foot came out first, so it got stuck. Granny Xu¡¯s idea is¡­ to ask your opinion on, in case something happens¡­ should we save the adult or the child?¡±


    Under the scrutiny of everyone present, the midwife struggled to say this.


    ¡°Of course, save the adult¡­¡±


    Old He instinctively yelled, but stopped himself. After all, this was someone else¡¯s family matter, and he had no right to make decisions for them.


    The silence weighed heavily on everyone, as no one spoke.


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s legs and feet were already numb, and he had no idea what to do.


    ¡°Third Child hasn¡¯t reached home yet, what should we do? What should we do! What to do¡­¡±


    What to do? What to do? What to do? What to do¡­


    As soon as First Son He saw the look on everyone¡¯s faces, he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer!


    ¡°Elderly Di, how about this? You hang a curtain in the room, and then I¡¯ll blindfold myself and go in to give her an injection to hasten the birth and save her life. What do you think, will that work?¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Just tell me if it¡¯s okay or not!¡± Old He became anxious.


    Elderly Di also looked worried: ¡°What do you want me to say? Third Child isn¡¯t here!¡± His words were also full of helplessness.

 Chapter 586: Sisi Production (Part 7)

    Chapter 586: Sisi Production (Part 7)


    Indeed!


    ording to custom, in such a situation, their own husband must be present to make the decision.


    But at this moment, Di Yelei obviously cannot make it back. What should they do?


    On the other side.


    Di Yelei is also anxious.


    As soon as he descends the mountain, he rushes straight towards Macheng County.


    On the way, he encounters a former constable colleague. Although they had already passed each other, he turns around and runs back in front of him.


    The other man looks at him for a moment before dismounting his horse and greeting him with a fist: ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t this Lord Di? Why are you running so fast today?¡±


    ¡°An emergency, I need to borrow your horse! I will definitely return it another day!¡±


    Without any further words, Di Yelei jumps onto the horseback and rushes toward the county.


    ¡°Lord Di, Lord Di! Now that you took the horse, how can I work today? Hey! Hey¡­¡±


    Behind him, the cries of the constable have long been left behind by Di Yelei. All he has in his heart is one thought!


    Hurry!


    Faster, just a little faster!


    Only a little faster, and he will make it!


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s hesitation only serves to make Old He angrier!


    ¡°Old man Di, your family¡¯s prosperity today cannot be separated from Sisi¡¯s efforts. Should anything happen to Sisi, I, Old He, can assert that within three years, your Di Family will be ruined!¡±


    Not to mention, if something really happened to Sisi, the person on the ck Dragon Mountain would be the first to not let Di Family off, let alone the young heir thousands of miles away!


    Elderly Mr. Di grits his teeth and ps his thigh hard!


    ¡°Alright! I, Old Man Di, will break the rules and reach into my son¡¯s backyard to manage things. I¡¯ve decided, keep the child! There are already two children, that¡¯s enough, really enough¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s voice trembles. In this era where children are more important than anything, it¡¯s really hard for him to make such a decision!


    ¡°Well done! Old man, I knew you wouldn¡¯t let me down!¡±


    Old He ps Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s shoulder forcefully, genuinely happy for him.


    His gaze is exceptionally firm: ¡°Rest assured! Even if the King of Hell wants to snatch someone from my hands, he has to see if I, Old He, am willing to let go!¡±


    ¡°Enough! Don¡¯t waste any more time, go in quickly!¡±


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    Now that the decision has been made, Elderly Mr. Di feels somewhat relieved, as if he has put down a heavy boulder. He could not help but smile.


    With a square headscarf covering his face, Old He enters the delivery room under the guidance of the midwife.


    He calms himself and begins to diagnose by the thread hanging from Sisi¡¯s wrist.


    Elderly Mr. Di waits anxiously in ce, his heart inevitably torn, unable to calm down. Suddenly, there is chaos outside, followed by someone¡¯s exmation.


    ¡°It¡¯s the old master! The old master hase back, the old master is back! The old master is back!¡±


    ¡°The old master is back! It¡¯s the old master¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er also hears the call and, with a joyful heart, chokes as she whispers to Liu Sisi¡¯s ear: ¡°Sisi, Sisi, did you hear? The brother-inw has returned! He finally made it, he is back¡­¡±


    Bang!


    With no prior warning, the door of the delivery room is forcibly mmed open from the outside, and Di Yelei¡¯s figure appears in the doorway.


    ¡°Old Master, men are not allowed in the delivery room, please leave¡­¡±


    ¡°Let go!¡±


    Di Yelei directly shook off the midwife who was trying to pull him away and mmed the room door shut as he strode forward and knelt at the head of the bed.


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m sorry, I came back toote. Sisi! Sisi¡­¡±


    His whole body was trembling, as if witnessing a nightmare reying before his eyes. His outstretched hand was obscured by the tears in his eyes, making it difficult to focus.


    ¡°Sisi, you promised me, we would grow old together, never leave or abandon each other! Sisi, you must keep your word. Sisi¡­¡±


    His fingers finally touched her face, cold without any warmth, chilling like a dead person¡¯s.


    Unable to restrain himself, he fiercely embraced her in his arms, tears streaming down ceaselessly.


    ¡°Sisi¡­ You can¡¯t do this, Sisi¡­ You can¡¯t just leave like this, you promised me, Sisi¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t hold back the tears any longer, crying bitterly.


    A grown man, crying like a child, tears and snot mixed together.


    Males possess tears that they do not shed lightly, only when grief has reached its peak!


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    A faint, barely audible call.


    ¡°Si, Sisi?¡±


    Di Yelei wiped away his tears, staring intently at the tiny woman in his arms, unwilling to even blink. Afraid that one blink would make him lose her.


    ¡°You finally came back, Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s lips moved gently, soft words slipping out from between them.


    Yet, even this faint voice, barely audible, sounded like heavenly music to Di Yelei at this moment!


    He held her tightly, crying andughing: ¡°Thank goodness! Thank goodness you are alive, you are still alive! Haha¡­ Thank goodness, wuu¡­ Thank goodness!¡±


    Sisi looked at him with hazy eyes and couldn¡¯t help but reveal a charming smile on her face. She moved her fingers gently in response.


    He had returned. He finally made it back!


    At her most desperate moment, he appeared by her side like a knight in shining armor, apanying and embracing her.


    There had never been a moment as blissful and peaceful as this one!


    With a dreamlike smile upon her face, Liu Sisi struggled to move her lips: ¡°Ye Lei, you¡¯re finally back. I¡­ am so happy¡­¡±


    But her voice was so faint that no one could hear her clearly.


    Only Di Yelei, who was so close, could make out her lip movements.


    ¡°Hey! I say, shouldn¡¯t you let her go now? You¡¯re holding her so tightly that you¡¯ll hurt the child in her stomach. Besides, how am I supposed to administer the acupuncture?¡±


    Old He, standing beside them, intruded inappropriately with an unsympathetic expression.


    Affection ought to be shown at the right time and ce. Was this situation suitable for an intense disy of love? They were in the middle of childbirth after all!


    These words finally brought Di Yelei back to his senses. He quickly assessed the situation and immediatelyid Liu Sisi back on the bed.


    ¡°Old He, thank you for your efforts today. If there¡¯s anything I can help with, just say the word.¡±


    ¡°Well, actually, I need your help right now. Quickly take me to Sisi¡¯s side so I can administer the acupuncture!¡±


    Old He secretlymented. He had already checked Liu Sisi¡¯s pulse just now; there was no heartbeat from the remaining child in her belly ¨C it was clearly a stillbirth.

 Chapter 585: 585: Sisi Production (Part 6)

    Chapter 585: Sisi Production (Part 6)


    ¡°It¡¯s born, it¡¯s born! It¡¯s a big fat boy!¡± The midwife grinned, showing her teeth.


    ¡°Congrattions, Old Master! It¡¯s a grandson, it¡¯s a boy! Congrattions to you, sir! This is a pair of dragon and phoenix babies! Your family is going to prosper!¡±


    ¡°No, no! The Old Master is now Lord Sub-Captain and has long since prospered! Look, I should be punished for saying that! I should be punished!¡± The midwife yfully pped her own cheek and broke into a radiant smile!


    ¡°Well said! I¡¯ll reward youter, Old Master is generous, and will give the midwife an extra big red envelopeter!¡±


    These words made Elderly Mr. Di nearly split his face open with joy!


    Just now, when Sisi gave birth to a girl, he was already overjoyed. Now that Sisi has given birth to a grandson, a dragon and phoenix child! Could there be anything better than this?


    ¡°That¡¯s a really good daughter-inw! Tsk tsk!¡± Old He next to him was so envious that his face turned red!


    ¡°Howe you¡¯re so lucky? You casually spent 10 taels of silver to buy a knowledgeable, polite, and capable daughter-inw who is also very good to you! Nowadays, she even gives birth to a pair of dragon and phoenix babies! Me? I just¡­ I am so envious that I want to snatch her from you!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu, standing nearby, quietly stepped back two steps. He looked at the old man holding the swaddled baby and smiling so wide that his mouth wouldn¡¯t close, and he felt a wave of bitterness spreading in his heart.


    If he hadn¡¯t forced Sisi to cancel the marriage, if he had followed his grandfather¡¯s arrangement and married Sisi, would it be possible that this child would actually be his own child?<div>


    A heartache spread from the depths of his soul, and this unbearable pain almost knocked him down. He involuntarily stepped back several steps.


    Grandfather, it¡¯s true that Yu Er was wrong! Yu Er has failed your aspirations and arrangements!


    You were the one who saw it all clearly!


    He staggered as if unable to stand, and when he turned his head, his bloodshot eyes met a pair of eyes filled with murderous intent. Both of them were stunned by the message behind the other¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Bad news! Old Master, the Madam¡­ the Madam, she¡­¡±


    That midwife who couldn¡¯t finish her words just now came running again!


    However, after ¡°crying wolf¡± so many times, everyone was used to it and asked indifferently.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you ever going to be done?¡± Elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t help but scold.


    The midwife smiled bitterly: ¡°Old Master, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m not finished. It¡¯s just that¡­ Madam, she still has a child in her stomach!¡±


    ¡°What? Another child?¡±


    Elderly Di staggered and almost fell down, but First Son He next to him quickly caught him.


    ¡°What you said is true? Sisi¡¯s stomach is really carrying another child?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. Granny Xu has already confirmed it herself. The Madam¡¯s stomach indeed has another child,¡± the midwife nodded earnestly.


    This midwife really had an extraordinary way with words!


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    Old He couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud, sitting on a chair nearby andpletely disregarding his image. Of course, he had already lost his dignity long ago.


    ¡°I finally understand! No wonder her pulse was so strange! No wonder I felt weird no matter how I checked! No wonder! Everything is clear now. She¡¯s not carrying twins, but triplets! Hahaha¡­¡±


    His wildughter echoed, but the surrounding area was quiet with no one speaking.


    In the delivery room, Liu Sisi had already exhausted her strength.<div>


    She felt an icy chill!


    This chill seemed to spread from the depths of hell, chilling her to the core.


    Fresh blood continued to drip down the bed board, staining the sheets underneath a bloody red, with signs of further spreading.


    ¡°Madam, madam, wake up, wake up!¡±<div>


    Granny Xu pped Liu Sisi¡¯s face, trying to awaken her consciousness.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was beside her, was also extremely anxious, constantly calling out softly, ¡°Sisi, Sisi, wake up! Please don¡¯t scare me, Sisi, wake up!¡±


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­ is he back¡­ Ye Lei, I¡¯m so cold! Cold¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was pale white without a trace of color. If it wasn¡¯t for her chest still heaving, one might have mistaken her for a corpse!


    ¡°Sisi, you mustn¡¯t sleep, you can¡¯t fall asleep, there¡¯s still a child in your womb! Wake up¡­¡±


    Tears couldn¡¯t help but roll down Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face.


    ¡°If you only think about crying, get out of here!¡±


    Granny Xu beside her ruthlessly drove Liu Zhi¡¯er away: ¡°If you can still do something,e over and help me.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Two midwives went to take care of the child just born, and another went outside to report, leaving no one else avable in the room!


    ¡°I can do it, I¡¯ll definitely be able to. She is my sister after all! If there¡¯s anything I can help with, Granny Xu, just order Zhi¡¯er what to do.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er wiped away her tears. Now was not the time to cry.


    ¡°Alright, just do as I say.¡± Granny Xu¡¯s face was solemn, with no trace of a smile.


    Triplets were not that easy to give birth to!


    Whether the adults and children could live depended on the judgment of the heavens! All she could do now was try her best!<div>


    Hot water was quickly brought in, and Liu Zhi¡¯er helped Liu Sisi clean her lower body, following Granny Xu¡¯s instruction, and bent Liu Sisi¡¯s legs.


    Granny Xu took a deep breath and began to massage Liu Sisi¡¯s body.


    Outside the delivery room, the midwife was carefully reporting.


    ¡°This is already the third child. The child¡¯s foot came out first, so it got stuck. Granny Xu¡¯s idea is¡­ to ask your opinion on, in case something happens¡­ should we save the adult or the child?¡±


    Under the scrutiny of everyone present, the midwife struggled to say this.


    ¡°Of course, save the adult¡­¡±


    Old He instinctively yelled, but stopped himself. After all, this was someone else¡¯s family matter, and he had no right to make decisions for them.


    The silence weighed heavily on everyone, as no one spoke.


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s legs and feet were already numb, and he had no idea what to do.


    ¡°Third Child hasn¡¯t reached home yet, what should we do? What should we do! What to do¡­¡±


    What to do? What to do? What to do? What to do¡­


    As soon as First Son He saw the look on everyone¡¯s faces, he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer!


    ¡°Elderly Di, how about this? You hang a curtain in the room, and then I¡¯ll blindfold myself and go in to give her an injection to hasten the birth and save her life. What do you think, will that work?¡±<div>


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Just tell me if it¡¯s okay or not!¡± Old He became anxious.


    Elderly Di also looked worried: ¡°What do you want me to say? Third Child isn¡¯t here!¡± His words were also full of helplessness.

 Chapter 586: 586: Sisi Production (Part 7)

    Chapter 586: Sisi Production (Part 7)


    Indeed!


    ording to custom, in such a situation, their own husband must be present to make the decision.


    But at this moment, Di Yelei obviously cannot make it back. What should they do?


    On the other side.


    Di Yelei is also anxious.


    As soon as he descends the mountain, he rushes straight towards Macheng County.


    On the way, he encounters a former constable colleague. Although they had already passed each other, he turns around and runs back in front of him.


    The other man looks at him for a moment before dismounting his horse and greeting him with a fist: ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t this Lord Di? Why are you running so fast today?¡±


    ¡°An emergency, I need to borrow your horse! I will definitely return it another day!¡±


    Without any further words, Di Yelei jumps onto the horseback and rushes toward the county.<div>


    ¡°Lord Di, Lord Di! Now that you took the horse, how can I work today? Hey! Hey¡­¡±


    Behind him, the cries of the constable have long been left behind by Di Yelei. All he has in his heart is one thought!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Hurry!


    Faster, just a little faster!


    Only a little faster, and he will make it!


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s hesitation only serves to make Old He angrier!


    ¡°Old man Di, your family¡¯s prosperity today cannot be separated from Sisi¡¯s efforts. Should anything happen to Sisi, I, Old He, can assert that within three years, your Di Family will be ruined!¡±


    Not to mention, if something really happened to Sisi, the person on the ck Dragon Mountain would be the first to not let Di Family off, let alone the young heir thousands of miles away!


    Elderly Mr. Di grits his teeth and ps his thigh hard!


    ¡°Alright! I, Old Man Di, will break the rules and reach into my son¡¯s backyard to manage things. I¡¯ve decided, keep the child! There are already two children, that¡¯s enough, really enough¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s voice trembles. In this era where children are more important than anything, it¡¯s really hard for him to make such a decision!


    ¡°Well done! Old man, I knew you wouldn¡¯t let me down!¡±


    Old He ps Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s shoulder forcefully, genuinely happy for him.


    His gaze is exceptionally firm: ¡°Rest assured! Even if the King of Hell wants to snatch someone from my hands, he has to see if I, Old He, am willing to let go!¡±


    ¡°Enough! Don¡¯t waste any more time, go in quickly!¡±


    Now that the decision has been made, Elderly Mr. Di feels somewhat relieved, as if he has put down a heavy boulder. He could not help but smile.


    With a square headscarf covering his face, Old He enters the delivery room under the guidance of the midwife.


    He calms himself and begins to diagnose by the thread hanging from Sisi¡¯s wrist.


    Elderly Mr. Di waits anxiously in ce, his heart inevitably torn, unable to calm down. Suddenly, there is chaos outside, followed by someone¡¯s exmation.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s the old master! The old master hase back, the old master is back! The old master is back!¡±


    ¡°The old master is back! It¡¯s the old master¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er also hears the call and, with a joyful heart, chokes as she whispers to Liu Sisi¡¯s ear: ¡°Sisi, Sisi, did you hear? The brother-inw has returned! He finally made it, he is back¡­¡±


    Bang!<div>


    With no prior warning, the door of the delivery room is forcibly mmed open from the outside, and Di Yelei¡¯s figure appears in the doorway.


    ¡°Old Master, men are not allowed in the delivery room, please leave¡­¡±


    ¡°Let go!¡±


    Di Yelei directly shook off the midwife who was trying to pull him away and mmed the room door shut as he strode forward and knelt at the head of the bed.


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m sorry, I came back toote. Sisi! Sisi¡­¡±


    His whole body was trembling, as if witnessing a nightmare reying before his eyes. His outstretched hand was obscured by the tears in his eyes, making it difficult to focus.


    ¡°Sisi, you promised me, we would grow old together, never leave or abandon each other! Sisi, you must keep your word. Sisi¡­¡±


    His fingers finally touched her face, cold without any warmth, chilling like a dead person¡¯s.


    Unable to restrain himself, he fiercely embraced her in his arms, tears streaming down ceaselessly.


    ¡°Sisi¡­ You can¡¯t do this, Sisi¡­ You can¡¯t just leave like this, you promised me, Sisi¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t hold back the tears any longer, crying bitterly.


    A grown man, crying like a child, tears and snot mixed together.


    Males possess tears that they do not shed lightly, only when grief has reached its peak!<div>


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    A faint, barely audible call.


    ¡°Si, Sisi?¡±


    Di Yelei wiped away his tears, staring intently at the tiny woman in his arms, unwilling to even blink. Afraid that one blink would make him lose her.


    ¡°You finally came back, Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s lips moved gently, soft words slipping out from between them.


    Yet, even this faint voice, barely audible, sounded like heavenly music to Di Yelei at this moment!


    He held her tightly, crying andughing: ¡°Thank goodness! Thank goodness you are alive, you are still alive! Haha¡­ Thank goodness, wuu¡­ Thank goodness!¡±


    Sisi looked at him with hazy eyes and couldn¡¯t help but reveal a charming smile on her face. She moved her fingers gently in response.


    He had returned. He finally made it back!


    At her most desperate moment, he appeared by her side like a knight in shining armor, apanying and embracing her.


    There had never been a moment as blissful and peaceful as this one!


    With a dreamlike smile upon her face, Liu Sisi struggled to move her lips: ¡°Ye Lei, you¡¯re finally back. I¡­ am so happy¡­¡±<div>


    But her voice was so faint that no one could hear her clearly.


    Only Di Yelei, who was so close, could make out her lip movements.


    ¡°Hey! I say, shouldn¡¯t you let her go now? You¡¯re holding her so tightly that you¡¯ll hurt the child in her stomach. Besides, how am I supposed to administer the acupuncture?¡±


    Old He, standing beside them, intruded inappropriately with an unsympathetic expression.


    Affection ought to be shown at the right time and ce. Was this situation suitable for an intense disy of love? They were in the middle of childbirth after all!


    These words finally brought Di Yelei back to his senses. He quickly assessed the situation and immediatelyid Liu Sisi back on the bed.


    ¡°Old He, thank you for your efforts today. If there¡¯s anything I can help with, just say the word.¡±


    ¡°Well, actually, I need your help right now. Quickly take me to Sisi¡¯s side so I can administer the acupuncture!¡±


    Old He secretlymented. He had already checked Liu Sisi¡¯s pulse just now; there was no heartbeat from the remaining child in her belly ¨C it was clearly a stillbirth.

 Chapter 587: 587: Sisi Production (Part 8)

    Chapter 587: Sisi Production (Part 8)


    However, at this moment, he naturally would not say that.


    ¡°Granny Xu, in a while, when I insert the needle, you just assist in pulling the child out of her stomach.¡±


    Granny Xu was shocked!


    Pull it out? Could it be¡­


    However, her face showed no sign of abnormality, and she calmly responded, ¡°Old He, please rest assured, I understand.¡±


    Old He nodded, knowing that the other party understood his meaning, and began to insert the needle and perform the procedure.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m right by your side, I¡¯ll apany you, trust me!¡±


    Di Yelei held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand tightly, encasing her handpletely, and earnestly encouraged her.


    ¡°I know, Ye Lei, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Liu Sisi tried to move her lips, whispering, the corners of her mouth carrying a shallow smile.<div>


    This man was scared!


    His whole body was trembling so badly, yet he was stillforting her, didn¡¯t he feel it himself?


    She wanted to make fun of him, but her body was so weak, and her head was constantly hit with waves of dizziness, making her unable to see his face clearly.


    Only his tight grip on her hand continuously transmitted a stream of warmth, giving her a sense of inexplicable peace of mind.


    Old He¡¯s whole body was covered in sweat!


    As his needle dropped, it directly pierced the most critical acupoint of the human body ¨C the deadly acupoint!


    As the needle went in, Liu Sisi¡¯s body visibly trembled. Gradually, herst breath seemed to be cut off, and she slowly closed her eyes.


    Di Yelei was horrified!


    His entire body seemed to have been drained of its backbone, and he copsed beside the bed.


    ¡°Old He! Old He, Sisi¡¯s, her, her breath¡­ is gone!¡±


    As he spoke, he instinctively wanted to step forward and hold Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Stop! She is not dead, I only sealed her acupoints!¡± Old He¡¯s face was full of frustration!


    The needle he had inserted now was no ordinary needle!


    It was a secret technique passed down through the generations within their family ¨C the life-stealing thirteen needles!


    However, few people knew that the so-called life-stealing thirteen needles were indeed for stealing souls ¨C but not for taking away a person¡¯s soul, but for stealing souls from the King of Hell!


    Therefore, it was called the life-stealing thirteen needles!


    Each of these thirteen needles targeted deadly, dizzying, and numbing acupoints! Death represents life, life equals death, life and death cycle, putting oneself in a deadly situation and then surviving!


    This was the essence of the life-stealing thirteen needles.


    Knowing that Liu Sisi was not dead, Di Yelei quickly stepped aside and no longer dared to disturb Old He¡¯s healing!<div>


    Old He¡¯s speed of inserting the needles was very fast!


    Although he only inserted thirteen needles in total, his face quickly turned pale, and his body was drenched in sweat like a waterfall.


    ¡°Now is the time, save her!¡± As thest silver needle was pulled out, Old He shouted loudly.


    Granny Xu instinctively reached out and pulled, and easily pulled the child out of her stomach.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s out! It¡¯s out, Old He¡¯s medical skills are really amazing!¡±


    Granny Xu sincerely praised and quickly took care of the aftermath.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was beside them, hurriedly took over the child, patted it a few times, and the child just hung limply in her hand with no reaction at all. It seemed there was no hope.


    She nced aside and saw that everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the parturient, with no one paying attention to the child in her hands. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh in her heart.


    What a pity, it was a boy!


    Even so, she thought for a moment, picked up the small clothes and put them on the child, wrapped him in a small quilt, and put him to the side.


    Let everyone be happy for a while, after all, they got a pair of dragon and phoenix twins, which was a great fortune in misfortune!


    Such a worker, Liu Sisi must have been distressed!


    Old He took out thest silver needle, and it seemed as if he was instantly drained. He retreated several steps and leaned against the wooden table behind him, gasping for breath.


    It took him quite a while to slowly find his way out of the delivery room.


    At the moment, there are a lot of things to be done for Liu Sisi, which is enough for Granny Xu to be busy. As for that hateful brat¡­


    Old He couldn¡¯t help but despise the thought in his heart!


    A man who only has eyes for his own woman is not a man, that¡¯s called henpecked!<div>


    How could Di Yelei care about Old He¡¯s thoughts at this moment?


    His hand tightly held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, not willing to let go for a moment.


    Liu Sisi moved her fingers and forced a smile at him, then couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and fell into darkness.


    ¡°It¡¯s out! It¡¯s out! Old He, how¡¯s the situation?¡±


    Upon seeing the door of the delivery room open, everyone immediately gathered around.


    ¡°Wait, wait, let me catch my breath first!¡±


    Old He tore off the cloth that covered his eyes, wiped the sweat off his face, andined: ¡°I say, old man, howe you didn¡¯t ask how I am when I came out? You only care about your daughter-inw?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di looked at Old He¡¯s pale face and notably lower spirits.


    Quickly approached and helped him: ¡°What happened? Are you tired? You! In this age, you should take it easy. Hurry up and bring a chair over.¡±


    Going all out as if hunting a rabbit, could he be a healer who takes it easy when he wants to?


    As he helped him to sit down on a chair, Elderly Di¡¯s pressing questions surfaced again: ¡°So, is Sisi okay now?¡±


    ¡°Will this divine doctor fail when he makes a move?¡±<div>


    Old He rolled his eyes: ¡°Sisi is alright now. It¡¯s just that she injured herself during childbirth, and I¡¯m afraid that in the future¡­¡±


    Elderly Di¡¯s gaze shed and returned, then nodded: ¡°Hmm, we must make up for it. We can¡¯t leave any hidden diseases, that would be troublesome.¡±


    It seemed that in the future, she wouldn¡¯t be able to give birth. But they already had a son and a daughter, what could be better than this? Thinking about this, Elderly Di¡¯s regretful thoughts dissipated.


    ¡°You can rest assured about this matter, her health is in the hands of this divine doctor. In just two months, I guarantee she¡¯ll be lively and energetic.¡±


    Old He waved his hand. If they were to hand Liu Sisi over to other doctors, he wouldn¡¯t be able to finish his own tasks!


    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good!¡±


    Elderly Di was overjoyed, and only then did he remember thest child: ¡°Right, is thest one a boy or a girl?¡±


    Old He¡¯s gaze was a little evasive: ¡°I had my eyes covered, how could I possibly see?¡± Let others convey the unpleasant words at this moment of joy!


    Elderly Di thought for a while and agreed, then urgently ordered people to set off firecrackers, hang rednterns, drape red cloth, hang wooden bows, and hang handkerchiefs. These were all traditional customs.

 Chapter 588: 588: Zuo Xingyus Loss

    Chapter 588: Zuo Xingyu¡¯s Loss


    Here, customs dictate that a wooden bow should be hung for the birth of a boy, while a handkerchief should be hung for a girl. Now that the Di Family is celebrating three joyous asions simultaneously, of course, both items need to be hung.


    The reason for this practice is that doing so can serve as a warning.


    Within the first three days after childbirth, apart from the parturient¡¯s family members, no outsiders are allowed to enter the delivery room without permission, and hanging a big redntern along with the wooden bow and handkerchief would let others avoid suspicion and prevent any disturbance to the newborns.


    Crackle! Pop!


    Firecrackers burst in front of the main entrance of the official residence, immediately attracting the attention of nearby households.


    The crowd pointed at the well-hung wooden bows and handkerchiefs on the door, guessing whether Mrs. Sub-captain was celebrating the joy of having a child or a male child.


    However, very soon, a houseman scattered red-shell eggs, wedding candies, pastries, and sounded gongs to announce the good news: ¡°Our Madam has given birth to triplets, one girl, and two boys. This is truly a blessing!¡±


    ¡°My goodness! Triplets? This is a great blessing! This is extraordinary¡­¡±


    ¡°I say Lord Di is blessed, despite several setbacks, he has ovee them without any harm, and now his wife has given birth to these children ¨C true joy from heaven!¡±


    ¡°One can¡¯t help but be envious of such blessings. And it¡¯s a girl and two boys. Amazing!¡±<div>


    Everyone was talking about it, and soon, news of this event spread rapidly throughout Macheng County.


    At this moment, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s heart was in turmoil, unsure of how to break the news to Liu Sisi.


    The third child, still wrapped in swaddling clothes, had already been found to be dead by others, but she knew!


    Moreover, it was not just that. Although Granny Xu hadn¡¯t mentioned it, she most likely knew as well, right?


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was uncertain about this and didn¡¯t dare to confirm whether or not Granny Xu had told Sisi about it!


    But at the moment, Sisi was still unconscious, her clothes and beddings had been changed, and Di Yelei was holding her, still sound asleep, and carefully cing her in a soft, thin quilt.


    Afterward, he sat down beside Liu Sisi, and the two held hands tightly together without letting go.


    He was calling Liu Sisi softly with his deep and charming voice, talking to her.


    Seeing this loving couple, Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t bring herself to break the news at this moment!


    She could only silently put the child on the newlyid bedding next to them and left the room.


    Outside, while Elderly Mr. Di and Old He were talking, Zuo Xingyu slipped away quietly.


    Looking back and seeing a girl kneeling on the edge of the stone tform, ying with something in her hands, andughing heartily, he narrowed his eyes; he had seen this scene many years ago.


    With a heavy heart, he retracted his gaze and walked slowly towards the exit of the official residence.


    What stood between them now was far more than just a high wall!


    ying in the pavilion, YingEr suddenly sensed a strange gaze behind her and instinctively turned her head, only to find nothing!


    She couldn¡¯t help but frown, pout her little mouth, and then continued to y.


    ¡°Constable Zuo, wait!¡±


    Ms. Gao caught up from behind, prompting Zuo Xingyu to stop instinctively.


    But Gao had moved so quickly, she had collided directly with him!<div>


    Zuo, the constable, instinctively dodged, leaving Gao¡¯s lunge to hit nothing, and she stumbled and fell to the ground. Regaining her senses, Gao did not stop there; instead, she turned around, grabbed onto one of Zuo¡¯s pant legs, and forcefully tore it open.


    ¡°Oh dear! This was purely idental, Constable Zuo. Please don¡¯t be offended.¡±


    Although Gao apologized, her face remained grinning.


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s brow furrowed but then rxed.<div>


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    He wasn¡¯t a fool; if he couldn¡¯t tell that Gao was doing it on purpose, he wouldn¡¯t be worthy of his constable title.


    Gao raised her arm, grabbing his coat¡¯s hem and yanked it once more, tearing his coat at the seams.


    ¡°Constable Zuo, Old Master mentioned that in three days, there will be a family feast. Since you are Lord Di¡¯s brother, you must certainly attend. Please make sure toe.¡± Gao had a smiling face while she stuffed four red-shell eggs into Zuo¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Not being a man of many words, Zuo Xingyu stared deeply at Gao before walking around her and quickly exiting the official residence.


    ncing back, he sighed in his heart.


    From now on, it would be best for him to avoiding here!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Immediately afterwards, he walked away inrge strides.


    But just after turning two street corners, he saw one of his colleaguesing over, cursing andining. Upon seeing the disheveled Zuo Xingyu, he curiously sized him up.


    ¡°Today really is strange; why is everyone acting so weird! Say, Constable Zuo, your coat and trousers are torn; did you go to a puerpera¡¯s house? I knew you couldn¡¯t be trusted, you rascal!¡± His colleagueughed boisterously.


    ¡°Hmm? Are you saying there¡¯s a hidden meaning behind this?¡± Zuo Xingyu raised an eyebrow, pointing to his torn clothes and asking curiously.


    ¡°Of course! If you didn¡¯t sneak into a confinement house, who would tear your coat¡¯s hem and rip your pant leg as well? And you¡¯re holding four red eggs in your arms. It¡¯s like you ¡®born life¡¯ for their child. Otherwise, who could get close to you, Constable Zuo?¡± His colleagueughed heartily.<div>


    So that¡¯s how it was!


    Zuo Xingyu finally understood what had happened.


    ¡°Do you want to eat red-shell eggs? Go straight and turn left to get there.¡± He pointed casually behind him.


    ¡°Alright! Straight ahead and then left¡­ Huh? Isn¡¯t that Lord Di¡¯s house?¡± The colleague suddenly realized, ¡°Oh, so Mrs. Di has given birth? No wonder Lord Di stole my horse and rode off today. If I had known earlier¡­¡±


    Zuo Xingyu didn¡¯t have the patience to listen to his colleague¡¯s endless chatter and simply turned away.


    Looking back at the direction of Di Residence, then at Zuo Xingyu walking away, the colleague decided to go to Di Residence that day and ask for some red-shell eggs to eat and share in the joy.


    Inside Di Residence, after Zuo Xingyu left, Ms. Zhao and Ms. Xin naturally didn¡¯t stay either. The two went their separate ways back to their rooms.


    As Zhao stepped out of the courtyard, she nced back at the yard gate and spat on the ground before leaving, murmuring in a low voice, ¡°Some people really do have better luck! Why wasn¡¯t I born with such a good fate!¡±


    Behind her, Xin lowered her eyelids, concealing the mockery in her eyes.


    With the way you are, you wish to have such good fortune? What a dream!

 Chapter 587: Sisi Production (Part 8)

    Chapter 587: Sisi Production (Part 8)


    However, at this moment, he naturally would not say that.


    ¡°Granny Xu, in a while, when I insert the needle, you just assist in pulling the child out of her stomach.¡±


    Granny Xu was shocked!


    Pull it out? Could it be¡­


    However, her face showed no sign of abnormality, and she calmly responded, ¡°Old He, please rest assured, I understand.¡±


    Old He nodded, knowing that the other party understood his meaning, and began to insert the needle and perform the procedure.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m right by your side, I¡¯ll apany you, trust me!¡±


    Di Yelei held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand tightly, encasing her handpletely, and earnestly encouraged her.


    ¡°I know, Ye Lei, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Liu Sisi tried to move her lips, whispering, the corners of her mouth carrying a shallow smile.


    This man was scared!


    His whole body was trembling so badly, yet he was stillforting her, didn¡¯t he feel it himself?


    She wanted to make fun of him, but her body was so weak, and her head was constantly hit with waves of dizziness, making her unable to see his face clearly.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Only his tight grip on her hand continuously transmitted a stream of warmth, giving her a sense of inexplicable peace of mind.


    Old He¡¯s whole body was covered in sweat!


    As his needle dropped, it directly pierced the most critical acupoint of the human body ¨C the deadly acupoint!


    As the needle went in, Liu Sisi¡¯s body visibly trembled. Gradually, herst breath seemed to be cut off, and she slowly closed her eyes.


    Di Yelei was horrified!


    His entire body seemed to have been drained of its backbone, and he copsed beside the bed.


    ¡°Old He! Old He, Sisi¡¯s, her, her breath¡­ is gone!¡±


    As he spoke, he instinctively wanted to step forward and hold Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Stop! She is not dead, I only sealed her acupoints!¡± Old He¡¯s face was full of frustration!


    The needle he had inserted now was no ordinary needle!


    It was a secret technique passed down through the generations within their family ¨C the life-stealing thirteen needles!


    However, few people knew that the so-called life-stealing thirteen needles were indeed for stealing souls ¨C but not for taking away a person¡¯s soul, but for stealing souls from the King of Hell!


    Therefore, it was called the life-stealing thirteen needles!


    Each of these thirteen needles targeted deadly, dizzying, and numbing acupoints! Death represents life, life equals death, life and death cycle, putting oneself in a deadly situation and then surviving!


    This was the essence of the life-stealing thirteen needles.


    Knowing that Liu Sisi was not dead, Di Yelei quickly stepped aside and no longer dared to disturb Old He¡¯s healing!


    Old He¡¯s speed of inserting the needles was very fast!


    Although he only inserted thirteen needles in total, his face quickly turned pale, and his body was drenched in sweat like a waterfall.


    ¡°Now is the time, save her!¡± As thest silver needle was pulled out, Old He shouted loudly.


    Granny Xu instinctively reached out and pulled, and easily pulled the child out of her stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s out! It¡¯s out, Old He¡¯s medical skills are really amazing!¡±


    Granny Xu sincerely praised and quickly took care of the aftermath.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was beside them, hurriedly took over the child, patted it a few times, and the child just hung limply in her hand with no reaction at all. It seemed there was no hope.


    She nced aside and saw that everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the parturient, with no one paying attention to the child in her hands. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh in her heart.


    What a pity, it was a boy!


    Even so, she thought for a moment, picked up the small clothes and put them on the child, wrapped him in a small quilt, and put him to the side.


    Let everyone be happy for a while, after all, they got a pair of dragon and phoenix twins, which was a great fortune in misfortune!


    Such a worker, Liu Sisi must have been distressed!


    Old He took out thest silver needle, and it seemed as if he was instantly drained. He retreated several steps and leaned against the wooden table behind him, gasping for breath.


    It took him quite a while to slowly find his way out of the delivery room.


    At the moment, there are a lot of things to be done for Liu Sisi, which is enough for Granny Xu to be busy. As for that hateful brat¡­


    Old He couldn¡¯t help but despise the thought in his heart!


    A man who only has eyes for his own woman is not a man, that¡¯s called henpecked!


    How could Di Yelei care about Old He¡¯s thoughts at this moment?


    His hand tightly held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand, not willing to let go for a moment.


    Liu Sisi moved her fingers and forced a smile at him, then couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and fell into darkness.


    ¡°It¡¯s out! It¡¯s out! Old He, how¡¯s the situation?¡±


    Upon seeing the door of the delivery room open, everyone immediately gathered around.


    ¡°Wait, wait, let me catch my breath first!¡±


    Old He tore off the cloth that covered his eyes, wiped the sweat off his face, andined: ¡°I say, old man, howe you didn¡¯t ask how I am when I came out? You only care about your daughter-inw?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di looked at Old He¡¯s pale face and notably lower spirits.


    Quickly approached and helped him: ¡°What happened? Are you tired? You! In this age, you should take it easy. Hurry up and bring a chair over.¡±


    Going all out as if hunting a rabbit, could he be a healer who takes it easy when he wants to?


    As he helped him to sit down on a chair, Elderly Di¡¯s pressing questions surfaced again: ¡°So, is Sisi okay now?¡±


    ¡°Will this divine doctor fail when he makes a move?¡±


    Old He rolled his eyes: ¡°Sisi is alright now. It¡¯s just that she injured herself during childbirth, and I¡¯m afraid that in the future¡­¡±


    Elderly Di¡¯s gaze shed and returned, then nodded: ¡°Hmm, we must make up for it. We can¡¯t leave any hidden diseases, that would be troublesome.¡±


    It seemed that in the future, she wouldn¡¯t be able to give birth. But they already had a son and a daughter, what could be better than this? Thinking about this, Elderly Di¡¯s regretful thoughts dissipated.


    ¡°You can rest assured about this matter, her health is in the hands of this divine doctor. In just two months, I guarantee she¡¯ll be lively and energetic.¡±


    Old He waved his hand. If they were to hand Liu Sisi over to other doctors, he wouldn¡¯t be able to finish his own tasks!


    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good!¡±


    Elderly Di was overjoyed, and only then did he remember thest child: ¡°Right, is thest one a boy or a girl?¡±


    Old He¡¯s gaze was a little evasive: ¡°I had my eyes covered, how could I possibly see?¡± Let others convey the unpleasant words at this moment of joy!


    Elderly Di thought for a while and agreed, then urgently ordered people to set off firecrackers, hang rednterns, drape red cloth, hang wooden bows, and hang handkerchiefs. These were all traditional customs.

 Chapter 589: 589: How Could She Be Mistaken?

    Chapter 589: How Could She Be Mistaken?


    Thinking back on her two fated children, there was a sh of sadness in her eyes. She decided to head back and prepare properly.


    She hadn¡¯t expected that Liu Sisi would have triplets. Therefore, when she was preparing her meeting gifts, she had prepared one for a boy and one for a girl. Now both gifts would be given out, she would have to quickly prepare another one.


    As soon as everyone left, Di Xuan, who had been hiding by the pir slowly sauntered out, looking absolutely forlorn.


    Stepping out of the small courtyard, he saw Di Ying ying joyfully in the pavilion. Her cheerfulughter echoed asionally from her small mouth, a sound so pleasant to hear, hitting right in the heart.


    Ah, how good YingEr is!


    Di Xuan couldn¡¯t help but look up and sigh.


    Girls would eventually get married, and there¡¯s no need to worry about anything else. Therefore, whether his mother gave birth to a baby brother or sister, it was all the same to her. But it was different for him!


    Di¡¯s family belongs to him, Di Xuan. No one can take it away!


    No one!


    Soon everyone dispersed, with only Elderly Mr. Di and Second Son He, who were still bickering in the pavilion corridor of the small courtyard.<div>


    ¡°Sisi, are you tired? Hungry? Do you want me to bring you something to eat?¡±


    The moment Liu Sisi¡¯s eyshes fluttered, Di Yelei felt it and asked hastily.


    ¡°Water, I want to drink water.¡±


    Liu Sisi instinctively requested what she needed most.


    There wasn¡¯t a part of her body that didn¡¯t hurt! Especially her lower abdomen, the spasms of pain had awoken her from her sleep.


    ¡°Alright, water.¡±


    Di Yelei naturally helped her sit up, carefully cing two pillows behind her, and casually picked up therge bowl behind him, his smile unusuallyforting.


    ¡°The boiled water is now warm. Drink up. Here¡¯s the soup medicine prescribed by Old He, drink this first. The chicken soup is being warmed on the stove, it¡¯ll be brought in a while.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t refuse. Enduring the pain, she gulped down the boiled water and the soup medicine, and pushed away the preserved fruit that Di Yelei offered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not eating. Where¡¯s the baby? Bring the baby to me.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t even seen the baby that had fallen from her body until now!


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bring the baby to you.¡±


    Di Yelei, looking rxed, carefully lifted the baby from the cradle, ¡°Because we didn¡¯t anticipate the situation now, the only one here with breastmilk is Ms. Gao. I¡¯ve asked people to find a nanny, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    In therge cradle were three swaddled babies side by side. The smallest one near the inside was a girl. Her little red face hidden inside therge swaddle was exceedingly adorable.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi carefully took the baby, unable to resist gently rocking, looking extraordinarily clumsy.


    ¡°Ah ah ah, good little treasure¡­¡± Liu Sisi instinctively cooed softly.


    Di Yelei turned around to pick up the second child, ¡°This little guy is the most well-behaved. Look at his eyebrows. Do they look like mine?¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly made room with one hand to take this little guy. Looking at the eyebrows that Di Yelei pointed at, she couldn¡¯t help butugh! In fact, even though the infant only had a palm-sized face, the two strands of eyebrows were a spitting image of Di Yelei¨C long, sword-like eyebrows reachinginto the hair.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s exactly like you. Quick, bring the littlest one over so I can see. Hurry, hurry!¡±<div>


    Feeling ecstatic, Liu Sisi repeatedly urged.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go bring him. Let¡¯s go¡­let¡¯s go see your mother.¡±


    Di Yelei, full of excitement, walked over to thest child and was about to bend down to pick him up.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er happened to be carrying a bowl of chicken soup in at that moment. The sight before her eyes startled her into a reflexive shout.<div>


    ¡°Oh my!¡ª¡ª¡±


    At her outcry, Di Yelei instinctively withdrew his hand and turned to look at the door.


    Noticing the chicken soup in Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s hand, he quickly turned around, took tworge steps toward her, and took the soup from her.


    ¡°How are you doing? Did the soup burn your hand? Quickly rinse it with cold water. It will make it feel much better. Leave the rest to me.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face wasn¡¯t looking so well, upon hearing these words she had no choice but to force a slight smile and replied softly, ¡°What are you saying, brother-inw? It¡¯s only right for me as the elder sister to help younger sister with her confinement.¡±Di Yelei¡¯s biological mother is already deceased, normally it¡¯s the mother¡¯s family who should be taking care of the newborn. Nowadays, it¡¯s perfectly reasonable for his own elder sister to do so instead.


    These words softened the smile on Di Yelei¡¯s face considerably.


    ¡°We¡¯re family, there¡¯s no need for so much formality. If you need anything, Second Sister, don¡¯t hesitate to ask!¡±


    After saying this, he carefully set the chicken soup down on the table: ¡°How about this? Sisi, do you want to set the naughty ones aside for now, and we can continue after we drink the soup?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good.¡±


    Naturally, Liu Sisi would not object. Purely drinking medicine cannot help rebuild one¡¯s body, real food is required for wounds to heal quickly.


    Seeing Di Yelei busily putting the child from Liu Sisi¡¯s hands back into the crib, Liu Zhi¡¯er inexplicably let out a sigh of relief.


    Then she felt somewhat guilty. They would find out this kind of thing sooner orter. Instead of letting them be disappointed in the end, it would be better not to give them hope at all from the start.


    With this thought in mind, she could no longer hold back. Biting her lip bravely, she whispered.<div>


    ¡°Sisi, Second Sister has something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Second Sister, whatever it is, just say it. Just now Yelei also said, as long as we are able to do it, we will definitely try our best.¡±


    Liu Sisi had just freed both her hands. She was currently tidying up the tightly wrapped headscarf on her head. During the hot weather in June, with her head wrapped in a thick towel, she could have been smothered!


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that ¡­ I mean ¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er stammered, and for the longest time, she couldn¡¯t get to the point.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, Second Sister, take your time.¡± Liu Sisi had just finished a bowl of chicken soup and felt her body¡¯s strength returning.


    ¡°What I mean is, I ¡­¡±


    ¡°Wah¡­wah wah¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a loud crying sound came from the farthest edge of the crib, instantly turning Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face pale! She couldn¡¯t utter the rest of her words.


    The crying came from the outermost edge!


    That position, that position, how¡­how is this possible?


    The child was supposed to be a stillbirth, how could she have been mistaken?


    Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t hold back her shock anymore. She rushed over to the crib and bent down to look.<div>


    The little guy was kicking around energetically with his frail little hands and feet. His red face didn¡¯t have the discoloration from when she had wrapped him up earlier, he was clearly a healthy baby.


    As she bent over to pick up the child, she felt like her brain wasn¡¯t functioning, was it¡­could it be that she was mistaken earlier?

 Chapter 590: 590: Having a Child is Everything

    Chapter 590: Having a Child is Everything


    She couldn¡¯t help but break out into a cold sweat!


    It was fortunate that she didn¡¯t speak recklessly or abandon him; otherwise, she would have caused the loss of a life, right?


    ¡°Wah, wah, wah¡­ ¡±


    She gently rocked him, her face full of affection, and couldn¡¯t help but think of her own lost child, which made her heartache.


    ¡°Second Sister, you want Ye Lei to help find Er Mao and San Mao, right? You don¡¯t need to say it, we will all keep an eye out for you. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Liu Sisi thought that Liu Zhi¡¯er was missing her own children and volunteered.


    Di Yelei, who was carefully cooling the chicken soup on the side, nodded earnestly: ¡°I won¡¯t forget about this. However, this kind of thing usually requires some luck, and it can¡¯t be rushed.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er smiled and did not deny it, whispering, ¡°I understand. This little nephew is staring at me, and I don¡¯t know if he understands what we¡¯re saying. It seems like he¡¯s hungry; I¡¯ll take him to Ms. Gao to have some milk.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea. The wind is strong outside, and you can¡¯t let the child catch a cold. Just call Ms. Gao over, and let her nurse him behind the screen.¡± Di Yelei, after all, was the father of two children and considered more deeply.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er suddenly realized that she had forgotten even this basicmon sense because of her restless state of mind.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go call someone right now.¡±<div>


    After saying that, she put the child down again and almost fled.


    When there were no more people in the room, Liu Sisi finally breathed a sigh of relief: ¡°Ye Lei, I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡±


    She smiled sheepishly, put down the soup bowl, and looked back at the crib on the other side.


    ¡°Ye Lei, you haven¡¯t brought thest child over for me to see yet.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bring him over now.¡±


    As Di Yelei said that, he bent down and picked up the little guy.


    The little guy had just stopped crying, and now that he was picked up from the crib, his eyebrows instinctively frowned. Once in Liu Sisi¡¯s arms, he instinctively twisted his little head as if searching for ¡°food.¡±


    ¡°Is this the smallest one? He¡¯s so small, looks like he¡¯s probably not even three pounds¡­¡± So tiny and weak?


    She instinctively frowned.


    ¡°He¡¯s not that small. You had triplets, it¡¯s natural for them to be thin and small.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, I didn¡¯t expect it to be triplets¡­¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Now that she knew they were triplets, Liu Sisi felt a sense of trepidation! She remembered hearing that women carrying triplets needed to lie in bed and rest during theter stages of pregnancy. She had always thought she was carrying a singleton and hadn¡¯t been careful about it during her daily activities.


    If she were given another chance, she would not be as calm as she was now!


    Di Yelei carefully brought the other two children over. He ced one beside Liu Sisi, covered with a thin quilt, and carefully held the other in his arms.


    ¡°Sisi, thank you! Thank you for giving me, Di Yelei, three children at once. Also, I wasn¡¯t there for you during your delivery, I¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t hide the joy on his face, but he was also filled with guilt.


    ¡°Silly, it¡¯s not your fault. I know.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled and looked at the three children in a row. The feeling of happiness in her heart was indescribable.


    She held the child close and couldn¡¯t help but kiss him repeatedly: ¡°Besides, you were there for me when I needed you the most, right?¡±<div>


    He had given her the strength to hold on when she was on the verge of giving up.


    What could be better than that?


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re not mad at me, my dear Sisi.¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but lean in and kiss her cheek,pletely smitten: ¡°You have no idea how scared I was that I wouldn¡¯t make it in time to see you give birth. But it¡¯s okay now; every effort was worth it.¡±<div>


    Having three children at once, what could be happier than that?


    ¡°Yes! Looking at these three little ones, I feel that all the hardship was worth it.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was radiant with the glow of new motherhood as she held the little one in her arms and couldn¡¯t help but kiss him again and again.


    The little one seemed somewhat impatient and twisted his little head, opening and closing his mouth, even making sucking motions, as if he were hungry.


    ¡°Oh, look at this little one; he seems to be hungry. Why hasn¡¯t Ms. Gaoe yet? You wait a bit; I¡¯ll go out and check.¡±


    Di Yelei spoke, putting the child down close to Liu Sisi and then tiptoed out of the room.


    By the time he brought Ms. Gao in, Liu Sisi was already nursing the child herself. The little one, though small, had a strong grip on her breast and refused to let go.


    ¡°Ah! Madam, how can you feed the baby yourself? This is not right. Let me feed him.¡±


    Ms. Gao hurried over to take the baby: ¡°I¡¯ve had a bath, and I¡¯ve been eating the nourishing medicinal food prescribed by Old He, so don¡¯t worry, Madam.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t hand the baby to her: ¡°There are two more over there. The one in my arms isn¡¯t hungry anymore, but the others haven¡¯t had enough.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. The Second Young Miss and Second Young Master have already been fed my milk a few times yesterday, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    Ms. Gao thought about it and picked up another child from the bedside and went into the inner room to nurse.


    Liu Sisi looked at the child lying by the bed, her face full of regret. She had heard that the breast milk of a first-time mother in the first three days contained special ingredients that could strengthen the immunity of newborns against diseases!<div>


    Seeing that Ms. Gao hadn¡¯te out, she struggled to pick up another child, feeding as much as she could!


    It wasn¡¯t easy to feed all three little ones, and Ms. Gao finally left the room: ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll be outside the door. If you have anymands, please just call me.¡±


    ¡°I know, don¡¯t just feed these three little ones, don¡¯t let your Le¡¯an go hungry.¡±


    Ms. Gao¡¯s young Le¡¯an was only about two months old.


    ¡°I have plenty of milktely, so I won¡¯t let him go hungry.¡± Ms. Gao finally left and closed the door behind her.


    Di Yelei, who was gently rocking the crib nearby, couldn¡¯t get enough of looking at the three little ones.


    He looked up and saw that Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes were barely open, but she was still staring at the children and couldn¡¯t bear to close them. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly, ¡°You should rest for a while. You can look at the children again after you¡¯ve rested enough. If you don¡¯t rest well and get sick, what will happen in the future?¡±


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll sleep for a while.¡±


    Liu Sisi was indeed very sleepy and didn¡¯t insist on staying awake anymore. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

 Chapter 591: 591: Battle

    Chapter 591: Battle


    It seemed like she had only closed her eyes for a short while when a child started crying.


    It turns out that the child had passed dark brown meconium!


    As a new mother, Liu Sisi naturally didn¡¯t know what to do. This was when having a good husband came in handy.


    Di Yelei already had two children, and taking care of the little one was much more smoothpared to Liu Sisi. Changing diapers, wiping small buttocks, and washing¡­ it was all so like a professional, it even caught the gaze of nearby Ms. Gao.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to find a nanny. There are many choices of nannies, but I want to find one with a good body, not chubby or skinny but one with ample milk. It might take a day or two. Once the nanny arrives, you won¡¯t have to work so hard.¡± Di Yelei said while soothing the child and wrapping the diaper.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m working hard, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know how to take care of a child, and I feel like I¡¯m doing everything wrong¡­¡± Liu Sisi was very dejected, feeling useless.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for a new mother not to know these things. Don¡¯t we keep maids and female servants at home to do these things? Just don¡¯t tire yourself out, or I¡¯ll have to worry about you.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s words were right on point.


    Hearing him say that, Liu Sisi¡¯s guilt finally lessened a bit.


    Only after seeing Ms. Gao finish taking care of the child and leave with proper etiquette did Liu Sisi rx and change the topic.<div>


    ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t asked you yet, what goods did Brother Nan send you to escort?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much, just some ck zed ceramics.¡± Di Yelei answered without looking back.


    ¡°Really? Di Yelei, look into my eyes and say that.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed.


    Looks like there¡¯s no escaping it.


    Di Yelei reluctantly turned around, sat down next to Liu Sisi, and directly took off his shoes to get into bed, lying next to her and gently holding her.


    ¡°Sisi, it¡¯s not that your husband doesn¡¯t want to tell you, but you¡¯re in confinement now and really shouldn¡¯t be worrying about it. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°If you tell me what you were transporting, I¡¯ll stop asking.¡±


    Seeing her determined little face, Di Yelei knew he couldn¡¯t hide it anymore and told her the whole story.


    ¡°This time, we had some surprise without danger, and no casualties. Thanks to the empty thunder you gave me, it saved everyone! I used several of them directly. Otherwise, who knows if we¡¯d still be stuck on the road.¡±


    Although Di Yelei downyed the trip, the fact that he used several empty thunders against his enemies showed that it was definitely not a small matter!


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s good that there were no casualties.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Leaning her head on his chest, Liu Sisi thought of another question: ¡°You said that the horse ship transports horses. We have so many horses here too, why do we have to get them from far away? Is there anything special about it?¡±


    She remembered that books often mentioned the so-called ¡°thousand-mile horses.¡± Is it possible that there were no sweat-blooded treasured horses during this time?


    ¡°How can our local horses go to the battlefield and charge?¡±


    Di Yelei leaned his head back on the bedpost: ¡°You may not know that there have been no wars in Macheng County for more than 30 years, but the border cities have been constantly gued by them. To the north, there are Mongol horsemen frequently invading my Great Zhao Country, and to the west, there are constant attacks from Xixia Country. The imperial court has enemies on both sides and is in a difficult situation. If it weren¡¯t for the ceasefire agreements signed between several countries decades ago, the mes of war would have reached us long ago.¡±


    Liu Sisi was actually quite interested in this news.


    ¡°So the steeds you escorted are meant for the border cities?¡±


    ¡°I am only responsible for delivering them to Chengdu Prefecture, the rest will be handled by others, and it has nothing to do with me.¡±


    After saying so much, Di Yelei also felt tired: ¡°I¡¯m really sleepy today, let¡¯s take a short rest.¡±<div>


    Without waiting for Liu Sisi¡¯s consent, he covered her with a thin quilt and closed his eyes directly.


    Liu Sisi had countless questions in her heart at the moment, but seeing the dark circles under the man¡¯s eyes beside her, it was evident that he hadn¡¯t gotten enough rest from traveling overnight. So, she had to forcibly suppress her numerous doubts and closed her eyes as well.


    However, countless thoughts were surging in her heart¡­ maybe¡­


    When Liu Sisi woke up again, Di Yelei was gone.<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was sitting outside the screen, sorting out clothes for the children. Upon discovering that Liu Sisi had woken up, she gave her a disapproving look.


    ¡°Your body is not like before, how can you¡­ let your brother-inw rest here? If he can¡¯t help himself¡­ what will happen then?¡±


    Although she was stammering and hesitating, Liu Sisi understood what she meant.


    She then smiled: ¡°Second Sister, don¡¯t worry. Ye Lei is not one of those clueless kids, and he knows that we can¡¯t share a room after giving birth.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face turned red instantly!


    Unable to resist, she said fiercely: ¡°That¡¯s still not eptable. The moment your brother-inw entered the delivery room, it stirred up gossip from your mother-inw. If this gets out, who knows what it¡¯ll turn into?¡± Most importantly, with so many maids and midwives going in and out, it wouldn¡¯t be good if anyone saw anything.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I got it. From now on, I won¡¯t let him sleep here.¡± Liu Sisi didn¡¯t think it was a big deal.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°By the way, how are Da Mao and YingEr doing?¡± She hadn¡¯t seen either of them since she was in confinement.


    ¡°They¡¯re both fine, but YingEr has been crying toe see you every day, only to be scolded by your mother-inw. It was your brother and sister-inw who took YingEr away and settled the matter.¡±


    So there was such a thing? It seemed like Di Yelei had deliberately concealed it.


    That night, Di Yelei slept beside Liu Sisi without any regard for others¡¯ objections. No matter how much she tried to persuade him, he wouldn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°You are my wife, and I am your husband. Wherever you sleep, I will sleep. No one else should try to separate us!¡± Di Yelei¡¯s domineering deration! Just as bold and forthright as he was.<div>


    Liu Sisi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Alright! This man was used to doing things his own way, and it was too difficult to make him change his mind about something he believed to be right!


    At daybreak, Di Yelei was up early. The faint sound of the children¡¯s crying came through.


    As soon as the child cried, Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was waiting in the next room, rushed in to take care of them but still woke up Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Second Sister, what time is it now?¡±


    Liu Sisi struggled to sit up from the head of the bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s three-quarters past 9 a.m to 11a.m. Don¡¯t move; you need to rest peacefully for an easy recovery.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er said with a teasing look on her face.

 Chapter 592: 592: Visitors from Moms Home

    Chapter 592: Visitors from Mom¡¯s Home


    ¡°Brother-inw just left, and ording to the rules, he is the one who should personally send a letter to your maiden home. That¡¯s the purpose of his trip. Before leaving, he repeatedly told me to take good care of you, and the medicinal soup and chicken soup have been prepared. Would you like me to call someone to bring them in?¡±


    ¡°No need, I want¡­ I want to go to the restroom¡­¡±


    The yful tone in her words made Liu Sisi feel somewhat awkward and embarrassed, followed by anxiety.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t move! I¡¯ll call two maids in. Just be careful not to hurt the wound again.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s face was full of anxiety.


    She couldn¡¯t even continueforting the little one in the cradle, and hurried outside to call in the maids.


    Did she have to be so delicate?


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly, but she understood that she shouldn¡¯t push herself too hard.


    Outside, a long line of people hade to offer their congrattions. However, Lord Di had given instructions early on to ept only good wishes and return any gifts.


    Di Yelei at this moment was busy checking the items that needed to be taken away.<div>


    Three jars of glutinous rice wine, one hen and two roosters, arge basket full of red-shell eggs, three lengths of red cloth, three strings of money, several bags of noodles, and assortments of candies and pastries¡­ The reason for having three of everything was, of course, because Sisi had given birth to triplets.


    Odd bits and pieces of things piled up, filling up tworge carrying poles.


    Di Yelei prepared two sets of identical items!


    The reason was simple: not only did he have to go to Liu Family¡¯s Mansion to share the good news, but he also had to go to Heilong Mountain. Although the other party must have received urate news already, it¡¯s a courtesy that couldn¡¯t be ignored.


    Seeing that everything was ready, with the red cloth tied on the carrying poles and even the pole with a red string attached, Di Yelei led several servants behind him, carrying the poles and walking outside.


    As he stepped out of the door, the crowd knew he was going to inform the bride¡¯s family and gathered around to congratte him.


    Di Yelei smiled so widely that his white teeth showed, returning the greetings to everyone who came to offer congrattions, not stopping with his fist greetings.


    It was already 9 a.m to 11a.m by the time he finally left the South City Gate.


    As soon as Di Yelei left Macheng County through the South City Gate, Di Ah-bao, Di Cheng, and Zhang Peng entered the city through the west gate.


    Everyone naturally went home to find their mothers. Di Ah-bao and Mrs. Xin were like newlyweds after their short time apart, full of love and affection.


    And the fact that Di Yelei took a shortcut through the mountain road to return early had also gained him a lot of praise. People said that he was a good man who could be so attentive and careful with his wife!


    Liu Sisi only learned about the return of Di Ah-bao, Di Cheng, and the others when Liu Zhi¡¯er told herter. But at the moment, she could only stay lying in bed during her confinement, unable to go anywhere or see anyone.


    She didn¡¯t know the details of Di Yelei¡¯s visit to her maiden home, and he didn¡¯t borate on what happened.


    However, Ms. Yao returned along with Di Yelei.


    The meeting between the mother and her two daughters after half a year was under such circumstances.


    Ms. Yao had no idea about Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s divorce, and she was shocked to see her here. After asking for more information, she finally learned about what had happened. The mother and daughter cried together.


    ¡°This Cao fellow doesn¡¯t look like a good man at all! I didn¡¯t agree to the marriage proposal back then. If it weren¡¯t for your big brother being impressed by the generous dowry they presented, you wouldn¡¯t have been married to them. This is truly a tragedy¡­¡± Ms. Yao cried her heart out.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s tears also couldn¡¯t be held back, streaming down her face without stopping.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t cry. You should be happy for Zhi¡¯er. From now on, Zhi¡¯er and Da Mao will no longer have to worry about being bullied by him.¡±<div>


    ¡°That¡¯s true, that¡¯s true¡­¡±


    Ms. Yao kept agreeing, wiping the seemingly endless tears from her face.


    ¡°But what about Er Mao and San Mao? These two poor children¡­wuu wuu¡­¡±


    Ms. Yao¡¯s crying was like an unbearable wailing sound. Liu Sisi turned her head to the other side, trying hard to adjust her mood. It¡¯s said that the quality of breast milk bes bad after being upset or sad, which could cause the baby to have a stomachache!<div>


    Over there, Liu Zhi¡¯er had persuaded Ms. Yao for a long time, and finally got her to stop crying and calm down.


    When there were no more people in the room, Ms. Yao moved to sit next to Liu Sisi: ¡°Sisi, about that matter with your big brother, you must not take it to heart. I¡­ I apologize on his behalf; he was wrong¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows in surprise!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve long forgotten about that; you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± She had resented him before, but after learning her true identity, Li Susi actually felt relieved! Everything made sense now.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve forgotten, that¡¯s good¡­ that¡¯s good¡­¡±


    Ms. Yao was genuinely happy, but after thinking for a moment, she couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°Sisi, since you don¡¯t hold a grudge about that, can you let your brother off this time? I promise, from now on, he will never appear in front of you again; I swear!¡±


    Ms. Yao couldn¡¯t help but raise her hand.


    ¡°Mom! I said I don¡¯t hold a grudge, why are you still talking about forgiving or not? Isn¡¯t that too much?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t know?¡± Ms. Yao looked very surprised.


    ¡°What do I know? Or what should I know?¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes rolled, questioning further.


    ¡°No, nothing¡­¡± Ms. Yao seemed evasive.


    Liu Sisi sighed, closed her eyes and said, ¡°Mom, has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re terrible at lying?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­ Your brother was not only had his leg broken but also kicked out of Macheng County. They¡­ they said if he dares toe back, they would take his life¡­¡± Ms. Yao spoke haltingly and hesitantly.<div>


    After a brief thought, Liu Sisi understood what was behind Ms. Yao¡¯s evasive gaze.


    ¡°Was it my father who forced you?¡±


    It was Liu Sisi¡¯s first time saying ¡°father¡± in front of someone, and she wanted to test Ms. Yao¡¯s reaction.


    Ms. Yao was shocked, almost falling off her chair, her legs trembling uncontrobly.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ already know¡­¡±


    Ms. Yao¡¯s voice became fainter and fainter.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°What do I know? What should I know?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth curled with a sneer: ¡°Should I know that my biological parents are different from yours? Or should I know that you were originally a concubine¡¯s daughter in my mom¡¯s dowry?¡±


    That¡¯s right! Liu Sisi¡¯s birth mother, Lin Xiner, and Ms. Yao were sisters, one a legitimate daughter and the other a concubine¡¯s daughter intended to solidify their mother¡¯s favor!


    However, the former Crown Prince appeared unrestrained on the surface, but he was deeply in love with Lin Xiner. He never touched a hair on Ms. Yao¡¯s finger! In order to have Lin Xiner to himself, he found a nearby family and married Ms. Yao off.

 Chapter 593: 593: Father-in-law Visits

    Chapter 593: Father-inw Visits


    And all of this had urred many years ago.


    Being suddenly questioned in this way by Liu Sisi now, Ms. Yao felt as if she was stripped bare,ying everything naked in front of the other party.


    ¡°How do you know¡­¡±


    In shock, Ms. Yaopletely lost her momentum.


    ¡°I understand, I shouldn¡¯t have kept it from you. But at the time, it was your mother who didn¡¯t want me to speak. Her words were like a curse, and I¡¯ve been avoiding this reality at every moment over the years. Now that I¡¯m telling everything, it¡¯s like I¡¯m prepared for the worst.¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head: ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. Since she entrusted me to you, it shows her approval of you. You are still my mother. As for him¡­ I really have not been hostile towards him.¡± The ¡®he¡¯ she referred to was naturally the big brother.


    ¡°I understand, I do.¡±


    Bowing her head, Ms. Yao continued to shiver and couldn¡¯t get her words out for quite a while.


    The next day, the wet nurses arrived atst!


    There were five wet-nurses in total, all of whom were invited in for Liu Sisi¡¯s inspection.<div>


    Just as Di Yelei had imed, all five wet-nurses had a healthy build with ample bosoms, presumably abundant in milk.


    She scanned over each of them, letting them introduce themselves and stick out their tongues for inspection. In the end, four were chosen while one was dismissed by Liu Sisi.


    The reason was Liu Sisi discovered, through her tongue, that this nanny had poor gastrointestinal health, so she promptly abandoned her.


    The four remaining nannies soon go to work, each pair tending to one child, feeding, cleaning, and putting them to sleep. This greatly eased Liu Sisi¡¯s work load.


    Two dayster, ording to local custom, the ¡°washing three¡± ceremony was performed.


    In this region, a bathing ceremony was usually held on the third day after a child¡¯s birth. Friends and family were invited to bless the child, known locally as ¡®washing three¡¯, or holding the ¡°Three-Morning Wine¡± party.


    The purpose of ¡°washing three¡± was to cleanse the newborn of filth, avoid disaster, pray for blessings and seek good fortune.


    This is what Liu Sisi heard from others.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t hold arge event, only inviting close friends and rtives. Because of Liu Sisi¡¯s special status, and likely Elder Leisure¡¯s influence, only Liu Quan came from her maiden home.


    The fact that Di Family bought Liu Sisi for 10 taels of silver was still a hot topic. Liu Sisi did notment on this as the fact remained. Fortunately, as Ms. Yao and Liu Zhi¡¯er were living in the manor, no embarrassment happened.


    On the day of the ¡°washing three¡± ceremony, Granny Xu arrived early.


    Di Yelei hurriedly went out to greet her, showing his importance to the matter. As it was triplets, Granny Xu had already told Di Yelei and others in advance that she brought a midwife, and two other serving women to assist. Ms. Yao personally performed the ¡°washing three¡± ritual for another child.


    The guests started eating early, inviting Granny Xu to the main seat. As soon as she sat down, a servant rushed in and whispered into Di Yelei¡¯s ear. Di Yelei rose in surprise, his eyes wide in shock!


    No longer hesitating, he dashed outside. His actions naturally led to much spection, as everyone turned their heads towards the door.


    Di Yelei dashed to the doorway and indeed saw a small sedan carried by several people stopping in front of the official residence.


    He hurriedly took a few quick steps, bowed down at the sedan door, saying urgently in a loud voice.


    ¡°Lord Father-inw¡¯s esteemed presence is a great honor, I am guilty of neglecting to receive you from afar, please forgive me!¡±


    The four bearers gently lowered the sedan to the ground and paid their respects to the upant of the sedan before stepping aside.


    Shopkeeper Gu raised his hand, gently lifted the sedan curtain, and announced in a low voice: ¡°Master, the Di family has arrived.¡±<div>


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    A low voice came from the sedan. As a gust of wind swirled, a head peeked out from inside the sedan; after his gaze met Di Yelei, he gave a cold humph before exiting the sedan and stood still in front of Di Yelei.


    Apanying the small sedan were Zhu Caimai, Shopkeeper Qu, Shopkeeper Gu, Meng Caimai, and an extraordinarily in-dressed woman. These five also swiftly stood behind the former Crown Prince.


    Elder Leisure¡¯s brows were tightly knitted throughout, his eyes staring sharply at Di Yelei, his body emanating tangible murderous intent, exerting pressure on Di Yelei from all directions.<div>


    Di Yelei bowed down, maintaining his bowing posture, even under the oing tide of the other party¡¯s murderous intent, he did not make a single move.


    This intense confrontation naturally drew the eyes of passersby. However, once they saw the situation clearly, they slipped away faster than rabbits, leaving the entire avenue empty in an instant, no trace of anyone remaining.


    ¡°Humph! Get up! Considering Sisi¡¯s feelings for you, I won¡¯t say anything. Just call me ¡®Uncle¡¯ in public, understand? Let¡¯s go!¡±


    With that, he didn¡¯t wait for Di Yelei to respond, but strode in.


    ¡°Yes, Uncle.¡±


    Behind him, Di Yelei was covered in cold sweat; indeed, this hot June was torturous. He could remain calm in front of anyone else, but the thought that the man in front of him was Sisi¡¯s biological father, weakened his momentum before he even spoke.


    He loathed that he couldn¡¯t p himself, where had his usualposure gone?


    Seeing the group ahead briskly enter the mansion, Di Yelei quickly caught up.


    The front hall was bustling, with everyone eating and drinking merrily, when a group of people suddenly entered from outside, instantly stunning the crowd at the banquet, their gazes all falling upon the figure at the front.


    The man was dressed in ck and gold clothes, around fifty years old but did not appear old, his eyes radiant yet restrained, his demeanor imposing. Every move he made stirred the emotions of the numerous people. No longer did they wish to eat; everyone held their breath, and the scene was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.


    At that moment, Liu Quan¡¯s face turned pale!


    He simply slumped in his chair and couldn¡¯t move for a long time.


    Elder Leisure ignored the silence of the crowd and continued to stride forward unabashed, reaching the man¡¯s main seat directly above him.<div>


    Originally, this seat was upied by Elderly Mr. Di and Liu Quan, with the host Di Yelei apanying on the left side. Now, as Elder Leisure approached, Elderly Di sprang up from his seat.

 Chapter 594: 594: Wash Three (Part 1)

    Chapter 594: Wash Three (Part 1)


    His legs almost gave out and he nearly ended up sprawled on the ground, but Shopkeeper Gu, who had followed him, managed to catch him just in time.


    ¡°Old Master, be careful,¡± Shopkeeper Gu said with a grin.


    Elderly Mr. Di looked at Di Yelei, who was hurrying in from outside, and finally managed to stand up straight. ¡°Thank you, thank you¡­¡± He was shaking all over.


    Elder Leisure nced at Liu Quan, who was helplessly slumped in his chair, and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Liu Quan, are you seeking death? I don¡¯t mind granting your wish!¡±


    Liu Quan swiftly got up and knelt on the ground, bowing his head. ¡°No, no, no¡­ Please spare me, your lordship! Please spare me!¡±


    ¡°Get out of here! Don¡¯t sully my eyes with your presence!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡±


    Liu Quan didn¡¯t seem to feel ashamed at all as he scurried away, rolling and crawling.


    Nobody at the scene thought he was wrong for doing so, as the old man¡¯s aura was just too overwhelming.


    Di Yelei was sweating profusely as he hurriedly stepped forward to invite Elder Leisure. ¡°Uncle¡­ ahem, esteemed uncle, please take the main seat!¡±<div>


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Elder Leisure raised an eyebrow and casually sat down in the main seat.


    Behind him, the five people who had been following him closely withdrew to their positions on either side.


    Only then did everyone notice the five people behind him. At this point, no one could remain calm!


    Most of the people did not recognize all five of them, but those they did recognize were all powerful figures. The rest were probably not much different in status.


    Upon realizing this, everyone felt like they were sitting on pins and needles, and they could no longer eat.


    ¡°Eh! Why are you all just sitting still? Eat, eat! After the meal, I still want to go see the little ones,¡± said Elder Leisure, waving his hand cheerfully. ¡°You guys should start eating too. Today¡¯s dishes are quite abundant, so everyone should eat their fill.¡±


    He was genuinely happy today¡ªSisi had given birth to two sons and a daughter in one go. What could possibly make one happier than that?


    The servant next to Elder Leisure respectfully handed him a pair of silver chopsticks.


    Di Yelei carefully helped Elderly Mr. Di to his original seat, then sat down at the lowest-ranking position himself.


    ¡°Eat up, everyone, eat up. We¡¯re going to perform the washing ceremonyter, and everyone must not be hungry. Everyone, please enjoy yourselves and have a good time!¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly urged everyone on.


    All the guests had already been frightened, and although they resumed clinking sses and toasting one another, the lively atmosphere had clearly diminished.


    Di Yelei sent someone to call Liu Quan back, as he was, after all, Sisi¡¯s nominal father, and it wouldn¡¯t be proper for him to leave halfway through the banquet.


    But Liu Quan adamantly refused to sit at the same table as Elder Leisure. He might be a schr, but he knew better than to court danger by keepingpany with powerful figures.


    Left with no choice, Di Yelei found a corner where the pir blocked the view and settled Liu Quan there.


    But he couldn¡¯t help feeling relieved inwardly! Thank goodness men and women were seated separately, so at least themotion on this side wouldn¡¯t disturb the midwives on the other side. He prayed that today¡¯s washing ceremony would go smoothly and safely.


    As Elder Leisure clearly had no interest in the banquet, he tried a few bites with his silver chopsticks before setting them down and wiping his mouth with a towel handed to him by a follower. Only then did he turn to look at Di Yelei.


    ¡°When does the washing ceremony begin? I¡¯d like to add some basins and listen to the sound of the basins.¡±<div>


    ¡°It will start soon, very soon.¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly went to prepare.


    Granny Xu and the others were still eating, not leaving their seats. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Di Yelei sneaked into the delivery room.


    ¡°Sisi, your dad is here,¡± Di Yelei said as soon as he entered.<div>


    Liu Sisi was drinking chicken soup at the moment, almost choking upon hearing this. Barely swallowing the soup in her mouth, she nced at him sideways: ¡°Is it worth making such a fuss about his arrival? You made a special trip for this, aren¡¯t there any guests to greet outside?¡±


    Di Yelei quickly waved those around him away, only then leaning in close to Liu Sisi: ¡°Not this dad, but your other dad!¡±


    ¡°That¡­ you mean him?¡±


    Liu Sisi finally caught on, her eyebrows instantly furrowing together: ¡°Wasn¡¯t he confined to Heilong Mountain for medical treatment? Why suddenly did hee down the mountain?¡±


    ¡°This matter might have something to do with Old He¡­¡±


    Di Yelei hinted subtly.


    Liu Sisi nodded her head, understanding the key to the matter.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Mm, where is Old He now? I¡¯ll have a servant go invite him over.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to go looking, I already ordered someone to search for him before I came, but he¡¯s not to be found inside or outside. He must have known beforehand, so he left in advance.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Ran away? That¡¯s unlikely. You go ahead, tip off Granny Xu and the others secretly, try to simplify the ceremony as much as possible, and end it without any mistakes.¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly thought of a possibility, but now she couldn¡¯t verify it so she decided to postpone it.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll go tell Granny Xu now.¡±


    Di Yelei left hurriedly again.<div>


    Liu Sisi naturally couldn¡¯t go out, even though it was bustling outside, she seemed to be living in another world, unrted to all the excitement.


    Even so, she pricked up her ears to listen to the movements outside the door.


    After receiving Di Yelei¡¯s orders, Granny Xu naturally kept things simple, striving not to make any mistakes.


    The noon sun in June was bright, and the temperature steadily rising, making it a perfect day for the washing ritual.


    Everyone had already prepared all the necessary items ording to custom, setting up an altar in front of the delivery room, with statues of Goddess Bixia, Goddess of Childbirth, Goddess of Fertility, and Goddess of Pox Rash. The incense burner was filled with millet to be used as incense ashes.


    Many servants shuttle back and forth, offering up prepared items.


    ¡°Wait, let me check the list to see if it¡¯s correct.¡±


    Di Yelei had instructed that there could be no mistakes, so Granny Xu naturally paid close attention, carefully checking: ¡°Mm. Silver tweezers, lock, weighing scale, small mirror, green tea leaves, newb, sow¡¯s pancreas, towel, copper tea tray, green onion, fragrant pieces, mugwort ball, incense candles, raw and cooked eggs¡­ plus the embroidered needles, everything is almost ready and well-prepared. Tell the Old Master that everything is ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this maid will go now,¡± one of the maids epted the order and left.


    Granny Xu then directed someone to bring the prepared pagoda tree branches, mugwort, and wormwood water to the door of the delivery room to wait.


    She then entered the delivery room to ce the statues of the Stove God and Stove Goddess on the kang head in the bedroom. ording to custom, Ms. Zhao should have offered incense and bowed down, and the midwife should also perform the three kowtows. But since Ms. Zhao wasn¡¯t around, Liu Sisi directly asked Ms. Yao to take her ce, much to her delight.


    Afterwards, Granny Xu brought the child outside the delivery room, and the washing ritual began.


    ording to custom, everyone woulde forward to add water to the basin in turn.<div>


    The so-called ¡°adding to the basin¡± meant adding a small spoonful of clear water to the basin in the order of seniority, followed by dropping in some silver coins, which is called ¡°adding to the basin¡±.

 Chapter 594: Wash Three (Part 1)

    Chapter 594: Wash Three (Part 1)


    His legs almost gave out and he nearly ended up sprawled on the ground, but Shopkeeper Gu, who had followed him, managed to catch him just in time.


    ¡°Old Master, be careful,¡± Shopkeeper Gu said with a grin.


    Elderly Mr. Di looked at Di Yelei, who was hurrying in from outside, and finally managed to stand up straight. ¡°Thank you, thank you¡­¡± He was shaking all over.


    Elder Leisure nced at Liu Quan, who was helplessly slumped in his chair, and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Liu Quan, are you seeking death? I don¡¯t mind granting your wish!¡±


    Liu Quan swiftly got up and knelt on the ground, bowing his head. ¡°No, no, no¡­ Please spare me, your lordship! Please spare me!¡±


    ¡°Get out of here! Don¡¯t sully my eyes with your presence!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡±


    Liu Quan didn¡¯t seem to feel ashamed at all as he scurried away, rolling and crawling.


    Nobody at the scene thought he was wrong for doing so, as the old man¡¯s aura was just too overwhelming.


    Di Yelei was sweating profusely as he hurriedly stepped forward to invite Elder Leisure. ¡°Uncle¡­ ahem, esteemed uncle, please take the main seat!¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Elder Leisure raised an eyebrow and casually sat down in the main seat.


    Behind him, the five people who had been following him closely withdrew to their positions on either side.


    Only then did everyone notice the five people behind him. At this point, no one could remain calm!


    Most of the people did not recognize all five of them, but those they did recognize were all powerful figures. The rest were probably not much different in status.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Upon realizing this, everyone felt like they were sitting on pins and needles, and they could no longer eat.


    ¡°Eh! Why are you all just sitting still? Eat, eat! After the meal, I still want to go see the little ones,¡± said Elder Leisure, waving his hand cheerfully. ¡°You guys should start eating too. Today¡¯s dishes are quite abundant, so everyone should eat their fill.¡±


    He was genuinely happy today¡ªSisi had given birth to two sons and a daughter in one go. What could possibly make one happier than that?


    The servant next to Elder Leisure respectfully handed him a pair of silver chopsticks.


    Di Yelei carefully helped Elderly Mr. Di to his original seat, then sat down at the lowest-ranking position himself.


    ¡°Eat up, everyone, eat up. We¡¯re going to perform the washing ceremonyter, and everyone must not be hungry. Everyone, please enjoy yourselves and have a good time!¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly urged everyone on.


    All the guests had already been frightened, and although they resumed clinking sses and toasting one another, the lively atmosphere had clearly diminished.


    Di Yelei sent someone to call Liu Quan back, as he was, after all, Sisi¡¯s nominal father, and it wouldn¡¯t be proper for him to leave halfway through the banquet.


    But Liu Quan adamantly refused to sit at the same table as Elder Leisure. He might be a schr, but he knew better than to court danger by keepingpany with powerful figures.


    Left with no choice, Di Yelei found a corner where the pir blocked the view and settled Liu Quan there.


    But he couldn¡¯t help feeling relieved inwardly! Thank goodness men and women were seated separately, so at least themotion on this side wouldn¡¯t disturb the midwives on the other side. He prayed that today¡¯s washing ceremony would go smoothly and safely.


    As Elder Leisure clearly had no interest in the banquet, he tried a few bites with his silver chopsticks before setting them down and wiping his mouth with a towel handed to him by a follower. Only then did he turn to look at Di Yelei.


    ¡°When does the washing ceremony begin? I¡¯d like to add some basins and listen to the sound of the basins.¡±


    ¡°It will start soon, very soon.¡±


    Di Yelei hurriedly went to prepare.


    Granny Xu and the others were still eating, not leaving their seats. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Di Yelei sneaked into the delivery room.


    ¡°Sisi, your dad is here,¡± Di Yelei said as soon as he entered.


    Liu Sisi was drinking chicken soup at the moment, almost choking upon hearing this. Barely swallowing the soup in her mouth, she nced at him sideways: ¡°Is it worth making such a fuss about his arrival? You made a special trip for this, aren¡¯t there any guests to greet outside?¡±


    Di Yelei quickly waved those around him away, only then leaning in close to Liu Sisi: ¡°Not this dad, but your other dad!¡±


    ¡°That¡­ you mean him?¡±


    Liu Sisi finally caught on, her eyebrows instantly furrowing together: ¡°Wasn¡¯t he confined to Heilong Mountain for medical treatment? Why suddenly did hee down the mountain?¡±


    ¡°This matter might have something to do with Old He¡­¡±


    Di Yelei hinted subtly.


    Liu Sisi nodded her head, understanding the key to the matter.


    ¡°Mm, where is Old He now? I¡¯ll have a servant go invite him over.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to go looking, I already ordered someone to search for him before I came, but he¡¯s not to be found inside or outside. He must have known beforehand, so he left in advance.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Ran away? That¡¯s unlikely. You go ahead, tip off Granny Xu and the others secretly, try to simplify the ceremony as much as possible, and end it without any mistakes.¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly thought of a possibility, but now she couldn¡¯t verify it so she decided to postpone it.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll go tell Granny Xu now.¡±


    Di Yelei left hurriedly again.


    Liu Sisi naturally couldn¡¯t go out, even though it was bustling outside, she seemed to be living in another world, unrted to all the excitement.


    Even so, she pricked up her ears to listen to the movements outside the door.


    After receiving Di Yelei¡¯s orders, Granny Xu naturally kept things simple, striving not to make any mistakes.


    The noon sun in June was bright, and the temperature steadily rising, making it a perfect day for the washing ritual.


    Everyone had already prepared all the necessary items ording to custom, setting up an altar in front of the delivery room, with statues of Goddess Bixia, Goddess of Childbirth, Goddess of Fertility, and Goddess of Pox Rash. The incense burner was filled with millet to be used as incense ashes.


    Many servants shuttle back and forth, offering up prepared items.


    ¡°Wait, let me check the list to see if it¡¯s correct.¡±


    Di Yelei had instructed that there could be no mistakes, so Granny Xu naturally paid close attention, carefully checking: ¡°Mm. Silver tweezers, lock, weighing scale, small mirror, green tea leaves, newb, sow¡¯s pancreas, towel, copper tea tray, green onion, fragrant pieces, mugwort ball, incense candles, raw and cooked eggs¡­ plus the embroidered needles, everything is almost ready and well-prepared. Tell the Old Master that everything is ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this maid will go now,¡± one of the maids epted the order and left.


    Granny Xu then directed someone to bring the prepared pagoda tree branches, mugwort, and wormwood water to the door of the delivery room to wait.


    She then entered the delivery room to ce the statues of the Stove God and Stove Goddess on the kang head in the bedroom. ording to custom, Ms. Zhao should have offered incense and bowed down, and the midwife should also perform the three kowtows. But since Ms. Zhao wasn¡¯t around, Liu Sisi directly asked Ms. Yao to take her ce, much to her delight.


    Afterwards, Granny Xu brought the child outside the delivery room, and the washing ritual began.


    ording to custom, everyone woulde forward to add water to the basin in turn.


    The so-called ¡°adding to the basin¡± meant adding a small spoonful of clear water to the basin in the order of seniority, followed by dropping in some silver coins, which is called ¡°adding to the basin¡±.

 Chapter 595: Wash Three (Part 2)

    Chapter 595: Wash Three (Part 2)


    The first one to appear was naturally Elderly Mr. Di. He was so excited that he wanted toe forward, but a pair of big hands held him back.


    ¡°Slow down! My Zhao family¡¯s descendants should naturally be added to the pot by me first!¡±


    Elder Leisure spoke calmly, but the faces of those nearby changed drastically!


    What do you mean by descendants of the Zhao family? This child is clearly surnamed Di, right? Could it be¡­


    The crowd quickly imagined countless possibilities!


    Liu Sisi could no longer lie still inside! If he kept talking, who knows what else woulde out of his mouth, and how could she keep living her lifeter?


    She struggled to get up from the head of the bed, not even worrying if it was disrespectful, and rushed straight to the room door and opened it, shouting loudly!


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Elder Leisure was just about to add water to the basin with a jade ornament in his hand when he subconsciously paused his action and looked up to see Liu Sisi. His gaze softened in an instant!


    ¡°Oh? Sisi, why did youe out? You have just given birth and your body is weak. You should quickly go back to your room and lie down.¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯m weak and shouldn¡¯t be exposed to the wind?¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi was genuinely angry! This damn madman!


    ¡°You cane and see your grandson, sure! But now it¡¯s the child¡¯s hundredth-day feast. If you make a fuss here, don¡¯t me me for not considering our familial bond!¡±


    Daughter? Liu Sisi is surnamed Liu, so what¡¯s going on?


    At the moment, all the rtives in the room were from their own family, so everyone naturally knew about Liu Sisi¡¯s background. She was just a little wife bought for ten taels of silver!


    ¡°You¡­ fine, fine, I won¡¯t cause any chaos. Everything under the heavens belongs to the empire, and every person on the border is a subject! Naturally, it¡¯s right for me to be the first to add water to the basin. How could I cause chaos?¡±


    Elder Leisure unexpectedly conceded.


    He was once the Crown Prince of a country. Being willing to add water to the basin was a blessing that many people couldn¡¯t even beg for, and she actually wanted him to be in the back?


    It¡¯s simply unreasonable!


    Liu Sisi was left speechless by his one sentence and didn¡¯t know what to say anymore.


    A madman is a madman!


    His thinking was still stuck in the days when he had power and influence, and he hadn¡¯t learned anything during his countless years in the countryside!


    Liu Sisi was toozy to argue with him: ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue with you about this. You are so powerful that you can take away anyone¡¯s life at any time! Didn¡¯t you almost kill me several times? Now I let you stand here, just out of consideration for our blood rtionship. If you still recognize me as your daughter, then abide by the rules. Otherwise¡­ Humph!¡±


    After finishing speaking, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t look at him again, turned around, and closed the door with a m.


    ¡°You! You dare to talk to me like this!¡­¡±


    Elder Leisure was furious! But there was no sounding from the closed room.


    He was left feeling frustrated and helpless and could only swallow his anger, turned around, and red at Elderly Mr. Di.


    ¡°You go first!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di didn¡¯t know what to say, but encouraged by Di Yelei¡¯s gaze, he still straightened his chest and stepped forward, adding three scoops of clear water to the small basin and putting in three silver pieces.


    Granny Xu next to them quickly picked up some pleasing words: ¡°Long flowing water, the child will be smart and clever like a schr.¡±


    By the time Elderly Mr. Di finished adding his things to the basin, Elder Leisure didn¡¯t bother to step back anymore. He took a big step forward, scooped three heaping spoonfuls with the spoon, and then ced the jade ornament into the mugwort water. Turning around with a smug look on his face, he nced at everyone nearby before striding over to a random chair and sitting down.


    He still had to wait for his beloved grandson toe out!


    Next came Ms. Zhao¡¯s turn to add to the basin. She casually scooped three spoons of clear water and originally intended to simply add red dates and peanuts to the te, but being stared at by that pair of eyes, she reluctantly removed her earrings and ced them on a nearby tray.


    The following people also added their prepared gifts.


    When it was Ms. Xin¡¯s turn, she generously gave three gifts, each a sachet embroidered by her own hands. Di Xuan and Di Ying each added a handful of peanuts and longan on top.


    Once the Di family¡¯s rtives had all gone by, it was time for Liu Quan, Ms. Yao, and Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was deeply troubled as she had heard Liu Sisi and Elder Leisure¡¯s conversation earlier. Her parents¡¯ faces were wrong, but at the moment she couldn¡¯t do anything about it, so she held her questions in her heart until the washing ceremony was over.


    After the basin-adding ceremony was finished, Granny Xu took the first baby girl from the nanny. She stirred the basin with a stick, saying, ¡°May you flow long like the water and be clever and smart.¡± Then, she began to wash the baby.


    The child cried from the cold, and everyone was delighted!


    ¡°It¡¯s the Loud Basin, a good sign!¡±


    Granny Xu had already received Di Yelei¡¯s instructions and moved quickly. As she washed the child, she muttered, ¡°Wash the head first and you¡¯ll be a lord or marquis; wash the feetst, and you¡¯ll be a governor. Each generation will surpass thest!¡±


    Afterward, she took a mugwort ball, lit it, and then gingerly ced it on the child¡¯s forehead symbolically. Once she had dressed the baby¡¯s hair and tidied it up, the washing was considered finished. Then, she tied a band around the child and lightly tapped it three times with a leek, saying, ¡°Once for intelligence, twice for cleverness and three times for staying out of trouble.¡±


    The ceremony was so borate that it took nearly half an hour to finish washing the three children.


    Afterwards, there was still the rite of shooting the ¡°heavens and earth in all directions.¡± Finally, once it was allpleted, the washing ceremony was considered over.


    Luckily, Elder Leisure had been quietly sitting by the whole time without making any extra moves, allowing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.


    As they were about to carry the children back inside, he finally made a move!


    ¡°Wait! Let me hold the children.¡±


    The nanny was startled but didn¡¯t dare to disobey. She carefully handed the children over to him.


    Elder Leisure got up, traced the children¡¯s faces, examined them closely, and then nodded with satisfaction.


    Afterward, he took out three gold-iy jade locks from his arms and ced one in each child¡¯s swaddle.


    ¡°For the sake of these three children, I will let the matter go. However, if I ever find out that you dare do anything wrong against Sisi, hmph!¡±


    ¡°I certainly would never dare,¡± Di Yelei bowed.


    ¡°Hmm! Have you named the children yet?¡± Elder Leisure was apparently very satisfied with Di Yelei¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°Well¡­ ording to custom, children should only be named on their hundredth day, so¡­¡± Di Yelei hesitated.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    After Elder Leisure finished speaking, he didn¡¯t wait for Di Yelei to say more. He turned around, took a big step, and walked out the yard gate.


    The few people who hade with him followed immediately.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t dare to linger and hurriedly caught up to them to see them off.


    As soon as he left, everyone immediately began to talk and discuss!

 Chapter 596: Wash Three (Part 3)

    Chapter 596: Wash Three (Part 3)


    Granny Xu¡¯s midwives took their leave one after another, while the male guests mostly went to the front yard to continue their eating and drinking.


    The women, naturally gossiping, lingered where they were. Pretending to busy themselves with misceneous things, their ears pricked up to catch any changes in the situation at the center of the scene.


    ¡°Ms. Yao, what exactly is happening here? Isn¡¯t Sisi your daughter? How did she be the daughter of that frightening man?¡± When Elder leisure was present, Ms. Zhao didn¡¯t dare to make a peep. But the moment he left, she was the first to jump out and demand an exnation.


    A daughter of a man who resembles the devil, no wonder her tactics are so sinister! She opposes her at every turn!


    A clear understanding shed in Ms. Zhao¡¯s mind.


    Ms. Yao, who was timid as a mouse since childhood, took a nce at Liu Quan who was striding toward the exit of the courtyard, and hastily gave everyone a reply.


    ¡°No, Sisi is¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®frightening man¡¯? Everyone¡¯s known for ages that Sisi has adoptive parents! Today, you¡¯re deliberately bringing this up here. Are you trying to smear your daughter-inw?¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er interrupted her.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s retort was on point, and it dispelled everyone¡¯s doubts at once!


    After all, it was no secret that Sisi hadst year acknowledged the elderly madam of the Gan family as her grandmother.


    However, Ms. Xin, who was standing by, flickered her eyes, hung her head low in deep thought, and chose to remain silent.


    Ms. Zhao was not one to be trifled with, and rashly retorted, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? She has adoptive parents, so as her mother-inw, I can¡¯t inquire? No wonder you were divorced by your inws with such a fiery temper!¡± She fired back sarcastically.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She had a long-standing grudge with Liu Sisi. Thinking about her daughter Ruo Ning, her heart ached terribly!


    It was this woman, it was her that had turned her Ruo Ning into a living ghost!


    It was also her, it was her that had caused her to lose face in her old age!


    And most of all, it was her that had attracted her husband¡¯s indifference, forcing her, Ms. Zhao, to live at her mercy. How could Zhao possibly swallow her pride?


    She hated! She hated her!


    ¡°You! The divorce had nothing to do with you or Sisi!¡±


    The reopening of fresh wounds had instantly enraged Liu Zhi¡¯er, ¡°As a mother-inw, it¡¯s eptable to inquire about your daughter-inw¡¯s rtives. But isn¡¯t it a little toote for your concern now? There aren¡¯t many mother-inws like you, who would deliberately nder their own daughter-inw in front of rtives and friends. What¡¯s your true intent?¡±


    Upon recalling her own past amodations and the resultant separation from her child, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s pent-up anger soared upon hearing Ms. Zhao¡¯s words.


    ¡°Ah! How could I have forgotten? You¡¯re just Sisi¡¯s step-mother-inw, naturally you can¡¯tpare to a birth mother-inw.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er retorted.


    Her words had the surrounding kin whispering to each other, creating a wave of gossip.


    Why did Zhao marry Elderly Mr. Di as a new wife in the first ce? Everyone knew the exact reason.


    The topic being brought up again, and by a younger generation no less, caused the rtives and friends present tough.


    As the peopleughed, Ms. Zhao¡¯s anger grew. Her face turning pale and then green, she was speechless for quite a while.


    ¡°Zhi¡¯er, you¡­ Stop it.¡±


    Ms. Yao on the side quickly tugged at Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s clothes. She had deeply offended Sisi¡¯s mother-inw; thetter was likely to bear a grudge against Sisi in future.


    Ms. Zhao, who was next to them, was already angry as hell and at this moment, when she heard Ms. Yao¡¯s words, it only served to stoke her anger more.


    ¡°Oh, wonderful! So you, the mother-daughter duo, both want to bully a poor old woman like me, don¡¯t you? Come on then! Come at me!¡±


    While she was speaking, she deliberately bumped into Ms. Yao, full resembling a shrew.


    ¡°None of this is true, absolutely not¡­¡± Ms. Yao responded with a weak voice while shrinking in fright.


    ¡°You¡¯re just relying on the fact that you have a strong-willed daughter who isn¡¯t afraid of her mother-inw, and a son-inw who stands by you, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s why you dare to swagger about here, isn¡¯t it? Isn¡¯t it?¡± As she was saying this, she seemed to get more and more into it, and the force of her bumping increased.


    Ms. Yao was originally one to have a faint-hearted personality, at this moment after being hit by Ms. Zhao, she stepped back reluctantly, and when her foot stumbled slightly, she was directly knocked down. Tears welled up in her eyes right away and she couldn¡¯t stop crying.


    ¡°Hey! What do you mean? Just because you¡¯re an elder, don¡¯t think you can bully people! What do you mean by pushing my mother to the ground? Everyone witnessed this; you won¡¯t be able to cheat your way out of this!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was angry and constantly questioned Ms. Zhao.


    ¡°I¡­ I just slightly pushed her, and she fell down herself. This is obviously deception! Oh God, do you want us to live or not? Come and see¡­¡±


    Seeing that there was no defense for her actions, Ms. Zhao began to cry loudly and make a scene.


    At this very moment, Di Yelei had sent Elder Leisure back and was walking back, chatting casually with elderly Mr. Di. As soon as they entered, they heard Ms. Zhao¡¯s crying, and elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t tolerate it any more. He shouted: ¡°Shut up!¡±


    He rushed forwards and lifted his crutch, about to strike: ¡°I¡¯ll beat you, this troublemaker, to death!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! Stop it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit her, don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Be careful not to hurt anyone¡­¡±


    The nearby crowd hurriedly came forward to stop elderly Mr. Di, quickly pulling him back.


    Ms. Zhao stopped crying as soon as she saw elderly Mr. Di appear, and at the moment, she shrank back, not daring to utter a word.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Elder Di, let¡¯s go inside and have a drink! I haven¡¯t eaten any of the food or drink from before.¡±


    Old He appeared from somewhere, put his arm around elderly Mr. Di, and went to the front hall to drink with the crowd.


    Before elderly Mr. Di left, he gave Ms. Zhao a fierce stare.


    It is said that marrying a virtuous woman brings good fortune. No wonder the Di family had been in a tumultuous condition for these years with such an ill-omened woman like her.


    Seizing the opportunity when no one was paying attention, Liu Zhi¡¯er pulled Ms. Yao into a corner. After making sure that no one was nearby, she asked quietly: ¡°Mother, what exactly happened with Sisi? Isn¡¯t she my father¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Avoiding her gaze, Ms. Yao hesitated: ¡°Sisi¡­ she¡­ is¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er inhaled sharply: ¡°Mother! So, Sisi¡¯s biological father is that man? Back then, you and he¡­ and father¡­ how could¡­?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was so stunned that she could hardly make sense of her thoughts. Sisi was actually a child born out of her mother¡¯s affair with another man. This¡­ this was so shocking to her!


    Only then did Ms. Yao understand Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s question. Her face turned pale and she gripped her hand tightly: ¡°No, Sisi is not my child. She is¡­ she is our adopted daughter, she is the daughter of my elder legitimate sister¡­¡±


    ¡°Legitimate Sister? Mother, you have an elder legitimate sister? So, are you the daughter of a concubine? Where is she? Mother, why haven¡¯t you ever mentioned her before?¡±

 Chapter 595: 595: Wash Three (Part 2)

    Chapter 595: Wash Three (Part 2)


    The first one to appear was naturally Elderly Mr. Di. He was so excited that he wanted toe forward, but a pair of big hands held him back.


    ¡°Slow down! My Zhao family¡¯s descendants should naturally be added to the pot by me first!¡±


    Elder Leisure spoke calmly, but the faces of those nearby changed drastically!


    What do you mean by descendants of the Zhao family? This child is clearly surnamed Di, right? Could it be¡­


    The crowd quickly imagined countless possibilities!


    Liu Sisi could no longer lie still inside! If he kept talking, who knows what else woulde out of his mouth, and how could she keep living her lifeter?


    She struggled to get up from the head of the bed, not even worrying if it was disrespectful, and rushed straight to the room door and opened it, shouting loudly!


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Elder Leisure was just about to add water to the basin with a jade ornament in his hand when he subconsciously paused his action and looked up to see Liu Sisi. His gaze softened in an instant!


    ¡°Oh? Sisi, why did youe out? You have just given birth and your body is weak. You should quickly go back to your room and lie down.¡±<div>


    ¡°You know I¡¯m weak and shouldn¡¯t be exposed to the wind?¡±


    Liu Sisi was genuinely angry! This damn madman!


    ¡°You cane and see your grandson, sure! But now it¡¯s the child¡¯s hundredth-day feast. If you make a fuss here, don¡¯t me me for not considering our familial bond!¡±


    Daughter? Liu Sisi is surnamed Liu, so what¡¯s going on?


    At the moment, all the rtives in the room were from their own family, so everyone naturally knew about Liu Sisi¡¯s background. She was just a little wife bought for ten taels of silver!


    ¡°You¡­ fine, fine, I won¡¯t cause any chaos. Everything under the heavens belongs to the empire, and every person on the border is a subject! Naturally, it¡¯s right for me to be the first to add water to the basin. How could I cause chaos?¡±


    Elder Leisure unexpectedly conceded.


    He was once the Crown Prince of a country. Being willing to add water to the basin was a blessing that many people couldn¡¯t even beg for, and she actually wanted him to be in the back?


    It¡¯s simply unreasonable!


    Liu Sisi was left speechless by his one sentence and didn¡¯t know what to say anymore.


    A madman is a madman!


    His thinking was still stuck in the days when he had power and influence, and he hadn¡¯t learned anything during his countless years in the countryside!


    Liu Sisi was toozy to argue with him: ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue with you about this. You are so powerful that you can take away anyone¡¯s life at any time! Didn¡¯t you almost kill me several times? Now I let you stand here, just out of consideration for our blood rtionship. If you still recognize me as your daughter, then abide by the rules. Otherwise¡­ Humph!¡±


    After finishing speaking, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t look at him again, turned around, and closed the door with a m.


    ¡°You! You dare to talk to me like this!¡­¡±


    Elder Leisure was furious! But there was no sounding from the closed room.


    He was left feeling frustrated and helpless and could only swallow his anger, turned around, and red at Elderly Mr. Di.


    ¡°You go first!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di didn¡¯t know what to say, but encouraged by Di Yelei¡¯s gaze, he still straightened his chest and stepped forward, adding three scoops of clear water to the small basin and putting in three silver pieces.<div>


    Granny Xu next to them quickly picked up some pleasing words: ¡°Long flowing water, the child will be smart and clever like a schr.¡±


    By the time Elderly Mr. Di finished adding his things to the basin, Elder Leisure didn¡¯t bother to step back anymore. He took a big step forward, scooped three heaping spoonfuls with the spoon, and then ced the jade ornament into the mugwort water. Turning around with a smug look on his face, he nced at everyone nearby before striding over to a random chair and sitting down.


    He still had to wait for his beloved grandson toe out!


    Next came Ms. Zhao¡¯s turn to add to the basin. She casually scooped three spoons of clear water and originally intended to simply add red dates and peanuts to the te, but being stared at by that pair of eyes, she reluctantly removed her earrings and ced them on a nearby tray.<div>


    The following people also added their prepared gifts.


    When it was Ms. Xin¡¯s turn, she generously gave three gifts, each a sachet embroidered by her own hands. Di Xuan and Di Ying each added a handful of peanuts and longan on top.


    Once the Di family¡¯s rtives had all gone by, it was time for Liu Quan, Ms. Yao, and Liu Zhi¡¯er.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was deeply troubled as she had heard Liu Sisi and Elder Leisure¡¯s conversation earlier. Her parents¡¯ faces were wrong, but at the moment she couldn¡¯t do anything about it, so she held her questions in her heart until the washing ceremony was over.


    After the basin-adding ceremony was finished, Granny Xu took the first baby girl from the nanny. She stirred the basin with a stick, saying, ¡°May you flow long like the water and be clever and smart.¡± Then, she began to wash the baby.


    The child cried from the cold, and everyone was delighted!


    ¡°It¡¯s the Loud Basin, a good sign!¡±


    Granny Xu had already received Di Yelei¡¯s instructions and moved quickly. As she washed the child, she muttered, ¡°Wash the head first and you¡¯ll be a lord or marquis; wash the feetst, and you¡¯ll be a governor. Each generation will surpass thest!¡±


    Afterward, she took a mugwort ball, lit it, and then gingerly ced it on the child¡¯s forehead symbolically. Once she had dressed the baby¡¯s hair and tidied it up, the washing was considered finished. Then, she tied a band around the child and lightly tapped it three times with a leek, saying, ¡°Once for intelligence, twice for cleverness and three times for staying out of trouble.¡±


    The ceremony was so borate that it took nearly half an hour to finish washing the three children.


    Afterwards, there was still the rite of shooting the ¡°heavens and earth in all directions.¡± Finally, once it was allpleted, the washing ceremony was considered over.


    Luckily, Elder Leisure had been quietly sitting by the whole time without making any extra moves, allowing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.


    As they were about to carry the children back inside, he finally made a move!<div>


    ¡°Wait! Let me hold the children.¡±


    The nanny was startled but didn¡¯t dare to disobey. She carefully handed the children over to him.


    Elder Leisure got up, traced the children¡¯s faces, examined them closely, and then nodded with satisfaction.


    Afterward, he took out three gold-iy jade locks from his arms and ced one in each child¡¯s swaddle.


    ¡°For the sake of these three children, I will let the matter go. However, if I ever find out that you dare do anything wrong against Sisi, hmph!¡±


    ¡°I certainly would never dare,¡± Di Yelei bowed.


    ¡°Hmm! Have you named the children yet?¡± Elder Leisure was apparently very satisfied with Di Yelei¡¯s attitude.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Well¡­ ording to custom, children should only be named on their hundredth day, so¡­¡± Di Yelei hesitated.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    After Elder Leisure finished speaking, he didn¡¯t wait for Di Yelei to say more. He turned around, took a big step, and walked out the yard gate.


    The few people who hade with him followed immediately.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t dare to linger and hurriedly caught up to them to see them off.


    As soon as he left, everyone immediately began to talk and discuss!<div>

 Chapter 596: 596: Wash Three (Part 3)

    Chapter 596: Wash Three (Part 3)


    Granny Xu¡¯s midwives took their leave one after another, while the male guests mostly went to the front yard to continue their eating and drinking.


    The women, naturally gossiping, lingered where they were. Pretending to busy themselves with misceneous things, their ears pricked up to catch any changes in the situation at the center of the scene.


    ¡°Ms. Yao, what exactly is happening here? Isn¡¯t Sisi your daughter? How did she be the daughter of that frightening man?¡± When Elder leisure was present, Ms. Zhao didn¡¯t dare to make a peep. But the moment he left, she was the first to jump out and demand an exnation.


    A daughter of a man who resembles the devil, no wonder her tactics are so sinister! She opposes her at every turn!


    A clear understanding shed in Ms. Zhao¡¯s mind.


    Ms. Yao, who was timid as a mouse since childhood, took a nce at Liu Quan who was striding toward the exit of the courtyard, and hastily gave everyone a reply.


    ¡°No, Sisi is¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®frightening man¡¯? Everyone¡¯s known for ages that Sisi has adoptive parents! Today, you¡¯re deliberately bringing this up here. Are you trying to smear your daughter-inw?¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er interrupted her.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s retort was on point, and it dispelled everyone¡¯s doubts at once!


    After all, it was no secret that Sisi hadst year acknowledged the elderly madam of the Gan family as her grandmother.<div>


    However, Ms. Xin, who was standing by, flickered her eyes, hung her head low in deep thought, and chose to remain silent.


    Ms. Zhao was not one to be trifled with, and rashly retorted, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? She has adoptive parents, so as her mother-inw, I can¡¯t inquire? No wonder you were divorced by your inws with such a fiery temper!¡± She fired back sarcastically.


    She had a long-standing grudge with Liu Sisi. Thinking about her daughter Ruo Ning, her heart ached terribly!


    It was this woman, it was her that had turned her Ruo Ning into a living ghost!


    It was also her, it was her that had caused her to lose face in her old age!


    And most of all, it was her that had attracted her husband¡¯s indifference, forcing her, Ms. Zhao, to live at her mercy. How could Zhao possibly swallow her pride?


    She hated! She hated her!


    ¡°You! The divorce had nothing to do with you or Sisi!¡±


    The reopening of fresh wounds had instantly enraged Liu Zhi¡¯er, ¡°As a mother-inw, it¡¯s eptable to inquire about your daughter-inw¡¯s rtives. But isn¡¯t it a little toote for your concern now? There aren¡¯t many mother-inws like you, who would deliberately nder their own daughter-inw in front of rtives and friends. What¡¯s your true intent?¡±


    Upon recalling her own past amodations and the resultant separation from her child, Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s pent-up anger soared upon hearing Ms. Zhao¡¯s words.


    ¡°Ah! How could I have forgotten? You¡¯re just Sisi¡¯s step-mother-inw, naturally you can¡¯tpare to a birth mother-inw.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er retorted.


    Her words had the surrounding kin whispering to each other, creating a wave of gossip.


    Why did Zhao marry Elderly Mr. Di as a new wife in the first ce? Everyone knew the exact reason.


    The topic being brought up again, and by a younger generation no less, caused the rtives and friends present tough.


    As the peopleughed, Ms. Zhao¡¯s anger grew. Her face turning pale and then green, she was speechless for quite a while.


    ¡°Zhi¡¯er, you¡­ Stop it.¡±


    Ms. Yao on the side quickly tugged at Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s clothes. She had deeply offended Sisi¡¯s mother-inw; thetter was likely to bear a grudge against Sisi in future.


    Ms. Zhao, who was next to them, was already angry as hell and at this moment, when she heard Ms. Yao¡¯s words, it only served to stoke her anger more.


    ¡°Oh, wonderful! So you, the mother-daughter duo, both want to bully a poor old woman like me, don¡¯t you? Come on then! Come at me!¡±<div>


    While she was speaking, she deliberately bumped into Ms. Yao, full resembling a shrew.


    ¡°None of this is true, absolutely not¡­¡± Ms. Yao responded with a weak voice while shrinking in fright.


    ¡°You¡¯re just relying on the fact that you have a strong-willed daughter who isn¡¯t afraid of her mother-inw, and a son-inw who stands by you, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s why you dare to swagger about here, isn¡¯t it? Isn¡¯t it?¡± As she was saying this, she seemed to get more and more into it, and the force of her bumping increased.


    Ms. Yao was originally one to have a faint-hearted personality, at this moment after being hit by Ms. Zhao, she stepped back reluctantly, and when her foot stumbled slightly, she was directly knocked down. Tears welled up in her eyes right away and she couldn¡¯t stop crying.<div>


    ¡°Hey! What do you mean? Just because you¡¯re an elder, don¡¯t think you can bully people! What do you mean by pushing my mother to the ground? Everyone witnessed this; you won¡¯t be able to cheat your way out of this!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was angry and constantly questioned Ms. Zhao.


    ¡°I¡­ I just slightly pushed her, and she fell down herself. This is obviously deception! Oh God, do you want us to live or not? Come and see¡­¡±


    Seeing that there was no defense for her actions, Ms. Zhao began to cry loudly and make a scene.


    At this very moment, Di Yelei had sent Elder Leisure back and was walking back, chatting casually with elderly Mr. Di. As soon as they entered, they heard Ms. Zhao¡¯s crying, and elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t tolerate it any more. He shouted: ¡°Shut up!¡±


    He rushed forwards and lifted his crutch, about to strike: ¡°I¡¯ll beat you, this troublemaker, to death!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! Stop it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit her, don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Be careful not to hurt anyone¡­¡±


    The nearby crowd hurriedly came forward to stop elderly Mr. Di, quickly pulling him back.


    Ms. Zhao stopped crying as soon as she saw elderly Mr. Di appear, and at the moment, she shrank back, not daring to utter a word.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Elder Di, let¡¯s go inside and have a drink! I haven¡¯t eaten any of the food or drink from before.¡±


    Old He appeared from somewhere, put his arm around elderly Mr. Di, and went to the front hall to drink with the crowd.<div>


    Before elderly Mr. Di left, he gave Ms. Zhao a fierce stare.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It is said that marrying a virtuous woman brings good fortune. No wonder the Di family had been in a tumultuous condition for these years with such an ill-omened woman like her.


    Seizing the opportunity when no one was paying attention, Liu Zhi¡¯er pulled Ms. Yao into a corner. After making sure that no one was nearby, she asked quietly: ¡°Mother, what exactly happened with Sisi? Isn¡¯t she my father¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Avoiding her gaze, Ms. Yao hesitated: ¡°Sisi¡­ she¡­ is¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er inhaled sharply: ¡°Mother! So, Sisi¡¯s biological father is that man? Back then, you and he¡­ and father¡­ how could¡­?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was so stunned that she could hardly make sense of her thoughts. Sisi was actually a child born out of her mother¡¯s affair with another man. This¡­ this was so shocking to her!


    Only then did Ms. Yao understand Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s question. Her face turned pale and she gripped her hand tightly: ¡°No, Sisi is not my child. She is¡­ she is our adopted daughter, she is the daughter of my elder legitimate sister¡­¡±


    ¡°Legitimate Sister? Mother, you have an elder legitimate sister? So, are you the daughter of a concubine? Where is she? Mother, why haven¡¯t you ever mentioned her before?¡±

 Chapter 597: 597: She Wants to Eat Vegetables...

    Chapter 597: She Wants to Eat Vegetables¡­


    Ms. Yao was so anxious that she wrung her hands, her head almost buried in her chest.


    She stammered for a while without being able to exin herself.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was extremely anxious! ¡°Mom, just say it! Are you saying that Liu Sisi is not actually a Liu, but the daughter of that man and¡­ and Auntie?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s exactly how it is.¡± Ms. Yao nodded and then hurriedly shook her head: ¡°The situation is veryplicated, Zhi¡¯er, I can¡¯t exin it clearly in a moment¡­¡±


    So Sisi was not her own sister, but her cousin!


    This was unbelievable.


    Ms. Yao looked up at her and then lowered her head again.


    ¡°At that time, you were still young, so you definitely won¡¯t remember it, but your eldest sister knows it clearly. Sisi was brought back by her initially. Wait¡­ let¡¯s talk about this slowly when we have timeter, I have to go see your father first. Liu Quan, Liu Quan¡­¡±


    She had more to say, but seeing Liu Quan¡¯s figure swaying on the horizon about to disappear around the corner, she hurriedly picked up her skirt and chased after him.


    ¡°Mom! Mom¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er called out in desperation a few times, but still couldn¡¯t stop Ms. Yao¡¯s departure.


    She gave up in despair, standing still, absorbed in her thoughts.


    Ms. Yao had left the Di Family with Liu Quan, while the three children were brought back to Liu Sisi by the nanny.


    Among the three children, the girl was the most well-behaved. Besides crying once when she was put into the basin, she only cried a few times when her ear holes were pierced, otherwise, she had been deeply asleep.


    In contrast, it was the smallest, who was also the most surprising one who cried incessantly from bathing to dressing, so much so that his voice turned hoarse, which made Liu Sisi very distressed.


    As soon as she was brought back to the room, she cuddled her child and began to coo him gently. Rocking him slowly, she finally managed to lull him to sleep.


    Although it was warm outside, the three children had been undressed and tormented for so long, Liu Sisi was afraid that they might catch a cold. It was not until she saw that they were able to eat and sleep that she put her mind at rest.


    With the departure of Elder Leisure, the courtyard regained its liveliness.


    Once Di Yelei returned and was joined by the foodie Old He, it seemed that this banquet was not going to end so easily!


    He casually greeted everyone: ¡°There was a minor mishap earlier which you don¡¯t need to bother about. We are all friends and neighbors here, so eat and drink as much as you like and nobody is allowed to cross this threshold until they are drunk. Come on, cheers!¡±


    The banquet went on from noon till the deep night withughter and merriment never subsiding.


    As for Di Yelei, he was so drunk that he was supported and carried into the room.


    He rolled straight onto Liu Sisi and passed out. No matter how much she shook him, she could not wake him up.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, I am so happy, so happy¡­ Sisi!¡±


    asionally, the drunkard¡¯s mouth would utter a few words and he would burst into heartyughter.


    ¡°Serve you right, you drunkard! All you know is to drink¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi scolded as she scrubbed him thoroughly before allowing him to sleep.


    Just when Liu Sisi thought he had passed out drunk, he suddenly rolled over, his arm stretched over: ¡°Sisi, do you know? I really, really like you¡­ugh¡­it isn¡¯t because of your family background¡­¡±


    A soft sensation stirred in Liu Sisi¡¯s heart!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    She immediately pped his face energetically, ¡°Ye Lei, wake up, Ye Lei! You bastard, are you really drunk or just pretending to be? Are you slurring drunk words? Ye Lei, Ye Lei!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not because you gave birth to triplets for me, I truly like you as a person! Sisi¡­ My Sisi¡­¡±


    Di Yelei was muttering, speaking drunken words with his eyes closed, no matter how hard Liu Sisi pped, he wouldn¡¯t wake up.


    ¡°Ye Lei, are you speaking the truth or just drunken words?¡±<div>


    In the darkness, Liu Sisi looked at Di Yelei¡¯s face close to her, and she had a rare insomnia.


    The days that followed were the most leisurely ones for Liu Sisi since she came into this world.


    Although there are three children to look after, with so many people helping, she really didn¡¯t get tired.


    Her daily task is eating, drinking, and sleeping. Nowadays, when she sees nourishing food and medicinal soups, she feels nauseated. She feels awful!


    ¡°Ye Lei, I don¡¯t want to eat these things anymore, they¡¯re so greasy¡­ do you agree?¡±


    She tugged at Di Ye Lei¡¯s sleeve, blinking her big eyes pitifully at him, melting his heart instantly.


    He couldn¡¯t help but wrap his arms around her waist, his face full of affection, ¡°You¡¯ve just given birth, eating these foods is good for your body. If you don¡¯t take advantage of this time to make up for it, you will suffer health problems when you get old. Endure for one or two months now, it¡¯s for your lifetime benefit. Be good!¡± After saying that, he patted her on the shoulder.


    ¡°No, no! I want to eat porridge, I want to eat vegetables! It¡¯s so hot in June, and I eat so much nourishing food every day, I feel like I¡¯m about to catch a me. I don¡¯t want to eat, Ye Lei¡­!¡±


    She strongly leaned on Di Yelei¡¯s arm, determined to get the benefits of today¡¯s food.


    Di Yelei¡¯s arm was shaken, and he was somewhat helpless against Liu Sisi¡¯s persistence.


    ¡°How could it be possible? With Old He personally supervising your diet, how could you get inmed? Those are all nourishing ingredients, surely beneficial for your body. Be good.¡±


    ¡°No! Today I want to eat porridge, porridge, porridge, vegetables, vegetables, vegetables!¡±


    She was angry! Humph!<div>


    ¡°Alright, alright, tonight you eat vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Really? You promised me yourself, you can¡¯t go back on your word!¡± Liu Sisi was finally happy.


    ¡°I won¡¯t go back on my word!¡±


    Di Yelei replied seriously.


    By evening, the long-awaited vegetable dish for Liu Sisi came ¨C cubilose and snow fungus soup!


    She used the spoon to stir it for quite a while, then gritted her teeth, sucked in a deep breath, and shouted: ¡°Di Ye Lei!¡±


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t shout so loud, be careful not to hurt your throat, and if you wake up the three little guys, it would be really bad.¡± Di Yelei said earnestly.


    Among the three children, the smallest one is bound to cry first, and when the little one cries, therger two immediately start crying, and then, countless people are busy.


    ¡°Cut the crap, Di Yelei. You promised me yourself this afternoon to let me eat vegetables, where¡¯s the vegetable?¡± Liu Sisi did not intend to let him distract her.


    Di Yelei was busy holding the little one and rocked it gently, there came a cooing sound, a perfect good father.


    ¡°It¡¯s in there. When I told the kitchen staff to cook it, I specifically added some snow fungus. This is snow fungus cubilose soup!¡±


    Snow fungus isn¡¯t vegetable, and soup isn¡¯t porridge. His words really always add up!


    <div>

 Chapter 598: 598: Forever Good Sisters

    Chapter 598: Forever Good Sisters


    ¡°Snow fungus? That counts as a vegetable? You¡¯re not tricking me, are you?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t let go and stirred it with her spoon again. After the snow fungus and cubilose were cooked, it was impossible to tell which was which.


    She rolled her eyes and became angry, ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m not eating it!¡±


    ¡°You really won¡¯t eat it?¡±


    Di Yelei, at her side, was not in the least affected by her threat, ¡°Seems like our Third Son is getting hungry. What should we do?¡±


    The little guy had recently be very difficult. Ever since he had nursed from Liu Sisi, he no longer wanted milk from Ms. Gao or anybody else. To ensure she had enough milk for this big eater, Liu Sisi had no choice but to pick up her spoon again, reluctantly scooping arge spoonful of the snow fungus and cubilose soup, and swallowing it after only a few random chews.


    Her expression looked like she wished she was chewing Di Yelei¡¯s flesh instead.


    Di Yelei tried to suppress hisughter, but he maintained a serious face, still coaxing the little ancestor in his arms.


    Liu Sisi was furious to the point of almost dropping dead, and still couldn¡¯t get any vegetables. How could she not be upset?


    The next day, when she mentioned it to Liu Zhi¡¯er, her sister-inw¡¯s expression was oddly strange.<div>


    ¡°Sisi, you really don¡¯t know how blessed you are right now. When I gave birth to Da Mao, Er Mao, and San Mao, I didn¡¯t even have rice to eat. I remember when I delivered San Mao, he won arge sum of silver, so he cooked me an unprecedented four eggs that day. At that time, I felt that all my hardships were worth it¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er became speechless as she spoke, tears welling up in her eyes.


    Liu Sisi was just about to take out the pigeon neck from the pigeon stew with gastrodia when her sister-inw¡¯s words made her pause and eptingly put the pigeon neck in her mouth, slowly nibbling on it.


    ¡°Second Sister, those days are gone. You will find a good man who will genuinely care for you in the future,¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes filled with sincerity.


    ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t trust men anymore. From now on, I will just live well with Da Mao.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was folding her child¡¯s diaper. Good men like her brother-inw were almost extinct in this world. Sisi was lucky to have found one, but she couldn¡¯t possibly expect to find one herself, right?


    Unless¡­ An inappropriate thought suddenly crossed her mind, and Liu Zhi¡¯er quickly shook her head, trying to dismiss the idea.


    She shivered, wondering how she could have such a thought. How could she entertain such an idea? Was she going insane?


    ¡°Just because you didn¡¯t have one before doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t in the future. Second Sister, you will definitely find someone. I believe in you.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t notice Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s sudden change in facial expression and instead showed concern, ¡°Second Sister, you seem to have a lot on your mindtely. Is there something wrong? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°No, no, there¡¯s nothing wrong with me. What could be wrong?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er used the opportunity of changing the baby¡¯s diaper to dodge Liu Sisi¡¯s inquiry. It took her quite a while to regain her usualposure.


    Liu Sisi knew that her sister was evading her questions because she had something on her mind, ¡°Second Sister, we¡¯re close sisters. Is there something you can¡¯t tell me?¡±


    ¡°Are we¡­ really sisters?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er spoke softly, as she had many questions to ask but didn¡¯t know where to start.


    ¡°Of course we¡¯re sisters! We¡¯ll be good sisters forever!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes shed, and suddenly figured out the crux of the matter, ¡°Second Sister, did you hear something outside?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    She hurried to the other side and sat down, remaining silent.<div>


    It seems Second Sister knew!


    ¡°Did Mom tell you? I knew it¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled. Ms. Yao couldn¡¯t keep secrets. She pushed herself up from the head of the bed and sat down beside her: ¡°Second Sister, whether we are real sisters or cousins, aren¡¯t we good sisters anyway? What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er raised her head: ¡°I¡­ I feel very confused, Sisi¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be confused about, just remember, Sisi is your younger sister, nothing else matters.¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled gently.


    It took Liu Zhi¡¯er a long time to calm down and smile. She held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand: ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll remember that, Sisi.¡± She smiled, and the gloom of the past few days faded away.


    Although Liu Zhi¡¯er helped to take care of the children, and there were four wet nurses, including Ms. Gao, taking care of the three children in total, Liu Sisi still felt that they were understaffed.


    There was supposed to be another nurse, but an emergency happened in her family, so she left in a hurry.


    Each of the three remaining nurses was taking care of one child, which should have been enough. However, the youngest child seemed insatiable, always wanting to fill their little stomach before stopping!


    As soon as they got a little hungry, they would start crying, and their voice was loud. Once they started crying, the other two children would wake up, and then all three would cry together, creating a deafening noise.


    As a result, his milk was often not enough. Liu Sisi, worried that the child would go hungry, had to take matters into her own hands and feed him herself.


    The little guy seemed very smart, always staring at her with his big grape-like eyes while eating.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart melted!


    The window outside was gently pushed open a little, a pair of eyes appearing in the gap, carefully observing the room.


    A gentle breeze blew¡­


    Liu Sisi¡¯s nose twitched, and she looked back just in time to see the thin gap opened on the windowsill.<div>


    ¡°YingEr? YingEr, is that you? What are you hiding there for? The sun is getting hot outside;e in quickly.¡±


    With her words, there was a rustling sound outside.


    A momentter, the room door was carefully pried open, and YingEr poked her head out of the doorway.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    Di Ying stood by the door with her head lowered, Da Mao, Xue Lan, and Xue Yi following close behind her.


    ¡°What are you standing there for? Come to Mom. Come look at your little brothers and sisters and see if you like them.¡± Liu Sisi smiled and motioned her over.


    Di Ying¡¯s eyes lit up in an instant, and she quickly ran to the bedside: ¡°Mom, is that little brother in your arms?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is your Third Brother. Come, try holding him.¡± Liu Sisi lifted her arms generously, teaching Di Ying how to hold the baby.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Mom, little brother is so small.¡±


    Di Ying¡¯s face turned red, apparently having trouble lifting the baby.


    Liu Sisi corrected her holding posture, choosing the most effortless way for her: ¡°But can you hold your little brother? If you can¡¯t, you must tell Mom.¡±

 Chapter 599: 599: Childrens Innocence

    Chapter 599: Children¡¯s Innocence


    ¡°Hmm! Mom, YingEr knows. YingEr can hold Third Brother. He¡¯s so little; YingEr can handle it.¡±


    Di Ying was extremely excited and refused to let go of the child in her arms.


    The Third Son in her arms had changed his previous habit of crying loudly and stayed quietly in Di Ying¡¯s embrace without moving, as if he were afraid of being dropped to the ground by YingEr.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was beside them, watched Di Ying tremble as she held the child, extremely nervous, and almost wanted to take the child back immediately.


    ¡°YingEr from our family is really capable!¡± Liu Sisi praised her without any stinginess.


    Di Ying was even happier after being praised!


    ¡°Mom, YingEr wanted toe and see her little brothers and sisters earlier, but Brother wouldn¡¯t let me. He said I would disturb your rest¡­¡± Di Ying¡¯s voice got softer as she spoke.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes shimmered: ¡°It¡¯s okay for our YingEr toe and see your little brothers and sisters whenever you want. You are their big sister, and you need to take care of them and love each other, supporting each other in the future, understand?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, YingEr understands!¡±


    Although Di Ying couldn¡¯t understand what Liu Sisi meant by her words, it didn¡¯t stop her from remembering what Liu Sisi had said.<div>


    Da Mao, who hade in with YingEr, automatically snuggled into Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s arms and looked at Liu Sisi with eager eyes, then raised his head to look at his mom and kept his mouth shut.


    ¡°Da Mao, do you want to hold your little cousin?¡± Liu Sisi called out to Da Mao.


    Da Mao¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly left Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s arms toe to Liu Sisi¡¯s side.


    Liu Sisi happily reached into the cradle and lifted Niuniu out, handing her over to Da Mao: ¡°Da Mao, can you hold your little sister? Come hold your little cousin¡­ Be careful.¡±


    As the children were still young and didn¡¯t have names yet, Liu Sisi called them Niuniu, waiting until they had names to address them properly.


    Da Mao reached out and carefully picked up Niuniu.


    Although he was a year younger than YingEr, he seemed to be more skilled at holding the child, even gently rocking Niuniu in his arms.


    Liu Zhi¡¯er looked at Liu Sisi: ¡°Da Mao used to help me take care of Er Mao and San Mao¡­¡±


    This exined why he knew how to hold a child.


    Liu Sisi nodded: ¡°It¡¯s hard on him, such a young child, having had to go through so much hardship.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll never let him suffer again. Really!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er spoke seriously, with a strong determination in her eyes.


    Seeing that it was almost time, Liu Sisi took the child back from YingEr¡¯s hands. She didn¡¯t know if it was her illusion, but it seemed like the child had taken a deep breath. When she looked down closely again, the child was still sleeping with his eyes closed, without any abnormalities.


    She shook her head, dispersing the weird feeling.


    YingEr clearly hadn¡¯t had enough of holding the child, as she excitedly chattered nonstop around the cradle. Beside her, Da Mao also showed a rare smile, sticking close to Liu Zhi¡¯er and listening to the little sparrow¡¯s continuous chatter.


    When Di Yelei came in from outside, he saw this harmonious scene.


    ¡°Brother-inw, you¡­you are back.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er was the first to notice Di Yelei¡¯s arrival and quickly got up to greet him.


    Liu Sisi was listening intently to YingEr¡¯s incessant talk and only looked up when she heard Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s greeting. Seeing Di Yelei¡¯s arrival, her eyes immediately lit up!<div>


    ¡°Ye Lei, you¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m back. Second Sister, you¡¯ve worked hard. Da Mao is here too? He¡¯s so sensibletely. He looks even more mature than my YingEr.¡±


    Di Yelei walked around the screen and strode towards the crowd. His steps were somewhat heavy as he praised Da Mao in passing.


    ¡°Brother-inw, you are too kind. You all chat first; I¡¯ll go and check if dinner is ready.¡±<div>


    Liu Zhi¡¯er didn¡¯t say much. He found an excuse to leave the room with Da Mao and closed the door behind them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Just before the door closed, she couldn¡¯t resist casting her gaze upon him onest time.


    At the moment, his back was towards her, his broad shoulders like a mountain, giving an endless sense of security¡­ With the door closing shut, it separated the inside from the outside and cut off her line of sight.


    She stood in the doorway for a moment before sighing and turning to lead Da Mao away.


    As usual, Di Yelei came to the side of the cradle to check on the children and slowly squatted down.


    He recalled what Old He had said, ¡°At that time, when I examined her, I found that Sisi was barely breathing due to excessive blood loss, and her child in her belly had no heartbeat because it was suffocated for too long¡­¡±


    ¡°What I didn¡¯t expect was that the child, who had no breath when he was born, actually came back to life. Di Yelei, what kind of good fortune did you umte in your previous life, to encounter such a one-in-ten-thousand chance¡­¡±


    Old He was quite envious, clicking his tongue repeatedly.


    Liu Sisi asked twice. Di Yelei didn¡¯t move or respond, which made Liu Sisi very curious.


    ¡°Ye Lei, Ye Lei, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, what were you saying just now, Sisi? I didn¡¯t hear it clearly.¡± Di Yelei finally came to his senses.


    ¡°I was just saying that YingEr was very capable today, even helping to take care of her younger siblings.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Really? Our YingEr is that capable? What a good big sister.¡± Di Yelei didn¡¯t skimp on his praise either.<div>


    The little YingEr on the side pouted her small mouth and looked at Di Yelei with grievance, but remained silent.


    ¡°YingEr, be good. Your father was just lost in thought and didn¡¯t mean to ignore you.¡± Liu Sisi gently stroked YingEr¡¯s hair tofort her.


    ¡°Bad Daddy, stinky Daddy, hmph!¡±


    YingEr struggled and jumped off the head of the bed, then waved at Liu Sisi: ¡°Mom, YingEr is going home! I¡¯lle to see my siblings again tomorrow.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded and waved at her: ¡°Okay, be careful on the road, and don¡¯t catch a cold from staying outte.¡±


    ¡°I know!¡±


    After saying that, YingEr waved her hand and left with a bounce in her step.


    Liu Sisi turned her gaze to the still somewhat troubled Di Yelei: ¡°Ye Lei, are you worried about something today? You don¡¯t seem to be in good spirits. Is it rted to work?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s about Third Son.¡±


    Di Yelei thought for a moment and repeated Old He¡¯s words: ¡°Old He said that such a lucky thing is truly rare. What merit do I, Di Yelei, have to receive the favor of the heavens, who have blessed us with three children at once¡­ ¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be puzzled about?¡±


    Liu Sisiughed instead: ¡°This just shows that the three children are destined to be part of our family and share the bond of father and son, mother and daughter with us. Because of this, no one can separate us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right! That¡¯s well said!¡±<div>


    Di Yelei pped his thigh in excitement: ¡°These three children must be fated to be with you and me, that¡¯s why they came to our side.¡±


    The more he thought about it, the happier he became.

 Chapter 600: 600: The Furious Di Xuan

    Chapter 600: The Furious Di Xuan


    Did ite back to life after the heartbeat stopped?


    This is really a miracle!


    YingEr happily hops back, with Xue Yi, who is also very happy, following her. Miss is in a good mood today.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    A sudden voice from the side startled Di Ying, and she instinctively stopped and looked over.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s you, why did you suddenly speak out? You scared me to death.¡±


    YingEr patted her chest vigorously.


    Di Xuan leaned against a corner pir, without a trace of smile on his face, looking into Di Ying¡¯s eyes filled with deep disappointment.


    ¡°I asked you, where have you been?¡±


    ¡°I went to see my younger brothers and sisters! Brother, you didn¡¯t see it, they are so cute and beautiful! Mom even let me hold my brother, and he is so well-behaved!¡± YingEr became happier as she spoke, and couldn¡¯t help talking incessantly, making gestures along with her words.<div>


    Shepletely failed to see Di Xuan¡¯s increasingly sullen face.


    ¡°Enough, I said enough, did you hear me?¡±


    Di Xuan suddenly became furious, stepped forward, grabbed Di Ying and shook her vigorously: ¡°Do you have a brain? Are you so stupid? A little bit of favoritism from others has bought you. Tell me, what do you say?¡±


    Shaking continuously made Di Ying¡¯s head dizzy, and she struggled to break away from Di Xuan¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Brother, brother, I can¡¯t take it¡­ Wah!¡­¡±


    Di Ying couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and cried out loud.


    Only when Di Ying¡¯s cries reached his ears did Di Xuan gradually sober up from his confusion.


    ¡°YingEr, don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s brother¡¯s fault, it¡¯s brother¡¯s fault, don¡¯t cry¡­¡± He hugged YingEr in his arms, with a pain in his heart that couldn¡¯t be shared with outsiders.


    However, Di Ying wasn¡¯t appeased by his words, instead, she forcefully broke away from his embrace, and stomped her foot.


    ¡°Brother is bad, you¡¯re so mean! I never want to see you again, get lost! Get lost, sob¡­¡±


    After saying that, YingEr cried and ran far away.


    Xue Yi carefully went around Di Xuan and chased after Di Ying who ran away: ¡°Miss, miss, please wait for your servant¡­¡±


    One before and one after, the two figures quickly disappeared from view, and Di Xuan slowly stepped back and closed his eyes in despair.


    Why can¡¯t she understand him?


    This matter soon reached Liu Sisi¡¯s ears, and she waved her hand to dismiss the gossiper and closed her eyes to think deeply.


    Di Xuan¡¯s hostility towards her had existed from the beginning, and she had always thought she was handling it well.


    She didn¡¯t expect that everything would change with the birth of her three children.


    ¡°Madam, how do you n to deal with Eldest Young Master¡¯s matter?¡±


    Granny Hu next to her stammered.<div>


    ¡°What happened? Do you have a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Eldest Young Master is young and ignorant, worrying about things. Why not remove the root of what he is worried about, Madam?¡±


    As for what Di Xuan was most worried about, Liu Sisi knew a little bit.


    She closed her eyes and shook her head. This matter was easy to talk about, but hard to do!<div>


    In the evening, Di Yelei returned especiallyte.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly ordered the servants to serve food, and he, disregarding his image, began to eat with big mouthfuls. After eating threerge bowls of rice, he finally put down his chopsticks with satisfaction and let out a full belch.


    Feeling a little embarrassed, he smiled at Liu Sisi, ¡°I was really busy today. I only had a bowl of sugared white fungus in the morning, and I haven¡¯t eaten anything since then.¡±


    ¡°So busy? Is there something happening in the government office?¡±


    Liu Sisi asked curiously, and casually picked up the awakened little Niuniu.


    Di Yelei thought for a moment before sighing, ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to worry while you¡¯re still in confinement. However, this matter is indeed rted to you, so I¡¯ll tell you!¡±


    ¡°What happened? Oh! ¡­ Isn¡¯t it about County Magistrate Su and Xin Quan?¡± Liu Sisi suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°It¡¯s their issue.¡±


    Di Yelei nodded directly, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not just them but also that man Zhang Shixin, do you remember?¡±


    ¡°Zhang Shixin? How could I possibly forget?¡± Liu Sisi sneered at the corner of her mouth, raising an ironic smile.


    Before, she didn¡¯t have the original host¡¯s memory, so she naturally didn¡¯t remember. But as the original host¡¯s memory gradually returned, she clearly recalled the encounters between the original host and him.


    When Zuo Xingyu forced her to withdraw from the marriage, the silly girl ran out in tears, coincidentally running into Zhang Shixin who was collecting rent nearby at the time.


    Seeing the tearful beauty, lust-filled Zhang Shixin immediately followed her with his eyes shining¡­ However, he didn¡¯t expect that the original host was a rash person who directly gave him a beating, leaving him with a face like a pig head.<div>


    Not only did the beating not quench Zhang Shixin¡¯s lust, but it reinforced his determination to have her at all costs.


    Afterward, when he learned that the original host had a brother who urgently needed money, the following story of being caught in the act of cheating urred.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But he never could have imagined that the original host was so strong-willed that she tried tomit suicide several times and adamantly refused to marry him.


    In desperation, he could only bribe Liu Baihan and attempt to forcibly marry her.


    Seeing the original host still pleading with her before being drugged, Ms. Yao remembered the promise she made to her lineal elder sister and finally felt sympathy! Just then, a matchmaker happened to pass by the house, so she quietly took off her ring and asked the matchmaker to help find a reliable family¡­


    Thus, a series of subsequent events urred!


    At the moment, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but think that the original host¡¯s strong-willed nature had harmed her. If she hadn¡¯t been blinded by anger, there would not have been a series of events. She would have followed the original path, had a peaceful life with Zuo Xingyu, and she would not havee here!


    ¡°What happened to Zhang Shixin? He doesn¡¯t seem to be a government official, right?¡± Liu Sisi snorted.


    Di Yelei waved his hand for the maid to withdraw the dishes and then came to her side.


    ¡°Zhang Shixin, of course, is not a government official. However, the person behind him has a myriad of connections with the government office. Moreover, he was instructed by County Magistrate Su and Xin Quan to artificially damage the flood control dam, and was caught red-handed by the Imperial Envoy while inspecting the dam. No matter how eloquent he is, he won¡¯t be able to escape punishment this time!¡±


    ¡°What about Lord Gan? Has he put pressure on you? Has he sent a letter?¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s voice was low.


    ¡°You really guessed it! My Sisi is so smart!¡±


    Di Yelei sighed, ¡°The reason this case has been dragging on without a verdict is that the main battlefield of the case is not in Macheng County but in the imperial court.¡±<div>


    ¡°Has Lord Gan sent a letter? How did you reply?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know why her nominal father-inw sent the letter.

 Chapter 601: 601: Sisis Troubles During Confinement

    Chapter 601: Sisi¡¯s Troubles During Confinement


    ¡°He wrote to you on behalf of Lord Father, and I withheld it without replying,¡±


    Di Yelei stood up, ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±


    He turned around and left, and quickly came back, ¡°The letter arrived five days ago, and I haven¡¯t opened it. You can open it and see for yourself!¡±


    Liu Sisi took the letter with its seal intact and the official seal on it, proving that it had not been opened by anyone else.


    She casually tossed it aside and looked up at a slightly open window.


    ¡°Did the results for County Magistrate Su and Lord Xine out?¡±


    ¡°Yes, County Magistrate Su and his family were all exiled to work in mines over 300 miles away in Lingnan, while Xin Quan was exiled to Luzhou to join the army.¡±


    ¡°Huh? To join the army? That¡¯s surprising!¡± eximed Liu Sisi.


    Xin Quan¡¯s uncle was a Garrison Commander in Gongzhou Mansion, isn¡¯t sending him to join the army like letting a tiger return to the mountain?


    ¡°It means exactly what it says, Xin Quan can¡¯t be touched yet. The imperial court¡¯s affairs change rapidly, which is beyond our control,¡± Di Yelei said helplessly.<div>


    Liu Sisi thought that made sense, ¡°What about Zhang Shixin?¡±


    ¡°Zhang Shixin wrote the divorce paper ten days ago and was exiled to Lingnan with County Magistrate Su. He was sent out of the city today. As for me, I¡¯m so busy today because all these cases are intertwined. But now that they¡¯re all handled, it feels like a big weight has been lifted from my heart.¡±


    Suddenly, Liu Sisiughed lightly: ¡°You were afraid I would change my mind after reading this letter, so you hid it all this time, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Ahem¡­ Well¡­¡±


    Embarrassed, Di Yelei coughed softly, ¡°You know that these matters are not up to me. The Imperial Envoy even sent someone to supervise it. Even if I wanted to let them off the hook, it wouldn¡¯t be possible¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go easy on them either! For themon people, getting rid of these three disasters sooner is better.¡±


    Liu Sisi said softly, got up and picked up the letter, walked to the candlestick, and directly lit the letter with a me.


    When she saw the letter slowly turn into ashes in her hand, she put the lid back on and walked back.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to open it and see what¡¯s inside?¡± Di Yelei raised an eyebrow.


    Liu Sisi looked at him curiously, ¡°Do you think I should?¡±


    Reading the contents would only add to her troubles, so it¡¯s better not to read it!


    ¡°Indeed, you shouldn¡¯t, haha¡­¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, bent down and kissed Liu Sisi¡¯s forehead, ¡°Sisi, having you as my wife is a blessing that I¡¯ve cultivated for several lifetimes. Truly!¡±


    Liu Sisi took a towel and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead, patting his strong chest, ¡°For me, Liu Sisi, marrying you is also a blessing of three lifetimes, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes! My dear Sisi¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but lower his head and kissed her, his kiss filled with deep affection, and after a while, he reluctantly left her lips.


    ¡­


    The cicadas in the summer were constantly singing on the willow branches, making people really irritable.


    What¡¯s even more annoying is that she couldn¡¯t take a bath during her confinement in the sweltering month of June, but could only wash herself with warm water. Liu Sisi had experienced it once and didn¡¯t want to try it a second time.<div>


    Especially when she peeked out of the window, the sight of the clear water in the pond outside deepened her frustration even more.


    If there¡¯s something even more miserable than not being able to bathe, it must be not being able to wash her hair!


    Not being able to bathe could be bearable by wiping her body with a towel, but not being able to wash her hair was even worse. Liu Sisi felt immensely ufortable, wishing she could rip off her hair. She could even smell the stench emanating from her body and hair, making her feel extremely miserable, as if a day felt like a year!


    Under such circumstances, Liu Sisi surprisingly received terrible news!<div>


    Apparently, the confinement period here was not one month but 40 days!


    Starting from the second day after childbirth, it wouldn¡¯t end until 40 days had passed. Liu Sisi had taken two days to give birth to her three children, so her confinement actually started on the third day. She counted down the days on her fingers with great difficulty. As soon as she reached the 40th day in the morning, she couldn¡¯t wait any longer and immediately requested clear water for her bath.


    Bucket after bucket of clear water was brought in, while the dirty water was carried away just as swiftly. She practically ripped off arge clump of her hair and scrubbed her body red.


    It wasn¡¯t until six buckets of water had been used that Liu Sisi finally emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed.


    Being able to bathe was such a luxury!


    She changed into a clean summer dress, her amazingly well-recovered figure entuated by her clothing. She then tied up her hair and secured it with a in hairpin, revealing her slender and graceful neck.


    After touching up her makeup in the mirror, Liu Sisi prepared to go out.


    The most joyful thing for her recently had been finding another wet nurse to exclusively care for Third Son, so she no longer had to worry about him going hungry when she was away.


    As she officially left the delivery room, there were quite a few people waiting outside, including Shopkeeper Gu from the Silver Pavilion.


    When Shopkeeper Gu saw Liu Sisi, he quickly came forward to pay his respects, ¡°Congrattions, Miss, on the birth of your noble son. I am here to see you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Shopkeeper Gu, has something happened at the Silver Pavilion?¡± Liu Sisi asked indifferently.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Her two previous encounters with Elder Leisure had ended on a sour note, so seeing his house servant made Liu Sisi quite irritable.


    ¡°Miss, everything is calm and smooth at the Silver Pavilion, and our ounts are fine. However, quite a few incidents have urred on the streets outside over the past month or two,¡± Shopkeeper Gu said with a smile, squinting his eyes.<div>


    ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t it June? Howe there have been so many incidentstely?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, Miss. It would be better for you to go out and take a good look around yourself.¡± Shopkeeper Gu chuckled and handed over arge stack of ount books.


    Was Gu Shopkeeper really ying coy?


    Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow and didn¡¯t say much, simply taking the ount books and ordering someone to carry them back to her room.


    ¡°Has there been any trouble with the Li Secttely?¡± She strolled outside at a leisurely pace.


    ¡°The Li Sect¡¯s situation has been rtively good recently, but there has been a continuous drought without rain, causing famine in many areas¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi stopped and looked back at Shopkeeper Gu before continuing on her way.


    No wonder Ye Lei had beening hometer andtertely. So this was the reason.


    As she exited the hall, Ms. Xin appeared from around the corner. Seeing Liu Sisi, she smiled warmly, ¡°Second Sister-inw, you¡¯re out? Cui¡¯er just went to look for you, not expecting to meet you here.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is there something you need, sister-inw?¡±


    Liu Sisi took two steps forward and stood beside Ms. Xin.


    Upon seeing Shopkeeper Gu, Ms. Xin¡¯s face changed rapidly, turning pale in an instant.


    <div>

 Chapter 602: 602: Shopping

    Chapter 602: Shopping


    However, she quicklyposed herself and gave Shopkeeper Gu a surreptitious re.


    Theplexion of Shopkeeper Gu remained unaltered, as he continued to stand there respectfully with a modest smile on his face.


    ¡°I knew you were ending your confinement period today, so you must be nning to go out, right? That¡¯s why I specifically came to ask if you would like to apany me,¡± he said.


    After pondering for a moment, Liu Sisi nodded, ¡°That¡¯s fine! I will have to make a visit to my maternal uncle¡¯s home tomorrow. It will be convenient to buy certain necessary items while I¡¯m outside.¡±


    As per the local custom, once women finish their postpartum confinement period, they first have to visit the uncle¡¯s house to determine the end of confinement. Only then can they casually go out to meet guests.


    As for Liu Sisi¡¯s brothers, one was Liu Baihan, and the other was Nan Tianzong, who lives far away in the capital city! In the absence of real brothers, cousin brothers could substitute.


    As for visiting Nan Tianzong in the capital, it was impossible for her. The only option she had was to visit Liu Baihan¡¯s ce.


    Every time she thought about visiting Liu Baihan, she felt ufortable all over. She wished she could kill the root cause of the failure that led to the former body owner¡¯s death with a single p! If she could dy the visit by a day, it would be the best thing.


    As the two were enjoying their conversation, a fluttering butterfly came flying over from the other side.


    Today, YingEr wore a light blue ground pleated summer dress, tied around the waist with light blue chiffon, adorned with a highly intricaterge bow knot. She also wore a blue hair band on her double ponytails,plemented with two butterflies, one red and one orange, adorning it that made her even more adorable and yful.<div>


    As she flew to Liu Sisi¡¯s side, she gleefully jumped into her arms andughed, ¡°Mom, look, this is the dress that Eldest Sister-inw made for me, isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡±


    The Eldest Sister-inw YingEr referred to was Di Cheng¡¯s wife, Xiao Feng.


    Liu Sisi carefully examined it once more, she couldn¡¯t resist nodding powerfully, ¡°Indeed, it is beautiful! Xiao Feng has a great eye for these things!¡±


    Last time, Xiao Feng apanied Di Cheng and others on a trip to Chengdu Prefecture with Ye Lei. On returning, Ye Lei didn¡¯t stop singing praises about her.


    He evenmented that Xiao Feng was very skilled and asked her to manage the city defending soldiers in Macheng County.


    For this reason, those soldiers who looked down upon women had to swallow their pride. Each time Ye Lei returned and talked about it, he was all smiles.


    Di Cheng currently didn¡¯t oversee the bookstore anymore. ording to Ye Lei, letting Di Cheng manage the bookstore was an underuse of his abilities. So, he took Di Cheng with him, apanying him in his recent outings.


    The most surprising thing was Di Ah-bao. The old Di Ah-bao was nothing but an idleyabout, who now was directed by Ye Lei to utilize his strengths. Whenever there were unavoidable invitations to entertain guests or people, they would get Di Ah-bao to ward off the drinks.


    Di Ah-bao was Lord Captain¡¯s younger brother, and everyone respected him to a certain extent for the sake of Ye Lei.


    However, Liu Sisi had never expected that Xiao Feng, who was usually carefree, would be so skilled at making clothes.


    ¡°Yes, yes! Brother and Da Mao also have one!¡±


    YingEr was very happy, begging Liu Sisi to pick her up.


    Liu Sisi bent down and easily lifted her. As she turned around, she noticed that Ms. Xin, who was standing next to her earlier, had not followed.


    She hurriedly turned back and took a few steps, as she turned the corner of the wall, she saw Ms. Xin seemingly arguing with Shopkeeper Gu. Neither of them looked happy.


    ¡°Sister-inw, Sister-inw!¡±


    Liu Sisi softly called out twice.


    Ms. Xin turned around, concealing her emotions with a smile, and quickly walked over to Liu Sisi.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Second Sister-inw¡­YingEr, yo! YingEr¡¯s little dress is pretty, and these little shoes are also nice!¡±


    ¡°Eldest Sister-inw made these for me! Little aunt, when will you make a little dress for YingEr?¡± Di Ying innocently asked.<div>


    Even if Liu Sisi wanted to intervene, it was toote.


    ¡°YingEr, how can you be so rude?¡± she scolded her urgently.


    Taking a nce at Shopkeeper Gu besides her, in just a short time, he had regained his trademark smile and was standing respectfully in the same ce.


    Why did these two give off a strange vibe? Liu Sisi furrowed her eyebrows.<div>


    YingEr pouted and refused to ept it!


    ¡°Mom, did YingEr say something wrong?¡± From YingEr¡¯s understanding, who is not even six years old, she didn¡¯t say anything wrong, she could not understand why Liu Sisi was scolding her.


    ¡°YingEr is not little anymore, she shouldn¡¯t be asking for things from others, that is begging. But small auntie is YingEr¡¯s rtive, naturally, it¡¯s not included in this. Come!¡±


    Ms. Xin took out an extraordinarily beautiful wallet from her bosom and tied it for YingEr.


    ¡°Look! Beautiful clothes coupled with a beautiful wallet are reallyplementary. Pretty, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    YingEr lowered her head and looked at it, then again looked at Liu Sisi, before finally showing a smile: ¡°Thank you little auntie.¡±


    ¡°Since we¡¯re going out, let¡¯s also call my Second Sister. To take care of my confinement, her shop has not been taken care of recently.¡±


    Liu Sisi happily said.


    When everyone agreed on the time to go out, it was already two hourster.


    Everyone exited the house inughter and conversation, leaving alone Ms. Zhao standing behind, watching with a sinister face as the group gradually moved away.


    At this moment, it¡¯s mid-July, the ring sun hanging in the sky with a whole circle of white halo. People were sweating profusely.


    People wereing and going on the street, the hustle and bustle represented a flourishing scene.


    ¡°Over here, there¡¯s shade over here!¡±<div>


    Looking at the still prosperous city center of Macheng County, Liu Sisi¡¯s emotions red up again: ¡°It¡¯s a pity Feng¡¯er was busy all the timetely, otherwise, we could have had one more person apanying us.¡±


    ¡°Feng¡¯er is doing important work. Look! A new pastry shop opened up here. Come on, let¡¯s check it out!¡±


    The newly-opened pastry shop being situated under the shade of a big tree, the group of people walked in and instantly felt a cool relief.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so cool here.¡± Everyone felt rxed.


    ¡°Mom, candy! There¡¯s lots of candy!¡±


    YingEr¡¯s gaze was instantly attracted by the array of dazzling candies in the shop, and she quickly rushed over. Da Mao also hurriedly caught up.


    Looking at YingEr who was choosing from the pile of candies, Liu Sisi was not stingy and let her pick freely.


    ¡°Which candies would you like?¡±


    The shopkeeper was a thin, dark man, who quickly greeted them when he saw a few peoplee in.


    ¡°Wait a moment, we will settle the bill after we have chosen.¡±


    ¡°Very well, please feel free to choose.¡± The shopkeeper noticed the attire of the people and hearing Liu Sisi¡¯s words, and the smile on his face became sweeter. He even took the initiative to rmend several types of candies to Di Ying. Da Mao on the side was also keeping busy putting candies in the basket, and before long, a full basket was filled.


    Seeing that YingEr¡¯s selection was almost done, Liu Sisi nodded: ¡°Shopkeeper, weigh these for us, we will take all these candies.¡±


    ¡°Sure,dies, please wait a moment.¡± The shopkeeper hastily began to weigh.<div>

 Chapter 603: The Disaster Begins

    Chapter 603: The Disaster Begins


    At this point, the door to the shop was nudged open slightly, and an elderly man covered in age spots, carrying arge cloth bag, timidly walked in.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, shopkeeper do you want to buy wheat?¡±


    The shopkeeper merely nced at the old man before driving him away annoyedly, ¡°Go away! We don¡¯t buy wheat here, you can sell it somewhere else.¡±


    The elderly man did not leave, but approached another step forward, ¡°Shopkeeper, this is our own wheat from our fields. We originally kept it for seeding, please show mercy and buy it! My grandson is waiting for me to sell this for his life-saving money¡­¡±


    ¡°Be off with you! This is not a charity! If you want to beg, there¡¯s Lord Di¡¯s porridge shed in the south city, you can beg there. If you insist on staying here again, and disturb my honorable customers, I will not spare you!¡± The shopkeeper spoke irately.


    The elderly man did not leave because of this, but humbly pleaded: ¡°But shopkeeper, I beg you, my grandson truly needs this money. I beg you to buy it. This is life-saving money. You can give me one tael of silver for this bag of flour¡­¡±


    ¡°One tael of silver?¡± The shopkeeper almost jumped out of his skin!


    Then he reacted promptly and started cursing: ¡°Do you think your wheat is gold? You want one tael of silver for such a small bag of wheat, why don¡¯t you go rob someone instead? Go, go! You have to know your audience if you¡¯re trying to extort, if you stay here again I¡¯ll report you to the officials and have you locked up to taste some free jail food. Humph, what sort of people are these!¡±


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    With pushing and persuading, he finally drove the old man out of the shop.


    Liu Sisi frowned. After paying the bill and walking out of the shop, she saw that the old man was being driven out of another shop.


    The shopkeeper there was cursing: ¡°You want one tael of silver? Why don¡¯t you go rob someone? Get out, get out, get out!¡±


    The old man was scolded such that he couldn¡¯t lift his head, huddled in on himself.


    ¡°Grandpa, how much do you want to sell this bag of wheat for?¡±


    Liu Sisi walked up to him and quietly asked.


    Seeing Liu Sisi suddenly get close, the old grandpa shrank back: ¡°I, I want one tael of silver ¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, one tael of silver, right?¡±


    Liu Sisi took out a tael of silver from her bosom and handed it to the old grandpa: ¡°This is one tael of silver. Keep it safe and go for your grandson¡¯s treatment quickly!¡±


    After finishing talking, she even smiled at the old grandpa.


    An attendant on the side promptly stepped forward to take the bag of wheat from the old man¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Thank you, thank¡­¡±


    The old man could only look at the silver in his hand in a daze, not yet reacting to the sudden turn of events.


    After a while, he finally lifted his head to look around, only to discover that Liu Sisi and others had long since disappeared.


    ¡°Good person, you are a good person! There are indeed more good people in this world than bad ones¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi and the others had already walked far and didn¡¯t hear the old man showering praises on them, even less realizing that her inadvertently kind act had saved a family¡¯s life.


    They strolled casually. YingEr would asionally look back curiously and ask, ¡°Mother, why did none of these shopkeepers want to buy that old grandpa¡¯s bag of wheat, and in the end, only you bought it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple, because that bag of wheat isn¡¯t worth one tael of silver.¡±


    Liu Sisi said indifferently.


    ¡°Not worth a tael of silver? Then why did you decide to buy it, mom?¡± YingEr was all curiosity and chatter.


    ¡°Look at how the old man carries a bag of wheat on his back. His clothes are clean and tidy, but they are also distinctly old, suggesting that they are from a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Although he is wearing new cloth shoes, you can see imprints on his ankles where the ropes from straw sandals have left deep marks, indicating that he is ustomed to wearing straw sandals.¡±


    ¡°His back is hunched, and his skin is tanned and weather-beaten, suggesting that he works out in the fields all year long.¡±


    ¡°Consider also his anxious and disappointed demeanor, his dried lips and bloodshot eyes. It seems there is an urgent need for money at his home, that¡¯s why he has to sell the wheat he kept for sowing, asking for a tael of silver. That¡¯s why I decided to buy the bag of wheat for a tael of silver. YingEr, do you understand now?¡±


    Liu Sisi went on and on, and Di Ying blinked her wide eyes repeatedly, shaking her head and nodding intermittently.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Could it be that the old man is pretending and trying to deceive people?¡±


    Liu Sisi had also thought about this question, but how should she exin it to make YingEr understand?


    ¡°Even if he were to deceive us, what of it? In the cycle of cause and effect, as long as we harbor good intentions, we have already sowed the seed and established the bond of goodness by doing this charitable deed. As for how the other party would react, it¡¯s beyond our control.¡±


    Liu Sisi stroke Di Ying¡¯s head: ¡°We can¡¯t simply do nothing just because the other party might have malicious intentions, right?¡±


    YingEr shook her head in frustration: ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve said so much, I can¡¯t remember it all¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to remember everything, just remember this: ¡®Do not harbor malicious intentions towards others, but be vignt of potential dangers. It¡¯s easy to offer help when others are in abundance, but it¡¯s difficult to provide help in times of need.¡¯ That will be enough!¡±


    ¡°Okay! Mom, I understand now!¡±


    Di Ying clung to Liu Sisi¡¯s arm, her face radiant with joy.


    The group then went to a cloth shop to buy cloth, then to a grocery store to buy eggs, glutinous rice, grains and oil, and every time Liu Sisi asked about the prices she kept frowning.


    The reason is simple, the grains in the grocery store have significantly increased in price. Before, she paid two taels and nine liang silver for a stone of rice, but now it has risen to four taels and two liang per stone ¨C more than a one-third increase. It¡¯s truly astonishing!


    ¡°Shopkeeper, why did the price of grain suddenly rise so much?¡± Liu Sisi asked curiously.


    The shopkeeper kept busy packing the grains and taking care of other customers. After looking at Liu Sisi for a moment, he finally sighed and replied.


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t you know? There hasn¡¯t been any rain since the beginning of this year. Now it¡¯s already mid-July, half a year has passed and the rice in the fields has been severely affected by the drought. Most of the grains are empty shells now. Even the included early rice yield from the fertile fields near the water sources have dropped by more than 10-20%. Thete rice doesn¡¯t look promising either! The price of grain will only rise more and more in the future, it won¡¯t drop anytime soon!¡±


    So that¡¯s the reason!


    ¡°Is it really that serious? Aren¡¯t the officials doing anything about it?¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke quickly. It was then she realized the County Magistrate Su¡¯s position was taken over by Di Yelei!


    ¡°Of course they are doing something, who said they aren¡¯t?¡±


    The shopkeeper finally sent away some customers and walked over to Liu Sisi: ¡°Our Captain Di is a good official. Not only did he distribute porridge and food, but he also repaired bridges and roads, and dug trenches to bring river water to the fertilend. Otherwise, usmon people would have had a harder time trying to survive!¡±


    Di¡­. Captain?


    Liu Sisi blinked her eyes for a long time before she remembered that Di Yelei also has a sixth-ranking officer title.


    ¡°

 Chapter 604: Sisi’s Good Idea

    Chapter 604: Sisi¡¯s Good Idea


    ¡°Not only rice, but also citrus, tea leaves, sugarcane, mulberry hemp, and others have suffered severe production reductions. If this continues, life will be difficult!¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Liu Sisi could no longer sit still.


    As soon as she left the grocery store, she hurried straight back to the manor without any regard for the surroundings, not even noticing the relieved expression on Ms. Xin¡¯s face behind her.


    ¡°Has Old Master returned?¡±


    As she entered the door, Liu Sisi was inquiring about Di Yelei¡¯s whereabouts.


    Old Cheng hurriedly stepped forward: ¡°Madam, the Old Master went out before dawn today, and not only that, he rode out with Da Niu and Er Niu.¡±


    Since moving into the official residence, Old Cheng had quickly gone from being a gatekeeper to bing the Di Family¡¯s steward-in-chief, responsible for managing all the household matters.


    ¡°Did the Old Master say why?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± the servant replied.


    Liu Sisi frowned but was helpless: ¡°Alright! Just notify me as soon as the Old Master returns.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    Old Cheng responded respectfully.


    Liu Sisi, feeling uneasy, went to the inner room to check on the three children.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The three children were sleeping soundly, as always, well taken care of by the nanny.


    After checking them one by one, she went to the study and began browsing various historical records and biographies. She stayed there all afternoon.


    It wasn¡¯t until dusk approached that Ms. Gao brought in themp, and Liu Sisi finally realized how much time had passed.


    ¡°Ms. Gao, what time is it now?¡±


    ¡°Madam, it¡¯s already the end of 5 p.m to 7 p.m. Are you hungry, Madam? Would you like to eat something before continuing?¡± Ms. Gao replied hastily.


    ¡°It¡¯s already the end of 5 p.m to 7 p.m? Has the Old Master returned?¡±


    Liu Sisi closed the book and put it back in its ce before turning to walk outside.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know when I came in, and I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s returned to the manor now,¡± Ms. Gao hurriedly lit thentern to light the way.


    At the moment, it was July, when the sky stayed brighterter in the day. Although it was now the end of 5 p.m to 7 p.m, the surrounding sky was still illuminated, and the stone path could be seen clearly.


    Liu Sisi quickly walked to the front hall, where Elderly Mr. Di and Ms. Zhao were gathered, waiting for dinner, but there was no sign of Di Yelei.


    As the group was chatting, Di Yelei entered the house looking disheveled. His beard and hair were covered in thickyers of dust, showing that he must be tired today.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly greeted him: ¡°You¡¯re back? Where did you go today?¡±


    ¡°I went far today, almost circling the entire county. I had no choice; it was all due to work matters. I¡¯m so hungry I can feel my chest pressed against my back. Is dinner ready yet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already prepared, just waiting for you to eat. Let¡¯s eat first, and then I have something to discuss with you after dinner.¡± Liu Sisi also knew that now was not the time to talk.


    At dinner, everyone enjoyed the meal and chatted happily.


    After the meal, Liu Sisi went straight to the study and waited for Di Yelei to arrive, propping her cheeks in her hands.


    When Di Yelei arrived, he looked as if he had taken a shower, his upper body bare, and he was still wiping the water droplets from his dripping hair as he walked.


    ¡°The weather is unbearably hot today! If the drought continues, even the water in the moat might dry up.¡±


    Di Yelei wasn¡¯t exaggerating.


    The water in the moat of Macheng County was being replenished by living water, but half a year of drought had caused the water level in the great river to drop, which in turn led to a drop of at least two feet in the water level in the moat of Macheng County. Macheng County was a small city, and the depth of the moat was only about three meters. If the water level continued to drop, during a battle, the enemy might not even need to attack the city gate ¨C they could just ¡°walk¡± across the water!


    ¡°Ye Lei, I went out today and heard that the early rice has almost no harvest due to this year¡¯s drought, and thete rice has also been affected, resulting in poor yields. Is this true?¡±


    Liu Sisi went straight to the point, asking directly.


    Di Yelei paused in the action of drying his hair, then turned to look at her and continued drying his wet hair in silence.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about these things. Before the new Lord County Magistrate arrives, I, Di Yelei, am the highest official in Macheng County. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you have everything under control! As they say, two heads are better than one, and three cobblers can beat a Zhuge Liang. Tell me about it, maybe I can give you some advice and take some remedial measures!¡±


    ¡°Remedial measures? The early rice in the fields is now just apletely white, empty shell. If it didn¡¯t die from the drought, it was destroyed by locusts. How can it be remedied?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s action of drying his hair paused, and he seemed to wilt, sitting down on a chair, frowning and not moving for quite a while.


    Liu Sisi thought for a while and sat down next to Di Yelei, taking the towel to dry his hair for him.


    ¡°Ye Lei, what if¡­ since the early rice can¡¯t be saved anyway, we just cut the affected early rice and nt sweet potatoes and taro instead?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What did you just say?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes lit up instantly! He turned his head and looked at Liu Sisi intently, ¡°Repeat what you just said!¡±


    ¡°I said¡­¡± Liu Sisi put down her hand.


    Although she lived in the countryside with her grandpa when she was young in her previous life, she hadn¡¯t actually done any farming herself. Most of her agricultural knowledge was learned indirectly.


    ¡°I said, why don¡¯t we cut the affected early rice and nt sweet potatoes and taro instead¡­ this could make up for some losses, and the civilians won¡¯t have to worry about going hungry¡­¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly stared at her like this, making her doubt if she had said something wrong.


    The longer he stayed silent, the more anxious and uneasy Liu Sisi felt.


    After a while, Di Yelei suddenly patted his thigh andughed loudly, ¡°Good! Great idea!¡±


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re simply my lucky star, Di Yelei! Sometimes I want to peek into your little head and see what¡¯s inside. How can you think of so many ideas?¡± In his excitement, Di Yelei hugged her, directly lifting her into his arms, incredibly delighted.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was terrified by Di Yelei¡¯s words, breaking out in a cold sweat!


    Indeed, the more one talks, the more mistakes one makes!


    Although Di Yelei¡¯s words were unintentional, they served as a wake-up call for her!


    She mustn¡¯t reveal her true identity.


    The more ordinary she appeared, the better! Being the center of attention was never a good thing, as history has shown!


    After solving the problem that had been worrying him, Di Yelei¡¯s mood was obviously much better.


    First, he apanied Liu Sisi to visit their three children, then went to see Elderly Mr. Di. The reason for visiting his father was that Elderly Mr. Di was a genuine farmer. If his father thought Sisi¡¯s n was feasible, this matter could most likely seed!

 Chapter 605: Ms. Xin’s Heartbreaking Experience

    Chapter 605: Ms. Xin¡¯s Heartbreaking Experience


    In the wing courtyard of the official residence.


    ¡°Ah-Bao, Ah-Bao!¡±


    Ms. Xin softly called for Di Ah-Bao, already asleep, several times without waking him up.


    She then slowly got off the bed, changed into a dark outfit, took out a dressing box from a secret ce, fetched a strangely-shaped hairpin from it, and put it on her head before quietly opening the door and sneaking out of the room.


    Even in the darkness of the summer night, the sky exuded a dim brightness. She quickly left the courtyard, carefully sticking to the wall roots and walking slowly. After ensuring that no one was around, she flipped over and jumped on the high wall. With a light tap of her jade toe on the wall, she floated down outside the courtyard wall.


    Swiftly, she stuck to the wall roots and rushed, turning east and west into a small courtyard where she stood silently.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The surroundings were quiet without a sound. Ms. Xin carefully looked around, keeping an eye on the movement around her.


    All of a sudden, a pair of big hands stretched forward, reaching around Ms. Xin¡¯s slender waist from behind, giving her a huge scare!


    ¡°What! Can¡¯t you make a noise when you walk? Are you trying to scare people to death?¡±


    Ms. Xin impatiently spoke, attempting to break free from the salty pig hands that reached over from behind.


    ¡°My little treasure, you¡¯re just being guilty. That¡¯s why you¡¯re so frightened by the slightest sound. Haven¡¯t we been like this for so long without anyone finding out?¡±


    The man behind her continued to rub and knead her flesh, his eyes filled with contempt!


    His mouth still spoke sweet nothings: ¡°Little treasure! Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve kept this ce hidden! Even your Second Sister-inw doesn¡¯t know about this small residence here. Hurry up,e kiss me¡­ Hmm hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°No! Let me go, let go!¡±


    Ms. Xin furiously shook off the man behind her, finally escaping from his embrace, and used him sharply!


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we already agree long ago? That thest time was thest time, and from then on, we¡¯d be strangers, neither interfering with each other¡¯s marriages. Why did you bring this up today in the garden?¡±


    The more Ms. Xin spoke, the angrier she became, gradually forgetting to control her volume.


    ¡°When did I intentionally mention it? Didn¡¯t I just ask a question when Miss was speaking and looking at the beautiful and charming Little Cui? You can¡¯t be angry about that, can you?¡± The man suddenly reached out and touched her chest.


    Ms. Xin quickly retreated two steps but was closely followed by the man, leaving her with nowhere to vent her anger.


    ¡°Bastard! You call that a question?¡±


    What kind of question would a stranger ask like that? Ms. Xin was choked with anger.


    ¡°You say it¡¯s whatever you want it to be! My little Cui, who can resist your sweet taste? Hehehe¡­¡±


    The man emerged from the shadowy ce, undressing as he walked, not putting Ms. Xin¡¯s threats in his eyes at all.


    Ms. Xin was shocked by his words!


    She suddenly realized one thing, that she would probably never be able to escape his control in this lifetime!


    Unable to help but burst with anger: ¡°You, you shameless liar! I¡¯ll fight you to the death¡­¡±


    At that moment, she charged at him like a cornered animal. Her attacks fell into his eyes as if she were a child swinging a spiked club, easily dissolved, and even stolen several kisses.


    ¡°Mr. Gu, don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re the shopkeeper of the Silver Pavilion and the Master¡¯s right-hand man, you can do whatever you want! If you really push me, I¡¯ll expose you in front of Miss and let her see your true colors! At worst, we¡¯ll both die, and neither of us will survive!¡±


    With her arms controlled by him, Ms. Xin couldn¡¯t struggle at all and had to resort to herst move.


    ¡°Tsk tsk, it¡¯s true that ¡®the green bamboo snake¡¯s mouth and the wasp¡¯s sting are venomous, but there¡¯s no poison as deadly as a woman¡¯s heart.¡¯ One moment, you were sweetly pleasing me under your body, and the next, you want to live or die! Is that right?¡±


    Shopkeeper Gu wasn¡¯t the least bit intimidated by her threatening words. Instead, he yanked her sharply and grabbed her chin, squinting at her under the moonlight.


    ¡°You think your schemes are hidden? I¡¯ll tell you, your good Second Uncle Di Yelei has already known your secret for a long time; he just didn¡¯t expose you! Do you think you can tell anyone now that you were forced, hmm?¡±


    While he talked, he took advantage of the situation, ripping her clothes off and pouncing on her.


    ¡°No! This isn¡¯t true, this isn¡¯t possible. Let go of me, let go¡­mmm¡­¡±


    Xin couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing and widened her eyes in shock.


    A momentter, she began to struggle wildly but could not overpower him.


    ¡°Roar all you want; the louder you scream, the more excited I get!¡±


    Shopkeeper Gu viciously pped her face several times, then quickly removed thest bit of clothing hiding his shame and pounced on her.


    ¡°Whores are just whores; see how lustful you are! In just a short moment, you¡¯ve already climaxed twice, haven¡¯t you? It seems your Ah-Bao hasn¡¯t satisfied you enough!¡±


    ¡°Ah-Bao, Ah-Bao! Ah-Bao¡­¡±


    Xin¡¯s face was covered in tears, her gaze fixed at a point in the empty void.


    Her heart fell into an icy abyss, yet her body burned with fire, even involuntarily cooperating with him.


    ¡°Ah-Bao, I didn¡¯t want to, I really didn¡¯t¡­forgive me, please forgive me, Ah-Bao¡­¡±


    The moon silently moved its disc-like face, hiding behind the dark clouds.


    Over at the official residence.


    Di Yelei went over to Elderly Mr. Di, discussed with him for a while, and then returned with a joyful expression on his face.


    When he arrived back in the inner room, Liu Sisi had already finished bathing and was checking the ount book under the light.


    ¡°Look at you, still checking the ount book sote at night, not worried about damaging your eyes. The ount book is never-ending; put it away for now and look at it tomorrow!¡±


    He walked up in two steps, forcefully closing the ount book.


    Liu Sisi was fully focused on the ount book and unconsciously cried out, ¡°Ah! Wait, I just need to finish thest two expenses, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Sisi¡­I miss you¡­¡±


    In front of her, Di Ye Lei¡¯s rich voice was so close, and the man before her eyes suddenly transformed into a big-tailed wolf, constantly wagging his tail, making Liu Sisi¡¯s heart miss a beat.


    ¡°Ye¡­Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Her voice trembled fiercely, making it difficult for her to speak properly.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with their situation, pressing closer step by step, ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m hungry, so hungry!¡±


    ¡°If¡­if you¡¯re hungry, call for a maid to bring some food.¡±


    Liu Sisi retreated quietly, her feminine intuition awakening, leading her to step back and try to put distance between them.

 Chapter 606: Sisi’s Fear

    Chapter 606: Sisi¡¯s Fear


    ¡°Don¡¯t call for the maid. There are delicious cooked dishes here too. Your husband isn¡¯t nning to give up what¡¯s close for something far away¡­¡±


    He approached step by step, with fierce eyes, giving her no chance to escape.


    Liu Sisi retreated step by step until she reached the big bed behind her, with no way to retreat further! She anxiously looked left and right and cried out in surprise.


    ¡°But¡­ but I¡­ah! I heard Niuniu crying, I have to go check on the children!¡±


    Liu Sisi lowered her body, trying to slip away through the gap beside Di Yelei.


    But a pair of big hands were faster!


    She didn¡¯t even get two steps away before a pair of big hands scooped her up and directly into his arms.


    A deepughter rang in her ears, making Liu Sisi¡¯s cheeks turn red.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elder Sister is watching the children over there. There¡¯s definitely no problem. My dear Sisi, your most important task now is to feed your husband as soon as possible.¡±


    With his words, bursts of deepughter kepting out.


    Then, his kiss fell.


    Thunderstroms and mes!


    He was a strong and dominant plunderer, upying her entirely.


    The tingling and numbness spread from where they touched, like being gnawed by ants, making her breathe painfully. Her cheeks flushed and the blush quickly spread to her corbone.


    His kiss was skillful, leading her to dance and wander, hitting her heart over and over, vowing to conquer the sacred territory.


    Liu Sisi struggled instinctively but couldn¡¯t resist the mischievous hands!


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re so beautiful ¨C my dear Sisi, are you still ying deaf and dumb even now? Are you really willing to let your husband suffer like this?¡±


    The master of the big hand moved quickly, and before she had time to react, he had ripped her skirt, and immediately, his eyes emitted a wolf-like glow and he growled!


    Liu Sisi instinctively shuddered.


    Before she had prepared for anything, he pounced forcefully, and his mouth closed in!


    A series of sounds!


    He ate with great relish!


    ¡°Mmm! Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Her words faded in and out in the silent night.


    Outside the door, Liu Zhi¡¯er was holding the baby and gently coaxing her, gradually approaching the house. The candle shadows flickered on the window, reflecting two hazy figures. There were strange soundsing from inside, which made her instinctively pause and stop.


    Her face turned red all of a sudden!


    But she couldn¡¯t bring herself to knock on the tightly closed room door.


    It seemed that even if Sisi came out, the baby¡¯s milk would be scarce, so it would be better to take her back to the nanny to feed her little stomach!


    She hesitated for a moment, sighed, and left.


    People came and went outside the door, but the two busy people inside were extremely focused,pletely unaware.


    The sweet milk was incredibly delicious. Di Yelei enjoyed it, not leaving until there was not a drop left, and reluctantly left her heart, lowering his head and kissing her several more times.


    ¡°Sisi, it¡¯s so delicious, really delicious, I want more.¡±


    He murmured, using his hands to squeeze and pinch, as if to squeeze thest drop of sweetness from her. After trying a few times, he gradually shifted his attention downwards.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Ye Lei¡­ I, let go of me quickly.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s body suddenly stiffened, and every hair on her body exploded!


    She was afraid! She tried her best to fend him off.


    The experience of giving birth to three children was like a revolvingntern, continuously ying in front of her eyes. The residual fear in her consciousness made her body instinctively afraid, resisting his intimacy.


    How could the man hear her inner refusal when his big hand had already reached out¡­


    ¡°No more, let go of me! Let go¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t care if she would hurt him, and kicked him directly!


    Her movements were fast, but Di Yelei¡¯s movements were even faster!


    With one hand, he urately caught her flying kick, and finally stopped his advances. His eyes still had a touch of crimson, and the desire made the veins on his face throb! But he had to hold back forcefully, and almost gritted his teeth to coax the little woman in his arms.


    ¡°Sisi, be good, it¡¯ll be over soon, trust me! I will make you happy, have you forgotten? In the past we¡­¡±


    But Liu Sisi¡¯s expression became more and more tense, her body shivering like autumn leaves in the wind!


    ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t do it anymore! Seriously, I don¡¯t want it anymore! Ye Lei, please let go of me, my wound hasn¡¯t healed yet, it still hurts¡­ it¡¯s true, I swear!¡±


    Her heart had epted him again, but her body instinctively repelled his approach, fearing he would hurt her and make her experience the pain of childbirth again! She didn¡¯t want¡­


    She insisted on saying no!


    At the moment, Di Yelei was like an arrow drawn back, but Liu Sisi¡¯s words had cut off his interest in her!


    He stared at her with his crimson eyes for a while, motionless.


    After a while, he finally rolled off her and gently hugged her: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Sisi, does your wound still hurt? Should I go and bring Old He back to take a look?¡±


    As he spoke, he was about to slip out of bed, but Liu Sisi caught him in time.


    ¡°No, no need. Then¡­ then when¡­ the wound is healed, how can I show it to Old He? I¡¯ll rest more, and it¡¯ll be better after a few more days.¡±


    How could she speak of such a private matter if they really brought Old He here?


    Di Yelei thought about it and did not insist on finding a doctor, but gradually calmed down.


    Once again at her side, he carefully wrapped her in a thin quilt, circled her in his arms, and lovingly kissed her forehead.


    ¡°Sisi, it¡¯s your husband who has made you suffer.¡±


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    Liu Sisi buried her head in his chest, shaking her head vigorously, but refused to look up.


    She couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty, unable to speak of her fear and worry.


    ¡°Good! It¡¯ste, you need to rest well, go to sleep!¡±


    He gently patted her back, gradually rxed his muscles, and closed his eyes to sleep.


    But Liu Sisi in his arms had a rare bout of insomnia. She couldn¡¯t sleep all night, tossing and turning for a long time. The inexplicable guilt filled her heart, and it took her a long time to fall asleep.


    As soon as Liu Sisi fell asleep, Di Yelei opened his eyes.


    Looking at the little woman in his arms, he raised his hand and gently scratched her little nose with his finger while sighing quietly.


    Her body had long recovered, but she was resisting his approach, she was scared!


    She probably hadn¡¯t noticed it herself, but just now her body was as stiff as a stone, as if she would faint at any moment.


    Why was that? Di Yelei had no answer.

 Chapter 607: 607: Zuo Xingyus Disappointment

    Chapter 607: Zuo Xingyu¡¯s Disappointment


    In an unknown courtyard.


    After a while, the clouds dispersed, and the rain stopped.


    Xin¡¯s face was smeared with makeup, her hair scattered, and her naked body hugged her clothes in a daze.


    Shopkeeper Gu, satisfied, dressed himself and then turned his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart. It¡¯s the same whether you spend one time or ten times with me! Here is 200 taels of silver, you take it for spending. If it¡¯s not enough, feel free to ask me for more.¡± Having said that, he threw the silver ticket next to her and then left,ughing heartily.


    The light paper flew to Xin, who remained still for a long time.


    After a while, she raised her head and stared at the direction where Shopkeeper Gu had disappeared, gritting her teeth with hatred, a cold light shing in her eyes!


    She hurriedly put on her torn clothes and rearranged her hair before quickly heading towards the official residence.


    Jumping over the fence, she ran quickly along the wall and soon reached the courtyard where she and Ah-Bao were staying. Landing silently, she saw the surroundings were quiet just like before she left, she could not help but heave a sigh of relief.


    As she gently pushed the door open and set foot outside, she immediately sensed something unusual.<div>


    ¡°Where have you been running off to?¡±


    Amp suddenly lit up in the courtyard, its flickering candlelight illuminating Ms. Zhao¡¯s gloomy face.


    A faint smile appeared on Xin¡¯s face. In a few steps, she greeted her with genuine surprise in her voice: ¡°Cui¡¯er couldn¡¯t sleep due to the heat. So, I went over to the lotus pond to pick a lotus flower. If only I knew that my mother-inw would visit, I would have picked another one as well, so she could put it in a vase back in her room and enjoy the lingering fragrance.¡±


    ¡°Picking flowers? Hmph! No one saw you. Who knows where else you¡¯ve been fooling around.¡±


    Ms. Zhao sneered and caught the lotus flower handed to her by Xin. There were still some dewdrops rolling on the petals, clearly indicating that it was just freshly picked.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± Xin submissively replied.


    However, as she slightly bent down, a warm liquid slid down from a certain ce. Startled, she hurriedly closed her legs, not daring to move a bit.


    ¡°You better not dare. Hmph! At such ate hour, don¡¯t go wandering around. Taking good care of Ah-Bao is the right thing to do¡­¡±


    As Ms. Zhao¡¯s suspicions gradually dissipated, she lectured Xin for a while. Seeing that Xin didn¡¯t argue at all and venting her anger from the resentment she had received from Liu Sisi, she finally left the room satisfied.


    As soon as Ms. Zhao left, Xin urgently slipped into her room and carefully cleaned herself up before returning to the room. Ah-Bao was still deeply asleep with no signs of waking up. Shey back down to her original position, unable to resist a long sigh of relief.


    Thankfully, they managed to get through the night without any incidents.


    The next day, before dawn, Di Yelei set off.


    Disasters had struck everywhere in Macheng County, and the situation was far more severe than people had imagined!


    Last night, Liu Sisi raised a few ideas that he found feasible, so he rushed to various ces to share her thoughts with others.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t sleep much either and got up, too.


    Today, she had to visit the Liu Family¡¯s Mansion andplete the necessary rituals.


    ording to the rules, the three little ones had to be taken along. With the three children, Liu Zhi¡¯er and the three nannies naturally couldn¡¯t be left behind, along with Da Mao, the children¡¯s spare clothes, and the little maid¡­


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but sigh! After having children, going out even once was like going to war, as they had to bring everything with them!


    After all the trouble of packing tworge carriages, Liu Sisi rode in a carriage heading towards the Liu Family¡¯s Mansion.<div>


    As soon as they left the city gate, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but lift the carriage curtain to look outside.


    In just over a month¡¯s time, the outside world had gone through earth-shattering changes.


    Arge amount ofnd was filled with withered seedlings and cracks on the ground resembled spider webs. The scorching sun was like a zing brazier, constantly baking the earth since morning. But after only a brief peek outdoors, Liu Sisi felt dizzy, the heat truly unbearable.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Fortunately, the distance between the county town and Liu Family¡¯s Mansion was not too far. The carriage took less than an hour to reach the Liu family¡¯snd. Upon arrival, everyone needed to continue on foot.<div>


    Liu Sisi ordered someone to get off the carriage, held the child, opened a paper umbre to shield them from the sun, and walked towards Liu Family¡¯s Mansion.


    At the top of the hill leading to Liu Family¡¯s Mansion, under the shade of arge tree, a figure was leaning. His eyes were narrowed, asionally scanning the mountain path below.


    Soon, two figures appeared at the end of his sight. His eyes lit up!


    Unable to hold back his joy, he hurriedly stood up, as if that would somehow get him closer to her!


    Sisi, you¡¯vee, you¡¯ve reallye!


    There are people who are constantly missing each other. Whether it¡¯s a mistake or regret, he can no longer tell the difference.


    Regardless of the reason, what¡¯s gone is gone.


    However, some people don¡¯t cherish what they have until they lose it, only then do they realize what they¡¯ve missed out on.


    Originally, the two would never see each other again. But when the chance came, he hesitated and shrank back. It¡¯s better not to meet at all!


    There were things he always wanted to do, but when the opportunity finally arrived, all he could do was watch her slip away, no longer wanting to make a move.


    His hands tightened into fists, allowing the heartache to spread within him.


    Those words have been buried in his heart for a very long time!


    He always wanted to find a chance to say them, but when the opportunity finally came, he couldn¡¯t say a word.<div>


    Watching Liu Sisi and her entourage gradually approaching from afar, passing the valley below him, and slowly moving away from him, just like back then!


    Please forgive me, for not having the courage to get any closer to you!


    Sisi¡­


    Sometimes it¡¯s not that love is gone, but rather the timing is wrong.


    When the opportunity finallyes and the timing is right, she no longer loves him!


    He always thought he had countless chances; he assumed she would still stand at the intersection waiting for him, just like when they were kids. Yet, constantly neglecting and overlooking her, he forgot that love also requires two people to support and care for one another. By the time he finally realizes it, he no longer has any chances left!


    It seems that only by releasing his tightly clenched fist will he feel closer to her.


    Life is often such a cruel irony!


    An unintentional turn could be a lifetime!


    ¡°Sisi¡­ We once promised to be together forever¡­ Why has it all ended?¡±


    He looked up at the not-so-distant view; there was the ovepping rooftop of Liu Family¡¯s Mansion, the swaying shadows of trees, and the rolling heat waves. Amidst all that, a coldness seeped from the depths of the earth, chilling his heart!


    Perhaps, in this lifetime, he would forever be trapped and unable to break free!


    <div>

 Chapter 608: 608: Returning to Maternal Uncles Home for Confinement Period

    Chapter 608: Returning to Maternal Uncle¡¯s Home for Confinement Period


    Thinking carefully, what exactly was it that separated him and her?


    Was it a moment of his indecision? It¡¯s just that the impression is so faint in his memory.


    A lonely boat advances in the vast ocean, the boatman paddles while carrying passengers, weathering the storms, yet it cannot withstand the trivial matters of daily life. Sailing through storms together, but as soon as the rain stops and the boat finds its harbor, everyone departs for their separate ways.


    Only in their dreams can they fantasize about the sweet times of reconciliation, embracing each other tightly with tears, what a beautiful scene that would be!


    However, upon awakening from the dream, they sigh at the reality of the dream world, gazing at the moonlit window. The cold moonlight lingers like ice, keeping them awake for a long time.


    ¡°Sisi, I really didn¡¯t expect that our parting wouldst a lifetime¡­¡±


    A long sighes from the shadows of the trees, gently blown away and disappearing with the breeze.


    Only the lone silhouette, standing on its own, remains.


    ¡­


    Liu Sisi and others hurry towards the direction of the Liu Family Mansion, unable to resist the urge to quicken their pace while holding their children.<div>


    They hadn¡¯t even reached the entrance of the Liu Family Mansion, when they saw arge crowd blocking the main entrance. Liu Sisi and others couldn¡¯t help but slow down.


    ¡°Madam, it¡¯s the chief of the Liu Family n and the Liu Family n members who came to wee you!¡±


    A quick and efficient servant came back to report.


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrow, wondering when she became involved with the chief of the Liu Family n and why they woulde to greet her?


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was standing next to her, sneered and whispered to Liu Sisi¡¯s ear, ¡°Sisi, these people are the kind who won¡¯t take action unless they see the rabbit. I think it¡¯s mostly because they see your identity is different from the past, so¡­ ¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at the smiling crowd approaching her and also gave a smile on the corner of her lips, taking the initiative to greet them.


    Ms. Yao had made preparations the day before, even calling Liu Xuer back home.


    However, Sisi did not return to the Liu Family Mansion, which kept everyone waiting for a day, making them displeased.


    The three sisters, Liu Xuer, Liu Sisi, and Liu Zhu actually looked quite alike, especially their eyes, which could see the bottom of a clear pool with one nce. It¡¯s just that Liu Xuer was visibly older, with faint traces of worries on the corners of her eyes.


    Liu Quan remained silent, while Liu Baihan and his wife Ms. Jia were very displeased, cursing under their breath, as if they could not wait to devour Liu Sisi alive.


    Liu Xuer had many chores at home, so she wanted to go back early in the morning. However, Ms. Yao desperately tried to keep her from leaving.


    ¡°Mom, I really have important things to do at home. My father-inw is bedridden, my mother-inw is managing the house, and my children are young and naughty. The fact that I coulde out for this trip is already a rare event. If I stay any longer, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Liu Xuer anxiously exined.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re afraid of your inws gossiping after you return. I understand.¡±


    Ms. Yao said softly, ¡°Xuer, don¡¯t be afraid. Later, I will give you a few eggs to bring back when you go home¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Suddenly, two loud coughs from the side interrupted Ms. Yao¡¯s words.


    Ms. Jia looked at Liu Xuer with spite in her eyes. ¡°Mom, every time my elder sister-inw returns to her mom¡¯s home, shees back empty-handed. Not to mention my Little Treasure has grown so much and hasn¡¯t even had a single egg from his elder aunt¡¯s house. Raising daughters is like raising thieves, huh? My Little Treasure doesn¡¯t get to eat eggs, so why should we give any to my elder sister-inw to take back home?¡±


    This remark made Liu Xuer so frustrated that she couldn¡¯t even lift her head and couldn¡¯t find a single word to argue back with.


    Ms. Yao nced at Liu Xuer whose face had changed color and hastily held her hand, unusually contradicting Ms. Jia. ¡°You¡­ Xuer is rarely back home, can¡¯t you be nice and say some kind words¡­¡±<div>


    At that moment, Liu Baihan¡¯s face turned even darker! He directly stood up and looked down at Liu Xuer with disdain.


    ¡°Enough! Supporting you useless bunch, all like debt collectors! You really think you can just take whatever you want from this home? No wonder people say raising daughters is like raising thieves! It¡¯s absolutely true!¡±


    This statement made Liu Xuer¡¯s face turn pale. ¡°Big brother, how can you speak like that? Back then, if it wasn¡¯t for you¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for you, would I have married into that wolf¡¯s den?¡±


    As soon as the topic came up, everyone in the room changed their expressions!<div>


    Over the years, since her marriage, Liu Xuer had onlye back home twice. The reason she didn¡¯t return was not only because of her busy schedule but also because her big brother¡¯s attitude.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°So what? Isn¡¯t it right for the Liu Family to take back some gift money after raising you for so many years?¡±


    Liu Baihan spoke loudly and righteously, not feeling a shred of guilt.


    ¡°Hmph! You don¡¯t visit your mom¡¯s home all year. Once you got married, you thought you were dead to this family. That damn Liu Sisi is even worse! She not only got my legs broken but also drove me out of Macheng County. Sooner orter, I¡¯ll have to settle the score with her! Hmph!¡±


    Liu Baihan¡¯s face was full of ferocity, wishing he could just eat her alive.


    ¡°How do you intend to settle with me? Let¡¯s hear it!¡±


    As he was speaking, he suddenly heard a female voiceing from behind him and turned around hastily.


    Liu Sisi was slowly approaching from the other side, followed by arge group of maids and old women. She was also carrying three infants as she rounded the corner of the wall, heading in the direction of the Liu Family¡¯s house.


    Liu Baihan¡¯s speech earlier had naturally reached Liu Sisi¡¯s ears, every single word of it.


    Her sudden appearance took everyone by surprise! They were all speechless and couldn¡¯t react.


    Liu Xuer stared intently at Liu Sisi in front of her, unable to help squinting her eyes.


    At first sight, she almost dared not go up to recognize her. Was this her little sister Liu Sisi?


    Her memory was still of Liu Sisi¡¯s timid yet stubborn face before she got married!<div>


    But now, although she was wearing simple clothes, one nce revealed clothing that only the wealthy could afford. Not to mention at this moment, surrounded by maids and old women who were thrilled to see her!


    Her gaze moved forward,nding on Liu Baihan, carrying a proud expression, ncing at him, then snorting heavily.


    ¡°Liu Baihan, didn¡¯t you say you were going to settle the score with me? I¡¯m standing right in front of you now. How do you want to do this, let¡¯s hear it!¡±


    As soon as Liu Baihan saw Liu Sisi, his facepletely changed. At this moment, Liu Sisi called him out by name, and naturally, he found it difficult to save face. With so many people present, he couldn¡¯t afford to lose face.


    ¡°You, how do you want to settle? Liu Sisi, don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯ve be an official¡¯s wife, you can ignore and look down on your family! I¡¯m telling you, even if you be a Madam First-Rank, I¡¯m still your brother, and you¡¯re still my sister!¡±


    Liu Baihan¡¯s face was full of arrogance!

 Chapter 609: 609: So This Is the Liu Family

    Chapter 609: So This Is the Liu Family


    You Liu Sisi think you¡¯re so tough? Now do you think you can escape from the Liu family? The countless people who point fingers at you and me you don¡¯t even need to say anything; you¡¯d be drowned in their saliva alone.


    ¡°A brother like you, I Liu Sisi wouldn¡¯t dare to recognize.¡±


    Liu Sisi sneered coldly! Was he so sure of himself? What a pity, his perfect n was wrong!


    ¡°Mom, Sisi is back with your grandsons and granddaughters!¡±


    Liu Sisi walked to Ms. Yao and greeted her respectfully. The nanny behind her also rushed to greet her while holding the children.


    Following Liu Sisi, Liu Zhi¡¯er also bowed.


    With that soft call, she instantly broke people¡¯s trance, and everyone woken up.


    ¡°Sisi, you are finally back! Woo Woo¡­ I am so happy¡­¡± Ms. Yao could hardly contain her happiness, her tears slid down her face as she rushed towards Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Mom, steady yourself, don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly supported her, and women are made of water, which is evident in Ms. Yao¡¯s case!<div>


    ¡°Sisi, you must be Sisi, right? Your¡­you¡¯ve changed so much that even your older sister can¡¯t recognize you¡­¡±


    Liu Xuer became very excited.


    She was going to say that Sisi had grown up so much, but remembering her current identity, she quickly changed her words.


    ¡°Elder Sister, Sisi didn¡¯t expect to see Elder Sister today, it¡¯s so great!¡±


    Mom said that she was carried back to the Liu family by Elder Sister. Seeing Liu Xuer now, she naturally had to find time to ask about it.


    ¡°Yes! Our three sisters rarely have the chance to meet, let¡¯s go inside and talk!¡± Liu Xuer said with happiness all over her face.


    ¡°Since when did the Liu family take turns letting a daughter who¡¯s married off rule the family?¡±


    Ms. Jia, who had been neglected the whole time, finally saw the opportunity to speak, pushing Liu Xuer aside and greeting Liu Sisi with a smiley face.


    ¡°Sisi, it¡¯s been so many days since we¡¯ve seen each other, your big sister-inw missed you. Hurry, let¡¯s go inside and talk.¡±


    During the conversation, she stepped forward and grabbed Liu Sisi¡¯s arm directly.


    ¡°Thank you, big sister-inw.¡±


    Liu Sisi did not allow her smile to change. Nevertheless, she silently shook off her arm. Ms. Jia seemed unwilling to let go, but under Liu Sisi¡¯s cold gaze, she was defeated,ughed awkwardly, and released her.


    Liu Sisi gave her a cold nce, then turned to take Ms. Yao and Liu Xuer¡¯s hands: ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go inside!¡±


    Everyone was overjoyed and walked through the main entrance of the Liu Family¡¯s Mansion happily.


    ording to the local custom here, when a daughter returns to her mother¡¯s home after getting married, firecrackers must be set off to celebrate, and the firecrackers are usually brought back by the daughter herself.


    Liu Sisi certainly wouldn¡¯t be stingy in this regard.


    A whole set of 108-bang four-roll firecrackers had already been hung outside the Liu Family¡¯s courtyard, and they soon exploded.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Crack crack crack! ¡ª¡ª


    The sound of firecrackers suddenly attracted countless neighbors, and even residents from far away stretched their necks to look at the Liu Family¡¯s courtyard at the edge of Liu Family¡¯s Mansion.<div>


    Like many other n-basedmunities, the higher-ups in the Liu family lived in the more central and older houses. In contrast, the more peripheral and newly-built houses were more spacious and modern.


    The house of Liu Family belonged to the category of being neither new nor old, and close to the periphery, just like the Liu Family¡¯s status in the n.


    With the sound of firecrackers outside, the people inside were naturally overjoyed.


    It didn¡¯t matter whether they were genuinely overjoyed or not; what was important was that everyone¡¯s face was filled with smiles as they casually chatted.<div>


    Liu Sisi had something on her mind and wished she could pull Liu Xuer aside and ask her about it in private. But seeing the increasing number of people outside, she had to abandon this idea.


    Ms. Jia kept talking non-stop, continuously giving pointers to Liu Sisi: ¡°People always say that blood is thicker than water. Sisi, after all, you are the daughter married off from our Liu Family, and Bai Han is your only elder brother. You have to help your family no matter what, right? You¡­¡±


    Ms. Jia¡¯s mouth kept moving, leaving her parched. On the other hand, Liu Sisi maintained a shallow smile and remained silent like an unshakable hill, which made Ms. Jia increasingly annoyed.


    ¡°¡­And, Bai Han has taken care of you quite a bit these years. Now that you are the Captain¡¯s wife, you won¡¯t do anything to burn the bridge, right?¡±


    ¡°Has big brother really taken care of me these past years? Mom, do you think what big sister-inw said is true?¡±


    These words finally caught Liu Sisi¡¯s attention. She smiled at Ms. Yao before turning to look at the people in the center of the scene, paying special attention to the good big brother Liu Baihan mentioned by Jia.


    The moment Liu Baihan saw Liu Sisi approaching, his face immediately changed in fear!


    Seeing Liu Sisi¡¯s attention on Ms. Yao, he quietly turned around, intending to sneak away, only to be caught by Liu Sisi!


    ¡°Liu Baihan, where are you trying to go? I don¡¯t know what you think of what sister-inw just said?¡±


    Liu Baihan¡¯s foot still hung in mid-air, unsure if he should take the step or not, feeling torn.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi wore a mocking smile!


    ¡°Sister-inw just said that you have been taking care of me for many years, and even said that I, Liu Sisi, am the one to burn bridges. Where exactly are you trying to go? Could it be that you want to sneak away?¡±<div>


    The piercing smile in her eyes irritated Liu Baihan. He nced at the surrounding people, his face sank, and he stared back at her.


    ¡°Liu Sisi, did you reallye back today to settle old scores? Juste at me! Do you think I, Liu Baihan, am afraid of you? It was you who caused me to lose a leg, unable to return to my home, and brought chaos to our Liu Family! Now you suddenly show up at our door, what exactly is your n?¡±


    ¡°Of course, my intentions are good, and my conscience is clear!¡±


    Liu Sisi snorted coldly, turning her head to look at Jia, who was hiding behind Liu Baihan, with a shallow smile on her face.


    ¡°Today I came back toplete the confinement period. I understand if you don¡¯t want me around, Liu Sisi. But I never thought that you would actually pin the me of the chaos in the Liu Family on me. If you don¡¯t want me as your younger sister, I can just leave. Rest assured! There are many more cousins in the Liu Family, and I won¡¯t stick around as an unwanted guest.¡± Her words were obviously deliberate.


    Liu Sisi waved her hand, calling the servants, intending to leave.


    She couldplete the confinement period at her cousin¡¯s house. Now, with people sneaking around the Liu family, if she really left like this, Liu Baihan probably wouldn¡¯t have to stay any longer either!


    ¡°Fine! You go, just go! No one is stopping you. If you really leave now, don¡¯t evere back!¡±


    Liu Baihan spoke solemnly, not believing that he couldn¡¯t overpower her.

 Chapter 610: 610: Clan Leaders Calculations

    Chapter 610: n Leader¡¯s Calctions


    Liu Sisiughed instead of getting angry: ¡°Good! These are your own words, everyone heard it!¡±


    Having said that, she got up directly.


    ¡°Bai Han, how can you speak to Sisi like that? Today is the auspicious day for Sisi toe out of her confinement. As her older brother, how can you speak like that?¡±


    On the side, Liu Quan spoke for the first time today, scolding Liu Baihan.


    Liu Quan looked like aplete schr, speaking rigidly. He looked at Liu Baihan with a ¡°I can¡¯t believe you are so hopeless¡± expression, obviously holding deep disdain for him.


    ¡°Sisi, your brother is just a bit sharp-tongued. He doesn¡¯t really have any ill intentions. Since when does onee home from their mother¡¯s house and leave without eating? Come in, your mom has prepared a lot of dishes you like, waiting for you.¡±


    A hint of mockery shed through Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes. Her nominal father was still biased as usual towards Liu Baihan.


    Well, who could me him, since Liu Baihan was his only son!


    The original owner of this body seemed domineering and fierce on the surface, but was actually delicate and sensitive at heart. Naturally, she felt wronged in her family. This is the reason why she was always at odds with Liu Quan and the others over the years. She wanted true love, but she never realized that she was not part of the Liu family. No matter how much she fought, she would never gain the respect she deserved!


    Understanding all this, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but sigh. The original owner was indeed a silly girl, so foolishly adorable!<div>


    ¡°A sister? I, Liu Baihan, don¡¯t have such a sister!¡±


    Liu Baihan held his head up high and said the words he had been enjoying since he was a child.


    When Liu Baihan and his two nephews sentnterns to Liu Sisi back then, it broke her heart.


    Later, Ms. Yao pped her face because of this matter. However, as her true identity slowly unraveled, Liu Sisi¡¯s resentment towards Ms. Yao actually faded. People all have selfishness, and Ms. Yao was her aunt who raised her and gave her a chance to survive. She shouldn¡¯t have expected anything more that didn¡¯t belong to her.


    After figuring all this out, her inner demons finally disappeared!


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I don¡¯t have a big brother like you!¡± If he were really her own brother, she would surely have cried to death!


    ¡°Liu Baihan! How can you treat your sister like this? Apologize to her right now!¡±


    Just as Liu Sisi was about to leave on her own ord and the crowd hurriedly came forward to try and stop her, an old man was supported by someone and entered the Liu Family¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡°¡­ n Leader¡­¡±


    Liu Quan, Liu Baihan, and the rest of them were all stunned!


    They never expected that this matter would have attracted the attention of the Liu Family¡¯s n leader.


    Sincest year, the Liu family¡¯s n leader had been seriously ill and rarely made any public appearances.


    Before this, he went to the manor gate to wee Liu Sisi and chatted with her briefly. He even proposed that Liu Sisi apany him to the main hall of the Liu Family¡¯s Mansion, but she refused.


    Unexpectedly, he hade back at this moment.


    The n leader smiled at Liu Sisi, but when he turned his gaze to Liu Baihan, he couldn¡¯t help but show a heavy disappointment!


    Liu Sisi smiled sarcastically! She would never admit that she did it on purpose!


    She deliberately didn¡¯t go to the main hall because she knew that the n leader wouldn¡¯t let Liu Baihan and the others continue their nonsense, and she knew that the n leader had something to ask her for. She purposely made the n leader fall behind and let him see how his so-called descendants treated her. If he still wanted to threaten her, he should think about his own weight!


    The n leader¡¯s eyes suddenly shed fiercely: ¡°Liu Baihan! Did you lose your education and manners? How can you speak to your sister like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±<div>


    Just as Liu Baihan wanted to retort, Liu Quan coughed softly and somehow managed to get him to hold back the rest of his words.


    ¡°Lord n Leader, please calm down. The children are just ying! Please, don¡¯t get angry and hurt your body.¡±


    Liu Quan tried hard to mediate the situation, and even gave Liu Baihan a signal.


    Liu Baihan felt wronged, but he was a flexible person: ¡°Hehe! Let me tell you, little sister! Your elder brother is a bit clumsy and not good with words. Sisi, you won¡¯t be angry with me, right? Oh! Are these my three little nephews? Come,e, let me, their uncle, hold them¡­¡±<div>


    As he spoke, he reached out as if to hold the children.


    The nanny, holding the children, instinctively shrank back, avoiding his outstretched hand, bringing about an awkward and standoffish atmosphere.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face had a deep smile, looking indifferent at the scene right before her eyes.


    Next to them, the cunning old n leader, quickly scolded: ¡°Bai Han! Is this how you act as an uncle? Clumsy and awkward, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ll scare the children? Step back!¡±


    Then he turned back to Liu Sisi, and beckoned with a wrinkled smile: ¡°Sisi! Don¡¯t stand here, let¡¯s go to the inner room and sit down! Please!¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled kindly: ¡°Please, Lord n Leader!¡±


    Indeed, ginger still is the spiciest when it¡¯s old!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    There were no afterthoughts in the inner room. Liu Sisi was apanied by Ms. Gao and Granny Hu, while the n leader had an elder of the n by his side and Liu Quan.


    Fragrant tea and pastries arrived quickly, exceptionally delicate, clearly prepared in advance.


    Everyone took their respective ces, and Liu Sisi chatted casually with the n leader about trivial matters from all corners of the world, asionally joined by Liu Quan. The n Leader was a good conversationalist and very knowledgeable about practical matters. The two talked about things unrted to their interests, naturally able to findmon ground.


    However, not long after, the topic of the n leader changed: ¡°Sisi, I heard that your grandson-inw has been appointed as a Sixth-Rank Captain. Is that true?¡±


    Liu Sisi smiled, and finally, it hade!


    ¡°Indeed, but this happened half a year ago. My Lord n Leader, you are only asking now¡­¡±<div>


    She squinted her eyes and smiled, making the old n leader¡¯s face turn slightly red. Who could me him, as he had been bedridden with a severe illness and his information was severelygging.


    ¡°Old man here has been bedridden, but has only recently recovered a bit. As soon as I got better, I hurried over.¡±


    Contrary to expectations, the n leader did not conceal his purpose: ¡°I heard a while ago that Captain Di is going to do something practical for the people, including establishing an academy. Is it managed by your grandson¡¯s wife now?¡±


    Actually, speaking of generations, Liu Sisi should be the great-niece of the n leader. By removing the great- part, the n leader probably wanted to close the gap between their rtionship.


    The fertilend left by the ancestors has been been cultivated by the Liu family for generations. Although the family mainly focuses on farming and reading, their work on education and nurturing people is at the heart of this farming and reading family.


    Some time ago, upon hearing that Lord Di was going to establish an academy, the n leader¡¯s mind started working on an idea.


    The farming and reading family sounded nice, but not many people in the Liu family were still adhering to the ancestral teachings.

 Chapter 611: 611: A Chaotic Mess

    Chapter 611: Chapter 611: A Chaotic Mess


    As a result of their long-standing family idiosyncrasies and being always stuck between high and low ranks, they naturally remained idle at home, living off their inheritance and selling ancestral property to make ends meet.


    Seeing the family¡¯s wealth dwindling, the n leader was naturally anxious. When someone mentioned the matter of the academy, it piqued the interest of the elder n leader.


    If their Liu Family could serve as teachers in the academy, then at least they would not have to worry about their n members continuing to eat away at their resources. Wouldn¡¯t this ensure the prosperity of the Liu Family?


    As soon as the n leader brought up the topic, Liu Sisi knew what was on his mind.


    ¡°Lord n Leader is indeed well-informed. This matter is indeed being handled by me. However, since giving birth, I have left this matter to my husband. I honestly have no idea how this matter is progressing.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, it doesn¡¯t matter! Isn¡¯t it said that the academy has not yet beenpleted, and it is still early? The niece can ask when she goes back.¡±


    The n leader waved his hand nonchntly, ¡°There are many students and Cultivated Talents in our Liu Family who are idle at home. Isn¡¯t your father also a Cultivated Talent? If he were to go to the academy, he would be able to help you too.¡±


    What a shrewd calction by the n leader! A sh appeared in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes.


    Once the academy was established and the teachers came from the Liu Family, thetter generations attending the academy would naturally be exempt from tuition fees.


    ¡°Lord n Leader, I am just a woman from a humble background, and I don¡¯t know or care about my husband¡¯s affairs. So¡­ I honestly don¡¯t know about this matter.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi said with an apologetic smile.


    The n Leader was still all smiles, unable to resist praising Liu Sisi: ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine! As the niece who is helping Lord Captain manage the backyard, you are already working very hard. However, Sisi! People always say that when a woman marries, she cannot ignore the support of her family, right?¡±


    ¡°Since ancient times, it¡¯s been said that those who can support a boat can also capsize it, and with rising water, the boat rises as well. If our Liu Family prospers, then even if your grandson-inw achieves great sess, there will be many social interactions between men. As a niece, you must be unyielding in the backyard, and the help of your family cannot be underestimated, right? Moreover, are the positions for teachers in the academy already filled?¡±


    The n Leader was hinting that in the future, with people entering Di Yelei¡¯s backyard, what she could rely on was the power of her family. Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth curled up with a mocking expression, full of ridicule!


    Even if she wanted to rely on her family¡¯s support, they would need to provide support for her! Furthermore, if there were really more people entering Di Yelei¡¯s backyard, what she needed to do wouldn¡¯t be as simple as depending on her family.


    If that day ever came, she would directly castrate him and see how he dared to mess around outside!


    Just as she was about to speak, the room door opened.


    The main entrance was quietly pushed open, Little Treasure carefully squeezed through the door gap, and before anyone could notice, he climbed onto the table and quickly grabbed the pastries on the te. When the te was empty and no more pastries could fit in his pocket, he still tried to cram them in without giving up.


    A look of pity shed in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes. This child had learned from his mother, but after all these years had not developed any depth. Considering his temperament, he was a lost cause.


    The n leader¡¯s face changed as well! At this critical moment in the conversation, what did this child¡¯s intrusion mean? He couldn¡¯t help but scold Liu Quan in a low voice.


    ¡°You¡­ how do you discipline your child? Hurry up and take him away!¡± This was really outrageous!


    Liu Quan, who had been sitting quietly to the side, also looked very unhappy. How did Little Treasure get in during this important discussion?


    ¡°Liu Quan! Look at your family¡­ what kind of situation is this? Hurry up and deal with it!¡± The elder n member saw the awkward atmosphere and quickly gave Liu Quan a signal.


    ¡°Yes, yes yes, I will have someone take the child away immediately¡­¡± Liu Quan bowed repeatedly.


    As the room was bustling, Liu Baihan¡¯s other child, Liu Hua, quietly approached Little Treasure and quickly transferred the food from his pocket, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Clearly, the two brothers have done this many times and had excellent cooperation.


    Liu Sisi naturally saw the drama outside the door but did not speak.


    As an adopted daughter and an adopted daughter who had married out, it was not her ce to speak about such matters.


    ¡°This, this¡­ Little Treasure is young and doesn¡¯t understand things, please everyone do not take offense¡­¡±


    Liu Quan said his excuses, repeatedly bowing, as he picked up Little Treasure and quickly left the room, all the while being watched with cold eyes. He then threw Little Treasure to the ground.<div>


    In a low voice, he scolded: ¡°How did you get in? Get lost! We¡¯ll deal with youter!¡±


    Unexpectedly, Little Treasure, who had been spoiled since childhood, was rarely treated so harshly. He immediately screamed and cried loudly, causing a hugemotion. The noise was like that of ghosts and wolves wailing!


    Ms. Jia came out of nowhere with a loving expression: ¡°Oh, Little Treasure! What¡¯s wrong with you? Is it because someone unted their high status and bullied our Little Treasure? Come,e to your mother, I¡¯ll wipe your face for you¡­¡±


    The n leader inside the hall was livid and couldn¡¯t say a word.<div>


    This statement turned Liu Quan¡¯s face ck! The n leader and Sisi were both at home. It was truly unfortunate to marry such a divisive daughter-inw. It was truly¡­ a disgrace to their old Liu Family!


    He smiled awkwardly at the people inside, covering the door considerately to block the view from outside.


    But the ridicule in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes could not be concealed. She had not forgotten how Liu Baihan had brought his two children to their door to pretend to be dead and defraud them of money. She felt no affection for her two little nephews.


    However, regarding the n leader, she did have something to say.


    ¡°Lord n Leader, just now, my little nephew and sister-inw came in. So, do you think I, Liu Sisi, can confidently entrust my back to them?¡±


    If she were to really entrust her back to them, she feared that within two days, not even a trace of her would be left!


    The n leader was left dumbfounded, not knowing how to respond.


    Liu Sisi pondered for a moment before finally sighing, ¡°But after all, the Liu Family has been my benefactor. So! After I go back, I will ask about it. If the teachers at the academy have not yet been settled, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to leave the matter to the Liu Family!¡± She didn¡¯t say it definitively.


    The n leader was overjoyed! Even the elder beside him was excited!


    Unsteady on his feet, the n leader swayed as he stood up and bowed to Liu Sisi.


    ¡°My dear niece! If this matter is settled, you will be my old man¡¯s¡­ no, our entire Liu Family¡¯s great benefactor!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    His happiness caused him to overlook the phrase ¡°Liu Family benefactor¡± that Liu Sisi had mentioned earlier.


    <div>

 Chapter 612: 612: Creating Nuisance Persistently

    Chapter 612: Chapter 612: Creating Nuisance Persistently


    ¡°Lord n Leader, please don¡¯t overly humble yourself before Sisi. You are her elder, it¡¯s not right.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly helped the n leader stand and guided him back to his chair to sit down.


    The n leader was filled with joy: ¡°The Liu Family has not many talents, but there are plenty of schrs. As of now, we have four individuals who have passed the examinations for Cultivated Talent, and even more have be qualified students¡­It¡¯s rare for grandniece to be willing to do these things for the Liu Family. On behalf of the Liu Family, I want to express our gratitude to you!¡± He made several formal bows towards Liu Sisi, and the n elder at his side also had a delighted expression.


    Liu Sisi quickly returned the bow and hurriedly said: ¡°Lord n Leader, please don¡¯t overly humble yourself before me. However, I must speak a harsh truth before we proceed. My husband has said that the academy will certainly want to recruit teachers, and will conduct a preliminary assessment. Moreover, the admission of students also requires examination.¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course, when the timees, whatever the rules of the academy are, we, the Liu Family, will follow them ordingly. Yours truly understands these things, I do!¡± The n leader nodded repeatedly.


    Liu Sisi also rxed. It was good that he agreed, and when the time came, if the examination was not passed, she wouldn¡¯t be med for turning her face.


    ¡°However, I can arrange for the Liu Family to have several candidate spots, even the student quota, I can allocate a portion to the Liu Family. But, I also have a condition!¡±


    The n leader and the n elder nced at each other, and simultaneously asked, ¡°What is the condition?¡±


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in the kitchen of the Liu Family, Liu Zhi¡¯er was busy in front of the stove with Da Mao helping Ms. Yao.<div>


    There was a lot of leftover soup and other foods from lunch. Ms. Yao quickly stir-fried a few small dishes and steamed a little more rice¡ª after all, the maids and women-servants who came with Liu Sisi also had to eat.


    ¡°Zhi¡¯er, Sisi seems to have changed a lot recently. What happened?¡±


    For Ms. Yao, Sisi was only married away a little over a year ago, just like the blink of an eye, how could she have changed so much?


    ¡°What happened? Mom, you are just filtering it out.¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, having a moment to look up at Ms. Yao, said, ¡°After all, she is a phoenix. Even if you pluck her feathers and put her among chickens, a phoenix is still a phoenix. Can the inherent pride in her be the same as ours?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ can it be so?¡± Ms. Yao murmured.


    However, a grand and unparalleled figure rose in her mind, who, with a turn and a smile, was so breathtakingly graceful and pure!


    And standing beside her, she felt like green leaves by the side of a red flower, merely serving as a contrast!


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t treat her like the Sisi from the past anymore! Especially with big brother, it¡¯d be best if you could advise him not to deliberately provoke Sisi. Sisi doesn¡¯t owe him anything. On the contrary, what he owes Sisi cannot be repaid. If things continue like this, not even the Heavenly King will be able to protect him!¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er gave a solemn warning!


    She knew that her father valued her big brother more than anyone else in the family!


    But if he really upset her little sister, she felt that this time it probably wouldn¡¯t end up so smoothly!


    Meanwhile, Liu Xuer also came back to her senses from her memories: ¡°When I first brought her home, she was very small, covered in blood, and staring at me with wide, bewildered eyes¡­ I didn¡¯t expect this!¡±


    The topic was too heavy, causing everyone to fall silent.


    When the rice was cooked, everyone brought the cooked dishes to the table.


    The reason the dinner was served so early was to facilitate Liu Sisi and others leaving to return home. The mountain road was so long, it would take quite some time to travel.


    The n leader invited Liu Sisi to sit in the main seat, but she declined and chose to sit at the head of the left side instead. This was once the seat of Liu Baihan! Seeing Liu Baihan¡¯s face immediately darken, she inexplicably felt extremely pleased!


    There were eight people at this main table. The main seats were upied by Liu Quan and the n leader, while Liu Sisi sat at the head on the left side, and the two elders of the n sat at the head on the right side. Liu Baihan was about to let Ms. Jia sit down at the foot of the table, but Liu Sisi stopped him abruptly!


    ¡°Hold on! Today is a rare gathering of us sisters, let Eldest Sister and Second Sister sit at the foot of the table!¡± Liu Sisi said with a mischievous grin.<div>


    Liu Baihan stared deeply at Liu Sisi, then turned his gaze to the seat next to her: ¡°That¡¯s fine! Our siblings haven¡¯t had a good talk for a while, why not¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom! You¡¯re finally here! Come over quickly, Sisi has reserved a space for you next to me!¡±


    Liu Sisi interrupted what Liu Baihan was about to say and waved at Ms. Yao, who had juste out with a bowl of soup. Sheughed, her eyes curving with warmth: ¡°My mother and I haven¡¯t had a good chat for a long time. We should take advantage of this rare reunion to catch up.¡±


    Liu Baihan¡¯s face instantly darkened at her words!<div>


    Liu Sisi stood up and helped Ms. Yao to sit down next to her.


    ¡°Sisi, this¡­this isn¡¯t good, right? I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Ms. Yao nced at the faces of the n leader and Liu Quan above, then at the expressions of Liu Baihan and Ms. Jia beside her, feeling extremely ufortable.


    Ms. Jia¡¯s eyes flickered, and she couldn¡¯t help but sneer in her heart!


    Such lowly things could never be elevated, even if she, Ms. Yao, wore a dragon robe, she could not be a crown prince! The more she tried, the more ridiculous she seemed! Did she even think about sitting at the table to eat? Ridiculous!


    ¡°Little Sister! Mom has been used to eating in the kitchen all these years, so it¡¯s natural for her to feel ufortable sitting here suddenly, why don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Watching Ms. Yao shrinking and trembling under Ms. Jia¡¯s gaze, the smile on Liu Sisi¡¯s face gradually faded.


    ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, do you admit she is your mother-inw? Have you been delegating your mother-inw to eat in the kitchen while you sit proudly at the table for meals?¡±


    Her words were sharp and revealed a clear truth.


    These words instantly changed the expressions of everyone present!


    Even Ms. Jia herself was taken aback, quickly retorting: ¡°What are you talking about, Little Sister? I, I as Eldest Sister-inw, also eat like this, don¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°I, Liu Sisi, am not silly nor blind to the way our meals have been conducted in the past!¡±


    Liu Sisi gently patted Ms. Yao¡¯s hand, picked up her chopsticks first, and put arge piece of food into the bowl in front of Ms. Yao: ¡°Mother, this is braised pork feet, your favorite dish. Eat it quickly!¡±<div>


    Ms. Yao was like a frightened bird at this moment! Seeing Liu Sisi picking up food for her, she immediately stood up in a hurry.


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi, I¡­ In the past, it was my own choice not to eat at the table¡­This really has nothing to do with your Eldest Sister-inw¡­¡± Ms. Yao¡¯s eyes were full of pleading.


    It was this plea that ignited a spark of anger in Liu Sisi¡¯s heart! However, when she saw the look in Ms. Yao¡¯s eyes, she sat back down and stopped talking.


    This sudden change in her demeanor made everyone uneasy.


    In the end, it was the n leader who spoke: ¡°Ms. Yao, as Si Er is rarely home, you should sit down and eat.¡±


    Only then did Ms. Yao breathe a sigh of relief, she stood up, thanked everyone, and finally sat down.N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 613: 613: Laying the Cards on the Table

    Chapter 613: Chapter 613: Laying the Cards on the Table


    After this episode, everyone fell silent. The meal was finished in a strange atmosphere. After the dishes were cleared and reced with fragrant tea, everyone finally rxed.


    Seeing that there were no outsiders present, the n leader tried to smooth things over.


    ¡°Sisi! Although I, the elder man, don¡¯t know exactly what happened between you and Bai Han that led to today¡¯s situation. But you¡¯re still siblings connected by flesh and blood. How about I mediate and let this go?¡±


    These words made Liu Sisi¡¯s repressed anger burst out! She spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°In the past, to gather betrothal gifts for my big brother, Dad sold Eldest Sister. My brother-inw is a sickly ghost, my father-inw is bedridden, and my mother-inw is harsh. Ever since she married into that family, Eldest Sister hasn¡¯t had a single day of happiness. She¡¯s more like their family¡¯s servant than a daughter-inw, and she can¡¯t stop working even during holidays. She can¡¯t even go back to her parents¡¯ home!¡±


    Seeing that the situation was not good, the n leader tried to speak: ¡°Sisi¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Lord n Leader, please let me finish!¡±


    Liu Sisi stopped him and continued: ¡°When Sister-inw needed money after giving birth, they sold Second Sister to the one-armed Dong Chang. He is a beast in human skin, and not only does Second Sister work herself to death every day, but Dong Chang also has a gambling addiction.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a sale, it was a marriage!¡±


    Liu Quan couldn¡¯t stand it any longer, his eyebrows furrowed together.<div>


    Liu Sisi looked at Liu Quan, then back at Liu Zhi¡¯er, who was wiping away tears, and sighed silently.


    ¡°Hmph! He sold Second Sister as a tenant wife to an old man who couldn¡¯t do anything and took advantage of Zhi¡¯er¡¯s absence to sell his own sons, Er Mao and San Mao. When we found Da Mao, he was sleeping in a dog house, fighting for food with a litter of puppies¡­¡±


    The n leader¡¯s face also turned bad, and he couldn¡¯t help but advise: ¡°Sisi, isn¡¯t that all in the past? We have to look forward when living¡­ ¡±


    ¡°When it came to me, Liu Baihan did something even more ruthless!¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s face was particrly solemn.


    ¡°He took money from outsiders and conspired with them to set up his own sister. Little did he know that I would rather die than give in. Just as the n was about to fall apart, someone offered a higher price for him to fake a marriage while actually selling his own sister to a brothel!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s words were almost spat out between her teeth.


    Everyone at the table gasped in shock, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°Thankfully, the heavens showed mercy, and I, Liu Sisi, survived against all odds to make my own way. But now he jumps out and says that I, Liu Sisi, should be grateful to him!¡±


    Everyone in the room couldn¡¯t help but lower their heads, feeling ashamed to look up.


    ¡°Yes, I, Liu Sisi, should really be grateful to him!¡±


    Liu Sisi, furious, stood up and walked over to Liu Baihan¡¯s table in two steps.


    ¡°Today, I, Liu Sisi, am going to be blunt! Yes! The Liu family adopted me, Liu Sisi, and raised me from childhood. But in the end, you sold me for ten taels of silver!¡±


    Liu Sisi turned to the Lord n Leader: ¡°n leader, tell me, has the Liu family repaid their favor of raising Sisi when they sold me?¡±


    She, Liu Sisi, was always one to love and hate openly. If someone had been kind to her, she would remember it for a lifetime. On the contrary, if anyone dared to hurt her and expected benefits from her, she would make them understand just how fierce she could be!


    The n leader was shocked!


    Liu Sisi was not actually the daughter of the Liu family, so that meant¡­ all his ns were in vain?


    He moved his lips, but remained silent for a while.


    Liu Sisi smiled, not paying attention to his attitude.


    ¡°I, Liu Sisi, am standing here today for the sake of this pitiful married woman.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi stepped forward and helped Ms. Yao to stand up from the chair: ¡°She is Sisi¡¯s aunt. At the same time, she¡¯s also Sisi¡¯s mom, and the only true family I have in this world!¡±


    The n leader couldn¡¯t sit still either! He stood up abruptly from the chair and scolded in a low voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Liu Quan, tell us, is what Sisi just said true?¡±


    Liu Quan had been sitting in the chair from the beginning.<div>


    Upon hearing the n leader¡¯s question, he hurriedly stood up from the chair and stammered for quite a while before answering.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. Sisi was brought back 17 years ago by Ms. Yao and Xu Er from outside, saying that she was the child of her lineal elder sister¡­¡±


    It¡¯s over!


    The n leader closed his eyes and sighed in secret. How did the Liu Family end up with so many useless people!


    Liu Baihan was anxious on the side! He quickly stepped forward and shouted!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°n leader, every family is doing this now, using the betrothal gifts from marrying off daughters to bring in daughter-inws. What did I, Liu Baihan, do wrong? I can¡¯t understand why I¡¯m being used like this! I hope the n leader can handle this fairly. What I said is right, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Liu Baihan even thought he was right!


    Liu Sisi sneered.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! In your heart, Liu Baihan, there¡¯s only you! Mom has raised you up with great hardship, but how did you treat her?¡±


    Ms. Jia, seeing that the situation was not good, quickly came forward to help.


    ¡°Little Sister! Your words are wrong. Although your big brother used some money to marry me, is it really the case that he, or even the fellow vigers around, are doing this ¨C using the betrothal gifts from marrying off daughters to bring in daughter-inws? Sisi, you should be conscientious when dealing with people. It hasn¡¯t been easy for Dad and Mom to raise you since you were young, and they never treated you unfairly¡­¡±


    ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, you don¡¯t have to say these things to me. I¡¯ve never said they treated me badly! I just said they sold me.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked Ms. Jia up and down: ¡°Eldest sister-inw, your nephew is standing here listening, aren¡¯t you worried that when he grows up, he¡¯ll learn from you and big brother to treat you the way they treat Mom? What happened to mom today is your future!¡±<div>


    ¡°You¡­how good you are, Liu Sisi! How can you curse your eldest sister-inw like this!¡±


    Ms. Jia was furious, especially when she saw her little treasure watching her intently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you married a captain, you can disregard your brother and sister-inw. Everyone¡¯s eyes are bright and clear.¡±


    ¡°Well said, Eldest Sister-inw. Everyone¡¯s eyes are indeed bright and clear. There¡¯s an official record of the sale at the Di Family, with big brother¡¯s handprint on it. I wonder how big brother will exin that to others?¡±


    Seeing that the situation around her was almost under control, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t mind,ughing and looking back at Liu Quan and Ms. Yao.


    ¡°This sold daughter doesn¡¯t have a family. Uncle and aunt, as an adopted daughter, I, Sisi, have already returned what I owed.¡±

 Chapter 614: 614: Everyone Has Their Own Destiny

    Chapter 614: Chapter 614: Everyone Has Their Own Destiny


    Moreover, it was paid off with her previous life!


    ¡°But as a niece, Sisi naturally needs to be filial to her aunt. I hope my uncle treats my aunt well in the future. If I hear anyone daring to order her around or make her upset¡­ haha!¡± Liu Sisi chuckled twice.


    Whoever dares to bully Ms. Yao in the future, Liu Sisi will not let them off easily!


    That is the purpose of her visit this time!


    Everyone around them was quiet and no one spoke.


    Liu Sisi sat down at the foot of Ms. Yao and picked up her bamboo chopsticks to take the food again.


    ¡°Huh? Why is everyone silent? This tea tastes good and has a lingering, mouth-watering vor. Lord n Leader, aunt, why don¡¯t you try some too!¡±


    ¡°Drink, drink tea, haha¡­¡±


    The n leader finally responded from his daze and hurriedly picked up his teacup: ¡°This tea is grown on our own family¡¯s mountain; it tastes really good. I¡¯m quite fond of it. Sisi, if you like it, you can take some back and let your nephew-inw taste the freshness when you leave.¡±


    He wanted to turn around and leave without dealing with this, but he was worried about Liu Sisi¡¯s status and did not dare to act on it.<div>


    It seems that some matters need to be re-nned!


    After Liu Sisi¡¯s identity was revealed, the n leader and others politely excused themselves and left after sitting for a while.


    Liu Sisi got up to see them off, talking happily all the way.


    Looking back at Liu Baihan, who still had a fierce face, she didn¡¯t care andughed, proudly raising her swan-like neck.


    Earlier, when she went to send the n leader off, she had already asked the youngest son of the n leader to help pinch the nose bones of the three children ¨C a custom of the local people, who believe that only by doing so will the children¡¯s noses be tall and erect in the future.


    Upon returning, Liu Quan said with a grave look, ¡°Sisi, I know you have been stubborn since you were young. But, your brother is soft-hearted although he seems tough. As for your sister-inw, she just likes taking advantage of small gains! With your current status, she can¡¯t do anything to harm you. Your quarrel up until now, I¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Dad! How Sisi was in the past, I don¡¯t remember much now. However, I understand what you said. I can promise you that as long as my brother doesn¡¯t hurt me and my family, I won¡¯t bother him either,¡±


    Liu Sisi said solemnly.


    However, she didn¡¯t say the rest, that if Liu Baihan really wanted to give her trouble, she wouldn¡¯t be soft either.


    ¡°Good, very good! That¡¯s great!¡±


    Liu Quan nodded his head in relief, finally putting down the heavy burden in his heart.


    Looking at the main entrance just a few steps away, he stopped and said, ¡°Sisi, I¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Hm? Dad, what do you want to say?¡± Liu Sisi curiously raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    Liu Quan took back his words and shook his head as he walked towards the main entrance.


    Actually, he wanted to exin his feelings for Liu Sisi over the years. He genuinely treated Sisi as his own daughter. But after some thought, he didn¡¯t speak these words.


    In the room, Ms. Yao, Liu Xuer, and Liu Zhi¡¯er were chatting about their experiences after they had been separated. When they spoke of the heartbreaking moments, the mother and her daughters couldn¡¯t help but hold their heads and cry bitterly, unable to stop for a long time.


    When Liu Sisi returned, this was the scene she saw.


    ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ve already talked to Lord n Leader. If they bully you again in the future, just tell Lord n Leader and he¡¯ll punish them!¡± She carefully wiped away Ms. Yao¡¯s tears and made her smile through her tears.<div>


    ¡°Puff! Silly child, he¡¯s your brother, not your enemy.¡±


    Liu Sisiughed and leaned on Ms. Yao¡¯s shoulder: ¡°But he is my enemy! He took away all my mother¡¯s love, hmph!¡± Taking away the original owner¡¯s life, wasn¡¯t this enmity big enough?


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    Liu Xuer beside her wanted to speak but hesitated.N?v(el)B\\jnn<div>


    Liu Sisi quickly grabbed the hands of Liu Zhi¡¯er and Liu Xuer: ¡°Eldest Sister, Second Sister, whether we are biological sisters or cousins, our blood ties are inseparable. From now on, Sisi will still be the same Sisi as before. In the past, Sisi was young and ignorant. If there is anything I did wrong, Eldest Sister and Second Sister must not take it to heart¡­¡±


    ¡°Good younger sister, what are you talking about?¡±


    Liu Xuer firmly held Liu Sisi¡¯s hand: ¡°From the day Eldest Sister carried you back to the Liu family, you became my younger sister, and no one can separate us!¡±


    ¡°Good Eldest Sister¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes turned red!


    Then, the sisters and others recounted their past experiences and talked about the future.


    ¡°Your brother-inw is already dying from his illness. I don¡¯t have any other ideas. I just want to raise my children well and take care of my parents-inw until theirst days. As for the road ahead, I¡¯ll just take it one step at a time.¡±


    ¡°Eldest Sister, have you ever thought about¡­¡±


    ¡°Never thought about it!¡±


    Determination filled Liu Xuer¡¯s eyes: ¡°Sisi, you don¡¯t need to persuade me. My situation is different from Zhi¡¯er¡¯s. My brother-inw treats me well, but his illness is dragging him down. Besides, there are a few children. I can¡¯t leave them behind¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded, without further persuasion, ¡°Alright, I understand.¡±


    Everyone has their own fate, as long as Eldest Sister is happy.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, just remember that if one day you want to leave that home, just send me a message, and I wille to get you even if I have to go through fire and water!¡±<div>


    ¡°Good younger sister¡­¡± Liu Xuer¡¯s smile was beautiful.


    The sun was gradually setting, and it was time to say goodbye!


    The three sisters, along with Lian Jue, left the Liu family and the manor.


    Ms. Yao, reluctant to part, apanied them for a long way, crying all along the way, until they were far away, before she finally turned back reluctantly.


    Reaching the entrance of the mountain hollow, Liu Xuer stopped. To go home, she had to take the opposite direction from Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Second Sister, Third Sister! When you have time in the future, you muste to visit Eldest Sister. It¡¯s hard for me to leave my home with so much going on there¡­¡±


    ¡°We will, we definitely will.¡±


    Liu Sisi and Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s eyes turned red. Liu Sisi thought for a moment, ignoring her surroundings, took arge handful of silver ingots from her arms and stuffed them into Liu Xuer¡¯s hand, along with 200 taels of silver.


    ¡°Take these with you, and use them in case of emergency when necessary! Especially this silver ticket, which can easily attract attention, don¡¯t take it out casually. Understand?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want it! Sisi¡­¡± Liu Xuer hurriedly tried to decline.


    ¡°Take it! We are good sisters, aren¡¯t we? Since we are good sisters, don¡¯t decline just a bit of silver. What does it matter?¡± Liu Sisi forced it back into her hands.


    In a few days, she would ask Old He to diagnose and treat her brother-inw. Maybe there was still hope.


    <div>

 Chapter 615: 615: Full of Worries

    Chapter 615: Chapter 615: Full of Worries


    Liu Xuer felt helpless and could only ept: ¡°Don¡¯t worry Sisi, your older sister will remember this favor¡­¡±


    After Liu Xuer left, Liu Zhi¡¯er became exceptionally mncholic: ¡°The three of us sisters aren¡¯t often able to gather together, and now, after only half a day, we must part again. Who knows what year and month it will be by the time we meet next?¡±


    ¡°Once a woman grows up and gets married, this situation is inevitable. Regardless of your wishes, there are many things in life that one must do. Life is full of such helplessness.¡±


    ¡°Indeed! It truly is helpless.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er woefully sighed.


    The two sisters fell silent, and no one spoke. After a while, Liu Sisi stopped by the side of a field ridge.


    ¡°Second Sister, as we¡¯ve journeyed along, have you noticed anything unusual?¡±


    Liu Sisi frequently looked back.


    ¡°What¡¯s unusual? Are you talking about mom? She is always in tears, nothing unusual about that.¡± Liu Zhi¡¯er was puzzled.


    ¡°No, not that! I¡¯m talking about these locusts. Don¡¯t you think there are too many of them?¡±


    Liu Sisi casually pointed towards the grass on both sides of the path. A thickyer of locusts was flying up and settling down, over and over again. There were green ones, brown ones, gray ones¡­ both big and small. There were so many they couldn¡¯t be counted!<div>


    ¡°There are indeed a lot! So many locusts¡­ there won¡¯t be a locust disaster, will there?¡±


    Brows furrowed, Liu Zhi¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but express her concern: ¡°I¡¯ve heard people say before that there have been locust gues in our area. But thankfully, we have awork of small rivers, big rivers, and hidden underground rivers so a locust gue here wouldn¡¯t be too disastrous. It¡¯s the other side of the mountain that suffers more when there¡¯s a gue.¡±


    On the way home, Liu Zhi¡¯er shared the stories she had heard.


    ¡°Supposedly! Over a hundred years ago, a locust gue broke out on the other side of the mountain. People on our side of the mountain didn¡¯t pay much attention as it was understood that locust gues never crossed the mountain. But that year was different. One afternoon, the sun in the sky was as hot as a stove. Locusts crossed the mountain from the other side, darkening the sky with their sheer number. The sight rushed everyone into a panic¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi listened as Liu Zhi¡¯er recounted the locust gue, immersed in thought as she looked at the dense, surrounding locusts and the crops that had been gnawed to bare stalks. It seemed she would have to take some preventative measures soon.


    By the time they returned to the official residence, it was already dark.


    The three children, who had been out for a stroll, were each sleeping in their nannies¡¯ arms, appearing fine. Only then did Liu Sisi rx.


    She had been genuinely concerned that being out in the high heat with the children might make them ill.


    After some thought, she had a chilled sugared white fungus dessert brought over for the nannies to consume, hoping it would help them cool down.


    She then went to the study to find books about locust disasters.


    When Di Yelei entered from outside, he saw Liu Sisi using adder to search the study.


    Most of the books in the study were collected from external bookstores during the construction of the official residence. Neither of the couple knew exactly what books they had.


    ¡°Sisi, what book are you looking for? Do you want your husband to help you find it?¡±


    Di Yelei had been standing below for a while, but Liu Sisi up on thedder hadn¡¯t noticed him.


    It wasn¡¯t until she heard his voice that she looked down and smiled at him: ¡°No need. I¡¯m looking for history books or biographies that record the locust gues. How about you? Have you eaten?¡±


    As she spoke, she descended from thedder.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had dinner. Be careful, don¡¯t fall. This is not a joke.¡±


    Di Yelei quickly caught her: ¡°What do you want those books for? Have you discovered anything?¡±


    ¡°I really have made a discovery. Didn¡¯t I take the three kids home for ¡¯emergence from the month of confinement¡¯ today? On the way back, I saw swarms of locusts on the grass, in the paddy fields, and on the fruit trees. I suddenly recalled the matter of a locust scarcity.¡±<div>


    ¡°Are you worried that if this drought continues and it doesn¡¯t rain, our county Macheng will have a locust disaster?¡± Di Yelei understood immediately.


    ¡°Yes! Right now, the new county magistrate of Macheng hasn¡¯t been assigned, and you¡¯re acting as the magistrate in charge. If a locust gue really breaks out, I¡¯m afraid you, as the captain, will be held ountable.¡± Liu Sisi expressed her concern.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too presumptuous of you?¡±


    Di Yelei responded with augh: ¡°Our Macheng County is rich in water resources and produces a wealth of goods, with lush vegetation on the mountains. Even if it were to suffer from drought andck of rain for two or three years, it wouldn¡¯t be prone to a locust disaster due to the drought!¡±<div>


    He was assured because of the several small rivers in Macheng territory, simr to a spider¡¯s web. Some of the sources of these small rivers were from the umtion of mountain streams, while others came directly from the underground hidden river outlets, flowing year-round.


    ¡°But¡­ there really are a lot of locusts!¡±


    Liu Sisi emphasized: ¡°Why don¡¯t you go outside tomorrow and see? Go a bit farther, it would be best to go to ces further from the river.¡±


    Di Yelei thought about it and eventually couldn¡¯t resist Liu Sisi¡¯s big bright eyes: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll set off from the west gate tomorrow and keep heading west, walking towards Dacheng County. There isn¡¯t much rainfall and there are no rivers.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi immediately smiled: ¡°Yelei, you¡¯re so good¡­¡±


    She was well aware that her worries were, in essence, unwarranted and that most men would have grown impatient, yet Di Yelei agreed.


    He pinched her nose: ¡°Ah, you, you¡¯re still so mischievous.¡±


    ¡°Not at all! Let me tell you, Yelei, there are many ways to control a locust gue, let me slowly exin it to you. Firstly, you need to nt more trees and construct water control projects, achieving ¡®no floods with heavy rain, and no droughts without rain.¡¯ At the same time, seize the opportunity to restore farnd irrigation construction and conductprehensive management of the mountains, water, fields, agriculture, forest, and roads¡­¡±


    That night, she kept pestering Di Yelei, telling him how to control locusts throughout the night. These methods were naturally obtained from the inte in her previous life, as well as some insights she found from browsing the books just now.


    She talked until her mouth was dry and was so engrossed in talking that Di Yelei yawned again and again. For the first time, he discovered that Liu Sisi could also be so nagging.


    ¡°Using chickens and ducks, along with birds, can be one way to control them. Also, one method of dealing with locusts involves leveraging the surrounding water sources¡­¡±


    As Liu Sisi spoke passionately, she suddenly nced up and realized that Di Yelei had already fallen asleep at some point.


    Quietly exhaling, she stopped talking and sighed to herself. It seemed that she had made it through the night.<div>

 Chapter 616: 616: The Child Has a Fever

    Chapter 616: Chapter 616: The Child Has a Fever


    That¡¯s right! She did it on purpose, deliberately saying so much and deliberately avoiding the affection between her and Ye Lei as husband and wife.


    Shey carefully beside him, knowing that this couldn¡¯t go on! But thinking about that matter, she had an instinctive worry and fear, and the pain of giving birth seemed to follow her like a shadow.


    Wait a bit longer! Wait until she¡¯s ready¡­


    Looking back, she seemed to have not spoken for very long, right? Two hours? Or one hour? He was so sleepy that he fell asleep!


    Looking at his weary face and eyebrows, even in his sleep, his eyebrows were still furrowed. He must have had a lot of troubles recently, right?


    She remained silent for a while, sighed, and then blew out themp before finally lying down next to Di Yelei.


    In the middle of the night, she was awakened by a frantic knocking at the door.


    ¡°Madam, Madam, are you awake? Madam, it¡¯s terrible, Third Young Master has a fever.¡± Outside the door, Ms. Gao¡¯s panicked voice came.


    Third Young Master has a fever?


    No matter how many sleep bugs were lingering around, they were all driven away at this moment!<div>


    Liu Sisi quickly got up and dressed, and Di Yelei¡¯s movements were even faster. He got up and put on his shoes directly, and without having time to put on his clothes, he picked them up and ran out.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did he get a fever? He was fine at dinner, wasn¡¯t he? How is the child now?¡±


    Di Yelei was asking questions while walking quickly.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly finished dressing and chased after him.


    ¡°At first, this ve didn¡¯t notice. Earlier, I felt that Third Young Master¡¯s forehead was a little hot, so I thought it was just a normal high body temperature in the evening and it would be betterter. Then I went to rinse and wash the diapers. When I came back after drying the diapers, I found that Third Young Master¡¯s forehead was even hotter, so I rushed to inform the Old Master and Madam.¡±


    Ms. Gao jogged, her face showing unspeakable anxiety.


    Liu Sisi followed, quicklyforting her: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when a child has a fever, we must call the doctor. It¡¯s no use being anxious.¡±


    By the time they finally reached the room where Third Young Master was staying, they saw another nanny holding the child and walking back and forth to soothe him. The little guy seemed ufortable and was crying constantly.


    ¡°How is he? Let me see.¡±


    Di Yelei took the child quickly, and Liu Sisi also hurriedly came forward to see that the second-born of the triplets was crying sadly. His entire face was red.


    She touched him, and then pressed her forehead against his, to find that the child indeed had a fever.


    ¡°He really has a fever. Hurry up and call the doctor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor.¡±


    Immediately, the entire official residence was brightly lit, and the sound of running footsteps rmed many people, even waking up Elderly Mr. Di.


    Liu Sisi said solemnly: ¡°Waiting for the doctor is too slow. Ms. Gao, prepare hot water immediately. Remember to prepare more, as well as clean cotton cloth. I need to use it to cool the child down.¡±


    It was July, and children getting fevers were mostly due to heatstroke. Cooling them down was the best solution. Liu Sisi made a judgment based on her past experiences.


    Before the hot water arrived, the doctor came quickly. For such a small child, feeding the dark medicine was a big problem.


    ¡°The child is too young. The main thing is to cool him down and prevent his body temperature from continuing to rise. As for the medicine I prescribed, try to feed as much as possible, but the main thing is for the adults to take good care of him.¡±


    It was troublesome for a child who had just passed their first month to get sick, and the chances of dying prematurely were very high! The doctor shook his head, sighed, and left.<div>


    ¡°Ms. Gao, has the boiled water arrived?¡±


    Liu Sisi naturally heard the doctor¡¯s words, but she was worried about how difficult it would be to make such a small child drink bitter medicine.


    ¡°It¡¯s here, Madam. Here¡¯s the hot water. What should I do?¡± Ms. Gao hurriedly brought over a basin of hot water.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t speak. She undressed the child and ced the clothes at the head of the bed before turning to wring out a hot towel.<div>


    She wrung the hot towel and shook it a few times, feeling the ideal warmth. Then Liu Sisi started to wipe the child¡¯s neck, armpits, and thighs. When the towel cooled down, she soaked it again in hot water and repeated the process.


    Di Yelei saw the doctor off and was instructing the servants to decoct the medicine.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t say much either, just repeating her movements over and over.


    ¡°Nurse, feed the child some warm water, and feed them more,¡± Liu Sisi calmly ordered.


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    The nanny, who had been wiping tears at the edge of the room, hurriedly stepped forward to help when she heard the order.


    Elderly Mr. Di paced back and forth with his crutch, clearly anxious.


    This was a set of triplets, and the children were somewhat weak from birth. This little guy, although born second, was noticeably thinner and weaker than his elder sister, and had a significantly smaller appetite than the youngest one.


    How much weaker was his resistancepared to the other two children?


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t say a word. She changed the hot water in the basin twice and fed the child plenty of warm water. By the time the bitter medicine arrived, the child¡¯s temperature had already dropped.


    Everyone in the room smiled with relief, knowing that the child¡¯s fever had subsided.


    ¡°Thank heavens, and thank the ancestors of the Di family for their blessings. The child¡¯s fever is finally gone. Good, that¡¯s great!¡±


    Elderly Di couldn¡¯t help but murmur his gratitude to the ancestors, not stopping for a moment.<div>


    In those times, infant mortality was especially high, so choosing a name only after the first 100 days was a tradition.


    But these were dragon-phoenix triplets! Who could bear to lose one?


    Liu Sisi remained silent by the child¡¯s side, and Di Yelei saw that it wasn¡¯t appropriate for everyone to stay. He stood up and said to everyone,


    ¡°The child¡¯s fever has subsided, and there¡¯s no big issue. Everyone, go back to sleep. Father, your health is not good. Go back to sleep earlier! Di Cheng, help your grandfather carefully.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Third Uncle.¡± Di Cheng replied hastily.


    ¡°Indeed. When the child is young, they may experience minor illnesses and diforts. But when they grow up, their body will be stronger, so there¡¯s no need to worry, right?¡± Old Mr. Di reassured everyone¡¯s hearts.


    ¡°Father, Ye Lei knows.¡± Di Yelei gave a forced smile.


    Once everyone left, the air in the room became much clearer.


    Di Yelei gestured to the nanny, ¡°The child is fine now. You can go down and rest too. Otherwise, how will you take care of them during the day?¡±


    The nanny¡¯s heart had been tightly clenched, afraid that the Di family would fire her because of this. Upon hearing this, she was overjoyed and quickly retreated.


    ¡°The child must have caught a fever when I took them out with me earlier during the day. It was really tough for them. I was paying attention at that time, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­ that they would still get a fever. It¡¯s my fault for not taking good care of them¡­¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi¡¯s voice was particrly low.


    <div>

 Chapter 617: 617: The Most Delicious Cooked Dishes

    Chapter 617: Chapter 617: The Most Delicious Cooked Dishes


    Looking at the child who had gradually fallen asleep after his fever subsided, Di Yelei patted her shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is not something you wanted to see, nor is it something you did intentionally. Besides, the child¡¯s fever has already subsided, right? Stop ming yourself and get some rest.¡±


    Seeing her so worried, he figured she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep, so he suggested that she just close her eyes for a bit.


    ¡°No need. Generally, such a small child will have a fever again in four hours, and that is the most severe time. I¡¯ll wait until that time is over before I sleep.¡± Liu Sisi stood up.


    Having crouched for too long, her legs were already numb and had no feeling. She almost fell, but luckily, Di Yelei quickly caught her and pulled her into his arms, both concerned and reproachful.


    ¡°Look at how tired you are. Be good and go to sleep. I will take good care of the child. Are you afraid that I won¡¯t take good care of him?¡±


    Di Yelei was a bit angry.


    Liu Sisi stubbornly shook her head and pushed away Di Yelei¡¯s support: ¡°This is not a matter of trust or distrust, but I am his mother, and when he is sick, it is natural for me to guard him.¡± As she spoke, she looked at the other child in the cradle: ¡°Third Son has a fever, and this youngest one, who was born so thin and small, who knows¡­¡±


    She went to her youngest son¡¯s cradle and carefully picked him up.


    Now, the three children had one cradle each, which was cool andfortable, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about the children getting too hot.<div>


    The little guy seemed to sense that someone was holding him,zily opened one eye, saw it was Liu Sisi, and then closed his eyes again to sleep.


    Feeling his little forehead and then testing his temperature with her own forehead, Liu Sisi was relieved to find that the seemingly weak little guy did not have a fever.


    She let out a long sigh!


    Neither of the two had the heart to sleep as both silently guarded their children without speaking.


    Di Yelei looked up at the exhaustion in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes: ¡°Are you hungry? Do you want me to have the kitchen cook something and send it up?¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head and nodded: ¡°That would be good. Taking care of the children requires strength too. Just tell the kitchen to heat up whatever is left from this evening and send it up.¡±


    Di Yelei left and returned after a while with a tray in his hand, containing two bowls of rice and a te of vegetables.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°I saw that everyone in the kitchen was asleep, so I didn¡¯t wake them up. I just made a te of vegetables myself. Let¡¯s make do with this.¡± As he spoke, he handed the bowl and chopsticks to Liu Sisi.


    Was this dish actually stir-fried by Di Yelei?


    Amazement filled Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes!


    Picking up the bowl, she suddenly realized how hungry she was. Slowly eating the rice and vegetables.


    The rice is this year¡¯s new rice, fragrant and delicious, while the vegetables are just ordinary sweet potato sprouts, apparently stir-fried with chicken oil, bringing together the unique vor of chicken meat and the special fragrance of sweet potato sprouts. The taste is so sweet and delicious, something she has not tasted for a long time!


    Di Yelei asionally picked up some vegetables for her, and more than half of the small te of sweet potato sprouts ended up in Liu Sisi¡¯s stomach.


    Liu Sisi also asionally picked up some vegetables for Di Yelei. As their eyes met, a sweet warmth lingered between the two.


    It took a while for the two to finish the small bowl of rice.


    After putting down the bamboo chopsticks, Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help teasing her: ¡°Today, you ate especially slow.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this is the dish you made. Of course, I have to chew slowly and carefully taste it.¡±


    She looked up at him and couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes were especially bright: ¡°Is it really that delicious?¡±<div>


    ¡°Delicious! This is the best meal I¡¯ve ever had!¡±


    Liu Sisi affirmed.


    What¡¯s truly delicious is not the food itself, but the thoughtfulness of the person who prepared it.


    Di Yelei felt a surge of emotion and hugged her from behind without a word, apanying her silently.<div>


    ¡°If you like it, when I have time in the future, I¡¯ll cook it for you every day, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯m just afraid you¡¯ll forget what you said today by tomorrow.¡±


    Liu Sisi gently closed her eyes and leaned against his chest, smiling contentedly.


    Four hourster, as Liu Sisi had predicted, the child started running a fever again!


    Liu Sisi carefully fed the child some warmed soup medicine. The medicine was so bitter that the child would spit it out as soon as it went in, and the child became restless, breaking out into a sweat. Di Yelei softly soothed the child while carefully wiping him down with a hot towel.


    But when he cried, Niuniu next to him also woke up and cried non-stop, unable to be soothed. Fortunately, the nanny was sleeping nearby and hurriedly came over to take Niuniu behind a screen to breastfeed, finally getting the little guy to stop crying.


    Only the youngest one remained sound asleep in the cradle, never waking up at all.


    The one in the middle didn¡¯t know whether it was the fever making him ufortable or the soup medicine was too bitter, but he kept crying incessantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry! Third Son, don¡¯t cry, be good, don¡¯t cry, ooh ooh¡­¡±


    Di Yelei gently patted the child¡¯s small body, soothing the child while carefully feeding him a little bit of the soup medicine with a spoon. The child clearly didn¡¯t like the bitter medicine and kept shaking his head, blowing bubbles and crying. As a result, he choked on the medicine and coughed consecutively.


    ¡°Hurry and hold the child up, don¡¯t let the medicine get into his lungs, he can¡¯t take it.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly picked the child up again, holding him on her shoulder and gently patting his back. Seeing the child who couldn¡¯t even cry anymore after all the fuss, tears slid down her cheeks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry! As long as the medicine gets in, the child will definitely get better.¡±<div>


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t know whether tofort the crying child or the tearful Liu Sisi.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t grieve for long and wiped away her tears, holding the child and sitting down again: ¡°I¡¯ll hold him diagonally, this might make it easier to feed the medicine, bring me a little bit of the soup medicine and I¡¯ll try.¡± Liu Sisi was still not giving up.


    Di Yelei naturally agreed and hurriedly scooped up some more soup medicine.


    Maybe it was finally the right position to hold the child, or perhaps the little guy was just too exhausted. After several consecutive attempts, the medicine was swallowed by the child, bringing great joy to both adults, as it finally went in.


    However, before the two could celebrate for long, the child, who had been given medicine, suddenly opened his mouth and vomited. Not only did he throw up the medicine, but he also threw up the milk he had been drinking.


    Both adults got some filth on them, but neither of them cared to wipe it off, instead scrambling to care for the child.

 Chapter 618: 618: Recalling Childhood

    Chapter 618: Chapter 618: Recalling Childhood


    After nearly an hour of chaos, the child¡¯s fever finally broke. The two adults werepletely exhausted.


    After a night of ups and downs like that, daylight was just around the corner!


    The noise from early risers outside was already faintly discernible, apanied by the asional calls of horses and donkeys, which made people feel extremely sleepy.


    As Di Yelei had to tend to his official duties during the day, he returned to his room for a short rest.


    Liu Sisi stayed vigil until daybreak, seeing that the children were sleeping peacefully, and only after Ms. Gao and the nanny had woken up to take over, and she saw the little guy had been fed, did she roll back to the head of bed in her clothes to sleep deeply.


    She thought she would be woken up quickly, but to her surprise, she slept until the afternoon sun was nting, when she woke from her deep sleep.


    Upon waking up, she was somewhat bewildered as she looked at the sun shining obliquely on the windowsill. She immediately rolled over, got up from the head of the bed, quickly put on her shoes, and ran out of the room.


    ¡°Ms. Gao, Ms. Gao! How is the child? Has the fever gone down? Didn¡¯t I instruct you before that if Third Son is ufortable, you should call me? Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡±


    Liu Sisi was quite frantic.


    Ms. Gao was full of joy, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry, Third Young Master hasn¡¯t had a fever all day, he can eat and sleep well, it seems he¡¯s recovered!¡±<div>


    ¡°Not¡­feverish?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s hustle and bustle stopped abruptly.


    ¡°Of course, even the doctor who revisited today marveled, saying it was a rare sight!¡± Ms. Gao was genuinely delighted.


    Liu Sisi felt her legs go weak and she could no longer stand steady, she directly sat down at the head of the bed. She reached out and wiped her messy hair, rubbing her face, with only one thought in her mind.


    The child is all right, that¡¯s great! That¡¯s great!


    Isn¡¯t it wonderful?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The little guy who¡¯d stopped being feverish didn¡¯t look unwell at all, instead, he was looking at Liu Sisi with his big eyes like ck grapes, making her heart melt.


    ¡°You little stinker! If you dare scare me like this again, see if I don¡¯t smack your little butt, let you know your old mother¡¯s wrath!¡±


    As Liu Sisi ferociously said this, her raised palm gently fell down, with no force at all.


    The little guy, on the contrary, was vigorously waving his small arms, opening his little mouth ¡°ah, oh¡ª¡ª¡± incessantly talking to Liu Sisi, as if protesting against her words. Liu Sisi could no longer hold back, she hugged him and kept kissing him, unwilling to let go.


    Good boy, you have to grow up fast!


    Grow into a strong man, to protect your mother and family.


    In the afternoon, Di Yelei also came back early. When he heard the child¡¯s fever had broken, he let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing there¡¯s nothing wrong, the three kids are too young. Once we get through three months, we won¡¯t have to worry so much.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it, though¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi deftly wiped the child¡¯s little butt, and quickly changed his diaper.


    ¡°Go on, let your father have a good hold of our little Chou Chou.¡± She gently patted the little guy¡¯s butt.


    ¡°Oh! Is this little Chou Chou? Isn¡¯t mother fond of our little Chou Chou? Come on,e to daddy, daddy loves you¡­¡±


    Di Yelei happily took over the child, and leaned down to nt two big kisses.<div>


    Making the child giggle loudly.


    Liu Sisi checked the diapers of the other two little fellows and curiously asked, ¡°Speaking of which, didn¡¯t we give this little fellow a full dose of soup medicinest night? It seems like Niuniu also cried for quite a while, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yes, so what? Is there anything strange about that?¡±


    While still teasing the little one in his arms, Di Yelei told him, ¡°Oh¡ª¡ªOur little Chou Chou is not being good, oh¡ª¡ªAh¡ª¡ªChou Chou is a little naughty boy¡­¡±in a cooing manner.<div>


    Liu Sisi gave him a look, ¡°It¡¯s not unusual for Niuniu to do this, but isn¡¯t the smallest one usually the most restless? Yetst night, while Niuniu and Chou Chou were crying, he slept soundly without making a peep. Isn¡¯t that strange?¡±


    Di Yelei stopped ying with Chou Chou, and lifting his eyes to Liu Sisi, he then picked up the other child and walked over.


    ¡°Take a close look, does the forehead of this little one feel hot?¡±


    ¡°I checked, and apart from a round little belly, there seems to be no other problems.¡± Liu Sisi said earnestly.


    ¡°Is that so? Is he eating that much?¡±


    Di Yeleiughed and shook his head, ¡°Why not, next time when you bind his belly, do it a bit tighter, so he doesn¡¯t grow into a potbelly, that would be unattractive.¡±


    ¡°In such hot weather, if we really bind his belly, wouldn¡¯t that cause him to break out in heat rash? Let¡¯s not.¡±


    Liu Sisi carefully considered for a while before saying.


    The current weather was unbearably hot, if they were to wrap cloth around his little tummy, who knew how hot it would get?


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, as long as he can eat, let him be. Little children need to eat to grow.¡± Di Yelei said casually, then continued to tease the little guy in his arms.


    Only after putting both children into the crib did Liu Sisi stand up straight, suddenly remembering another issue.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you when I returned yesterday, it¡¯s about the academy.¡± She quickly ryed what the Chief of the Liu Family n had said.


    ¡°Once the academy is established, the positions for teachers and managers need to be filled. The Chief of the Liu Family n¡¯s action is very much in line with my thoughts. However, if everyone is from the Liu family, I worry that it may appear nepotistic. So, I suggested that a certain number of ces be reserved and then tested.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi was somewhat apprehensive, as she had made this decision without discussing it with Di Yelei beforehand.


    ¡°However, if you think it¡¯s not feasible, I can also go back and decline them!¡± She quickly added.


    ¡°Fool, it¡¯s a good thing!¡±


    Di Yelei tapped her forehead lightly,¡±Indeed, the Liu family has produced quite a number of renowned teachers over the years. Moreover, the Liu Family also has a good number of students and cultivated talents. If they really are capable and can support you, wouldn¡¯t that be a win-win situation?¡±


    ¡°But¡­I am afraid outsiders will gossip.¡±


    Liu Sisi was a bit distressed.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you mentioned the assessment? Let them all take it. If they don¡¯t pass, you will have a reason to exin to the n leader. If they pass, even if outsiders want to gossip, they won¡¯t be able to, right?¡±


    Liu Sisi was relieved and happy, only to be worried again, ¡°But what should we assess?¡±


    ¡°We can gradually think about what the assessment will cover. The academy hasn¡¯t even beenpleted yet. Isn¡¯t it too early to discuss the content of the assessment?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, hee hee hee!¡±


    Liu Sisi was amused by herself! She then changed the topic again, ¡°Speaking of which, Yelei, when you went west, did you see many locusts?¡±


    Di Yelei, who had been ying with the child, paused and turned back. Holding the child, he went over and sat next to her.


    <div>

 Chapter 619: 619: How would you take the lead?

    Chapter 619: Chapter 619: How would you take the lead?


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Sisi, you¡¯re so insightful! Today, the further I went west, the more locusts I saw in the fields. I thought about spreading your ideas when I went to the governmental office.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Liu Sisi tidied up the little clothes and diapers she had changed: ¡°We have to hurry. The other day, I saw arge swarm of locusts flying up with a buzz. If we wait for the locust eggs in the fields to hatch, it will be disastrous!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This remark made Di Yelei tense up: ¡°You¡¯re right, we have to distribute the remedies before the locust eggs hatch!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Especially with the locust eggs, they must be thoroughly dug up, so we don¡¯t give the locusts a chance!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know.¡±


    Di Yelei nodded. Seeing that the children had fallen asleep, he gently embraced Liu Sisi and walked out of the Waterside Pavilion, closing the door behind them. He nodded to Ms. Gao and the nanny outside the door, then walked past the two towards the bedroom.


    ¡°By the way, I heard that deep-fried grasshoppers are very fragrant. Our Lord Captain loves them and can¡¯t be happy without deep-fried grasshoppers. I wonder if it¡¯s true?¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes blinked innocently.


    ¡°When did I like to eat¡­¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly realized and after a moment of silence, he nodded helplessly: ¡°Yes, indeed! Your husband loves locusts the most!¡±<div>


    ¡°Really? Haven¡¯t you ever eaten locusts before?¡±


    Liu Sisi leaned in curiously: ¡°I thought children from poor families had all eaten that stuff!¡±


    ¡°I have eaten them, how could I not have¡­¡±


    Di Yelei fell into his memories: ¡°When I was a child, no one in my family really paid attention to me. When I was starving, I¡¯d catch the locusts in the fields. I would choose the bigger oil-fried ones, skewer them with a bamboo stick, and roast them over a fire. The locusts would make a hissing sound and turn golden yellow, and their wings would also be burned off.¡±


    ¡°Then, I would pick up the locusts, grab their tail ends and pull. After being burned, the locusts¡¯ intestines would be a thin thread that would be pulled out along with the tail end. Then, I would remove the remaining locust legs, rub the body with my hands, and only the fragrant locust meat was left. When I put it in my mouth and chewed, it tasted crispy and very much like roast chicken¡­¡±


    As Di Yelei recalled these things, an enigmatic smile appeared on his face, and it was unclear what he was thinking.


    ¡°Hearing you say that, I also want to try it myself.¡±


    Looking at Liu Sisi¡¯s curious eyes, he sighed: ¡°At that time, Ruo Ning would follow me around, and she didn¡¯t eat few roasted locusts. That girl was allergic to locusts, but she ate them knowing she was allergic. I got beaten up so many times because of that!¡±


    As soon as Ruo Ning was mentioned, Liu Sisi¡¯s smile vanished. The memories of the past surged in her heart.


    ¡°Are you still holding a grudge over Ruo Ning causing you to fall off the cliff back then?¡±


    Di Yelei reached out to grab her hand and rubbed it against his beard, causing an itchiness.


    ¡°Stop it! It tickles!¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly retracted her hand, rubbed the back of it, and gave him a re: ¡°At that time, I was really angry, but who can me her? She¡¯s your little sister! Besides, we don¡¯t know where they¡¯ve moved to now, so what¡¯s the point of holding a grudge? Let the past be the past!¡±


    ¡°Are you really thinking that? This doesn¡¯t sound like you.¡± Di Yeleiughed several times before stopping. He wanted to say something more, but ultimately said nothing.


    ¡°Nonsense! That¡¯s exactly what I think! Humph, I hate you!¡±


    Feeling ashamed when her thoughts were exposed, Liu Sisi¡¯s face flushed red. She pounced on Di Yelei, pretending to pull his beard.


    ¡°Alright then! Let¡¯s see if you dare tough at me again! I¡¯ll pluck out all of your beard until it¡¯spletely gone¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s my fault for thinking that way¡­ Ouch! Stop it, that really hurts¡­¡±


    Di Yelei quickly dodged Liu Sisi¡¯s sudden attack by blocking with his hands. However, Liu Sisi wasn¡¯t willing to give up and lunged at him once again.<div>


    Seeing hering at him to pull his beard, he quickly took the opportunity to embrace her in his arms.


    ¡°Sisi, stop, um, it hurts¡­ Stop teasing, ouch! You little demon¡­¡±


    Everything seemed so natural!


    He turned the tables by grabbing and pulling her into his embrace, pinning her underneath him. Their gazes met, and their eyes were filled with each other¡¯s presence.<div>


    Their breathing became increasingly hurried. Di Yelei had been suppressing his desires for a long time, and now, Liu Sisi¡¯s yful gestures ignited the longing he had buried deep in his heart.


    Sisi¡¯s figure had recovered remarkably well after childbirth, her curvy silhouette and fullness on her chest stimting his eyes! His hands trembled, wanting to touch her yet hesitating due to fear of Liu Sisi¡¯s rejection.


    ¡°Sisi¡­ I, I want to¡­¡±


    As soon as he spoke, he realized how husky his voice had be.


    Liu Sisi stared nkly at the man above her. His eyes were full of pleading, and the raging fire within them seemed to melt her.


    ¡°What do you want? What are you thinking about?¡± She deliberately teased him.


    ¡°Sisi¡­ Ah¡­¡± He clenched his teeth, nibbling on her a few times.


    ¡°Are you doing this on purpose? You know exactly what I want, don¡¯t you? Can¡¯t you feel me? Sisi, I miss you, so much that my heart aches. Let me, can you?¡±


    His voice was so deep and drew her in with its maism, nearly melting her heart.


    Her heart both weed him and warned her of the man in front of her. The pain of childbirth was still rooted in her heart, and his touch seemed to cause the pain to spread from her lower abdomen, making her instinctively want to escape.


    ¡°Ye Lei, I¡­¡± She hesitated.


    ¡°Sisi, I promise to be gentle, I swear! Is it okay?¡±


    Di Yeleipromised, slowly dismantling her defenses.<div>


    Liu Sisi still didn¡¯t respond.


    Experience told her that words from men blinded by desire couldn¡¯t be trusted!


    ¡°How about this! This time, what if you¡¯re on top?¡± He suddenly whispered in her ear.


    Blood rushed to her head as she imagined the scene Di Yelei was describing. It made her feel her body surging with power! Every cell in her body seemed to be screaming: Conquer him! Conquer him!


    She decided to obey her desires, mustering all her strength to roll on top of him, gazing down at him with eyes glowing.


    ¡°Really? You said it yourself! You can¡¯t go back on your word!¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes sparkled withughter!


    So it turned out the little kitten liked being in control, huh!

 Chapter 620: 620: How would you take the lead?

    Chapter 620: Chapter 620: How would you take the lead?


    Di Yelei suddenlyughed and reached out his hand towards her: ¡°Sisi,e, you take the lead tonight, how about that?¡±


    Looking at his outstretched hand, Liu Sisi suddenly felt an inexplicable sense offort in her heart. Her hands, which were originally evasive, gradually softened, and she slowly leaned forward to wrap her arms around his strong back.


    Her silent invitation sent Di Yelei¡¯s spirits soaring!


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    His blood boiled in an instant!


    His trembling hand finally embraced her, desperately exploring her body. Unable to resist, he propped up his body, eagerly searching for her lips.


    ¡°No, let go!¡±


    Liu Sisi immediately felt his intrusion, her small body immediately became stiff like a stone, her entire person changed color, and she began to struggle frantically.


    Di Yelei quickly loosened his arms, gently patting Liu Sisi¡¯s shoulders: ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be afraid, I won¡¯t hurt you, Sisi¡­¡±


    But Liu Sisi didn¡¯t rx because of this, but rather escaped like her life was on the line ¨C kicking hard and aiming for the man¡¯s vital area, heavily kicking it!<div>


    She didn¡¯t hold back at all!


    Di Yelei took a sharp breath! He moved aside just in time, and her kicknded on his hip bone, causing stars to appear before his eyes due to the pain!


    He stared at Liu Sisi, his face full of disbelief!


    It was only at this moment that he realized that Sisi was serious; she was truly rejecting his touch!


    After kicking him, Liu Sisi quickly escaped to the corner of the room, covering her head and screaming loudly, refusing his touch.


    Her body trembled incessantly, like a sieve!


    The two stood silently at odds for a while. After the pain subsided, Di Yelei finally came back to his senses.


    He suddenly realized that he hadpletely screwed things up this time!


    He slowly approached Liu Sisi, step by step.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be afraid! Sisi! I am Ye Lei, your husband! I won¡¯t hurt you, don¡¯t be afraid! Okay? Be good¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s body still trembled slightly, staring stiffly at Di Yelei¡¯s gradual approach, neither moving nor fleeing.


    At this moment, she was actually feeling incredibly annoyed inside!


    She knew her reaction was wrong, and deep down, she truly desired Di Yelei¡¯s embrace, but her body was afraid. As for what exactly she was afraid of, she couldn¡¯t exin it herself.


    ¡°Sisi, be good! Give me your hand, hold my hand. Didn¡¯t we promise to share our joys and sorrows, and walk hand in hand for a lifetime? Are you going to abandon me like this?¡±


    His voice was low, so low that it made Liu Sisi¡¯s heart sink as well.


    She finally looked up and saw his outstretched hand, close at hand, and followed his hands to see his face.


    His face was covered in sweat, his brows furrowed but filled with sorrow, a far cry from his usual confident demeanor, as if he hadpletely transformed.


    He was calm at this moment, non-aggressive, and reassuring to Liu Sisi!


    She finally reached out her hand, slowly cing it in his big hand, her face full of dismay, like a little girl who had done something wrong and was waiting for punishment from the adults, with her head down.<div>


    ¡°Ye Lei¡­¡±


    Her tearful expression immediately melted his heart.


    ¡°Good girl! Sisi, don¡¯t cry. Your husband knows you didn¡¯t mean for this to happen; you didn¡¯t want to end up like this.¡±


    He gently hugged her, patted her shoulder and soothed her.<div>


    After a while, Liu Sisi finally rxed in his arms, curling up and not moving for a long time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep, Sisi!¡±


    The small figure in his arms immediately tensed up!


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! I mean, let¡¯s just cuddle and sleep together, simply resting for a while. Look at you, you can barely keep your eyes open.¡±


    The small figure finally rxed once again.


    Di Yelei felt a surge of amusement and sadness. His once affectionate little wife had suddenly refused his tenderness; how could that not make him feel disheartened and heartbroken!


    ¡°Come, close your eyes and sleep for a while, be a good girl!¡±


    He gentlyy her down in bed, thenid down next to her, not daring to make any additional movements, and holding her quietly fell asleep. He was still talking about the interesting things he encountered in the countryside during the day.


    ¡°¡­At that moment, everyone was thirsty and started looking for water. We saw a small courtyard with a well and went in happily. But unexpectedly, there was no dog in the yard, but a huge rooster! The rooster was majestic and strong, with a high red crown on its head, the size of a big y bowl. Its tail was raised high, and it went after people as soon as it saw them, taking aim at Zhang Yun and pecking at him¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi just snuggled quietly in his arms, her arms wrapped around herself, her eyes wide open, staring at him unblinkingly.


    ¡°¡­ After that, we asked the farmers for a couple ofdles of cold water to drink. And guess what? That aggressive rooster chased after us again! That pesky thing had its sights set on Zhang Yun, and wouldn¡¯t give up. No matter how the owner tried to hit it with a stick, it wouldn¡¯t let go¡­¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    Liu Sisi finallyughed btedly. Her body finally rxed.<div>


    Only upon seeing Liu Sisiugh did Di Yelei feel relieved.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s been going on with youtely?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Ye Lei, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me.¡± Liu Sisi weakly said, burying her face in Di Yelei¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Every time youe over, I think about when I gave birth, and then¡­ then I can¡¯t control myself.¡±


    ¡°Why? Oh¡ªyou¡¯re afraid of getting pregnant again, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    A lightbulb went off in Di Yelei¡¯s head, suddenly thinking of this issue.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Was she afraid of getting pregnant? Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know herself what she was afraid of. But deep in her heart, she knew that she suffered from a condition called ¡°postpartum depression¡±. Although her mind epted him, her body severely rejected him.


    ¡°Sisi, I have never told you about something, because I worried that if I did, it would burden you.¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help butugh and cry: ¡°When you had the youngest, you had a difficult delivery. Old He used a needle to open your pelvis, which injured your body. He said that after that¡­ you might not be able to¡­ ¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you mean¡­?¡±


    Liu Sisi waspletely shocked by the sudden news and could not respond.


    ¡°Yes! Old He himself said this, and you know how skilled he is at medicine; he rarely makes a mistake! I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t be able to ept this, so I¡¯ve been holding back, waiting until you¡¯d recovered a bit before telling you¡­¡± Di Yelei stammered.


    <div>

 Chapter 621: 621: Liu Sisis Solution

    Chapter 621: Chapter 621: Liu Sisi¡¯s Solution


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t move for quite a while, and then realized suddenly, ¡°You mean¡­ Old He diagnosed that I¡¯ve hurt my body by giving birth to Niuniu and therefore¡­ I can¡¯t have more children?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sisi! If we can¡¯t have more, we won¡¯t. We already have Niuniu, Chou Chou, and the baby. And there¡¯s Cheng¡¯er, Xuan¡¯er and YingEr. That¡¯s enough. Really, it¡¯s enough. I, Di Yelei, will not be greedy.¡± Di Yelei hurriedlyforted her, worrying that Liu Sisi might feel burdened.


    That¡¯s a very strange thing to say! Liu Sisi thought, amused and confused at the same time.


    That being said, the tight knot in her heart has actually rxed.


    She yfully traced circles on Di Yelei¡¯s chest with her fingers, ¡°Yelei, I¡¯m sorry for behaving like this. But recently I¡¯ve¡­ really not been in the mood¡­¡±


    ¡°My little fool, I understand! Your body hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. We have a lifetime to spend together. So what if we abstain for a few days? Just sleep now. It¡¯s already veryte.¡± Di Yeleiforted her, got up to put out themp, and returned to her arms to drift off to sleep.


    It was indeedte. As Di Yelei next to her gradually fell asleep, Liu Sisi stayed awake.


    Her mind was filled with thoughts of his consideration, his gentleness, and his care. A sense of regret bubbled up from within.


    Next time! Next time she would definitely make it up to him.


    As she let her mind wander, she found herself falling asleep without realizing it.<div>


    When she woke up, the sun was shining on the windowsill, and Di Yelei was already out. Liu Sisi hurriedly washed up, checked on the children, and took Di Ying out of the manor.


    The reason she brought Di Ying instead of Di Xuan was because Di Xuan had gone out with Di Yelei. The little ones were too young. After Chou Chou¡¯s feverst time, she dared not casually take the children outside.


    Liu Sisi had several ces to go today. One of them was the porridge shed outside the city, which had been established for several months. She had been preupied before and hadn¡¯t been able to visit after her recent childbirth and subsequent period of confinement.


    When she arrived by coach, it was between 9 and 11 o¡¯clock.


    Ahead of the porridge shed was a dense crowd. Four long lines snaked around to therge porridge pot, forming an extensive queue around the moat.


    Liu Sisi got off the coach and slowly walked forward, holding YingEr¡¯s hand.


    As she walked, she carefully observed the reactions of the people outside the porridge shed. Most of them awaiting their portion of porridge had stoic expressions, with no superfluous behaviors.


    People at the forefront simply handed over their bowls when it was their turn and stood still as the server scooped up a spoonful of porridge into their bowls. Then, they silently picked up their porridge and made way for others.


    After that, some people hurriedly left with their porridge. Some people, seemingly afraid of being robbed, gulped down the hot porridge disregarding the scalding sensation.


    Of course, Liu Sisi also noted that some people were shameless. They had already been informed before the distribution that everyone was limited to one serving of porridge per day. However, there were always those who, after getting their porridge, would take their bowls to the back of the line to queue again for more. Even line-cutting shameless individuals were present, which left Liu Sisi speechless.


    Before she could reach the front of the porridge shed, Liu Sisi noticed a suddenmotion ahead.


    ¡°Hey, you! You¡¯ve already received porridge twice today. Are you here for more? Can¡¯t you leave some for those behind you?¡± shouted the soldier serving the porridge, looking as though he had no intention of serving him.


    ¡°Just a little bit! Just a little bit¡­¡± The man shamelessly held out his bowl, standing his ground as if he wouldn¡¯t leave until he was served.


    The soldier looked visibly angry, he raised the big spoon in his hand and waved it menacingly at the man.


    ¡°You! Are you leaving or not? If you don¡¯t leave, I wouldn¡¯t mind sending you to enjoy free prison meals for the rest of your life¡ªyou won¡¯t have to worry about your meals ever again!¡±


    Maybe the soldier was too intimidating, or maybe the man assessed that he couldn¡¯t beat the soldier, so he turned around and left. As he went away, he grumbled angrily.


    ¡°Pah, what the hell! It¡¯s just two bowls of broken porridge! If you don¡¯t give it to me, I wouldn¡¯t even want it!¡±


    An old man cursing and grumbling squeezed out from the crowd.


    While walking, he continued to swear, ¡°Don¡¯t think that wemon people don¡¯t know. This official surnamed Di is giving out porridge simply to earn himself a good reputation!¡±<div>


    ¡°Let me tell you, this official surnamed Di has many beautiful concubines at home. Not only does his wife wear gold and silver, but even his woman-servants and maids are also inrge numbers. Plus his children¡¯s nanny, there are several of them. Such a household, I spit! And they¡¯re still giving out porridge?¡±


    ¡°If you all don¡¯t believe, then go to the official residence of the official surnamed Di and see if what this old man is saying is true or not!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The more he spoke, the more outrageous he became, stirring up the people waiting in line around him, pointing fingers andmenting.


    ¡°Old man, have you seen Mrs Di?¡±<div>


    A clear and melodious voice suddenly came from the crowd. It was like an oriole¡¯s song. Even amidst the surrounding noisy crowd, it made everyone hear it clearly.


    The old man who was cursing was taken aback. He immediately looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a inly dressed woman slowly approaching with a soft smile on her lips. Her cheeks were rosy, eyebrows like willow leaves, eyes like autumn water, lips like peach blossoms, and she had a slender figure. Even without any valuable jewelry on her, she seemed to exude an aura of wealth and nobility.


    The crowd was stunned! The old man was also stunned.


    The surrounding were all refugees, but suddenly there was a pearl in their midst. The shining radiance almost blinded everyone temporarily, leaving them in a trance, unable to produce any resistance.


    ¡°Old man, you haven¡¯t yet said whether you¡¯ve seen Mrs Di?¡±


    Liu Sisi casually stood in front of the old man, looking up at him.


    ¡°Of course, of course I¡¯ve seen her. She¡¯s fat all over, and when she walks, her fat jiggles¡­ The gold and silver ornaments on her head are almost as heavy as her fat¡­¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    The old man was about to go on when Granny Hu, standing next to Liu Sisi, could no longer bear to listen.


    She hurriedly interrupted the old man, pointing at Liu Sisi and addressing the crowd, ¡°Everyone, thisdy right here is Mrs Di, the wife of Captain Di! Who¡¯s the gossip monger here spreading falsehoods? Defaming someone¡¯s reputation, are you not afraid of going to hell for that after death?¡±


    ¡°What? Thisdy is Mrs Di? That can¡¯t be?¡±


    Granny Hu¡¯s words, like adle of cold water poured into a hot oil pan, instantly caused a stir among the crowd! How could Mrs Di be so slender? How did she fit the image of a plump and wealthy official that everyone had in mind?


    Liu Sisi nced at the stunned old man but did not say much. Instead, she walked over to therge barrel where porridge was being distributed.<div>


    ¡°Madam.¡±


    The servants and soldiers distributing the porridge hurriedly saluted her.

 Chapter 622: 622: The Solution

    Chapter 622: Chapter 622: The Solution


    Liu Sisi stepped onto the high stage, turned to face everyone, and then slowly scanned the crowd.


    Finally, she sighed, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, although the idea of distributing porridge was proposed by my husband, the grain for this porridge is in fact procured from the earnings of my dowry shop. It is used to fill in the gaps here.¡±


    As soon as Liu Sisi finished speaking, the crowd queuing in line discussed in hushed whispers, yet nobody stepped forward.


    ¡°Everyone should know that the price of grain is currently on the rise. A stone of grain that originally cost 3 taels of silver now costs 4 taels and 3 maces. The reason for this significant increase is closely rted to the significantly reduced yield of early rice this year, and I believe everyone present understands that.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze swept across the crowd, ¡°Every day, Sisi uses the silver earned from her dowry shop to supplement everyone¡¯s food. Just now, someone said they saw Sisi herself and went so far as to say that the fat on Sisi¡¯s body and the gold and silver ornaments on her head weigh the same. I¡¯m standing right here, so everyone can clearly see the clothing I¡¯m wearing and the clothing of the maids and woman-servants behind me. See if I am indeed, as he imed, clothed in gold and silver and living in luxury!¡±


    She is actually not worried about these idle and scatterred gossip, but now the position of Macheng County Magistrate is vacant, and during Di Yelei¡¯s temporary takeover during this special period, there mustn¡¯t be any issues.


    The murmurings around her gradually grew louder, and finally, someone stood up.


    ¡°Could someone impersonating Mrs Di havee forward?¡±


    ¡°No, not a chance! I¡¯ve had the privilege of seeing thedy from afar, this is indeed the genuine Mrs Di.¡±


    ¡°So who are the bastards spreading rumors and tarnishing the reputations of Lord Di and Mrs Di?¡±<div>


    ¡°Find him! Beat him to death!¡±


    ¡°Yes, find him, drag him out here, and kill him!¡±


    The shouts of the crowd grew louder and more resonant, each person scrambling to find the old man who had previously ndered their reputation. That old man, being cunning, had already sneaked away the moment Liu Sisi started speaking. The crowd was riotous for a long time, yet nobody could capture him.


    Liu Sisis looked up at the sky, not wanting to waste any more time here.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,dies and gentlemen, please hear me out! Everyone!¡±


    Liu Sisi tried hard to quell the agitation of the crowd, ¡°Everyone is aware that the price of grain is bing more and more expensive. Sisi is but a humble woman, and there won¡¯t be any good fortune like manna from heaven falling onto my head. Therefore, we have made a painful decision.¡±


    She suddenly stopped talking, looking up at everyone around her.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were wide open, looking up at her, she wasn¡¯t going to cancel the distribution of porridge, was she?


    ¡°Everyone knows that recently, locusts have run rampant, eating crops and ruining many seedlings. Therefore, starting from today, anyone who brings in 1,000 locusts cane here to exchange them for a small bowl of coarse grains! There is no limit. As to when to cease these exchanges, I will inform everyone separately!¡±


    Liu Sisi solemnly looked at everyone, ¡°After everyone catches the locusts, put them in a bag first, and then pierce the locusts with a bamboo stick. Make a string of 50 locusts. It will not only be convenient to pick up, but also to count. Then you can bring them.¡±


    ¡°Exchange coarse grains with locusts? These locusts can even be exchanged for coarse grains? This is simply incredible.¡±


    ¡°Really strange. These locusts eat our crops year after year, causing no harvest in the fields. What is thedy going to do with these bought locusts?¡±


    ¡°What does it matter what she does with them? 1,000 can be exchanged for a bowl of coarse grain. There are locusts everywhere on the mountainside outside, let¡¯s hurry and catch them!¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are locusts all over the mountains, and they are easy to catch. In one day, we might get several bowls of grain, which is enough for my family to get by.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go home and call my kids to help. Hehe, they will definitely catch a lot¡­¡±


    Seeing the potential for profit, some people didn¡¯t even bother to queue up and ran away.


    ¡°Gentlemen! Gentlemen, I¡¯m not done talking yet!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly yelled out to everyone.


    ¡°We are also collecting locust eggs! 5000 locust eggs can be exchanged for a small bowl of coarse grains. You can find as many as 50 eggs in a ce where the soil bulges up, it¡¯s easier to catch than the locusts! Everyone, please be quick. We¡¯re collecting locusts and their eggs only until the end of this month, the more, the better, the more, the better!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    No sooner than Liu Sisi finished her words, more than half of the people queuing up for porridge left.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing, due to recent food shortage, the food given out during the porridge distribution will be reduced to half a bowl per person so that more people can receive it. Remember, remember!¡±


    As the task of collecting locusts had been mentioned earlier, no one raised any objections when Liu Sisi brought it up again at the moment.


    Everyone¡¯s faces showed readiness instead, seemingly eager to start.<div>


    Liu Sisi spoke loudly: ¡°Pass the word, put these orders up next to the city gate. Shopkeeper Gu will be in charge of this matter, ensuring its proper execution.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    The servant hurriedly spread the message.


    Having stepped down from the porridge distribution podium, Liu Sisi then turned back to inquire about the porridge distribution status with the few soldiers. With the daily consumption of about 50 jins of grain in the recent porridge distribution, even if the porridge was made by blending coarse grains and rice, severalrge pots are used up every day. Combined with the cost of firewood, the daily expenditure in silver was indeed significant.


    Looking at the bustling surroundings, Liu Sisi lifted her head and sighed. For the time being, let it be. At the very least, they need to get through this month first.


    The foundation of the Di family is still too weak.


    Although Ye Lei is a sixth-rank Captain,pared to those centuries-old noble families, the difference is far more than a bit.


    Having finalized matters, she only decided to return. Gao and Granny Hu beside her hurriedly instructed everyone to make way for Liu Sisi. Liu Sisi did not pay much attention and led YingEr towards the carriage.


    As her gaze randomly swept across, she saw a pair of wolf-like eyes in the crowd.


    Her heartbeat skipped a few beats!


    She quickly turned back to look carefully, but the prickling sensation akin to a sharp thorn piercing her back had disappeared.


    She frowned and scanned the crowd several times, looking for that gaze. However, it was almost impossible to find it again amongst the tumultuous crowd at this moment.


    ¡°Madam, locusts have be a gue outdoors. All these locusts we¡¯ve caught and brought back, how are we going to make use of them? This¡­this cost is really too great.¡±<div>


    The woman beside, Granny Hu, was confused and asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Liu Sisi gathered her thoughts and shook her head.


    ¡°Nowadays, Old Master is Lord Captain, and he is also the highest official in Macheng County. At the moment, there is a transition between old and new officials, and we absolutely cannot have any mishaps. The other day, we saw a swarm of locusts during our journey. Old Master went to the west yesterday where the locust gue is even worse. If at this point our Macheng County experiences a locust disaster, I¡¯m afraid there will be people in the court who will take this opportunity to attack Old Master.¡±

 Chapter 623: 623: Ms. Wangs Shameless Trick

    Chapter 623: Chapter 623: Ms. Wang¡¯s Shameless Trick


    Liu Sisi raised her head to look at the sweltering sky around her: ¡°After giving out these coarse grains as porridge, no one seems to say a good word. Like the old man we met before, what can you do with him?¡±


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t be disheartened. Such unreasonable people are, after all, a minority.¡±


    ¡°Indeed they are a minority, but what if their hidden thoughts are actually like that?¡±


    Liu Sisi tilted her paper umbre towards YingEr, sheltering her from the scorching sun above.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why not reverse our approach? Now, we let them catch the locusts by themselves, and exchange the coarse grains for the locusts they¡¯ve caught. It both solves the uncertainty of the wandering tramps around the porridge shed and keeps the locust disaster to a minimum. Why not?¡±


    ¡°Madam has a great idea!¡±


    Granny Hu sincerely praised her from the side.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s a great idea or not is not important, what¡¯s important is when this sky will finally rain!¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed deeply.


    If it doesn¡¯t rain soon, even thete rice might fail!<div>


    Compared to the piles of disaster victims waiting for porridge outside the city gate, the city seemed even busier than before.


    Whether it¡¯s the passing merchants or schrs, they were like ck ants in an anthill, each going their own way and each doing their own business, seemingly chaotic yet orderly.


    She retracted her gaze and casually lowered the carriage curtain.


    Just as she turned her head, she seemed to see a familiar face and hurriedly shouted, ¡°Stop the carriage!¡±


    She rushed down the carriage and searched around only to find that the person had disappeared from the spot. She looked around, and there was not a trace left.


    Liu Sisi stood still, unable to keep her eyebrows from furrowing.


    Wrong! She had already left Macheng County, hadn¡¯t she?


    It¡¯s absolutely impossible for her to appear here; it must be her own eyes ying tricks on her.


    ¡°Madam, what¡¯s wrong? Did you see something?¡±


    Ms. Gao also got off the carriage and looked around.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Liu Sisi shook her head, disappointedly retracted her gaze and turned around to walk back to the carriage.


    ¡°Sister-inw! Sister-inw!¡±


    A familiar voice suddenly came from behind. Liu Sisi looked back and saw Ms. Wang panting and running after her.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    Instantly, a knowing radiance shed in her eyes.


    Initially, when Ye Lei had an ident, Di Gaoyuan from the second family branch, in order to avoid disaster, forced Elderly Mr. Di to expel the third family branch from the Di Family. Unfortunately, Elderly Mr. Di was always concerned about his third child and refused to agree to it no matter what. In the end, Di Gaoyuan went directly to the Land Officer and formally severed ties with the Di Family. To prevent any involvement, he even went to the government office to get everything officially recorded and handled.


    It seemed like such a wise move at first, but after Ye Lei was released unharmed and even promoted, it became a huge joke!


    Almost everyone knew about the incident in a ten-mile radius, and even some elders were using it as a cautionary tale to teach their descendants.<div>


    It was said that Di Gaoyuan and his wife even had a falling out over this, with Ms. Wang being sent back to her hometown.


    However, Ms. Wang had raised children for Di Gaoyuan for many years, and she no longer had any family of her own ¨C ording to thews of the Great Zhao, a wife could not be divorced if there was no one left from her own family. Thus, after even thatst option was cut off, the couple fought even more intensely, causing a huge scene. Not only did Elderly Mr. Di stop them from attending ancestor worship during New Year, but they also failed to enter the main entrance when their three children from Liu Sisi were drinking ¡°Three-Morning Wine¡±.


    Of course, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t know about these things at the time; instead, she only found outter when Ms. Xin identally mentioned them.


    Though she knew, it didn¡¯t have much to do with her, and she didn¡¯t want to be like Mr. Dong Ge, so she simply took it in one ear and out the other, treating it as idle talk to be listened to and forgotten.<div>


    Now suddenly being called by Ms. Wang, she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Ms. Wang ran out of breath, looking quite haggard. Her once made-up face was now bare, and her already high cheekbones were more pronounced than ever. Seeing Liu Sisi stop, she wasted no time in grabbing Liu Sisi¡¯s cor.


    ¡°Sister-inw! I¡­ I finally found you!¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at her grasped clothes in surprise and then raised her eyebrow: ¡°Ma¡¯am, we are not close, so please let go!¡± After saying that, she forcefully pulled back her sleeve.


    Ms. Wang didn¡¯t care about losing face and started crying right away!


    ¡°Sister-inw! I know that it¡¯s our fault for mistreating Third Brother, but please have some sympathy for our family! We¡¯re just trying to survive, without any intention to harm Third Brother¡­¡± Ms. Wang¡¯s grievance grew.


    The more she cried here, the more people gathered around. Everyone was pointing and talking about the two of them.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face changed! The other party might want to make a big fuss about the situation, but she couldn¡¯t let it develop like this.


    She immediately put on a sad face: ¡°Exactly! Ah¡­ Ms. Wang, you¡¯re right, but as youngsters, we can¡¯t really understand what the elders are thinking. But, next time you see him, just talk to him earnestly and beg him for forgiveness, and don¡¯t miss the chance, ah!¡±


    After saying that, she turned and tried to leave.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    How could Ms. Wang let her go so easily?


    She was alone and couldn¡¯t even enter the Di residence¡¯s gate. She even rented a small room in the county town to stay in temporarily, spending a lot of money.


    Money was running short, and she hadn¡¯t eaten for a whole day. Di Gaoyuan couldn¡¯t stand the suffering any longer and left her early in the morning. She was starving and nned to go to the porridge shed outside the city to ask for a bowl of in rice porridge to fill her stomach. But, she saw Liu Sisi¡¯s carriage by chance and chased it all the way here.<div>


    So, the present situation happened!


    ¡°Sister-inw! My father said if you forgive me, he will have no objections. Sister-inw, sister-inw, I¡¯m begging you!¡±


    Ms. Wang pulled Liu Sisi¡¯s sleeve, kneeling at her feet with tears and snot, truly a pitiful sight.


    The crowd grew more and more, and some people seemed to recognize Liu Sisi¡¯s identity, whispering among themselves.


    It¡¯s true that when one bes an official, they lose the freedom they had as amoner!

 Chapter 624: 624: Summer Afternoon

    Chapter 624: Chapter 624: Summer Afternoon


    Perhaps seeing that Liu Sisi didn¡¯t speak, Ms. Wang became anxious!


    She turned her eyes and saw YingEr who had just poked her head out of the carriage, so she hastily dragged YingEr into the conversation too.


    ¡°YingEr, please talk some sense into your mother! Just look at Second Aunt¡­ like this¡­ It¡¯s been days since Second Aunt ate anything! YingEr, do you really want to watch Second Aunt starve to death? Oh¡­ ¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s voice trembled more and more pitifully, and she couldn¡¯t help but cry, with tears streaming down her face.


    Although YingEr was young, it didn¡¯t mean she was easy to deceive, especially when it came to her Second Aunt who had been a source of pain for her since she was small.


    ¡°Second Aunt, did you not eat anything today?¡±


    YingEr was filled with curiosity, batting her big, flickering eyes: ¡°But Second Aunt, Dad and Mom always say if you want to have food, you need to work and nt crops uphill. If thend yields a harvest, then there¡¯ll be food. You can¡¯t get something for nothing, and you definitely shouldn¡¯t beg others! That¡¯s what people without backbone do!¡±


    ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    Ms. Wang was dumbfounded, unable to speak for a long time.


    ¡°Ms. Wang! YingEr is only six years old, and she understands these principles, can¡¯t you understand them too?¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi also let out a deep sigh!


    Reaching out her hand, she helped Ms. Wang up: ¡°Ah! We were once sisters-inw, but you and your family have truly hurt the hearts of our elders. Even if I wanted to help, I can¡¯t! You¡­ just take care of yourself!¡±


    She forcefully pulled off the clothes that Ms. Wang was tightly holding onto and pushed her away, then gave Old Cheng a look before stepping up and into the carriage.


    YingEr also conveniently sat inside, and before she left, she waved at Ms. Wang: ¡°By the way, my family has set up a porridge shed outside the city gate that specifically provides porridge for the poor. Second Aunt, you can go check it out. There should still be porridge now.¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s face turned blue and white in an instant, looking extremely terrible!


    Seeing the carriage leaving, she tried to catch up, only to be stopped by Ms. Gao beside her.


    Ms. Gao immediately spoke with a smile: ¡°Madam, mydy has made her point very clear. Please, take care of yourself!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Ms. Wang still wanted to say something.


    The coachman by the side couldn¡¯t bear it any longer! He immediately scolded in annoyance: ¡°Hey! Do you have no shame? Persistently harassing and pestering, you¡¯ll get what¡¯sing to you!¡±


    Frightened by the coachman¡¯s harsh words, Ms. Wang¡¯s whole body trembled, and she finally dared not approach any further.


    The carriage slowly moved forward, leaving the crowd behind.


    ¡°So, does everyone know who she is? I can recognize her. She used to be Lord Di¡¯s Second Sister-inw!¡±


    Once Liu Sisi¡¯s carriage left, someone nearby recognized Ms. Wang andughed aloud.


    ¡°Oh? Tell us more. What¡¯s the story?¡± An eager person next to them quickly moved closer.


    That person didn¡¯t bother keeping anything secret and immediately began telling the tale loudly.


    ¡°Her! As soon as she heard that her little brother entered the big prison, she immediately distanced herself from the Di Family, not just seeking public acknowledgement from the Land Officer, but also taking legal documents to the government office for notarization. Who would have thought that fortunes change so quickly! Little did she expect that her brother not only was released without charge, but also promoted with honors!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ª so that¡¯s how it is!¡±


    The people beside understood what had happened: so, that¡¯s the story!


    ¡°That¡¯s not all! When she saw her brother rise to high ranks, she went everywhere ndering him and even chased him to the Ancestral Hall to offer incense to their ancestors. But she had abandoned the family name and left the family, so what business did she have there? In the end, she was driven out by the elders of the family, totally disgraced!¡±<div>


    ¡°Indeed it¡¯s shameful, and to think she still dared toe back, she must really be shameless! Haha¡­¡±


    ¡°She was just demanding money from her former siblings! How embarrassing!¡±


    The loud gossip left Ms. Wang unable to lift her head, as she panicked and tried to squeeze through the crowd.


    Unfortunately, the onlookers only grew in number, making it impossible for her to break free, forcing her to skulk like a defeated stray dog, too afraid to show herself easily.<div>


    At the street corner, Liu Sisi lowered the carriage curtain and said calmly,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Ms. Wang, oh Ms. Wang, don¡¯t me my cold heart! When you initially instigated Di Gaoyuan to leave the Di Family, did you ever think this day woulde?


    All I did was spread the truth about what you¡¯ve done!


    And I didn¡¯t exaggerate or add any lies at all!


    Returning to Di Residence, Liu Sisi spotted Di Cheng leading someone towards the side gate from a distance. Despite only seeing the person¡¯s back, she recognized him immediately.


    If not Di Gaoyuan, who else could it be?


    ¡°Mom, Second Uncle is here. Why is Brother Cheng sending him away through the side gate?¡± YingEr asked curiously.


    ¡°Now, just act like you didn¡¯t see anything, alright?¡± She gently stroked YingEr¡¯s head.


    ¡°Oh, I understand!¡±


    After giving it some thought, Liu Sisi returned to the Waterside Pavilion.


    Now that she had her children, she felt content in her life. She never got tired of ying with the three little ones, and seeing them always lifted her spirits. YingEr also yed with the little ones, being the perfect elder sister with a constant smile on her face.


    Not long after, Granny Hu brought over rose pear snow fungus soup to help everyone cool down.<div>


    This rose pear snow fungus soup was made by simmering fresh rose petals, snow pears, snow fungus, rock sugar, goji berries, and red dates together over low heat.


    After it cooled, it was chilled in well water for an hour before adding ice cubes and honey to make the rose pear snow fungus soup in the bowl.


    Liu Sisi took the small bowl, offering YingEr one first: ¡°Who else is at home? Did you send a serving to father?¡±


    Granny Hu smiled: ¡°Madam, rest assured. When I brought yours over, I already sent two servings to Old Master as well. Young Master Di Ah-bao got two bowls, too. Eldest Young Master went out just now, so I saved some in the well water to keep it chilled for whenever he wants to eat.¡±


    Granny Hu was referring to Di Ah-bao as the Young Master and Di Cheng as the Eldest Young Master.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded and then took a bite of the soup with her bowl.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It was icy cold, sweet, and soft ¨C a perfect taste that she couldn¡¯t help but take another bite.


    YingEr next to her remained silent, her stomach empty and the food in front of her incredibly appetizing, so she busied herself eating.


    After finishing her small bowl, she couldn¡¯t help but nce at Liu Sisi¡¯s bowl with longing.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh, scooping some more for her: ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much! The weather is too hot right now, and eating too much cold food will give you a stomachache.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll just eat what¡¯s in the bowl.¡± YingEr stuck out her tongue.


    ¡°Little Naughty!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi tapped her little nose.

 Chapter 625: 625: Di Xuans Loneliness

    Chapter 625: Chapter 625: Di Xuan¡¯s Loneliness


    ¡°Hurry up and eat before it gets warm and isn¡¯t as tasty.¡±


    After finishing the dessert, the two yed for a while, before the three little ones woke up. It was a mess before they were put back to sleep.


    Then, Liu Sisi casually picked up an ount book to look at, while YingEr yed by her side.


    When she finished one ount book, she looked down and found that YingEr had fallen asleep on her leg. She didn¡¯t know what delicious thing she was dreaming of, as even in her sleep, she was smacking her little mouth, with the corners of her mouth raised high, looking very content.


    Unable to resist, she hugged her and kissed her, then adjusted her body. She thought for a while, covered YingEr¡¯s little stomach with a thin quilt, andid down beside her, nning to take a nap as well.


    The cool breeze brought a refreshing feeling, making it the perfect time for a nap.


    Today, Di Yelei returned to the mansion early.


    As soon as Di Xuan entered the gate, he hurried to YingEr¡¯s small courtyard. Not seeing anyone, he casually stopped a servant and asked for YingEr¡¯s whereabouts before striding towards the waterside pavilion.


    Although the waterside pavilion had beenpleted for a while and the triplets had been living there for some time, Di Xuan had only been there twice in total.


    This time as he approached, the nanny guarding the door was clearly surprised but still whispered carefully.<div>


    ¡°Second Young Master, Madam is taking a nap inside, and Eldest Miss is also there.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s footsteps didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°But¡­ ¡±


    The nanny wanted to stop him but couldn¡¯t find the right words, so she could only watch as Di Xuan quietly approached the main entrance, carefully pushing open the door to take in everything inside.


    Three cradles were lined up in a row, gently swaying with the breeze, as if rocking the little babies inside.


    On the big bed, Liu Sisi was sleeping with her body curled up, her waist covered by one of YingEr¡¯s legs.


    At the moment, YingEr was sleeping spread out, with no sign of restraint. Perhaps feeling ufortable, she shifted her body, draping her other leg over Liu Sisi as well.


    Liu Sisi seemed to show signs of waking up, raising her hand to gently pat YingEr¡¯s chest without pushing off the legs on her body, instead hugging YingEr and falling back asleep.


    Di Xuan¡¯s eyes darkened, and he quietly closed the door again, separating him from the warm scene inside.


    The nanny hurriedly approached with a smile: ¡°Second Young Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not tell my mother that I¡¯ve been here!¡±


    He nced at the nanny, causing her to lower her head, unable to meet his gaze. He then turned to leave, his back looking particrly deste.


    The next day, Liu Sisi went out with YingEr again.


    This time, she was taking YingEr to the newly built academy.


    After careful consideration, Liu Sisi decided not to build the academy in the city of Macheng County. Instead, she chose a location between the mountains and the ins.


    However, before going to the academy, she had to go to another ce: the newly built wharf.


    The horse trotted along, and Liu Sisi clearly felt that the road condition had improved a lot, apparently well-maintained.


    As they emerged from the mountain hollow, they arrived at the small bridge, where the carriage came to a stop.<div>


    Liu Sisi took YingEr off the carriage and checked on the bridge¡¯s progress. Instead of repairing the old bridge, they chose to build a new one about ten feet upstream.


    After more than four months of construction, the bridge was nearingpletion. Craftsmen were now working on the stone lions on the railings, diligently carving them as the sound of chiseling echoed.


    At the downstream of the old bridge, a new wharf had been built. The beach here was artificially widened and now had five or six boats docked at the pier, while people were discussing something on the new wharf.


    Liu Sisi opened her umbre and walked towards the wharf.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s Mrs. Di! It¡¯s Mrs. Di!¡±


    Someone spotted Liu Sisi first and eximed excitedly.


    Everyone turned their heads and saw Liu Sisiing down from the top. They all stood up, gathered around and greeted her one after another.


    ¡°Mrs. Di, you finally came!¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Di, look, this wharf will bepleted soon. How about its size?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Mrs. Di, I¡¯ve heard that you gave birth to triplets. Is it true?¡±


    With countless questions being asked, Liu Sisi was tired of answering, nodding continuously to the crowd.


    Soon, a man who looked like a foreman made his way to the front and greeted Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Mrs. Di, you¡¯ve finallye today. If you hadn¡¯te today, I would havee to consult with you in two days.¡±


    Liu Sisi casually raised an eyebrow: ¡°What¡¯s up? Did something go wrong?¡±


    The foreman looked at the surrounding crowd, then drove them away: ¡°Don¡¯t block the way, get back to your work. We didn¡¯t pay you to y.¡±


    The foreman¡¯s words instantly dispersed the crowd.


    Liu Sisi casually went to the edge of the wharf, checked the docking area, then looked up at the foreman.<div>


    ¡°You¡¯re in charge of this project, so let¡¯s hear from you. By the way, has my husbande to see the wharf?¡±


    ¡°Madam, Lord Di hase to check the progress several times. Although the pier can already dock boats, there¡¯s still¡­ ¡± The foreman hesitated.


    ¡°Just say it, no need to hold back.¡±


    ¡°Although there are some problems with the construction, they are just small matters and not a big issue.¡±


    The foreman nodded: ¡°The wharf is wide andrge enough, but there is a very narrow shoal downstream that will take some days to be passable.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment: ¡°I really don¡¯t know anything about wharf construction, but since you took on this job, these shouldn¡¯t be difficult for you, right?¡±


    The foreman was caught in Liu Sisi¡¯s words, iming that he doesn¡¯t know how to do this. He hesitated, torn between two options.


    ¡°Madam, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m refusing, but the shallow area is full of silt washed down from the nearby mountains. Even if we dredge the river, in a few months, it will be blocked again by silt, and there would be no benefit.¡±


    Liu Sisi thought about it: ¡°Do you have any good ideas on how to solve this problem?¡±


    ¡°Unless we build a dam downstream to store water, which would raise the water level and naturally solve the problem,¡± the foreman said confidently.

 Chapter 626: 626: Mother-Daughter Affection

    Chapter 626: Chapter 626: Mother-Daughter Affection


    Liu Sisi stood up but didn¡¯t agree with him right away.


    ¡°Well, after all, I am a virtuous woman, so I still need to go back and discuss the specifics with my husband to see what he says. Everyone has been working hard with the recent events here,¡± said Liu Sisi.


    The foreman was slightly stunned and hurriedly bowed with a fist greeting: ¡°Of course, of course!¡±


    Liu Sisi left the wharf without saying a word.


    ¡°Mom, what does it mean to build a dam across a river?¡± Little Ying beside her asked.


    ¡°Building a river dam is constructing a barrier on the surface of the water, which is much more difficult than building one on the shore,¡± Liu Sisi replied, unsure how to exin it to YingEr.


    ¡°Then, is mom saying that they want to build a dam across the river?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but if we really were to build a river dam, the silver needed for it would be impossible for your father and me to provide on our own,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Silly child, we don¡¯t have enough money,¡± Liu Sisi sighed.<div>


    Although the Di family had gradually be better off, their resources were still shallow, and all of their current expenses were supported by the ie from several shops.


    The amount of silver needed for building the river dam far exceeded what she could afford at the moment.


    Fortunately, YingEr didn¡¯t continue to ask questions, but instead, she became curious about their current journey: ¡°Mom, the sun is so big, where are we going now?¡±


    ¡°We are going to the mountain. There is a small hollow on the mountain here, where an academy has been built. We are going to go and check it out,¡± said Liu Sisi, walking somewhat out of breath.


    ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t we take a cart instead of walking? I¡¯m so tired¡­¡±


    YingEr began to feel weary after only a short distance.


    Liu Sisiughingly said: ¡°You naughty little thing, I never saw youin about being tired when you used to run around on the slope every day. Now you¡¯re starting to say you¡¯re tired after walking just a little bit? You must practice and exercise more.¡±


    YingEr, feeling embarrassed, stuck her tongue out: ¡°Mom, I really am tired, and I¡¯m also thirsty and hungry. Can we find a ce to eat?¡±


    ¡°Eat? Where can we find food in this deste ce?¡± Liu Sisi looked around and found no ce to eat in this wild area. Other than their group of people, she didn¡¯t even see a single soul.


    She held YingEr¡¯s hand: ¡°Hurry, if we get to the workers¡¯ hut on the mountain hollow, there might be some food for us.¡±


    ¡°Ah, how much further do we have to go? YingEr really can¡¯t walk any more.¡±


    YingEr acted up, pouting her lips, and stopped moving forward no matter what.


    Liu Sisi pointed to a cypress tree in the distance: ¡°Do you see that cypress tree? We¡¯ll be there once we reach it.¡±


    This remark revived YingEr¡¯s spirits: ¡°Really, Mom?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true!¡±


    Liu Sisi replied earnestly.


    However, after a moment, YingEr found out she had been tricked!


    ¡°Oh no, Mom! How could you deceive me? YingEr won¡¯t ept this!¡± she cried.


    ¡°Mom didn¡¯t deceive you; we really did arrive. Look, isn¡¯t this a ce to rest? Mom meant that we¡¯d get to a ce with a shade to rest,¡± Liu Sisi said, employing the same method Ye Lei often used.<div>


    Poor YingEr, deceived for the first time, refused to walk regardless of what Liu Sisi said.


    ¡°YingEr, you really won¡¯t walk anymore?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I won¡¯t walk.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Nanny Hu, Xue Yi, let¡¯s go on! I heard that there are quite a few wolf packs around here, and I wonder if theye out during the daytime too¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi casually spoke, picking up a wooden stick as a temporary crutch and continued climbing the mountain.


    Granny Hu and Snow Yi hurried to catch up, asionally looking back with concern.


    ¡°Madam, isn¡¯t it a bad idea to leave Miss YingEr alone? What if¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll catch up soon.¡±


    Liu Sisi was brimming with confidence.


    A wolf pack?


    As a hunter¡¯s daughter, YingEr not only knew about wolf packs, but also understood how dangerous they could be. She rested for a moment, and a cool breeze blew from the shade of the trees, bringing a chilly sensation to her back.


    Suddenly, a wolf¡¯s howl came from afar, startling YingEr!


    She didn¡¯t care about anything else, and quickly chased after Liu Sisi and the others in the direction they had departed.


    ¡°Madam, there really are¡­ wolves?¡±


    Granny Hu was also shocked by the wolf¡¯s howl!


    ¡°Of course there are wolves. The dense forests in this area are home to many wild chickens and rabbits, naturally attracting a considerable number of wolves to form packs. However, as long as the there is food in the mountain, these wolf packs will not easilye down.¡±


    Liu Sisi calmly said, casually brushing away the sweat-soaked strands of hair on her forehead: ¡°Of course, this excludes old and weak lone wolves.¡±<div>


    ¡°Lone wolves? Are there¡­ differences between them?¡±


    Snow Yi also felt a shiver down her spine and couldn¡¯t help but looked back frequently.


    ¡°Usually, old and weak wolves in a pack will leave the pack when food is scarce and seek food on their own. Sometimes, these lone wolves, driven by hunger, may attack humans. For example, the one that just howled, you could tell it was alone, and its howling was filled with sadness.¡±


    ¡°Madam¡­ you must have misheard? These beasts wouldn¡¯t understand the concept of sadness.¡±


    Granny Hu beside her couldn¡¯t help but speak up.


    ¡°These are all things my husband told me, actually, I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed as she spoke.


    ¡°Mom, mom, wait for YingEr!¡±


    As Liu Sisi predicted, YingEr quickly caught up, grabbing Liu Sisi¡¯s clothes and refusing to let go.


    ¡°How are you? Tired? I have some mung bean and kelp soup here, would you like some?¡±


    This was brought along when they left home in the morning, just perfect to drink now.


    ¡°Yes, YingEr wants to drink, mom, you¡¯re the best!¡±


    YingEr was happy now.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s walk up to that stone tform, sit down and drink it slowly, it¡¯s so hot here under the sun!¡±


    She took out her handkerchief and carefully wiped the sweat from YingEr¡¯s face.


    Knowing that there was mung bean and kelp soup to quench her thirst, YingEr was energized to continue walking. She tookrge strides up the steps and quickly climbed to the tform above.


    They were almost there!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi let out a long sigh of relief. Walking under the tree shade, she opened the food box and took out the kelp soup.


    There wasn¡¯t much kelp soup, but Liu Sisi had thought that YingEr would definitely be thirsty while climbing the mountain, and this was the best way to beat the heat.


    Pouring a small bowl, she handed it to YingEr: ¡°Come on, drink quickly! Look, the ice cubes outside haven¡¯t meltedpletely yet, this must also be cool, perfect for cooling down.¡±


    ¡°Mom, you should drink first. After you drink, YingEr will drink!¡± YingEr handed the small bowl to Liu Sisi¡¯s mouth.


    Liu Sisi nkly stared for a moment, then her face lit up: ¡°Our YingEr is so understanding, good girl!¡±

 Chapter 627: 627: Returning to the Old School

    Chapter 627: Chapter 627: Returning to the Old School


    She gently sipped from the edge of the small bowl and then handed it back to YingEr: ¡°Drink up quickly, there¡¯s more in the food box!¡±


    As the lid was removed, the un-melted ice cube inside was shrinking at a visible speed.


    YingEr was indeed thirsty, so she grabbed the small spoon and gulped down the soup, eating with a squinty-eyed smile. Then, Liu Sisi drank about half a bowl herself, leaving the rest for Granny Hu and Xue Yi.


    With this refreshing mung bean and kelp soup as a base, everyone felt the summer heat dissipate, making the mountain climb much easier.


    When they reached the top of the mountain, Liu Sisi examined closely and saw that nestled between the two mountains was a pond, with water constantly flowing out from the other side.


    On the other side of the cold pool was arge dam, and at the foot of the two mountains, two rows of houses were built. Beyond that should be the ntation, but at the moment, it was empty with nothing there.


    The reason why Liu Sisi was so familiar with the architecture here was that it was built ording to the ns she had provided.


    And the original design was based on the school buildings where she worked before her previous life ended.


    This academy was located at the intersection of mountains and ins but was not on a fortress. It could retreat into the hidden mountain forests or directly go down the mountain or move along the mountain range. The environment was quiet and self-sufficient, without having to worry about the chaos outside.


    ¡°Finally, we¡¯re here. Should we wash our hands before we go on?¡±<div>


    Upon seeing the water, YingEr couldn¡¯t bring herself to walk any further.


    ¡°Do you see the cooking smoke over there? If we¡¯rete, we won¡¯t have lunch.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t it? Mom, didn¡¯t you spend silver to build this ce? Why won¡¯t they give you food?¡±


    Granny Hu from the side hurriedly chimed in: ¡°Madam means, if we¡¯rete, they¡¯ll finish eating the cooked dishes, and when we go there, there won¡¯t be anything left.¡±


    This earned Liu Sisi¡¯s approving nce.


    YingEr, this little troublemaker, always tries to avoid walking.


    While they were talking, everyone had already entered the buildings. From a distance, a man came running. It was none other than the foreman who had received the news and rushed over. When he saw the group, he immediately greeted them with joy and a fist greeting.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to have Madam here in person.¡±


    Afraid that there would be no lunch, Di Ying quickly acted pitiful upon seeing the foreman.


    ¡°Uncle, is there any food left? YingEr is hungry¡­¡±


    The foreman was obviously stumped by YingEr¡¯s question, and after a while, he nodded: ¡°Yes, yes, the meals are already prepared. Please go inside and eat first, and we can talk about other thingster.¡± Even though he had countless questions, eating was the priority at the moment.


    The mountain food was ordinary vegetables and steamed cornbread, but it included cold mixed wild mushroom hearts, hand-torn zhini, fried green pepper, sour and spicy shredded potatoes, tofu skin with hot peppers, stir-fried rape greens, and Mapo Tofu. Each dish was simple but much more delicious than the various meats at home!


    YingEr couldn¡¯t stop eating, and even Liu Sisi had an extra half bowl of rice, which made everyone particrly delighted.


    After the meal, YingEr took Xue Yi out to y.


    Liu Sisi put down her bowl and sincerely sighed: ¡°Home-cooked meals are still the best! Today¡¯s food made me miss home.¡±


    The foreman quickly joined in: ¡°These are just mountain foods, and it¡¯s difficult to buy meat here. Because of that, the old women who prepare the meals had to make do with locally sourced ingredients, cooked casually, just to fill the brothers¡¯ stomachs.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t put on airs: ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with things at home recently and haven¡¯t been able to take care of everyone here. I¡¯m ashamed.¡±


    ¡°Madam, why do you say that? We all know that you just gave birth to triplets! It¡¯s a blessing to have three noble sons!¡± The foreman hurriedly greeted her repeatedly.<div>


    ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡±


    Liu Sisi was genuinely happy: ¡°As long as everyone doesn¡¯t mind. My purpose ining to the mountain today is to check on everyone¡¯s food and also to see for myself the progress of the academy¡¯s construction.¡±


    ¡°In fact, madam, you didn¡¯t have to make a special trip. If there were any shortages or questions, we would visit you in person.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I won¡¯t be at ease unless I see it for myself.¡±<div>


    The foreman stood up from his chair: ¡°Why don¡¯t we walk and talk, madam? This way, you can also observe the surrounding situation.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good.¡±


    This foreman was indeed responsible and meticulous.


    Liu Sisi carefully examined the surrounding buildings, including ssrooms, dormitories, and libraries, which were strikingly simr to the buildings she attended in her previous life. Apart from the experimental building being reced by a martial arts building, she felt as if she were back in her old school, unable to return to reality for a long time.


    ¡°¡­So in the end, the masters discussed, and the final construction came out like this. Madam, madam, are you listening?¡±


    Seeing that Liu Sisi was lost in thought, the other party called out several times before regaining her attention.


    ¡°Well, not bad at all. These rooms meet my requirements very well. Good job!¡±


    Liu Sisi praised repeatedly: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when the academy is fully built, I won¡¯t forget the rewards you deserve.¡±


    After all, the other party followed the ns and was able to replicate the buildings with 99% simrity, which was already quite extraordinary!


    p>Most importantly, it aroused so many memories in her.


    The other party was overjoyed! ¡°Thank you, madam, for your generous reward!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright! You can go back to your work if you have something to do. I¡¯ll just walk around.¡±


    Liu Sisi waved her hand nonchntly, not waiting for the foreman¡¯s response, and turned to walk away.<div>


    She walked on the yground, carefully observing the surroundings. Everything here, including every nt and tree, waspletely built ording to her previous life¡¯s school environment, which was truly evocative. It seemed as if she was back at her alma mater, back at that unforgettable ce in her previous life, and her emotions took a long time to calm down.


    Strolling in front of the recently transnted small trees that had not yet fully grown, she looked up through their sparse shade and did not see her dormitory floor from her school years, and she couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Simrity is still not the same after all!


    By the time they left the mountain in the afternoon, Liu Sisi¡¯s mood still hadn¡¯t improved.


    YingEr, who had yed all afternoon, was unusually quiet and didn¡¯t bother her. Instead, she curled up in a corner of the carriage and dozed off.


    Di Yelei returned home from the dusty road but did not see the familiar figure that usually greeted him, making him particrly curious.

 Chapter 628: 628: Setting Rules

    Chapter 628: Chapter 628: Setting Rules


    ¡°Has Madam not returned yet?¡±


    ¡°In response to the Old Master, Madam has already returned. She has been in the Waterside Pavilion on the south side ever since she got back and hasn¡¯te out.¡±


    The backyard of the official residence was built around a pond, with the Waterside Pavilion¡¯s southern side neighboring the main house, separated just by a wall.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to check on her.¡±


    Di Yelei casually replied and then walked into the Waterside Pavilion.


    In the room, Liu Sisi was gently rocking the crib, humming a luby. But her gaze was fixed on a point in the void,pletely unfocused.


    Di Yelei waved his hand in front of her eyes, but she still maintained her original action, immersed in the dream she was weaving for herself.


    ¡°Sisi!¡±


    He gently turned her face, causing her gaze to meet his.


    ¡°Ye Lei, you¡¯re back. Huh? Is it already dark?¡± Liu Sisi only realized at this moment that it had turned dark.<div>


    ¡°Sisi, did anything happen today?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing happened.¡± Liu Sisi got up and casually poured a cup of cool boiled water to drink.


    ¡°Are you sure nothing happened?¡±


    Di Yelei raised one eyebrow. Why would Sisi lie to him? This was something that had never happened before. It seems he must find some time to revisit the academy and have a good understanding of what¡¯s going on.


    ¡°Really, nothing happened! Oh, have you eaten yet? Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    She took his arm and walked closely with him, a silentpromise.


    The secret in her heart could never be revealed to anyone. Even Di Yelei was no exception!


    Di Yelei also noticed Liu Sisi¡¯s deliberate evasion, so he didn¡¯t say anything else, only quietly apanying her. He decided to ask again when he got the chance.


    After all, everyone had one or two little secrets deep in their hearts that they couldn¡¯t share with anyone.


    ¡°Ye Lei, near the newly built wharf, there is a section of the river channel¡­ ¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As they walked, Liu Sisi began to recount the day¡¯s events.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m already aware of that matter, and I¡¯ve brought in experts with experience in dredging rivers to take a look. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    Di Yelei interrupted her straight away.


    ¡°By the way, as soon as I returned to the county today, I heard that you had people collecting locusts on the hillside in exchange for coarse grains. Is this true?¡±


    ¡°Correct! Didn¡¯t I go to the porridge shed yesterday? I observed the people who came to collect porridge. I found that while these people were drinking porridge, they were ndering the people giving the porridge. Although these kinds of people only make up a small portion, it gave me an idea.¡±


    ¡°This is a good idea, it can both aid the disaster-stricken people and prevent locust disaster, it really serves a dual purpose. My Sisi really is smart!¡± Di Yelei praised Liu Sisi without hesitation.


    ¡°Is that your sincerest sentiment?¡± Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows.


    She had yed the viin yesterday, driving away his second sister-inw. If she were to say that Di Yelei was still unaware of this news at this point, she simply wouldn¡¯t believe it. But he didn¡¯t say anything, and she didn¡¯t know what he was thinking.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s my true words! What¡¯s wrong? Why are you so suspicious?¡± Di Yelei asked with a curious expression.<div>


    Liu Sisi stopped in her tracks and looked at him. She couldn¡¯t find any hint of other emotions on his face, so she continued moving forward.


    ¡°I also thought of it on the spot, but I¡¯m afraid the aftermath may be a bit much. I¡¯ll need your help to manage it.¡±


    ¡°You silly girl, I am your husband, doing these things is what I should be doing in the first ce. Besides, you did these things for my sake, and for the good of themon people in Macheng County. I understand all that.¡±


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t think that much. I just acted on instinct.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi felt somewhat awkward: ¡°I just don¡¯t know how many locusts there are. Whether or not the coarse grains in the granary canst until the end of the month is uncertain.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. If there really isn¡¯t enough grain, I can also open the granary and take out some of the stored grain for emergency use.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡±


    Liu Sisi eximed in shock: ¡°By doing that, you¡¯d be knowingly breaking thew. If we really run out of grain, we could just buy some more in Lin County.¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help butugh, gripping Liu Sisi¡¯s hand tightly: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send someone to Lin County tomorrow to buy more grain.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Hand in hand in broad daylight, how improper! You really have no manners!¡±


    The voice of Ms. Zhao, full of criticism, rang out.


    As it turned out, the two of them had walked all the way to the side hall while talking. Due to their engrossing conversation, Liu Sisi¡¯s hand was still hanging on Di Yelei¡¯s arm. She forgot to let go and was caught by Ms. Zhao.


    Liu Sisi quickly let go of Di Yelei¡¯s arm, subdued her expression, and took a half step back.


    Looking at the situation, the smile on Di Yelei¡¯s face immediately faded: ¡°What are you talking about, mother? Sisi is feeling unwell from the heat today. I was just lending her a hand. Is there anything wrong with that? Besides, we¡¯re just at home, there¡¯s no outsiders here. Even if I helped my wife, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that, right?¡±


    But Ms. Zhao seemed in no mood to give up: ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s nothing wrong? What¡¯s this about no rules, no square? Rules should start from small things!¡±


    Di Yelei wanted to say more, but Liu Sisi pulled at his sleeve, so he stopped speaking.


    ¡°I was indeed wrong about this. I won¡¯t make the same mistake next time.¡± Liu Sisi admitted her mistake quickly with a faint smile, leaving everyone present somewhat surprised.<div>


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    Di Yelei looked at her in disbelief. Ms. Zhao was clearly nitpicking, yet she agreed. This was totally unlike her usual self.


    Ms. Zhao was also a little surprised, but she still wasn¡¯t satisfied thinking about her second son who was still suffering outside.


    ¡°If you know your mistake, that¡¯s good! Hmph! Today I chatted with Granny Song, our neighbor, for half a day. Her daughter-inw is respectful and establishes rules before her mother-inw every day. It¡¯s amazing! Some people im to be filial but have never set any rules¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhao spoke sarcastically, growing more and more irritated the more she spoke.


    When the Dou family¡¯s daughter married Di Yelei, she never stopped establishing rules before Ms. Zhao. Not until she miscarried because of this and the third family branch broke off. When Liu Sisi married into the Di family, she directly used the excuse that they had already separated from the family. Not even a single rule has been set since. Now hearing other people¡¯s olddies still setting rules, she couldn¡¯t help but stir, wishing she could immediately punish Liu Sisi severely!


    Liu Sisi initially had her head lowered but slowly raised it, looking at her father-inw and Di Yelei who were both dumbfounded. Even Di Ah-bao and Di Cheng had their mouths wide open, clearly not expecting Ms. Zhao to act this way.


    Liu Sisi giggled, covering her mouth. This old woman was really amusing! At her age, she was still making daydreams!

 Chapter 629: 629: Setting Rules (Continued)

    Chapter 629: Chapter 629: Setting Rules (Continued)


    She looked back at Di Yelei and then took two steps forward, casually picking up the teapot to refill her father¡¯s teacup.


    ¡°Sisi was really tired today, and I didn¡¯t hear what my mother-inw said just now. Could you please repeat it again?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    With no inkling of the tension in the room, Ms. Zhao repeated her words.


    ¡°I said, the daughter-inw of Granny Song, who lives next door, follows strict routines every day in front of her mother-inw.¡±


    ¡°Very well! It¡¯s just about setting rules! That¡¯s easy.¡± Liu Sisi nodded seriously, speaking casually.


    Some people just can¡¯t see their own status and can¡¯t keep their position straight. It seems it¡¯s time to teach her a lesson!


    ¡°Sisi, what are you¡­¡± Di Yelei was shocked too!


    Liu Sisi changed the topic: ¡°But before setting rules, let me share a funny anecdote I heard today while out and about. Let¡¯s have some amusement before dinner.¡±


    With a nce, Liu Sisi spoke up: ¡°Once upon a time, there was a very wealthyndlord who had three attendant students and gave each of them an egg every morning. The first student didn¡¯t like eggs, so he always gave his egg to the second student. At first, the second student was grateful and thanked him every time.¡±


    Everyone stared at Liu Sisi, unsure of her point.<div>


    ¡°But as time went on, the second student started taking the first student¡¯s egg for granted and didn¡¯t even thank him anymore. One day, the first student gave his egg to the third student instead. This time, the second student became upset, thinking that the first student had taken away what was rightfully his.¡± Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t remember where she had read this little story.


    She poured another cup of tea, walked over to Ms. Zhao, and said: ¡°So, the second student started making a fuss and cursing the other two, forgetting that the egg had originally belonged to the first student, and their rtionshippletely broke down.¡±


    Ms. Zhao had her mouth wide open, not understanding what Liu Sisi was saying.


    ¡°This story tells us that there are many people in this world who will not be grateful for your kindness. On the contrary, they might think that whatever you do for them is only natural. No matter how much you give, you¡¯ll never be able to fill the bottomless void in their hearts, the abyss of darkness!¡±


    After finishing, Liu Sisi suddenly flicked the teacup in her hand, and the full cup of tea flew straight towards Ms. Zhao, sshing her all over her face and body.


    The tea had cooled down for quite some time now, so it was only a bit hot, not burning.


    ¡°Ah! Liu Sisi, how dare you, Liu Sisi! Are you trying to defy the heavens?¡±


    Enraged, Ms. Zhao jumped up from the ground, heedless of the tea sttered all over her, and started cursing.


    This was her newly acquired summer dress with a light blue color and silver-edged doubleyered skirts printed with wild geese, and it was ruined after only one wear! How could she not be heartbroken!


    ¡°Oops! I¡¯m so sorry, mother-inw. My hand slipped just now, and I identally knocked over the teacup. I apologize.¡±


    With a face full of smiles, Liu Sisi spoke words of apology, but her back was straight, showing no sign of bowing.


    Fuming, Ms. Zhao stomped her foot: ¡°You, you¡­ Liu Sisi! Don¡¯t think just because you¡¯re the Captain¡¯s wife you can be so arrogant! You better not forget, you¡­¡±


    ng! Ssh!


    The teapot in Liu Sisi¡¯s hand fell directly onto Ms. Zhao.


    ¡°Oh no! I¡¯m so dizzy! Look at my clumsy hands and feet, I can¡¯t even hold a teapot. Mother-inw, Sisi didn¡¯t do it on purpose, are you alright?¡±


    Could she be alright?


    This teapot was not like the cooled down teacup from earlier. It originally contained boiling water, but because everyone had been chatting for a while, the water temperature had dropped a bit.


    Nevertheless, it was still hot enough to make Ms. Zhao suffer.


    ¡°Ah! It hurts, so painful¡­ painful¡­¡±<div>


    At the moment, she no longer cared about any propriety, hurriedly loosened her water-soaked clothes, exposing her skin to everyone.


    ¡°Oh my! Mother-inw, how could you undress like this in front of everyone? This is really unbing! You¡¯re, you¡¯re smearing mud on father¡¯s face¡­¡±


    If Ms. Zhao still didn¡¯t realize that Liu Sisi was doing all this on purpose, then she must have lived in vain for so many years.


    ¡°Liu Sisi, you won¡¯t die a good death!¡±<div>


    After saying that, Ms. Zhao turned and ran into her courtyard, remaining out of sight for the entire evening.


    Cursing that I won¡¯t die a good death?


    Too bad, you don¡¯t have the power to determine life and death with a single word!


    Not caring in the slightest, Liu Sisi wiped the smile off her face and sat down in her original spot.


    All the people present were silent, not a single person spoke.


    After a while, Elderly Mr. Di coughed softly: ¡°What are all these servants standing around for? Hurry up and serve the meal, what time is it already!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Master.¡±


    Dinner was eaten in an atmosphere both calm and quietly turbulent.


    In the evening, when they returned to their room, Di Yelei¡¯s face was full of excitement!


    He grinned the whole evening, clearly extremely happy.


    ¡°Seeing you so happy, did you pick up some gold?¡±


    ¡°This is even more exciting than picking up gold! I finally don¡¯t have to worry about my kitten.¡±


    Di Yelei hugged Liu Sisi¡¯s waist, gently swaying, smiling brightly in the light breeze.<div>


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, even though I¡¯m away, I always worry that you might be bullied at home. She¡¯s always been the type to take advantage of the weak ¨C you¡¯re usually too soft, which is why she always wants to suppress and bully you! The ssic bully-the-weak-and-fear-the-strong type.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So that means I can bully her as much as I want?¡±


    With a mischievous glint in her eye, Liu Sisi yfully asked.


    ¡°You! I don¡¯t believe my Sisi would be such an unreasonable person!¡±


    Di Yeleiughed, shaking his head: ¡°If you could really do that, you wouldn¡¯t have tolerated her up until now.¡±


    Both of them knew exactly who she was talking about.


    ¡°Actually, as long as she doesn¡¯t provoke me, I don¡¯t mind keeping another mouth to feed in the manor. As long as she knows her ce, I won¡¯t shortchange her on food or clothing. It¡¯s a pity, though, that things don¡¯t always go as nned¡­¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s voice was exceptionally low and filled with unspeakable sadness.


    ¡°I know, how could I not know.¡±


    Wrapping his arm around her waist, Di Yelei silently apanied her and sighed.


    Why can¡¯t people¡¯s hearts ever be satisfied?

 Chapter 630: 630: Conferment of the Title of Princess Ruyu

    Chapter 630: Chapter 630: Conferment of the Title of Princess Ruyu


    Compared to the lovey-dovey atmosphere over there, Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s side was thunderclouds all over.


    As Ms. Zhao returned to her room to check, she discovered arge part of her skin turned red from the scalding water.


    ¡°Oh my! This damn thing really intended to kill me! Look at thisrge red area, what a cruel heart¡­¡± Ms. Zhao cursed in fury.


    While she was eager to make a fuss outside, she was afraid it would leave a scar. She quickly instructed her servants to fetch a doctor for treatment.


    To her surprise, upon arrival, the doctor promptly cleaned his hands: ¡°Old woman, you haven¡¯t got any serious injuries! All you need is to soak in cold water for a time as long as it takes to make two cups of tea, and then you can get up!¡± After finishing, the doctor picked up his medicine box and left without prescribing any medication.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Two cups of tea again! The moment Ms. Zhao heard the word ¡°tea¡±, she panicked!


    Seeing the doctor about to walk out the door, Ms. Zhao shouted desperately: ¡°Doctor, doctor! You¡­are not going to prescribe any medicine before you leave¡­¡±


    The doctor walked away by himself, but Ms. Zhao did not dare to neglect and promptlymanded her servants to prepare cold water for her to soak in.


    When she finally rose from the cold water, she remembered that she had missed dinner time, and ordered her servants to bring dinner from the kitchen. What they brought back were only some leftovers, which, for someone who was recently choosy about her food, was uneptable.


    She immediately exploded into a yelling fit that could be heard from far away.<div>


    Di returned from outside and could not stand her attitude any longer. He harshly criticized her.


    ¡°Have you had enough yet? You yell about everything all day. Look at yourself first before you want to y the role of an olddyying downws for a daughter-inw. I think you have lost your mind and one day it might all be over for you when not even God can tolerate you anymore!¡±


    With the old man¡¯s words, he had poked a ho¡¯s nest!


    ¡°Well done, you, you old fool, are you cursing me to die? After years of dedicated care to you, you treat me like this¡­I can¡¯t bear this anymore¡­¡±


    The quarrel grew louder and louder, in the end, the two used both civil and military means, and the argument got more intense.


    Although the noise from the old couple¡¯s quarrel could be heard by everyone in the manor, no one was able to step forward to stop the fight. After all, what could a junior do on the spot except to be scolded? And who would want to y the part as a punching bag?


    So, the noise went on untilte into the night. When the bell of the fifth night watch struck outside, the quarreling finally stopped.


    However, the result of the sh was that Ms. Zhao had been grounded by Elderly Mr. Di!


    Rumor has it that she was grounded for half a month, but no one believed she couldst even ten days.


    Di Yelei originally nned to send someone to Lin County to store up on grains, but a big piece of news arrived unexpectedly the next day.


    Early in the morning the next day, Liu Sisi was still in the side hall overseeing YingEr¡¯s meal. The child had recently be addicted to sweets and had not been eating properly. Therefore, this morning, Liu Sisi insisted that she finish the half a bowl of porridge in front of her.


    This in rice porridge and small dish were generally delicious, but they were akin to poison for YingEr, who was craving sweets.


    At the moment, she looked at Liu Sisi extending a spoon, and after a long time reluctantly ate a spoonful.


    ¡°YingEr, listen to me, eating too many sweets can not only make you pudgy, but can also cause cavities. That wouldn¡¯t look good. If you finish this bowl of food, once you wake up from your afternoon nap, I will ask Nanny Hu to give you osmanthus cake, okay?¡±


    YingEr¡¯s eyes brightened in an instant, but she pouted, ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t want to eat it, it tastes awful!¡±


    ¡°You¡­What a stubborn child¡­¡±


    This stubborn child, who was arguing back and forth, made Liu Sisiugh involuntarily.


    Just as she was about to say something, a flustered soldier rushed in from outside: ¡°Madam! A serious matter has arisen! Madam¡­¡±


    ¡°I, yourdy, am still sitting here hale and hearty. What exactly has happened?¡±<div>


    The soldier was somewhat taken aback. Was Madam making a joking with him?


    ¡°Outside, the Imperial Envoy has arrived, he¡¯s outside right now! He ims he is here to read the Imperial Decree!¡±


    Read the Imperial Decree? Why would His Majesty issue a decree to her, it¡¯s so strange!


    Although, with that said, the whole family was instantly thrown into a flurry of activity.<div>


    Liu Sisimanded someone to set up an incense table for the reception of the decree, as well as someone to find Di Yelei and bring him back. Ye Lei had just gone out not long ago and should not have wandered too far. There were also the clothes, she needed to put on the heavy court dress which she had never worn before. The hot weather was going to be unbearable¡­


    While everyone here was arranging things, at the main entrance, Di Yelei led a white-faced, beardless old man into the front hall.


    This time, Liu Sisi did not care about propriety, she hurried forward to greet him.


    ¡°The humble wife greets the Imperial Envoy. The Imperial Envoy hase a long way, and this humble wife failed to journey out to meet you. I pray for Your Excellency¡¯s forgiveness!¡±


    The old man was dressed in dark blue attire, over which he wore a yellow horse-robe. Seeing Liu Sisi kowtow, he hurriedly sidestepped and extended his arm to gently help her up.


    ¡°Are you the daughter of Mrs. Lin? Our family has had the good fortune to serve Mrs. Lin for a while in the past. It is a rare pleasure to meet the daughter of an old friend. Please rise.¡±


    He actually knew her own mother?


    Liu Sisi was stunned and forgot to struggle. She was helped up by him without any resistance.


    ¡°So, it turns out to be an old acquaintance of my kind mother. Please forgive Sisi for not recognizing you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, fine! Madam, please take your seat. Just call me Eunuch Xiao.¡± Eunuch Xiao smiled widely.


    ¡°Please be seated, Eunuch Xiao.¡±


    So he¡¯s a eunuch! No wonder she had served her mother before.


    ¡°Thank you, Madam, for gracing me with a seat!¡±<div>


    Eunuch Xiao made a slight bow before sitting down on the chair.


    Watching Eunuch Xiao savoring the fragrant tea, Liu Sisi quietly nced at Di Yelei who was standing aside. She slightly lifted her eyebrows. Di Yelei secretly shook his head at her. Clearly, he also had no idea what the mission of the Imperial Envoy was.


    Eunuch Xiao paid no mind to their small movements, but kept chatting odds and ends with Liu Sisi, reminiscing about Lin Xiner¡¯s past. This allowed Liu Sisi to understand that this Eunuch Xiao had been apanying the current Emperor since his childhood and had always been by the Emperor¡¯s side. He was also with the Emperor at the time of the ¡°Heilong Mountain Secret Incident¡± and had continued to be so even to this present day.


    This sparked countless thoughts in Liu Sisi¡¯s mind. The fact that he had been apanying the Emperor from his childhood till now, and had also been privy to many of the Emperor¡¯s confidential affairs, she should not underestimate Eunuch Xiao¡¯s capabilities. She listened quietly to Eunuch Xiao¡¯s reminiscing, asionally chiming in with an agreement, her heart filled with deep suspicion about his real purpose of visit.


    Only when the incense table was ready and a servant quietly came to report, did Eunuch Xiao stand up from his chair.


    ¡°Madam, seeing as the time is gettingte, I thought it better to take care of the important matter at hand first, and then we can chat moreter.¡±


    Naturally, Liu Sisi and the other person had no objection.

 Chapter 631: Conferment of Prefecture Princess Ruyu (Request for Monthly Ticket)

    Chapter 631: Chapter 631: Conferment of Prefecture Princess Ruyu (Request for Monthly Ticket)


    Hurriedly getting up: ¡°Eunuch Xiao, pleasee this way!¡±


    Ahead, on the open-air stage, a temporary altar had been set up, and incense and candles had already been ced on it.


    The people who had gone out were hurriedly summoned back. The entire Di family, including servants, maids, and old women, were all gathered here, kneeling densely on the ground. It¡¯s annoying that people in this era kneel down so easily!


    Eunuch Xiao stepped in, picked up the incense and candles to offer sacrifices and kowtows, and then sang loudly. After a series of events, he took out the imperial decree, raised it above his head and turned around.


    ¡°Liu Sisi, the daughter of Lin Xiner, ept the Decree! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    ¡°Long live, long live, long live!¡±


    The Di family members bowed down one after another.


    ¡°By the grace of heaven, I, the benevolent and martial, holy and wise, Emperor of Jiandetian Dynasty, decree: The daughter of Lin Xiner, Liu Sisi, has a virtuous and prudent nature, elegant and pleasing demeanor, dignified and intelligent. She is submissive and gentle, warm and kind in character, skilled in housekeeping, and embodies virtuous morality. She is noble and frugal, which greatlyforts my heart. Today, I confer her the title of Prefecture Princess Ruyu, granting her the name Wanyu, bestowing her with a stipend of 3,000 dans and 500 households, a mansion as her residence, 500 litres of pearls, a certain amount of gold and silver, a certain amount of jade articles¡­


    Eunuch Xiao eventually managed to finish reading the long decree written on a piece of yellow silk cloth. After taking a breath, he closed the decree and raised it high, signaling everyone to give thanks.


    The members of the Di family seemed to be in shock, their mouths wide open, staring nkly at Eunuch Xiao, who had just finished reading the decree.


    Was the person mentioned in the decree really Liu Sisi? Did he not find the wrong person?


    This was themon question in everyone¡¯s hearts, even Liu Sisi herself stared wide-mouthed, unable to close it for quite a while.


    What exactly was going on?


    After a while, when Eunuch Xiao impatiently coughed for the third time, Di Yelei finally reacted and gently pulled Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, long live, long live, long live!¡±


    By the time Liu Sisi epted the decree, holding the heavy paper in her hand, she was still in a daze. She looked back at Eunuch Xiao: ¡°Eunuch Xiao, this¡­ this¡­¡±


    Eunuch Xiao, however, smiled generously: ¡°First, I congratte Prefecture Princess Ruyu. I can reveal that this decree is rted to Prince Nan. Prince Nan has been missing you a lot. When he learned that I wasing, he specifically asked me to bring a letter to Prefecture Princess Ruyu.¡±


    As he spoke, he took a letter from his arms and respectfully handed it over to Liu Sisi with both hands.


    Ah! So Nan Tianzong went to His Majesty to help her seek the decree! Liu Sisi suddenly realized! Finally, she understood the origin of the matter. Now she knew what to do.


    ¡°Eunuch Xiao, Ruyu thanks you for your candid words. Please wait in the front hall while I prepare some food for you to eat tomorrow before you leave.¡±


    Liu Sisi quickly took the letter and tucked it into her arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to have a light meal, but I don¡¯t need to stay overnight. I¡¯m in a hurry to get back to the pce.¡±


    ¡°In that case, Eunuch Xiao, please.¡±


    Liu Sisi gave Di Yelei a signal, and he hurriedly apanied Eunuch Xiao to the front hall.


    When the two left, everyone else gathered around.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡­ what¡¯s going on here?¡± Elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Isn¡¯t Liu Sisi from the Liu Family¡¯s Mansion? How did she be a Prefecture Princess?


    Speaking of this matter, Liu Sisi felt a little speechless: ¡°The Prince Nan mentioned by Eunuch Xiao earlier is actually my sworn brother, Nan Tianzong. He probably pleaded for me before His Majesty, which is why I received the title of Prefecture Princess.¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk! It¡¯s great to have a virtuous elder brother. In the blink of an eye, a pheasant turns into a phoenix, with a sry of 3,000 dans and 500 households! Oh my goodness¡­¡±


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Di Ah-bao, standing to the side, muttered uncontrobly.


    Before he could finish his words, a p from Ms. Xin flew over to him.


    ¡°Third Aunt, Ah-Bao has a dog¡¯s mouth that never spits out ivory. Now that you have be a prestigious Prefecture Princess, don¡¯t bother with him.¡±


    ¡°This Prefecture Princess title is just an empty title. Although there is a sry, there is nond. In the end, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at Ms. Xin and then at Di Ah-bao. In this era, there were probably many people with the title of Prefecture Princess. ¡°There are no outsiders here, so it¡¯s not a big deal to talk about it. However, walls have ears, and if it¡¯s heard by outsiders and used against us, losing our heads would be the least of our worries. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯d bring disaster to our five families, which would be a great sin.¡±


    Di Ah-bao shrunk his neck, and stuttered for a long time: ¡°Isn¡¯t it that serious?¡±


    Liu Sisi carefully wrapped the Imperial Decree: ¡°Ah-bao, haven¡¯t you learned that disasteres from the mouth during these days that you¡¯ve been following your third brother?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Di Ah-bao didn¡¯t know how to defend himself.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t have the interest to argue with him anymore. Instead, she and Elderly Mr. Di offered the Imperial Decree to the ancestors of the Di family.


    Only then did she turn back to look at Elderly Mr. Di: ¡°Originally, Brother Nan asked for the Prefecture Princess title for my sake. However, since ancient times, trees attract wind. Although the Imperial Decree would bring glory to my Di family, it would also bring endless trouble. Please, father, restrain our rtives and servants in the future to prevent the intentional people from finding any handle. Otherwise, the loss would outweigh the gain.¡±


    She didn¡¯t name who it was, but Elderly Mr. Di naturally understood the meaning of her words.


    Looking at the Imperial Decree ced high on the altar, Elderly Mr. Di nodded happily: ¡°Sisi, rest assured, I will instruct people to handle this matter immediately, and we will never let others act recklessly!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    When Liu Sisi came out of the Ancestral Hall, Di Yelei had finished eating and was seeing Eunuch Xiao out of the mansion¡¯s gate.


    When Eunuch Xiao saw Liu Sisi, he hurriedly walked over with a smiling face: ¡°Prefecture Princess Ruyu, I will be returning to the pce soon. I hope you take care of yourself and enter the capital to thank the emperor for his grace as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I¡­have to enter the capital to thank the emperor for his grace?¡±


    Liu Sisi also encountered such a thing for the first time, totally a maiden of an unknown experience.


    ¡°Ordinary people don¡¯t need to enter the capital to give thanks, but you¡¯re different.¡±


    Eunuch Xiao smiled kindly, his originally hunched back was bent even more.


    ¡°His Majesty has said that when you are free, you should find time to enter the capital to see him. His Majesty has always been looking forward to seeing you.¡±


    Does he really want to see me? I¡¯m afraid the emperor really wants to see my mother, who has passed away, right?


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, thank you for passing the message, Eunuch Xiao.¡±


    Liu Sisi also smiled, and secretly delivered a silver ticket during the brief moment of courtesy: ¡°Eunuch Xiao, you have worked hard on this journey. Here¡¯s a small token, please kindly ept it.¡±


    ¡°No problem, no problem!¡±


    Eunuch Xiao was very courteous, finally epting the silver ticket with a smile and leaving satisfactorily on horseback.


    ¡ª-


    The rmendation of our novel is near, please help us! Asking for monthly tickets, rmendation tickets, and rewards! Ahem.

 Chapter 632: Ruyu Is Granted the Title of Prefecture Princess

    Chapter 632: Chapter 632: Ruyu Is Granted the Title of Prefecture Princess


    He was satisfied with the result, but poor Liu Sisi felt heartache while walking back. That was a silver ticket worth 500 taels of silver, and her hand was trembling as she held it!


    Recently, they had been short of money, and now they had exchanged a 500-tael silver ticket for a useless Prefecture Princess title, which would not receive an annual sry until the New Year. With still several months to go, how could they make ends meet?


    While she was worrying about the money, Di Yelei kept herpany in silence. Only after they entered the Waterside Pavilion did he turn around and look at Liu Sisi.


    ¡°Did Brother Nan give you a letter? What did it say?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t open it. Since he dared to give this letter to Eunuch Xiao to bring back, it means there¡¯s nothing important inside. Can you help me open the letter? Niuniu has been naughty.¡±


    Liu Sisi was holding Niuniu in her arms and coaxing her softly. Feeling that Niuniu had soiled her diaper, she pointed to the envelope inside her clothes.


    It was easy to guess that if there was anything inappropriate, he wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it in the letter.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t care much either. He took the envelope and tore it open, unfolding it and immediately bing overjoyed, ¡°Yes, Brother Nan ising back!¡±


    ¡°What? Are you sure about this? It¡­shouldn¡¯t be!¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t believe it. Nan Tianzong wasing back, and Eunuch Xiao hadn¡¯t mentioned it before.


    Di Yelei nodded seriously, ¡°It¡¯s true. Brother Nan has been made the King of Yan by the current Emperor, and he will soone to take charge of Gongzhou Mansion!¡±


    Liu Sisi was silent for a moment, genuinely happy for him!


    ¡°That¡¯s great! With Brother Naning back, we won¡¯t have to worry about the inconvenience of long-distance letters.¡±


    She thought for a moment and then asked curiously, ¡°Did Brother Nan say when he will set off? Will he travel by water ornd, and when exactly will he arrive?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t mention any of this in the letter. I guess he has to wait until the arrangements in the capital are settled before he can leave!¡±


    After all, he has been in the capital for so long that it wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to just leave.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Wait a moment; I¡¯ll write him a letter too. When you reply, you can send it along.¡± Liu Sisi said excitedly, getting up to grind ink.


    ¡°Wait, hold on.¡±


    Di Yelei quickly reached out and grabbed her, ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to send this letter. Think about it, if the letter is dyed on the way, by the time it reaches the capital, Brother Nan might have already left for the south, and we will just miss him, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I forgot about that¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi pped her forehead, sat back down in her chair, and couldn¡¯t help butugh after a moment.


    ¡°I wonder if Brother Nan will bring us a sister-inw this time.¡±


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t join in the conversation. It wouldn¡¯t be an easy task for Nan Tianzong to find a sister-inw!


    ¡°By the way, how has Cheng¡¯er beentely? I see him and Feng¡¯er following you in and out every day. He should be able to handle things on his own now, right?¡± Liu Sisi asked casually.


    She was thinking about another issue¡ªFeng¡¯er and Di Cheng had been married for quite a while now, so why hadn¡¯t there been any news from Feng¡¯er?


    ¡°The two children are really good, especially Cheng¡¯er, who has won my heart.¡± Di Yelei praised Di Cheng wholeheartedly.


    ¡°Indeed, this child has not had it easy since he was young. The fact that he has found his own way now shows that he is a blessed person. You should keep him by your side and cultivate him well.¡±


    These were Liu Sisi¡¯s sincere words.


    If the Di Family could produce another official, Ye Lei¡¯s future would be much smoother.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about Cheng¡¯er. What I¡¯ve been concerned abouttely is actually Xuan¡¯er.¡±


    Di Yelei seemed very distressed: ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with this childtely; he can¡¯t even make a sound for half a day. I asked him a few questions today, but he seemed absent-minded most of the time. It seems we have to send him to the vige school.¡±


    Liu Sisi knew why Di Xuan was always lost in thought recently, but she didn¡¯t n to tell Di Yelei. Let him find out for himself.


    ¡°When the vige school opened in the summer, weren¡¯t you in jail? At that time, everyone was busy trying to save you, and there was no time to send him to school. It¡¯s a pity that he has missed a few months of study. At present, our newly established academy is about to start enrolling students. It¡¯s better to let Xuan¡¯er study there.¡±


    Di Yelei thought about it and agreed with her.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s my fault as a father that he fell behind. But luckily he¡¯s still young, and it¡¯s not a big deal to miss a few months.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true. The more he can read, the better.¡±


    Every inch of time is worth an inch of gold, and the time of youth is the most precious.


    She used to teach Xuan¡¯er personally, butter she stopped tutoring him due to her pregnancy, giving birth, and busyness.


    Even if she wants to tutor him now, Xuan¡¯er probably won¡¯t agree.


    ¡°Ah, let¡¯s take it slow. Once the academy opens and we¡¯ve found a teacher, we¡¯ll start enrolling students.¡±


    Di Yelei was ultimately thinking broader than Liu Sisi.


    With his words, Liu Sisi¡¯s heart settled down, and she thought to let time prove each other.


    Meanwhile, Di¡¯s family was in chaos due to the arrival of the Imperial Decree.


    On the other hand, Eunuch Xiao returned with a satisfied smile, holding a silver ticket worth 500 taels in his arms.


    The two little eunuchs who followed him closely looked puzzled: ¡°Eunuch Xiao, Prefecture Princess Ruyu was the princess that His Majesty lost, right?¡±


    Eunuch Xiao looked proudly at the two: ¡°What else do you think? Have you ever seen His Majesty so devoted to any of his princes and princesses?¡±


    ¡°But why didn¡¯t His Majesty bring her back to the Pce to recognize her ancestors and give her the title of Prefecture Princess instead?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that Prefecture Princess Ruyu isn¡¯t actually His Majesty¡¯s flesh and blood?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The two little eunuchs nced at each other, not daring to continue.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Eunuch Xiao sat on his horse, nced at the two, and sneered.


    ¡°You guys! These are His Majesty¡¯s matters. The mind of the Emperor is hard to fathom. Don¡¯t try to guess his thoughts, or you might lose your heads one day without even knowing what happened.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, thank you for your guidance, Eunuch Xiao!¡±


    The two little eunuchs kept agreeing.


    Whether Liu Sisi was the child of His Majesty or the crazy man¡¯s daughter, only Lin Xiner, who had gone to the underworld, would know!


    Eunuch Xiao stretched his limbs and recalled the image of a naughty girl in his mind.


    Her appearance was rapidly ovepping with that of another woman, and the two seemed to merge into one, making it unforgettable.


    He exhaled slowly!


    If His Majesty saw her, would it matter if she was or wasn¡¯t his child?


    The horse raised its brisk pace, leading everyone forward.

 Chapter 633: 633: A Slimmed-Down Miao Cuihua (Request for Monthly Tickets)

    Chapter 633: Chapter 633: A Slimmed-Down Miao Cuihua (Request for Monthly Tickets)


    Upon learning that Nan Tianzong was returning, Liu Sisi diligently checked the ounting of the bookstore, the wine-house, and the Silver Pavilion for the past few days, only to find arge sum of silver had been unounted for, which racked her brain.


    Afterward, she headed to the small town to check the situation of the bookstore. For quite some time, she had not been focusing on the affairs of the bookstore.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ever since Liu Sisi finished her confinement, Liu Zhi¡¯er returned to work at the dumpling shop.


    Seeing that Second Sister wanted to be independent, Liu Sisi did not stop her, but instead called on everyone to support her more. However, since she was already in the small town, Liu Sisi naturally wanted to take a look.


    Before entering the shop, she saw a considerable number of people sitting inside, and Liu Zhi¡¯er was busying herself in front of the stove. She was also greeted hastily and had a light-hearted smile on her face.


    Da Mao, the kid, was also in the shop at the moment. He was sitting on the counter with a brush-pen in hand, writing and drawing, not knowing what he was writing.


    It seemed that Second Sister¡¯s small business had gradually gotten back on track, and she could now rest assured.


    Without disturbing her, she quietly left for the bookstore. Miao Cuihua and another newly hired clerk were now managing the bookstore.


    After a few months, Miao Cuihua had noticeably lost a lot of weight, and her once round face had now be much thinner. Her double chin disappeared, and after thinning down, her squinted eyes now revealed double eyelids, making her look much slimmer.


    And the most significant change should be her spirit.<div>


    At the moment, she was wiping the counter while humming an out-of-tune opera. Along with her wiping movement, it was especially harmonious. After wiping one row, she turned around and immediately saw Liu Sisi standing by the door, and her eyes lit up.


    ¡°Sisi, why didn¡¯t youe in when you arrived? Come on, we were just eating watermelon, do you want to have a couple of slices?¡±


    Miao Cuihua happily greeted her.


    She did not be distant with Liu Sisi at all despite her change in status.


    Liu Sisi smiled and walked a few steps closer to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just arrived at the door of the shop, and I haven¡¯t seen you for months. You¡­have lost so much weight. It took me quite a while to recognize you. I never thought you¡¯d look so much prettier once you slim down! This change is just so enormous!¡±


    Liu Sisi sincerely praised her!


    Hearing this, Miao Cuihua suddenly froze and then jumped up, taking a mirror and constantly looking at her reflection from the left and right.


    ¡°Really? Sisi, do you really think I¡¯ve lost weight? I don¡¯t feel any different. How do I look now? Hehe, but my clothes do feel a lot looser now.¡± Her eyes were filled with joy she couldn¡¯t hide.


    ¡°It¡¯s true! After you slimmed down, I can see that you¡¯re actually a great beauty. Especially your eyes, they¡¯re so beautiful!¡±


    Liu Sisi sincerely praised her.


    The beauty of Miao Cuihua was not the delicate type. Her whole body was sturdy and tall, full of energy at first sight. With the fat now gone, the once wrinkled and round face had its features spread out, revealing the outline of a tall beauty from Shandong.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help secretly sighing in her heart: such an overwhelmingly beautiful woman was actually despised by a man like Shou Hou. It was really speechless.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Finally some progress! Wuuu¡­ I¡¯m so happy! This is amazing!¡±


    Miao Cuihua almost jumped up, waving her fists: ¡°I¡¯ve decided! I¡¯ll treat myself to a good meal tonight, rewarding my stomach which I have subjected to nd foodtely. I want to eat braised pork, sweet and sour pork, spicy chicken, and what else¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold on! By eating like this, you want to gain back all the fat you lost over the past few months, in just one night?¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly stopped her.


    ¡°Ah ¨C is that really possible?¡±


    Miao Cuihua barely thought about it when she painfully howled, ¡°My braised pork, my sweet and sour pork, my spicy chicken, they¡¯ve all flown away¡­¡±<div>


    She had a pained expression on her face and was anxiously tugging at her own hair.


    What is Fatty most afraid of?


    Ask Miao Cuihua, and her answer would naturally be going hungry!


    To lose weight, to slim down, and to win Shou Hou¡¯s heart back, she had endured not eating oily and fatty food for several months in a row. She thought she could finally eat now, but Liu Sisi¡¯s words sent her back to reality. How could she not be depressed!<div>


    This kind of depression in Miao Cuihua was really rare.


    Liu Sisi hurriedlyforted her, ¡°To lose weight, you need to persevere. You have made progress now, and you can eat some meat. But if you can¡¯t control your own gluttonous nature, in less than two months, your body weight will shoot right back up. You¡¯ve spent so much time and effort to lose weight, only for it toe back in an instant, wouldn¡¯t that be a waste of effort? Why do that to yourself?¡±


    Miao Cuihua¡¯s spirit was still not very high, and she nodded weakly, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I know everything you¡¯ve said¡­¡± She suddenly changed her depressed look, her eyes shining as she stared at Liu Sisi, ¡°Sisi, if I were as thin as you, that would be great. If I were as thin as you, I could¡­¡±


    With your height, if you were as skinny as me, would you still look human? Wouldn¡¯t you be a pole?¡±


    Liu Sisi retorted rudely.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, haha!¡±


    Miao Cuihua obviously imagined herself being as skinny as a lightning bolt and burst intoughter!


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be as thin as a lightning bolt, so everyone can see how slim I am¡­¡±


    Such a conceited and smug person!


    As the two were talking andughing, a child ran in from outside. It was none other than Miao Cuihua¡¯s son, Little Fatty.


    ¡°Mom! I¡¯m hungry! Do you have anything to eat here?¡±


    Little Fatty went straight for food as soon as he entered the door.


    Little Fatty was obviously taller and thinner, and even his squinted eyes seemed to open up a bit. It seemed that while Miao Cuihua was on a diet, Little Fatty had also eaten his share of vegetables.<div>


    This made Miao Cuihua so angry that she didn¡¯t know what to do. How could he bring up this subject at this time!


    She immediately put her hands on her hips and scolded, ¡°What could there be to eat? Don¡¯t you know your old mother is on a diet these days? All you think about is eating, eating, eating!¡±


    ¡°But mom, I¡¯m hungry!¡±


    Little Fatty rubbed his nose and insisted.


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re hungry, you¡¯re not allowed to eat until you lose half a pound in a day, as promised!¡± Miao Cuihua said with a hardened heart.


    No wonder she lost weight so fast, that¡¯s how it was!


    ¡°Children are growing, even if they need to lose weight, they need to do it gradually. Be careful not to hurt their stomachs. That would be more loss than gain,¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly stopped her.


    ¡°Sisi, you don¡¯t know, the older Fatty gets, the more he eats. He can eat twice the amount of food as I did when I was young. Looking at him now, I think about when he grows up to my age, subjected to all the discriminatory looks of others, and my heart is just¡­¡±

 Chapter 634: 634: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part I)

    Chapter 634: Chapter 634: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part I)


    Miao Cuihua couldn¡¯t hold back her tears and couldn¡¯t speak anymore!


    ¡°Before, Shou Hou alwaysined that Little Chubby was too fat, and we argued a lot because of that. Now I¡¯m just doing it for his own good, making him lose weight with me¡­¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi really didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I give him three bowls of rice every day, he won¡¯t starve.¡± Miao Cuihua said.


    ¡°Nonsense! She gives me only three bowls of rice a day. I¡¯m so hungry that I can only drink water to fill my stomach. How could there be such a cruel mother in the world who wants to starve her own son to death? Waa¡­I don¡¯t want to live anymore, you might as well starve me to death directly. Wuu wuu¡­¡±


    Little Chubby rolled onto the ground and started throwing a tantrum.


    Seeing this, Liu Sisi anxiously went forward to pull him up: ¡°Hurry up! It¡¯s dirty on the ground!¡±


    She tried several times, but she couldn¡¯t pull him up, as he was too heavy!


    ¡°No! If I don¡¯t get some meat today, I won¡¯t get up!¡± Little Chubby kicked on the ground, refusing to get up.<div>


    Miao Cuihua was determined!


    She stepped forward, grabbed Little Chubby with one hand and hoisted him up in the air. She walked a few steps and threw him out of the back door.


    ¡°You have no say in this! Think about your dad, he dislikes your fat body the most. Do you really want your dad toe back, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­I do.¡± Little Chubby whimpered.


    ¡°Since you want him toe back, you need to lose weight. Your dad doesn¡¯t like your fat body¡­¡±


    Miao Cuihua¡¯s scolding continued, making Liu Sisi sigh.


    It seems Miao Cuihua hasn¡¯t given up on Shou Hou!


    It¡¯s hard to understand what¡¯s so good about Shou Hou.


    He has abandoned his wife and child to elope with another woman but still makes Miao Cuihua wait for him. Does he have some charm she can¡¯t see?


    Sighing, Liu Sisi did a final check of the bookstore¡¯s ounts, took the ount book, and left this depressing ce.


    Is Miao Cuihua really so in love with Shou Hou? A love so deep that she has no regrets?


    Liu Sisi got on the carriage and lifted the curtain to look at Miao Cuihua settling the ounts, sighing constantly.


    At the same time, she felt pity for her. It¡¯s a waste for such a big woman not to find a good husband to apany her for a lifetime.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back home.¡±


    She put down the curtain and found afortable position to lean on.


    Closing her eyes, she knew she could never do what Miao Cuihua did: waiting without regret for a man who has changed his heart!


    Because, she¡¯s always expected love to be equal.


    If the love is gone, Liu Sisi would turn around and leave immediately, with no hesitation or dy.


    If in love, then deeply in love!<div>


    Firmly grasp the happiness in front of her and never let go!


    Opening her eyes again, she took a deep breath and lifted the curtain again.


    At the moment, the carriage had already left the small town and was now traveling on the boulevard under the cherry blossom trees at the town¡¯s intersection.


    Now on the cherry blossom trees, there were no blossoms and cherries. Instead, ripe peaches and plums hung far away on the branches. At a nce, the pink ones were peaches, and the golden ones were plums. There were also unripe clusters of mountain grapes crawling on the slope, hidden under the dense grape leaves. Only when the breeze blew could the green mountain grapes hidden in the grape leaves be seen.<div>


    Recalling the evening walk with Ye Lei among the cherry blossoms, his tenderness, his persistence, his affection, his lingering¡­ Liu Sisi¡¯s lips wore a somewhat sweet smile.


    Everyone has their own way of living, so let¡¯s focus on our daily lives first!


    When she got home, she arranged various ount books together and carefully searched for the problem. Where exactly was the issue?


    Ms. Gao, holding the youngest of the triplets, came over: ¡°Madam, the weather is getting hotter and hotter. Even if the kids take three baths a day, they are still covered in prickly heat. What can we do about this?¡±


    ¡°What else can we do? The countryside is cooler, but at present, the children are still too young. Going to the countryside to escape the heat is not very practical.¡±


    Liu Sisi put down the brush-pen, also feeling agitated by the sweltering weather: ¡°The children are in the Waterside Pavilion, which is the coolest ce in this official residence. This official residence was built not long ago, and there were no ice cubes stored in the cer. So even if we wanted to use ice cubes to cool down, we can¡¯t afford it.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Outsiders believed Di Yelei, as a captain, had a steady ie every month.


    Indeed, Di Yelei earned 20 taels of silver every month, plus an official sry of five to three Stone of rice. In addition to the regr sry, there were various subsidies, such as tea, wine, cooking supplies, firewood, silver charcoal, table salt, and even horse fodder, which were quite substantial in quantity.


    But in reality, these items and sries were only issued once a year! Di Yelei¡¯s sry and other converted money could only be received before the Lunar New Year, which was really frustrating!


    Therefore, all the expenses of the manor came from the ie of the shop managed by Liu Sisi. Often running short of money, but no one toin to.


    It seemed that a suitable time should be found to open a few more shops.


    Liu Sisi secretly calcted.


    Ms. Gao was also helpless, as ice cubes were indeed hard to obtain.<div>


    Liu Sisi pondered for a moment and suggested: ¡°Why not do this, have the little maids go back and fill wooden basins of various sizes with clear water and ce them around the house. Also, put a few more basins of water inside the house, and it should be cooler.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will order someone to do it right away.¡±


    Ms. Gao hurriedly left with the child.


    Since the official residence was newly built, there were no ice cubes stored in the cer. It seemed that by the end of the year, she would have to store more ice cubes as soon as possible.


    After dinner, Liu Sisi was about to get up as usual but was stopped by Elderly Mr. Di.


    ¡°Sisi, wait a moment, I have something to discuss with you.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di also called out to Di Yelei: ¡°And Third Son, youe over too.¡± After finishing, he went into his own room.


    Liu Sisi and Di Yelei saw astonishment in each other¡¯s eyes. What was the matter that he was talking to the two of them at this moment? However, both of them did not speak and went into Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s yard together with Ye Lei.


    ¡°Dad, do you have anything to discuss with us?¡±


    ¡°Sit down, let¡¯s sit down and talk!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di sat on the chair and looked at the two with a somewhat helpless smile: ¡°The words your mother said that day were not her true feelings, so Sisi, you must not take them to heart.¡±


    ¡°Dad, rest assured, Sisi has never taken it to heart.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly replied, whether it was her true feelings or not, she could naturally distinguish. She always kept a small notebook to record, and every ount was kept clearly, never to be forgotten.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t remember it!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di nodded repeatedly, with a face full of wrinkles as he smiled.

 Chapter 634: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part I)

    Chapter 634: Chapter 634: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part I)


    Miao Cuihua couldn¡¯t hold back her tears and couldn¡¯t speak anymore!


    ¡°Before, Shou Hou alwaysined that Little Chubby was too fat, and we argued a lot because of that. Now I¡¯m just doing it for his own good, making him lose weight with me¡­¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi really didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I give him three bowls of rice every day, he won¡¯t starve.¡± Miao Cuihua said.


    ¡°Nonsense! She gives me only three bowls of rice a day. I¡¯m so hungry that I can only drink water to fill my stomach. How could there be such a cruel mother in the world who wants to starve her own son to death? Waa¡­I don¡¯t want to live anymore, you might as well starve me to death directly. Wuu wuu¡­¡±


    Little Chubby rolled onto the ground and started throwing a tantrum.


    Seeing this, Liu Sisi anxiously went forward to pull him up: ¡°Hurry up! It¡¯s dirty on the ground!¡±


    She tried several times, but she couldn¡¯t pull him up, as he was too heavy!


    ¡°No! If I don¡¯t get some meat today, I won¡¯t get up!¡± Little Chubby kicked on the ground, refusing to get up.


    Miao Cuihua was determined!


    She stepped forward, grabbed Little Chubby with one hand and hoisted him up in the air. She walked a few steps and threw him out of the back door.


    ¡°You have no say in this! Think about your dad, he dislikes your fat body the most. Do you really want your dad toe back, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­I do.¡± Little Chubby whimpered.


    ¡°Since you want him toe back, you need to lose weight. Your dad doesn¡¯t like your fat body¡­¡±


    Miao Cuihua¡¯s scolding continued, making Liu Sisi sigh.


    It seems Miao Cuihua hasn¡¯t given up on Shou Hou!


    It¡¯s hard to understand what¡¯s so good about Shou Hou.


    He has abandoned his wife and child to elope with another woman but still makes Miao Cuihua wait for him. Does he have some charm she can¡¯t see?


    Sighing, Liu Sisi did a final check of the bookstore¡¯s ounts, took the ount book, and left this depressing ce.


    Is Miao Cuihua really so in love with Shou Hou? A love so deep that she has no regrets?


    Liu Sisi got on the carriage and lifted the curtain to look at Miao Cuihua settling the ounts, sighing constantly.


    At the same time, she felt pity for her. It¡¯s a waste for such a big woman not to find a good husband to apany her for a lifetime.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back home.¡±


    She put down the curtain and found afortable position to lean on.


    Closing her eyes, she knew she could never do what Miao Cuihua did: waiting without regret for a man who has changed his heart!


    Because, she¡¯s always expected love to be equal.


    If the love is gone, Liu Sisi would turn around and leave immediately, with no hesitation or dy.


    If in love, then deeply in love!


    Firmly grasp the happiness in front of her and never let go!


    Opening her eyes again, she took a deep breath and lifted the curtain again.


    At the moment, the carriage had already left the small town and was now traveling on the boulevard under the cherry blossom trees at the town¡¯s intersection.


    Now on the cherry blossom trees, there were no blossoms and cherries. Instead, ripe peaches and plums hung far away on the branches. At a nce, the pink ones were peaches, and the golden ones were plums. There were also unripe clusters of mountain grapes crawling on the slope, hidden under the dense grape leaves. Only when the breeze blew could the green mountain grapes hidden in the grape leaves be seen.


    Recalling the evening walk with Ye Lei among the cherry blossoms, his tenderness, his persistence, his affection, his lingering¡­ Liu Sisi¡¯s lips wore a somewhat sweet smile.


    Everyone has their own way of living, so let¡¯s focus on our daily lives first!


    When she got home, she arranged various ount books together and carefully searched for the problem. Where exactly was the issue?


    Ms. Gao, holding the youngest of the triplets, came over: ¡°Madam, the weather is getting hotter and hotter. Even if the kids take three baths a day, they are still covered in prickly heat. What can we do about this?¡±


    ¡°What else can we do? The countryside is cooler, but at present, the children are still too young. Going to the countryside to escape the heat is not very practical.¡±


    Liu Sisi put down the brush-pen, also feeling agitated by the sweltering weather: ¡°The children are in the Waterside Pavilion, which is the coolest ce in this official residence. This official residence was built not long ago, and there were no ice cubes stored in the cer. So even if we wanted to use ice cubes to cool down, we can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    Outsiders believed Di Yelei, as a captain, had a steady ie every month.


    Indeed, Di Yelei earned 20 taels of silver every month, plus an official sry of five to three Stone of rice. In addition to the regr sry, there were various subsidies, such as tea, wine, cooking supplies, firewood, silver charcoal, table salt, and even horse fodder, which were quite substantial in quantity.


    But in reality, these items and sries were only issued once a year! Di Yelei¡¯s sry and other converted money could only be received before the Lunar New Year, which was really frustrating!


    Therefore, all the expenses of the manor came from the ie of the shop managed by Liu Sisi. Often running short of money, but no one toin to.


    It seemed that a suitable time should be found to open a few more shops.


    Liu Sisi secretly calcted.


    Ms. Gao was also helpless, as ice cubes were indeed hard to obtain.


    Liu Sisi pondered for a moment and suggested: ¡°Why not do this, have the little maids go back and fill wooden basins of various sizes with clear water and ce them around the house. Also, put a few more basins of water inside the house, and it should be cooler.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will order someone to do it right away.¡±


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ms. Gao hurriedly left with the child.


    Since the official residence was newly built, there were no ice cubes stored in the cer. It seemed that by the end of the year, she would have to store more ice cubes as soon as possible.


    After dinner, Liu Sisi was about to get up as usual but was stopped by Elderly Mr. Di.


    ¡°Sisi, wait a moment, I have something to discuss with you.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di also called out to Di Yelei: ¡°And Third Son, youe over too.¡± After finishing, he went into his own room.


    Liu Sisi and Di Yelei saw astonishment in each other¡¯s eyes. What was the matter that he was talking to the two of them at this moment? However, both of them did not speak and went into Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s yard together with Ye Lei.


    ¡°Dad, do you have anything to discuss with us?¡±


    ¡°Sit down, let¡¯s sit down and talk!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di sat on the chair and looked at the two with a somewhat helpless smile: ¡°The words your mother said that day were not her true feelings, so Sisi, you must not take them to heart.¡±


    ¡°Dad, rest assured, Sisi has never taken it to heart.¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly replied, whether it was her true feelings or not, she could naturally distinguish. She always kept a small notebook to record, and every ount was kept clearly, never to be forgotten.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t remember it!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di nodded repeatedly, with a face full of wrinkles as he smiled.

 Chapter 635: 635: Mid-Autumn Festival Turmoil (2)

    Chapter 635: Chapter 635: Mid-Autumn Festival Turmoil (2)


    He immediately changed the subject: ¡°By the way, today is the Lunar July 13th, the Ghost Festival is here, and ording to tradition, we must go back to our hometown to worship our ancestors. Are you two prepared for this?¡±


    Di Yelei and Liu Sisi exchanged a nce, both seeing surprise in each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Is it already the 13th of July? We¡­wepletely forgot about this.¡±


    Indeed, they had forgotten. They were both too preupied with recent events that they didn¡¯t even remember such a festival, which wasn¡¯t very significant to the locals.


    Here, people generally don¡¯t celebrate the mid-July festival, unless there is a special asion to open the Ancestral Hall for a ritual.


    ¡°I figured you two would forget. Fortunately, this old man remembered. It takes at least a day to travel by carriage from Macheng County to our old home. Everyone should prepare early, so that we can leave early tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°A day¡¯s journey by carriage?¡± Liu Sisi heard about this for the first time.


    The Di Family¡¯s ancestral home was not in Macheng County, but rather in Dacheng County, which is adjacent to Gongzhou City. Dacheng County is under the direct jurisdiction of Gongzhou.


    Years ago, the Di Family there underwent some changes, and this family branch was forced to leave Dacheng County. They wandered from ce to ce, finally settling and multiplying in Macheng County.


    However, this branch of the family was not thriving, nor did any nobles emerge from them. Although they had always been in contact with the main family, as the older generation died off and the younger generation took over, the rtionship gradually deteriorated, resulting in the Di Family¡¯s main House not paying much attention to them.<div>


    Now that his son had be a sixth-rank military officer, Elderly Mr. Di could not wait to send a letter to his old home, thus leading to today¡¯s events.


    Elderly Di was quite enthusiastic about this: ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking! Tomorrow we¡¯ll go back to our old home to worship our ancestors, and let our ancestors meet these three children, leaving some marks in the ancestral records.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Dad.¡±


    Di Yelei naturally agreed without any objections. He would never have any issue with such matters.


    Elderly Di was excited but also hesitant: ¡°There¡¯s one more thing, Sisi¡­¡±


    ¡°Father, if you have any instructions, just give them. As long as Sisi can do it, she will do her best.¡± Liu Sisi immediately made a promise.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Elderly Di nodded: ¡°Well, it¡¯s actually the matter you promised during the New Year, about sending the children of the Di Family to the vige school¡­¡±


    ¡°Father, it¡¯s not that Sisi forgot, but that I have other ns.¡±


    So, it was that matter!


    Liu Sisi said indifferently: ¡°Father, you should know that at the narrow pass leading North to the North Mountain, I have built a new academy that can amodate over a thousand students. The academy is self-contained, with students living inside. Apart from the holidays during the year, they must stay and study and work in the academy.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the vige school in the town the same? They can eat, live, and study there, and they onlye back on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month. What¡¯s so strange about that?¡±


    Elderly Di was curious to know.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same, Father. This academy is expected to enroll its first batch of students in the autumn. By then, if Ah-Bao, Ah-Cheng, Ah-Jie, and Brother Gao are willing, they can enter the academy with free tuition. Even the girls of the Di Family can have the opportunity to attend school as long as they wish. The fees while attending the school will be borne by me alone. Father, what do you think?¡±


    Although the Second Family Branch had already separated from the Di Family, from the spark in Elderly Di¡¯s eyes when she spoke, he probably still hoped for his second child to return to his side.


    ¡°This¡­Enrollment starting this autumn? It was said that the academy is still under construction, will it be ready to enroll students this autumn?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be, Father. You can rest assured. Sisi never fights an unsure battle!¡±


    Liu Sisi was brimming with confidence, disying a look of absolute certainty.


    When they returned to their room, Di Yelei was still thinking about this matter: ¡°Why did Dad suddenly mention letting the Di Family members study today? It¡¯s so strange!¡±


    ¡°Maybe someone whispered in his ear.¡± Liu Sisi said indifferently.<div>


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t respond, knowing in his heart: ¡°Stop thinking about it, go to sleep first. I¡¯ll go to the study for a while. I can¡¯t go to work tomorrow, but I still have to get things done.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I need to finish reviewing my ount books as well.¡±


    Liu Sisi went to the study as well. They each upied a corner of the room, busying themselves with their tasks.


    For the past few days, the two had been quietly apanying each other.<div>


    As long as they finished dinner, they would both nestle into the study, taking a corner for themselves and attending to their respective tasks. After they were done, they would go together to see their three children, and then hand in hand, they would return to their room.


    Di Yelei never mentioned their affectionate rtionship again, nor did Liu Sisi take the initiative to bring it up.


    She understood that Ye Lei was waiting for her to take the initiative.


    She also understood that the problemy with her, so she always tried to adapt to the recent changes and adjust her state of mind.


    In fact, she sensed that Ye Lei would not wait for her for much longer!


    The next day, everyone got up early, apanied by Elderly Di, and took the carriage back to their old hometown to pay homage to their ancestors.


    The carriage bumped along, taking everyone on an unknown journey.


    Because Di Yelei became an official, ording to customs, a special monument should be erected in the Di Family¡¯s Ancestral Hall, with a praise forter generations to remember.


    The reason for doing this was purely customary, but the matter was eventually dissuaded by Di Yelei.


    ¡°Although I¡¯m now a sixth-rank captain, I don¡¯t have real power. At this moment, I¡¯m most afraid of being ndered. Once someone submits a document about this, I¡¯m afraid my Di family, with just dozens of people, wouldn¡¯t be enough to feed the de of the executioner¡¯s knife.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, there have already been several officers in the Di family¡¯s main family. My sudden emergence as a military officer is unusual for the Di family¡¯s tradition of passing down literary learning, and I¡¯m afraid it would give rise to quite a few criticisms.¡±


    ¡°As for the expansion of the Di Family¡¯s Ancestral Hall in the future, waiting until Third Child¡¯s official career has reached its peak would not be toote. By then, I believe the situation would not be as precarious as it is now.¡±


    With Di Yelei¡¯s words, Elderly Di¡¯s idea ofpeting with the main family for the expansion of the Di Family¡¯s Ancestral Hall was discarded.<div>


    Everyone rode along the official road at a rapid pace. Due to the long distance and the many children on the carriages, four carriages were taken, carrying the entire family along the official road from Macheng County to Dacheng County, racing towards the unknown future.


    As they hurried towards their old home, another carriage galloped out of downtown Macheng County, chasing in the direction Liu Sisi and the others were headed.

 Chapter 636: 636: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part III)

    Chapter 636: Chapter 636: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part III)


    The carriage sped along, and every now and then,ints could be heard from inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! I told you to get up earlier, but you didn¡¯t listen! Now we¡¯ve missed it, who can you me?¡±


    ¡°You me everything on me? Who was it that took so long changing clothes three times? If not for your dy here, we would have surely caught up earlier and wouldn¡¯t have to spend our own money hiring a carriage.¡±


    ¡°I changed my clothes because someone was too busy putting on makeup for their old face. Look at your age, you¡¯re old and still using make-up, who are you trying to impress?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll put on makeup for whoever I want! Even if I¡¯m older, I¡¯m still younger than you. You dare criticize me, an old man? Let me tell you¡­¡±


    The arguments never seemed to stop from beginning to end.


    Poor kids squeezed into a corner of the carriage, huddled together and not daring to utter a single word.


    All they could do was let the carriage take them to an unknown future.


    Unaware that another carriage was following them, Liu Sisi and the others took a break and had a rather forced meal before continuing on their way until evening fell. The carriage then turned off the official road and raced down a small path.


    The destination was near!<div>


    Indeed, after racing along the path for nearly an hour, the carriage finally stopped in front of a grand manor.


    They had finally arrived at the Di family¡¯s old home!


    At the moment, it was already afternoon, and they had been in the carriage for nearly the entire day!


    Before everyone could jump out of the carriages, arge group of people walked out of the manor to greet them.


    Liu Sisi took a casual nce and frowned.


    A woman, not much older than her, was leading the group. She was dressed in simple yet exceptionally fine golden-thread snow gauze, which truly was worth its weight in gold. She looked incredibly luxurious.


    ¡°Is Seventeenth Master home? I was sent by Old Madam to greet the Seventeenth Master.¡±


    This so-called Seventeenth Master naturally meant Elderly Mr. Di, who ranked seventeenth among the family members.


    The young married woman greeted with a smile, ¡°Old Madam has been talking about Seventeenth Master since yesterday, eagerly waiting for your return. That¡¯s why she sent me out early to wait here for your arrival.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s smile froze on his face, unable to move for quite a while.


    This extravagantly dressed woman was just a servant!


    But that wasn¡¯t important. The important thing was that the main family knew that their Third Child was now a captain and, more crucially, that their daughter-inw was a Prefecture Princess, yet they only sent a servant to greet them. This was a p in the face! A tant p in the face!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi raised her eyes slightly, taking in all the details of the woman in front of her.


    ¡°Father! From what Sisi sees, the main family¡¯s master must be out and thus unable to greet us personally. In that case, we might as well find a wine-house on the street to stay for one night, so as not to trouble this nanny.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was full of smiles, her voice clear and neither humbling nor arrogant, with no intention of making a scene.


    She turned around and walked away.


    As she left, Elderly Mr. Di followed her silently with his crutch.


    Immediately, everyone from the four carriages got off, then got back on, and with not a single person missing, they directly sped away.


    This left the young married woman standing there, speechless for a long time.<div>


    Only when the carriages were far away did she remember something and hurriedly chased after them, shouting at the top of her lungs, ¡°Seventeenth Master! Seventeenth Master! Seventeenth¡­!¡±


    The only response she received was the sound of the carriage¡¯s trotting, the carriage wheels grinding against the stone bs.


    ¡°Old Master, if we leave just like this, it will be a p in the face to the Old Madam of the main Family. This¡­¡±


    Zhao, standing beside them, looked conflicted, her eyes red as she gazed enviously at the magnificent main entrance that was gradually receding into the distance and the barely visible tip of the iceberg-like pavilions and towers.<div>


    How great it would be if she could live here!


    ¡°What do you mean by pping Old Madam¡¯s face? Even if the main family has produced some officials in the court, Ye Lei is still a sixth-rank official, not to mention, I, the Prefecture Princess, am personally visiting. She dare to deploy just one servant to greet me. It¡¯s not just our Di Family¡¯s face that¡¯s being pped, but also the face of our vast Great Zhao Country!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good!


    Old Mr. Di¡¯s face also looked very unhappy: ¡°Sisi is right! The main family¡¯s actions are too excessive! Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll stay at a wine-house for one night, pay respects to our ancestors, and then go back!¡±


    In the past, his branch of the family had no achievements and wasn¡¯t given much attention, which was fine.


    But now, as the carriage arrived at the doorway, dismissing them with just a nanny, it was aplete disregard.


    Di Yeleiforted everyone: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! There are people in the world who are used to stepping on others when they¡¯re down. If we have to deal with them at their level, we wouldn¡¯t have time to focus on our jobs. Just focus on the bigger picture! When our brothers work together and earn a few more official positions, they will want us back, won¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Good! Third Child has the spirit! That¡¯s excellent!¡±


    Old Mr. Di kept praising him.


    ¡°But I¡¯m curious, where does the main family get their backing? How can they afford to treat even the Captain with such contempt?¡± Liu Sisi asked, full of curiosity.


    Captain is a sixth-rank military officer, and above that is the general. Liu Sisi remembered clearly that Huo Qubing served as Captain before bing a general in history.


    Old Mr. Di¡¯s mouth twitched, and after a while, he hesitated: ¡°The current Right-handed Minister,Huairen with a surname of Di, is the main family¡¯s brother.¡±


    ¡°The Right-handed Minister is from the Di main family? Sisi hasn¡¯t heard of it before.¡± Liu Sisi was quite surprised.<div>


    So it turned out that Ye Lei also had such a rtive with a prominent position!


    On the other hand, the young married woman was unable to receive any guests and naturally felt offended. After going in, she added fuel to the fire and reported the matter once.


    The Old Madam was sitting in front of the Buddha statue, her eyes closed as she silently recited the Heart Sutra. After a while, she opened her eyes, looked indifferently at the woman, and then closed her eyes again.


    Seeing that the Old Madam hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time, the young woman bowed and was about to leave when the Old Madam finally spoke.


    ¡°Did they really say that?¡±


    The young woman¡¯s body shook, and she quickly bowed again, not daring to conceal anything.


    ¡°Old Madam, the servant wouldn¡¯t dare hide anything from you, and I specifically made it clear that I was sent by the Old Madam to greet them.¡± The woman emphasized this point.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Old Madam¡¯s eyes remained closed, but her hand moved faster as she fiddled with the prayer beads.


    After a while, she opened her eyes again and instructed, ¡°Send someone to Macheng County overnight and investigate thoroughly. Make sure to be thorough, understood?¡±


    The young woman¡¯s face turned pale, but she bowed her head and replied.


    ¡°Yes, Old Madam.¡±


    Of course, the Di Family didn¡¯t know about it, and they stayed at an inn.<div>


    Money could make a ghost work for you.


    With silver coins, everyone was not only well fed and well entertained but also had a hot bath and slept soundly. At daybreak, they checked out and left.


    The purpose of this visit was to add some mour to the family¡¯s ancestry, as Liu Sisi had given birth to healthy triplets for the Di Family, and Di Yelei¡¯s status had also improved. They intended to report this to their ancestors and record it in the family register.

 Chapter 636: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part III)

    Chapter 636: Chapter 636: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part III)


    The carriage sped along, and every now and then,ints could be heard from inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! I told you to get up earlier, but you didn¡¯t listen! Now we¡¯ve missed it, who can you me?¡±


    ¡°You me everything on me? Who was it that took so long changing clothes three times? If not for your dy here, we would have surely caught up earlier and wouldn¡¯t have to spend our own money hiring a carriage.¡±


    ¡°I changed my clothes because someone was too busy putting on makeup for their old face. Look at your age, you¡¯re old and still using make-up, who are you trying to impress?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll put on makeup for whoever I want! Even if I¡¯m older, I¡¯m still younger than you. You dare criticize me, an old man? Let me tell you¡­¡±


    The arguments never seemed to stop from beginning to end.


    Poor kids squeezed into a corner of the carriage, huddled together and not daring to utter a single word.


    All they could do was let the carriage take them to an unknown future.


    Unaware that another carriage was following them, Liu Sisi and the others took a break and had a rather forced meal before continuing on their way until evening fell. The carriage then turned off the official road and raced down a small path.


    The destination was near!


    Indeed, after racing along the path for nearly an hour, the carriage finally stopped in front of a grand manor.


    They had finally arrived at the Di family¡¯s old home!


    At the moment, it was already afternoon, and they had been in the carriage for nearly the entire day!


    Before everyone could jump out of the carriages, arge group of people walked out of the manor to greet them.


    Liu Sisi took a casual nce and frowned.


    A woman, not much older than her, was leading the group. She was dressed in simple yet exceptionally fine golden-thread snow gauze, which truly was worth its weight in gold. She looked incredibly luxurious.


    ¡°Is Seventeenth Master home? I was sent by Old Madam to greet the Seventeenth Master.¡±


    This so-called Seventeenth Master naturally meant Elderly Mr. Di, who ranked seventeenth among the family members.


    The young married woman greeted with a smile, ¡°Old Madam has been talking about Seventeenth Master since yesterday, eagerly waiting for your return. That¡¯s why she sent me out early to wait here for your arrival.¡±


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s smile froze on his face, unable to move for quite a while.


    This extravagantly dressed woman was just a servant!


    But that wasn¡¯t important. The important thing was that the main family knew that their Third Child was now a captain and, more crucially, that their daughter-inw was a Prefecture Princess, yet they only sent a servant to greet them. This was a p in the face! A tant p in the face!


    Liu Sisi raised her eyes slightly, taking in all the details of the woman in front of her.


    ¡°Father! From what Sisi sees, the main family¡¯s master must be out and thus unable to greet us personally. In that case, we might as well find a wine-house on the street to stay for one night, so as not to trouble this nanny.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was full of smiles, her voice clear and neither humbling nor arrogant, with no intention of making a scene.


    She turned around and walked away.


    As she left, Elderly Mr. Di followed her silently with his crutch.


    Immediately, everyone from the four carriages got off, then got back on, and with not a single person missing, they directly sped away.


    This left the young married woman standing there, speechless for a long time.


    Only when the carriages were far away did she remember something and hurriedly chased after them, shouting at the top of her lungs, ¡°Seventeenth Master! Seventeenth Master! Seventeenth¡­!¡±


    The only response she received was the sound of the carriage¡¯s trotting, the carriage wheels grinding against the stone bs.


    ¡°Old Master, if we leave just like this, it will be a p in the face to the Old Madam of the main Family. This¡­¡±


    Zhao, standing beside them, looked conflicted, her eyes red as she gazed enviously at the magnificent main entrance that was gradually receding into the distance and the barely visible tip of the iceberg-like pavilions and towers.


    How great it would be if she could live here!


    ¡°What do you mean by pping Old Madam¡¯s face? Even if the main family has produced some officials in the court, Ye Lei is still a sixth-rank official, not to mention, I, the Prefecture Princess, am personally visiting. She dare to deploy just one servant to greet me. It¡¯s not just our Di Family¡¯s face that¡¯s being pped, but also the face of our vast Great Zhao Country!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good!


    Old Mr. Di¡¯s face also looked very unhappy: ¡°Sisi is right! The main family¡¯s actions are too excessive! Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll stay at a wine-house for one night, pay respects to our ancestors, and then go back!¡±


    In the past, his branch of the family had no achievements and wasn¡¯t given much attention, which was fine.


    But now, as the carriage arrived at the doorway, dismissing them with just a nanny, it was aplete disregard.


    Di Yeleiforted everyone: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! There are people in the world who are used to stepping on others when they¡¯re down. If we have to deal with them at their level, we wouldn¡¯t have time to focus on our jobs. Just focus on the bigger picture! When our brothers work together and earn a few more official positions, they will want us back, won¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Good! Third Child has the spirit! That¡¯s excellent!¡±


    Old Mr. Di kept praising him.


    ¡°But I¡¯m curious, where does the main family get their backing? How can they afford to treat even the Captain with such contempt?¡± Liu Sisi asked, full of curiosity.


    Captain is a sixth-rank military officer, and above that is the general. Liu Sisi remembered clearly that Huo Qubing served as Captain before bing a general in history.


    Old Mr. Di¡¯s mouth twitched, and after a while, he hesitated: ¡°The current Right-handed Minister,Huairen with a surname of Di, is the main family¡¯s brother.¡±


    ¡°The Right-handed Minister is from the Di main family? Sisi hasn¡¯t heard of it before.¡± Liu Sisi was quite surprised.


    So it turned out that Ye Lei also had such a rtive with a prominent position!


    On the other hand, the young married woman was unable to receive any guests and naturally felt offended. After going in, she added fuel to the fire and reported the matter once.


    The Old Madam was sitting in front of the Buddha statue, her eyes closed as she silently recited the Heart Sutra. After a while, she opened her eyes, looked indifferently at the woman, and then closed her eyes again.


    Seeing that the Old Madam hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time, the young woman bowed and was about to leave when the Old Madam finally spoke.


    ¡°Did they really say that?¡±


    The young woman¡¯s body shook, and she quickly bowed again, not daring to conceal anything.


    ¡°Old Madam, the servant wouldn¡¯t dare hide anything from you, and I specifically made it clear that I was sent by the Old Madam to greet them.¡± The woman emphasized this point.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Old Madam¡¯s eyes remained closed, but her hand moved faster as she fiddled with the prayer beads.


    After a while, she opened her eyes again and instructed, ¡°Send someone to Macheng County overnight and investigate thoroughly. Make sure to be thorough, understood?¡±


    The young woman¡¯s face turned pale, but she bowed her head and replied.


    ¡°Yes, Old Madam.¡±


    Of course, the Di Family didn¡¯t know about it, and they stayed at an inn.


    Money could make a ghost work for you.


    With silver coins, everyone was not only well fed and well entertained but also had a hot bath and slept soundly. At daybreak, they checked out and left.


    The purpose of this visit was to add some mour to the family¡¯s ancestry, as Liu Sisi had given birth to healthy triplets for the Di Family, and Di Yelei¡¯s status had also improved. They intended to report this to their ancestors and record it in the family register.

 Chapter 637: 637: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part IV)

    Chapter 637: Chapter 637: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part IV)


    And so, that was what led everyone to be here at this moment.


    After paying their respects to the ancestors, they no longer lingered and headed straight to Macheng County. Naturally, there was no need to keep the rooms at the inn.


    The Di family members got on their carriages, but did not go to the main Di Family residence any longer. Instead, they went straight to the location of the Di Family Ancestral Hall.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The Ancestral Hall of the Di Family¡¯s main residence has arge area, far beyond what the small ancestral shrine in the vige canpare to. At the foot of the towering and majestic green mountain, one can see the corner of a vermillion wall and flying eaves faintly revealing itself among the green shade from a distance. As the carriage turned around the mountain hollow, they arrived at a vast stretch of green grass with towering green pines and cypresses and crystal-clear pavilions. They continued following the stone path and stopped in front of an octagonal engraving.


    ¡°The residence where the main family now lives was builtter, and this is the true main Di Family residence. As the poption of the Di Family grew, this ce became an asional retreat for the main family members. Therefore, most of the buildings here follow the architectural style of the previous dynasty.¡± Elderly Mr. Di exined.


    Liu Sisi got off the carriage, looked up, and saw the tightly closed door of the ancestral hall which looked ck, old but heavy, and solid. There were tworge door rings and two big doors tightly closed. Above the door hung a ck que, which was written with four big golden characters: ¡°Di Family Ancestral Hall.¡± It looked both solemn and solid.


    The people did not have to wait long before the carriages from the main family also stopped in front of the ancestral hall.


    This was the first time Liu Sisi and the others saw the people of the Di Family¡¯s main branch. The leader was a thin old man, who was carefully escorted by two strong men as he walked towards the Ancestral Hall. Arge group of people, men, women, old and young, followed him. It was like being in a Hundred-Flower Garden with a strong fragrance in the air that dazzled the eyes.


    What surprised Liu Sisi and the others was not that, but the sudden appearance of Di Gaoyuan and his family among this group of people!


    At this moment, Di Gaoyuan and the others looked quite different from how they had been in the Upper Vige. Even Ms. Wang had changed her previous appearance of decadence, rejuvenated from head to toe. She even had two pearl and jade hairpins in her hair and was energetically talking to an older married woman next to her, making gestures as she spoke. The children of the second family branch followed closely behind them, all looking very different from before.<div>


    Liu Sisi looked back and exchanged nces with Di Yelei and others; they could see the surprise in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Why were they here?


    Elderly Mr. Di did not mention this matter but went forward to pay his respects: ¡°The 437th generation descendant of the Di family, the seventeenth grandson of the seventeenth generation, Di Fude, pays homage to the ancestor!¡±


    As Elderly Mr. Di knelt down, Liu Sisi and others naturally followed suit, forming arge group of people kneeling down in the ck shade.


    The ancestor looked at Elderly Mr. Di kneeling by the road, then turned to a man beside him and asked: ¡°Is the one kneeling down the 437th great-great-grandson of the seventeenth generation? I heard that you came to the mansion yesterday but did not enter. What is the meaning of this? Hmph! Are you looking down on the mansion or what?¡±


    It seemed that someone had indeed set up some obstacles to their visit yesterday!


    Elderly Mr. Di was not afraid of the imposing atmosphere of the other party, but said indifferently: ¡°Yesterday, my great-great-grandson indeed led arge group of people to the main family, but there was no one at home. There was only one serving woman left to entertain guests. Even if Fude is inexperienced, he cannot take such a liberty, can he? So, I left a message and went straight to the inn to stay. May I ask the ancestor, where did my great-great-grandson go wrong?¡±


    ¡°Who said that no one was at the mansion?¡± the ancestor roared in anger!


    Elderly Mr. Di looked puzzled: ¡°This¡­ but yesterday, only this serving woman came out of the mansion to greet us. My great-great-grandson thought that the Mansion Master had left, so a big family like ours in the Di family would only let a serving woman greet guests. Ancestor, could it be that my great-great-grandson misunderstood?¡±


    The ancestor was speechless, as he naturally understood the meaning of everyone¡¯s actions.


    Thinking that the Di family had always been a schrly family, suddenly producing a military officer was an utter disgrace to the ancestors. And surprisingly, this Di Fude even had the audacity to erect a monument in the ancestral hall. This was like a toad yawning ¨C such a big mouth!


    Hence, the people in the manor wanted to strike a blow to the opponent¡¯s prestige. He naturally knew about this but chose to turn a blind eye, allowing the people below to cause trouble and suppress the opponent¡¯s momentum.


    But they never expected that the other party would just walk away!


    He couldn¡¯t bear the humiliation in his heart and couldn¡¯t just give up like that!


    ¡°Hmph! Di Fude, you and I both know the truth, so there¡¯s no point in you trying to sophistically argue. You should have heard from your ancestors why your branch was relocated to Macheng County. The reason I bring up this old matter today is to caution you not to be too clever for your own good and risk endangering Qingqing¡¯s life!¡±


    Having said that, Xuanzu didn¡¯t wait for Elderly Mr. Di to speak further and walked directly through the crowd towards the Ancestral Hall.


    ¡°Di Family¡¯s Ancestral Hall, the 432nd generation grandson Jinglun leads everyone to pay respects to the ancestors! Open the Ancestral Hall! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Apanied by a loud shout, the two dark main entrance doors of the Ancestral Hall opened with a response. The heavy doors made a deep creaking sound as they opened, and the Ancestral Hall looked like a deep dark hole waiting to devour countless people.


    Immediately after, Xuanzu led the crowd in single file into the Ancestral Hall.<div>


    At the moment, Elderly Mr. Di was still kneeling on the side of the road, his face covered in cold sweat.


    Di Yelei hurriedly helped Elderly Mr. Di up and stood him aside. Everyone followed.


    Liu Sisi, seeing that everyone was too busy to pay attention to their side, lowered her head and asked, ¡°Father, what happened back then that Xuanzu just mentioned?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was reluctant to answer, but seeing that it was Liu Sisi who asked the question, he thought about it and still said it.<div>


    ¡°Back then, our family ancestor was involved in a conflict between lineal and side branches. The candidate he supported lost, and our family ancestor was also implicated, being expelled from the family¡¯s power core, and the whole family was relocated to Macheng County. Later, due to certain reasons, we settled in the Upper Vige. The story is a long one.¡±


    Di family¡¯s settling in the Upper Vige had something to do with Di Yelei¡¯s biological mother.


    Liu Sisi nodded, indicating that she understood.


    It was not surprising that their ancestors of this branch stood on the wrong side and were expelled from the family¡¯s core. However, the words of the so-called Xuanzu were strange.


    ¡°No matter, we originally came for a reason today. As long as we get the job done and do it well, that will be enough.¡±


    As for the rest, let them handle it!


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing, as long as weplete the ceremony for the children to recognize their ancestors, everything else doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s thinking was still old-fashioned.


    Ahead, everyone entered the Ancestral Hall ording to their lineal or side branch status and order of birth. ording to the ancestral teachings, daughters were not allowed to go up to the attic, but daughters-inw could go there to worship the ancestors.


    By the time Liu Sisi and others reached the Di Family¡¯s Ancestral Hall with Elderly Mr. Di, Liu Sisi realized the difference of the Di family.

 Chapter 638: 638: Mid-Autumn Festival Turmoil (5)

    Chapter 638: Chapter 638: Mid-Autumn Festival Turmoil (5)


    Upon stepping through the Ancestral Hall¡¯s main entrance, statues of several men who had made outstanding contributions to the Di Family stood front and center. The main hall was a three-story pavilion, with the ancestors¡¯ rankings and portraits disyed above. At the center, the Di Family¡¯s ancestral teachings were enshrined.


    Whole pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, cakes, candies, and fruits, along with various other sacrificial offerings, wereid out early. Incense candles and paper money, among other items, were also prepared beforehand.


    Liu Sisi followed the crowd and was arranged far in the back near the doorway. She was close enough to step out of the Ancestral Hall in one stride.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Gaoyuan¡¯s family, however, was positioned quite some distance ahead of them. This left Sisi confused, wondering what was happening among the main Di Family members.


    With the crowd in front of her, Sisi could hardly see what was going on up there. Besides the tall sacrificial altar, all she could see were the ck heads of those standing before her.


    The ceremony to honor their ancestors wasplicated and lengthy. Liu Sisi mechanically repeated the process of kneeling, bowing, and rising with the rest of the attendees.


    It wasn¡¯t until she faintly heard someone calling Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s name, that she realized it was time to include the three children in the family register.


    Elderly Mr. Di hurriedly took a child, and Di Yelei and Di Ah-bao each held one, finally making their way to the sacrificial altar through the crowd-filled aisle.


    After another long series of bowing rituals, the three children were sent back.


    Then, after the final three bows, the whole worship ceremony was over.<div>


    Was that it?


    Standing at the door of the pavilion, Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t quite process what had just happened. It seemed that besides bowing, she hadn¡¯t done anything else.


    ¡°The children¡¯s names were recorded in the Ancestral Hall ording to the Di Family¡¯s main lineage rankings. The second triplet took on the name Little Four-45, and the third was named Little Four-46. There¡¯s nothing we can do; this generation has a lot of boys¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di shakily exined, his face devoid of the joy he had earlier. His smile seemed forced.


    Clearly, he was disappointed with the main Family¡¯s treatment of his household.


    Liu Sisi pondered for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s all right! This ranking probably only matters when we return to the main Family for ancestor worship. On regr days, we will continue to call them as we used to. Today our main purpose was to register the two children. Now that they have entered the Di Family¡¯s ancestral records, it¡¯s mission aplished.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di knew that Liu Sisi was trying tofort him. He just smiled weakly without saying more, leading everyone out of the Ancestral Hall.


    There were still countless people gathered outside the Ancestral Hall!


    ording to the rules left by their ancestors, concubines and daughters were not qualified to enter the Di Family¡¯s Ancestral Hall, let alone exceptions and other irrelevant people. When everyone came out, they saw countless people looking at the Ancestral Hall with envy and jealousy.


    YingEr and the others were also left outside. Seeing Liu Sisiing out, she dashed over and hugged her tightly.


    ¡°Mom!¡ª¡ª¡±


    Her voice was full of grievance, and she clung to Liu Sisi, refusing to let go.


    ¡°YingEr, be good. We¡¯ll talk more when we get home.¡±


    In the crowd, Liu Sisi spotted the young married woman who hade to greet them yesterday. At the moment, she was closely following an elder woman, and on the other side of her was Ms. Wang. Perhaps sensing Liu Sisi¡¯s gaze, the elder woman turned her head and met Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes.


    A glimmer of shrewdness shed across the woman¡¯s eyes, but it disappeared in a blink. Then, she turned back as if to give an order and slowly stepped onto the carriage.


    Liu Sisi retracted her gaze and praised inwardly, ¡°What a powerful old woman!¡±


    However, the rtionship between the main family and Di Family was not that close, so it was better for her to stay quietly in her own little nest.


    Then, everyone entered the old house of the Di Family¡¯s main family.


    The residence was exceptionally old, but it was cleaned spotlessly, clearly well-maintained by someone all the time.<div>


    A red sandalwood carved screen separated the male and female guests, and everyone took their seats ording to their legitimate status and distance of kinship.


    The men¡¯s side was strict in etiquette, with Elderly Mr. Di, Ye Lei, and others separated and sitting in their respective positions ording to their generations. By the time Di Xuan¡¯s position was reached, the table was full of children.


    On the women¡¯s side, the great-great-grandma began to divide the offerings.


    The feast after the sacrificial ceremony naturally consisted of whole pigs, whole sheep, whole chickens, and whole ducks for everyone to share.<div>


    Some people would cut some meat to take home, while others, like the Di Family¡¯s main family, would directly invite everyone to sit down and serve this food for them to enjoy at will.


    Whole pig, whole sheep, whole chicken, whole duck¡­ tes were sent up one after another, cut into various sizes by the great-great-grandma, ted again, and sent to each table. With her years of experience, she was very skilled in dividing the meat, and a whole fragrant pig was quickly turned into pieces of meat.


    Liu Sisi and the others¡¯ seats were arranged near the doorway at the edge, and apart from Ms. Zhao, Ms. Xin, Xiao Feng, YingEr, and Liu Sisi herself, there was no one else at the table.


    Liu Sisi looked at the table and chairs, and it was clear that they were newly added, different from the other tables in the hall. There was a strong smell of paint on the table, and even the pastries on it were two tes less than the other tables.


    Liu Sisi smiled, thinking that the people of the Di Family¡¯s main family really spared no effort!


    Having gotten up early in the morning, everyone was both hungry and thirsty. They didn¡¯t care much about having more or less two tes of pastries, and when they saw the host using the chopsticks, everyone picked up their bamboo chopsticks and started eating.


    However, after only eating a couple of appetizers, the maids brought in several more people. It was none other than Ms. Wang and her party.


    People from the same family really don¡¯t enter the same door, do they!


    Ms. Wang had been trying to please the old madam all the way, how could she end up at this table?


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows curiously, looking at Ms. Wang.


    Ms. Wang had an unhappy face, but she had to force a smile at the maid who had led her in. As soon as the maid left, Ms. Wang¡¯s face lengthened as she sat down on the chair, and Di Jie and Di Wei behind her hurriedly squeezed onto the table.


    ¡°Huh? Who¡¯s this? Wasn¡¯t she very close to the main family before? Now she¡¯s at our table, could it be that she was kicked out by them?¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t speak, but Xiao Feng beside her couldn¡¯t stand it and couldn¡¯t help but whisper sarcastically.<div>

 Chapter 637: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part IV)

    Chapter 637: Chapter 637: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part IV)


    And so, that was what led everyone to be here at this moment.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After paying their respects to the ancestors, they no longer lingered and headed straight to Macheng County. Naturally, there was no need to keep the rooms at the inn.


    The Di family members got on their carriages, but did not go to the main Di Family residence any longer. Instead, they went straight to the location of the Di Family Ancestral Hall.


    The Ancestral Hall of the Di Family¡¯s main residence has arge area, far beyond what the small ancestral shrine in the vige canpare to. At the foot of the towering and majestic green mountain, one can see the corner of a vermillion wall and flying eaves faintly revealing itself among the green shade from a distance. As the carriage turned around the mountain hollow, they arrived at a vast stretch of green grass with towering green pines and cypresses and crystal-clear pavilions. They continued following the stone path and stopped in front of an octagonal engraving.


    ¡°The residence where the main family now lives was builtter, and this is the true main Di Family residence. As the poption of the Di Family grew, this ce became an asional retreat for the main family members. Therefore, most of the buildings here follow the architectural style of the previous dynasty.¡± Elderly Mr. Di exined.


    Liu Sisi got off the carriage, looked up, and saw the tightly closed door of the ancestral hall which looked ck, old but heavy, and solid. There were tworge door rings and two big doors tightly closed. Above the door hung a ck que, which was written with four big golden characters: ¡°Di Family Ancestral Hall.¡± It looked both solemn and solid.


    The people did not have to wait long before the carriages from the main family also stopped in front of the ancestral hall.


    This was the first time Liu Sisi and the others saw the people of the Di Family¡¯s main branch. The leader was a thin old man, who was carefully escorted by two strong men as he walked towards the Ancestral Hall. Arge group of people, men, women, old and young, followed him. It was like being in a Hundred-Flower Garden with a strong fragrance in the air that dazzled the eyes.


    What surprised Liu Sisi and the others was not that, but the sudden appearance of Di Gaoyuan and his family among this group of people!


    At this moment, Di Gaoyuan and the others looked quite different from how they had been in the Upper Vige. Even Ms. Wang had changed her previous appearance of decadence, rejuvenated from head to toe. She even had two pearl and jade hairpins in her hair and was energetically talking to an older married woman next to her, making gestures as she spoke. The children of the second family branch followed closely behind them, all looking very different from before.


    Liu Sisi looked back and exchanged nces with Di Yelei and others; they could see the surprise in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Why were they here?


    Elderly Mr. Di did not mention this matter but went forward to pay his respects: ¡°The 437th generation descendant of the Di family, the seventeenth grandson of the seventeenth generation, Di Fude, pays homage to the ancestor!¡±


    As Elderly Mr. Di knelt down, Liu Sisi and others naturally followed suit, forming arge group of people kneeling down in the ck shade.


    The ancestor looked at Elderly Mr. Di kneeling by the road, then turned to a man beside him and asked: ¡°Is the one kneeling down the 437th great-great-grandson of the seventeenth generation? I heard that you came to the mansion yesterday but did not enter. What is the meaning of this? Hmph! Are you looking down on the mansion or what?¡±


    It seemed that someone had indeed set up some obstacles to their visit yesterday!


    Elderly Mr. Di was not afraid of the imposing atmosphere of the other party, but said indifferently: ¡°Yesterday, my great-great-grandson indeed led arge group of people to the main family, but there was no one at home. There was only one serving woman left to entertain guests. Even if Fude is inexperienced, he cannot take such a liberty, can he? So, I left a message and went straight to the inn to stay. May I ask the ancestor, where did my great-great-grandson go wrong?¡±


    ¡°Who said that no one was at the mansion?¡± the ancestor roared in anger!


    Elderly Mr. Di looked puzzled: ¡°This¡­ but yesterday, only this serving woman came out of the mansion to greet us. My great-great-grandson thought that the Mansion Master had left, so a big family like ours in the Di family would only let a serving woman greet guests. Ancestor, could it be that my great-great-grandson misunderstood?¡±


    The ancestor was speechless, as he naturally understood the meaning of everyone¡¯s actions.


    Thinking that the Di family had always been a schrly family, suddenly producing a military officer was an utter disgrace to the ancestors. And surprisingly, this Di Fude even had the audacity to erect a monument in the ancestral hall. This was like a toad yawning ¨C such a big mouth!


    Hence, the people in the manor wanted to strike a blow to the opponent¡¯s prestige. He naturally knew about this but chose to turn a blind eye, allowing the people below to cause trouble and suppress the opponent¡¯s momentum.


    But they never expected that the other party would just walk away!


    He couldn¡¯t bear the humiliation in his heart and couldn¡¯t just give up like that!


    ¡°Hmph! Di Fude, you and I both know the truth, so there¡¯s no point in you trying to sophistically argue. You should have heard from your ancestors why your branch was relocated to Macheng County. The reason I bring up this old matter today is to caution you not to be too clever for your own good and risk endangering Qingqing¡¯s life!¡±


    Having said that, Xuanzu didn¡¯t wait for Elderly Mr. Di to speak further and walked directly through the crowd towards the Ancestral Hall.


    ¡°Di Family¡¯s Ancestral Hall, the 432nd generation grandson Jinglun leads everyone to pay respects to the ancestors! Open the Ancestral Hall! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Apanied by a loud shout, the two dark main entrance doors of the Ancestral Hall opened with a response. The heavy doors made a deep creaking sound as they opened, and the Ancestral Hall looked like a deep dark hole waiting to devour countless people.


    Immediately after, Xuanzu led the crowd in single file into the Ancestral Hall.


    At the moment, Elderly Mr. Di was still kneeling on the side of the road, his face covered in cold sweat.


    Di Yelei hurriedly helped Elderly Mr. Di up and stood him aside. Everyone followed.


    Liu Sisi, seeing that everyone was too busy to pay attention to their side, lowered her head and asked, ¡°Father, what happened back then that Xuanzu just mentioned?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was reluctant to answer, but seeing that it was Liu Sisi who asked the question, he thought about it and still said it.


    ¡°Back then, our family ancestor was involved in a conflict between lineal and side branches. The candidate he supported lost, and our family ancestor was also implicated, being expelled from the family¡¯s power core, and the whole family was relocated to Macheng County. Later, due to certain reasons, we settled in the Upper Vige. The story is a long one.¡±


    Di family¡¯s settling in the Upper Vige had something to do with Di Yelei¡¯s biological mother.


    Liu Sisi nodded, indicating that she understood.


    It was not surprising that their ancestors of this branch stood on the wrong side and were expelled from the family¡¯s core. However, the words of the so-called Xuanzu were strange.


    ¡°No matter, we originally came for a reason today. As long as we get the job done and do it well, that will be enough.¡±


    As for the rest, let them handle it!


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing, as long as weplete the ceremony for the children to recognize their ancestors, everything else doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s thinking was still old-fashioned.


    Ahead, everyone entered the Ancestral Hall ording to their lineal or side branch status and order of birth. ording to the ancestral teachings, daughters were not allowed to go up to the attic, but daughters-inw could go there to worship the ancestors.


    By the time Liu Sisi and others reached the Di Family¡¯s Ancestral Hall with Elderly Mr. Di, Liu Sisi realized the difference of the Di family.

 Chapter 639: 639: Mid-Autumn Festival Turmoil (6) Requesting Monthly Tickets

    Chapter 639: Chapter 639: Mid-Autumn Festival Turmoil (6) Requesting Monthly Tickets


    After a while, the word came from the head table in a faint voice: ¡°Alright, sit down.¡±


    Only then did Ms. Wang sit down in frustration, angrily ring at everyone. It was all their fault, running off without waiting for her family. When they finally arrived outside the mansion, she had given her dowry hairpin to the gatekeeper in exchange for entry into the Di Family¡¯s main manor.


    Picking up her bamboo chopsticks, she trembled as she thought of the silver spent on thevish gift and reached for the head pork.


    She couldn¡¯t help but hold Liu Sisi responsible for all her troubles.


    It was all her fault! Everything was her fault!


    Liu Sisi also calmly took food from the dishes on their table. While they were invited to enjoy themselves, it was only limited to the dishes served at their table.


    For example, at their table, they only had head pork, no shredded mutton, some chicken and duck, and many pastries like steamed buns, which hardly whetted their appetite. However, as they were hungry after waiting half the day, they still ate their fill before putting down their chopsticks.


    After a brief rest after the meal, the men began to call for the return journey.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t wait to leave, quickly leading everyone out of the Di Family¡¯s old mansion and meeting up with Di Yelei and the others.


    Elderly Mr. Di seemed to be talking to the ancestor, initially listening respectfully with a hunched back. However, a momentter, they seemed to be arguing. Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t see clearly, as they were some distance away.<div>


    Afterward, the old man walked away in a huff, leaving Elderly Mr. Di standing there for a long time before he returned to the group, his face distraught.


    ¡°Dad, is everything okay?¡±


    Di Yelei anxiously stepped forward to support Elderly Mr. Di, hurriedly asking.


    ¡°No worries, let¡¯s get on the carriages first.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di waved his hand, and with Di Yelei¡¯s help, they boarded their carriages to begin the journey home.


    ¡°Dad, earlier on¡­¡± Di Yelei asked softly.


    ¡°I was too impulsive! The Di family has always been known for its literary heritage, and our ancestors have produced countless top schrs. Now you are a military officer. When I mentioned to the ancestor about having your statue made, he¡­¡± Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s voice choked up as he spoke.


    ¡°Dad! Didn¡¯t Third Child say this before? Now that Third Child¡¯s official position isn¡¯t high, even if I were to have a statue made, it wouldn¡¯t be taken seriously by the main family. How about wee back when Third Child has a higher rank, and Ah-Bao and Cheng¡¯er have sessful careers? By then, they might even beg and worship us to have our statues made!¡±


    Di Yelei persuaded him with an exceptionally cheerful voice. Just thinking about finally going home, his mood mysteriously improved greatly.


    Liu Sisi also tried to persuade him: ¡°Father, Ye Lei is right. We should be waiting for the day when the main familyes to us.¡±


    This confident speech finallyforted Elderly Mr. Di, and he couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    There was only one exit from Di Family¡¯s Ancestral Hall, and everyone followed the stone path in the same direction. Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s four carriages eventually ended up at the back, even behind the maid and woman-servants¡¯ carriages.


    What made Liu Sisi and the others even angrier was that, as Ms. Wang¡¯s carriage passed theirs, she lifted the carriage curtain to smile smugly at them before driving off proudly.


    Elderly Mr. Di was furious, huffing and puffing for a moment before finally closing his eyes and sighing.


    ¡°This is just uneptable! It¡¯s just uneptable!¡±


    Who was he calling uneptable?


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes shed, and she burst intoughter: ¡°Father, what¡¯s there to be angry about? The more the main family ignores us, the more they neglect our branch. Haven¡¯t we been living like this for years? If they suddenly treat us well, wouldn¡¯t that mean they suddenly need something from us? That¡¯s not a good thing.¡±


    Her words made Elderly Mr. Di calm down: ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s true. But look at Gao Yuan¡­sigh!¡±


    Di Gaoyuan had grown closer to the main family, and not just a little close, but even close enough to approach the elder woman. It was really strange.<div>


    ¡°Dad, everyone has their own fate. We should be happy for Second Brother to havee this far today. If he can establish himself in the main family, wouldn¡¯t that also fulfill your dream?¡±


    Di Yelei, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di sighed and fell silent again.<div>


    Everyone was quiet, letting the carriage move forward to the rhythm of the horses¡¯ hooves.


    As they reached the junction to enter the city, the main family returned home directly by entering the city. Meanwhile, the Di family needed to return to Macheng County, so they just needed to bypass the city and head west without having to squeeze into the city.


    As they approached the city gate, Elderly Mr. Di lifted the carriage curtain to take a look around, then sighed and retreated back into the carriage, closing his eyes without saying anything further.


    So, the carriage of the Di family¡¯s main branch entered the city gate, while the four carriages of the Di family turned around and sped back home.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Once they were on the main road, Old Cheng rode his horse as fast as possible, galloping towards home.


    Inside the hall of the wealthy family residence.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re saying their carriage went straight back without even entering the city?¡±


    The ancestor¡¯s face became very ugly, hardly believing what he had heard.


    ¡°Exactly! When the carriage arrived at the entrance of the city, it didn¡¯t even stop for a moment before galloping away.¡±


    This made the ancestor¡¯s face even worse.


    ¡°These sideline branches are just to annoy people! Humph, at the end of the year during the ancestor worship, find an excuse to directly remove this sideline branch from the ancestral hall, so it won¡¯t be an eyesore!¡±


    With just one sentence, the old man decided the fate of a branch of his family.


    ¡°Hold on!¡±<div>


    Finally, the Old Madam beside him spoke up. ¡°I ordered someone to investigate this family yesterday evening, and I believe there should be results soon.¡±


    ¡°What results could there be? Isn¡¯t he just a sixth-rank military officer? Our Di family has always been known for its schrly lineage, and now we have produced such a military officer, which is simply a disgrace to our ancestors!¡±


    As the ancestor spoke, his anger grew, and he mmed the table with a loud bang.


    The Old Madam also lowered her eyes. ¡°That family seems to know their ce, as they have directly entered the mansion. However, I think that woman is not easy to deal with, she¡¯s gossipy and meddlesome. It¡¯s better to keep them for a short time and send them away as soon as possible.¡± She was naturally referring to Di Gaoyuan and his family.


    ¡°You can handle such trivial matters yourself, no need to consult me.¡±


    The old man waved his hand dismissively, folded his hands behind his back, and turned to leave.


    ¡°Old Madam, there¡¯s news from Macheng County!¡±


    Someone reported from outside the door and quickly handed in a roll of paper.


    The Old Madam took the paper and opened it leisurely, casually scanning it. However, the more she read, the more astonished she became!


    ¡°Summon someone! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Go to the junction and intercept them, intercept the family membersing from Macheng County!¡±

 Chapter 640: 640: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part 7)

    Chapter 640: Chapter 640: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part 7)


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What does this letter say?¡±


    Curiously, the ancestor watched the old madam unwrap the paper strip.


    The great-great-grandma didn¡¯t answer. Upon finishing, she was so shocked that she suddenly stood up, her hands trembling as they held the paper strip.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, old woman?¡±


    The ancestor was also curious.


    The olddy, no longer able to care about talking with him, pushed him aside, and then loudly ordered the servants.


    ¡°Hurry up! What are you doing dawdling? At any cost, we must stop those n membersing from Macheng County! Quickly!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Madam!¡±


    ¡°What¡­ What is going on?¡±


    The old man was confused!<div>


    ¡°We were wrong! We were all wrong!¡±


    The olddy almost copsed in her chair, beating her chest and stamping her feet full of regret!


    ¡°Old man! We pushed away the wealth that was within our grasp! We were wrong! We were all wrong!¡±


    Let¡¯s leave how regretful everyone was at the moment for now.


    On the other hand, Liu Sisi and the others were riding in carriages, rushing back home overnight.


    Having missed the ce to stay, the group took shelter at a small farmhouse. However, doing so caused them to miss the pursuing troops sent by the Di family.


    This farmhouse was a genuine small courtyard, with just a fence enclosing it, plus four rooms.


    Everyone spent the night outside in the courtyard, all sitting on the temporary stools borrowed from the elderly farmer, chatting idly about everything under the sun and passing the boring time.


    Although the summer nights were hot, it started to cool down at midnight, especially in a farmhouse in the hilly area. Mosquitoes buzzed in their ears, and one bite would cause arge bump.


    Adults could endure it, but children obviously couldn¡¯t.


    So Liu Sisi and Di Yelei discussed it, and finally decided that the children and married women would sleep in the carriages, plugging the gaps in the curtains to have a rest inside.


    One carriage was assigned to the nanny and the three children, one to Ms. Zhao alone, and another shared by YingEr and Xuan¡¯er, as Ying¡¯er was only six years old, not yet at the age when boys and girls had to sleep separately at seven years old.


    As for thest carriage, Liu Sisi surveyed everyone and called Xiao Feng and Ms. Xin: ¡°There¡¯s one more carriage avable, so rest inside. As long as you block the gaps well, there will be no mosquitoes, and it will be much morefortable.¡±


    The rest were all men, so they could sleep on the ground without any worries.


    Xiao Feng didn¡¯t move: ¡°I can forge iron. I don¡¯t need any special care.¡±


    Meanwhile, Ms. Xin next to her burst intoughter: ¡°Xiao Feng, I saw you sneaking tangerines the other day. With a belly like that, are you pregnant? If it was just you, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal if you were tired, but if you hurt the child in your belly, then¡­ ¡±


    Her words were cut off, but everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on Xiao Feng¡¯s belly.


    ¡°This, it¡­ it shouldn¡¯t be possible, right?¡±


    Xiao Feng looked incredulously and joyfully at her own belly.<div>


    Recently, her appetite has grown and she craves sleep, especially when eating sour and spicy food, she feels extremelyfortable.


    Is this what pregnancy feels like?


    She has been married to Di Cheng for several months now, and although she has always hoped to get pregnant as soon as possible, she understands that it cannot be rushed.


    At this moment, after being reminded by Ms. Xin, she feels a mix of joy, surprise, and worry. What if she isn¡¯t pregnant and this is just a false hope?<div>


    Di Cheng, sitting next to her, is so excited that he is talking nonsense.


    ¡°Feng¡¯er, are you pregnant? Do we have a child? That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great! Quick, don¡¯t sit here, go lie down in the carriage right away. They all say that it¡¯s important to rest well during the first few months of pregnancy.¡±


    As he speaks, he carefully helps Xiao Feng into the carriage.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t confirmed it yet.¡± Xiao Feng¡¯s voice is low, but filled with joy!


    Then, the murmurs of the couple¡¯s intimate conversation can be heard.


    What a rare piece of good news!


    Elderly Mr. Di is truly happy and can¡¯t help but bow to the sky: ¡°This is the first child of the younger generation. Thank you, Heavens, for giving our Di family an heir! May the Heavens bless us!¡±


    This good news brings great joy to everyone. They all sit together, chatting happily.


    Liu Sisi quietly leans against the edge of the carriage, lying on the limited space of the seat. The space in the carriage is limited; she, Xiao Feng, and Ms. Xin rest inside. With Xiao Feng now pregnant, she sleeps in the middle, with clean nkets spread out so she can lie t. Liu Sisi and Ms. Xin each sleep curled up on either side, the seats not quite long enough for proper rest.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But that wasn¡¯t the reason Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t sleep; she had given Xiao Feng a lot of advice on how to take care of herself during pregnancy. Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Feng had already fallen asleep, leaving Liu Sisi lying there with wide eyes, unsure when she would finally drift off.


    Before dawn, everyone thanked the farmers¡¯ family again, gave them some silver, and then hurried back home.


    By midday, they had returned to Macheng County.


    In the city, all the shops were closed, with offerings of fruits and food, as well as incense, candles, and paper money, indispensably ced at the entrance.<div>


    The wind blew, and various types of paper money fluttered all over the streets, chilling and awe-inspiring.


    As soon as everyone got home, they hurriedly ate dinner and didn¡¯t have time to rest. Elderly Mr. Di even took a bowl of rice and incense, candle paper money, and went to the crossroads to worship the wandering spirits of the dead. After that, they all took their preparednterns and went to the riverside of the moat.


    There are simrities between Lantern Festival and Ghost Festivalnterns, but there are also many differences.


    People believe that the Lantern Festival is a festival for the living, sonterns need to be hung, while the Ghost Festival is a festival for the dead, sonterns need to be sent into the rivers. The reason is that the water is dark, and the souls of the dead are trapped beneath it.


    It is said thatnterns can guide the unjustly dead to the Bridge of Oblivion, thus preventing these spirits from wandering the mortal world.


    Di Xuan tightly held Di Ying¡¯s hand, gradually separated from the others, and quickly arrived at the riverside of the moat.


    The lotus-shapednterns floating in the moat were densely packed, each ced on a small wooden board. The boards hold up thenterns, gradually floating downstream with the waves.


    As more and more lotusnterns gathered on the surface of the water, they gradually formed arge-patterened collection, the flickering light of thenterns illuminating the river. It was a truly spectacr sight from afar.


    ¡°Brother, brother, slow down, Ying¡¯er can¡¯t keep up with you!¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s strides were too big, Ying¡¯er couldn¡¯t catch up.


    ¡°You should not trust everyone so openly. She is not as good as you think! Do you understand?¡±

 Chapter 640: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part 7)

    Chapter 640: Chapter 640: Troubles Arise During Zhongyuan Festival (Part 7)


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What does this letter say?¡±


    Curiously, the ancestor watched the old madam unwrap the paper strip.


    The great-great-grandma didn¡¯t answer. Upon finishing, she was so shocked that she suddenly stood up, her hands trembling as they held the paper strip.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, old woman?¡±


    The ancestor was also curious.


    The olddy, no longer able to care about talking with him, pushed him aside, and then loudly ordered the servants.


    ¡°Hurry up! What are you doing dawdling? At any cost, we must stop those n membersing from Macheng County! Quickly!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Madam!¡±


    ¡°What¡­ What is going on?¡±


    The old man was confused!


    ¡°We were wrong! We were all wrong!¡±


    The olddy almost copsed in her chair, beating her chest and stamping her feet full of regret!


    ¡°Old man! We pushed away the wealth that was within our grasp! We were wrong! We were all wrong!¡±


    Let¡¯s leave how regretful everyone was at the moment for now.


    On the other hand, Liu Sisi and the others were riding in carriages, rushing back home overnight.


    Having missed the ce to stay, the group took shelter at a small farmhouse. However, doing so caused them to miss the pursuing troops sent by the Di family.


    This farmhouse was a genuine small courtyard, with just a fence enclosing it, plus four rooms.


    Everyone spent the night outside in the courtyard, all sitting on the temporary stools borrowed from the elderly farmer, chatting idly about everything under the sun and passing the boring time.


    Although the summer nights were hot, it started to cool down at midnight, especially in a farmhouse in the hilly area. Mosquitoes buzzed in their ears, and one bite would cause arge bump.


    Adults could endure it, but children obviously couldn¡¯t.


    So Liu Sisi and Di Yelei discussed it, and finally decided that the children and married women would sleep in the carriages, plugging the gaps in the curtains to have a rest inside.


    One carriage was assigned to the nanny and the three children, one to Ms. Zhao alone, and another shared by YingEr and Xuan¡¯er, as Ying¡¯er was only six years old, not yet at the age when boys and girls had to sleep separately at seven years old.


    As for thest carriage, Liu Sisi surveyed everyone and called Xiao Feng and Ms. Xin: ¡°There¡¯s one more carriage avable, so rest inside. As long as you block the gaps well, there will be no mosquitoes, and it will be much morefortable.¡±


    The rest were all men, so they could sleep on the ground without any worries.


    Xiao Feng didn¡¯t move: ¡°I can forge iron. I don¡¯t need any special care.¡±


    Meanwhile, Ms. Xin next to her burst intoughter: ¡°Xiao Feng, I saw you sneaking tangerines the other day. With a belly like that, are you pregnant? If it was just you, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal if you were tired, but if you hurt the child in your belly, then¡­ ¡±


    Her words were cut off, but everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on Xiao Feng¡¯s belly.


    ¡°This, it¡­ it shouldn¡¯t be possible, right?¡±


    Xiao Feng looked incredulously and joyfully at her own belly.


    Recently, her appetite has grown and she craves sleep, especially when eating sour and spicy food, she feels extremelyfortable.


    Is this what pregnancy feels like?


    She has been married to Di Cheng for several months now, and although she has always hoped to get pregnant as soon as possible, she understands that it cannot be rushed.


    At this moment, after being reminded by Ms. Xin, she feels a mix of joy, surprise, and worry. What if she isn¡¯t pregnant and this is just a false hope?


    Di Cheng, sitting next to her, is so excited that he is talking nonsense.


    ¡°Feng¡¯er, are you pregnant? Do we have a child? That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great! Quick, don¡¯t sit here, go lie down in the carriage right away. They all say that it¡¯s important to rest well during the first few months of pregnancy.¡±


    As he speaks, he carefully helps Xiao Feng into the carriage.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t confirmed it yet.¡± Xiao Feng¡¯s voice is low, but filled with joy!


    Then, the murmurs of the couple¡¯s intimate conversation can be heard.


    What a rare piece of good news!


    Elderly Mr. Di is truly happy and can¡¯t help but bow to the sky: ¡°This is the first child of the younger generation. Thank you, Heavens, for giving our Di family an heir! May the Heavens bless us!¡±


    This good news brings great joy to everyone. They all sit together, chatting happily.


    Liu Sisi quietly leans against the edge of the carriage, lying on the limited space of the seat. The space in the carriage is limited; she, Xiao Feng, and Ms. Xin rest inside. With Xiao Feng now pregnant, she sleeps in the middle, with clean nkets spread out so she can lie t. Liu Sisi and Ms. Xin each sleep curled up on either side, the seats not quite long enough for proper rest.


    But that wasn¡¯t the reason Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t sleep; she had given Xiao Feng a lot of advice on how to take care of herself during pregnancy. Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Feng had already fallen asleep, leaving Liu Sisi lying there with wide eyes, unsure when she would finally drift off.


    Before dawn, everyone thanked the farmers¡¯ family again, gave them some silver, and then hurried back home.


    By midday, they had returned to Macheng County.


    In the city, all the shops were closed, with offerings of fruits and food, as well as incense, candles, and paper money, indispensably ced at the entrance.


    The wind blew, and various types of paper money fluttered all over the streets, chilling and awe-inspiring.


    As soon as everyone got home, they hurriedly ate dinner and didn¡¯t have time to rest. Elderly Mr. Di even took a bowl of rice and incense, candle paper money, and went to the crossroads to worship the wandering spirits of the dead. After that, they all took their preparednterns and went to the riverside of the moat.


    There are simrities between Lantern Festival and Ghost Festivalnterns, but there are also many differences.


    People believe that the Lantern Festival is a festival for the living, sonterns need to be hung, while the Ghost Festival is a festival for the dead, sonterns need to be sent into the rivers. The reason is that the water is dark, and the souls of the dead are trapped beneath it.


    It is said thatnterns can guide the unjustly dead to the Bridge of Oblivion, thus preventing these spirits from wandering the mortal world.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Di Xuan tightly held Di Ying¡¯s hand, gradually separated from the others, and quickly arrived at the riverside of the moat.


    The lotus-shapednterns floating in the moat were densely packed, each ced on a small wooden board. The boards hold up thenterns, gradually floating downstream with the waves.


    As more and more lotusnterns gathered on the surface of the water, they gradually formed arge-patterened collection, the flickering light of thenterns illuminating the river. It was a truly spectacr sight from afar.


    ¡°Brother, brother, slow down, Ying¡¯er can¡¯t keep up with you!¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s strides were too big, Ying¡¯er couldn¡¯t catch up.


    ¡°You should not trust everyone so openly. She is not as good as you think! Do you understand?¡±

 Chapter 641: 641: Mid-Autumn Festival Turmoil (8)

    Chapter 641: Chapter 641: Mid-Autumn Festival Turmoil (8)


    ¡°Fool, can you distinguish between genuine kindness and false pretenses?¡±


    He was about to be driven mad by this blockhead!


    Di Ying was also furious, and couldn¡¯t help but shout out at him: ¡°Brother, you are so mean, the meanest! Ying¡¯er won¡¯t bother with you anymore!¡± After saying that, she turned around and ran off.


    ¡°Ying¡¯er, Ying¡¯er!¡±


    Di Xuan hurriedly called out twice, but Di Ying was small and fast. She quickly disappeared into the crowd.


    Leaving Di Xuan alone, standing by the moat with thentern in a daze.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Ying¡¯er, was it brother¡¯s fault? Was it¡­¡±


    Since the two children ran fast, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t pay much attention.


    She and Di Yelei, leading their three children, closely followed behind Elderly Mr. Di and slowly joined the crowd by the moat to set thenterns afloat. The entire family, together with the familiar route, casually strolled along with the crowd.


    Walking beside these two were the couple, Di Cheng and his wife. Ever since yesterday evening when they found out that Xiao Feng might be pregnant, they¡¯ve been inseparable. Di Cheng walked so carefully as if he feared Xiao Feng might get hurt, protecting her like a chicken.<div>


    ¡°Be careful, Feng¡¯er, don¡¯t get hit by the crowd. You¡¯re not the same as before,¡± Di Cheng repeated again and again.


    ¡°I know, Di Cheng, can¡¯t you nag more?¡±


    Xiao Feng felt she was about to go insane! Not because of anything else, but because Di Cheng¡¯s nagging was driving her crazy!


    ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t say anything anymore, is that okay?¡±


    Di Cheng surrendered. Just as he finished speaking, someone from the crowd nearly bumped into Xiao Feng, frightening him until his face turned white.


    ¡°Feng¡¯er, are you alright? It¡¯s too dangerous outside, shall we just go home? We won¡¯t set thenterns anymore.¡±


    ¡°Di Cheng! ¨C Can you do that one more time, hmm?¡±


    Xiao Feng was almost grinding her teeth in frustration!


    Theical exchange between the two broughtughter, muted by hand, to Liu Sisi and the others around them. It was surprising to see that Di Cheng also had such an irrational side to him.


    Upon arriving at the moat, Liu Sisi lit thentern, and like others, ced it on a small wooden board. She then carefully floated it on the water surface, watching as thentern gradually drifted away.


    Eachntern here had numerous blessings and wishes written on it. Along with countlessnterns, they drifted with the waves towards the distance.


    Her sincerest hope was that all their wishes woulde true! Liu Sisi prayed earnestly.


    Watching thenterns gradually drift away, and finally flow into the river from the entrance, everyone slowly made their way back to the mansion.


    Ms. Zhao was particrly quiet today. She was so quiet that it seemed as if she didn¡¯t exist at all. She followed behind them silently.


    ¡°Eh! Why didn¡¯t we see Ying¡¯er today? I didn¡¯t see Xuan¡¯er, Xue Yi, or the other children either?¡±


    Liu Sisi realized that Di Xuan and Di Ying hadn¡¯t caught up and asked casually.


    Xue Lan was originally going to take care of Da Mao, but since Liu Zhi¡¯er¡¯s return to the small town led to inconvenient travel, Liu Zhi¡¯er gave Xue Lan to Di Xuan and brought a new little maid back to the small town instead.


    At the moment, not only Di Xuan and Di Ying are missing, but Xue Lan, Xue Yi, and Le Ping are not present either. Where did these children go?


    Di Yelei nced casually behind him but didn¡¯t see anyone. He had also noticed something off about Di Xuan recently. However, as a father, it was difficult for him to interfere in that matter since children grow up and develop their own thoughts.<div>


    ¡°They probably wandered off further. Anyway, there are so many people following them, we don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Has something happened?¡±


    The elderly Mr. Di who was walking ahead asked curiously.


    ¡°Father, YingEr and XuanEr are missing.¡± Liu Sisi hastily replied.<div>


    ¡°Oh, I saw those two children. They headed downstream. They know the path on this route that everyone walks daily, there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± The elderly Mr. Di didn¡¯t seem worried at all.


    Di Ah-Bao, who was next to him, couldn¡¯t stand it.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Third Sister-In-Law, when the children grow up, you should let them be independent. Always supervising their every move, won¡¯t that turn them into criminals? Is it necessary?!¡±


    He particrly hated it when people interfered in everything. The moment he saw Liu Sisi worriedly searching for the two kids, he began to grumble.


    ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s not your ce to speak.¡±


    The nearby Ms. Xin promptly scolded him, then quickly moved next to Liu Sisi: ¡°Third Sister-inw, Di Ah-Bao has always been unreliable in what he says, you can¡¯t take it to heart! Since the children are missing, send some people to look for them, it would put everyone at ease.¡±


    After being smothered by all this fuss, Liu Sisi felt somewhat angry.


    However, remembering that the children were still young and if they actually got lost it wouldn¡¯t be a joke, she arranged for some servants to search for them.


    Only then did everyone continue walking towards the official residence.


    Di Ah-Bao and Ms. Xingged a few steps behind, apparently engaging in an argument.


    ¡°What the heck! I¡¯m telling the truth. Just look, Di Xuan is already nine, yet he¡¯s kept like a small child all day, isn¡¯t this just like my old path? I strongly disapprove of this approach¡­¡±


    Ms. Xin said something else that Liu Sisi didn¡¯t clearly hear. After a moment, she heard Di Ah-Bao speaking again.


    ¡°In any case, I disapprove of this! If I went out with Third Brother earlier, I wouldn¡¯t be without any achievements now, huff¡­I know¡­alright, stop nagging¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°How is it? Are you tired?¡±


    Di Yelei, who was nearby, crept over silently.


    Liu Sisi shook her head, then smiled: ¡°I¡¯m not tired. There¡¯s a lively scene going on here, how could I be tired.¡±


    He naturally understood the ¡®lively scene¡¯ she was referring to, and was somewhat helpless: ¡°Di Ah-Bao¡¯s personality is actually like a child who hasn¡¯t grown up yet. It¡¯s really difficult for you to always amodate him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I understand that he is meaning well for Di Xuan, I don¡¯t me him. Speaking of which, this is one of his rare serious discussions, which is a good start. Truthfully, it¡¯s quite good!¡±


    However, she also needed to have a proper discussion with Di Xuan.


    When everyone had returned to the mansion and had separated, each returning to their own courtyards.


    Since the mansion had a small footprint, each small courtyard was notrge, so the venttion was discounted.


    At the moment, it was exactly between 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and there was no wind around. It was so hot that people felt like they were on fire inside,pletely unwilling to move.


    At this moment, the people sent out to find the two children hadn¡¯te back yet. Di Xuan on the contrary, was back!


    As soon as he stepped into the gate of the mansion, he was immediately stared at by countless pairs of eyes.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, you¡¯re back, where¡¯s YingEr? Wasn¡¯t she with you when you went out?¡±


    ¡°What? YingEr isn¡¯t back yet?¡±<div>


    Di Xuan was shocked!


    Everyone then realised that something big had happened, and hurriedly sent out countless people to search.

 Chapter 642: 642: Turmoil in Mid-Autumn Festival (9)

    Chapter 642: Chapter 642: Turmoil in Mid-Autumn Festival (9)


    This silly girl has be more and more attached to Liu Sisi recently,pletely forgetting who her real mother is.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand!¡±


    Di Ying forcefully pulled her hand back, looked up at Di Xuan: ¡°Brother, didn¡¯t you always tell Ying¡¯er that we should be grateful and repay kindness? What happened to you today?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Di Xuan was at a loss for words!


    He didn¡¯t know how to continue the conversation.


    He was somewhat shocked that Di Ying would say such things.


    ¡°Enough! Do you still remember who your real mother is?¡±


    ¡°I know, I know you miss our mother, Ying¡¯er misses her too. But mother is mother, and Mom is Mom, they are twopletely different people. Ying¡¯er really doesn¡¯t understand why you always have to lump these two people together?¡±


    ¡°Since you also said that they are two different people, why are you so good to her?¡±


    ¡°Because she is good to Ying¡¯er, Ying¡¯er can feel that she is genuinely good to Ying¡¯er, of course Ying¡¯er will be good to her!¡±<div>


    ¡°Idiot, can you tell the difference between someone who is genuinely good to you and someone who is just pretending?¡±


    He was about to be driven mad by her stubbornness!


    Di Ying was also angry and couldn¡¯t help shouting at him, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re so mean, so cruel! Ying¡¯er will never talk to you again!¡± After saying this, she turned and ran away.


    ¡°Ying¡¯er, Ying¡¯er!¡±


    Di Xuan hurriedly shouted twice, but Di Ying was small and fast, so she quickly disappeared into the crowd.


    Di Xuan was left standing by the moat with thentern in his hand, lost in thought.


    ¡°Ying¡¯er, was brother wrong? Was I¡­¡±


    Since the two children ran away quickly, Liu Sisi didn¡¯t pay much attention to them.


    She and Di Yelei, along with their three children, closely followed Elderly Mr. Di, slowly following the crowd to the moat to releasenterns. The entire family, along with the familiar route they often took, casually strolled with the crowd.


    Walking next to them were Di Cheng and his wife. Since the news of Xiao Feng¡¯s possible pregnancyst night, the couple had been inseparable. Di Cheng was even afraid of Xiao Feng getting hurt when walking, protecting her as if she were a fragile chicken.


    ¡°Feng¡¯er, be careful. Don¡¯t get hit by the crowd. Your body isn¡¯t like it was before.¡± Di Cheng kept repeating this.


    ¡°I know, Di Cheng, can you be more nagging?¡±


    Xiao Feng felt like she was going crazy! She wasn¡¯t being driven insane by anything else but Di Cheng¡¯s incessant nagging!


    ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t say anything anymore. Is that alright?¡±


    Di Cheng surrendered, looking at Xiao Feng with a silly smile on his face.


    Before his words fell, someone nearby nearly bumped into Xiao Feng, scaring him pale. He quickly stepped forward to shield her.


    ¡°Feng¡¯er, are you alright? It¡¯s too dangerous outside, why don¡¯t we go back? We won¡¯t releasenterns.¡±


    ¡°Di Cheng! ¨C Can you do it again? Huh!¡±


    Xiao Feng was practically gritting her teeth in anger!<div>


    ¡°This person didn¡¯t bump into me, and with my agility, could he even bump into me?¡±


    These two funny people made Liu Sisi and others on the side cover their mouths andugh. They really couldn¡¯t see that Di Cheng could be so irrational.


    Elderly Mr. Di, Di Ah-bao and others on the side couldn¡¯t help butugh either, as they¡¯d never seen Di Cheng like this before.


    When they arrived at the moat, Liu Sisi lit thentern and followed others by cing it on a small wooden board, then carefully cing it on the water. She watched as the rivernterns gradually drifted away.<div>


    Everyntern here had countless blessings and wishes written on it, apanied by countlessnterns, floating along with the waves, flowing towards the distance.


    She hoped that her wishes woulde true! Liu Sisi prayed sincerely.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, what wishes did you make?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ms. Xin came over and asked with a smile, covering her mouth.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes moved: ¡°I naturally wished for good weather, family harmony and prosperity. What about you, sister-inw?¡± ording to the custom here, wishes made cannot be told to others, or they will note true.


    Ms. Xin¡¯s smile froze for a moment, then sheughed as well: ¡°Coincidentally! Cui¡¯er did too.¡±


    What she hoped for the most was to continue the bloodline for Ah-Bao, but she knew that there was no chance for that.


    The two exchanged a knowing smile, with the deeper meaning visible in their eyes.


    Watching the rivernterns gradually float away, they finally converged and flowed into the river at the entrance, and everyone slowly went back to the mansion.


    Ms. Zhao was unusually quiet today, so quiet that it seemed like she had no presence at all. She silently apanied Elderly Mr. Di. Even her habit of arguing with Liu Sisi in the past seemed to have changed.


    ¡°Eh! Why didn¡¯t I see Ying¡¯er today? I didn¡¯t even see the kids like Xuan¡¯er and Xue Yi.¡±


    Liu Sisi noticed that Di Xuan and Di Ying hadn¡¯te and asked casually.


    Xue Lan was originally going to look after Da Mao, but since Liu Zhi¡¯er went back to the small town and it was inconvenient toe and go, Liu Zhi¡¯er gave Xue Lan to Di Xuan and took a newly bought little maid back to the small town.<div>


    At the moment, not only were Di Xuan and Di Ying missing, but also Xue Lan, Xue Yi, and Le Ping. Where did these kids go?


    Di Yelei looked back casually and didn¡¯t find them either. He had noticed Di Xuan¡¯s recent strangeness, but children grow up and have their own ideas, and as a father, he felt it was difficult to intervene.


    ¡°They probably walked a little farther away. There are so many people with them, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Did something happen?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di walking ahead asked curiously.


    ¡°Father, Ying¡¯er and Xuan¡¯er are missing.¡± Liu Sisi replied anxiously.


    ¡°Oh, I actually saw those two children. They went to the downstream area. We all walk back and forth on this road every day, so they know the way and there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Elderly Mr. Di wasn¡¯t worried at all.


    Di Ah-bao on the side couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.


    ¡°I say, Third Sister-inw, when the children grow up, you should let them be independent. Watching theme and go will make them feel like criminals. Is it necessary!¡±


    He hates people who meddling in every possible way, and when he saw Liu Sisi asking about the two children, he immediately started ranting.


    ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s not your ce to talk.¡±


    Ms. Xin beside hurriedly scolded him, then quickly walked to Liu Sisi¡¯s side: ¡°Third Sister-inw, Ah-bao doesn¡¯t make any sense when talking. Please don¡¯t take it to heart! Since the children are missing, let¡¯s send servants to look for them. It¡¯s better to have everyone at ease.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 643: Mid-Autumn Festival Turmoil (10)

    Chapter 643: Chapter 643: Mid-Autumn Festival Turmoil (10)


    Liu Sisi, offended by the usations, was slightly annoyed.


    However, thinking that the two children were still quite young and that their disappearance was not a joke, she sent servants out to look for them.


    It was then that they continued onwards to the official residence.


    Di Ah-Bao and Ms. Xin,gging behind, obviously started to argue.


    ¡°What nonsense! I was only speaking the truth. Di Xuan is already nine years old, yet he is doted upon like a little kid all day ¨C isn¡¯t this the same as my past? I certainly disagree¡­¡±


    Ms. Xin said something else that Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t quite catch. After a moment, she heard Di Ah-Bao speaking again.


    ¡°I simply refuse to approve of this matter! If I had an opportunity to venture out with the Third Brother earlier, I would not be as unaplished as I am now. Hmm¡­ I know¡­ enough, don¡¯t nag¡­


    ¡°How are you feeling? Not too tired, I hope?¡±


    Di Yelei quietly approached Liu Sisi from the side.


    Liu Sisi shook her head lightly and smiled: ¡°No, I am not.¡±


    Di Yelei somewhat helplessly replied: ¡°Ah-Bao¡¯s temperament is really like an immature child. I am sorry that you have to endure it.¡±¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand that he is only looking out for Di Xuan¡¯s best interests. I do not me him.¡±


    Nevertheless, she felt that she and Di Xuan needed to have a serious talk.


    Once everyone returned to the manor, they scattered to their respective courtyards.


    Due to the small size of the official residence, each courtyard was quite tiny, affecting venttion.


    At the moment, it was still the hour of 7 p.m to 9 p.m, and there was not the slightest breeze around. The heat was making everyone feel irritable, none wanting to budge.


    At this time, the servants assigned to look for the two children had not returned yet, but Di Xuan had!


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The moment he set foot in the manor, numerous pairs of eyes suddenly turned towards him.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, you¡¯re back. Where¡¯s YingEr? Wasn¡¯t she with you when you went out?¡±


    ¡°What? YingEr hasn¡¯t returned yet?¡±


    Di Xuan was shocked!


    It was then that everyone realised the severity of the situation and hurriedly sent numerous people out to look for her.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Liu Sisi suddenly spoke, gazing at everyone who was about to head out, ¡°Remember, it¡¯s our Lord Di¡¯s second son who has gone missing. Do you understand?¡± Her tone was gravely serious.


    Everyone immediately understood Liu Sisi¡¯s words. It was true that ¡®he who worries, is confused.¡¯ If outsiders knew that YingEr was the one who was lost, even if she was eventually found, her reputation would be tarnished!


    Old Master Di also grasped the key point and hurriedly agreed: ¡°Yes, yes! The Second Young Master went to float rivernterns tonight and identally lost his way. Those going to look for him, please keep your mouths shut. If I find out that anyone has leaked even a single word¡­ Humph!¡±


    He red angrily at everyone.


    ¡°Yes, Old Master, don¡¯t worry. We are all going out to search for the Second Young Master!¡±


    Everyone suddenly realised the gravity of the situation and quickly responded. They departed after exchanging nces, scattering to search for Di Xuan.


    Di Xuan sat on a chair in a daze, clearly failing to gather his thoughts amidst the sudden turn of events. How could she have gone missing? That was the same route they took every day. How could she just vanish suddenly? It was not possible!


    Di Yelei called out to him, ¡°Xuan¡¯er,e in for a moment. I have something to ask you.¡±


    Di Xuan didn¡¯t react. After a while, he slowly got up and entered the inner room.


    ¡°Close the door!¡±


    Di Yelei spoke to him, ¡°What happened tonight? Can you tell me the details of what went on?¡±


    Di Xuan slowly lifted his head, and his eyes immediately turned red. ¡°Dad, I¡­I¡­¡± he began to whimper.


    Liu Sisi was not concerned about what Di Yelei and Di Xuan might be speaking about. Her concern was about YingEr¡¯s whereabouts.


    Children aremonly said to be sensitive. There was a reason YingEr was so attached to her. The real reason was that she truly loved YingEr, treating her like her own child.


    They say daughters are a mother¡¯s ¡®small cotton-padded jackets.¡¯ How could Liu Sisi not be worried when her ¡®small cotton-padded jacket¡¯ suddenly vanished?


    Themps in the official residence were radiant; none of the servants had the heart to sleep.


    As time slowly passed, everyone¡¯s hearts sank.


    Daybreak arrived, and all the servants who had been dispatched returned, their news sinking everyone¡¯s hearts further into the abyss.


    ¡°The official residence is only a short distance from the city moat, a round trip would only take the time needed to drink two cups of tea. So many people were sent out to search,bing through the area back and forth many times, if the child was still within this perimeter, she would have been found a long time ago.¡±


    One of the returned servants struggled to say.


    The truth was that everyone present understood the reality. They were all just hoping for a one-in-a-million chance.


    ¡°Da Niu, go to the doorway. You¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Liu Sisi called over Da Niu. After a few whispered words, she dismissed Da Niu.


    ¡°Sisi, what is it? Did you discover something?¡±


    Di Yelei curiously leaned over.


    ¡°Not really, I just had a thought. I sent Da Niu to find out. Wait a while, if my assumptions are correct, we might get our answer soon.¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke casually.


    The morning mist gradually cleared, breakfast was served, but no one was in the mood to eat.


    ¡°Madam, Madam! Madam!¡±


    The excited voice of Da Niu could be heard. Soon, he was seen leading a man forcibly into the hall.


    ¡°Madam, I did exactly as you instructed and waited there. It didn¡¯t take long before I noticed this guy lurking around, so I grabbed him.¡±


    ¡°Was anyone else in the vicinity when you seized him?¡± Liu Sisi asked gravely.


    Da Niu¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°Yes, there were a few people¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was slightly worried. She ordered the servants, ¡°Go check it immediately, find out in which direction those people went off. Report back as soon as you have information!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Let go of me, let go!¡±


    That man was struggling wildly. ¡°I¡¯vemitted no crime! What right do you have to capture me?¡±


    ¡°What right? Simply because you were involved in a case of abduction and attempted murder, we have the right to throw you straight into the death row. And when you¡¯re there, we¡¯ll remind you of all the means of punishment one by one. Once we¡¯re done, we can start questioning you!¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was cold and unyielding.


    Having said that, she turned towards her servants. ¡°Someone! Throw this man into the prison for me. Let him experience the severity of the punishment of burning, first! Take him away!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The servants nearby went forward at once.


    ¡°Stop, wait, I have something to say! I have something to tell you all! Wait a minute¡­¡±


    The man was yelling for mercy, but no one spoke up. They just watched as he was dragged out of the hall and taken to the backyard.


    After a while, when the time seemed appropriate, Liu Sisi, with a grave face, gave the order. ¡°Da Niu, go bring him back.¡±

 Chapter 644: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 1)

    Chapter 644: Chapter 644: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 1)


    Da Niu was slightly surprised but still replied.


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    It was only then that Liu Sisi looked at Di Yelei: ¡°Ye Lei, you¡¯ll handle the rest.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I understand. You should go check on the children. Last night, the mansion was in chaos, and the three children didn¡¯t sleep well.¡± Di Yelei whispered.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Xuan but didn¡¯t say anything else. She stood up, lifted the curtain, and walked into the inner chamber.


    Just as she turned and walked towards the back hall, she stopped in her tracks, thinking that this matter might not be resolved so easily after all!


    ¡°Guards!¡±


    In the darkness, a figure flickered: ¡°Madam.¡±


    ¡°Send a flying pigeon letter to Zuo Xingyu immediately, telling him that I have a request¡­¡±


    By the time the man was brought back in, his appearance hadpletely changed, and his body emitted an unbearable stench of urine.


    ¡°Old Master, this coward peed his pants as soon as he was locked up in the dark room!¡±


    Da Niu, holding the man at arm¡¯s length with his nose covered, said with disgust.


    ¡°Mmm, I know. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Di Yelei waved Da Niu away before ring at the man: ¡°Well? Are you still not going to speak? Or do you want to taste the true suffering in the prison cell?¡±


    ¡°Old Master, I confess! I¡¯ve already confessed, so can¡¯t you let me go? Wuuu¡­¡±


    He cried, tears and snot flowing down his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it! I didn¡¯t kidnap or kill anyone! It was that old man, the old bastard! He gave me a letter and told me to find an opportunity to stuff it in the official residence¡¯s main entrance, and after it was done, he¡¯d give me some money. I was tempted, so I agreed, but I didn¡¯t expect to be caught just as I appeared. I really didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°An old man? What did this old man look like? Where did you see him?¡±


    Di Yelei asked urgently. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of covering for him, I don¡¯t mind showing you what living hell feels like!¡±


    The man quickly recalled. ¡°His appearance¡­ he was skinny, hardly any meat on his bones. Yes! He wasme, with his right leg amputated. He¡¯s not the mastermind behind this. I didn¡¯t know they wanted me to do such a thing. Even if I had ten times the courage, I wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡±


    He wailed, tears and snot flowing.


    Di Yelei, thinking of his own Ying Er whose life and death were uncertain, had no sympathy. ¡°Speak! Where did you see him? Just tell the truth, and I can make sure your merits and faults cancel each other out, otherwise¡­ Hmph!¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll say everything! I beg you to spare me! I shouldn¡¯t have been greedy for that little bit of money¡­¡±


    The man wept loudly.


    It was just before dawn, and the city gate had not yet opened. Arge group of people led by Di Yelei rushed towards the City God Temple outside the North City gate.


    The City God Temple had fallen into disrepair over the years, and the temple¡¯s shrines were no longer inside. All that remained was an empty frame and a barely standing half-thatched roof. Hardly anyone went there on a regr basis.


    Di Yelei was the first to arrive at the City God Temple, leaping off his horse and charging inside.


    ¡°Ying¡¯er! Ying¡¯er, Ying¡¯er¡­¡±


    He called out loudly, searching inside and out.


    At a nce, the Temple was barren with no trace of people. The surroundings were bare.


    After a thorough search, he didn¡¯t find anything. He looked again, more carefully this time, and his gaze fell on a tiny ribbon flower near the corner of the southeast wall.


    Di Yelei bent down, picked it up and looked at it for a moment before tightly clenching it in his hand.


    ¡°Guards! Expand the search area and look carefully! Don¡¯t miss any small clues!¡±


    These tiny ribbon flowers, no bigger than a little finger, were used by Sisi to dress Ying¡¯er, as she especially liked to decorate her.


    Now that a flower had appeared here, it proved that the captive¡¯s confession was true, and the person who had taken Ying¡¯er had been here before.


    His sharp eyes assessed the surrounding area, finally resting on a patch of wild weeds behind the City God Temple.


    ¡°Over there! Send more people to search!¡±


    Di Yelei, after all, had been a hunter and constable, excelling in tracking skills!


    Today, he had brought only his most trusted servants from the mansion.


    Sure enough, someone soon reported, ¡°Your Honor, a few miles up the mountain, some brothers found a recently extinguished fire. There¡¯s some food and messy footprints nearby, as if someone left in a hurry. Do you want to go over and check for yourself?¡±


    Atst, there was some good news. Di Yelei was overjoyed, ¡°Where is it? Hurry and lead the way!¡±


    As Di Yelei searched carefully, in the official residence, Liu Sisi scrutinized the ransom letter. The letter was short, with only one sentence: If you want Di Ying to live, bring 1000 taels of silver!


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, what have you found after staring at that paper for so long?¡±


    Di Ah-Bao beside her impatiently asked.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t answer but put the letter aside and looked up at Di Cheng. ¡°Cheng¡¯er, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the letter too, and the handwriting is terrible.¡±


    Di Cheng thought for a while, then added, ¡°What¡¯s most surprising is that there are three written errors in just a few words. It¡¯s strange.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing strange about it. It just shows that the person who kidnapped Ying¡¯er is very uneducated.¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at everyone. ¡°At first, I thought it was Di Yelei¡¯s political enemy responsible for this. However, ording to this letter, it shouldn¡¯t be his enemy. Of course, it¡¯s possible that the political enemy hired someone who is illiterate.¡±


    The reason she sent Da Niu to guard the mansion¡¯s gate was because she thought someone might try to use Ying¡¯er as leverage against Di Yelei. If that were the case, they would definitely make another move.


    <>But as it turns out, Da Niu managed to catch only the man who delivered the message, and there must have been more people keeping watch. The news of the messenger¡¯s capture had probably already leaked, and the adversaries were undoubtedly on the run, but who would get to them first?!

 Chapter 644: 644: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 1)

    Chapter 644: Chapter 644: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 1)


    Da Niu was slightly surprised but still replied.


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    It was only then that Liu Sisi looked at Di Yelei: ¡°Ye Lei, you¡¯ll handle the rest.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I understand. You should go check on the children. Last night, the mansion was in chaos, and the three children didn¡¯t sleep well.¡± Di Yelei whispered.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Xuan but didn¡¯t say anything else. She stood up, lifted the curtain, and walked into the inner chamber.


    Just as she turned and walked towards the back hall, she stopped in her tracks, thinking that this matter might not be resolved so easily after all!


    ¡°Guards!¡±


    In the darkness, a figure flickered: ¡°Madam.¡±


    ¡°Send a flying pigeon letter to Zuo Xingyu immediately, telling him that I have a request¡­¡±<div>


    By the time the man was brought back in, his appearance hadpletely changed, and his body emitted an unbearable stench of urine.


    ¡°Old Master, this coward peed his pants as soon as he was locked up in the dark room!¡±


    Da Niu, holding the man at arm¡¯s length with his nose covered, said with disgust.


    ¡°Mmm, I know. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Di Yelei waved Da Niu away before ring at the man: ¡°Well? Are you still not going to speak? Or do you want to taste the true suffering in the prison cell?¡±


    ¡°Old Master, I confess! I¡¯ve already confessed, so can¡¯t you let me go? Wuuu¡­¡±


    He cried, tears and snot flowing down his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it! I didn¡¯t kidnap or kill anyone! It was that old man, the old bastard! He gave me a letter and told me to find an opportunity to stuff it in the official residence¡¯s main entrance, and after it was done, he¡¯d give me some money. I was tempted, so I agreed, but I didn¡¯t expect to be caught just as I appeared. I really didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°An old man? What did this old man look like? Where did you see him?¡±


    Di Yelei asked urgently. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of covering for him, I don¡¯t mind showing you what living hell feels like!¡±


    The man quickly recalled. ¡°His appearance¡­ he was skinny, hardly any meat on his bones. Yes! He wasme, with his right leg amputated. He¡¯s not the mastermind behind this. I didn¡¯t know they wanted me to do such a thing. Even if I had ten times the courage, I wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡±


    He wailed, tears and snot flowing.


    Di Yelei, thinking of his own Ying Er whose life and death were uncertain, had no sympathy. ¡°Speak! Where did you see him? Just tell the truth, and I can make sure your merits and faults cancel each other out, otherwise¡­ Hmph!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll say everything! I beg you to spare me! I shouldn¡¯t have been greedy for that little bit of money¡­¡±


    The man wept loudly.


    It was just before dawn, and the city gate had not yet opened. Arge group of people led by Di Yelei rushed towards the City God Temple outside the North City gate.


    The City God Temple had fallen into disrepair over the years, and the temple¡¯s shrines were no longer inside. All that remained was an empty frame and a barely standing half-thatched roof. Hardly anyone went there on a regr basis.


    Di Yelei was the first to arrive at the City God Temple, leaping off his horse and charging inside.


    ¡°Ying¡¯er! Ying¡¯er, Ying¡¯er¡­¡±


    He called out loudly, searching inside and out.<div>


    At a nce, the Temple was barren with no trace of people. The surroundings were bare.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After a thorough search, he didn¡¯t find anything. He looked again, more carefully this time, and his gaze fell on a tiny ribbon flower near the corner of the southeast wall.


    Di Yelei bent down, picked it up and looked at it for a moment before tightly clenching it in his hand.


    ¡°Guards! Expand the search area and look carefully! Don¡¯t miss any small clues!¡±<div>


    These tiny ribbon flowers, no bigger than a little finger, were used by Sisi to dress Ying¡¯er, as she especially liked to decorate her.


    Now that a flower had appeared here, it proved that the captive¡¯s confession was true, and the person who had taken Ying¡¯er had been here before.


    His sharp eyes assessed the surrounding area, finally resting on a patch of wild weeds behind the City God Temple.


    ¡°Over there! Send more people to search!¡±


    Di Yelei, after all, had been a hunter and constable, excelling in tracking skills!


    Today, he had brought only his most trusted servants from the mansion.


    Sure enough, someone soon reported, ¡°Your Honor, a few miles up the mountain, some brothers found a recently extinguished fire. There¡¯s some food and messy footprints nearby, as if someone left in a hurry. Do you want to go over and check for yourself?¡±


    Atst, there was some good news. Di Yelei was overjoyed, ¡°Where is it? Hurry and lead the way!¡±


    As Di Yelei searched carefully, in the official residence, Liu Sisi scrutinized the ransom letter. The letter was short, with only one sentence: If you want Di Ying to live, bring 1000 taels of silver!


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, what have you found after staring at that paper for so long?¡±


    Di Ah-Bao beside her impatiently asked.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t answer but put the letter aside and looked up at Di Cheng. ¡°Cheng¡¯er, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the letter too, and the handwriting is terrible.¡±<div>


    Di Cheng thought for a while, then added, ¡°What¡¯s most surprising is that there are three written errors in just a few words. It¡¯s strange.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing strange about it. It just shows that the person who kidnapped Ying¡¯er is very uneducated.¡±


    Liu Sisi nced at everyone. ¡°At first, I thought it was Di Yelei¡¯s political enemy responsible for this. However, ording to this letter, it shouldn¡¯t be his enemy. Of course, it¡¯s possible that the political enemy hired someone who is illiterate.¡±


    The reason she sent Da Niu to guard the mansion¡¯s gate was because she thought someone might try to use Ying¡¯er as leverage against Di Yelei. If that were the case, they would definitely make another move.


    <>But as it turns out, Da Niu managed to catch only the man who delivered the message, and there must have been more people keeping watch. The news of the messenger¡¯s capture had probably already leaked, and the adversaries were undoubtedly on the run, but who would get to them first?!

 Chapter 645: Two Days and Two Nights of Life and Death (Part 2)

    Chapter 645: Chapter 645: Two Days and Two Nights of Life and Death (Part 2)


    Looking at the letter again, this situation probably wasn¡¯t caused by Di Yelei¡¯s political enemies.


    Who exactly was targeting YingEr? She couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Di Xuan was in the corner on his own, quietly listening to people¡¯s discussions, trying to curl himself into a ball to reduce his presence.


    He regretted more than once!


    If he had known this would put YingEr in danger, he would have chased after her no matter what and taken her away by force!


    But there¡¯s no medicine for regret in this world.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, it¡¯s pointless for everyone to wait here idly. What do you think we should do now? Give us something to do, so we can help out.¡±


    Xiao Feng suggested.


    Liu Sisi shook her head: ¡°Now there¡¯s only one thing we can do: wait!¡±


    Wait for news from the other side or new developments and discoveries.


    She sent people from the Li Sectst night, but no one has brought any news back yet. Has the Li Sect¡¯s information really fallen behind?


    ¡°By the way, has anyone informed the Zhang Family?¡± Ms. Zhao casually asked, causing everyone to fall silent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not inform them for now. Even if the Zhang Family knew about it, it would be toote by the time they rushed over.¡± Elderly Mr. Di hesitated.


    He also had a private thought, hoping to solve this issue before the Zhang Family arrived.


    Liu Sisi naturally understood the meaning of Elderly Mr. Di and sighed.


    ¡°We probably can¡¯t hide this from the Zhang Family. Besides, Brother Zhang is a constable. With him joining us, our chances of finding YingEr will be greater. Dad, what do you think?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was also in a dilemma: ¡°What you said is true. But what if¡­¡±


    ¡°YingEr is only six years old, and children are generally not considered for mischief until they are seven. YingEr has not reached that age yet. Besides, we haven¡¯t found the person yet, so discussing all this now is unnecessary. If the Zhang Family really mes us for this, we can still find room to maneuver when YingEr is young.¡±


    Liu Sisi considered more in the end.


    Everyone understood what she meant by finding room to maneuver.


    After a long silence, Elderly Mr. Di finally nodded: ¡°Alright, let someone send a letter to the Zhang Family, saying¡­¡±


    ¡°Just say there is an urgent matter to discuss. If anyone asks further, just say you don¡¯t know anything. Understand?¡±


    Lui Sisi took over the conversation.


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    The man hurriedly went to carry out the order.


    Liu Sisi sighed: ¡°Send another person to the governmental office to find Brother Zhang. He should be there at the moment.¡± It¡¯s also possible that the other party already has the news.¡±


    Hopefully everything will pass without a trace!


    Liu Sisi really guessed right; Zhang Peng had already found out about the matter at the moment.


    He received news that Di Xuan had disappeared, and couldn¡¯t help feeling worried. Di Xuan was already so old, and it wouldn¡¯t be good if there was a conflict or something else happened. Although the moat was not very deep, it was still easy for one or two people to drown.


    Especially when he heard that Di Family¡¯s servants had dredged near the moat yesterday, he became more worried.


    A nearby constable also greeted him, ¡°I heard that Lord Di¡¯s Second Young Master fell into the waterst night. Your status is different from ours. Anyway, you are inws. Won¡¯t you go and take a look?¡±


    Zhang Peng thought about it: ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that he fell into the water, right? If it were true, they should have sent someone to notify me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they were too busy there, and didn¡¯t have time.¡±


    The colleague seemed like he had seen Di Xuan falling into the water with his own eyes.


    ¡°No way! Xuan¡¯er doesn¡¯t seem to be¡­¡± someone with a short life!


    ¡°This is all spection, right? That¡¯s why I suggested going and taking a look.¡±


    His colleague couldn¡¯t believe how stubborn Zhang Peng was, even after a long conversation.


    Just as Zhang Peng was hesitating, a servant from Di Family arrived.


    Then, the two hurriedly rushed towards the Di Family.


    At the moment, Di Yelei was searching step by step along the edges of the bush, spreading out arge to search the hillside.


    Last night, they found traces of a bonfire burned on the mid-hill¡¯s windbreak. The bonfire hadn¡¯tpletely gone out yet, and there were scattered pieces of meat and rice, as well as a half-empty iron pot. These signs indicated that someone had spent the night herest night.


    Moreover, Di Yelei noticed that the location of the bonfire made it easy to see the main road to the City God Temple. This meant that when he led the soldiers to this cest night, he rmed the people, and they quickly put out the fire and hurried to the hill.


    It was night, and the mountain roads were rugged and they couldn¡¯t light torches for illumination, so the group of people definitely couldn¡¯t have run far.


    So, they searched the mountain overnight, not daring to ck off for even a moment.


    ¡°Your Honor, what if the bandits have moved somewhere else?¡±


    Da Niu quietly approached and whispered.


    Di Yelei looked at the mountain top: ¡°No! The person who confessed earlier said that the one who delivered the letter was ame man. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for ame man to carry a child and move far. Besides, going up from here is a dense forest, which is the easiest ce to hide. If I were that person, I would definitely hide in a ce where I could see the surroundings and stay informed.¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As he spoke, he kept a close watch on both sides with his eyes.


    ¡°Then why should we wait for anything? Let everyone search up the mountain with full force and catch this person directly!¡±


    Da Niu got fired up as soon as he mentioned it.


    ¡°You¡¯re oversimplifying things!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s gaze became even more solemn, looking back at the people behind him.


    ¡°If you were the bandit and saw so many people searching the mountain together, forcing you into a corner, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°I would¡­¡± be like a cornered dog jumping over the wall!


    Da Niu suddenly thought of this phrase and paused, mumbling, ¡°Then¡­ what should we do now? Retreat directly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote to retreat now. If we retreat, they might attack YingEr as soon as we leave. What we can do now is to dy time and seize the right opportunity to capture the enemy at once!¡±


    In a cave a short distance away from everyone, a pair of vignt eyes were sweeping outside.


    With disheveled hair on his head and extremely dirty clothes that revealed no original color, his face ravaged by the weather was covered in crisscrossing scars.


    Seeing that the people were getting closer and closer to the cave, he couldn¡¯t help cursing softly before slowly retreating back into the cave.


    ¡°Damn it! How did they get here so quickly? It shouldn¡¯t have happened!¡±


    Behind him, there was a faint sound of struggle.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    The hemp bag squirmed continuously, as if there was a person inside.

 Chapter 646: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 3)

    Chapter 646: Chapter 646: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 3)


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation? How many people havee outside?¡±


    There are two other men in the cave dressed like tramps, with messy hair and tattered clothes, not caring about the hemp bag carelessly thrown in the corner.


    ¡°There seems to be quite a few of them, at least twenty or thirty. It looks like that guy has failed us, or he¡¯s been caught. There¡¯s no dy happening! I¡¯m curious, how did they find us?¡±


    Scarface turned his head curiously and asked.


    ¡°What else could it be? The operation must have been exposed.¡±


    A younger tramp chewed on an unidentified fruit whileining.


    An older tramp red at him: ¡°If they had really found that group of people, there would be chaos at home, how could they have time to rush here?¡±


    The group they were working with is not an ordinary one. If they were really caught, the soldiers at the foot of the mountain would not be as calm as they are now.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you always brag about your abilities? Look at the person you found to pass the message. The soldiers came so quickly, and we¡¯ve run straight into them. What should we do now? You tell me!¡±


    Scarface limped in on his crutch, angrily using the two.


    ¡°Yo! Are you ming my brother and me?¡±


    The two tramps nced at each other, with Jiang Xiaocai, the younger one, speaking first. He pushed Scarface a few times, knocking him straight to the ground.


    ¡°Old Man Li, don¡¯t forget, you said you found a fast way to make money, and we¡¯re the ones who followed you to do this shameful business. Now you¡¯re using us, what do you mean? You tell me!¡±


    The other party was pressing aggressively.


    Old Man Li with the scarred face dragged his injured leg and retreated repeatedly: ¡°Both of you, there¡¯s no need to be harsh. I¡¯m in a hurry, so I may have spoken too harshly.¡±


    Old Man Li no longer resembled his appearance in Upper Vige, not only being skin and bones but also having a broken leg, with scars all over his face. The most terrifying one was the scar that went from his right eyebrow, through his nose bridge. You can tell how dangerous it was when he was injured.


    The two tramps obviously softened their expressions.


    Old Man Li continued: ¡°And besides, aren¡¯t you and I like locusts tied to the same rope? If you can¡¯t run, I can¡¯t run either¡­ You guys tell me, isn¡¯t it?¡± Scarface grinned obsequiously.


    His words finally rxed the tramp brothers.


    ¡°Humph! As long as you understand. Damn! What should we do now? We can¡¯t get in touch with those guys, and it seems these soldiers have found us. They¡¯re clinging to us and don¡¯t want to leave. What should we do?¡± asked the tramp Jiang Dacai.


    ¡°What to do?¡±


    Old Man Li yed dumb and grinned.


    ¡°Stop rambling! Don¡¯t think we don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai nced at Scarface with contempt.


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t that group of guys made any noise? Weren¡¯t we supposed to let the people over there cause confusion and divert the attention of these soldiers? So, what¡¯s going on now?¡±


    ¡°They are just a bunch of nobodies, you think they can help?¡±


    Old Man Li smirked.


    ¡°Yo! You speak as if you¡¯ve been trained. Don¡¯t you dare tell me your leg got broken during your training. Haha¡­¡±


    This made the Jiang brothersugh hysterically, but Old Man Li didn¡¯tugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, that¡¯s how my leg injury happened!¡±


    Having said that, he casually found a ce to sit down.


    The Jiang brothers restrained theirughter, ncing at each other, both seeing wariness in each other¡¯s eyes.


    They then looked at the struggling hemp bag on the other side of the cave.


    ¡°Judging by the people¡¯s position at the foot of the mountain, they don¡¯t seem to have any intention of paying silver to ransom anyone. Big brother, should we just go all out?¡± Jiang Xiaocai made a slicing gesture toward the hemp bag.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Old Man Li grew anxious! He hurriedly got up from the ground: ¡°No, no, absolutely not¡­¡±


    ¡°Get lost! You have no say in this!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai squinted his eyes, and with a swift kick, sent Old Man Li flying,nding not far from the hemp bag with a thud.


    ¡°Ouch¡­ Mom! It hurts so much¡­¡±


    Old Man Li barely got up, clutching his chest and screaming: ¡°You son of a bitch! Don¡¯t think you¡¯re amazing because you¡¯re big. If ites to breaking the, we¡¯ll see who gains the advantage!¡± Old Man Li became angrier as he spoke, swinging his crutch, ready to fight a big battle.


    ¡°Come on, who¡¯s afraid of whom! I¡­ Big brother, don¡¯t hold me back!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai wanted to step forward but was caught by Jiang Dacai, who whispered, ¡°Not yet, the time is not right!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Consider yourself lucky!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai restrained himself and with a cold snort, shook off his big brother¡¯s hand and paced restlessly around the cave.


    ¡°Before, I saw the soldiersing, and when I left in a hurry, I didn¡¯t even have time to bring food. My stomach is so empty. What can I do like this? Am I going to starve to death in here now?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! After those people below have retreated, we will go and find some good food, and reward our five internal organs.¡± Jiang Dacaiforted him.


    Jiang Xiaocai was clearly dissatisfied, the rumbling sounds from his stomach preventing him from calming down: ¡°Wait some more? I¡¯ll starve to death if I wait any longer! Even if there¡¯s nothing else, at least some game to fill our stomachs would be nice. But now, there¡¯s not even water, what the hell?¡±


    As he spoke, he picked up a stick and walked toward the depths of the cave: ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m going to deep into the cave to see if there¡¯s another way out.¡±


    ¡°Little brother, little brother, don¡¯t go too far!¡±


    Jiang Dacai called out a few times, but the other man was already far away.


    He sighed quietly, then turned back and smiled at Old Man Li.


    ¡°My little brother is ignorant and reckless. His words can be unpleasant, Uncle Li, please don¡¯t take it to heart! When hees back, I will scold him well. You can rest assured!¡±


    ¡°Just control your people! Don¡¯t think that I won¡¯t be able to survive without you, hmph!¡±


    Old Man Li¡¯s face was full of vignce, sensing that the two people had murderous intentions towards him, and they could no longer be spared.


    But Jiang Xiaocai went to the depths of the cave. He didn¡¯t know whether he was genuinely looking for a way out or hiding in the dark, preparing to strike a fatal blow at any time.


    It seemed that he had to be extra careful recently.


    And this Jiang Dacai, a cunning smiling tiger, wasn¡¯t easy to deal with. The more he thought about it, the heavier his mood became.

 Chapter 645: 645: Two Days and Two Nights of Life and Death (Part 2)

    Chapter 645: Chapter 645: Two Days and Two Nights of Life and Death (Part 2)


    Looking at the letter again, this situation probably wasn¡¯t caused by Di Yelei¡¯s political enemies.


    Who exactly was targeting YingEr? She couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Di Xuan was in the corner on his own, quietly listening to people¡¯s discussions, trying to curl himself into a ball to reduce his presence.


    He regretted more than once!


    If he had known this would put YingEr in danger, he would have chased after her no matter what and taken her away by force!


    But there¡¯s no medicine for regret in this world.


    ¡°Third Sister-inw, it¡¯s pointless for everyone to wait here idly. What do you think we should do now? Give us something to do, so we can help out.¡±


    Xiao Feng suggested.


    Liu Sisi shook her head: ¡°Now there¡¯s only one thing we can do: wait!¡±


    Wait for news from the other side or new developments and discoveries.<div>


    She sent people from the Li Sectst night, but no one has brought any news back yet. Has the Li Sect¡¯s information really fallen behind?


    ¡°By the way, has anyone informed the Zhang Family?¡± Ms. Zhao casually asked, causing everyone to fall silent.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Let¡¯s not inform them for now. Even if the Zhang Family knew about it, it would be toote by the time they rushed over.¡± Elderly Mr. Di hesitated.


    He also had a private thought, hoping to solve this issue before the Zhang Family arrived.


    Liu Sisi naturally understood the meaning of Elderly Mr. Di and sighed.


    ¡°We probably can¡¯t hide this from the Zhang Family. Besides, Brother Zhang is a constable. With him joining us, our chances of finding YingEr will be greater. Dad, what do you think?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was also in a dilemma: ¡°What you said is true. But what if¡­¡±


    ¡°YingEr is only six years old, and children are generally not considered for mischief until they are seven. YingEr has not reached that age yet. Besides, we haven¡¯t found the person yet, so discussing all this now is unnecessary. If the Zhang Family really mes us for this, we can still find room to maneuver when YingEr is young.¡±


    Liu Sisi considered more in the end.


    Everyone understood what she meant by finding room to maneuver.


    After a long silence, Elderly Mr. Di finally nodded: ¡°Alright, let someone send a letter to the Zhang Family, saying¡­¡±


    ¡°Just say there is an urgent matter to discuss. If anyone asks further, just say you don¡¯t know anything. Understand?¡±


    Lui Sisi took over the conversation.


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    The man hurriedly went to carry out the order.


    Liu Sisi sighed: ¡°Send another person to the governmental office to find Brother Zhang. He should be there at the moment.¡± It¡¯s also possible that the other party already has the news.¡±


    Hopefully everything will pass without a trace!


    Liu Sisi really guessed right; Zhang Peng had already found out about the matter at the moment.


    He received news that Di Xuan had disappeared, and couldn¡¯t help feeling worried. Di Xuan was already so old, and it wouldn¡¯t be good if there was a conflict or something else happened. Although the moat was not very deep, it was still easy for one or two people to drown.<div>


    Especially when he heard that Di Family¡¯s servants had dredged near the moat yesterday, he became more worried.


    A nearby constable also greeted him, ¡°I heard that Lord Di¡¯s Second Young Master fell into the waterst night. Your status is different from ours. Anyway, you are inws. Won¡¯t you go and take a look?¡±


    Zhang Peng thought about it: ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that he fell into the water, right? If it were true, they should have sent someone to notify me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they were too busy there, and didn¡¯t have time.¡±<div>


    The colleague seemed like he had seen Di Xuan falling into the water with his own eyes.


    ¡°No way! Xuan¡¯er doesn¡¯t seem to be¡­¡± someone with a short life!


    ¡°This is all spection, right? That¡¯s why I suggested going and taking a look.¡±


    His colleague couldn¡¯t believe how stubborn Zhang Peng was, even after a long conversation.


    Just as Zhang Peng was hesitating, a servant from Di Family arrived.


    Then, the two hurriedly rushed towards the Di Family.


    At the moment, Di Yelei was searching step by step along the edges of the bush, spreading out arge to search the hillside.


    Last night, they found traces of a bonfire burned on the mid-hill¡¯s windbreak. The bonfire hadn¡¯tpletely gone out yet, and there were scattered pieces of meat and rice, as well as a half-empty iron pot. These signs indicated that someone had spent the night herest night.


    Moreover, Di Yelei noticed that the location of the bonfire made it easy to see the main road to the City God Temple. This meant that when he led the soldiers to this cest night, he rmed the people, and they quickly put out the fire and hurried to the hill.


    It was night, and the mountain roads were rugged and they couldn¡¯t light torches for illumination, so the group of people definitely couldn¡¯t have run far.


    So, they searched the mountain overnight, not daring to ck off for even a moment.


    ¡°Your Honor, what if the bandits have moved somewhere else?¡±


    Da Niu quietly approached and whispered.<div>


    Di Yelei looked at the mountain top: ¡°No! The person who confessed earlier said that the one who delivered the letter was ame man. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for ame man to carry a child and move far. Besides, going up from here is a dense forest, which is the easiest ce to hide. If I were that person, I would definitely hide in a ce where I could see the surroundings and stay informed.¡±


    As he spoke, he kept a close watch on both sides with his eyes.


    ¡°Then why should we wait for anything? Let everyone search up the mountain with full force and catch this person directly!¡±


    Da Niu got fired up as soon as he mentioned it.


    ¡°You¡¯re oversimplifying things!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s gaze became even more solemn, looking back at the people behind him.


    ¡°If you were the bandit and saw so many people searching the mountain together, forcing you into a corner, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°I would¡­¡± be like a cornered dog jumping over the wall!


    Da Niu suddenly thought of this phrase and paused, mumbling, ¡°Then¡­ what should we do now? Retreat directly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote to retreat now. If we retreat, they might attack YingEr as soon as we leave. What we can do now is to dy time and seize the right opportunity to capture the enemy at once!¡±


    In a cave a short distance away from everyone, a pair of vignt eyes were sweeping outside.


    With disheveled hair on his head and extremely dirty clothes that revealed no original color, his face ravaged by the weather was covered in crisscrossing scars.


    Seeing that the people were getting closer and closer to the cave, he couldn¡¯t help cursing softly before slowly retreating back into the cave.<div>


    ¡°Damn it! How did they get here so quickly? It shouldn¡¯t have happened!¡±


    Behind him, there was a faint sound of struggle.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    The hemp bag squirmed continuously, as if there was a person inside.

 Chapter 646: 646: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 3)

    Chapter 646: Chapter 646: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 3)


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation? How many people havee outside?¡±


    There are two other men in the cave dressed like tramps, with messy hair and tattered clothes, not caring about the hemp bag carelessly thrown in the corner.


    ¡°There seems to be quite a few of them, at least twenty or thirty. It looks like that guy has failed us, or he¡¯s been caught. There¡¯s no dy happening! I¡¯m curious, how did they find us?¡±


    Scarface turned his head curiously and asked.


    ¡°What else could it be? The operation must have been exposed.¡±


    A younger tramp chewed on an unidentified fruit whileining.


    An older tramp red at him: ¡°If they had really found that group of people, there would be chaos at home, how could they have time to rush here?¡±


    The group they were working with is not an ordinary one. If they were really caught, the soldiers at the foot of the mountain would not be as calm as they are now.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you always brag about your abilities? Look at the person you found to pass the message. The soldiers came so quickly, and we¡¯ve run straight into them. What should we do now? You tell me!¡±


    Scarface limped in on his crutch, angrily using the two.<div>


    ¡°Yo! Are you ming my brother and me?¡±


    The two tramps nced at each other, with Jiang Xiaocai, the younger one, speaking first. He pushed Scarface a few times, knocking him straight to the ground.


    ¡°Old Man Li, don¡¯t forget, you said you found a fast way to make money, and we¡¯re the ones who followed you to do this shameful business. Now you¡¯re using us, what do you mean? You tell me!¡±


    The other party was pressing aggressively.


    Old Man Li with the scarred face dragged his injured leg and retreated repeatedly: ¡°Both of you, there¡¯s no need to be harsh. I¡¯m in a hurry, so I may have spoken too harshly.¡±


    Old Man Li no longer resembled his appearance in Upper Vige, not only being skin and bones but also having a broken leg, with scars all over his face. The most terrifying one was the scar that went from his right eyebrow, through his nose bridge. You can tell how dangerous it was when he was injured.


    The two tramps obviously softened their expressions.


    Old Man Li continued: ¡°And besides, aren¡¯t you and I like locusts tied to the same rope? If you can¡¯t run, I can¡¯t run either¡­ You guys tell me, isn¡¯t it?¡± Scarface grinned obsequiously.


    His words finally rxed the tramp brothers.


    ¡°Humph! As long as you understand. Damn! What should we do now? We can¡¯t get in touch with those guys, and it seems these soldiers have found us. They¡¯re clinging to us and don¡¯t want to leave. What should we do?¡± asked the tramp Jiang Dacai.


    ¡°What to do?¡±


    Old Man Li yed dumb and grinned.


    ¡°Stop rambling! Don¡¯t think we don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai nced at Scarface with contempt.


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t that group of guys made any noise? Weren¡¯t we supposed to let the people over there cause confusion and divert the attention of these soldiers? So, what¡¯s going on now?¡±


    ¡°They are just a bunch of nobodies, you think they can help?¡±


    Old Man Li smirked.


    ¡°Yo! You speak as if you¡¯ve been trained. Don¡¯t you dare tell me your leg got broken during your training. Haha¡­¡±


    This made the Jiang brothersugh hysterically, but Old Man Li didn¡¯tugh.<div>


    ¡°You¡¯re right, that¡¯s how my leg injury happened!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Having said that, he casually found a ce to sit down.


    The Jiang brothers restrained theirughter, ncing at each other, both seeing wariness in each other¡¯s eyes.


    They then looked at the struggling hemp bag on the other side of the cave.<div>


    ¡°Judging by the people¡¯s position at the foot of the mountain, they don¡¯t seem to have any intention of paying silver to ransom anyone. Big brother, should we just go all out?¡± Jiang Xiaocai made a slicing gesture toward the hemp bag.


    Old Man Li grew anxious! He hurriedly got up from the ground: ¡°No, no, absolutely not¡­¡±


    ¡°Get lost! You have no say in this!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai squinted his eyes, and with a swift kick, sent Old Man Li flying,nding not far from the hemp bag with a thud.


    ¡°Ouch¡­ Mom! It hurts so much¡­¡±


    Old Man Li barely got up, clutching his chest and screaming: ¡°You son of a bitch! Don¡¯t think you¡¯re amazing because you¡¯re big. If ites to breaking the, we¡¯ll see who gains the advantage!¡± Old Man Li became angrier as he spoke, swinging his crutch, ready to fight a big battle.


    ¡°Come on, who¡¯s afraid of whom! I¡­ Big brother, don¡¯t hold me back!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai wanted to step forward but was caught by Jiang Dacai, who whispered, ¡°Not yet, the time is not right!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Consider yourself lucky!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai restrained himself and with a cold snort, shook off his big brother¡¯s hand and paced restlessly around the cave.


    ¡°Before, I saw the soldiersing, and when I left in a hurry, I didn¡¯t even have time to bring food. My stomach is so empty. What can I do like this? Am I going to starve to death in here now?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! After those people below have retreated, we will go and find some good food, and reward our five internal organs.¡± Jiang Dacaiforted him.


    Jiang Xiaocai was clearly dissatisfied, the rumbling sounds from his stomach preventing him from calming down: ¡°Wait some more? I¡¯ll starve to death if I wait any longer! Even if there¡¯s nothing else, at least some game to fill our stomachs would be nice. But now, there¡¯s not even water, what the hell?¡±<div>


    As he spoke, he picked up a stick and walked toward the depths of the cave: ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m going to deep into the cave to see if there¡¯s another way out.¡±


    ¡°Little brother, little brother, don¡¯t go too far!¡±


    Jiang Dacai called out a few times, but the other man was already far away.


    He sighed quietly, then turned back and smiled at Old Man Li.


    ¡°My little brother is ignorant and reckless. His words can be unpleasant, Uncle Li, please don¡¯t take it to heart! When hees back, I will scold him well. You can rest assured!¡±


    ¡°Just control your people! Don¡¯t think that I won¡¯t be able to survive without you, hmph!¡±


    Old Man Li¡¯s face was full of vignce, sensing that the two people had murderous intentions towards him, and they could no longer be spared.


    But Jiang Xiaocai went to the depths of the cave. He didn¡¯t know whether he was genuinely looking for a way out or hiding in the dark, preparing to strike a fatal blow at any time.


    It seemed that he had to be extra careful recently.


    And this Jiang Dacai, a cunning smiling tiger, wasn¡¯t easy to deal with. The more he thought about it, the heavier his mood became.

 Chapter 647: 647: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 4)

    Chapter 647: Chapter 647: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 4)


    By chance, at this moment, the person in the hemp bag seemed to wake up again, struggling continuously inside the bag, and making whimpering cries as if trying to break free from it.


    He was already angry at heart, and seeing this only fueled his rage even more.


    He limped over to the bag with his injured leg and violently kicked at it with his uninjured left leg.


    ¡°Stop making noise! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll kill you and throw your corpse to him! I want to see how he can act tough then! Hmph!¡±


    ¡°Di Yelei! Liu Sisi! Both of you should die, and you should die too!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, do you see those people at the foot of the hill? They¡¯re all here looking for you. If you really piss me off, I¡¯ll cut you into pieces and feed you to the dogs!¡±


    His coldughter echoed continuously in the cave.


    The person in the hemp bag kept whimpering, and cries of pain could be heard from time to time.


    These tragic sounds only stimted the other person¡¯s wolf-like nature. He vented his anger by punching and kicking the bag, then copsed on the ground, panting for breath.


    ¡°Liu Sisi, Di Yelei, Old Man Li is back! Just wait for my furious revenge!¡±<div>


    Maniacalughter reverberated throughout the cave.


    In the cave, Jiang Dacai¡¯s eyes shed a strange radiance, which quickly disappeared, but he didn¡¯t say anything more.


    ¡­


    Inside the official residence, Liu Sisi was holding Niuniu and trying to get her to sleep. The child¡¯s crying was making everyone feel irritable, but no matter how Liu Sisi tried tofort her, Niuniu just wouldn¡¯t stop crying today.


    ¡°Niuniu, be good, don¡¯t cry! Don¡¯t cry!¡±


    Liu Sisi gently rocked Niuniu, feeling somewhat helpless.


    ¡°The child is really noisy. Nanny, take her away and give her a bath to see if cooling her off will make her feel better.¡± Elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.


    ¡°Sisi, how is Xuan¡¯er? Sisi¡­ Xuan¡¯er? What¡¯s going on¡­?¡±


    Guihua rushed in from outside and was immediately bewildered when she saw Di Xuan sitting in the hall.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Guihua was somewhat unable to react.


    Looking at the silent crowd in the hall, she had a bad feeling.


    Zhang Yun, who came in afterwards, was also surprised: ¡°Huh! Xuan¡¯er, didn¡¯t they say something happened to you? What are you¡­?¡±


    Di Xuan looked up at them and then buried his head deeply, not saying a word.


    ¡°Hey! Di Xuan, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why don¡¯t you answer when we ask you? Are you sick from falling into the water?¡± Zhang Yun said with a smile on her face.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly handed the child to the nanny next to her, walked up to Guihua, and burst into tears before she even spoke, ¡°Sister Guihua¡­¡±


    A sorrowful aura filled the side hall.


    It was particrly oppressive.


    Guihua sat there dumbfounded, apparently not yet recovered from the shock of the news she just heard.<div>


    After Liu Sisi finished exining the whole story, Zhang Yun had already run out of the mansion, rushing straight to the South City.


    At that moment, a servant entered from outside to report.


    ¡°Madam, there are many people outside the mansion¡¯s gate holding strings of locusts, saying that you once mentioned exchanging locusts for coarse grains. Please instruct us!¡±


    ¡°What a time for such trifles to be brought up, just make the decision yourselves.¡±<div>


    Elderly Mr. Di appeared impatient.


    ¡°But¡­¡± The servant hesitated.


    ¡°What exchange? Just chase them away! We still have people in our house eating chaff. Where do we have grain to spare for them?¡±


    Ms. Zhao thought of Gao Yuan, who was still suffering in the Upper Vige, and couldn¡¯t help but scold.


    ¡°This¡­ yes, yes!¡±


    The servant nced at Liu Sisi, hesitated to answer, and withdrew.


    ¡°Wait! I originally assigned this matter to Shopkeeper Gu. Why didn¡¯t I see his people today? In any case, you will take responsibility for this matter temporarily. Exchange 1000 locusts for a small bowl of coarse grains. Go!¡±


    Sisi had not been able toe to her senses for a long time from her thoughts until she saw the servant walking outside, and she finally reacted.


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± The servant hurried down.


    Ms. Zhao, who was beside Sisi, was caught off-guard, thinking about how much grain they would lose. What a waste! If the power of the mansion were handed over to her, how could this kind of thing happen?


    Thinking about it, she couldn¡¯t help but stoke the fire: ¡°At this point, why are locusts still being exchanged? Hmph! I see that the treatment of blood-rted children will always differ. Over there, YingEr is suffering, while here, they are still thinking about putting up a **** facade.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at Ms. Zhao coldly. The anger built up over the past few days was suddenly ignited, and she retorted,


    ¡°ording to my mother-inw¡¯s view, not only should our mansion not make any effort to cover up, but we should also beat drums and gongs to tell the world that my Di family¡¯s Eldest Miss was abducted by banditsst night and is still missing. Is this what fulfills my mother-inw¡¯s wishes?¡±<div>


    ¡°You¡­ Liu Sisi, I did not say that!¡± Ms. Zhao tried to defend herself.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say it, but isn¡¯t that what you meant just now?¡±


    Liu Sisi did not want to retreat. This Ms. Zhao deserved a lesson.


    ¡°People will ask, ¡®Wasn¡¯t it said that 1000 locusts could be exchanged for a small bowl of coarse grains? Why go back on it now?¡¯ And what should be our response? Should we tell them that because our Di family has suffered a catastrophe, we no longer ept the locusts? So, all the upright and people-friendly words Lord Di said before were all crap, and they don¡¯t count from now on, right?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s aggressive stance left Ms. Zhao unable to defend herself, and her momentum gradually faded.


    ¡°I¡­I just spoke casually¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, through my mother-inw¡¯s casual words, she almost directly destroyed the Di family, ruined YingEr, and even nearly ruined Ye Lei¡¯s official career. Still, she wants to quibble here. What exactly are your intentions?¡±


    Those words were severe!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ms. Zhao was startled! If such sins were confirmed, she, Ms. Zhao, would not have any good days in the future.


    ¡°I¡¯m lying! When did I think that way? What an injustice! Heaven, open your eyes and see! Where is there a way for my wife to live in this world¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! What are you arguing about? Everyone, quiet down! At this time, you are still fighting amongst yourselves!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di scolded everyone, then turned to Ms. Zhao, ¡°Especially you! Are you not satisfied until you ruin the Di family? Make a scene again, and I¡¯ll have someone send you directly to the nunnery, so I don¡¯t have to see you and get annoyed!¡±


    The nunnery was a ce where wealthy families would give a sum of money to the nuns and then send women with unique identities who hadmitted wrongs to pray to the Buddha. On the surface, it was praying to the Buddha, but in reality, it was a disguised house arrest.<div>


    At this point, Ms. Zhao quickly restrained her tears and sat down in an orderly manner, not daring to utter a word anymore.

 Chapter 648: 648: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 5)

    Chapter 648: Chapter 648: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 5)


    Turning around to gaze again at Guihua sitting next to him, Elderly Mr. Di sighed deeply, ¡°Guihua, YingEr grew up in your arms since she was a child. The current situation really isn¡¯t something any of us wish to see, so¡­¡±


    Before Elderly Mr. Di could finish, Guihua interrupted him.


    ¡°Elder Di, there¡¯s no need for you to say anymore, I understand. Given our current predicament, we should keep as much as we can secret so as not to influence Brother Ye Lei¡¯s official career.¡±


    But she never mentioned anything about YingEr.


    A momentary shadow had passed through Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, her tone grave, ¡°Since they¡¯ve all gone to South City, all we have to do now is to wait! If anyone in the manor carelessly lets slip a word about what¡¯s happening: kill!¡±


    The word ¡®kill¡¯ seemed to have drifted out from hell itself, exuding a chilling murderous atmosphere.


    Everyone in the side hall was affected by this deadly aura, causing them all to subconsciously shrink their necks in surprise.


    This side of Liu Sisi was simply too brutal!


    By noon, everyone had eaten some food in their rooms.


    Guihua slowly approached Liu Sisi, who was tidying up YingEr¡¯s room. Guihua gently swayed the small floral hairpin that belonged to YingEr, her expression full of mncholy.<div>


    ¡°So it was Xuan¡¯er who led YingEr out, which led to a dispute, which resulted in YingEr getting lost, right?¡±


    Guihua quietly approached and asked in a low voice.


    Liu Sisi turned her head immediately, her eyes widened with surprise as she looked at Guihua. She moved her lips to speak but eventually words failed her, so she sat down on YingEr¡¯s small bed.


    ¡°People always say stepmothers are cruel, I don¡¯t care how the world views me, I genuinely treated the two children as my own. My conscience is clear!¡±


    ¡°I know, you genuinely like YingEr.¡±


    Guihua sat down on YingEr¡¯s small bed next to Liu Sisi. She randomly picked up some small floral ornaments that Liu Sisi made personally for YingEr in her spare time. The cloth dolls at the head of YingEr¡¯s bed were also sewn by Sisi stitch by stitch.


    ¡°Others might only see the surface, but I can see your true intentions. However, some people don¡¯t.¡±


    Liu Sisi merely pulled up a weak smile. She did not ask who those people were.


    Guihua hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly, ¡°There is one thing, I have not told you. I used to think he was too young, but as he aged, he would naturally understand and correct his mistakes. But I did not expect¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up at her, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do¡­do you still remember, back in the vige on the grain-drying field, how you were pregnant and almost tripped because someone hooked you? That person¡­ was Xuan¡¯er¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t believe her ears! She couldn¡¯t resist asking again.


    How could she forget that incident on the grain-drying field?


    She always believed that Ms. Xin was responsible for this. Even though Ms. Xin had saved her several times afterward, this incident had always remained as a thorn in her heart.


    Guihua lifted her head, her face grave, ¡°That wasn¡¯t the only time. I also know about that incident during the New Year, where you were pushed from behind as you stood on the stone steps. It was when your big brother Liu Baihan had ****. I wanted to help you, but I was too far away. Eventually, your second sister managed to grab you. If you had really tumbled down those stone steps, you might have met the same fate as Ms. Qiao. The person who pushed you then¡­ it was also Xuan¡¯er¡­¡±


    Two lives, one death! This thought shed across Liu Sisi¡¯s mind.


    No, not two lives! It should be four lives in return for one death!


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but shiver, copsing onto the floor.<div>


    Having experienced so many ups and downs, she had always considered herself strong.


    But at this moment, she had the urge to cry. Her nose was sore, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to shed any tears.


    Guihua, who was next to her, didn¡¯t notice Liu Sisi¡¯s unusual state. She continued to say, ¡°¡­.I wanted to warn you about it at that time, but I also felt that this was a family affair. As an outsider standing in the middle, it could be seen as starting quarrels. Plus, I¡¯ve seen Xuan¡¯er grow up. Although he has some ws, he always knows the bigger picture¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough, Sister Guihua.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s voice was very soft.<div>


    But Guihua went on, ¡°Xuan¡¯er is still young, now that you¡¯re his mother, you must be more careful in the future and educate him properly, surely¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough, Sister Guihua! I want to be alone, could you please step out for a while!¡±


    Liu Sisi raised her voice.


    Only then did Guihua notice something was wrong with Liu Sisi, her eyes staring straight ahead, red and dazed.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡­¡±


    Seeing the seriousness in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, she stood up from the side of the bed, ¡°I¡¯ll go out first, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink¡­ sigh!¡±


    She wanted to say more, but didn¡¯t know what else to add. She silently left the room.


    Liu Sisi spent the whole afternoon locked in YingEr¡¯s room. What exactly happened inside, no one knew.


    Guihua was feeling torn. She had so many thoughts, and yet she worried that Liu Sisi might choose to end her life ¨C despite the fact that Sisi didn¡¯t look like the type to do so. Preupied with her concerns, she couldn¡¯t help but pace nervously outside YingEr¡¯s room.


    Everyone else simply thought that Guihua was worried about YingEr and didn¡¯t notice her unusual behaviour.


    It wasn¡¯t until the afternoon, when Liu Zhi¡¯er received news and rushed over, that he finally entered YingEr¡¯s room.


    Through the half-open door, Guihua saw Liu Sisi, who was still sitting by the bed. She breathed a sigh of relief, finally putting down the worries in her heart. But then she started ming herself, she shouldn¡¯t have mentioned it in the first ce. But when she saw YingEr suffering, she couldn¡¯t help but speak out. It was so¡­<div>


    Guihua¡¯s struggles were the same as Liu Sisi¡¯s at this moment.


    She informed Liu Zhi¡¯er of what happened, and then sighed, ¡°If only I could turn back time, I wish I¡¯d never heard any of this. Although Xuan¡¯er isn¡¯t very nice to me,pared to how other children treat their stepmoms, he¡¯s already much better¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, on the other hand, was calm. His face showed no signs of fluctuation.


    ¡°I knew about Xuan¡¯er¡¯s matter a long time ago. But you only knew because someone told you. Should I say that you are too careless or that you are intentionally dismissing it? Are you really oblivious to Xuan¡¯er¡¯s little movements? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    This was a wake-up call for Liu Sisi.


    Indeed! Was she reallypletely clueless? Of course not. She knew that Xuan¡¯er had problems with her, but she always had a passive attitude about it. She always thought that goodness will reveal itself in time, and her indifference toward Xuan¡¯er¡¯s hostility continued.


    She never thought about actively changing any of this.

 Chapter 647: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 4)

    Chapter 647: Chapter 647: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 4)


    By chance, at this moment, the person in the hemp bag seemed to wake up again, struggling continuously inside the bag, and making whimpering cries as if trying to break free from it.


    He was already angry at heart, and seeing this only fueled his rage even more.


    He limped over to the bag with his injured leg and violently kicked at it with his uninjured left leg.


    ¡°Stop making noise! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll kill you and throw your corpse to him! I want to see how he can act tough then! Hmph!¡±


    ¡°Di Yelei! Liu Sisi! Both of you should die, and you should die too!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, do you see those people at the foot of the hill? They¡¯re all here looking for you. If you really piss me off, I¡¯ll cut you into pieces and feed you to the dogs!¡±


    His coldughter echoed continuously in the cave.


    The person in the hemp bag kept whimpering, and cries of pain could be heard from time to time.


    These tragic sounds only stimted the other person¡¯s wolf-like nature. He vented his anger by punching and kicking the bag, then copsed on the ground, panting for breath.


    ¡°Liu Sisi, Di Yelei, Old Man Li is back! Just wait for my furious revenge!¡±


    Maniacalughter reverberated throughout the cave.


    In the cave, Jiang Dacai¡¯s eyes shed a strange radiance, which quickly disappeared, but he didn¡¯t say anything more.


    ¡­


    Inside the official residence, Liu Sisi was holding Niuniu and trying to get her to sleep. The child¡¯s crying was making everyone feel irritable, but no matter how Liu Sisi tried tofort her, Niuniu just wouldn¡¯t stop crying today.


    ¡°Niuniu, be good, don¡¯t cry! Don¡¯t cry!¡±


    Liu Sisi gently rocked Niuniu, feeling somewhat helpless.


    ¡°The child is really noisy. Nanny, take her away and give her a bath to see if cooling her off will make her feel better.¡± Elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.


    ¡°Sisi, how is Xuan¡¯er? Sisi¡­ Xuan¡¯er? What¡¯s going on¡­?¡±


    Guihua rushed in from outside and was immediately bewildered when she saw Di Xuan sitting in the hall.


    ¡°Sisi, what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Guihua was somewhat unable to react.


    Looking at the silent crowd in the hall, she had a bad feeling.


    Zhang Yun, who came in afterwards, was also surprised: ¡°Huh! Xuan¡¯er, didn¡¯t they say something happened to you? What are you¡­?¡±


    Di Xuan looked up at them and then buried his head deeply, not saying a word.


    ¡°Hey! Di Xuan, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why don¡¯t you answer when we ask you? Are you sick from falling into the water?¡± Zhang Yun said with a smile on her face.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly handed the child to the nanny next to her, walked up to Guihua, and burst into tears before she even spoke, ¡°Sister Guihua¡­¡±


    A sorrowful aura filled the side hall.


    It was particrly oppressive.


    Guihua sat there dumbfounded, apparently not yet recovered from the shock of the news she just heard.


    After Liu Sisi finished exining the whole story, Zhang Yun had already run out of the mansion, rushing straight to the South City.


    At that moment, a servant entered from outside to report.


    ¡°Madam, there are many people outside the mansion¡¯s gate holding strings of locusts, saying that you once mentioned exchanging locusts for coarse grains. Please instruct us!¡±


    ¡°What a time for such trifles to be brought up, just make the decision yourselves.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di appeared impatient.


    ¡°But¡­¡± The servant hesitated.


    ¡°What exchange? Just chase them away! We still have people in our house eating chaff. Where do we have grain to spare for them?¡±


    Ms. Zhao thought of Gao Yuan, who was still suffering in the Upper Vige, and couldn¡¯t help but scold.


    ¡°This¡­ yes, yes!¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The servant nced at Liu Sisi, hesitated to answer, and withdrew.


    ¡°Wait! I originally assigned this matter to Shopkeeper Gu. Why didn¡¯t I see his people today? In any case, you will take responsibility for this matter temporarily. Exchange 1000 locusts for a small bowl of coarse grains. Go!¡±


    Sisi had not been able toe to her senses for a long time from her thoughts until she saw the servant walking outside, and she finally reacted.


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± The servant hurried down.


    Ms. Zhao, who was beside Sisi, was caught off-guard, thinking about how much grain they would lose. What a waste! If the power of the mansion were handed over to her, how could this kind of thing happen?


    Thinking about it, she couldn¡¯t help but stoke the fire: ¡°At this point, why are locusts still being exchanged? Hmph! I see that the treatment of blood-rted children will always differ. Over there, YingEr is suffering, while here, they are still thinking about putting up a **** facade.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at Ms. Zhao coldly. The anger built up over the past few days was suddenly ignited, and she retorted,


    ¡°ording to my mother-inw¡¯s view, not only should our mansion not make any effort to cover up, but we should also beat drums and gongs to tell the world that my Di family¡¯s Eldest Miss was abducted by banditsst night and is still missing. Is this what fulfills my mother-inw¡¯s wishes?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Liu Sisi, I did not say that!¡± Ms. Zhao tried to defend herself.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say it, but isn¡¯t that what you meant just now?¡±


    Liu Sisi did not want to retreat. This Ms. Zhao deserved a lesson.


    ¡°People will ask, ¡®Wasn¡¯t it said that 1000 locusts could be exchanged for a small bowl of coarse grains? Why go back on it now?¡¯ And what should be our response? Should we tell them that because our Di family has suffered a catastrophe, we no longer ept the locusts? So, all the upright and people-friendly words Lord Di said before were all crap, and they don¡¯t count from now on, right?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s aggressive stance left Ms. Zhao unable to defend herself, and her momentum gradually faded.


    ¡°I¡­I just spoke casually¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, through my mother-inw¡¯s casual words, she almost directly destroyed the Di family, ruined YingEr, and even nearly ruined Ye Lei¡¯s official career. Still, she wants to quibble here. What exactly are your intentions?¡±


    Those words were severe!


    Ms. Zhao was startled! If such sins were confirmed, she, Ms. Zhao, would not have any good days in the future.


    ¡°I¡¯m lying! When did I think that way? What an injustice! Heaven, open your eyes and see! Where is there a way for my wife to live in this world¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! What are you arguing about? Everyone, quiet down! At this time, you are still fighting amongst yourselves!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di scolded everyone, then turned to Ms. Zhao, ¡°Especially you! Are you not satisfied until you ruin the Di family? Make a scene again, and I¡¯ll have someone send you directly to the nunnery, so I don¡¯t have to see you and get annoyed!¡±


    The nunnery was a ce where wealthy families would give a sum of money to the nuns and then send women with unique identities who hadmitted wrongs to pray to the Buddha. On the surface, it was praying to the Buddha, but in reality, it was a disguised house arrest.


    At this point, Ms. Zhao quickly restrained her tears and sat down in an orderly manner, not daring to utter a word anymore.

 Chapter 648: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 5)

    Chapter 648: Chapter 648: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 5)


    Turning around to gaze again at Guihua sitting next to him, Elderly Mr. Di sighed deeply, ¡°Guihua, YingEr grew up in your arms since she was a child. The current situation really isn¡¯t something any of us wish to see, so¡­¡±


    Before Elderly Mr. Di could finish, Guihua interrupted him.


    ¡°Elder Di, there¡¯s no need for you to say anymore, I understand. Given our current predicament, we should keep as much as we can secret so as not to influence Brother Ye Lei¡¯s official career.¡±


    But she never mentioned anything about YingEr.


    A momentary shadow had passed through Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, her tone grave, ¡°Since they¡¯ve all gone to South City, all we have to do now is to wait! If anyone in the manor carelessly lets slip a word about what¡¯s happening: kill!¡±


    The word ¡®kill¡¯ seemed to have drifted out from hell itself, exuding a chilling murderous atmosphere.


    Everyone in the side hall was affected by this deadly aura, causing them all to subconsciously shrink their necks in surprise.


    This side of Liu Sisi was simply too brutal!


    By noon, everyone had eaten some food in their rooms.


    Guihua slowly approached Liu Sisi, who was tidying up YingEr¡¯s room. Guihua gently swayed the small floral hairpin that belonged to YingEr, her expression full of mncholy.


    ¡°So it was Xuan¡¯er who led YingEr out, which led to a dispute, which resulted in YingEr getting lost, right?¡±


    Guihua quietly approached and asked in a low voice.


    Liu Sisi turned her head immediately, her eyes widened with surprise as she looked at Guihua. She moved her lips to speak but eventually words failed her, so she sat down on YingEr¡¯s small bed.


    ¡°People always say stepmothers are cruel, I don¡¯t care how the world views me, I genuinely treated the two children as my own. My conscience is clear!¡±


    ¡°I know, you genuinely like YingEr.¡±


    Guihua sat down on YingEr¡¯s small bed next to Liu Sisi. She randomly picked up some small floral ornaments that Liu Sisi made personally for YingEr in her spare time. The cloth dolls at the head of YingEr¡¯s bed were also sewn by Sisi stitch by stitch.


    ¡°Others might only see the surface, but I can see your true intentions. However, some people don¡¯t.¡±


    Liu Sisi merely pulled up a weak smile. She did not ask who those people were.


    Guihua hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly, ¡°There is one thing, I have not told you. I used to think he was too young, but as he aged, he would naturally understand and correct his mistakes. But I did not expect¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up at her, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do¡­do you still remember, back in the vige on the grain-drying field, how you were pregnant and almost tripped because someone hooked you? That person¡­ was Xuan¡¯er¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t believe her ears! She couldn¡¯t resist asking again.


    How could she forget that incident on the grain-drying field?


    She always believed that Ms. Xin was responsible for this. Even though Ms. Xin had saved her several times afterward, this incident had always remained as a thorn in her heart.


    Guihua lifted her head, her face grave, ¡°That wasn¡¯t the only time. I also know about that incident during the New Year, where you were pushed from behind as you stood on the stone steps. It was when your big brother Liu Baihan had ****. I wanted to help you, but I was too far away. Eventually, your second sister managed to grab you. If you had really tumbled down those stone steps, you might have met the same fate as Ms. Qiao. The person who pushed you then¡­ it was also Xuan¡¯er¡­¡±


    Two lives, one death! This thought shed across Liu Sisi¡¯s mind.


    No, not two lives! It should be four lives in return for one death!


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help but shiver, copsing onto the floor.


    Having experienced so many ups and downs, she had always considered herself strong.


    But at this moment, she had the urge to cry. Her nose was sore, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to shed any tears.


    Guihua, who was next to her, didn¡¯t notice Liu Sisi¡¯s unusual state. She continued to say, ¡°¡­.I wanted to warn you about it at that time, but I also felt that this was a family affair. As an outsider standing in the middle, it could be seen as starting quarrels. Plus, I¡¯ve seen Xuan¡¯er grow up. Although he has some ws, he always knows the bigger picture¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough, Sister Guihua.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s voice was very soft.


    But Guihua went on, ¡°Xuan¡¯er is still young, now that you¡¯re his mother, you must be more careful in the future and educate him properly, surely¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough, Sister Guihua! I want to be alone, could you please step out for a while!¡±


    Liu Sisi raised her voice.


    Only then did Guihua notice something was wrong with Liu Sisi, her eyes staring straight ahead, red and dazed.


    ¡°Sisi, you¡­¡±


    Seeing the seriousness in Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes, she stood up from the side of the bed, ¡°I¡¯ll go out first, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink¡­ sigh!¡±


    She wanted to say more, but didn¡¯t know what else to add. She silently left the room.


    Liu Sisi spent the whole afternoon locked in YingEr¡¯s room. What exactly happened inside, no one knew.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Guihua was feeling torn. She had so many thoughts, and yet she worried that Liu Sisi might choose to end her life ¨C despite the fact that Sisi didn¡¯t look like the type to do so. Preupied with her concerns, she couldn¡¯t help but pace nervously outside YingEr¡¯s room.


    Everyone else simply thought that Guihua was worried about YingEr and didn¡¯t notice her unusual behaviour.


    It wasn¡¯t until the afternoon, when Liu Zhi¡¯er received news and rushed over, that he finally entered YingEr¡¯s room.


    Through the half-open door, Guihua saw Liu Sisi, who was still sitting by the bed. She breathed a sigh of relief, finally putting down the worries in her heart. But then she started ming herself, she shouldn¡¯t have mentioned it in the first ce. But when she saw YingEr suffering, she couldn¡¯t help but speak out. It was so¡­


    Guihua¡¯s struggles were the same as Liu Sisi¡¯s at this moment.


    She informed Liu Zhi¡¯er of what happened, and then sighed, ¡°If only I could turn back time, I wish I¡¯d never heard any of this. Although Xuan¡¯er isn¡¯t very nice to me,pared to how other children treat their stepmoms, he¡¯s already much better¡­¡±


    Liu Zhi¡¯er, on the other hand, was calm. His face showed no signs of fluctuation.


    ¡°I knew about Xuan¡¯er¡¯s matter a long time ago. But you only knew because someone told you. Should I say that you are too careless or that you are intentionally dismissing it? Are you really oblivious to Xuan¡¯er¡¯s little movements? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    This was a wake-up call for Liu Sisi.


    Indeed! Was she reallypletely clueless? Of course not. She knew that Xuan¡¯er had problems with her, but she always had a passive attitude about it. She always thought that goodness will reveal itself in time, and her indifference toward Xuan¡¯er¡¯s hostility continued.


    She never thought about actively changing any of this.

 Chapter 649: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 6)

    Chapter 649: Chapter 649: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 6)


    How much of Di Xuan¡¯s actions today had been a result of her intentional or unintentional indifference? She didn¡¯t have the answer, but it scared her!


    One more step would be the abyss; it was time for a change!


    In the side hall, everyone sat in a corner, no one spoke. When Liu Sisi came out, she saw the current situation.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er,e to the study room.¡±


    After saying that, Liu Sisi got up and walked out.


    Immediately, countless people turned around and looked at the two. What they were thinking in their hearts, only they knew.


    Di Xuan didn¡¯t speak and silently followed Liu Sisi to the study room.


    Neither mother nor son spoke, and the atmosphere at the scene was extremely tense.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always had opinions about me, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke first. Di Xuan just looked at her and didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Back then, I was bought by your dad for ten taels of silver. This wasn¡¯t a secret, but something everyone knew.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Di Xuan suddenly blurted out a sentence.


    ¡°A bought woman can be sold at will, ording to thew.¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows in surprise, finding it incredibly amusing. She couldn¡¯t help butugh: ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that you actually read the imperialws so well. It¡¯s veryforting. However, you must also be aware of this: Selling the royal offspring is punishable by death, and the whole family, up to nine generations, shall be implicated, right?¡±


    This time, Di Xuan was astonished!


    ¡°Royal offspring¡­?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at Di Xuan: ¡°From the very beginning, you looked down on me because I was bought by your father for ten taels of silver. But in fact, I have another identity¡­¡±


    She always thought it was unnecessary to tell a child these things. But it was only after the incident with YingEr that she realized she shouldn¡¯t be silent anymore.


    This era was not the one she used to live in. People here value one¡¯s birth and the power behind a woman¡¯s family.


    She always thought that being the former Crown Prince¡¯s biological mother was no big deal, especially for her family. She was even more reluctant to use her status to pressure others.


    But even Di Xuan, a childlike person, despised her for her identity; it was indeed sad!


    ¡°So, although I was raised by the Liu Family, I was originally a Prefecture Princess of the Great Zhao.¡± His Majesty¡¯s appointment of her as Prefecture Princess Ruyu certainly had a lot to do with Eldest Uncle South. However, her original identity was, after all, that of a Prefecture Princess!


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Xuan indifferently and fell silent.


    Di Xuan felt a buzzing in his head!


    He had always respected her on the surface because Liu Sisi was bought by his father for ten taels of silver. But he couldn¡¯t deny that deep in his heart, he secretly despised her for being bought by his father and even wished, more than once, that his father would drive her out of the Di Family.


    But she suddenly told him that she was actually part of the royal family; how could he ept that?


    For someone who grew up in a small hill, being part of the royal family seemed like such a distant thing. He might not have even heard the term in his lifetime if he hadn¡¯t gone to school.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you these things before because I thought we were all family, and the so-called identity and status shouldn¡¯t exist at home.¡± But reality had given her a harsh blow!


    Liu Sisi sighed: ¡°I know you¡¯re worried that the child I give birth to will seize the Di Family¡¯s property that originally belongs to you. However, you can rest assured that they won¡¯tpete with you. They have their paths to follow, and the path you need to take ispletely different. Xuan¡¯er, you think too much.¡±


    A faint sigh came, like a tongue of fire, licking at Di Xuan¡¯s chest.


    Yeah!


    She was a Prefecture Princess, and her son would be a Prefecture Prince; why would they fight with him for the Di Family¡¯s property? But he understood this toote.


    Di Xuan clutched his chest tightly, wanting to cry but unable to. Wanting tough, but the suffocating pain in his chest made it impossible for him to make a sound.


    Liu Sisi wanted to say more, but when she saw the regretful, desperate look on his face, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to use him of anything.


    After a while, he felt that he was held in Liu Sisi¡¯s arms.


    She gently embraced him, and the milky fragrance of her breath constantly filled his nostrils. It made the corners of his eyes turn red and swollen, and he closed his eyes in pain.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, you¡¯re still young; it¡¯s okay to correct your mistakes in time. Don¡¯t walk down a dark path. The Di Family will need you and Di Cheng to carry it forward in the future. The burden on your shoulders is heavy and deep; the entire n¡¯s hopes rest on you. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡­ Xuan¡¯er understands, I understand!¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s tears couldn¡¯t stop flowing as he secretly wiped them away, but couldn¡¯t hold them back.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er was wrong, truly wrong, Mom! Mom, Xuan¡¯er was wrong-¡±


    ¡°Do you really know where you were wrong?¡± Liu Sisi sighed faintly.


    ¡°Mom, Xuan¡¯er was wrong in harming my siblings. I shouldn¡¯t have hurt you and even more shouldn¡¯t have incited YingEr, leading her astray.¡±


    Di Xuan knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrobly.


    Liu Sisi bent down to pull him up, shook her head, and said with a pained expression on her face.


    ¡°Although you had ill intentions, you ultimately didn¡¯t seed. Whether it was because someone stopped you or because you deliberately failed, the biggest mistake has not been made. As your adoptive mother, I am responsible for your upbringing. A father¡¯s failure to educate is the cause of a child¡¯s poor behavior. Mother Meng still moved three times. Your going astray is also due to my failure in teaching.¡±


    By these words, Di Xuan felt even more shame, only to struggle free of Liu Sisi¡¯s support and fall to the ground, kowtowing repeatedly to her.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s my fault, it¡¯s me! I trapped myself in a dead-end and couldn¡¯t get out, it¡¯s me¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Every human being makes mistakes; no one is without fault.¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed: ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Xuan¡¯er, don¡¯t cry! It¡¯s not time for you to cry; YingEr is still waiting for you to save her.¡±


    YingEr?


    The two characters instantly energized Di Xuan. He stopped kowtowing, slowly calmed his emotions and raised his head, looking firmly at Liu Sisi.


    ¡°What do I need to do to save her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple; all you have to do is¡­¡± Liu Sisi whispered.


    Before leaving, Di Xuan turned back and looked straight into Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes: ¡°Whether you believe it or not, I just wanted to make you have a miscarriage, but¡­ I never meant to harm you.¡± After that, he turned around and left the room.


    Leaving Liu Sisi alone, sitting there for a while before closing her eyes, her heartache hidden deep in her eyes, breathing out a heavy breath from the bottom of her heart.


    Give him another chance! After all, he¡¯s just a child.

 Chapter 650: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 7)

    Chapter 650: Chapter 650: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 7)


    The setting sun gradually sank below the horizon.


    The drawbridge of Macheng County was being slowly raised, preparing to close the city gate.


    At this moment, a young girl, under the protection of a young master and several servants, sprinted out from the South City Gate. In the rolling dust, they quickly disappeared into a sea of yellow sand.


    The soldiers guarding the city watched the fading figures and whispered to each other.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the one who left the city earlier a servant of Lord Di¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The young girl in the middle seems to be the miss of Lord Di¡¯s family, and who is that young man?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that the Second Young Master of Di family went missingst night? I¡¯m afraid the man next to their miss might be her fianc¨¦, the son of Constable Zhang in our governmental office. But, at the moment, what is she doing leaving the city?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? It¡¯s better for usmon folks not to meddle in what these nobles are doing, lest we bring trouble upon ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡±


    South City.


    ¡°Your Honor, there¡¯s a new discovery!¡±


    There was a suddenmotion ahead, and someone soon brought a small silk flower, handing it to Di Yelei.


    ¡°Our brothers found it up there and discovered a cave halfway up the mountain. It seems like people have beening in and out. Moreover, manyrge stones seem to have been piled up at the entrance of the cave. Fearing the bandits might still be inside, our brothers did not take the initiative to act without orders, so they came to report immediately!¡±


    As expected from men born as constables, their judgment in sizing up the situation was strong.


    Di Yelei looked at the small silk flower and silently put it away: ¡°What is this cave used for? Is it natural or man-made? How deep is it? How many people can it hold inside? Have you investigated carefully?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a brother on our team who lives nearby. He said this cave is a naturally formed karst cave, which the locals call Qinglong Cave or Nine Connected Rings.¡±


    ¡°This cave is Qinglong Cave?¡± Di Yelei was surprised! He couldn¡¯t help but look up.


    ¡°Yelei, have you heard of this cave?¡± Zhang Peng, who was beside him, was also surprised.


    ¡°Of course, I have, although I don¡¯t know much about it.¡±


    Di Yelei nodded affirmatively, with a worried expression on his face: ¡°It is said that there is a rock cave inside that can amodate about twenty people. If you continue further in, only one person can crawl through, passing through nine different sized caves along the way. There are also tworge underground rivers in the middle, and one can leave through an exit on the other side of the North Mountain.¡±


    ¡°Your Honor is correct; the Qinglong Cave is indeed as you describe.¡±


    The soldier also hastily added: ¡°But the terrain inside the cave is veryplex, and it is easy for people to get lost. In addition to the dense stctites and rock bamboos, there are many poisonous insects, countless waterholes of varying depths, and hot and cold caves with different temperatures. It is terrifying to stay inside. If it¡¯s the rainy season, the rising water levels of the underground rivers will cause flooding in the cave. So¡­¡±


    ¡°In other words, if the bandits have food, hiding for ten days or half a month inside withouting out would be quite easy?¡± Zhang Peng asked in surprise.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid so!¡±


    Di Yelei looked up at the direction of the cave entrance on the mountain above, his lips tightly pressed as he remained silent for a while.


    ¡°Give the order to rest in ce. Without mymand, no one is allowed to act rashly! Otherwise, there will be strict punishment!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor!¡±


    It was only then that everyone stopped searching and rested where they were.


    Zhang Peng walked silently over to Di Yelei¡¯s side and picked a spot to sit down casually, wiping the sweat off his forehead.


    ¡°Yelei, we can¡¯t just sit here and do nothing. We need to think of a good n!¡±


    Di Yelei, who had been quietly lost in thought, looked up at Zhang Peng, raised his hand, and casually wiped his face.


    ¡°We really need to do something! Da Niu, go find a few brothers who are good at running and have fast speeds.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor.¡± Da Niu quickly left with his orders.


    Zhang Peng came over: ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡±


    Di Yelei looked at the surrounding terrain: ¡°We can¡¯t just go head-on like this. Look, I¡¯m nning to have a few brothers attack from the rear while we¡¯ll be a distraction at the front. We¡¯ll attack on two fronts, and we¡¯ll definitely seed!¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he pointed out the surrounding terrain with his hands.


    However, this n wasn¡¯t foolproof. After all, the situation inside the mountain cave was tooplicated, and they didn¡¯t know how many people were inside, let alone whether or not they had weapons.


    But YingEr was a girl, and every moment she was in danger.


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t afford to wait any longer and decided to take the risk!


    ¡°Alright! Although I¡¯m old, I watched YingEr grow up from a child. Count me in!¡±


    Zhang Peng said seriously.


    Di Yelei sighed, not refusing: ¡°Alright! Sigh!¡±


    ¡°However, what excuse should we use to have these people go around without alerting the bandits on the mountain?¡±


    This was indeed a problem!


    When Zhang Yun and Di Xuan rushed over, they saw everyone sitting around leisurely.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Xuan jumped off the horse and hurriedly ran towards Di Yelei.


    ¡°Uncle Di! Uncle Di!¡±


    Zhang Yun, in a hurry, had sweat all over his head: ¡°Uncle Di, why are you still resting here? Aren¡¯t you going to go find YingEr? Uncle Di!¡±


    ¡°Zhang Yun, Xuan¡¯er, why did youe here?¡±


    Di Yelei frowned instinctively! He secretly motioned to the side with his eyes.


    Zhang Yun was so anxious that he shouted: ¡°Uncle Di, have you found YingEr¡¯s whereabouts? Uncle Di, tell me, tell me!¡±


    He grabbed Di Yelei¡¯s sleeve and shook it continuously.


    ¡°Zhang Yun, stop making a fuss! Isn¡¯t your Uncle Di trying to figure something out now? You fussing around here won¡¯t help.¡±


    Zhang Peng came over, nodded at Di Yelei, and whispered something in Zhang Yun¡¯s ear.


    Inside the mountain cave, Old Man Li, with hisme leg,y next to the cave, carefully observing the movements around him.


    Jiang Xiaocai still hadn¡¯te back, and his big brother was worried, so he had already gone in to look for him. Looking at the people below who were tightly surrounded, Old Man Li couldn¡¯t help but curse in his heart!


    No wonder the other party dare to leave him alone and leave with peace of mind. Even if he wanted to run, he couldn¡¯t!


    There were piles of irregr stones the size of watermelons beside the cave, with a rope buried underneath.


    As soon as he noticed anything wrong, he would immediately pull the rope, and the chaotic stones would rain down on anyone who came to search the mountain.


    By then, hehehe¡­


    As Old Man Li was enjoying his cunning n, amotion suddenly came from below, and it seemed that people were fighting.


    He stretched his neck to take a closer look, quickly recognizing the two men fighting.

 Chapter 649: 649: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 6)

    Chapter 649: Chapter 649: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 6)


    How much of Di Xuan¡¯s actions today had been a result of her intentional or unintentional indifference? She didn¡¯t have the answer, but it scared her!


    One more step would be the abyss; it was time for a change!


    In the side hall, everyone sat in a corner, no one spoke. When Liu Sisi came out, she saw the current situation.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er,e to the study room.¡±


    After saying that, Liu Sisi got up and walked out.


    Immediately, countless people turned around and looked at the two. What they were thinking in their hearts, only they knew.


    Di Xuan didn¡¯t speak and silently followed Liu Sisi to the study room.


    Neither mother nor son spoke, and the atmosphere at the scene was extremely tense.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always had opinions about me, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Liu Sisi spoke first. Di Xuan just looked at her and didn¡¯t say anything.<div>


    ¡°Back then, I was bought by your dad for ten taels of silver. This wasn¡¯t a secret, but something everyone knew.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Di Xuan suddenly blurted out a sentence.


    ¡°A bought woman can be sold at will, ording to thew.¡±


    Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows in surprise, finding it incredibly amusing. She couldn¡¯t help butugh: ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that you actually read the imperialws so well. It¡¯s veryforting. However, you must also be aware of this: Selling the royal offspring is punishable by death, and the whole family, up to nine generations, shall be implicated, right?¡±


    This time, Di Xuan was astonished!


    ¡°Royal offspring¡­?¡±


    Liu Sisi looked at Di Xuan: ¡°From the very beginning, you looked down on me because I was bought by your father for ten taels of silver. But in fact, I have another identity¡­¡±


    She always thought it was unnecessary to tell a child these things. But it was only after the incident with YingEr that she realized she shouldn¡¯t be silent anymore.


    This era was not the one she used to live in. People here value one¡¯s birth and the power behind a woman¡¯s family.


    She always thought that being the former Crown Prince¡¯s biological mother was no big deal, especially for her family. She was even more reluctant to use her status to pressure others.


    But even Di Xuan, a childlike person, despised her for her identity; it was indeed sad!


    ¡°So, although I was raised by the Liu Family, I was originally a Prefecture Princess of the Great Zhao.¡± His Majesty¡¯s appointment of her as Prefecture Princess Ruyu certainly had a lot to do with Eldest Uncle South. However, her original identity was, after all, that of a Prefecture Princess!


    Liu Sisi nced at Di Xuan indifferently and fell silent.


    Di Xuan felt a buzzing in his head!


    He had always respected her on the surface because Liu Sisi was bought by his father for ten taels of silver. But he couldn¡¯t deny that deep in his heart, he secretly despised her for being bought by his father and even wished, more than once, that his father would drive her out of the Di Family.


    But she suddenly told him that she was actually part of the royal family; how could he ept that?


    For someone who grew up in a small hill, being part of the royal family seemed like such a distant thing. He might not have even heard the term in his lifetime if he hadn¡¯t gone to school.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you these things before because I thought we were all family, and the so-called identity and status shouldn¡¯t exist at home.¡± But reality had given her a harsh blow!


    Liu Sisi sighed: ¡°I know you¡¯re worried that the child I give birth to will seize the Di Family¡¯s property that originally belongs to you. However, you can rest assured that they won¡¯tpete with you. They have their paths to follow, and the path you need to take ispletely different. Xuan¡¯er, you think too much.¡±<div>


    A faint sigh came, like a tongue of fire, licking at Di Xuan¡¯s chest.


    Yeah!


    She was a Prefecture Princess, and her son would be a Prefecture Prince; why would they fight with him for the Di Family¡¯s property? But he understood this toote.


    Di Xuan clutched his chest tightly, wanting to cry but unable to. Wanting tough, but the suffocating pain in his chest made it impossible for him to make a sound.<div>


    Liu Sisi wanted to say more, but when she saw the regretful, desperate look on his face, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to use him of anything.


    After a while, he felt that he was held in Liu Sisi¡¯s arms.


    She gently embraced him, and the milky fragrance of her breath constantly filled his nostrils. It made the corners of his eyes turn red and swollen, and he closed his eyes in pain.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, you¡¯re still young; it¡¯s okay to correct your mistakes in time. Don¡¯t walk down a dark path. The Di Family will need you and Di Cheng to carry it forward in the future. The burden on your shoulders is heavy and deep; the entire n¡¯s hopes rest on you. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡­ Xuan¡¯er understands, I understand!¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s tears couldn¡¯t stop flowing as he secretly wiped them away, but couldn¡¯t hold them back.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er was wrong, truly wrong, Mom! Mom, Xuan¡¯er was wrong-¡±


    ¡°Do you really know where you were wrong?¡± Liu Sisi sighed faintly.


    ¡°Mom, Xuan¡¯er was wrong in harming my siblings. I shouldn¡¯t have hurt you and even more shouldn¡¯t have incited YingEr, leading her astray.¡±


    Di Xuan knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrobly.


    Liu Sisi bent down to pull him up, shook her head, and said with a pained expression on her face.


    ¡°Although you had ill intentions, you ultimately didn¡¯t seed. Whether it was because someone stopped you or because you deliberately failed, the biggest mistake has not been made. As your adoptive mother, I am responsible for your upbringing. A father¡¯s failure to educate is the cause of a child¡¯s poor behavior. Mother Meng still moved three times. Your going astray is also due to my failure in teaching.¡±


    By these words, Di Xuan felt even more shame, only to struggle free of Liu Sisi¡¯s support and fall to the ground, kowtowing repeatedly to her.<div>


    ¡°No! It¡¯s my fault, it¡¯s me! I trapped myself in a dead-end and couldn¡¯t get out, it¡¯s me¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Every human being makes mistakes; no one is without fault.¡±


    Liu Sisi sighed: ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Xuan¡¯er, don¡¯t cry! It¡¯s not time for you to cry; YingEr is still waiting for you to save her.¡±


    YingEr?


    The two characters instantly energized Di Xuan. He stopped kowtowing, slowly calmed his emotions and raised his head, looking firmly at Liu Sisi.


    ¡°What do I need to do to save her?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple; all you have to do is¡­¡± Liu Sisi whispered.


    Before leaving, Di Xuan turned back and looked straight into Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes: ¡°Whether you believe it or not, I just wanted to make you have a miscarriage, but¡­ I never meant to harm you.¡± After that, he turned around and left the room.


    Leaving Liu Sisi alone, sitting there for a while before closing her eyes, her heartache hidden deep in her eyes, breathing out a heavy breath from the bottom of her heart.


    Give him another chance! After all, he¡¯s just a child.

 Chapter 650: 650: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 7)

    Chapter 650: Chapter 650: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 7)


    The setting sun gradually sank below the horizon.


    The drawbridge of Macheng County was being slowly raised, preparing to close the city gate.


    At this moment, a young girl, under the protection of a young master and several servants, sprinted out from the South City Gate. In the rolling dust, they quickly disappeared into a sea of yellow sand.


    The soldiers guarding the city watched the fading figures and whispered to each other.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the one who left the city earlier a servant of Lord Di¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The young girl in the middle seems to be the miss of Lord Di¡¯s family, and who is that young man?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that the Second Young Master of Di family went missingst night? I¡¯m afraid the man next to their miss might be her fianc¨¦, the son of Constable Zhang in our governmental office. But, at the moment, what is she doing leaving the city?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? It¡¯s better for usmon folks not to meddle in what these nobles are doing, lest we bring trouble upon ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡±


    South City.<div>


    ¡°Your Honor, there¡¯s a new discovery!¡±


    There was a suddenmotion ahead, and someone soon brought a small silk flower, handing it to Di Yelei.


    ¡°Our brothers found it up there and discovered a cave halfway up the mountain. It seems like people have beening in and out. Moreover, manyrge stones seem to have been piled up at the entrance of the cave. Fearing the bandits might still be inside, our brothers did not take the initiative to act without orders, so they came to report immediately!¡±


    As expected from men born as constables, their judgment in sizing up the situation was strong.


    Di Yelei looked at the small silk flower and silently put it away: ¡°What is this cave used for? Is it natural or man-made? How deep is it? How many people can it hold inside? Have you investigated carefully?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a brother on our team who lives nearby. He said this cave is a naturally formed karst cave, which the locals call Qinglong Cave or Nine Connected Rings.¡±


    ¡°This cave is Qinglong Cave?¡± Di Yelei was surprised! He couldn¡¯t help but look up.


    ¡°Yelei, have you heard of this cave?¡± Zhang Peng, who was beside him, was also surprised.


    ¡°Of course, I have, although I don¡¯t know much about it.¡±


    Di Yelei nodded affirmatively, with a worried expression on his face: ¡°It is said that there is a rock cave inside that can amodate about twenty people. If you continue further in, only one person can crawl through, passing through nine different sized caves along the way. There are also tworge underground rivers in the middle, and one can leave through an exit on the other side of the North Mountain.¡±


    ¡°Your Honor is correct; the Qinglong Cave is indeed as you describe.¡±


    The soldier also hastily added: ¡°But the terrain inside the cave is veryplex, and it is easy for people to get lost. In addition to the dense stctites and rock bamboos, there are many poisonous insects, countless waterholes of varying depths, and hot and cold caves with different temperatures. It is terrifying to stay inside. If it¡¯s the rainy season, the rising water levels of the underground rivers will cause flooding in the cave. So¡­¡±


    ¡°In other words, if the bandits have food, hiding for ten days or half a month inside withouting out would be quite easy?¡± Zhang Peng asked in surprise.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid so!¡±


    Di Yelei looked up at the direction of the cave entrance on the mountain above, his lips tightly pressed as he remained silent for a while.


    ¡°Give the order to rest in ce. Without mymand, no one is allowed to act rashly! Otherwise, there will be strict punishment!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor!¡±


    It was only then that everyone stopped searching and rested where they were.


    Zhang Peng walked silently over to Di Yelei¡¯s side and picked a spot to sit down casually, wiping the sweat off his forehead.<div>


    ¡°Yelei, we can¡¯t just sit here and do nothing. We need to think of a good n!¡±


    Di Yelei, who had been quietly lost in thought, looked up at Zhang Peng, raised his hand, and casually wiped his face.


    ¡°We really need to do something! Da Niu, go find a few brothers who are good at running and have fast speeds.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor.¡± Da Niu quickly left with his orders.<div>


    Zhang Peng came over: ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡±


    Di Yelei looked at the surrounding terrain: ¡°We can¡¯t just go head-on like this. Look, I¡¯m nning to have a few brothers attack from the rear while we¡¯ll be a distraction at the front. We¡¯ll attack on two fronts, and we¡¯ll definitely seed!¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he pointed out the surrounding terrain with his hands.


    However, this n wasn¡¯t foolproof. After all, the situation inside the mountain cave was tooplicated, and they didn¡¯t know how many people were inside, let alone whether or not they had weapons.


    But YingEr was a girl, and every moment she was in danger.


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t afford to wait any longer and decided to take the risk!


    ¡°Alright! Although I¡¯m old, I watched YingEr grow up from a child. Count me in!¡±


    Zhang Peng said seriously.


    Di Yelei sighed, not refusing: ¡°Alright! Sigh!¡±


    ¡°However, what excuse should we use to have these people go around without alerting the bandits on the mountain?¡±


    This was indeed a problem!


    When Zhang Yun and Di Xuan rushed over, they saw everyone sitting around leisurely.


    Di Xuan jumped off the horse and hurriedly ran towards Di Yelei.<div>


    ¡°Uncle Di! Uncle Di!¡±


    Zhang Yun, in a hurry, had sweat all over his head: ¡°Uncle Di, why are you still resting here? Aren¡¯t you going to go find YingEr? Uncle Di!¡±


    ¡°Zhang Yun, Xuan¡¯er, why did youe here?¡±


    Di Yelei frowned instinctively! He secretly motioned to the side with his eyes.


    Zhang Yun was so anxious that he shouted: ¡°Uncle Di, have you found YingEr¡¯s whereabouts? Uncle Di, tell me, tell me!¡±


    He grabbed Di Yelei¡¯s sleeve and shook it continuously.


    ¡°Zhang Yun, stop making a fuss! Isn¡¯t your Uncle Di trying to figure something out now? You fussing around here won¡¯t help.¡±


    Zhang Peng came over, nodded at Di Yelei, and whispered something in Zhang Yun¡¯s ear.


    Inside the mountain cave, Old Man Li, with hisme leg,y next to the cave, carefully observing the movements around him.


    Jiang Xiaocai still hadn¡¯te back, and his big brother was worried, so he had already gone in to look for him. Looking at the people below who were tightly surrounded, Old Man Li couldn¡¯t help but curse in his heart!


    No wonder the other party dare to leave him alone and leave with peace of mind. Even if he wanted to run, he couldn¡¯t!


    There were piles of irregr stones the size of watermelons beside the cave, with a rope buried underneath.


    As soon as he noticed anything wrong, he would immediately pull the rope, and the chaotic stones would rain down on anyone who came to search the mountain.<div>


    By then, hehehe¡­


    As Old Man Li was enjoying his cunning n, amotion suddenly came from below, and it seemed that people were fighting.


    He stretched his neck to take a closer look, quickly recognizing the two men fighting.

 Chapter 651: 651: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 8)

    Chapter 651: Chapter 651: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 8)


    ¡°Huh? So it¡¯s that kid Zhang Yun fighting with the one surnamed Di, and the cause is still her! Hehehe, YingEr, don¡¯t me your ruthless Grandpa Li, who made you have such a stepmother? Hm, a son-inw fighting with his future father-inw¡­ this will be a good show!¡±


    It seemed that the fight below was getting more intense, and finally, someone dragged the two men apart. Zhang Yun still seemed dissatisfied, and after being dragged away, he jumped up and kicked towards the one surnamed Di. Arge crowd gathered on both sides, pulling the two apart and dragging them in opposite directions.


    Seeing the situation, Old Man Li felt very relieved and couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.


    ¡°Fight! Fight! It¡¯s best if you fight internally, better if you fight to the death! Liu Sisi, Di Yelei, my misfortune today is all thanks to the two of you! I want you to die without descendants! I want you to taste all the pain I¡¯ve suffered! I want you to die!¡±


    Di Yelei was dragged away, and his figure disappeared from the range of sight of the cave. Old Man Li finally stopped cursing and shook off the people holding him back on both sides, carefully paying attention to the movements near the cave.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going? Did those brothers manage to bypass?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor, don¡¯t worry, everything is going ording to n.¡± The person beside him reported.


    ¡°Good, very good! Hiss!¡±


    Di Yelei covered his chin in pain. He had just been punched by Zhang Yun, and it still stung.


    ¡°Your Honor, are you alright?¡±<div>


    The subordinates quickly gathered around: ¡°Young Master Zhang¡¯s really hit hard! After that punch, there¡¯s arge bruise on his chin, but he didn¡¯t show any mercy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t me him, we have to act convincingly. If we can¡¯t deceive the bandits on the mountain, that would be our real problem.¡±


    The setting sun was slowly declining in the west.


    But there was no movement at the foot of the mountain, which greatly disturbed Old Man Li in the cave.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The two tramp brothers hadn¡¯te back yet, and there was no news from the other group he had nned. Feeling the pressure from front and back, Old Man Li couldn¡¯t help but pace about in the cave.


    In his initial n, they would never have found this ce so quickly.


    They had found it so fast that he didn¡¯t have time to implement some of his arrangements.


    He looked at the well-disguised traps at the foot of the cave, hoping for a moment they could be put to use. However, when the moment finally arrived, he felt some hesitation in his heart.


    ¡°No! It was Di Yelei and Liu Sisi who destroyed my family and even killed Big Mouth. What do I have to shrink back from? I want Di Yelei dead! I want all of you to bury Big Mouth with you! I want you all to die gruesome deaths!¡±


    Old Man Li¡¯s sinister howling sound echoed intermittently from the cave.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just sit here and wait for my demise!¡±


    Old Man Li suddenly thought of something, picked up a small knife, and without caring if he would hurt the person in the hemp bag, he shed it open¡­


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    The person in the bag struggled non-stop and made an extremely painful groan.


    Old Man Li showed no mercy, opened the cut in the hemp bag, and directly pulled the person out.


    ¡°Get up! Don¡¯t pretend to be dead; if you have to die, don¡¯t die yet. Don¡¯t me your Grandpa Li, if you want to me someone, me yourself for being born in the wrong family and deserving this cmity!¡±


    Old Man Li pushed the person down to the ground again, revealing the bloody YingEr.


    At the moment, YingEr¡¯s hair was disheveled, and the blood on her body had clumped together. Her light blue green leaf and water wave pattern waist decorated with begonia and emerald bamboo pleated gauze skirt was stained with blood, almost unrecognizable from its original appearance.


    YingEr¡¯s mouth was cut, her mouth was stuffed with a torn rag, and her eyes were ck and swollen, making it difficult for her to see the surrounding situation.<div>


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    She moaned in pain, tears constantly rolling down from her eyes.


    ¡°Your parents killed my big mouth, so I killed you to pay for his life! Hehe, don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not your time to die yet. How can I bear letting you die like this? When you¡¯re no longer of use to me, Grandpa Li will send you on your way!¡±


    As he spoke, he forcefully kicked her several times until he saw her lose the strength to struggle, then startedughing triumphantly.<div>


    The coldughter filled the air around Di Ying, making her head feel as if it were about to explode from pain.


    She could only keep repeating in her heart: ¡°Dad, mom, save Ying¡¯er! Brother Yun, save Ying¡¯er¡­¡±


    In the official residence.


    Due to the daytime incident, everyone dared not discuss the matter casually anymore.


    After anxiously waiting for a whole day, they sat together for a rushed dinner and returned to their rooms.


    Liu Sisi sat in the front hall, listening to a woman¡¯s report.


    This woman was in her forties, dressed like a brothel owner, with a curvy body and flirtatious manners. Even now, years after her prime, one could easily see her past beauty.


    To the average person, she appeared to be an old brothel owner. But very few knew that she had another identity ¨C Madam Thirteen, one of the five subordinates of the Li Sect¡¯s Master.


    At the moment, she was reporting the information she had gathered one by one, waiting for Liu Sisi¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°There were five people who initially dispersed, and the other two have been confirmed to have no issues?¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, then asked casually.


    ¡°We checked. The other two merely happened to pass by. The problem lies with the three we have already controlled, including those who have interacted with them. We have verified their identities one by one. Your Highness, when should we take action?¡±


    Before, the people of the Li Sect called Liu Sisi ¡°Miss,¡± but after the Imperial Decree was issued, they changed their address and called her ¡°Prefecture Princess¡±.<div>


    Liu Sisi pondered with her head down for a moment; the force in her hand involuntarily increased significantly, snapping the pen in two.


    She picked it up, looked at it for a moment, then threw it into the wastebasket.


    ¡°Pull the! It¡¯s time to close the. Remember! Do not let even one fish slip through!¡±


    Before daring toy a hand on Ying¡¯er, they would have to ask whether she, Liu Sisi, was willing.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness! Thirteen will take care of it right away.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead!¡±


    Watching Madam Thirteen quickly disappear from her sight, Liu Sisi stared at the night sky for a long time without moving.


    The sky became darker and darker.


    The cold moonlight of mid-July filtered through the thick clouds.


    The stars in the sky blinked indifferently, watching the busy people on the ground with a cold gaze.


    There was a quiet stillness on South Mountain, no birds or insects making their usual noises. There was no sign of any movement at all.


    Old Man Li peeked in and out of the cave entrance several times but couldn¡¯t see anything unusual. Annoyed, he subconsciously tightened his grip on Di Ying, then retreated step by step into the cave.


    <div>

 Chapter 652: 652: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 9)

    Chapter 652: Chapter 652: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 9)


    He held his nerves taut within him, refusing to overlook the slightest movement from the surroundings.


    Suddenly, a rustling sound came from deep within the cave, almost breaking his tightly held nerve. He quickly pulled YingEr whom he had grabbed earlier and hid behind arge rock.


    A momentter, the flickering of a torch and vague voices emerged from within the cave.


    It was the voices of the two vagabond brothers!


    A glimmer of joy filled Old Man Li¡¯s heart. They had finally returned.


    ¡°Big brother, how much longer do we have to go? We could have escaped already, why did we have to turn back and get him? I hope that ungrateful wretch doesn¡¯t backstab us¡­¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai¡¯sints came in waves.


    ¡°Shut up! Little brother, how many times do I have to say it, Uncle Li has helped us a lot. We agreed to share the glory and the disgrace, how can we abandon him? You must not say these words again. Understand?¡±


    Jiang Dacai reprimanded him.


    Old Man Li smirked to himself for quite some time. How naive they were to think they could pull off a y in front of him!<div>


    However, at present, he had to bow his head due to circumstances.


    Feigning ignorance toward their conversation, he instead yelled out inquisitively, ¡°Who¡¯s there? Who¡¯s over there? Come out!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s us, Uncle Li! We bring great news!¡±


    Jiang Dacai cheerfully said, ¡°We¡¯ve found the exit of the cave. We can leave directly from the cave. Follow me quickly!¡±


    These words filled Old Man Li with great joy!


    ¡°Is that really true? Hahaha¡­. Big Brother, I knew you were my lucky stars! This is wonderful!¡±


    ¡°We are all in the same boat. We can¡¯t abandon any of us, right? Let¡¯s get going!¡± Jiang Dacai urged on eagerly.


    ¡°Wait! Before we leave, I have to give them a big gift! Hahaha¡­¡±


    Old Man Liughed wildly.


    Outside the cave, everyone gradually closed in on the entrance from all directions.


    Although Old Man Li had set up many traps along the way, they posed no threat to Di Yelei as he continued to advance step by step towards the cave.


    Suddenly, a thunderous noise resounded from the entrance of the cave.


    Everyone looked up, only to see countless rocks tumbling down from the entrance of the cave, falling overwhelmingly towards the people below.


    ¡°There¡¯s trouble! Move out of the way quickly!¡±


    Di Yelei roared and dodged the rocks rolling down from the cave. However, the brother who stood a short distance away seemed stunned with wide eyes, forgetting to move.


    ¡°Move!¡±


    Di Yelei roared again, disregarding everything else, he leaped and smacked the iing rock with his palm.


    The rock deviated by a few inches due to his p, narrowly missing the stunned brother.


    Screams rang out immediately, some were hit while others managed to dodge. However, due to the falling rocks, all the men who were hiding in the woods had revealed themselves.<div>


    This infuriated Di Yelei even more. These viins were utterly ruthless!


    ¡°Charge! Do not let a single one escape!¡±


    Once the falling rocks calmed down a bit, everyone used their special abilities to close in on the entrance of the cave. The traps at the entrance were already discovered by the brothers earlier, so they did not cause any casualties.


    The cave entrance had already copsed by arge part, seemingly merging with the surrounding rocks.<div>


    At the top of the cave, Zhang Peng gestured from a distance, Di Yelei nodded his head, made a sign to everyone, then silently rushed towards the cave. People from all sides fluttered over, but the cave was dead silent, with no noiseing from inside.


    Everyone carefully removed the mud blocking the cave opening and dug out an entrance just big enough for one person to go in and out.


    Di Yelei took the lead and went in. He quickly moved inside the cave, looking around, it was utterly quiet with no one in sight.


    ¡°Your Honor, there¡¯s no one. The people inside have already escaped!¡±


    The brothers who followed up inside also searched around for a while and quickly came back to report.


    ¡°Your Honor, the brothers have found something!¡± Someone found a worn-out hemp sack and quickly brought it to Di Yelei.


    There were blood stains all over the hemp sack, tattered, one can imagine how much sufferings the person inside the sack had gone through!


    Seeing this worn-out sack, everyone¡¯s heart gradually sank.


    ¡°How is it? How is it? YingEr¡­¡±


    Zhang Peng and Zhang Yun and Xuan¡¯er also rushed in, naturally they did not see anyone.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t speak but just passed the sack into their hands.


    ¡°We were toote. It seems that they went deep into the mountain cave. They must have blown up the cave and then ran directly with YingEr along the cave!¡±


    ¡°Why are you still standing there? Didn¡¯t we just agreed that they led YingEr deep into the cave? We should chase them quickly!¡±<div>


    Zhang Yun was about to charge forward and Di Xuan immediately followed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Hold on! YunEr and XuanEr, stay here.¡±


    Di Yelei casually grabbed and held onto Xuan¡¯er¡¯s cor: ¡°Several brothers were injured by falling rocks earlier. You two stay here, responsible for moving the injured brothers to a nearby location down the mountain for care. Also, get a few doctors ready as backup, understand?¡±


    Di Xuan stubbornly struggled: ¡°No! I won¡¯t stay, I want to go in and save YingEr¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! When are you going to grow up? When are you going to be sensible!¡±


    Di Yelei violently pulled and threw Di Xuan far away, reprimanding him loudly: ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you have been doing secretly! Just think about why YingEr is in trouble!¡±


    Di Xuan was stunned there, not moving for quite a while.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After saying that, he didn¡¯t talk any further, gestured to the people behind him, then went into the depths of the cave.


    ¡°Dad, I also want to go¡­¡± Zhang Yun looked anxious and determined.


    Zhang Peng and Zhang Yun looked at each other, then without saying a word, they followed into the cave and pursued along the cave. Zhang Yun was overjoyed! He nced at Di Xuan next to him and hurriedly followed up.


    ¡°Who here is familiar with the terrain of this cave? Hurry up and follow!¡±


    Then people started following into the depths of the cave.<div>


    In the depths of the cave, Jiang Dacai was leading the way with a torch and also killing any poisonous snakes he saw along the way, clearing any dangers on the path.


    It has to be said that Jiang Dacai was quite skilled; poisonous snakes, poisonous spiders, leeches, etc., died wherever his dagger in hand passed.


    Jiang Xiaocai was carrying YingEr and walking in the middle, while Old Man Li was limping behind. Seeing Jiang Dacai¡¯s movements in front, he became even more alert.


    ¡°Hurry up! You¡¯re so slow, do you want to be caught by the people behind?¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai had been grumbling all the way, he was displeased with Old Man Li no matter how he looked, ordering him around.

 Chapter 651: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 8)

    Chapter 651: Chapter 651: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 8)


    ¡°Huh? So it¡¯s that kid Zhang Yun fighting with the one surnamed Di, and the cause is still her! Hehehe, YingEr, don¡¯t me your ruthless Grandpa Li, who made you have such a stepmother? Hm, a son-inw fighting with his future father-inw¡­ this will be a good show!¡±


    It seemed that the fight below was getting more intense, and finally, someone dragged the two men apart. Zhang Yun still seemed dissatisfied, and after being dragged away, he jumped up and kicked towards the one surnamed Di. Arge crowd gathered on both sides, pulling the two apart and dragging them in opposite directions.


    Seeing the situation, Old Man Li felt very relieved and couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.


    ¡°Fight! Fight! It¡¯s best if you fight internally, better if you fight to the death! Liu Sisi, Di Yelei, my misfortune today is all thanks to the two of you! I want you to die without descendants! I want you to taste all the pain I¡¯ve suffered! I want you to die!¡±


    Di Yelei was dragged away, and his figure disappeared from the range of sight of the cave. Old Man Li finally stopped cursing and shook off the people holding him back on both sides, carefully paying attention to the movements near the cave.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going? Did those brothers manage to bypass?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor, don¡¯t worry, everything is going ording to n.¡± The person beside him reported.


    ¡°Good, very good! Hiss!¡±


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Di Yelei covered his chin in pain. He had just been punched by Zhang Yun, and it still stung.


    ¡°Your Honor, are you alright?¡±


    The subordinates quickly gathered around: ¡°Young Master Zhang¡¯s really hit hard! After that punch, there¡¯s arge bruise on his chin, but he didn¡¯t show any mercy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t me him, we have to act convincingly. If we can¡¯t deceive the bandits on the mountain, that would be our real problem.¡±


    The setting sun was slowly declining in the west.


    But there was no movement at the foot of the mountain, which greatly disturbed Old Man Li in the cave.


    The two tramp brothers hadn¡¯te back yet, and there was no news from the other group he had nned. Feeling the pressure from front and back, Old Man Li couldn¡¯t help but pace about in the cave.


    In his initial n, they would never have found this ce so quickly.


    They had found it so fast that he didn¡¯t have time to implement some of his arrangements.


    He looked at the well-disguised traps at the foot of the cave, hoping for a moment they could be put to use. However, when the moment finally arrived, he felt some hesitation in his heart.


    ¡°No! It was Di Yelei and Liu Sisi who destroyed my family and even killed Big Mouth. What do I have to shrink back from? I want Di Yelei dead! I want all of you to bury Big Mouth with you! I want you all to die gruesome deaths!¡±


    Old Man Li¡¯s sinister howling sound echoed intermittently from the cave.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just sit here and wait for my demise!¡±


    Old Man Li suddenly thought of something, picked up a small knife, and without caring if he would hurt the person in the hemp bag, he shed it open¡­


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    The person in the bag struggled non-stop and made an extremely painful groan.


    Old Man Li showed no mercy, opened the cut in the hemp bag, and directly pulled the person out.


    ¡°Get up! Don¡¯t pretend to be dead; if you have to die, don¡¯t die yet. Don¡¯t me your Grandpa Li, if you want to me someone, me yourself for being born in the wrong family and deserving this cmity!¡±


    Old Man Li pushed the person down to the ground again, revealing the bloody YingEr.


    At the moment, YingEr¡¯s hair was disheveled, and the blood on her body had clumped together. Her light blue green leaf and water wave pattern waist decorated with begonia and emerald bamboo pleated gauze skirt was stained with blood, almost unrecognizable from its original appearance.


    YingEr¡¯s mouth was cut, her mouth was stuffed with a torn rag, and her eyes were ck and swollen, making it difficult for her to see the surrounding situation.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    She moaned in pain, tears constantly rolling down from her eyes.


    ¡°Your parents killed my big mouth, so I killed you to pay for his life! Hehe, don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not your time to die yet. How can I bear letting you die like this? When you¡¯re no longer of use to me, Grandpa Li will send you on your way!¡±


    As he spoke, he forcefully kicked her several times until he saw her lose the strength to struggle, then startedughing triumphantly.


    The coldughter filled the air around Di Ying, making her head feel as if it were about to explode from pain.


    She could only keep repeating in her heart: ¡°Dad, mom, save Ying¡¯er! Brother Yun, save Ying¡¯er¡­¡±


    In the official residence.


    Due to the daytime incident, everyone dared not discuss the matter casually anymore.


    After anxiously waiting for a whole day, they sat together for a rushed dinner and returned to their rooms.


    Liu Sisi sat in the front hall, listening to a woman¡¯s report.


    This woman was in her forties, dressed like a brothel owner, with a curvy body and flirtatious manners. Even now, years after her prime, one could easily see her past beauty.


    To the average person, she appeared to be an old brothel owner. But very few knew that she had another identity ¨C Madam Thirteen, one of the five subordinates of the Li Sect¡¯s Master.


    At the moment, she was reporting the information she had gathered one by one, waiting for Liu Sisi¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°There were five people who initially dispersed, and the other two have been confirmed to have no issues?¡±


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment, then asked casually.


    ¡°We checked. The other two merely happened to pass by. The problem lies with the three we have already controlled, including those who have interacted with them. We have verified their identities one by one. Your Highness, when should we take action?¡±


    Before, the people of the Li Sect called Liu Sisi ¡°Miss,¡± but after the Imperial Decree was issued, they changed their address and called her ¡°Prefecture Princess¡±.


    Liu Sisi pondered with her head down for a moment; the force in her hand involuntarily increased significantly, snapping the pen in two.


    She picked it up, looked at it for a moment, then threw it into the wastebasket.


    ¡°Pull the! It¡¯s time to close the. Remember! Do not let even one fish slip through!¡±


    Before daring toy a hand on Ying¡¯er, they would have to ask whether she, Liu Sisi, was willing.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness! Thirteen will take care of it right away.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead!¡±


    Watching Madam Thirteen quickly disappear from her sight, Liu Sisi stared at the night sky for a long time without moving.


    The sky became darker and darker.


    The cold moonlight of mid-July filtered through the thick clouds.


    The stars in the sky blinked indifferently, watching the busy people on the ground with a cold gaze.


    There was a quiet stillness on South Mountain, no birds or insects making their usual noises. There was no sign of any movement at all.


    Old Man Li peeked in and out of the cave entrance several times but couldn¡¯t see anything unusual. Annoyed, he subconsciously tightened his grip on Di Ying, then retreated step by step into the cave.

 Chapter 652: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 9)

    Chapter 652: Chapter 652: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 9)


    He held his nerves taut within him, refusing to overlook the slightest movement from the surroundings.


    Suddenly, a rustling sound came from deep within the cave, almost breaking his tightly held nerve. He quickly pulled YingEr whom he had grabbed earlier and hid behind arge rock.


    A momentter, the flickering of a torch and vague voices emerged from within the cave.


    It was the voices of the two vagabond brothers!


    A glimmer of joy filled Old Man Li¡¯s heart. They had finally returned.


    ¡°Big brother, how much longer do we have to go? We could have escaped already, why did we have to turn back and get him? I hope that ungrateful wretch doesn¡¯t backstab us¡­¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai¡¯sints came in waves.


    ¡°Shut up! Little brother, how many times do I have to say it, Uncle Li has helped us a lot. We agreed to share the glory and the disgrace, how can we abandon him? You must not say these words again. Understand?¡±


    Jiang Dacai reprimanded him.


    Old Man Li smirked to himself for quite some time. How naive they were to think they could pull off a y in front of him!


    However, at present, he had to bow his head due to circumstances.


    Feigning ignorance toward their conversation, he instead yelled out inquisitively, ¡°Who¡¯s there? Who¡¯s over there? Come out!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s us, Uncle Li! We bring great news!¡±


    Jiang Dacai cheerfully said, ¡°We¡¯ve found the exit of the cave. We can leave directly from the cave. Follow me quickly!¡±


    These words filled Old Man Li with great joy!


    ¡°Is that really true? Hahaha¡­. Big Brother, I knew you were my lucky stars! This is wonderful!¡±


    ¡°We are all in the same boat. We can¡¯t abandon any of us, right? Let¡¯s get going!¡± Jiang Dacai urged on eagerly.


    ¡°Wait! Before we leave, I have to give them a big gift! Hahaha¡­¡±


    Old Man Liughed wildly.


    Outside the cave, everyone gradually closed in on the entrance from all directions.


    Although Old Man Li had set up many traps along the way, they posed no threat to Di Yelei as he continued to advance step by step towards the cave.


    Suddenly, a thunderous noise resounded from the entrance of the cave.


    Everyone looked up, only to see countless rocks tumbling down from the entrance of the cave, falling overwhelmingly towards the people below.


    ¡°There¡¯s trouble! Move out of the way quickly!¡±


    Di Yelei roared and dodged the rocks rolling down from the cave. However, the brother who stood a short distance away seemed stunned with wide eyes, forgetting to move.


    ¡°Move!¡±


    Di Yelei roared again, disregarding everything else, he leaped and smacked the iing rock with his palm.


    The rock deviated by a few inches due to his p, narrowly missing the stunned brother.


    Screams rang out immediately, some were hit while others managed to dodge. However, due to the falling rocks, all the men who were hiding in the woods had revealed themselves.


    This infuriated Di Yelei even more. These viins were utterly ruthless!


    ¡°Charge! Do not let a single one escape!¡±


    Once the falling rocks calmed down a bit, everyone used their special abilities to close in on the entrance of the cave. The traps at the entrance were already discovered by the brothers earlier, so they did not cause any casualties.


    The cave entrance had already copsed by arge part, seemingly merging with the surrounding rocks.


    At the top of the cave, Zhang Peng gestured from a distance, Di Yelei nodded his head, made a sign to everyone, then silently rushed towards the cave. People from all sides fluttered over, but the cave was dead silent, with no noiseing from inside.


    Everyone carefully removed the mud blocking the cave opening and dug out an entrance just big enough for one person to go in and out.


    Di Yelei took the lead and went in. He quickly moved inside the cave, looking around, it was utterly quiet with no one in sight.


    ¡°Your Honor, there¡¯s no one. The people inside have already escaped!¡±


    The brothers who followed up inside also searched around for a while and quickly came back to report.


    ¡°Your Honor, the brothers have found something!¡± Someone found a worn-out hemp sack and quickly brought it to Di Yelei.


    There were blood stains all over the hemp sack, tattered, one can imagine how much sufferings the person inside the sack had gone through!


    Seeing this worn-out sack, everyone¡¯s heart gradually sank.


    ¡°How is it? How is it? YingEr¡­¡±


    Zhang Peng and Zhang Yun and Xuan¡¯er also rushed in, naturally they did not see anyone.


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t speak but just passed the sack into their hands.


    ¡°We were toote. It seems that they went deep into the mountain cave. They must have blown up the cave and then ran directly with YingEr along the cave!¡±


    ¡°Why are you still standing there? Didn¡¯t we just agreed that they led YingEr deep into the cave? We should chase them quickly!¡±


    Zhang Yun was about to charge forward and Di Xuan immediately followed.


    ¡°Hold on! YunEr and XuanEr, stay here.¡±


    Di Yelei casually grabbed and held onto Xuan¡¯er¡¯s cor: ¡°Several brothers were injured by falling rocks earlier. You two stay here, responsible for moving the injured brothers to a nearby location down the mountain for care. Also, get a few doctors ready as backup, understand?¡±


    Di Xuan stubbornly struggled: ¡°No! I won¡¯t stay, I want to go in and save YingEr¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! When are you going to grow up? When are you going to be sensible!¡±


    Di Yelei violently pulled and threw Di Xuan far away, reprimanding him loudly: ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you have been doing secretly! Just think about why YingEr is in trouble!¡±


    Di Xuan was stunned there, not moving for quite a while.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After saying that, he didn¡¯t talk any further, gestured to the people behind him, then went into the depths of the cave.


    ¡°Dad, I also want to go¡­¡± Zhang Yun looked anxious and determined.


    Zhang Peng and Zhang Yun looked at each other, then without saying a word, they followed into the cave and pursued along the cave. Zhang Yun was overjoyed! He nced at Di Xuan next to him and hurriedly followed up.


    ¡°Who here is familiar with the terrain of this cave? Hurry up and follow!¡±


    Then people started following into the depths of the cave.


    In the depths of the cave, Jiang Dacai was leading the way with a torch and also killing any poisonous snakes he saw along the way, clearing any dangers on the path.


    It has to be said that Jiang Dacai was quite skilled; poisonous snakes, poisonous spiders, leeches, etc., died wherever his dagger in hand passed.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Jiang Xiaocai was carrying YingEr and walking in the middle, while Old Man Li was limping behind. Seeing Jiang Dacai¡¯s movements in front, he became even more alert.


    ¡°Hurry up! You¡¯re so slow, do you want to be caught by the people behind?¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai had been grumbling all the way, he was displeased with Old Man Li no matter how he looked, ordering him around.

 Chapter 653: 653: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 10)

    Chapter 653: Chapter 653: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 10)


    ¡°Old, ugly, andme ¨C no idea why Big Brother insisted on bringing you along. You¡¯re seriously slowing us down.¡±


    Old Man Li remained silent, moving forward quickly with the aid of his crutch, already sentencing this man to death in his heart.


    ¡°Hurry up! What are you dawdling for? We¡¯ve been walking for so long, and you¡¯ve hardly taken any steps. Do you even want to escape? You old bastard!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s curses flowed more smoothly as he grew bolder.


    ¡°Little brother, say a few less words!¡±


    Jiang Dacai couldn¡¯t help but scold him.


    What a fool. Couldn¡¯t he see the other man¡¯s face darkening?


    As their gazes met, he immediately became alert to Old Man Li¡¯s dangerous eyes. It seemed they needed to make their move first!


    Before long, the party reached the first underground hidden river.


    The water in this hidden river was unusually cold. As soon as they entered, they shivered uncontrobly, teeth chattering, unable to speak.<div>


    Roused from her stupor by the ice-cold water, YingEr finally regained consciousness and began to struggle.


    ¡°Umm¡­um¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! If you keep screaming, I¡¯ll drown you in the river. We can still finish our task with a corpse, and it¡¯d be less trouble!¡± Jiang Xiaocai threatened her, causing YingEr¡¯s tears to fall in torrents, but she didn¡¯t dare cry out loud.


    Dad, Mom! Hurry and save me! YingEr was wrong, she won¡¯t run around again!


    Save YingEr!


    As everyone waded through chest-deep water in darkness, the torches flickered dimly, illuminating only a narrow circle. Besides the darkness enveloping their eyes, the only sounds were the rushing water and asional dripping from above.


    At the moment, YingEr was cold, hungry, in severe pain, and terrified beyond measure, as if every day had be a year.


    Old Man Li silently followed behind, step by step, tracing Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s path without uttering a word.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Using the torch in his big brother¡¯s hand, Jiang Xiaocai saw fish swimming in the water. With his stomach already rebelling from hunger, he began salivating.


    ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m really hungry. There are fish in this underground river. Why don¡¯t we catch some to eat before we continue?¡±


    ¡°Stop messing around; we¡¯re on the run, not on a pic. What more do you want? A barbecue?¡± Jiang Dacai retorted irritably.


    ¡°Ah! If only we could have a couple of barbecue dishes right now, haha!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud.


    ¡°Be careful what you wish for. You might not even get to taste the barbecue before the soldiers catch up. When that happens, you can enjoy some free cooked dishes,¡± Old Man Li sarcastically jabbed him.


    ¡°You old bastard! Are you trying to provoke me to death? You think I can¡¯t share a grilled fish?¡± Jiang Xiaocai flew into a rage.


    ¡°Little brother, stop fooling around. Once we escape, there¡¯ll be no shortage of good food. At that time, I¡¯ll buy you whatever you want,¡± Big Brother promised.


    ¡°Fine! But that¡¯s what you said; you can¡¯t go back on your word!¡± Jiang Xiaocai finally softened up.


    In thest position, Old Man Li silently listened to the banter between the two brothers up ahead. Using the fire from the torch, he fiercely stabbed the sharp end of his crutch into the water, immediately pulling out a wriggling fish.


    As the Jiang brothers watched in shock, he grabbed the fish, took out a small knife, cut arge piece of flesh from its belly, and shoved it into his mouth, smacking his lips with gusto.<div>


    The fish struggled frantically, waving its tail, but couldn¡¯t match the speed of Old Man Li. Piece after piece of flesh entered his mouth.


    Jiang Xiaocai, starving for so long, now wanted to eat as Old Man Li did. Despite his big brother¡¯s disapproval, he tried and failed three times to catch a fish from the water. In the end, Old Man Li couldn¡¯t bear to watch any longer and caught another fish for Jiang Xiaocai.


    At this point, the two brothers didn¡¯t care if the fish was cooked or not. They were ravenous, and therge fish was quickly devoured.


    Finally, they threw the fish bones back into the river to destroy any trace of evidence.<div>


    Perhaps because of the fish, Jiang Xiaocai stopped cursing and instead began toin bitterly about the burden on his back.


    ¡°Big Brother, this little girl here, used to be our potential ticket to wealth, but now that our ns have been exposed, why do we still need her? It would be better to finish her with a knife.¡±


    Jiang Dacai felt helpless with his foolish younger brother.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. She¡¯s our protective amulet right now. If she dies and the soldiers outside catch up, who¡¯s going to face them? You?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine.¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai still refused to let it go, grumbling continuously.


    After following the underground river for a long time, the terrain suddenly changed, bing much tter.


    Jiang Dacai, leading the way, slowly left the river behind and began climbing up mountain rocks, continuing to move forward over the rugged terrain.


    Holding the torch in his hand, he had no trouble climbing the rocks. Jiang Xiaocai, carrying YingEr in the middle, found her an annoying burden and tied her onto his back with tree vines, making it much easier to move. Faced with a difficult path, he stopped cursing and focused on climbing step by step.


    Old Man Li, walking at the rear, had the hardest time. Already suffering from ame leg, climbing the rocks posed a significant challenge.


    Jiang Dacai, ahead of him, assumed he would hear Old Man Li call for help. But ncing back involuntarily, he was surprised to see the old man utilizing the difference between his disabled and good leg, lying t on the rocks, using both hands to vigorously w his way up, never falling behind.


    Jiang Dacai looked at Old Man Li with newfound respect.


    Who would have thought! Old Man Li was quite the tough guy! Despite the sharp rocks on the mountain resembling knife edges, cutting countless small wounds into his flesh, he obstinately refused to make a sound. He was one ruthless man, even ruthless toward himself!<div>


    Old Man Li was filled with determination!


    Initially, he had fallen into the whirlwind entrance and was dragged into the underground karst cave.


    At the time, he thought he was a dead man! Yet, unbelievably, he had survived. He didn¡¯t know how long it took before waking up at the bottom of the cave. Hisme leg resulted from being bitten by the Di Family¡¯s dead dog and then suffered swelling, rotting, and ultimately, permanent disability after soaking underground.


    But he couldn¡¯t ept it! He, Old Man Li, had yet to avenge his reckless wife! How could he die!


    He couldn¡¯t ept it, so he survived!


    He used his hands to climb, bit by bit. Along the way, everything he encountered became food: snails, slugs, mountain rats, snakes¡­ At the extremity of hunger, even soil, grass roots, tree barks, and leaves were shoved into his mouth.

 Chapter 654: 654: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 11)

    Chapter 654: Chapter 654: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 11)


    He really escaped to see the daylight!


    The moment he saw the blue sky, heughed, a madughter! Startling the birds on the mountains.


    Di Yelei! Liu Sisi! Old Man Li is back, I climbed out of hell! I¡¯ming to take your lives! Just wait for my insane revenge!


    But the ideal is plump, and the reality is too skinny!


    By the time he came to his senses, he had long left Macheng County, being washed far, far away by the underground river. It took him a full half a year, begging all the way, to return to Macheng County.


    What he never expected was that Di Yelei at this moment was no longer the original hunter, and Liu Sisi was no longer the original vige girl. They both became high-status in society, beyond his reach.


    He was anxious in his heart, but every moment he was lurking near Di Family¡¯s porridge shed, looking for an opportunity to strike.


    Because he knew that whether it was Liu Sisi or Di Yelei, they would eventuallye to the porridge shed.


    Unfortunately, he still didn¡¯t find any opportunity to attack, but he almost exposed his own traces! Watching the carriage leave, he could not help but curse the injustice of the heavens!


    Why should his big mouth die! And his enemies, both having wealth and children?<div>


    He couldn¡¯t ept it, couldn¡¯t ept it, couldn¡¯t ept it! Not willing to ept it!


    He couldn¡¯t sleep night after night, always looking for an opportunity to strike.


    Sure enough, hard work pays off! The persistence touched the heavens, and he finally found an opportunity when Di Ying was alone.


    After that, heunched his insane revenge!


    However, the n seemed to be well-prepared, but why did it go wrong?


    He struggled to grasp the mountain rock, just like when he climbed out of the underground, step by step he tried to catch up with the speed of the two people in front of him. He didn¡¯t ask for help, he tried not to be a burden, and in his heart, the three people in front of him were already equal to the dead!


    But those chasing behind Di Yelei took another path.


    Because in the crowd, there was Xiao Wen, who knew thendscape of these mountain caves and karst caves well.


    This underground karst cave extends in all directions. Apart from the path taken by Old Man Li and the others, there is another smaller path with rtively t terrain andparatively more winding.


    It was precisely because of this that Xiao Wen led everyone up that path.


    ¡°There are nine major caves in total, of which two can no longer be essed. The sevenrge caves are interconnected by numerous narrow corridors. The ceiling of therge caves is not visible, and in some ces one must lean on the side to pass through the narrow corridors. Moreover, there are smaller caves within therge karst caves,yered on top of each other. The caves are winding and vertically can be divided into three or fouryers. Stctites and stone pirs connect the upper and lower waterholes, making it hard to defend against.¡±


    ¡°If one falls into the waterholes inside, it will be extremely difficult to get out unless the person has extraordinary luck. Fortunately, this year is the dry season. The water level in the caves has dropped significantly, making it more convenient for us to search for people.¡± Xiao Wen continued.


    ¡°During the other seasons, there are running water and dripping water everywhere in the entire karst cave, and the underground river water will surge to fill the cave hall. At slopes and folded areas, the river water will gather and fall to form waterfalls in the karst caves. At that time, people can¡¯t enter at all.¡±


    ¡°As for the many bottomless pools in the cave, don¡¯t try to enter. There are not only huge rapids and whirlpools in there, but also many unnamed underwater creatures that excel at attacking. Moreover, they have lived in karst caves for generations and have long been ustomed to the dark environment of the caves; human power is too small in front of them.¡±


    ¡°Look over there!¡±


    Xiao Wen raised the torch high: ¡°There is a winding green dragon on the ceiling of the cave that has existed for countless years. Look, isn¡¯t it really beautiful?¡±


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help but look up closely. Under the illumination of several torches, they indeed saw countless stctites, stone pirs, stone mantles, stone flowers, and rock bamboosbined in various shapes and meandering endlessly, truly a sight where the dragon¡¯s head was not seen in front, nor the dragon¡¯s tail in back! The atmosphere was magnificent!


    ¡°So this ce is called Qinglong Cave, and also known as the hot and cold cave. It is because the cave is scorching hot on one side and cold as winter on the other. Even in summer, there are many animals in the cave, such as pythons, poisonous snakes, scorpions, mice, bats, hedgehogs, lizards¡­ and so on, it¡¯s not surprising to see them inside¡­¡±


    ¡°So, many times, what really kills people inside might just be a small poisonous spider¡­¡±<div>


    There are a lot of bats on this road. From time to time, you can hear the sound of bats flying, and asionally, one or two blind bats hit people¡¯s heads, or even released a ¡°delicacy¡± over their heads, truly ruining people¡¯s moods!


    The most annoying thing was that as they walked further back, the bats gathered in groups, apanied by a constant smell of sulfur, which made it almost impossible for people to open their eyes.


    ¡°Be careful, Your Honor. The smell here is very harmful to the throat and can be very ufortable if smelled for a long time.¡±


    Xiao Wen, the guide, exined carefully.<div>


    ¡°Speed up and pass through this area as soon as possible.¡±


    Di Yelei calmly asked, ¡°How long will it take to pass through this area at the fastest pace?¡±


    ¡°At least two cups of tea¡¯s time.¡±


    Xiao Wen answered, ¡°Everyone, be careful with your footing. There are many snakes in this cave, and even more poisonous snakes. Especially in hotter areas, there will be more poisonous snakes.¡±


    Here in the underground, the surroundings were pitch ck, and the torches flickered on and off, sometimes suddenly disappearing with a gust of cold wind, and then slowly burning after a moment, making it difficult for people to keep up their pace.


    Following behind, Zhang Peng alsomanded: ¡°Try to maintain a consistent distance with the person in front, and step on the same footsteps as the person before you, stepping heavier. The bamboo poles in your hands should be swung in front of you.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Usually, when there are snakes, the vibration of the ground surface will alert them and they will leave their original habitat. However, many poisonous snakes not only will not leave, but rather, prepare to attack humans.


    Di Yelei understood this as well and couldn¡¯t help but frown, quickening his pace.


    ¡­


    Old Man Li and the others finally gradually reached a rtively t area, but without waiting for Old Man Li to catch his breath, the terrain suddenly changed, starting to tilt downward and be a steep slope.


    Those who have climbed mountains know that going uphill is easy, while going downhill is difficult.


    Especially this kind of slope is even more difficult.


    Suddenly, the Old Man Li behind them didn¡¯t know what happened, but his feet slipped, and he rolled straight down the slope, tumbling uncontrobly.<div>

 Chapter 653: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 10)

    Chapter 653: Chapter 653: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 10)


    ¡°Old, ugly, andme ¨C no idea why Big Brother insisted on bringing you along. You¡¯re seriously slowing us down.¡±


    Old Man Li remained silent, moving forward quickly with the aid of his crutch, already sentencing this man to death in his heart.


    ¡°Hurry up! What are you dawdling for? We¡¯ve been walking for so long, and you¡¯ve hardly taken any steps. Do you even want to escape? You old bastard!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s curses flowed more smoothly as he grew bolder.


    ¡°Little brother, say a few less words!¡±


    Jiang Dacai couldn¡¯t help but scold him.


    What a fool. Couldn¡¯t he see the other man¡¯s face darkening?


    As their gazes met, he immediately became alert to Old Man Li¡¯s dangerous eyes. It seemed they needed to make their move first!


    Before long, the party reached the first underground hidden river.


    The water in this hidden river was unusually cold. As soon as they entered, they shivered uncontrobly, teeth chattering, unable to speak.


    Roused from her stupor by the ice-cold water, YingEr finally regained consciousness and began to struggle.


    ¡°Umm¡­um¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! If you keep screaming, I¡¯ll drown you in the river. We can still finish our task with a corpse, and it¡¯d be less trouble!¡± Jiang Xiaocai threatened her, causing YingEr¡¯s tears to fall in torrents, but she didn¡¯t dare cry out loud.


    Dad, Mom! Hurry and save me! YingEr was wrong, she won¡¯t run around again!


    Save YingEr!


    As everyone waded through chest-deep water in darkness, the torches flickered dimly, illuminating only a narrow circle. Besides the darkness enveloping their eyes, the only sounds were the rushing water and asional dripping from above.


    At the moment, YingEr was cold, hungry, in severe pain, and terrified beyond measure, as if every day had be a year.


    Old Man Li silently followed behind, step by step, tracing Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s path without uttering a word.


    Using the torch in his big brother¡¯s hand, Jiang Xiaocai saw fish swimming in the water. With his stomach already rebelling from hunger, he began salivating.


    ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m really hungry. There are fish in this underground river. Why don¡¯t we catch some to eat before we continue?¡±


    ¡°Stop messing around; we¡¯re on the run, not on a pic. What more do you want? A barbecue?¡± Jiang Dacai retorted irritably.


    ¡°Ah! If only we could have a couple of barbecue dishes right now, haha!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud.


    ¡°Be careful what you wish for. You might not even get to taste the barbecue before the soldiers catch up. When that happens, you can enjoy some free cooked dishes,¡± Old Man Li sarcastically jabbed him.


    ¡°You old bastard! Are you trying to provoke me to death? You think I can¡¯t share a grilled fish?¡± Jiang Xiaocai flew into a rage.


    ¡°Little brother, stop fooling around. Once we escape, there¡¯ll be no shortage of good food. At that time, I¡¯ll buy you whatever you want,¡± Big Brother promised.


    ¡°Fine! But that¡¯s what you said; you can¡¯t go back on your word!¡± Jiang Xiaocai finally softened up.


    In thest position, Old Man Li silently listened to the banter between the two brothers up ahead. Using the fire from the torch, he fiercely stabbed the sharp end of his crutch into the water, immediately pulling out a wriggling fish.


    As the Jiang brothers watched in shock, he grabbed the fish, took out a small knife, cut arge piece of flesh from its belly, and shoved it into his mouth, smacking his lips with gusto.


    The fish struggled frantically, waving its tail, but couldn¡¯t match the speed of Old Man Li. Piece after piece of flesh entered his mouth.


    Jiang Xiaocai, starving for so long, now wanted to eat as Old Man Li did. Despite his big brother¡¯s disapproval, he tried and failed three times to catch a fish from the water. In the end, Old Man Li couldn¡¯t bear to watch any longer and caught another fish for Jiang Xiaocai.


    At this point, the two brothers didn¡¯t care if the fish was cooked or not. They were ravenous, and therge fish was quickly devoured.


    Finally, they threw the fish bones back into the river to destroy any trace of evidence.


    Perhaps because of the fish, Jiang Xiaocai stopped cursing and instead began toin bitterly about the burden on his back.


    ¡°Big Brother, this little girl here, used to be our potential ticket to wealth, but now that our ns have been exposed, why do we still need her? It would be better to finish her with a knife.¡±


    Jiang Dacai felt helpless with his foolish younger brother.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. She¡¯s our protective amulet right now. If she dies and the soldiers outside catch up, who¡¯s going to face them? You?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine.¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai still refused to let it go, grumbling continuously.


    After following the underground river for a long time, the terrain suddenly changed, bing much tter.


    Jiang Dacai, leading the way, slowly left the river behind and began climbing up mountain rocks, continuing to move forward over the rugged terrain.


    Holding the torch in his hand, he had no trouble climbing the rocks. Jiang Xiaocai, carrying YingEr in the middle, found her an annoying burden and tied her onto his back with tree vines, making it much easier to move. Faced with a difficult path, he stopped cursing and focused on climbing step by step.


    Old Man Li, walking at the rear, had the hardest time. Already suffering from ame leg, climbing the rocks posed a significant challenge.


    Jiang Dacai, ahead of him, assumed he would hear Old Man Li call for help. But ncing back involuntarily, he was surprised to see the old man utilizing the difference between his disabled and good leg, lying t on the rocks, using both hands to vigorously w his way up, never falling behind.


    Jiang Dacai looked at Old Man Li with newfound respect.


    Who would have thought! Old Man Li was quite the tough guy! Despite the sharp rocks on the mountain resembling knife edges, cutting countless small wounds into his flesh, he obstinately refused to make a sound. He was one ruthless man, even ruthless toward himself!


    Old Man Li was filled with determination!


    Initially, he had fallen into the whirlwind entrance and was dragged into the underground karst cave.


    At the time, he thought he was a dead man! Yet, unbelievably, he had survived. He didn¡¯t know how long it took before waking up at the bottom of the cave. Hisme leg resulted from being bitten by the Di Family¡¯s dead dog and then suffered swelling, rotting, and ultimately, permanent disability after soaking underground.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But he couldn¡¯t ept it! He, Old Man Li, had yet to avenge his reckless wife! How could he die!


    He couldn¡¯t ept it, so he survived!


    He used his hands to climb, bit by bit. Along the way, everything he encountered became food: snails, slugs, mountain rats, snakes¡­ At the extremity of hunger, even soil, grass roots, tree barks, and leaves were shoved into his mouth.

 Chapter 654: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 11)

    Chapter 654: Chapter 654: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 11)


    He really escaped to see the daylight!


    The moment he saw the blue sky, heughed, a madughter! Startling the birds on the mountains.


    Di Yelei! Liu Sisi! Old Man Li is back, I climbed out of hell! I¡¯ming to take your lives! Just wait for my insane revenge!


    But the ideal is plump, and the reality is too skinny!


    By the time he came to his senses, he had long left Macheng County, being washed far, far away by the underground river. It took him a full half a year, begging all the way, to return to Macheng County.


    What he never expected was that Di Yelei at this moment was no longer the original hunter, and Liu Sisi was no longer the original vige girl. They both became high-status in society, beyond his reach.


    He was anxious in his heart, but every moment he was lurking near Di Family¡¯s porridge shed, looking for an opportunity to strike.


    Because he knew that whether it was Liu Sisi or Di Yelei, they would eventuallye to the porridge shed.


    Unfortunately, he still didn¡¯t find any opportunity to attack, but he almost exposed his own traces! Watching the carriage leave, he could not help but curse the injustice of the heavens!


    Why should his big mouth die! And his enemies, both having wealth and children?


    He couldn¡¯t ept it, couldn¡¯t ept it, couldn¡¯t ept it! Not willing to ept it!


    He couldn¡¯t sleep night after night, always looking for an opportunity to strike.


    Sure enough, hard work pays off! The persistence touched the heavens, and he finally found an opportunity when Di Ying was alone.


    After that, heunched his insane revenge!


    However, the n seemed to be well-prepared, but why did it go wrong?


    He struggled to grasp the mountain rock, just like when he climbed out of the underground, step by step he tried to catch up with the speed of the two people in front of him. He didn¡¯t ask for help, he tried not to be a burden, and in his heart, the three people in front of him were already equal to the dead!


    But those chasing behind Di Yelei took another path.


    Because in the crowd, there was Xiao Wen, who knew thendscape of these mountain caves and karst caves well.


    This underground karst cave extends in all directions. Apart from the path taken by Old Man Li and the others, there is another smaller path with rtively t terrain andparatively more winding.


    It was precisely because of this that Xiao Wen led everyone up that path.


    ¡°There are nine major caves in total, of which two can no longer be essed. The sevenrge caves are interconnected by numerous narrow corridors. The ceiling of therge caves is not visible, and in some ces one must lean on the side to pass through the narrow corridors. Moreover, there are smaller caves within therge karst caves,yered on top of each other. The caves are winding and vertically can be divided into three or fouryers. Stctites and stone pirs connect the upper and lower waterholes, making it hard to defend against.¡±


    ¡°If one falls into the waterholes inside, it will be extremely difficult to get out unless the person has extraordinary luck. Fortunately, this year is the dry season. The water level in the caves has dropped significantly, making it more convenient for us to search for people.¡± Xiao Wen continued.


    ¡°During the other seasons, there are running water and dripping water everywhere in the entire karst cave, and the underground river water will surge to fill the cave hall. At slopes and folded areas, the river water will gather and fall to form waterfalls in the karst caves. At that time, people can¡¯t enter at all.¡±


    ¡°As for the many bottomless pools in the cave, don¡¯t try to enter. There are not only huge rapids and whirlpools in there, but also many unnamed underwater creatures that excel at attacking. Moreover, they have lived in karst caves for generations and have long been ustomed to the dark environment of the caves; human power is too small in front of them.¡±


    ¡°Look over there!¡±


    Xiao Wen raised the torch high: ¡°There is a winding green dragon on the ceiling of the cave that has existed for countless years. Look, isn¡¯t it really beautiful?¡±


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help but look up closely. Under the illumination of several torches, they indeed saw countless stctites, stone pirs, stone mantles, stone flowers, and rock bamboosbined in various shapes and meandering endlessly, truly a sight where the dragon¡¯s head was not seen in front, nor the dragon¡¯s tail in back! The atmosphere was magnificent!


    ¡°So this ce is called Qinglong Cave, and also known as the hot and cold cave. It is because the cave is scorching hot on one side and cold as winter on the other. Even in summer, there are many animals in the cave, such as pythons, poisonous snakes, scorpions, mice, bats, hedgehogs, lizards¡­ and so on, it¡¯s not surprising to see them inside¡­¡±


    ¡°So, many times, what really kills people inside might just be a small poisonous spider¡­¡±


    There are a lot of bats on this road. From time to time, you can hear the sound of bats flying, and asionally, one or two blind bats hit people¡¯s heads, or even released a ¡°delicacy¡± over their heads, truly ruining people¡¯s moods!


    The most annoying thing was that as they walked further back, the bats gathered in groups, apanied by a constant smell of sulfur, which made it almost impossible for people to open their eyes.


    ¡°Be careful, Your Honor. The smell here is very harmful to the throat and can be very ufortable if smelled for a long time.¡±


    Xiao Wen, the guide, exined carefully.


    ¡°Speed up and pass through this area as soon as possible.¡±


    Di Yelei calmly asked, ¡°How long will it take to pass through this area at the fastest pace?¡±


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°At least two cups of tea¡¯s time.¡±


    Xiao Wen answered, ¡°Everyone, be careful with your footing. There are many snakes in this cave, and even more poisonous snakes. Especially in hotter areas, there will be more poisonous snakes.¡±


    Here in the underground, the surroundings were pitch ck, and the torches flickered on and off, sometimes suddenly disappearing with a gust of cold wind, and then slowly burning after a moment, making it difficult for people to keep up their pace.


    Following behind, Zhang Peng alsomanded: ¡°Try to maintain a consistent distance with the person in front, and step on the same footsteps as the person before you, stepping heavier. The bamboo poles in your hands should be swung in front of you.¡±


    Usually, when there are snakes, the vibration of the ground surface will alert them and they will leave their original habitat. However, many poisonous snakes not only will not leave, but rather, prepare to attack humans.


    Di Yelei understood this as well and couldn¡¯t help but frown, quickening his pace.


    ¡­


    Old Man Li and the others finally gradually reached a rtively t area, but without waiting for Old Man Li to catch his breath, the terrain suddenly changed, starting to tilt downward and be a steep slope.


    Those who have climbed mountains know that going uphill is easy, while going downhill is difficult.


    Especially this kind of slope is even more difficult.


    Suddenly, the Old Man Li behind them didn¡¯t know what happened, but his feet slipped, and he rolled straight down the slope, tumbling uncontrobly.

 Chapter 655: 655: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 12)

    Chapter 655: Chapter 655: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 12)


    ¡°Ouch! Help¡­quick, help me¡­ouch!¡±


    ¡°Uncle Li! Uh¡­¡±


    Jiang Dacai reaches out to grab Old Man Li, but he isn¡¯t fast enough to catch up with the rolling speed. The two tumble down the slope together, clutching each other.


    ¡°Big brother, big brother! Where are you?¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai panics and instinctively calls out for his big brother, quickly following them.


    Unfortunately, the torch in his big brother¡¯s hand goes out as they tumble, leaving him to move forwardpletely relying on his instinct and stumbling along the way.


    Ssh! Ssh-


    Old Man Li and Jiang Dacai roll down the slope and eventuallynd in the water.


    The crisp sound of them hitting the water echoes. It appears that they are not too far away from him.


    ¡°Cough cough¡­cough cough cough¡­ Save¡­me!¡±<div>


    Barely managing to poke his head out of the rapids, Old Man Li calls for help.


    ¡°Big brother! Big brother, where are you? Say something! Wait for me, I¡¯lle and save you right away!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai finally finds the water and instinctively reaches out to grope around in it.


    ¡°Save me¡ªcough, cough¡­¡±


    Old Man Li¡¯s voicees from not far away.


    ¡°Old Man Li, where¡¯s my big brother? Why hasn¡¯t he said anything?¡±


    In the darkness, Jiang Xiaocai intuitively asks his most curious question.


    ¡°Cough! I found him! I found him!¡±


    Excitement fills Old Man Li¡¯s voice for a moment before it turns to hesitation, ¡°But your big brother seems to have passed out. I don¡¯t know if he hit his head on some rocks along the way¡­ Cough, cough¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! Didn¡¯t you both fall together? Howe only my big brother passed out, but you¡¯re fine?¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai asks intuitively.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Big brother, big brother, wake up, wake up!¡±


    Old Man Li¡¯s calls can be heard.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the tinder? Light it up quickly!¡± Jiang Xiaocai urges impatiently.


    With a faint sound of blowing, a tiny spark finally shines in the darkness, allowing the two to see their surroundings.


    They are next to a rushing stream, and the tramp¡¯s big brother indeed lies unconscious on a rock by the shore, not moving. Old Man Li squats not far away from him, holding the flint and squinting around.


    ¡°You old scoundrel! How dare you harm my big brother!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai rushes over and pounces at Old Man Li.


    ¡°Ouch! Ouch, let go, let go! I didn¡¯t do anything to your big brother, you can¡¯t wrong a good person!¡± Old Man Li tries to exin.<div>


    ¡°You damned old man, shut up! Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that you¡¯re always plotting against us. Tell me, how did you harm my big brother?¡± His fists are relentless, eachnding with a thud.


    ¡°Ouch! Your big brother is still alive. How can you say that I¡¯ve harmed him? You¡¯d better get this straight!¡± Old Man Li tries to defend himself.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°He¡¯s still alive?¡± Jiang Xiaocai finally stops his assault.


    Old Man Li covers his face, crying in pain, ¡°Ouch! Why didn¡¯t you check it yourself? Ouch, it hurts so much!¡±<div>


    Jiang Xiaocai reaches out and touches a warm body, still doubting.


    ¡°Big brother, big brother, wake up!¡±


    He calls out for him as he examines his big brother¡¯s body, carefully checking for injuries. While he finds many small scratches, there is no obvious wound. What¡¯s strange is that his big brother doesn¡¯t wake up no matter how much he is called.


    Old Man Li nearby keeps eximing, ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t harm him. He just passed out for some reason. Maybe he hit his head when he fell.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You have no right to speak here!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai still doesn¡¯t give up and continues to call for his big brother.


    Old Man Li approaches, ¡°The pursuing troops are catching up. How about this¨CI¡¯ll carry your big brother, and we¡¯d better get going¡­¡±


    ¡°Get lost! Who needs you to carry him?¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai gives him a re and proceeds to untie YingEr from his back.


    He then pushes YingEr towards Old Man Li, ¡°Hurry up and carry her, let¡¯s go!¡±


    After retying YingEr to Old Man Li¡¯s back, Jiang Xiaocai carries his big brother with the torch and continues wading through the water.


    They¡¯ve spent quite a while on the road, and they don¡¯t know how close the pursuing troops are.


    As Old Man Li walks behind Jiang Xiaocai, he can¡¯t help butugh coldly in his heart.<div>


    As dumb as a pig!


    He managed to deceive him so easily!


    Jiang Xiaocai was indeed right. Jiang Dacai had been sabotaged by Old Man Li.


    Calcting his move carefully, Old Man Li knows that it¡¯s difficult for someone to stop on such a steep slope. As they tumble down, he grabs Jiang Dacai and makes the patterned snake in his hand bite him.


    This patterned snake is a unique local species. Its skin color resembles the color of Old Man Li¡¯s crutch, and they didn¡¯t notice it concealed in his hand as they walked in the dark.


    When bitten by this snake, the victim remains conscious, though unable to speak. Their body gradually turns blue as the poison spreads rapidly, killing them within four or five hours if left untreated.


    The cave is too dark to see properly, and without an obvious injury, Jiang Xiaocai simply curses Old Man Li a few times after he sees his big brother still alive, thus letting him go.


    However, Old Man Li feels a little uneasy. Since Jiang Xiaocai had looked all over for a wound and failed to find one, where exactly did his snake bite Jiang Dacai?


    Afterward, Old Man Li deliberately mentions that he¡¯s willing to carry Jiang Dacai. Given Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s temperament, he naturally refuses him.


    Instead, as he initially nned, he carries Di Ying while Jiang Xiaocai carries his big brother on his back.


    Di Ying is small and light, easy to carry. However, Jiang Xiaocai struggles to walk with his big brother on his back.


    The water in the second underground river flows rapidly, making each step difficult. With the support from the water, his big brother doesn¡¯t feel heavy.


    Finally reaching the shore, Jiang Dacai feels the weight of his big brother, as heavy as a rock, making every step forward a struggle.<div>


    For this reason, Jiang Xiaocai fails to notice the ckening of Jiang Dacai¡¯s face on his back.


    Walking at the back, Old Man Li feels particrly light-hearted. He pretends to pant while secretly untying Di Ying from his back.


    ¡°Jiang Xiaocai, how much longer until we reach the exit? I¡¯m old andmed, and I¡¯m carrying someone too. I can¡¯t walk anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°What are youining about?¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai is struggling to walk. Hearing this only makes him angry!

 Chapter 656: 656: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 13)

    Chapter 656: Chapter 656: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 13)


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen that I¡¯m still carrying a grown man? Just three more turns ahead is the exit. Walk faster, we¡¯re almost there!¡±


    But as he spoke, his impatience grew, and his footsteps could hardly carry him any further. It felt like the big brother he was carrying on his back was as heavy as a dead body.


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    The gloomy voice of Old Man Li came from behind.


    ¡°You¡¯re so annoying! Old Man Li, you¡­¡±


    Before Jiang Xiaocai could understand the situation, a whistling sound rushed straight to his head.


    He instinctively dodged on the side, but the weight of Jiang Dacai on his back has almost drained all his strength, making his reaction slow.


    The whistling sound hit him right on the head, and he didn¡¯t even have a chance to let out a moan. He only felt a buzzing sound in his head, and his legs went weak, causing him to fall to the ground. The fire light was extinguished in an instant.


    Seize your life when you are sick!


    Old Man Li scored a hit with his stick and now was even more relentless. He picked up his crutch and kept swinging it at the ce where hest saw Jiang Xiaocai fall!<div>


    Bang, bang, bang! ¡ª¡ª


    The sound of sticks echoed in the darkness, making it even more creepy.


    Suddenly, he felt his swinging crutch was caught by someone, and before he could even react, a strong force came from the crutch, entangling his arm and pressing against his throat.


    ¡°Well, you old ghost Li! I knew you were not a good guy! How dare you betray me! Watch me take your life!¡± Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s counterattack hit right on target, showing no mercy at all.


    How could Old Man Li let it go just like that?


    At this moment, he was also suffocated in his heart, and the desire to survive made him struggle desperately.


    ¡°You¡¯re good! Don¡¯t think I¡¯m easy to deal with! I¡¯ve eaten more salt than you¡¯ve had rice. You two brothers are scheming against me! I am not easily beaten! Since we¡¯vee this far today, it¡¯s either you die or I perish! You bastard, how dare you use your full strength¡­¡±


    ¡°You old devil! Did you harm my big brother? I¡¯ll kill you, son of a bitch!¡±


    The two fought fiercely, each trying to overpower the other, using as much strength as they could muster.


    In the darkness, the two fought for who knew how long, and Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s powerful punches left bruises with every hit. Old Man Li was small in stature, but despite being ame man, he was unusually agile, skilled enough to livefortably on the beggar¡¯s heap. As they fought back and forth, Jiang Xiaocai had the disadvantage of being a bigger target.


    Neither of the two fighters noticed that the unconscious Di Ying had already woken up.


    The noise of cursing and fighting ahead had frightened her. She wanted to cry but didn¡¯t dare to make a sound.


    The instinct to survive made her retreat cautiously and, after gradually distancing herself from the two, she hurried back toward the depths of the cave, soon disappearing into the darkness.


    ¡°Mom, where are you! Come save YingEr! Wah wah¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, the two fighters continued to beat each other, oblivious to themotion around them.


    As the two continued their fierce battle, Di Yelei and his group frantically pursued through the cave.


    ¡°Wait! Everyone, stop.¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly halted, stopping the group in their tracks: ¡°Everyone, stand still!¡±


    After speaking, he immediately prostrated himself on the ground, listening to the soundsing from the ground. Numerous pairs of eyes fell on him.<div>


    A momentter, Di Yelei sprang up from the ground: ¡°The sound ising from over there. Xiao Wen, you¡¯re familiar with the cave structure and topography. How far away are the soundsing from and what¡¯s the distance between us?¡±


    ¡°Over there? If it¡¯sing from that direction, then we¡¯re not on the same path. The caves in this mountain are like spider webs, intersecting in many directions. Of course, many are dead ends ¨C without a guide, you may wander inside for a long time, only to find yourself going in circles. We¡¯re currently taking the longer but tter route, while they should be on another dangerous path. The path over there is not easy to walk.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes brightened! No wonder they hadn¡¯t met anyone after chasing for so long.


    ¡°Then, can we take a detour to that path?¡±<div>


    ¡°So, your n is to catch up with the others on the other path? That may be difficult. Although the exits of these two paths are at the same entrance, they are hardly essible in-between. If one is not careful, they could get stuck inside and never find a way out again.¡±


    Xiao Wen seemed hesitant.


    Zhang Yun beside him anxiously squeezed over: ¡°Is there any way to get there quickly?¡±


    Xiao Wen nced back at the crowd behind him and hesitated to say: ¡°¡­ There is, but it¡¯s too risky. Also, that path is very dangerous and difficult to walk on, so having more people will only get in the way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy to solve. Let a few strong peoplee with us, and the rest can continue along this path out of the cave.¡±


    Di Yelei gave the order directly.


    As Di Yelei and others split off into a small team to chase the sound, the battle between the other two exhausted men eventually wound down.


    At this moment, Old Man Li was pressed against the cave wall, lessening his presence.


    While Jiang Xiaocai was also silent, carefully concealing his position. Both men wished death upon the other.


    Disturbing sounds echoed through the cave ¨C ¡°drip, drip¡± ¨C as water droplets fell into a pond, making the cave seem more empty, silent, and stifling.


    What was most unbearable was the pitch-ck darkness that enveloped them. They could not see their hands in front of their faces.


    Old Man Li silently squatted down, groped around, and grabbed a small stone, throwing it to the other side.


    As the sound echoed, Jiang Xiaocai was moved. He leaped towards the source of the sound.<div>


    However, he caught nothing!


    Damn it!


    He quickly retreated a few steps, but it was still toote. From behind, a flurry of stick strikes assaulted his spine and head¡­


    His body swayed a few times and then could no longer hold, falling to the ground.


    Old Man Li didn¡¯t hold back his attack ¨C after he had no strength left, he copsed to the ground, gasping for breath.


    Did the other man die?


    His whole body began to convulse, and after struggling to regte his breath, he lit the fire torch again to find out.


    Under the illumination of the fire, he saw Jiang Xiaocai drenched in blood, lying unconscious in a pool of it, not moving at all.


    Old Man Li carefully moved the torch closer, inspecting the scene, and suddenly, something frightened him, making him jump!

 Chapter 655: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 12)

    Chapter 655: Chapter 655: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 12)


    ¡°Ouch! Help¡­quick, help me¡­ouch!¡±


    ¡°Uncle Li! Uh¡­¡±


    Jiang Dacai reaches out to grab Old Man Li, but he isn¡¯t fast enough to catch up with the rolling speed. The two tumble down the slope together, clutching each other.


    ¡°Big brother, big brother! Where are you?¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai panics and instinctively calls out for his big brother, quickly following them.


    Unfortunately, the torch in his big brother¡¯s hand goes out as they tumble, leaving him to move forwardpletely relying on his instinct and stumbling along the way.


    Ssh! Ssh-


    Old Man Li and Jiang Dacai roll down the slope and eventuallynd in the water.


    The crisp sound of them hitting the water echoes. It appears that they are not too far away from him.


    ¡°Cough cough¡­cough cough cough¡­ Save¡­me!¡±


    Barely managing to poke his head out of the rapids, Old Man Li calls for help.


    ¡°Big brother! Big brother, where are you? Say something! Wait for me, I¡¯lle and save you right away!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai finally finds the water and instinctively reaches out to grope around in it.


    ¡°Save me¡ªcough, cough¡­¡±


    Old Man Li¡¯s voicees from not far away.


    ¡°Old Man Li, where¡¯s my big brother? Why hasn¡¯t he said anything?¡±


    In the darkness, Jiang Xiaocai intuitively asks his most curious question.


    ¡°Cough! I found him! I found him!¡±


    Excitement fills Old Man Li¡¯s voice for a moment before it turns to hesitation, ¡°But your big brother seems to have passed out. I don¡¯t know if he hit his head on some rocks along the way¡­ Cough, cough¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! Didn¡¯t you both fall together? Howe only my big brother passed out, but you¡¯re fine?¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai asks intuitively.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Big brother, big brother, wake up, wake up!¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Old Man Li¡¯s calls can be heard.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the tinder? Light it up quickly!¡± Jiang Xiaocai urges impatiently.


    With a faint sound of blowing, a tiny spark finally shines in the darkness, allowing the two to see their surroundings.


    They are next to a rushing stream, and the tramp¡¯s big brother indeed lies unconscious on a rock by the shore, not moving. Old Man Li squats not far away from him, holding the flint and squinting around.


    ¡°You old scoundrel! How dare you harm my big brother!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai rushes over and pounces at Old Man Li.


    ¡°Ouch! Ouch, let go, let go! I didn¡¯t do anything to your big brother, you can¡¯t wrong a good person!¡± Old Man Li tries to exin.


    ¡°You damned old man, shut up! Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that you¡¯re always plotting against us. Tell me, how did you harm my big brother?¡± His fists are relentless, eachnding with a thud.


    ¡°Ouch! Your big brother is still alive. How can you say that I¡¯ve harmed him? You¡¯d better get this straight!¡± Old Man Li tries to defend himself.


    ¡°He¡¯s still alive?¡± Jiang Xiaocai finally stops his assault.


    Old Man Li covers his face, crying in pain, ¡°Ouch! Why didn¡¯t you check it yourself? Ouch, it hurts so much!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai reaches out and touches a warm body, still doubting.


    ¡°Big brother, big brother, wake up!¡±


    He calls out for him as he examines his big brother¡¯s body, carefully checking for injuries. While he finds many small scratches, there is no obvious wound. What¡¯s strange is that his big brother doesn¡¯t wake up no matter how much he is called.


    Old Man Li nearby keeps eximing, ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t harm him. He just passed out for some reason. Maybe he hit his head when he fell.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You have no right to speak here!¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai still doesn¡¯t give up and continues to call for his big brother.


    Old Man Li approaches, ¡°The pursuing troops are catching up. How about this¨CI¡¯ll carry your big brother, and we¡¯d better get going¡­¡±


    ¡°Get lost! Who needs you to carry him?¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai gives him a re and proceeds to untie YingEr from his back.


    He then pushes YingEr towards Old Man Li, ¡°Hurry up and carry her, let¡¯s go!¡±


    After retying YingEr to Old Man Li¡¯s back, Jiang Xiaocai carries his big brother with the torch and continues wading through the water.


    They¡¯ve spent quite a while on the road, and they don¡¯t know how close the pursuing troops are.


    As Old Man Li walks behind Jiang Xiaocai, he can¡¯t help butugh coldly in his heart.


    As dumb as a pig!


    He managed to deceive him so easily!


    Jiang Xiaocai was indeed right. Jiang Dacai had been sabotaged by Old Man Li.


    Calcting his move carefully, Old Man Li knows that it¡¯s difficult for someone to stop on such a steep slope. As they tumble down, he grabs Jiang Dacai and makes the patterned snake in his hand bite him.


    This patterned snake is a unique local species. Its skin color resembles the color of Old Man Li¡¯s crutch, and they didn¡¯t notice it concealed in his hand as they walked in the dark.


    When bitten by this snake, the victim remains conscious, though unable to speak. Their body gradually turns blue as the poison spreads rapidly, killing them within four or five hours if left untreated.


    The cave is too dark to see properly, and without an obvious injury, Jiang Xiaocai simply curses Old Man Li a few times after he sees his big brother still alive, thus letting him go.


    However, Old Man Li feels a little uneasy. Since Jiang Xiaocai had looked all over for a wound and failed to find one, where exactly did his snake bite Jiang Dacai?


    Afterward, Old Man Li deliberately mentions that he¡¯s willing to carry Jiang Dacai. Given Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s temperament, he naturally refuses him.


    Instead, as he initially nned, he carries Di Ying while Jiang Xiaocai carries his big brother on his back.


    Di Ying is small and light, easy to carry. However, Jiang Xiaocai struggles to walk with his big brother on his back.


    The water in the second underground river flows rapidly, making each step difficult. With the support from the water, his big brother doesn¡¯t feel heavy.


    Finally reaching the shore, Jiang Dacai feels the weight of his big brother, as heavy as a rock, making every step forward a struggle.


    For this reason, Jiang Xiaocai fails to notice the ckening of Jiang Dacai¡¯s face on his back.


    Walking at the back, Old Man Li feels particrly light-hearted. He pretends to pant while secretly untying Di Ying from his back.


    ¡°Jiang Xiaocai, how much longer until we reach the exit? I¡¯m old andmed, and I¡¯m carrying someone too. I can¡¯t walk anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°What are youining about?¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai is struggling to walk. Hearing this only makes him angry!

 Chapter 656: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 13)

    Chapter 656: Chapter 656: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 13)


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen that I¡¯m still carrying a grown man? Just three more turns ahead is the exit. Walk faster, we¡¯re almost there!¡±


    But as he spoke, his impatience grew, and his footsteps could hardly carry him any further. It felt like the big brother he was carrying on his back was as heavy as a dead body.


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    The gloomy voice of Old Man Li came from behind.


    ¡°You¡¯re so annoying! Old Man Li, you¡­¡±


    Before Jiang Xiaocai could understand the situation, a whistling sound rushed straight to his head.


    He instinctively dodged on the side, but the weight of Jiang Dacai on his back has almost drained all his strength, making his reaction slow.


    The whistling sound hit him right on the head, and he didn¡¯t even have a chance to let out a moan. He only felt a buzzing sound in his head, and his legs went weak, causing him to fall to the ground. The fire light was extinguished in an instant.


    Seize your life when you are sick!


    Old Man Li scored a hit with his stick and now was even more relentless. He picked up his crutch and kept swinging it at the ce where hest saw Jiang Xiaocai fall!


    Bang, bang, bang! ¡ª¡ª


    The sound of sticks echoed in the darkness, making it even more creepy.


    Suddenly, he felt his swinging crutch was caught by someone, and before he could even react, a strong force came from the crutch, entangling his arm and pressing against his throat.


    ¡°Well, you old ghost Li! I knew you were not a good guy! How dare you betray me! Watch me take your life!¡± Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s counterattack hit right on target, showing no mercy at all.


    How could Old Man Li let it go just like that?


    At this moment, he was also suffocated in his heart, and the desire to survive made him struggle desperately.


    ¡°You¡¯re good! Don¡¯t think I¡¯m easy to deal with! I¡¯ve eaten more salt than you¡¯ve had rice. You two brothers are scheming against me! I am not easily beaten! Since we¡¯vee this far today, it¡¯s either you die or I perish! You bastard, how dare you use your full strength¡­¡±


    ¡°You old devil! Did you harm my big brother? I¡¯ll kill you, son of a bitch!¡±


    The two fought fiercely, each trying to overpower the other, using as much strength as they could muster.


    In the darkness, the two fought for who knew how long, and Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s powerful punches left bruises with every hit. Old Man Li was small in stature, but despite being ame man, he was unusually agile, skilled enough to livefortably on the beggar¡¯s heap. As they fought back and forth, Jiang Xiaocai had the disadvantage of being a bigger target.


    Neither of the two fighters noticed that the unconscious Di Ying had already woken up.


    The noise of cursing and fighting ahead had frightened her. She wanted to cry but didn¡¯t dare to make a sound.


    The instinct to survive made her retreat cautiously and, after gradually distancing herself from the two, she hurried back toward the depths of the cave, soon disappearing into the darkness.


    ¡°Mom, where are you! Come save YingEr! Wah wah¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, the two fighters continued to beat each other, oblivious to themotion around them.


    As the two continued their fierce battle, Di Yelei and his group frantically pursued through the cave.


    ¡°Wait! Everyone, stop.¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly halted, stopping the group in their tracks: ¡°Everyone, stand still!¡±


    After speaking, he immediately prostrated himself on the ground, listening to the soundsing from the ground. Numerous pairs of eyes fell on him.


    A momentter, Di Yelei sprang up from the ground: ¡°The sound ising from over there. Xiao Wen, you¡¯re familiar with the cave structure and topography. How far away are the soundsing from and what¡¯s the distance between us?¡±


    ¡°Over there? If it¡¯sing from that direction, then we¡¯re not on the same path. The caves in this mountain are like spider webs, intersecting in many directions. Of course, many are dead ends ¨C without a guide, you may wander inside for a long time, only to find yourself going in circles. We¡¯re currently taking the longer but tter route, while they should be on another dangerous path. The path over there is not easy to walk.¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes brightened! No wonder they hadn¡¯t met anyone after chasing for so long.


    ¡°Then, can we take a detour to that path?¡±


    ¡°So, your n is to catch up with the others on the other path? That may be difficult. Although the exits of these two paths are at the same entrance, they are hardly essible in-between. If one is not careful, they could get stuck inside and never find a way out again.¡±


    Xiao Wen seemed hesitant.


    Zhang Yun beside him anxiously squeezed over: ¡°Is there any way to get there quickly?¡±


    Xiao Wen nced back at the crowd behind him and hesitated to say: ¡°¡­ There is, but it¡¯s too risky. Also, that path is very dangerous and difficult to walk on, so having more people will only get in the way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy to solve. Let a few strong peoplee with us, and the rest can continue along this path out of the cave.¡±


    Di Yelei gave the order directly.


    As Di Yelei and others split off into a small team to chase the sound, the battle between the other two exhausted men eventually wound down.


    At this moment, Old Man Li was pressed against the cave wall, lessening his presence.


    While Jiang Xiaocai was also silent, carefully concealing his position. Both men wished death upon the other.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Disturbing sounds echoed through the cave ¨C ¡°drip, drip¡± ¨C as water droplets fell into a pond, making the cave seem more empty, silent, and stifling.


    What was most unbearable was the pitch-ck darkness that enveloped them. They could not see their hands in front of their faces.


    Old Man Li silently squatted down, groped around, and grabbed a small stone, throwing it to the other side.


    As the sound echoed, Jiang Xiaocai was moved. He leaped towards the source of the sound.


    However, he caught nothing!


    Damn it!


    He quickly retreated a few steps, but it was still toote. From behind, a flurry of stick strikes assaulted his spine and head¡­


    His body swayed a few times and then could no longer hold, falling to the ground.


    Old Man Li didn¡¯t hold back his attack ¨C after he had no strength left, he copsed to the ground, gasping for breath.


    Did the other man die?


    His whole body began to convulse, and after struggling to regte his breath, he lit the fire torch again to find out.


    Under the illumination of the fire, he saw Jiang Xiaocai drenched in blood, lying unconscious in a pool of it, not moving at all.


    Old Man Li carefully moved the torch closer, inspecting the scene, and suddenly, something frightened him, making him jump!

 Chapter 657: 657: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 14)

    Chapter 657: Chapter 657: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 14)


    ¡°Oh! My goodness!¡±


    He was so scared that he rolled and crawled away, rolling on the ground twice, before stopping against the karst cave wall, not knowing when he had dropped the torch in his hand.


    His heart thumped violently!


    Extreme panic almost scared him to death, even his vicious heart was visibly startled by the scene before him!


    Jiang Xiaocai looked extremely miserable at the moment!


    Hey drenched in blood, half of his face had caved in, one of his eyeballs had been blown out, the pitch-ck eye socket looked like a ck hole, swallowing one¡¯s consciousness. Not a single part of his face was intact.


    It took Old Man Li a long time to catch his breath! Finally, he had solved a big problem in his heart, and escaped a disaster.


    But then anger followed!


    ¡°Damn it! Weren¡¯t you always trying to take my Old Man Li¡¯s life? Now you¡¯ve yed with your own life and should be happy, right? Serves you right!¡±


    Old Man Li couldn¡¯t help but curse aloud.<div>


    He encouraged himself.


    He wiped his face, and only at this moment did he feel terrified!


    If he hadn¡¯t been a little cunning just now, he would have been a ghost under the other¡¯s knife.


    No way!


    He didn¡¯t know how far the sounds of the previous fight had spread, so he couldn¡¯t stay here any longer!


    It was only then that he picked up the flint again and tried to ignite the torch. It took him several attempts to finally light it up.


    He raised the torch and searched carefully. He was sure that he had put Di Ying against the wall earlier, but now he couldn¡¯t find anyone no matter how hard he looked.


    ¡°Damn, where¡¯s the person? Did they run away?¡±


    He wanted to search, but there were karst caves everywhere, and even if he wanted to look, he didn¡¯t know where to start. He looked up at the depths of the cave, and then looked in the direction of the exit, finally gritting his teeth.


    ¡°This cave is full of poisonous snakes, scorpions, and the like. If you run out of the cave, there may be a way to survive. If you go deeper into the cave, that¡¯s really a dead end.¡±


    ¡°What a pity, how pitiful! So young and already dying, don¡¯t me Grandpa Li for being ruthless, me it on yourself for being born in the wrong ce and choosing the wrong family!¡±


    With that, he casually tidied up and searched Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s body for a few copper coins. Then he continued towards the exit.


    He didn¡¯t want to look at Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s disfigured face and the ck hole on it anymore.


    As for Jiang Dacai, he looked for him in the midst of his busy schedule but did not see anyone. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little more cautious. Could something have gone wrong?


    Inside the official residence.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t sleep at all, tossing and turning for a long time, she finally got up from the head of the bed and walked outside.


    ¡°Old Cheng! Old Cheng!¡±


    She called out several times, and Old Cheng quickly jogged over from the other side.


    ¡°Madam!¡±<div>


    ¡°Take Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua with you, we¡¯re going out of the city!¡± Liu Sisi was serious.


    ¡°Now? The city gate is closed at this time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s just a city gate, can it stop me, Liu Sisi, from going out? Go, get ready quickly!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi instructed firmly.<div>


    Soon, Old Cheng prepared a carriage, took Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua along, as well as a few skilled men. Moreover, he also brought Granny Hu and Ms. Gao.


    Liu Sisi looked up and said, ¡°You, you, you, and you stay behind, the rest can leave. Granny Hu, you stay too. Everything at home mustn¡¯t be in chaos, especially the three children at home. It¡¯s going to be hard work for you. Ms. Gao,e with me.¡±


    After she casually ordered, she directly led Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua onto the carriage.


    Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua seemed to know that they were going out, and kept making whimpering noises in their mouths.


    Everyone hurriedly followed, riding the carriage straight to the South City Gate.


    As Old Cheng had said, the South City Gate was ajar at the moment, the drawbridge was being raised high, and the soldiers guarding the city were patrolling back and forth on the city wall.


    As soon as the carriage approached the city gate, the soldiers guarding the city noticed it.


    ¡°Who approaches? Now is the curfew within the city. Who wants to leave?¡±


    Liu Sisi crawled out of the carriage and casually handed over a token: ¡°It¡¯s me! This is an exit token, please verify it.¡±


    Because of the distance, it was impossible to see who was actually in the carriage.


    The people at the top of the city wall seemed to talk for a moment before a soldier came down to take the token from Liu Sisi¡¯s hand and quickly walked back up to the city wall.


    A littleter, a small group of troops descended from the city wall, with their leader carefully sizing up the carriage.


    ¡°Where did you get this token? Macheng County hasn¡¯t seen its transfer order for years, and if any problems ur, I can¡¯t be held responsible.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi directly opened the carriage curtain and sneered!


    ¡°I can¡¯t even leave the city?¡±


    ¡°Mrs¡­Mrs Di?¡±


    The leader obviously recognized Liu Sisi, with a surprised look. He then recalled the news that he had heard yesterday about the incident with Di Family¡¯s Second Young Master and a sense of understanding shed in his eyes.


    He quickly kneeled down on one knee and greeted her: ¡°Subordinate pays respects to Madam!¡±


    ¡°Do you know me?¡± Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Madam once appeared at the porridge shed, and the subordinate was fortunate enough to have seen Madam¡¯s face.¡±


    The leader was respectful: ¡°However, even if Madam personallyes, guarding the city gate is the responsibility of the subordinate. Please pardon me, Madam, I really cannot let you leave the city.¡±


    ¡°Then what if I the Madam forcefully breaks through?¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s tone was heavy.


    The leader¡¯s head lowered even more: ¡°Then Madam will have to step on my head to pass.¡±


    ¡°Is your headfortable to step on? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh! She couldn¡¯t believe that Ye Lei¡¯s subordinate was such a loyal man! She made sure to remember him.


    ¡°Subordinate Qi Yuanzheng!¡±<div>


    ¡°A good name, Qi Yuanzheng! Well, I the Madam remember you!¡±


    Liu Sisiughed loudly and took something out of her arms: ¡°Qi Yuanzheng, see what I have in my hand? Can I still leave the city now?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Qi Yuanzheng slowly looked up and immediately gasped! What Liu Sisi held in her hand was none other than an Imperial Decree!


    ¡°Open the city gate! Quickly lower the drawbridge!¡± His voice was full of panic.


    ¡°Thank you, Lord Qi, for your generosity. If there is any misunderstanding on my part today, just put the me on I, the Prefecture Princess! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    She waved her hand and directly lowered the sedan curtain.


    Prefecture Princess?


    The leader inhaled a breath of cold air!


    So, Captain Di¡¯s wife turned out to be the Prefecture Princess? This explosive news was truly shocking to the heart.


    ¡°Quick! Quickly lower the drawbridge!¡±


    When the leader gave the order, he watched the drawbridge descend slowly, and the carriage sped out of the south gate, soon disappearing into the darkness.


    It took him quite a while toe back to his senses.


    <div>

 Chapter 658: 658: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 15)

    Chapter 658: Chapter 658: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 15)


    By the time the city gate closed again, Qi Yuanzheng had changed his post. The surrounding city defense officers and soldiers finally began to whisper.


    ¡°My goodness! So Lord Qi will also act on personal considerations, and secretly open the city gate. That¡¯s so strange!¡±


    ¡°I think the key is what Mrs. Di showed to Lord Qi at the end. What do you think it was that actually changed Lord Qi¡¯s face?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that, but it must be something extraordinary.¡± Wasn¡¯t that obvious?


    ¡°Turns out Mrs. Di is actually a Prefecture Princess! No wonder she has risen step by step! The Princess was once so close to me, if only she was mine back then¡­¡±


    ¡°Cut it out! Stop daydreaming! You should take a good look at yourself in the urine you sprinkled, would you be able to marry a Prefecture Princess?¡±


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I marry a Prefecture Princess? It¡¯s because you¡¯re ignorant, huh!¡±


    Another team came to take over, and also joined the conversation: ¡°Early on, people said that the Imperial Envoy hade and issued a decree. Your news is too dyed, so you don¡¯t know about it.¡±


    ¡°Really? Please tell me more about that¡­¡±


    Suddenly, he began to gain momentum and dragged him into the city tower.<div>


    Liu Sisi, riding in a carriage, quickly arrived near the City God Temple.


    A bonfire was burning here, and countless soldiers were surrounding the ¡°Miss of Di Family,¡±pletely encircling the Huangcheng City Temple.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s arrival brought joy to the crowd, who quickly cleared the path for her to enter the temple.


    Inside the temple, Di Xuan, disguised as YingEr and protected by several close guards, could not help but call out in a soft voice when she saw Liu Sisi: ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°Hush! Don¡¯t talk. What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    Of course, Liu Sisi¡¯sst sentence was directed at the surrounding guards.


    The guard hurriedly exined the situation: ¡°Your Honor and some agile people have entered the cave, and they haven¡¯te out yet.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up at the cave entrance and then at the sky with the moon at its zenith, nodding slightly.


    ¡°Well, I understand. How long have they been inside?¡±


    ¡°They went in just after it got dark, and it is almost midnight now. They have been inside for about six hours.¡±


    Six hours? YingEr has been missing for a full day, but no news hase. Could something really have gone wrong?


    Liu Sisi felt more and more uneasy, looking up at the invisible cave entrance, as if there was a mysterious force calling her up.


    ¡°Most of you stay here to protect thedy. A few more,e with me to have a look.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mom, I¡­ I want to go too!¡±


    Di Xuan hesitated, but his face was extremely determined.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment and finally shook her head: ¡°No, you have to stay! YingEr is missing, which is already my dereliction of duty as a mother. If something happens to you, how can I exin it to your father? Just listen and stay here.¡±


    ¡°No! YingEr¡­ cough¡­ it was wrong of my brother to disappear, and it is my fault. If you don¡¯t take me, I will go in by myself. In any case, I must find her!¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s voice was particrly determined.<div>


    This child¡¯s stubbornness was just like Di Yelei!


    Liu Sisi sighed secretly: ¡°Okay, if youe with me, you must not go too far from me. At least stay where I can see you, understand?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Di Xuan naturally agreed. As for what happened when he really went up, it was not something she could control.<div>


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t bring many people, just casually picked a few skilled hands, and led them to climb towards the cave entrance.


    As these people were climbing, Di Yelei and his men, guided by Xiao Wen, took a shortcut to chase the direction where the sound hade from earlier.


    Xiao Wen seemed to be very familiar with the cave, moving in and out, climbing rocks and slopes with agility.


    He led everyone almost along the cliff, walking on the slippery moss that was difficult to grasp. Their feet asionally slipped, almost falling into the abyss below that could not be seen.


    The scare made everyone break out in cold sweat! They also climbed mountains and waded water in the cave.


    ¡°I used toe into this cave to y when I was a kid. There are two underground rivers in the cave, as long as the river water bes muddy and starts to rise, there are several caves in the cave full of fish and shrimp left after the tide. So every time the water level rises, people in our vige will sneak into the cave. Since it¡¯s better for fewer people to know about it, so¡­¡±


    Xiao Wen seemed quite shy about it.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s natural. After all, this is the basis for your family¡¯s livelihood. We can all understand.¡±


    Xiao Wen¡¯s pace sped up, and holding a torch, he pointed in the other direction: ¡°Over there used to be arge karst cave called Nine-Link Cave. Unfortunately, the ceiling of the cave copsed suddenly a few years ago, turning into the current sevenrge caves. This has also caused fewer and fewer fish and shrimp in the cave. Seeing that the fish and shrimp in the cave were not enough for one family, my father let me join the governmental office¡­¡±


    Di Yelei looked back in the direction of the cave pointed out by Xiao Wen, without saying anything, and quickly caught up with Xiao Wen¡¯s footsteps.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    On the other side of that cave, a small figure was huddling in the darkness.


    Suddenly, the firelight and the huge shadows of the people reflected on the cliff seemed to magnify countless times like demons from hell! The swaying ghost shadows and echoes off the cave walls made it difficult to hear their original voices, scaring Di Ying, who was already like a frightened bird.


    She carefully hid in the dark, holding her breath, not daring to move.<div>


    It was not until the swaying light gradually faded, and footsteps also gradually disappeared, that she began running quickly in the opposite direction, trying to escape the other side¡¯s pursuit.


    Little did she know that she was going further away from those who came to rescue her.


    ¡°Your Honor, there¡¯s something unusual ahead! It looks like someone is lying on the ground.¡±


    The man leading the way finally discovered something unusual and quickly reported it.


    Di Yelei raised the torch and took a closer look, only to be shocked!


    ¡°Quick, check if anyone is still alive.¡±


    It turned out they had chased after Old Man Li and Jiang Xiaocai, who had fought earlier, and immediately found a corpse lying on the ground.


    ¡°Your Honor, this man was clearly murdered, and is now unconscious. He¡¯s barely hanging on to his life with just hisst breath, and it doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯ll survive for much longer.¡±


    The fact that the person was still alive was good news!


    ¡°Hurry up and get him treated. He must be an informant. We must keep him alive so we can force him to tell us where YingEr is!¡± Di Yelei eximed happily!

 Chapter 657: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 14)

    Chapter 657: Chapter 657: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 14)


    ¡°Oh! My goodness!¡±


    He was so scared that he rolled and crawled away, rolling on the ground twice, before stopping against the karst cave wall, not knowing when he had dropped the torch in his hand.


    His heart thumped violently!


    Extreme panic almost scared him to death, even his vicious heart was visibly startled by the scene before him!


    Jiang Xiaocai looked extremely miserable at the moment!


    Hey drenched in blood, half of his face had caved in, one of his eyeballs had been blown out, the pitch-ck eye socket looked like a ck hole, swallowing one¡¯s consciousness. Not a single part of his face was intact.


    It took Old Man Li a long time to catch his breath! Finally, he had solved a big problem in his heart, and escaped a disaster.


    But then anger followed!


    ¡°Damn it! Weren¡¯t you always trying to take my Old Man Li¡¯s life? Now you¡¯ve yed with your own life and should be happy, right? Serves you right!¡±


    Old Man Li couldn¡¯t help but curse aloud.


    He encouraged himself.


    He wiped his face, and only at this moment did he feel terrified!


    If he hadn¡¯t been a little cunning just now, he would have been a ghost under the other¡¯s knife.


    No way!


    He didn¡¯t know how far the sounds of the previous fight had spread, so he couldn¡¯t stay here any longer!


    It was only then that he picked up the flint again and tried to ignite the torch. It took him several attempts to finally light it up.


    He raised the torch and searched carefully. He was sure that he had put Di Ying against the wall earlier, but now he couldn¡¯t find anyone no matter how hard he looked.


    ¡°Damn, where¡¯s the person? Did they run away?¡±


    He wanted to search, but there were karst caves everywhere, and even if he wanted to look, he didn¡¯t know where to start. He looked up at the depths of the cave, and then looked in the direction of the exit, finally gritting his teeth.


    ¡°This cave is full of poisonous snakes, scorpions, and the like. If you run out of the cave, there may be a way to survive. If you go deeper into the cave, that¡¯s really a dead end.¡±


    ¡°What a pity, how pitiful! So young and already dying, don¡¯t me Grandpa Li for being ruthless, me it on yourself for being born in the wrong ce and choosing the wrong family!¡±


    With that, he casually tidied up and searched Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s body for a few copper coins. Then he continued towards the exit.


    He didn¡¯t want to look at Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s disfigured face and the ck hole on it anymore.


    As for Jiang Dacai, he looked for him in the midst of his busy schedule but did not see anyone. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little more cautious. Could something have gone wrong?


    Inside the official residence.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t sleep at all, tossing and turning for a long time, she finally got up from the head of the bed and walked outside.


    ¡°Old Cheng! Old Cheng!¡±


    She called out several times, and Old Cheng quickly jogged over from the other side.


    ¡°Madam!¡±


    ¡°Take Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua with you, we¡¯re going out of the city!¡± Liu Sisi was serious.


    ¡°Now? The city gate is closed at this time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s just a city gate, can it stop me, Liu Sisi, from going out? Go, get ready quickly!¡±


    Liu Sisi instructed firmly.


    Soon, Old Cheng prepared a carriage, took Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua along, as well as a few skilled men. Moreover, he also brought Granny Hu and Ms. Gao.


    Liu Sisi looked up and said, ¡°You, you, you, and you stay behind, the rest can leave. Granny Hu, you stay too. Everything at home mustn¡¯t be in chaos, especially the three children at home. It¡¯s going to be hard work for you. Ms. Gao,e with me.¡±


    After she casually ordered, she directly led Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua onto the carriage.


    Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua seemed to know that they were going out, and kept making whimpering noises in their mouths.


    Everyone hurriedly followed, riding the carriage straight to the South City Gate.


    As Old Cheng had said, the South City Gate was ajar at the moment, the drawbridge was being raised high, and the soldiers guarding the city were patrolling back and forth on the city wall.


    As soon as the carriage approached the city gate, the soldiers guarding the city noticed it.


    ¡°Who approaches? Now is the curfew within the city. Who wants to leave?¡±


    Liu Sisi crawled out of the carriage and casually handed over a token: ¡°It¡¯s me! This is an exit token, please verify it.¡±


    Because of the distance, it was impossible to see who was actually in the carriage.


    The people at the top of the city wall seemed to talk for a moment before a soldier came down to take the token from Liu Sisi¡¯s hand and quickly walked back up to the city wall.


    A littleter, a small group of troops descended from the city wall, with their leader carefully sizing up the carriage.


    ¡°Where did you get this token? Macheng County hasn¡¯t seen its transfer order for years, and if any problems ur, I can¡¯t be held responsible.¡±


    Liu Sisi directly opened the carriage curtain and sneered!


    ¡°I can¡¯t even leave the city?¡±


    ¡°Mrs¡­Mrs Di?¡±


    The leader obviously recognized Liu Sisi, with a surprised look. He then recalled the news that he had heard yesterday about the incident with Di Family¡¯s Second Young Master and a sense of understanding shed in his eyes.


    He quickly kneeled down on one knee and greeted her: ¡°Subordinate pays respects to Madam!¡±


    ¡°Do you know me?¡± Liu Sisi raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Madam once appeared at the porridge shed, and the subordinate was fortunate enough to have seen Madam¡¯s face.¡±


    The leader was respectful: ¡°However, even if Madam personallyes, guarding the city gate is the responsibility of the subordinate. Please pardon me, Madam, I really cannot let you leave the city.¡±


    ¡°Then what if I the Madam forcefully breaks through?¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s tone was heavy.


    The leader¡¯s head lowered even more: ¡°Then Madam will have to step on my head to pass.¡±


    ¡°Is your headfortable to step on? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t help butugh! She couldn¡¯t believe that Ye Lei¡¯s subordinate was such a loyal man! She made sure to remember him.


    ¡°Subordinate Qi Yuanzheng!¡±


    ¡°A good name, Qi Yuanzheng! Well, I the Madam remember you!¡±


    Liu Sisiughed loudly and took something out of her arms: ¡°Qi Yuanzheng, see what I have in my hand? Can I still leave the city now?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Qi Yuanzheng slowly looked up and immediately gasped! What Liu Sisi held in her hand was none other than an Imperial Decree!


    ¡°Open the city gate! Quickly lower the drawbridge!¡± His voice was full of panic.


    ¡°Thank you, Lord Qi, for your generosity. If there is any misunderstanding on my part today, just put the me on I, the Prefecture Princess! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    She waved her hand and directly lowered the sedan curtain.


    Prefecture Princess?


    The leader inhaled a breath of cold air!


    So, Captain Di¡¯s wife turned out to be the Prefecture Princess? This explosive news was truly shocking to the heart.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Quick! Quickly lower the drawbridge!¡±


    When the leader gave the order, he watched the drawbridge descend slowly, and the carriage sped out of the south gate, soon disappearing into the darkness.


    It took him quite a while toe back to his senses.

 Chapter 658: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 15)

    Chapter 658: Chapter 658: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 15)


    By the time the city gate closed again, Qi Yuanzheng had changed his post. The surrounding city defense officers and soldiers finally began to whisper.


    ¡°My goodness! So Lord Qi will also act on personal considerations, and secretly open the city gate. That¡¯s so strange!¡±


    ¡°I think the key is what Mrs. Di showed to Lord Qi at the end. What do you think it was that actually changed Lord Qi¡¯s face?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that, but it must be something extraordinary.¡± Wasn¡¯t that obvious?


    ¡°Turns out Mrs. Di is actually a Prefecture Princess! No wonder she has risen step by step! The Princess was once so close to me, if only she was mine back then¡­¡±


    ¡°Cut it out! Stop daydreaming! You should take a good look at yourself in the urine you sprinkled, would you be able to marry a Prefecture Princess?¡±


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I marry a Prefecture Princess? It¡¯s because you¡¯re ignorant, huh!¡±


    Another team came to take over, and also joined the conversation: ¡°Early on, people said that the Imperial Envoy hade and issued a decree. Your news is too dyed, so you don¡¯t know about it.¡±


    ¡°Really? Please tell me more about that¡­¡±


    Suddenly, he began to gain momentum and dragged him into the city tower.


    Liu Sisi, riding in a carriage, quickly arrived near the City God Temple.


    A bonfire was burning here, and countless soldiers were surrounding the ¡°Miss of Di Family,¡±pletely encircling the Huangcheng City Temple.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s arrival brought joy to the crowd, who quickly cleared the path for her to enter the temple.


    Inside the temple, Di Xuan, disguised as YingEr and protected by several close guards, could not help but call out in a soft voice when she saw Liu Sisi: ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°Hush! Don¡¯t talk. What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    Of course, Liu Sisi¡¯sst sentence was directed at the surrounding guards.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The guard hurriedly exined the situation: ¡°Your Honor and some agile people have entered the cave, and they haven¡¯te out yet.¡±


    Liu Sisi looked up at the cave entrance and then at the sky with the moon at its zenith, nodding slightly.


    ¡°Well, I understand. How long have they been inside?¡±


    ¡°They went in just after it got dark, and it is almost midnight now. They have been inside for about six hours.¡±


    Six hours? YingEr has been missing for a full day, but no news hase. Could something really have gone wrong?


    Liu Sisi felt more and more uneasy, looking up at the invisible cave entrance, as if there was a mysterious force calling her up.


    ¡°Most of you stay here to protect thedy. A few more,e with me to have a look.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mom, I¡­ I want to go too!¡±


    Di Xuan hesitated, but his face was extremely determined.


    Liu Sisi thought for a moment and finally shook her head: ¡°No, you have to stay! YingEr is missing, which is already my dereliction of duty as a mother. If something happens to you, how can I exin it to your father? Just listen and stay here.¡±


    ¡°No! YingEr¡­ cough¡­ it was wrong of my brother to disappear, and it is my fault. If you don¡¯t take me, I will go in by myself. In any case, I must find her!¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s voice was particrly determined.


    This child¡¯s stubbornness was just like Di Yelei!


    Liu Sisi sighed secretly: ¡°Okay, if youe with me, you must not go too far from me. At least stay where I can see you, understand?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Di Xuan naturally agreed. As for what happened when he really went up, it was not something she could control.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t bring many people, just casually picked a few skilled hands, and led them to climb towards the cave entrance.


    As these people were climbing, Di Yelei and his men, guided by Xiao Wen, took a shortcut to chase the direction where the sound hade from earlier.


    Xiao Wen seemed to be very familiar with the cave, moving in and out, climbing rocks and slopes with agility.


    He led everyone almost along the cliff, walking on the slippery moss that was difficult to grasp. Their feet asionally slipped, almost falling into the abyss below that could not be seen.


    The scare made everyone break out in cold sweat! They also climbed mountains and waded water in the cave.


    ¡°I used toe into this cave to y when I was a kid. There are two underground rivers in the cave, as long as the river water bes muddy and starts to rise, there are several caves in the cave full of fish and shrimp left after the tide. So every time the water level rises, people in our vige will sneak into the cave. Since it¡¯s better for fewer people to know about it, so¡­¡±


    Xiao Wen seemed quite shy about it.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s natural. After all, this is the basis for your family¡¯s livelihood. We can all understand.¡±


    Xiao Wen¡¯s pace sped up, and holding a torch, he pointed in the other direction: ¡°Over there used to be arge karst cave called Nine-Link Cave. Unfortunately, the ceiling of the cave copsed suddenly a few years ago, turning into the current sevenrge caves. This has also caused fewer and fewer fish and shrimp in the cave. Seeing that the fish and shrimp in the cave were not enough for one family, my father let me join the governmental office¡­¡±


    Di Yelei looked back in the direction of the cave pointed out by Xiao Wen, without saying anything, and quickly caught up with Xiao Wen¡¯s footsteps.


    On the other side of that cave, a small figure was huddling in the darkness.


    Suddenly, the firelight and the huge shadows of the people reflected on the cliff seemed to magnify countless times like demons from hell! The swaying ghost shadows and echoes off the cave walls made it difficult to hear their original voices, scaring Di Ying, who was already like a frightened bird.


    She carefully hid in the dark, holding her breath, not daring to move.


    It was not until the swaying light gradually faded, and footsteps also gradually disappeared, that she began running quickly in the opposite direction, trying to escape the other side¡¯s pursuit.


    Little did she know that she was going further away from those who came to rescue her.


    ¡°Your Honor, there¡¯s something unusual ahead! It looks like someone is lying on the ground.¡±


    The man leading the way finally discovered something unusual and quickly reported it.


    Di Yelei raised the torch and took a closer look, only to be shocked!


    ¡°Quick, check if anyone is still alive.¡±


    It turned out they had chased after Old Man Li and Jiang Xiaocai, who had fought earlier, and immediately found a corpse lying on the ground.


    ¡°Your Honor, this man was clearly murdered, and is now unconscious. He¡¯s barely hanging on to his life with just hisst breath, and it doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯ll survive for much longer.¡±


    The fact that the person was still alive was good news!


    ¡°Hurry up and get him treated. He must be an informant. We must keep him alive so we can force him to tell us where YingEr is!¡± Di Yelei eximed happily!

 Chapter 659: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 16)

    Chapter 659: Chapter 659: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 16)


    Old Man Li stumbled and hurried through the cave.


    Without anyone to guide him, the terrain inside the cave wasplex and difficult to navigate. After taking two wrong turns, he tried to change direction again. By now, all he wanted to do was escape the cave.


    He walked quickly, searching for the three twists Jiang Xiaocai had mentioned. After several attempts, he finally saw the unique light filtering in from the cave entrance.


    His heart soared and he couldn¡¯t help but quicken his pace.


    Outside the cave, it was quiet and the stars were faintly visible. There was no sound or movement in the surroundings.


    He nced cautiously to the left and right, even carefully checking the soil near the entrance for any recent footprints. Only when he was sure there was none did he approach the cave exit, keeping close to the rocky wall as he crawled out.


    The brilliant stars twinkled in the blue sky, apanied by the bright moon that illuminated the earth.


    ¡°Hahaha! ¡­Old Man Li has finally escaped!¡±


    Old Man Li couldn¡¯t help himself. Just like when he first crawled out of hell, he could no longer suppress the joy in his heart andughed loudly three times.


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t believe you actually made it out alive!¡±


    A mocking voice suddenly rang out from the front: ¡°I thought you would die in the cave, but as the saying goes, disastersst for thousands of years. Old Man Li, long time no see!¡±


    Startled, Old Man Li raised his head and squinted at the figure in front of him.


    This time, he saw Zuo Xingyu sitting quietly on a tree branch not far away, coldly watching his escape.


    ¡°You! How could you be here?¡± Old Man Li was taken aback!


    He naturally recognized Zuo Xingyu. If it weren¡¯t for him, Old Man Li might not have been convicted. If he hated Di Yelei and Liu Sisi to the utmost, then he had at least 80% of that hatred for Zuo Xingyu, who was also on his revenge list.


    He originally nned to deal with Di Yelei and Liu Sisi first before looking for Zuo Xingyu. He never expected to encounter him here.


    ¡°Why am I here? It¡¯s because you¡¯ve messed with someone you shouldn¡¯t have!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu jumped with ease,nding just five steps away from Old Man Li.


    Whoever dared to attack the Li Sect, being able to live until now, he should be grateful enough!


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s sudden approach startled Old Man Li, who hurriedly retreated a few steps: ¡°Don¡¯te any closer! If you do, you¡¯ll never know where she¡¯s gone!¡±


    By ¡°her¡±, he implied Di Ying.


    ¡°Where is Di Ying? Where did she go?¡±


    Upon mentioning Di Ying, Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes shed coldly: ¡°Speak up, or I have a thousand ways to make you talk!¡±


    ¡°Ha! I¡¯ve already put life and death behind me,e on if you dare!¡±


    Old Man Li obviously didn¡¯t expect this answer, so he snorted disdainfully: ¡°I thought you were something special, a real man! It turns out you¡¯re just a dog raised by the Di Family!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu raised his eyebrows in contempt: ¡°Wrong! Di Yelei isn¡¯t worthy for me to serve. My Master isn¡¯t him!¡±


    ¡°Oh, who is it then?¡±


    As Old Man Li spoke, he subtly retreated his feet, his eyes darting about as if hoping to escape from Zuo Xingyu.


    This move drew a scornful look in Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Ask when you get to the King of Hell¡¯s Pce!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu still wore a coffin face, but his eyes shed with murderous intent when he looked at Old Man Li. In his hand, a cold light shed, seemingly unreachable to Old Man Li.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He felt a chilling wind hit him but couldn¡¯t muster up the will to resist.


    So, this is what it feels like when death reallyes¡­ He stood there stunned, unable to say a word.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t kill him!¡±


    A shout suddenly came from behind.


    Old Man Li didn¡¯t know what was happening, but the sound seemed to have pulled him back from the brink of death. Something icy-cold dripped on his head, and arge clump of hair drifted in the air, almost obscuring his entire vision¡­


    Then he realized he had escaped death once again.


    He rxed and felt a cold sensation in his crotch, followed by a spread of yellow and turbid liquid. Just now, he couldn¡¯t help but wet his pants.


    NOW he finally understood that threats were useless in front of so-called experts!


    Di Yelei and the others finally emerged from the cave.


    At this moment, Di Yelei and the others were covered in dirt and grime. In addition to their group, there was also a makeshift stretcher with a person lying on it, their whole body wrapped in bandages. They were all ustomed to carrying medical supplies, but they didn¡¯t expect to use them now.


    As for whether this person could survive, Di Yelei wasn¡¯t very concerned. What mattered to him was whether the person could wake up and provide useful clues.


    As soon as they left the cave, Di Yelei anxiously looked around.


    ¡°Where¡¯s YingEr? Where¡¯s my YingEr? You tell me! You tell me! YOU TELL ME!¡±


    Upon seeing Elderly Mr. Di, Di Yelei grabbed him and started punching him. Di Yelei was genuinely enraged, and his strikes were ruthless. With Elderly Mr. Di present, there was no trace of YingEr. A bad thought shed through his mind.


    That¡¯s why his punchesnded hard, not holding anything back.


    In just a few punches, Elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t bear it and vomited blood several times.


    Di Yelei realized that they had only brought Jiang Xiaocai out of the cave, while the snake-bitten Jiang Dacai and Di Ying were nowhere to be found.


    Because of this, he couldn¡¯t help but entertain another idea ¨C could it be that Jiang Dacai wasn¡¯t really poisoned? Pretending to be poisoned, he took advantage of the moment when he attacked Jiang Xiaocai to secretly abduct Di Ying and leave?


    As this idea arose, he suddenly startedughing hysterically, while coughing up blood!


    ¡°Hahaha! ¡­Di Yelei, how does it feel to lose your child? Huh! Huh ¨C cough, cough, cough¡­. Hahaha! Di Yelei, I want you to pay with your blood! Ah! Huh¡­.¡±


    His words infuriated Di Yelei, who struck harder, with deadly intent.


    ¡°Bastard! You¡¯re an ungrateful wretch! You¡¯re not even human! I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡±


    He punched and kicked with full force.


    ¡°Stop hitting him, stop hitting him, or he¡¯ll die! Is it worth getting your hands dirty for such a person?¡±


    Zhang Peng and the others hurriedly held Di Yelei back, grabbing him tightly to prevent him from continuing.

 Chapter 660: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 17)

    Chapter 660: Chapter 660: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 17)


    If this continues, someone is definitely going to get killed!


    ¡°Let go! Let go of me, you bastard! Where¡¯s YingEr? Where have you hidden YingEr? Spit it out!¡±


    Di Yelei struggled violently, being held down by Zhang Peng and the others, unable to break free no matter how hard he tried.


    ¡°Ye Lei, calm down, leave this Old Man Li to Zuo Xingyu! He knows how to make him tell the truth!¡±


    Zhang Peng strained to restrain Di Yelei as he yelled out loud.


    Di Yelei currently held an official position from the imperial court; it would be a huge injustice if his hands were soiled with blood because of some scum like this!


    ¡°Leave it to Constable Zuo?¡±


    Di Yelei finally stopped struggling, and turned to look at Zuo Xingyu.


    Zuo Xingyu nodded, maintaining a poker face, and walked up to Old Man Li, ring at him as if he were a dead man.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Give me the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, and I¡¯ll give you a satisfying answer.¡±


    As he spoke, Zuo Xingyu stretched out his hand, lifting up Old Man Li and disappearing into the shrubs on the other side with a leap.


    ¡°Let go!¡±


    This time, when Di Yelei struggled, everyone let him go.


    He paced around anxiously, his eyes bloodshot, his emotions pushed to the brink!


    Soon, a chilling scream came from behind the bushes. However, no one showed any sympathy.


    This Old Man Li deserved to die!


    On the other side.


    Liu Sisi, leading Di Xuan and holding Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua, had already entered the cave. The entrance had been covered by copsed rocks but someone had dug a hole through. Upon entering the cave, everyone saw the tattered, blood-stained hemp bag, which brought tears to their eyes.


    ¡°Mom! YingEr must be in the cave, let¡¯s go search quickly, they¡¯ll definitely be inside.¡± Di Xuan couldn¡¯t wait any longer, eager to chase after them.


    ¡°Wait! Xuan¡¯er, this cave is too dangerous, we still don¡¯t know if your father and the others have caught the kidnappers yet. If we rashly enter now and happen to run into the kidnappers, what then?¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly stopped him, not letting him enter the cave: ¡°How about this, you go down the mountain and wait. Wait for your father¡¯s message before taking the next step. How¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to! YingEr got lost with me, I have to find her myself. If you¡¯re afraid of death, you can wait at the foot of the mountain!¡±


    After Di Xuan finished speaking, he promptly ran into the cave.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er! Xuan¡¯er! This child, really¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t keep up with Di Xuan¡¯s pace. She turned back to look at the few people that had followed her and hurriedly sent one person back to ry the message.


    ¡°You go back and tell them that we¡¯ve entered the cave. If we can¡¯t find anyone in the cave, we¡¯lle out on our own, they mustn¡¯te in to look for us. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s hurry and catch up. If we wait too long, Xuan¡¯er might have gone far.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t dy and quickly followed into the cave.


    Right now, the hound she was leading was Ah-Hua, while Ah-Huang had been taken by Di Xuan. Fortunately, Ah-Hua seemed to understand Liu Sisi¡¯s intentions, so she didn¡¯t need to guide him. Ah-Hua was quickly running along what seemed to be a set path.


    Its mouth was still producing a kind of heavy panting sound.


    Maybe it was due to previous hunting, Ah-Hua was extremely excited and running at an incredible speed. Liu Sisi nearly fell several times because of it. Fortunately, she scolded it in time, which slowed down its running speed.


    With Ah-Hua leading the way, they hadn¡¯t gone far before they saw Di Xuan in front of them. The two hounds came together once again, low barks mixed with tail wagging in greeting to each other.


    ¡°Di Xuan, how could you just run off like that? You could¡¯ve waited for me,¡± Liu Sisiined, barely able to take another step.


    Di Xuan kept his head bowed and didn¡¯t say a word.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After catching her breath, Liu Sisi tapped Di Xuan on the head saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go find your sister. We¡¯re already here, so we might as well check it out.¡±


    This assurance made Di Xuan feel relieved, he nodded his head earnestly, ¡°Mom, sister will definitely be okay!¡±


    ¡°Yes, she definitely will be. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    In the cave, the group followed the two hounds without knowing where they were heading.


    In this group of people, nobody had any experience of exploring caves. They just followed the two young hounds, running.


    However, this rxed attitude surprisingly led to unexpected discoveries.


    While Liu Sisi and others were running in the cave, outside the cave, Di Yelei¡¯s gaze was firmly fixed in the direction of the scream.


    Hearing Old Man Li¡¯s scream gradually weakens to a heavy panting, Zuo Xingyu finally carried Old Man Li out of the cave.


    He casually threw Old Man Li on the ground, noticing no new wounds on his body. Instead, Li¡¯s whole body was convulsing, and none of his muscles were still.


    ¡°He confessed. He killed Jiang Xiaocai, and he thought that Jiang Xiaocai was already dead. He also used the poisonous snake to kill Jiang Dacai. As for YingEr, she ran away while he was killing Jiang Xiaocai. He doesn¡¯t know where YingEr ran off to in the cave,¡± Zuo Xingyu said.


    Did Old Man Li confess to these crimes on purpose?


    ¡°YingEr ran away on her own? Did he confess that himself?¡± Di Yelei asked instinctively, filled with joy but then quickly reced by worry.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°So you said that Old Man Li has confessed already, is there still a bandit in the cave?¡± Di Yelei asked.


    The news was both good and bad. However, he soon calmed down. Di Yelei knew well howplex the situation inside the cave was. How could YingEr, a child not even six years old, possibly escape from the cave? Moreover, with another bandit in the karst cave, no one knew what was happening inside.


    Zuo Xingyu casually lifted an eyebrow: ¡°Don¡¯t you trust my capabilities?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s interrogation skills have proven essential in crucial times in the past.


    Having realized he spoke inappropriately, Di Yelei quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry. I asked because I was worried about my child. I have full faith in your abilities, Brother Zuo.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu understood what Di Yelei meant and casually nodded his head.


    However, he was suppressing a certain frustration that came out involuntarily when he was talking to Di Yelei, which added an inexplicable sense of difort to his tone.


    ¡°Alright, since YingEr is still in the cave, let¡¯s go back there and find her as soon as possible. The child is still young. Any dy might lead to an ident. It¡¯s always better to take action sooner rather thanter.¡±


    As he raised his head to look towards the cave in front of him, Zuo Xingyu casually spoke. A silhouette of someoneughing joyfully shed in front of his eyes.

 Chapter 659: 659: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 16)

    Chapter 659: Chapter 659: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 16)


    Old Man Li stumbled and hurried through the cave.


    Without anyone to guide him, the terrain inside the cave wasplex and difficult to navigate. After taking two wrong turns, he tried to change direction again. By now, all he wanted to do was escape the cave.


    He walked quickly, searching for the three twists Jiang Xiaocai had mentioned. After several attempts, he finally saw the unique light filtering in from the cave entrance.


    His heart soared and he couldn¡¯t help but quicken his pace.


    Outside the cave, it was quiet and the stars were faintly visible. There was no sound or movement in the surroundings.


    He nced cautiously to the left and right, even carefully checking the soil near the entrance for any recent footprints. Only when he was sure there was none did he approach the cave exit, keeping close to the rocky wall as he crawled out.


    The brilliant stars twinkled in the blue sky, apanied by the bright moon that illuminated the earth.


    ¡°Hahaha! ¡­Old Man Li has finally escaped!¡±


    Old Man Li couldn¡¯t help himself. Just like when he first crawled out of hell, he could no longer suppress the joy in his heart andughed loudly three times.


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t believe you actually made it out alive!¡±<div>


    A mocking voice suddenly rang out from the front: ¡°I thought you would die in the cave, but as the saying goes, disastersst for thousands of years. Old Man Li, long time no see!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Startled, Old Man Li raised his head and squinted at the figure in front of him.


    This time, he saw Zuo Xingyu sitting quietly on a tree branch not far away, coldly watching his escape.


    ¡°You! How could you be here?¡± Old Man Li was taken aback!


    He naturally recognized Zuo Xingyu. If it weren¡¯t for him, Old Man Li might not have been convicted. If he hated Di Yelei and Liu Sisi to the utmost, then he had at least 80% of that hatred for Zuo Xingyu, who was also on his revenge list.


    He originally nned to deal with Di Yelei and Liu Sisi first before looking for Zuo Xingyu. He never expected to encounter him here.


    ¡°Why am I here? It¡¯s because you¡¯ve messed with someone you shouldn¡¯t have!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu jumped with ease,nding just five steps away from Old Man Li.


    Whoever dared to attack the Li Sect, being able to live until now, he should be grateful enough!


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s sudden approach startled Old Man Li, who hurriedly retreated a few steps: ¡°Don¡¯te any closer! If you do, you¡¯ll never know where she¡¯s gone!¡±


    By ¡°her¡±, he implied Di Ying.


    ¡°Where is Di Ying? Where did she go?¡±


    Upon mentioning Di Ying, Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes shed coldly: ¡°Speak up, or I have a thousand ways to make you talk!¡±


    ¡°Ha! I¡¯ve already put life and death behind me,e on if you dare!¡±


    Old Man Li obviously didn¡¯t expect this answer, so he snorted disdainfully: ¡°I thought you were something special, a real man! It turns out you¡¯re just a dog raised by the Di Family!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu raised his eyebrows in contempt: ¡°Wrong! Di Yelei isn¡¯t worthy for me to serve. My Master isn¡¯t him!¡±


    ¡°Oh, who is it then?¡±


    As Old Man Li spoke, he subtly retreated his feet, his eyes darting about as if hoping to escape from Zuo Xingyu.


    This move drew a scornful look in Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes.<div>


    ¡°Ask when you get to the King of Hell¡¯s Pce!¡±


    Zuo Xingyu still wore a coffin face, but his eyes shed with murderous intent when he looked at Old Man Li. In his hand, a cold light shed, seemingly unreachable to Old Man Li.


    He felt a chilling wind hit him but couldn¡¯t muster up the will to resist.


    So, this is what it feels like when death reallyes¡­ He stood there stunned, unable to say a word.<div>


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t kill him!¡±


    A shout suddenly came from behind.


    Old Man Li didn¡¯t know what was happening, but the sound seemed to have pulled him back from the brink of death. Something icy-cold dripped on his head, and arge clump of hair drifted in the air, almost obscuring his entire vision¡­


    Then he realized he had escaped death once again.


    He rxed and felt a cold sensation in his crotch, followed by a spread of yellow and turbid liquid. Just now, he couldn¡¯t help but wet his pants.


    NOW he finally understood that threats were useless in front of so-called experts!


    Di Yelei and the others finally emerged from the cave.


    At this moment, Di Yelei and the others were covered in dirt and grime. In addition to their group, there was also a makeshift stretcher with a person lying on it, their whole body wrapped in bandages. They were all ustomed to carrying medical supplies, but they didn¡¯t expect to use them now.


    As for whether this person could survive, Di Yelei wasn¡¯t very concerned. What mattered to him was whether the person could wake up and provide useful clues.


    As soon as they left the cave, Di Yelei anxiously looked around.


    ¡°Where¡¯s YingEr? Where¡¯s my YingEr? You tell me! You tell me! YOU TELL ME!¡±


    Upon seeing Elderly Mr. Di, Di Yelei grabbed him and started punching him. Di Yelei was genuinely enraged, and his strikes were ruthless. With Elderly Mr. Di present, there was no trace of YingEr. A bad thought shed through his mind.


    That¡¯s why his punchesnded hard, not holding anything back.<div>


    In just a few punches, Elderly Mr. Di couldn¡¯t bear it and vomited blood several times.


    Di Yelei realized that they had only brought Jiang Xiaocai out of the cave, while the snake-bitten Jiang Dacai and Di Ying were nowhere to be found.


    Because of this, he couldn¡¯t help but entertain another idea ¨C could it be that Jiang Dacai wasn¡¯t really poisoned? Pretending to be poisoned, he took advantage of the moment when he attacked Jiang Xiaocai to secretly abduct Di Ying and leave?


    As this idea arose, he suddenly startedughing hysterically, while coughing up blood!


    ¡°Hahaha! ¡­Di Yelei, how does it feel to lose your child? Huh! Huh ¨C cough, cough, cough¡­. Hahaha! Di Yelei, I want you to pay with your blood! Ah! Huh¡­.¡±


    His words infuriated Di Yelei, who struck harder, with deadly intent.


    ¡°Bastard! You¡¯re an ungrateful wretch! You¡¯re not even human! I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡±


    He punched and kicked with full force.


    ¡°Stop hitting him, stop hitting him, or he¡¯ll die! Is it worth getting your hands dirty for such a person?¡±


    Zhang Peng and the others hurriedly held Di Yelei back, grabbing him tightly to prevent him from continuing.

 Chapter 660: 660: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 17)

    Chapter 660: Chapter 660: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 17)


    If this continues, someone is definitely going to get killed!


    ¡°Let go! Let go of me, you bastard! Where¡¯s YingEr? Where have you hidden YingEr? Spit it out!¡±


    Di Yelei struggled violently, being held down by Zhang Peng and the others, unable to break free no matter how hard he tried.


    ¡°Ye Lei, calm down, leave this Old Man Li to Zuo Xingyu! He knows how to make him tell the truth!¡±


    Zhang Peng strained to restrain Di Yelei as he yelled out loud.


    Di Yelei currently held an official position from the imperial court; it would be a huge injustice if his hands were soiled with blood because of some scum like this!


    ¡°Leave it to Constable Zuo?¡±


    Di Yelei finally stopped struggling, and turned to look at Zuo Xingyu.


    Zuo Xingyu nodded, maintaining a poker face, and walked up to Old Man Li, ring at him as if he were a dead man.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Give me the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, and I¡¯ll give you a satisfying answer.¡±<div>


    As he spoke, Zuo Xingyu stretched out his hand, lifting up Old Man Li and disappearing into the shrubs on the other side with a leap.


    ¡°Let go!¡±


    This time, when Di Yelei struggled, everyone let him go.


    He paced around anxiously, his eyes bloodshot, his emotions pushed to the brink!


    Soon, a chilling scream came from behind the bushes. However, no one showed any sympathy.


    This Old Man Li deserved to die!


    On the other side.


    Liu Sisi, leading Di Xuan and holding Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua, had already entered the cave. The entrance had been covered by copsed rocks but someone had dug a hole through. Upon entering the cave, everyone saw the tattered, blood-stained hemp bag, which brought tears to their eyes.


    ¡°Mom! YingEr must be in the cave, let¡¯s go search quickly, they¡¯ll definitely be inside.¡± Di Xuan couldn¡¯t wait any longer, eager to chase after them.


    ¡°Wait! Xuan¡¯er, this cave is too dangerous, we still don¡¯t know if your father and the others have caught the kidnappers yet. If we rashly enter now and happen to run into the kidnappers, what then?¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly stopped him, not letting him enter the cave: ¡°How about this, you go down the mountain and wait. Wait for your father¡¯s message before taking the next step. How¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to! YingEr got lost with me, I have to find her myself. If you¡¯re afraid of death, you can wait at the foot of the mountain!¡±


    After Di Xuan finished speaking, he promptly ran into the cave.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er! Xuan¡¯er! This child, really¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t keep up with Di Xuan¡¯s pace. She turned back to look at the few people that had followed her and hurriedly sent one person back to ry the message.


    ¡°You go back and tell them that we¡¯ve entered the cave. If we can¡¯t find anyone in the cave, we¡¯lle out on our own, they mustn¡¯te in to look for us. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s hurry and catch up. If we wait too long, Xuan¡¯er might have gone far.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t dy and quickly followed into the cave.<div>


    Right now, the hound she was leading was Ah-Hua, while Ah-Huang had been taken by Di Xuan. Fortunately, Ah-Hua seemed to understand Liu Sisi¡¯s intentions, so she didn¡¯t need to guide him. Ah-Hua was quickly running along what seemed to be a set path.


    Its mouth was still producing a kind of heavy panting sound.


    Maybe it was due to previous hunting, Ah-Hua was extremely excited and running at an incredible speed. Liu Sisi nearly fell several times because of it. Fortunately, she scolded it in time, which slowed down its running speed.


    With Ah-Hua leading the way, they hadn¡¯t gone far before they saw Di Xuan in front of them. The two hounds came together once again, low barks mixed with tail wagging in greeting to each other.<div>


    ¡°Di Xuan, how could you just run off like that? You could¡¯ve waited for me,¡± Liu Sisiined, barely able to take another step.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Di Xuan kept his head bowed and didn¡¯t say a word.


    After catching her breath, Liu Sisi tapped Di Xuan on the head saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go find your sister. We¡¯re already here, so we might as well check it out.¡±


    This assurance made Di Xuan feel relieved, he nodded his head earnestly, ¡°Mom, sister will definitely be okay!¡±


    ¡°Yes, she definitely will be. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    In the cave, the group followed the two hounds without knowing where they were heading.


    In this group of people, nobody had any experience of exploring caves. They just followed the two young hounds, running.


    However, this rxed attitude surprisingly led to unexpected discoveries.


    While Liu Sisi and others were running in the cave, outside the cave, Di Yelei¡¯s gaze was firmly fixed in the direction of the scream.


    Hearing Old Man Li¡¯s scream gradually weakens to a heavy panting, Zuo Xingyu finally carried Old Man Li out of the cave.


    He casually threw Old Man Li on the ground, noticing no new wounds on his body. Instead, Li¡¯s whole body was convulsing, and none of his muscles were still.


    ¡°He confessed. He killed Jiang Xiaocai, and he thought that Jiang Xiaocai was already dead. He also used the poisonous snake to kill Jiang Dacai. As for YingEr, she ran away while he was killing Jiang Xiaocai. He doesn¡¯t know where YingEr ran off to in the cave,¡± Zuo Xingyu said.


    Did Old Man Li confess to these crimes on purpose?<div>


    ¡°YingEr ran away on her own? Did he confess that himself?¡± Di Yelei asked instinctively, filled with joy but then quickly reced by worry.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°So you said that Old Man Li has confessed already, is there still a bandit in the cave?¡± Di Yelei asked.


    The news was both good and bad. However, he soon calmed down. Di Yelei knew well howplex the situation inside the cave was. How could YingEr, a child not even six years old, possibly escape from the cave? Moreover, with another bandit in the karst cave, no one knew what was happening inside.


    Zuo Xingyu casually lifted an eyebrow: ¡°Don¡¯t you trust my capabilities?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s interrogation skills have proven essential in crucial times in the past.


    Having realized he spoke inappropriately, Di Yelei quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry. I asked because I was worried about my child. I have full faith in your abilities, Brother Zuo.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu understood what Di Yelei meant and casually nodded his head.


    However, he was suppressing a certain frustration that came out involuntarily when he was talking to Di Yelei, which added an inexplicable sense of difort to his tone.


    ¡°Alright, since YingEr is still in the cave, let¡¯s go back there and find her as soon as possible. The child is still young. Any dy might lead to an ident. It¡¯s always better to take action sooner rather thanter.¡±


    As he raised his head to look towards the cave in front of him, Zuo Xingyu casually spoke. A silhouette of someoneughing joyfully shed in front of his eyes.

 Chapter 661: 661: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 18)

    Chapter 661: Chapter 661: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 18)


    Such a cute child, if anything happens to her, it would be such a pity!


    ¡°Brother Zuo, since you happen to be here, Ye Lei sincerely invites you to help find Ying Er. I¡¯ll thank you in advance.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he immediately bowed to him.


    ¡°Stop! You don¡¯t need to do this. I was originally here on a mission today. Now that you are here, my mission isplete. However, going back into the cave to find Ying Er is due to our personal friendship. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After saying this, Zuo Xingyu nodded to Di Yelei and turned directly into the cave.


    ¡°On a mission? Whose orders is he under? Wasn¡¯t our journey kept very secret?¡±


    Zhang Peng, who was by his side, happened to hear this too.


    An idea shed through Di Yelei¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t say much: ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it doesn¡¯t matter! Brother Zhang, I want to send Old Man Li and Jiang Xiaocai back to the governmental office first, and arrange for them to be treated by someone. I don¡¯t feel safe letting others handle this, so I thought it would be best if you make the trip. We cannot let them die so cheaply!¡±


    Zhang Peng was a bit hesitant, as he originally wanted to go back into the cave as well. However, he looked back at the five or six people who hade out with him and thought about the others who were still trapped in the karst cave. He couldn¡¯t help but admit that Di Yelei was right.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll tell my sister-inw. I¡¯ll also go get Old He, just in case.¡±<div>


    Both of them knew exactly what they were preventing, but neither of them broke the silence.


    ¡°So, you take four brothers down the mountain, and I¡¯ll take Yun Er back into the karst cave.¡±


    Di Yelei carefully arranged the specific tasks: ¡°If someone asks you and you can¡¯t avoid it, just say that Xuan¡¯er was ying and chased after a deer into the cave. Unexpectedly, they got trapped inside and couldn¡¯t get out. As for other things, let¡¯s talk about themter!¡±


    ¡°Alright! This is a good n; I will go down the mountain now.¡±


    Seeing Jiang Xiaocai, who was still in aa, Zhang Peng knew that he could not dy any longer.


    ¡°Great, let¡¯s each carry out our missions! Yun Er, follow me!¡±


    Di Yelei quickly called to Zhang Yun: ¡°You all should also hurry up and carry the people away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor.¡±


    Two of the group members bound the still convulsing Old Man Li and carried Jiang Xiaocai down the mountain.


    The other two followed Di Yelei back into the cave.


    This time, when they entered the cave, they took the karst cave route that Old Man Li and the others had taken, and quickly arrived at the ce where Di Yelei and the others had found Jiang Xiaocai.


    Unexpectedly, they found Zuo Xingyu searching there as well.


    Di Yelei pointed at the pool of fresh blood on the ground, ¡°This is where we found Jiang Xiaocai. At that time, Jiang Xiaocai was lying still, as if he was already dead. Fortunately, we all had emergency hemostatic herbs and golden medicament, which temporarily saved Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s life.¡±


    At the moment, two poisonous snakes were coiled on the pool of fresh blood on the ground, spitting out their forked tongues at everyone, making everyone¡¯s scalp tingle.


    Zuo Xingyu nodded, understanding Di Yelei¡¯s meaning.


    As long as Jiang Xiaocai was alive, identifying Old Man Li could be done in minutes.


    However, where was Jiang Dacai right now? Was he the one who kidnapped Ying Er, or did Ying Er escape on her own? No one knew.


    ¡°This should be the ce where Ying Er escaped from them, right?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu said casually, then picked up a torch and began to search for clues along the rock walls of the cave.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    Di Yelei, on the other side, was also doing the same, carefully searching for subtle traces, unwilling to miss any clues.


    Most of the people around were government employees, so they all searched for clues meticulously.


    Following the cave walls, Di Yelei gradually found traces, and finally, the two torches shone together.


    When they looked up, they saw Zuo Xingyu. At this moment, Zuo Xingyu also found this ce. The two of them looked at each other and then lowered their heads to look more closely.<div>


    ¡°It should be here. Ying Er is a little girl, her footprints are small. The small footprints here and scratches on the cliff should have been left when she escaped.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu exined in detail.


    Di Yelei nodded: ¡°Old Man Li and Jiang Xiaocai were fighting here, and Ying Er must have been very scared. She wouldn¡¯t run past the two of them towards the outside. She must have run in this direction.¡±


    As he spoke, he held up the torch and stretched it deeper into the cave, illuminating a small area around them.


    ¡°Yes! Ying Er¡¯s footprints appear here for thest time, but where are Jiang Dacai¡¯s footprints? How did he leave?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s question made everyone look at each other, seeing caution in each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back and take a closer look.¡±


    They were all skilled trackers, and they had missed any traces of Jiang Dacai during their first sweep. There must be something they had overlooked.


    Everyone stopped talking and went back to searching for clues, trying not to miss any signs.


    ¡°Here! Your Honor,e and see if it¡¯s here!¡±


    Xiao Wen nearby called out first.


    Everyone gathered around and indeed saw that there was something unusual in the ce Xiao Wen mentioned.


    There was a small pond, which should have been left by the rising water level in the cave when the tide came in. The water in the pond was small, and it was blocked by a strangely shapedva rock near the bottom of the cave entrance, which was hard to notice if you didn¡¯t pay close attention.<div>


    What attracted everyone¡¯s attention was not the depth of the small pond, but the one-finger-long strange fish in the pond. All of them were dead with their bellies turned up.


    ¡°This is a unique fish in the cave. They like to stay in water with the taste of saltpetre. We all call it ang fish. This fish is found only in this cave, and their whole body is transparent. You can clearly see their internal organs and gills. They usually help clean the skin of bigger fish. When a person is injured and enters the water, these fish will be attracted by the smell of blood, and they won¡¯t leave until they are full.¡±


    Xiao Wen exined carefully and even used a tree branch to pick up one of the small fish ashore.


    Zuo Xingyu held the torch and carefully examined the surroundings: ¡°There is a strong bloody smell in the water. It seems that Jiang Dacai was indeed bitten by a poisonous snake. During the fight, he may have identally or deliberately rolled into this small pond. The injured wound was soaked in water, and he was discovered by these ang fish which fed on his blood.¡±


    ¡°Well! Let¡¯s assume for a moment that he fell into this small pond, was conscious but couldn¡¯t move. By ident, these fish sucked out the venom, and the dilution effect of the water in the pond enabled Jiang Dacai to regain consciousness from hisa¡­¡±

 Chapter 662: 662: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 19)

    Chapter 662: Chapter 662: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 19)


    Di Yelei continued speaking, searching for new clues along the small pond as he spoke.


    ¡°Your Honor, there¡¯s a new discovery here!¡± Someone nearby shouted with excitement.


    Everyone hurriedly gathered around and indeed found something unusual.


    It was a columnar stctite that hung from above and dipped into the rapids below. On this stctite, they could clearly see scratch marks from human touch.


    ¡°It seems that Jiang Dacai really did wake up and then fell into the rapids below along this stctite. It will be difficult to find him now.¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but clench his teeth in anger when mentioning this matter.


    Zuo Xingyu found it difficult to understand Di Yelei¡¯s feelings. Initially, they had nned to escort Old Man Li to the government office, but unexpectedly he escaped, leading to today¡¯s disaster. Seeing that someone might have escaped again, how could he remain calm?


    ¡°Well, they must have fled along with the current. Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s continue searching down.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu nodded and said before turning around directly.


    Of course, the search he spoke of was for YingEr¡¯s whereabouts, as Jiang Dacai¡¯s life or death was of secondary importance at the moment.<div>


    Di Yelei made a gesture of invitation: ¡°When ites to tracking, it¡¯s Big Brother Zuo¡¯s skills that are the strongest. I entrust this matter to you, little brother.¡±


    As he spoke, he bowed to the ground toward Zuo Xingyu.


    Zuo Xingyu looked at him deeply, reached out to help him up, and was moved by Di Yelei¡¯s action. As a captain, he would bow to him in front of everyone, which showed tremendous courage and generosity unlike ordinary people!


    ¡°Don¡¯t say such words again. You and I are brothers! Brothers are meant to support each other! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After saying this, he took a torch and led the way.


    As this group of people followed YingEr¡¯s clues and walked inside the cave, Di Ying was on the verge of copse.


    It wasn¡¯t until she could no longer run that she fell to the ground and cried loudly.


    The cry echoed through the uneven and variously shaped stctites in the cave, making it seem particrly ethereal and deste.


    She still remembered that thest time she had a meal was on the evening of July 14th, but she had no idea what time it was now.


    All she knew was that she was extremely hungry, and a burning sensation came from her stomach. The various wounds on her body caused her head to feel dizzy and she could hardly stand still.


    As soon as she fell to the ground, she inadvertently touched something ice-cold, slimy, and sticky, which frightened her, and she instinctively jumped up!


    A snake!


    She didn¡¯t know where she suddenly found the strength, but she started running!


    Stumbling along the way, she didn¡¯t know how long she had been running. Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet disappeared, and her entire body began to sink rapidly down.


    She let out a primal scream!


    Frantically swinging her arms, she couldn¡¯t stop her body from falling like a free-falling object, crashing into the stctites below, bouncing like a parab, rolling down to the next level, and finallynding on a small tform, where she finally stopped.


    Only the constant dripping of water could be heard around her.


    Di Ying barely blinked, and beautiful halos suddenly appeared in front of her eyes.


    In the colorful halos, Di Yelei and Liu Sisi joined hands in smiling and came forward, gently reaching out to her.<div>


    ¡°YingEr, Little Treasure,e! Come to your dad and mom! Come, YingEr,e over here, and you won¡¯t be cold, YingEr¡­¡±


    Her mouth corners barely moved, and she let out ast murmur.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, you¡¯re here¡­ Save YingEr¡­¡±


    At the moment, Liu Sisi and Di Xuan and the others were gradually venturing deeper into the karst cave.<div>


    The two of them were leading Ah-Hua and Ah-Huang by the hand, letting them roam freely like cattle grazing, and allowing the dogs to guide everyone.


    On the way, the two big dogs thought they were going hunting, and would pounce on any prey they saw.


    However, when they entered arge karst cave, the two mischievous dogs began to retreat slowly, whining, and ignoring everyone¡¯s attempts to drive them forward.


    ¡°Come on, Ah-Hua, Ah-Huang! Hurry up!¡±


    Di Xuan urged the two hounds.


    Ah-Hua and Ah-Huang suddenly stopped in their tracks, raising their heads and growling softly. They whined but refused to go any farther.


    A thought suddenly shed through Liu Sisi¡¯s mind: ¡°Something is wrong! Did Ah-Hua and Ah-Huang sense danger ahead, and that¡¯s why they dare not go forward?¡±


    Hunting dogs are naturally intelligent, sensitive, and obedient.


    They wouldn¡¯t retreat easily unless they encountered prey that they couldn¡¯t handle.


    ¡°Quick! Raise the torches higher!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly instructed.


    As the surrounding torches were raised, Liu Sisi finally saw what frightened Ah-Hua and Ah-Huang¡ªarge python coiled around a huge stctite, sticking out its long forked tongue at everyone, ready to strike at any time.


    ¡°Oh my gosh! Run!¡±<div>


    Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, and almost everyone turned and ran in an instant.


    Even Liu Sisi was no exception!


    While fleeing, she didn¡¯t care about anything else. She grabbed Di Xuan, who had been standing next to her, and sprinted away.


    In a sh, the entire cave was filled with chaotic footsteps. She ran until her chest hurt and she could barely breathe, but she still didn¡¯t dare to let go of Di Xuan¡¯s hand.


    It wasn¡¯t until they had turned several corners that the group gradually stopped running.


    ¡°Quick, check the headcount, and see if anyone is missing.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was burning hot. When danger struck just now, all she cared about was grabbing Di Xuan and escaping; she couldn¡¯t pay attention to the chaos at the scene.


    It wasn¡¯t until they reorganized their ranks and counted heads that they realized: ¡°Report to Madam, everyone is here, and not one person is missing.¡±


    ¡°No, something¡¯s wrong! There¡¯s one missing from the site!¡±


    Di Xuan, with a look of anxiety, suddenly spoke up: ¡°It¡¯s Ah-Hua! Ah-Hua is gone!¡±


    Ah-Hua is gone?


    Only then did Liu Sisi notice that Ah-Hua, who was supposed to be in her hand, had disappeared!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    That¡¯s right! When they were running for their lives earlier, she had only focused on grabbing Xuan¡¯er and escaping, forgetting the rope holding Ah-Hua in her hand!<div>


    ¡°Ah-Hua¡­ what should we do now?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart sank in an instant.


    Ah-Hua wasn¡¯t just a hunting dog to the Di family. When Ah-Hua had bitten Old Man Li to save Di Yelei, she and Old Man Li were both swept into the underground karst cave by the whirlwind.


    But when everyone had given up hope, she returned to the Di family with a deep, life-threatening wound that exposed her bones.

 Chapter 661: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 18)

    Chapter 661: Chapter 661: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 18)


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Such a cute child, if anything happens to her, it would be such a pity!


    ¡°Brother Zuo, since you happen to be here, Ye Lei sincerely invites you to help find Ying Er. I¡¯ll thank you in advance.¡±


    As Di Yelei spoke, he immediately bowed to him.


    ¡°Stop! You don¡¯t need to do this. I was originally here on a mission today. Now that you are here, my mission isplete. However, going back into the cave to find Ying Er is due to our personal friendship. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After saying this, Zuo Xingyu nodded to Di Yelei and turned directly into the cave.


    ¡°On a mission? Whose orders is he under? Wasn¡¯t our journey kept very secret?¡±


    Zhang Peng, who was by his side, happened to hear this too.


    An idea shed through Di Yelei¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t say much: ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it doesn¡¯t matter! Brother Zhang, I want to send Old Man Li and Jiang Xiaocai back to the governmental office first, and arrange for them to be treated by someone. I don¡¯t feel safe letting others handle this, so I thought it would be best if you make the trip. We cannot let them die so cheaply!¡±


    Zhang Peng was a bit hesitant, as he originally wanted to go back into the cave as well. However, he looked back at the five or six people who hade out with him and thought about the others who were still trapped in the karst cave. He couldn¡¯t help but admit that Di Yelei was right.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll tell my sister-inw. I¡¯ll also go get Old He, just in case.¡±


    Both of them knew exactly what they were preventing, but neither of them broke the silence.


    ¡°So, you take four brothers down the mountain, and I¡¯ll take Yun Er back into the karst cave.¡±


    Di Yelei carefully arranged the specific tasks: ¡°If someone asks you and you can¡¯t avoid it, just say that Xuan¡¯er was ying and chased after a deer into the cave. Unexpectedly, they got trapped inside and couldn¡¯t get out. As for other things, let¡¯s talk about themter!¡±


    ¡°Alright! This is a good n; I will go down the mountain now.¡±


    Seeing Jiang Xiaocai, who was still in aa, Zhang Peng knew that he could not dy any longer.


    ¡°Great, let¡¯s each carry out our missions! Yun Er, follow me!¡±


    Di Yelei quickly called to Zhang Yun: ¡°You all should also hurry up and carry the people away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor.¡±


    Two of the group members bound the still convulsing Old Man Li and carried Jiang Xiaocai down the mountain.


    The other two followed Di Yelei back into the cave.


    This time, when they entered the cave, they took the karst cave route that Old Man Li and the others had taken, and quickly arrived at the ce where Di Yelei and the others had found Jiang Xiaocai.


    Unexpectedly, they found Zuo Xingyu searching there as well.


    Di Yelei pointed at the pool of fresh blood on the ground, ¡°This is where we found Jiang Xiaocai. At that time, Jiang Xiaocai was lying still, as if he was already dead. Fortunately, we all had emergency hemostatic herbs and golden medicament, which temporarily saved Jiang Xiaocai¡¯s life.¡±


    At the moment, two poisonous snakes were coiled on the pool of fresh blood on the ground, spitting out their forked tongues at everyone, making everyone¡¯s scalp tingle.


    Zuo Xingyu nodded, understanding Di Yelei¡¯s meaning.


    As long as Jiang Xiaocai was alive, identifying Old Man Li could be done in minutes.


    However, where was Jiang Dacai right now? Was he the one who kidnapped Ying Er, or did Ying Er escape on her own? No one knew.


    ¡°This should be the ce where Ying Er escaped from them, right?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu said casually, then picked up a torch and began to search for clues along the rock walls of the cave.


    Di Yelei, on the other side, was also doing the same, carefully searching for subtle traces, unwilling to miss any clues.


    Most of the people around were government employees, so they all searched for clues meticulously.


    Following the cave walls, Di Yelei gradually found traces, and finally, the two torches shone together.


    When they looked up, they saw Zuo Xingyu. At this moment, Zuo Xingyu also found this ce. The two of them looked at each other and then lowered their heads to look more closely.


    ¡°It should be here. Ying Er is a little girl, her footprints are small. The small footprints here and scratches on the cliff should have been left when she escaped.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu exined in detail.


    Di Yelei nodded: ¡°Old Man Li and Jiang Xiaocai were fighting here, and Ying Er must have been very scared. She wouldn¡¯t run past the two of them towards the outside. She must have run in this direction.¡±


    As he spoke, he held up the torch and stretched it deeper into the cave, illuminating a small area around them.


    ¡°Yes! Ying Er¡¯s footprints appear here for thest time, but where are Jiang Dacai¡¯s footprints? How did he leave?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s question made everyone look at each other, seeing caution in each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back and take a closer look.¡±


    They were all skilled trackers, and they had missed any traces of Jiang Dacai during their first sweep. There must be something they had overlooked.


    Everyone stopped talking and went back to searching for clues, trying not to miss any signs.


    ¡°Here! Your Honor,e and see if it¡¯s here!¡±


    Xiao Wen nearby called out first.


    Everyone gathered around and indeed saw that there was something unusual in the ce Xiao Wen mentioned.


    There was a small pond, which should have been left by the rising water level in the cave when the tide came in. The water in the pond was small, and it was blocked by a strangely shapedva rock near the bottom of the cave entrance, which was hard to notice if you didn¡¯t pay close attention.


    What attracted everyone¡¯s attention was not the depth of the small pond, but the one-finger-long strange fish in the pond. All of them were dead with their bellies turned up.


    ¡°This is a unique fish in the cave. They like to stay in water with the taste of saltpetre. We all call it ang fish. This fish is found only in this cave, and their whole body is transparent. You can clearly see their internal organs and gills. They usually help clean the skin of bigger fish. When a person is injured and enters the water, these fish will be attracted by the smell of blood, and they won¡¯t leave until they are full.¡±


    Xiao Wen exined carefully and even used a tree branch to pick up one of the small fish ashore.


    Zuo Xingyu held the torch and carefully examined the surroundings: ¡°There is a strong bloody smell in the water. It seems that Jiang Dacai was indeed bitten by a poisonous snake. During the fight, he may have identally or deliberately rolled into this small pond. The injured wound was soaked in water, and he was discovered by these ang fish which fed on his blood.¡±


    ¡°Well! Let¡¯s assume for a moment that he fell into this small pond, was conscious but couldn¡¯t move. By ident, these fish sucked out the venom, and the dilution effect of the water in the pond enabled Jiang Dacai to regain consciousness from hisa¡­¡±

 Chapter 662: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 19)

    Chapter 662: Chapter 662: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 19)


    Di Yelei continued speaking, searching for new clues along the small pond as he spoke.


    ¡°Your Honor, there¡¯s a new discovery here!¡± Someone nearby shouted with excitement.


    Everyone hurriedly gathered around and indeed found something unusual.


    It was a columnar stctite that hung from above and dipped into the rapids below. On this stctite, they could clearly see scratch marks from human touch.


    ¡°It seems that Jiang Dacai really did wake up and then fell into the rapids below along this stctite. It will be difficult to find him now.¡±


    Di Yelei couldn¡¯t help but clench his teeth in anger when mentioning this matter.


    Zuo Xingyu found it difficult to understand Di Yelei¡¯s feelings. Initially, they had nned to escort Old Man Li to the government office, but unexpectedly he escaped, leading to today¡¯s disaster. Seeing that someone might have escaped again, how could he remain calm?


    ¡°Well, they must have fled along with the current. Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s continue searching down.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu nodded and said before turning around directly.


    Of course, the search he spoke of was for YingEr¡¯s whereabouts, as Jiang Dacai¡¯s life or death was of secondary importance at the moment.


    Di Yelei made a gesture of invitation: ¡°When ites to tracking, it¡¯s Big Brother Zuo¡¯s skills that are the strongest. I entrust this matter to you, little brother.¡±


    As he spoke, he bowed to the ground toward Zuo Xingyu.


    Zuo Xingyu looked at him deeply, reached out to help him up, and was moved by Di Yelei¡¯s action. As a captain, he would bow to him in front of everyone, which showed tremendous courage and generosity unlike ordinary people!


    ¡°Don¡¯t say such words again. You and I are brothers! Brothers are meant to support each other! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After saying this, he took a torch and led the way.


    As this group of people followed YingEr¡¯s clues and walked inside the cave, Di Ying was on the verge of copse.


    It wasn¡¯t until she could no longer run that she fell to the ground and cried loudly.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The cry echoed through the uneven and variously shaped stctites in the cave, making it seem particrly ethereal and deste.


    She still remembered that thest time she had a meal was on the evening of July 14th, but she had no idea what time it was now.


    All she knew was that she was extremely hungry, and a burning sensation came from her stomach. The various wounds on her body caused her head to feel dizzy and she could hardly stand still.


    As soon as she fell to the ground, she inadvertently touched something ice-cold, slimy, and sticky, which frightened her, and she instinctively jumped up!


    A snake!


    She didn¡¯t know where she suddenly found the strength, but she started running!


    Stumbling along the way, she didn¡¯t know how long she had been running. Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet disappeared, and her entire body began to sink rapidly down.


    She let out a primal scream!


    Frantically swinging her arms, she couldn¡¯t stop her body from falling like a free-falling object, crashing into the stctites below, bouncing like a parab, rolling down to the next level, and finallynding on a small tform, where she finally stopped.


    Only the constant dripping of water could be heard around her.


    Di Ying barely blinked, and beautiful halos suddenly appeared in front of her eyes.


    In the colorful halos, Di Yelei and Liu Sisi joined hands in smiling and came forward, gently reaching out to her.


    ¡°YingEr, Little Treasure,e! Come to your dad and mom! Come, YingEr,e over here, and you won¡¯t be cold, YingEr¡­¡±


    Her mouth corners barely moved, and she let out ast murmur.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, you¡¯re here¡­ Save YingEr¡­¡±


    At the moment, Liu Sisi and Di Xuan and the others were gradually venturing deeper into the karst cave.


    The two of them were leading Ah-Hua and Ah-Huang by the hand, letting them roam freely like cattle grazing, and allowing the dogs to guide everyone.


    On the way, the two big dogs thought they were going hunting, and would pounce on any prey they saw.


    However, when they entered arge karst cave, the two mischievous dogs began to retreat slowly, whining, and ignoring everyone¡¯s attempts to drive them forward.


    ¡°Come on, Ah-Hua, Ah-Huang! Hurry up!¡±


    Di Xuan urged the two hounds.


    Ah-Hua and Ah-Huang suddenly stopped in their tracks, raising their heads and growling softly. They whined but refused to go any farther.


    A thought suddenly shed through Liu Sisi¡¯s mind: ¡°Something is wrong! Did Ah-Hua and Ah-Huang sense danger ahead, and that¡¯s why they dare not go forward?¡±


    Hunting dogs are naturally intelligent, sensitive, and obedient.


    They wouldn¡¯t retreat easily unless they encountered prey that they couldn¡¯t handle.


    ¡°Quick! Raise the torches higher!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly instructed.


    As the surrounding torches were raised, Liu Sisi finally saw what frightened Ah-Hua and Ah-Huang¡ªarge python coiled around a huge stctite, sticking out its long forked tongue at everyone, ready to strike at any time.


    ¡°Oh my gosh! Run!¡±


    Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, and almost everyone turned and ran in an instant.


    Even Liu Sisi was no exception!


    While fleeing, she didn¡¯t care about anything else. She grabbed Di Xuan, who had been standing next to her, and sprinted away.


    In a sh, the entire cave was filled with chaotic footsteps. She ran until her chest hurt and she could barely breathe, but she still didn¡¯t dare to let go of Di Xuan¡¯s hand.


    It wasn¡¯t until they had turned several corners that the group gradually stopped running.


    ¡°Quick, check the headcount, and see if anyone is missing.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face was burning hot. When danger struck just now, all she cared about was grabbing Di Xuan and escaping; she couldn¡¯t pay attention to the chaos at the scene.


    It wasn¡¯t until they reorganized their ranks and counted heads that they realized: ¡°Report to Madam, everyone is here, and not one person is missing.¡±


    ¡°No, something¡¯s wrong! There¡¯s one missing from the site!¡±


    Di Xuan, with a look of anxiety, suddenly spoke up: ¡°It¡¯s Ah-Hua! Ah-Hua is gone!¡±


    Ah-Hua is gone?


    Only then did Liu Sisi notice that Ah-Hua, who was supposed to be in her hand, had disappeared!


    That¡¯s right! When they were running for their lives earlier, she had only focused on grabbing Xuan¡¯er and escaping, forgetting the rope holding Ah-Hua in her hand!


    ¡°Ah-Hua¡­ what should we do now?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart sank in an instant.


    Ah-Hua wasn¡¯t just a hunting dog to the Di family. When Ah-Hua had bitten Old Man Li to save Di Yelei, she and Old Man Li were both swept into the underground karst cave by the whirlwind.


    But when everyone had given up hope, she returned to the Di family with a deep, life-threatening wound that exposed her bones.

 Chapter 663: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 20)

    Chapter 663: Chapter 663: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 20)


    Therefore, since then, Di Yelei had said that he would surely raise these two little dogs well, until they died of old age.


    But at this moment, Ah-Hua had disappeared in the karst cave. Could it be¡­


    Could it be that it was swallowed by that giant python?


    As soon as this idea came up, everyone fell silent.


    The group, once again embarking on their journey, each took every step with great caution. No one dared to act rashly.


    The original two little dogs had be one now. Ah-Huang was firmly held by Di Xuan. It panted heavily as it walked, appearing very fierce but also somewhat lonely.


    This time, everyone learned their lesson, they kept well away from the sight of the poisonous snakes. If they really couldn¡¯t avoid them, they would pick them up with a bamboo stick and throw them away. When encountering other poisonous insects, they were ruthless in their actions.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mind was very chaotic. However, fortunately, their group was small but well-prepared. Each of them held a torch in their hands and carried two more, illuminating everything around them brightly.


    Many light-fearing poisonous insects would directly avoid it when they saw the group.


    However, doing so was also very dangerous. If they really encountered therge wild beasts, it would have been the end! Fortunately, they haven¡¯t encounteredrge carnivorous animals here yet.


    Or it can be said that theplex topography of this karst cave and the small passages between caves limit the entry ofrge carnivorous animals. In addition, humans often set foot here, which eliminates many unknown dangers.


    Liu Sisi and the others¡¯ journey was slow. As they passed through the second karst cave and were preparing to go to the third one, Ah-Huang in Di Xuan¡¯s hand suddenly began to bark furiously!


    It broke free from Di Xuan¡¯s hand and heroically lunged forward.


    ¡°Ah-Huang!¡±


    Without any hesitation, Liu Sisi immediately led everyone to chase after it.


    She initially thought that Ah-Huang had found Ah-Hua or had encountered prey again. But not until she entered the third cave did she realize something was wrong.


    Under the illumination of firelight, the one wrestling with Ah-Huang was surprisingly a raggedly dressed man!


    Liu Sisi was very sure that this man was not under Di Yelei¡¯smand.


    ¡°Quickly! Go! Catch him!¡±


    Liu Sisi immediately ordered and pulled Di Xuan behind her, retreating to a hidden ce and blocking him with her body.


    The group might have been afraid to deal with the python, but as soon as they saw the man entangled with Ah-Huang and appearing in this cave, they all rushed forward and tried to seize him.


    This man was none other than the eldest brother of the Jiang family. He was originally immobilized by Old Man Li¡¯s scheme and the snake poison. But when Old Man Li intended to strike first and attacked Jiang Xiaocai, the two men¡¯s fight identally kicked him down the slope, making him roll into the small pond.


    Afterwards, everything happened just as Zuo Xingyu had conjectured. By some strange chance, he was able to neutralize the poison and barely move.


    Of course, he also heard the noises over there. From the initial concentration to theter sudden silence, he thought his little brother had been dealt with. Thinking about his body, which was still not flexible even after the poison had been neutralized, going up could only mean death, so he snuck away silently towards the other side. Unexpectedly, he fell into the rapids.


    It was just his life wasn¡¯t meant to end yet. When he was washed away, he promptly grabbed a stctite. He didn¡¯t get washed far away and managed to climb ashore. Then, he tried to escape towards the entrance he remembered.


    Unexpectedly, he ran straight into Liu Sisi and the others who were entering from this side!


    At this moment, most of the snake poison in his body had been neutralized. However, he was so hungry that he was seeing stars, and Ah-Huang was doggedly holding his bite.


    Seeing so many people gathering around, he could no longer care about anything else. He clenched his teeth, suddenly fell backward, and directly tumbled down into the waterhole.


    Even if he were to die, he would never let these people catch him!


    Falling into the waterhole was a high-risk move, but it was better than having no chance of survival.


    ¡°Ah-Huang!¡±


    Liu Sisi cried out loudly!


    At this moment, she finally understood how Di Yelei felt when Ah-Hua fell into the wind hole. She saw the crowd making Ah-Huang fall straight back, rolling down the slope directly. After several tumbling on various stone flowers and mantles, he fell along with the waterfall into the deep pool below.


    ¡°Ah-Huang! Ah-Huang!¡±


    Almost everyone was shouting, but the drop of this waterhole was too great, and the torch couldn¡¯t illuminate the bottom. Below, aside from the thunderous rumbling of the water, they could see nothing.


    In the darkness, the ¡°thud, thud, thud¡± sound of falling into the water hole was like a strike to everyone¡¯s heart, stupefying them all.


    ¡°Madam, what should we do now?¡±


    ¡°What should we do? Naturally, we should prepare the rope and get ready to go down to save¡­ No, save the dog! As for the person, whether they¡¯re alive or dead doesn¡¯t matter, just bring his corpse back to me!¡±


    At this moment, Liu Sisi wished she could brutally kill that person. How could she leave a way for him to live?


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    With a goal in mind, everyone moved much faster and began to prepare for descending into the water hole. The hemp rope was brought in from outside the cave and tied to the stctite above. Then it was unrolled down the hole, and the search for people began.


    On the other side.


    Di Yelei had been searching inside the cave when he heard a dog barking all of a sudden.


    How could there be a dog in the cave?


    Di Yelei shook his head, assuming he had misheard, and continued on his way.


    But after a moment, a joyous shout came from up ahead: ¡°Your Honor, it¡¯s Ah-Hua! Ah-Hua is here!¡±


    Ah-Hua was here? How could Ah-Hua show up here?


    Di Yelei was overjoyed at first, and then he quickly went up. Indeed it was Ah-Hua. Seeing the people, she continuously wagged her tail and rushed to Di Yelei¡¯s side, whimpering. He quickly stroked her head for a while, and couldn¡¯t help patting Ah-Hua softly.


    ¡°Ah-Hua, how did you get here? Did Sisie too? Where are they? Please lead us there quickly.¡±


    He was not sure if Ah-Hua understood, but she stood up, barked a few times, and then darted away.


    ¡°Quick! Everyone, follow.¡±


    Without any doubt, Di Yelei knew that both Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua were purebred hunting dog puppies. They had followed him hunting in the mountains when they were young. If Ah-Hua led the way, there was no need to worry about getting lost.


    Back to Liu Sisi¡¯s side.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The sound of waterfall and its flowing water continued toe out of the waterhole, almost deafening.


    People had started to descend into the waterhole one after another, and for fear of danger, everyone was tied up with hemp ropes, and also carried knives, in case of any unexpected event.


    As more and more people descended, there was no informationing up from below, making everyone anxious.


    ¡°What¡¯s the time now?¡±


    ¡°Madam, it is now the hour of Chen.¡±


    It was the hour of Chen already? It was already daylight outside! Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes darkened. Had it already been two days and two nights?

 Chapter 664: Unexpected Harvest (Part 1)

    Chapter 664: Chapter 664: Unexpected Harvest (Part 1)


    Everyone in the New Century knows that the golden time for outdoor rescue is within 72 hours. The longer it takes, the lower the chance of survival. At the moment, they don¡¯t even know where YingEr is, let alone rescue her.


    ¡°Madam, there has been no movement from the brothers who went down, not even the slightest tremble of the rope. Perhaps something has changed down there; should we send more people to check?¡±


    Send more? Liu Sisi nced at those still standing in the karst cave. Half of their people had already been sent down. If something had happened down there, sending more people would do no good.


    ¡°No need! Let¡¯s just wait and see.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart sank, suddenly feeling that she had been too impulsive.


    No matter how people saw it, Ah-Huang was just a dog. Now, in order to find this dog, she had sent so many brothers down without even knowing what was down there. If something went wrong, how could she exin to their families?


    Just as her heart was in turmoil, she suddenly heard the faint sound of a dog barking.


    A dog barking? Was it Ah-Huang or Ah-Hua?


    Everyone was overjoyed and hurriedly looked in the direction of the barking.


    As expected, they saw Ah-Hua rushing over from the other side, running straight to Liu Sisi¡¯s side, jumping excitedly.


    ¡°Ah-Hua! Ah-Hua, you¡¯re back! That¡¯s great!¡±


    Now that Ah-Hua was back, Ah-Huang¡¯s return shouldn¡¯t be far off, right?


    Just as Liu Sisi was happy, Di Yelei and the others also entered therge karst cave.


    When everyone saw each other, there was naturally another round of surprise.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t hide anything and told them about Ah-Huang biting the bandit and falling into the waterhole together.


    ¡°I sent half of the brothers down the waterhole, either dead or alive! Ah-Hua escaped from the whirlwind cave before, and it was winter then. Now it¡¯s just a waterhole, and it¡¯s summer. So I thought maybe Ah-Huang didn¡¯t die, and I sent half of the brothers¡­ ¡±


    ¡°You sent half of the brothers down, right? About how many people?¡±


    ¡°Six, and not a single one has sent back any news.¡± This was about six living lives.


    Di Yelei also leaned over to look carefully at Yanbian and finally made a decision.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, I n to go down and take a look to rescue Ah-Huang. You and Yun Er lead the brothers and Sisi out of the cave. Leave the rest to me.¡±


    How could Zhang Peng agree to this?


    ¡°No way! Ye Lei, how about this? I¡¯ll go down with you, and Yun Er and my sister-inw will lead everyone out of the cave. We¡¯ll be back as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely not okay. This is the waterhole. How can I let you take the risk with me, Brother Zhang? You¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! You all stop talking! Before I see YingEr, I won¡¯t leave the cave. You can pretend you never saw me!¡±


    Liu Sisi insisted with a serious expression.


    Di Yelei paused: ¡°Sisi¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Ye Lei, just let Brother Zhang go with you.¡±


    Without waiting for Di Yelei to speak, Liu Sisi made the decision: ¡°As for the others, they will wait here. Especially you, Yun Er. YingEr is still waiting for you to save her.¡±


    Zhang Yun originally wanted to say something but was blocked by Liu Sisi¡¯s words and had to nod.


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll have to trouble Brother Zhang.¡±


    Di Yelei naturally understood Sisi¡¯s intentions. Brother Zhang¡¯s martial arts were good, and he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about not being able to get back up.


    After discussing for a while, the two decided to change their position and descend into the waterhole. At the same time, they changed the hemp rope around their waists from one to two strands, each tied to their bodies, and wrapped a thick bundle around their waists for emergency use.


    Then, the two began to descend.


    ¡°Ye Lei!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly took two steps forward and saw Di Yelei and Zhang Peng both looking up at her. She quickly smiled: ¡°Ye Lei, Brother Zhang, you two muste back safely!¡±


    ¡°Sister-inw, take care of yourself, and Yun Er, this child will need your care!¡±


    After saying that, Zhang Peng¡¯s body quickly descended.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back safely!¡±


    After Di Yelei finished speaking, he didn¡¯t wait for Liu Sisi to say anything and followed Zhang Peng down. His figure quickly disappeared from sight.


    As Di Yelei and Zhang Peng descended along the rope, the torch¡¯s radiance was scattered by the sshing waterfall, flickering on and off, and could hardly see the view below.


    Moreover, the mist from the unknown source in the cave made it almost impossible for them to open their eyes.


    Di Yelei quickly descended while trying to adapt to the roaring sound of the waterfall crashing into the bottom of the waterhole and rebounding back.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Soon, hended on the first tform.


    These tforms weremon in waterholes, formed by protruding boulders nting out of the hole. As hended, he found his feet slipping and quickly grabbed the rope again.


    No wonder, there was a thickyer of moss covering the tform.


    It must have been many years since anyone had visited, so when he stepped on it, he directly stepped off the thickyer of moss and almost fell straight into the bottom of the pool.


    He nced back and found that Zhang Peng was in a simr situation, also on another nting tform, looking up at him.


    Di Yelei hurriedly waved to him, adjusted himself, and began to descend again.


    After several such attempts, the two finally descended onto anotherrge tform, where Di Yelei saw traces of others¡¯ passage. He also saw the scratches left by sharp tools cutting the boulders and the ropes in mid-air that were constantly tangled together by the whirlwind.


    No wonder no one had sent out any information!


    He secretly warned himself, took out a rope from his waist, threw it onto another protruding stctite, and directly secured it firmly. Then, he pushed off the rock behind him, swung along the rope, and moved to another cave.


    Soon, Zhang Peng also swung over.


    Di Yelei rekindled his torch, nced at Zhang Peng, nodded, and the two of them had each other¡¯s backs as they slowly moved forward, following the numerous chaotic footprints.


    From start to finish, the two men cooperated seamlessly without speaking a word.


    Above the waterhole.


    Liu Sisi stared at the dark waterhole, listening to the deafening sound of the waterfall. After a while, she turned to look at Zhang Yun.


    ¡°Yun Er, it¡¯s no use having so many people here. Here¡¯s what I think. Leave some people to continue searching in the cave, while others go back to the county. What do you think?¡±


    Zhang Yun didn¡¯t look up: ¡°Auntie, I want to stay and keep looking for YingEr. I¡¯m not going back.¡±


    ¡°How can that be? These brothers have been wandering around the cave with us for so long, without eating or sleeping. Even an iron body can¡¯t take it. How can they continue to work hard here? Don¡¯t you think?¡±

 Chapter 663: 663: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 20)

    Chapter 663: Chapter 663: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 20)


    Therefore, since then, Di Yelei had said that he would surely raise these two little dogs well, until they died of old age.


    But at this moment, Ah-Hua had disappeared in the karst cave. Could it be¡­


    Could it be that it was swallowed by that giant python?


    As soon as this idea came up, everyone fell silent.


    The group, once again embarking on their journey, each took every step with great caution. No one dared to act rashly.


    The original two little dogs had be one now. Ah-Huang was firmly held by Di Xuan. It panted heavily as it walked, appearing very fierce but also somewhat lonely.


    This time, everyone learned their lesson, they kept well away from the sight of the poisonous snakes. If they really couldn¡¯t avoid them, they would pick them up with a bamboo stick and throw them away. When encountering other poisonous insects, they were ruthless in their actions.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Sisi¡¯s mind was very chaotic. However, fortunately, their group was small but well-prepared. Each of them held a torch in their hands and carried two more, illuminating everything around them brightly.


    Many light-fearing poisonous insects would directly avoid it when they saw the group.


    However, doing so was also very dangerous. If they really encountered therge wild beasts, it would have been the end! Fortunately, they haven¡¯t encounteredrge carnivorous animals here yet.<div>


    Or it can be said that theplex topography of this karst cave and the small passages between caves limit the entry ofrge carnivorous animals. In addition, humans often set foot here, which eliminates many unknown dangers.


    Liu Sisi and the others¡¯ journey was slow. As they passed through the second karst cave and were preparing to go to the third one, Ah-Huang in Di Xuan¡¯s hand suddenly began to bark furiously!


    It broke free from Di Xuan¡¯s hand and heroically lunged forward.


    ¡°Ah-Huang!¡±


    Without any hesitation, Liu Sisi immediately led everyone to chase after it.


    She initially thought that Ah-Huang had found Ah-Hua or had encountered prey again. But not until she entered the third cave did she realize something was wrong.


    Under the illumination of firelight, the one wrestling with Ah-Huang was surprisingly a raggedly dressed man!


    Liu Sisi was very sure that this man was not under Di Yelei¡¯smand.


    ¡°Quickly! Go! Catch him!¡±


    Liu Sisi immediately ordered and pulled Di Xuan behind her, retreating to a hidden ce and blocking him with her body.


    The group might have been afraid to deal with the python, but as soon as they saw the man entangled with Ah-Huang and appearing in this cave, they all rushed forward and tried to seize him.


    This man was none other than the eldest brother of the Jiang family. He was originally immobilized by Old Man Li¡¯s scheme and the snake poison. But when Old Man Li intended to strike first and attacked Jiang Xiaocai, the two men¡¯s fight identally kicked him down the slope, making him roll into the small pond.


    Afterwards, everything happened just as Zuo Xingyu had conjectured. By some strange chance, he was able to neutralize the poison and barely move.


    Of course, he also heard the noises over there. From the initial concentration to theter sudden silence, he thought his little brother had been dealt with. Thinking about his body, which was still not flexible even after the poison had been neutralized, going up could only mean death, so he snuck away silently towards the other side. Unexpectedly, he fell into the rapids.


    It was just his life wasn¡¯t meant to end yet. When he was washed away, he promptly grabbed a stctite. He didn¡¯t get washed far away and managed to climb ashore. Then, he tried to escape towards the entrance he remembered.


    Unexpectedly, he ran straight into Liu Sisi and the others who were entering from this side!


    At this moment, most of the snake poison in his body had been neutralized. However, he was so hungry that he was seeing stars, and Ah-Huang was doggedly holding his bite.


    Seeing so many people gathering around, he could no longer care about anything else. He clenched his teeth, suddenly fell backward, and directly tumbled down into the waterhole.


    Even if he were to die, he would never let these people catch him!<div>


    Falling into the waterhole was a high-risk move, but it was better than having no chance of survival.


    ¡°Ah-Huang!¡±


    Liu Sisi cried out loudly!


    At this moment, she finally understood how Di Yelei felt when Ah-Hua fell into the wind hole. She saw the crowd making Ah-Huang fall straight back, rolling down the slope directly. After several tumbling on various stone flowers and mantles, he fell along with the waterfall into the deep pool below.<div>


    ¡°Ah-Huang! Ah-Huang!¡±


    Almost everyone was shouting, but the drop of this waterhole was too great, and the torch couldn¡¯t illuminate the bottom. Below, aside from the thunderous rumbling of the water, they could see nothing.


    In the darkness, the ¡°thud, thud, thud¡± sound of falling into the water hole was like a strike to everyone¡¯s heart, stupefying them all.


    ¡°Madam, what should we do now?¡±


    ¡°What should we do? Naturally, we should prepare the rope and get ready to go down to save¡­ No, save the dog! As for the person, whether they¡¯re alive or dead doesn¡¯t matter, just bring his corpse back to me!¡±


    At this moment, Liu Sisi wished she could brutally kill that person. How could she leave a way for him to live?


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    With a goal in mind, everyone moved much faster and began to prepare for descending into the water hole. The hemp rope was brought in from outside the cave and tied to the stctite above. Then it was unrolled down the hole, and the search for people began.


    On the other side.


    Di Yelei had been searching inside the cave when he heard a dog barking all of a sudden.


    How could there be a dog in the cave?


    Di Yelei shook his head, assuming he had misheard, and continued on his way.


    But after a moment, a joyous shout came from up ahead: ¡°Your Honor, it¡¯s Ah-Hua! Ah-Hua is here!¡±<div>


    Ah-Hua was here? How could Ah-Hua show up here?


    Di Yelei was overjoyed at first, and then he quickly went up. Indeed it was Ah-Hua. Seeing the people, she continuously wagged her tail and rushed to Di Yelei¡¯s side, whimpering. He quickly stroked her head for a while, and couldn¡¯t help patting Ah-Hua softly.


    ¡°Ah-Hua, how did you get here? Did Sisie too? Where are they? Please lead us there quickly.¡±


    He was not sure if Ah-Hua understood, but she stood up, barked a few times, and then darted away.


    ¡°Quick! Everyone, follow.¡±


    Without any doubt, Di Yelei knew that both Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua were purebred hunting dog puppies. They had followed him hunting in the mountains when they were young. If Ah-Hua led the way, there was no need to worry about getting lost.


    Back to Liu Sisi¡¯s side.


    The sound of waterfall and its flowing water continued toe out of the waterhole, almost deafening.


    People had started to descend into the waterhole one after another, and for fear of danger, everyone was tied up with hemp ropes, and also carried knives, in case of any unexpected event.


    As more and more people descended, there was no informationing up from below, making everyone anxious.


    ¡°What¡¯s the time now?¡±


    ¡°Madam, it is now the hour of Chen.¡±


    It was the hour of Chen already? It was already daylight outside! Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes darkened. Had it already been two days and two nights?<div>

 Chapter 664: 664: Unexpected Harvest (Part 1)

    Chapter 664: Chapter 664: Unexpected Harvest (Part 1)


    Everyone in the New Century knows that the golden time for outdoor rescue is within 72 hours. The longer it takes, the lower the chance of survival. At the moment, they don¡¯t even know where YingEr is, let alone rescue her.


    ¡°Madam, there has been no movement from the brothers who went down, not even the slightest tremble of the rope. Perhaps something has changed down there; should we send more people to check?¡±


    Send more? Liu Sisi nced at those still standing in the karst cave. Half of their people had already been sent down. If something had happened down there, sending more people would do no good.


    ¡°No need! Let¡¯s just wait and see.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart sank, suddenly feeling that she had been too impulsive.


    No matter how people saw it, Ah-Huang was just a dog. Now, in order to find this dog, she had sent so many brothers down without even knowing what was down there. If something went wrong, how could she exin to their families?


    Just as her heart was in turmoil, she suddenly heard the faint sound of a dog barking.


    A dog barking? Was it Ah-Huang or Ah-Hua?


    Everyone was overjoyed and hurriedly looked in the direction of the barking.


    As expected, they saw Ah-Hua rushing over from the other side, running straight to Liu Sisi¡¯s side, jumping excitedly.<div>


    ¡°Ah-Hua! Ah-Hua, you¡¯re back! That¡¯s great!¡±


    Now that Ah-Hua was back, Ah-Huang¡¯s return shouldn¡¯t be far off, right?


    Just as Liu Sisi was happy, Di Yelei and the others also entered therge karst cave.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    When everyone saw each other, there was naturally another round of surprise.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t hide anything and told them about Ah-Huang biting the bandit and falling into the waterhole together.


    ¡°I sent half of the brothers down the waterhole, either dead or alive! Ah-Hua escaped from the whirlwind cave before, and it was winter then. Now it¡¯s just a waterhole, and it¡¯s summer. So I thought maybe Ah-Huang didn¡¯t die, and I sent half of the brothers¡­ ¡±


    ¡°You sent half of the brothers down, right? About how many people?¡±


    ¡°Six, and not a single one has sent back any news.¡± This was about six living lives.


    Di Yelei also leaned over to look carefully at Yanbian and finally made a decision.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, I n to go down and take a look to rescue Ah-Huang. You and Yun Er lead the brothers and Sisi out of the cave. Leave the rest to me.¡±


    How could Zhang Peng agree to this?


    ¡°No way! Ye Lei, how about this? I¡¯ll go down with you, and Yun Er and my sister-inw will lead everyone out of the cave. We¡¯ll be back as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely not okay. This is the waterhole. How can I let you take the risk with me, Brother Zhang? You¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! You all stop talking! Before I see YingEr, I won¡¯t leave the cave. You can pretend you never saw me!¡±


    Liu Sisi insisted with a serious expression.


    Di Yelei paused: ¡°Sisi¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Ye Lei, just let Brother Zhang go with you.¡±


    Without waiting for Di Yelei to speak, Liu Sisi made the decision: ¡°As for the others, they will wait here. Especially you, Yun Er. YingEr is still waiting for you to save her.¡±


    Zhang Yun originally wanted to say something but was blocked by Liu Sisi¡¯s words and had to nod.<div>


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll have to trouble Brother Zhang.¡±


    Di Yelei naturally understood Sisi¡¯s intentions. Brother Zhang¡¯s martial arts were good, and he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about not being able to get back up.


    After discussing for a while, the two decided to change their position and descend into the waterhole. At the same time, they changed the hemp rope around their waists from one to two strands, each tied to their bodies, and wrapped a thick bundle around their waists for emergency use.


    Then, the two began to descend.<div>


    ¡°Ye Lei!¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly took two steps forward and saw Di Yelei and Zhang Peng both looking up at her. She quickly smiled: ¡°Ye Lei, Brother Zhang, you two muste back safely!¡±


    ¡°Sister-inw, take care of yourself, and Yun Er, this child will need your care!¡±


    After saying that, Zhang Peng¡¯s body quickly descended.


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back safely!¡±


    After Di Yelei finished speaking, he didn¡¯t wait for Liu Sisi to say anything and followed Zhang Peng down. His figure quickly disappeared from sight.


    As Di Yelei and Zhang Peng descended along the rope, the torch¡¯s radiance was scattered by the sshing waterfall, flickering on and off, and could hardly see the view below.


    Moreover, the mist from the unknown source in the cave made it almost impossible for them to open their eyes.


    Di Yelei quickly descended while trying to adapt to the roaring sound of the waterfall crashing into the bottom of the waterhole and rebounding back.


    Soon, hended on the first tform.


    These tforms weremon in waterholes, formed by protruding boulders nting out of the hole. As hended, he found his feet slipping and quickly grabbed the rope again.


    No wonder, there was a thickyer of moss covering the tform.


    It must have been many years since anyone had visited, so when he stepped on it, he directly stepped off the thickyer of moss and almost fell straight into the bottom of the pool.<div>


    He nced back and found that Zhang Peng was in a simr situation, also on another nting tform, looking up at him.


    Di Yelei hurriedly waved to him, adjusted himself, and began to descend again.


    After several such attempts, the two finally descended onto anotherrge tform, where Di Yelei saw traces of others¡¯ passage. He also saw the scratches left by sharp tools cutting the boulders and the ropes in mid-air that were constantly tangled together by the whirlwind.


    No wonder no one had sent out any information!


    He secretly warned himself, took out a rope from his waist, threw it onto another protruding stctite, and directly secured it firmly. Then, he pushed off the rock behind him, swung along the rope, and moved to another cave.


    Soon, Zhang Peng also swung over.


    Di Yelei rekindled his torch, nced at Zhang Peng, nodded, and the two of them had each other¡¯s backs as they slowly moved forward, following the numerous chaotic footprints.


    From start to finish, the two men cooperated seamlessly without speaking a word.


    Above the waterhole.


    Liu Sisi stared at the dark waterhole, listening to the deafening sound of the waterfall. After a while, she turned to look at Zhang Yun.


    ¡°Yun Er, it¡¯s no use having so many people here. Here¡¯s what I think. Leave some people to continue searching in the cave, while others go back to the county. What do you think?¡±


    Zhang Yun didn¡¯t look up: ¡°Auntie, I want to stay and keep looking for YingEr. I¡¯m not going back.¡±


    ¡°How can that be? These brothers have been wandering around the cave with us for so long, without eating or sleeping. Even an iron body can¡¯t take it. How can they continue to work hard here? Don¡¯t you think?¡±<div>

 Chapter 665: 665: Unexpected Gains (Part 2)

    Chapter 665: Chapter 665: Unexpected Gains (Part 2)


    Zhang Yun finally raised her head: ¡°Auntie, I won¡¯t go home! Even if I go back, I won¡¯t be able to sleep. It¡¯s better to stay here and look for YingEr. Auntie, you go ahead, I will look around some more.¡± As she spoke, Zhang Yun turned and wanted to leave.


    ¡°Wait a minute, you child!¡±


    Liu Sisi finally understood what Zhang Peng meant by ¡®troubling you¡¯.


    ¡°Everyone is really hungry and thirsty, and they¡¯re so tired they can¡¯t even straighten their waists. How can they apany you to continue the frantic search? How about this! You first lead everyone outside the cave to eat, and then continue searching after they¡¯re full. As the saying goes, ¡®Sharpening the de won¡¯t dy the work of chopping wood¡¯! What do you think?¡±


    Zhang Yun looked back at the crowd and reluctantly agreed.


    Watching Zhang Yun finally leave, Liu Sisi found a ce to sit down and quietly waited for news from below.


    Soon, someone brought food. Even if she couldn¡¯t eat, Liu Sisi forced herself to take a few bites.


    It was unclear whether it was due to a mistake during delivery or something else, but after eating several mouthfuls, there were grains of sand in the cooked dishes. She quickly called for a torch to illuminate them. Sure enough, there was a thickyer of sand and mud on the surface of the food, probably from identally falling into the bowl during the delivery.


    Now in this critical time, she couldn¡¯t afford to be willful.


    She picked up her chopsticks and squatted in the corner, intending to scrape off the muddy food from the surface. As she looked up, she was attracted by something that sparkled slightly in the corner.<div>


    The lighting here was very dim. If she hadn¡¯t eaten the sandy food and called for a torch, she wouldn¡¯t have discovered this sparkling item.


    ¡°Quick! Hand me the torch.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t care about eating anymore, waved for the torch, and carefully illuminated the object. She indeed saw it clearly.


    Her hands were trembling, almost unable to believe her eyes! She carefully picked up the small silk flower from the ground. In the center of the flower was a tiny pearl, embellished on the edge with silk by Liu Sisi, made especially for YingEr, unique and exclusive!


    ¡°It¡¯s the silk flower from YingEr¡¯s head! It¡¯s the silk flower from YingEr¡¯s head! YingEr has been here before, it¡¯s YingEr!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t hold back her ecstasy and shouted out, immediately attracting a crowd. Everyone hurriedly searched around carefully.


    Liu Sisi also squatted on the ground and searched carefully. Under the torchlight, the surface of the ground kept shing with faint light. Liu Sisi stared for a while, reached out and groped on the ground, then couldn¡¯t help but take out her handkerchief and wrap the dirt from the ground into it.


    ¡°Madam, there are traces here!¡±


    Soon, Xiaoliang, her adept subordinate at finding clues, discovered another clue nearby, instantly delighting Liu Sisi!


    ¡°Madam, look, there are shallow footprints here. They should have been left by the young miss. It seems that she walked in this direction. Let¡¯s continue to follow the trail.¡±


    This was the second time they had found clues about YingEr. At the moment, everyone had already eaten and rested, and with the new clue, they felt a surge of strength, and hurriedly followed the trail to search.


    However, the clue eventually ended at the edge of the waterhole.


    Everyone stood by the waterhole and looked at Liu Sisi all at once.


    Liu Sisi also looked at Xiaoliang: ¡°Xiaoliang, you have always been following Constable Zuo, so ording to your many years of experience in investigating cases, what are the chances that YingEr fell down the waterhole?¡±


    Xiaoliang hesitated, then sighed: ¡°Madam, based on my experience, the young miss¡­ has probably a 70-80% chance.¡±


    He didn¡¯t dare to say it was a 100% certainty for fear that Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t handle such a blow.


    Liu Sisi clenched her lips tightly, not saying a word, just standing woodenly by the waterhole for a long time without moving.


    ¡°Madam Di, why are you all gathered here?¡±


    Just when Liu Sisi was at a loss, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind her, getting closer and closer.<div>


    Liu Sisi turned around and saw Zuo Xingyu sprinting towards her. His face, that never seemed to change and showed no expression, was so familiar. Her nose suddenly felt sour, and tears slid down her cheeks as if seeing a family member.


    ¡°Constable Zuo¡­¡±


    In the waterhole.


    Di Yelei and Zhang Peng chased down the trail into the secondyer of the karst cave in the waterhole and finally found everyone. At the same time, they also learned why so many people had entered but no one had returned to report.<div>


    Di Ying was being held hostage by the eldest of the Jiang family with a dagger, facing off against several soldiers.


    As soon as Di Yelei and Zhang Peng appeared, Jiang Dacai noticed them as well.


    ¡°Back off! Step back; if you dare to step forward, believe it or not, I¡¯ll slit her throat with this dagger!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    While holding YingEr hostage, Jiang Dacai roared furiously and asionally gestured with the dagger against YingEr¡¯s slender neck.


    Clearly, the sudden appearance of Di Yelei and Zhang Peng had driven him into a corner.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Wasn¡¯t it said¡­¡±


    Seeing YingEr, Di Yelei and Zhang Peng were naturally happy.


    But it was strange. Wasn¡¯t it said that Jiang Dacai had fallen into the waterhole with Ah-Huang biting him? How did he appear here, and how did YingEr end up here?


    One of the nearby soldiers spoke up, ¡°When we came down earlier, we saw him climbing up the waterhole, so we chased after him. We pursued him as he fled until we came upon a small stone tform and saw Miss lying down, unconscious. We were a step toote; he took her hostage and confronted us, holding her against us until now.¡±


    So that¡¯s what happened!


    But how did YingEr end up in the waterhole? They would have to wait until they finally rescued her to find out the reason.


    ¡°Stop! Jiang, don¡¯t be stubborn!¡±


    The few soldiers encircling him didn¡¯t rx a bit due to the arrival of Di Yelei and Zhang Peng; instead, they closed in on Jiang Dacai.<div>


    Di Yelei and Zhang Peng exchanged nces and began to approach slowly, as if their opponent was a prey locked in their sights, ready to strike the killing blow at any moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer! Step back! All of you, step back! Don¡¯t you hear? Or do you want to see me carve a few cuts on her face?¡±


    Jiang Dacai¡¯s expression became even more mad and desperate, dragging YingEr and constantly changing positions, trying to escape from the siege.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes fell on Di Ying, who had her eyes closed tightly, her face almost unrecognizable, her whole body slumped over Jiang Dacai¡¯s arm, being dragged around like a dead dog.


    ¡°Jiang, how about we make a deal?¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly stepped forward, stood behind the crowd, and shouted at Jiang Dacai in the middle of the crowd, ¡°As long as you let go of YingEr, I will let bygones be bygones for your sins, and allow you to leave safely. I will also give you enough silver to live off for the rest of your life. What do you think?¡±

 Chapter 666: 666: Unexpected Harvest (Part 3)

    Chapter 666: Chapter 666: Unexpected Harvest (Part 3)


    What would mere money matterpared to YingEr?


    ¡°Pah! Di surnamed fellow, do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡±


    Jiang Dacai remained unshaken: ¡°Don¡¯t think that your wishful n can seed with just a little tinkling sound! I tell you, even if I die, I¡¯ll still drag a few people down with me! Hahaha¡­¡± he started tough hysterically.


    Even before Di Yelei started talking, Zhang Peng had circled around to the other side.


    The two of them were used to hunting together for many years, used tomunicating with eye contact, and used to hunting at night. The most important thing in hunting was to determine the threat of the prey. Meanwhile, the two men had silently begun to cooperate in hunting.


    ¡°Ah! It hurts¡­¡±


    YingEr suddenly let out a miserable scream.


    That heartless Jiang Dacai actually cut YingEr¡¯s corbone, causing fresh blood to flow visibly, and also waking her from hera.


    Di Yelei roared in pain: ¡°YingEr! ¨C Jiang Dacai, you bastard!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As soon as he finished speaking, he threw himself forward, trying to rush over directly.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t see your little actions.¡±


    Jiang Dacai¡¯s dagger was once again aimed at YingEr¡¯s neck: ¡°That knife just now was a little souvenir for you sneaky bastards. If any of you move again, don¡¯t me me for being rude. My next knife will be aimed at her beautiful face!¡±


    ¡°No! No, we won¡¯t move, no one moves!¡±


    At this moment, Di Yelei was already confused, especially when he saw the wound on his daughter¡¯s corbone, his eyes were bloodshot!


    The two sides once again fell into a stalemate.


    Zhang Peng mingled among the crowd, and looked at Di Yelei from afar, with the same anxiety in his eyes, what should they do now?


    Just as the stalemate continued, another rope was lowered from the waterhole above, and the eyes of Di Yelei and others brightened up as another person came down!


    The figure on the descending rope quickly revealed its form, and as everyone recognized who this person was, they were overjoyed!


    It was actually Constable Zuo!


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s arrival made Jiang Dacai extremely nervous, and he dragged YingEr hastily backward.


    But for every step he took, the crowd would immediately follow one step closer.


    Di Yelei nced at the corner of his eye, suddenly saw a dark shadow, and then had a sudden thought, giving a low whistle from his mouth.


    At the same time, his figure suddenly flickered, turning into an afterimage rushing straight towards Jiang Dacai, aiming for his right arm holding the dagger.


    Just as he started to move, countless figures attacked at the same time!


    The scene suddenly became chaotic¡­


    After a while, Zuo Xingyu was holding a wet human head in his hand, looking back at everyone: ¡°How about it? Do you still need my help?¡±


    Di Yelei had already taken off his outer robe and wrapped YingEr up: ¡°No need! We will leave immediately. Big Brother Zuo, I can¡¯t thank you enough. Whenever you need Yelei¡¯s help in the future, just call out.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu stood still, looking back at him for a moment, without saying more, he jumped up, directly grabbed the rope hanging in the air, and quickly flew up to the waterhole high above.


    Di Yelei looked back at the surroundings: ¡°Brother Zhang, please help me carry Ah-Huang.¡±<div>


    That dark shadow earlier was Ah-Huang!


    Ah-Huang was a true hunting dog, as it had been hiding quietly behind the cave wall,ying low without making any movements. It was only when Di Yelei whistled that Ah-Huangunched a lethal attack on Jiang Dacai¡ªbiting Jiang Dacai¡¯s hand holding the dagger!


    Then everyone rushed over, with Zuo Xingyu arrivingter and beheading Jiang Dacai directly. Di Yelei managed to save YingEr in time¡­


    It seems like a long story, but it all happened in the blink of an eye!<div>


    Jiang Dacai didn¡¯t even have time to react as his head had already been taken by Zuo Xingyu.


    It has to be said that Zuo Xingyu¡¯s decisiveness in killing was chilling! He swiftly chopped Jiang Dacai¡¯s head off in front of everyone before they could fullyprehend what was happening, sttering them with fresh blood.


    Liu Sisi paced anxiously above.


    More and more people were going down, but no news was being passed up, could it be¡­


    Her heart throbbed wildly!


    If all these lives were buried in this ce, then¡­


    As she was lost in thought, the rope suddenly started moving.


    A smoky shadow quickly slid up the rope, and in the blink of an eye, the figure was standing in front of her.


    She immediately rejoiced and hurried forward: ¡°Constable Zuo, how is the situation down there? Are the brothers okay? Did you find Jiang Dacai? What about Brother Zhang and Ye Lei, did you see them?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu just stood quietly in ce, looking at her with a deep gaze.


    He stared at Liu Sisi, making her feel her hair stand on end, then he nodded slightly and let out an almost inaudible hum.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s smile faded, so had he seen them or not?<div>


    Zuo Xingyu took two steps forward, closing the distance between them, so close that they could almost hear each other¡¯s breaths. Of course, it was only almost, as the roaring sound of the waterfall drowned out all other noises.


    Liu Sisi awkwardly retreated a step, once again increasing the distance between them, and couldn¡¯t help but frown: ¡°Constable Zuo¡­¡±


    Zuo Xingyu immediately followed, looking down at her with a heavy gaze.


    It wasn¡¯t until this moment that Liu Sisi smelled the strong scent of blood on Zuo Xingyu, which she remembered wasn¡¯t there before he went down.


    ¡°Why is there such a heavy smell of blood? Are you injured?¡±


    A glimmer of light shed in Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes, so fast that Liu Sisi had no time to catch it before it disappeared again.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s Jiang Dacai¡¯s head in my hand. Everyone is unhurt, YingEr has been saved, and Yelei brother will bring her upter. I from the Zuo Family will take my leave first.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu finished expressionlessly, turning away and leaving.


    ¡°What? YingEr was saved? What happened?¡±


    Liu Sisi was instantly surrounded by a huge surprise! YingEr was saved, that was great!


    But how did YingEr get saved by Yelei and the others, weren¡¯t they chasing after Jiang Dacai?


    ¡°For the details, just ask Yelei brother when hees up.¡±


    When Zuo Xingyu¡¯s voice sounded, his figure had already flickered and disappeared from the cave entrance, leaving Liu Sisi no time to ask further questions.<div>


    That¡¯s wonderful! YingEr is saved, that¡¯s wonderful!


    ¡°Madam, this is really great news!¡± The people around her hurriedly came forward to congratte her.


    Liu Sisi also rejoiced for a moment before finally regaining herposure: ¡°Hurry up! Immediately send someone out of the cave to inform the people at the bottom of the hill, tell the doctor to be ready, and also prepare another carriage, make sure it¡¯s the kind that cany down.¡±

 Chapter 665: Unexpected Gains (Part 2)

    Chapter 665: Chapter 665: Unexpected Gains (Part 2)


    Zhang Yun finally raised her head: ¡°Auntie, I won¡¯t go home! Even if I go back, I won¡¯t be able to sleep. It¡¯s better to stay here and look for YingEr. Auntie, you go ahead, I will look around some more.¡± As she spoke, Zhang Yun turned and wanted to leave.


    ¡°Wait a minute, you child!¡±


    Liu Sisi finally understood what Zhang Peng meant by ¡®troubling you¡¯.


    ¡°Everyone is really hungry and thirsty, and they¡¯re so tired they can¡¯t even straighten their waists. How can they apany you to continue the frantic search? How about this! You first lead everyone outside the cave to eat, and then continue searching after they¡¯re full. As the saying goes, ¡®Sharpening the de won¡¯t dy the work of chopping wood¡¯! What do you think?¡±


    Zhang Yun looked back at the crowd and reluctantly agreed.


    Watching Zhang Yun finally leave, Liu Sisi found a ce to sit down and quietly waited for news from below.


    Soon, someone brought food. Even if she couldn¡¯t eat, Liu Sisi forced herself to take a few bites.


    It was unclear whether it was due to a mistake during delivery or something else, but after eating several mouthfuls, there were grains of sand in the cooked dishes. She quickly called for a torch to illuminate them. Sure enough, there was a thickyer of sand and mud on the surface of the food, probably from identally falling into the bowl during the delivery.


    Now in this critical time, she couldn¡¯t afford to be willful.


    She picked up her chopsticks and squatted in the corner, intending to scrape off the muddy food from the surface. As she looked up, she was attracted by something that sparkled slightly in the corner.


    The lighting here was very dim. If she hadn¡¯t eaten the sandy food and called for a torch, she wouldn¡¯t have discovered this sparkling item.


    ¡°Quick! Hand me the torch.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t care about eating anymore, waved for the torch, and carefully illuminated the object. She indeed saw it clearly.


    Her hands were trembling, almost unable to believe her eyes! She carefully picked up the small silk flower from the ground. In the center of the flower was a tiny pearl, embellished on the edge with silk by Liu Sisi, made especially for YingEr, unique and exclusive!


    ¡°It¡¯s the silk flower from YingEr¡¯s head! It¡¯s the silk flower from YingEr¡¯s head! YingEr has been here before, it¡¯s YingEr!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t hold back her ecstasy and shouted out, immediately attracting a crowd. Everyone hurriedly searched around carefully.


    Liu Sisi also squatted on the ground and searched carefully. Under the torchlight, the surface of the ground kept shing with faint light. Liu Sisi stared for a while, reached out and groped on the ground, then couldn¡¯t help but take out her handkerchief and wrap the dirt from the ground into it.


    ¡°Madam, there are traces here!¡±


    Soon, Xiaoliang, her adept subordinate at finding clues, discovered another clue nearby, instantly delighting Liu Sisi!


    ¡°Madam, look, there are shallow footprints here. They should have been left by the young miss. It seems that she walked in this direction. Let¡¯s continue to follow the trail.¡±


    This was the second time they had found clues about YingEr. At the moment, everyone had already eaten and rested, and with the new clue, they felt a surge of strength, and hurriedly followed the trail to search.


    However, the clue eventually ended at the edge of the waterhole.


    Everyone stood by the waterhole and looked at Liu Sisi all at once.


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    Liu Sisi also looked at Xiaoliang: ¡°Xiaoliang, you have always been following Constable Zuo, so ording to your many years of experience in investigating cases, what are the chances that YingEr fell down the waterhole?¡±


    Xiaoliang hesitated, then sighed: ¡°Madam, based on my experience, the young miss¡­ has probably a 70-80% chance.¡±


    He didn¡¯t dare to say it was a 100% certainty for fear that Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t handle such a blow.


    Liu Sisi clenched her lips tightly, not saying a word, just standing woodenly by the waterhole for a long time without moving.


    ¡°Madam Di, why are you all gathered here?¡±


    Just when Liu Sisi was at a loss, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind her, getting closer and closer.


    Liu Sisi turned around and saw Zuo Xingyu sprinting towards her. His face, that never seemed to change and showed no expression, was so familiar. Her nose suddenly felt sour, and tears slid down her cheeks as if seeing a family member.


    ¡°Constable Zuo¡­¡±


    In the waterhole.


    Di Yelei and Zhang Peng chased down the trail into the secondyer of the karst cave in the waterhole and finally found everyone. At the same time, they also learned why so many people had entered but no one had returned to report.


    Di Ying was being held hostage by the eldest of the Jiang family with a dagger, facing off against several soldiers.


    As soon as Di Yelei and Zhang Peng appeared, Jiang Dacai noticed them as well.


    ¡°Back off! Step back; if you dare to step forward, believe it or not, I¡¯ll slit her throat with this dagger!¡±


    While holding YingEr hostage, Jiang Dacai roared furiously and asionally gestured with the dagger against YingEr¡¯s slender neck.


    Clearly, the sudden appearance of Di Yelei and Zhang Peng had driven him into a corner.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Wasn¡¯t it said¡­¡±


    Seeing YingEr, Di Yelei and Zhang Peng were naturally happy.


    But it was strange. Wasn¡¯t it said that Jiang Dacai had fallen into the waterhole with Ah-Huang biting him? How did he appear here, and how did YingEr end up here?


    One of the nearby soldiers spoke up, ¡°When we came down earlier, we saw him climbing up the waterhole, so we chased after him. We pursued him as he fled until we came upon a small stone tform and saw Miss lying down, unconscious. We were a step toote; he took her hostage and confronted us, holding her against us until now.¡±


    So that¡¯s what happened!


    But how did YingEr end up in the waterhole? They would have to wait until they finally rescued her to find out the reason.


    ¡°Stop! Jiang, don¡¯t be stubborn!¡±


    The few soldiers encircling him didn¡¯t rx a bit due to the arrival of Di Yelei and Zhang Peng; instead, they closed in on Jiang Dacai.


    Di Yelei and Zhang Peng exchanged nces and began to approach slowly, as if their opponent was a prey locked in their sights, ready to strike the killing blow at any moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer! Step back! All of you, step back! Don¡¯t you hear? Or do you want to see me carve a few cuts on her face?¡±


    Jiang Dacai¡¯s expression became even more mad and desperate, dragging YingEr and constantly changing positions, trying to escape from the siege.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes fell on Di Ying, who had her eyes closed tightly, her face almost unrecognizable, her whole body slumped over Jiang Dacai¡¯s arm, being dragged around like a dead dog.


    ¡°Jiang, how about we make a deal?¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly stepped forward, stood behind the crowd, and shouted at Jiang Dacai in the middle of the crowd, ¡°As long as you let go of YingEr, I will let bygones be bygones for your sins, and allow you to leave safely. I will also give you enough silver to live off for the rest of your life. What do you think?¡±

 Chapter 666: Unexpected Harvest (Part 3)

    Chapter 666: Chapter 666: Unexpected Harvest (Part 3)


    What would mere money matterpared to YingEr?


    ¡°Pah! Di surnamed fellow, do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡±


    Jiang Dacai remained unshaken: ¡°Don¡¯t think that your wishful n can seed with just a little tinkling sound! I tell you, even if I die, I¡¯ll still drag a few people down with me! Hahaha¡­¡± he started tough hysterically.


    Even before Di Yelei started talking, Zhang Peng had circled around to the other side.


    The two of them were used to hunting together for many years, used tomunicating with eye contact, and used to hunting at night. The most important thing in hunting was to determine the threat of the prey. Meanwhile, the two men had silently begun to cooperate in hunting.


    ¡°Ah! It hurts¡­¡±


    YingEr suddenly let out a miserable scream.


    That heartless Jiang Dacai actually cut YingEr¡¯s corbone, causing fresh blood to flow visibly, and also waking her from hera.


    Di Yelei roared in pain: ¡°YingEr! ¨C Jiang Dacai, you bastard!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he threw himself forward, trying to rush over directly.


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    ¡°Don¡¯t move! Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t see your little actions.¡±


    Jiang Dacai¡¯s dagger was once again aimed at YingEr¡¯s neck: ¡°That knife just now was a little souvenir for you sneaky bastards. If any of you move again, don¡¯t me me for being rude. My next knife will be aimed at her beautiful face!¡±


    ¡°No! No, we won¡¯t move, no one moves!¡±


    At this moment, Di Yelei was already confused, especially when he saw the wound on his daughter¡¯s corbone, his eyes were bloodshot!


    The two sides once again fell into a stalemate.


    Zhang Peng mingled among the crowd, and looked at Di Yelei from afar, with the same anxiety in his eyes, what should they do now?


    Just as the stalemate continued, another rope was lowered from the waterhole above, and the eyes of Di Yelei and others brightened up as another person came down!


    The figure on the descending rope quickly revealed its form, and as everyone recognized who this person was, they were overjoyed!


    It was actually Constable Zuo!


    Zuo Xingyu¡¯s arrival made Jiang Dacai extremely nervous, and he dragged YingEr hastily backward.


    But for every step he took, the crowd would immediately follow one step closer.


    Di Yelei nced at the corner of his eye, suddenly saw a dark shadow, and then had a sudden thought, giving a low whistle from his mouth.


    At the same time, his figure suddenly flickered, turning into an afterimage rushing straight towards Jiang Dacai, aiming for his right arm holding the dagger.


    Just as he started to move, countless figures attacked at the same time!


    The scene suddenly became chaotic¡­


    After a while, Zuo Xingyu was holding a wet human head in his hand, looking back at everyone: ¡°How about it? Do you still need my help?¡±


    Di Yelei had already taken off his outer robe and wrapped YingEr up: ¡°No need! We will leave immediately. Big Brother Zuo, I can¡¯t thank you enough. Whenever you need Yelei¡¯s help in the future, just call out.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu stood still, looking back at him for a moment, without saying more, he jumped up, directly grabbed the rope hanging in the air, and quickly flew up to the waterhole high above.


    Di Yelei looked back at the surroundings: ¡°Brother Zhang, please help me carry Ah-Huang.¡±


    That dark shadow earlier was Ah-Huang!


    Ah-Huang was a true hunting dog, as it had been hiding quietly behind the cave wall,ying low without making any movements. It was only when Di Yelei whistled that Ah-Huangunched a lethal attack on Jiang Dacai¡ªbiting Jiang Dacai¡¯s hand holding the dagger!


    Then everyone rushed over, with Zuo Xingyu arrivingter and beheading Jiang Dacai directly. Di Yelei managed to save YingEr in time¡­


    It seems like a long story, but it all happened in the blink of an eye!


    Jiang Dacai didn¡¯t even have time to react as his head had already been taken by Zuo Xingyu.


    It has to be said that Zuo Xingyu¡¯s decisiveness in killing was chilling! He swiftly chopped Jiang Dacai¡¯s head off in front of everyone before they could fullyprehend what was happening, sttering them with fresh blood.


    Liu Sisi paced anxiously above.


    More and more people were going down, but no news was being passed up, could it be¡­


    Her heart throbbed wildly!


    If all these lives were buried in this ce, then¡­


    As she was lost in thought, the rope suddenly started moving.


    A smoky shadow quickly slid up the rope, and in the blink of an eye, the figure was standing in front of her.


    She immediately rejoiced and hurried forward: ¡°Constable Zuo, how is the situation down there? Are the brothers okay? Did you find Jiang Dacai? What about Brother Zhang and Ye Lei, did you see them?¡±


    Zuo Xingyu just stood quietly in ce, looking at her with a deep gaze.


    He stared at Liu Sisi, making her feel her hair stand on end, then he nodded slightly and let out an almost inaudible hum.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s smile faded, so had he seen them or not?


    Zuo Xingyu took two steps forward, closing the distance between them, so close that they could almost hear each other¡¯s breaths. Of course, it was only almost, as the roaring sound of the waterfall drowned out all other noises.


    Liu Sisi awkwardly retreated a step, once again increasing the distance between them, and couldn¡¯t help but frown: ¡°Constable Zuo¡­¡±


    Zuo Xingyu immediately followed, looking down at her with a heavy gaze.


    It wasn¡¯t until this moment that Liu Sisi smelled the strong scent of blood on Zuo Xingyu, which she remembered wasn¡¯t there before he went down.


    ¡°Why is there such a heavy smell of blood? Are you injured?¡±


    A glimmer of light shed in Zuo Xingyu¡¯s eyes, so fast that Liu Sisi had no time to catch it before it disappeared again.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s Jiang Dacai¡¯s head in my hand. Everyone is unhurt, YingEr has been saved, and Yelei brother will bring her upter. I from the Zuo Family will take my leave first.¡±


    Zuo Xingyu finished expressionlessly, turning away and leaving.


    ¡°What? YingEr was saved? What happened?¡±


    Liu Sisi was instantly surrounded by a huge surprise! YingEr was saved, that was great!


    But how did YingEr get saved by Yelei and the others, weren¡¯t they chasing after Jiang Dacai?


    ¡°For the details, just ask Yelei brother when hees up.¡±


    When Zuo Xingyu¡¯s voice sounded, his figure had already flickered and disappeared from the cave entrance, leaving Liu Sisi no time to ask further questions.


    That¡¯s wonderful! YingEr is saved, that¡¯s wonderful!


    ¡°Madam, this is really great news!¡± The people around her hurriedly came forward to congratte her.


    Liu Sisi also rejoiced for a moment before finally regaining herposure: ¡°Hurry up! Immediately send someone out of the cave to inform the people at the bottom of the hill, tell the doctor to be ready, and also prepare another carriage, make sure it¡¯s the kind that cany down.¡±

 Chapter 667: Desperately Seeking Medical Treatment in Times of Illness

    Chapter 667: Chapter 667: Desperately Seeking Medical Treatment in Times of Illness


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    By the time everyone finally reached the waterhole in the cave, Liu Sisi had been waiting there early.


    ¡°YingEr! YingEr, wake up¡­¡±


    Looking at YingEr, who was injured all over, everyone¡¯s eyes were moist.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve roughly treated her external injuries. We¡¯ll have the doctor examine her carefully after we get out of the cave!¡±


    Di Yelei quickly spoke while holding Di Ying, rushing towards the exit of the cave.


    Liu Sisi couldn¡¯t worry about her grief anymore and hurriedly followed him, rushing out of the cave.


    At the Huangcheng City Temple below the cave, Old He had been waiting there early on. Seeing Di Yelei rushing down with Di Ying, he didn¡¯t bother exchanging pleasantries, taking over YingEr and starting to examine her.


    Gasp for breath, Liu Sisi chased them and saw that everything was well prepared, feeling much relieved.


    ¡­


    The city center of Macheng County had been on edge these past two days, as rumors circted that the Second Young Master Di and others had gone on an adventure and were trapped in the waterhole within the Nine Connected Ring of Qinglong Cave, their fate uncertain.


    One wave of soldiers and constables were sent into the waterhole, followed by another wave, yet they could not rescue the victim¡­


    People on the streets were discussing the matter, and storytellers in tea houses and taverns evenposed small stories to tell.


    Some said that Second Young Master Di had been eaten by a snake demon, some said he had been taken to the Dragon Pce by the dragon in Qinglong Cave, and some said he had be trapped in the Nine Connected Ring and had transformed into the God of Cave¡­


    Everyone listened with great interest, as the story continued to unfold.


    Just as people were engrossed in the tale, news suddenly broke that Second Young Master Di had been rescued from the waterhole and was on his way back to Di Residence!


    As the news spread, people flocked to the South City Gate, eager to catch a glimpse of the so-called Second Young Master Di, who had narrowly escaped bing the Dragon King¡¯s cave god.


    Di Xuan could never have imagined that he would encounter such a situation when he returned to the city.


    Di Yelei at this moment was wrapped in bandages, even his left arm was wrapped in bandages with only one hand exposed, arge bandage wrapped around his neck.


    By his side, a carriage followed closely.


    The horses galloped, and the thin gauze in the carriage fluttered, revealing a glimpse of the married woman in the pink gauze skirt inside, exuding an overwhelming beauty?


    As the horse whistled past, all that remained for the crowd was that faint, veiled shadow.


    Without stopping, the carriage raced all the way to the Di Residence, only stopping at the flower hall next door.


    ¡°YingEr, we¡¯re home!¡±


    In the carriage, Liu Sisi pulled up her gauze skirt, revealing Di Ying, who was wrapped like a mummy underneath.


    Di Ying was soon carefully carried down from the carriage and brought into the small courtyard where she usually stayed.


    They had finally returned!


    Guihua and Liu Zhi¡¯er rushed over almost immediately.


    ¡°YingEr, Sisi, how is YingEr now?¡±


    Looking at Old He who entered again to treat the patient, Liu Sisi shook her head: ¡°Not a big problem¡­¡±


    As she finished saying this, her eyes turned red.


    In fact, Old He was quite struggling at the moment.


    ¡°The young girl¡¯s ribs are broken in three ces, but fortunately, the broken ribs have not punctured her lungs. There are signs of rupture in her spleen. I have to use silver needles to puncture her vital acupoints to stop the bleeding. Otherwise, by tonight at thetest, she will die from internal bleeding.¡±


    ¡°And inside her head¡­ Here, there¡¯s a big swelling at the back of her skull. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s also a hematoma inside her skull. It¡¯s not easy to insert a needle into the brain. Right now, her body is very weak, and I¡¯m afraid that if I put the needle in, she might die instantly¡­ My suggestion is that it¡¯s best to let her wake up naturally.¡±


    The more Old He talked, the heavier the hearts of Di Yelei and Zhang Yun beside him became, and they could hardly say anything.


    ¡°Old He! Please feel free to do your best. Even if there are any problems as a result, it is a cmity that my YingEr is destined to face. I am grateful for your help in advance, Old He!¡±


    Desperate times call for desperate measures!


    Di Yelei at this moment was typical of someone desperately seeking medical help, and he bowed his head to Old He repeatedly.


    ¡°Get up! What¡¯s the use of kowtowing so much? This divine doctor doesn¡¯t believe in this! If you keep hindering me, I¡¯ll really give up on treating her!¡±


    Old He red, his eyes wide.


    Di Yelei quickly stood up, his face filled with guilt: ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll leave, we¡¯ll all leave¡­¡±


    Zhang Yun wanted to say more but was pulled out of the room by Di Yelei.


    Outside the room door, arge circle of people had gathered.


    As soon as they saw Di Yelei and Zhang Yuning out, they hurriedly surrounded them: ¡°How is it? What did Old He say?¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes reddened: ¡°Old He said that YingEr has three broken ribs, her spleen has ruptured, and there¡¯s a hematoma in her head. She has countless minor injuries¡­¡±


    ¡°YingEr, my poor YingEr! Sob¡­¡±


    Guihua beside them couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and burst into tears.


    Liu Sisi stopped her: ¡°Don¡¯t cry! We shouldn¡¯t cry, Old He is still treating YingEr inside, there¡¯s still hope. We won¡¯t cry, everyone shouldn¡¯t cry¡­¡±


    As she spoke, her own tears couldn¡¯t help but fall.


    Guihua continued to cry and asked: ¡°Why? Who did this with such a ruthless heart? YingEr is just a six-year-old child, what deep hatred does she have with him? Who could do such a thing so viciously to YingEr? Who is it? Who exactly is it?¡±


    Liu Sisi gritted her teeth, making a ttering noise: ¡°It, was, him! Li, Old, Man!¡±


    Old Man Li?


    This man, who had long faded from people¡¯s sight, suddenly reappeared in such a way.


    ¡°This damned old bastard who deserves to have his entire lineage wiped out! I¡­ I¡¯m going to fight him to the death!¡±


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    Elderly Mr. Di roared in anger! This old bastard treated his granddaughter so terribly; how could he not be heartbroken? After saying that, he charged outside.


    ¡°Dad! Let Third Child handle this!¡±


    Di Yelei grabbed Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s arm, his eyes red and swollen.


    Liu Sisi nodded earnestly beside him, ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry! We will make him pay back ten times, a hundred times the pain YingEr has suffered!¡±


    Everyone was indignant when the room door suddenly opened, and the medicine pageboy stretched out his hand, holding the prescription in his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there crying! Saving lives is more important! Quickly get the medicine and boil it with three bowls of water until it¡¯s half a bowl, then bring it here. If we are toote, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be toote!¡±


    These words made everyone stop crying and look over.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    Di Yelei directly grabbed the prescription with a burst of speed and headed quickly for the kitchen.

 Chapter 668: Setting Up a Private Court Room

    Chapter 668: Chapter 668: Setting Up a Private Court Room


    The medicine pageboy nced at the crowd: ¡°My Old Master said, Miss YingEr¡¯s condition is dangerous and needs someone to help and protect her at all times. Who is willing toe?¡±


    ¡°Me!¡± ¡°I¡¯lle!¡± ¡°Let me go!¡±


    The crowd suddenly squeezed together.


    The medicine pageboy impatiently shook his head: ¡°This is a delicate task, and there is no room for mistakes. We need someone who can read and knows acupoints. Those who are clumsy and prone to mistakes need not apply. Don¡¯t me our Old Master for his poor medical skills if something goes wrong!¡±


    Who could read and knew acupoints?


    The crowd unconsciously took a step back, realizing that causing the death of a person wasn¡¯t a joking matter.


    Only Liu Sisi didn¡¯t back down and instead stepped forward: ¡°Pageboy, although I don¡¯t know acupoints, I can read. Can I go in and take care of YingEr?¡±


    The medicine pageboy hesitated, but finally reluctantly nodded: ¡°Fine! Youe in quickly!¡±


    When Liu Sisi entered, Old He was administering needles. She was arranged to wait quietly at the desk outside. Through the screen, she could see only a limited view. She could clearly see Old He sitting in front of YingEr, and the medicine pageboy¡¯s figure shuttling between them, handing over various items as needed when instructed by Old He.


    There was a knock on the door, and Liu Sisi rushed to answer it. The soup medicine was just right, neither cold nor hot.


    ¡°Old He, the soup medicine is here.¡± She reported quietly.


    ¡°Bring it in.¡± Old He¡¯s voice came.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly brought the soup medicine in, and the medicine pageboy took it.


    Although it was just a moment, Liu Sisi still clearly saw the situation inside. YingEr¡¯s upper body dress had been removed, and her body was covered with densely-packed silver needles. Old He¡¯s actions did not stop because the soup medicine was delivered, but rather quickened.


    Before Liu Sisi could figure out what was going on, the medicine pageboy had already turned and handed her an empty bowl. She was dumbfounded; this was half a bowl of soup medicine, how did he feed it into YingEr¡¯s stomach?


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, go and write the prescription. Old man said you write.¡± Old He¡¯s voice came, filled with exhaustion.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Okay, Old He, you say.¡±


    Even if she had many questions, she couldn¡¯t spare the time to ask them at the moment. She hastily wrote down the prescription, brought it out the door, and ordered the medicine to be decocted¡­


    On one side, Old He was still doing his best to save YingEr, while on the other side, Di Yelei had already begun the interrogation.


    Di Yelei was temporarily acting as the County Magistrate since the original Su County Magistrate had been transferred. However, Di Yelei did not intend to hold court and try the case, after all, this matter was rted to his own YingEr, and a girl¡¯s reputation was of utmost importance. Therefore, today¡¯s trial was a closed-door internal trial, and civilians were not allowed to watch.


    Naturally, the first person brought in was Old Man Li.


    One couldn¡¯t help but say that the proverb ¡°good people don¡¯t live long, while disastersst for a thousand years¡± was very urate, just like Old Man Li, who should have died a thousand times, but was still alive and well. It was a great irony of life!


    At the moment, Old Man Li was being pushed and brought into the hall. Due to hisme leg, he was constantly jostled by the person behind him, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. After falling, he didn¡¯t hurry to get up, but instead looked up at Di Yelei sitting above him, and began to sneer, which soon turned intoughter!


    Di Yelei was so angry that his face turned pale.


    ¡°Old Man Li, YingEr is only six years old, and you dared to do this. Where is your conscience? Was it eaten by a dog?¡±


    ¡°Di Yelei, do you know the pain of losing your child now? Have you tasted the pain of having no grandchildren?¡±


    Old Man Li showed no signs of remorse: ¡°Hahaha¡­ My Big Mouth is dead, and I don¡¯t want to live anymore! I said long ago that I would pay back this blood debt manyfold! What a pity, what a pity that it has failed in the end. I spit!¡±


    ¡°You!¡­Old Man Li, initially Sun Ergou was fed up with Big Mouth Li¡¯s constant extortion and intended to frame me and then kill Big Mouth Li and the prostitute Little Taohong. Although this matter had something to do with me, I was actually the one who was wronged.¡±


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    Di Yelei became more and more angry: ¡°You only bully the weak and fear the strong. You don¡¯t dare to ask the real culprits, Sun Ergou and his family, forpensation. Instead, you extort me. Out of benevolence, I gave you silver, but you treat me as a money tree. Old Man Li, you are more despicable than Sun Ergou and Diao Sanbiao. You are beyond redemption!¡±


    ¡°So what? As long as you have money, what does it matter if I cling to you?¡±


    Old Man Liughed proudly, hisughter filling the entire ck prison outside.


    ¡°Fine! Very good! Couldn¡¯t be better!¡±


    Di Yelei¡¯s face turned pale with anger, and with a fierce punch, he mmed the table: ¡°So, you admit to kidnapping Di Ying and extorting me, right?¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! I just hate that my luck is bad, and my n was discovered as soon as it was implemented. I didn¡¯t kill all of your dog-eyed family. Even if I die, I won¡¯t rest in peace¡­!¡± Old Man Li raised his face and wailed.


    Di Yelei was so angry that he couldn¡¯t speak: ¡°Foolish! Unbelievably foolish! Come on, give me 20 hits of boards and wait for orders!¡±


    He grabbed a token and threw it down at Old Man Li¡¯s feet.


    Only then did Old Man Li react, hastily struggling to his feet: ¡°You, surnamed Di, dare to set up a private court? Who gave you such authority? And, I, I, I have confessed, ording to the imperial edict, you can¡¯t use torture on me! Let go of me! You surnamed Di, you know thew and break it, let go of me¡­ ah¡­uhh¡­¡±


    Although Old Man Li struggled desperately, how could he resist the bailiffs who had been holding their breath for a long time?


    Two men came forward, one on the left and one on the right, and directly pushed Old Man Li onto the torture bench. They pulled down his pants, raised the killing rod high, and began to beat him.


    Everyone¡¯s hearts were filled with suffocated anger. The two patches of bailiffs were even more cunning and understood the intention of Di Yelei, who sat above them. They showed no mercy in their beating. After twenty boards, Old Man Li¡¯s buttocks were already split open, and he had nearly died many times.


    After the execution waspleted, they lifted Old Man Li from the torture bench, dragged him to the bottom of the hall, and casually threw him to the ground before acknowledging Di Yelei¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Your Honor, twenty boards have beenpleted.¡±


    ¡°Very well, return to your posts.¡±


    Looking at the unconscious Old Man Li and thinking of YingEr, who was inside with serious injuries and hanging on by a thread, the anger in Di Yelei¡¯s heart did not subside, but increased instead.


    ¡°Call someone to wake him up. Send Jiang Xiaocai to the court!¡±

 Chapter 669: The Real Puppet Master

    Chapter 669: Chapter 669: The Real Puppet Master


    ¡°Yes, Your Honor!¡±


    The governmental office¡¯s runners acted swiftly. Two buckets of water were sshed onto Old Man Li, who eventually woke up after a bout of coughing, half dead and barely able to move. He truly couldn¡¯t muster the strength to get up.


    Previously, he was able to get up, but he pretended to stay down. Now, he wanted to get up, but he no longer had the strength.


    Jiang Xiaocai had one of his eyes sted out by Old Man Li. His face was battered and bloody. Fortunately, the doctors managed to save his life in time, along with Old He¡¯s miraculous medical skills.


    At the moment, he was awake and was carried into the inner hall on a stretcher.


    As soon as Jiang Xiaocai was carried into the hall, he moved his sole remaining eye, heavily bandaged with gauze, looking around at everyone. When he saw Old Man Li, beaten and bloodied, he first paused, then began tough uproariously!


    ¡°Excellent! Excellent blow! Old Man Li, you had thising¡­haha¡­¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai was increasingly amused until, much to his dismay, hisughter aggravated his facial injuries, causing him agonizing pain which made him roll around the floor clutching his head.


    The clerk standing next to Di Yelei hurried over: ¡°This man has a blood clot in his skull and shouldn¡¯t be moved. Even if we don¡¯t execute him, he only has at most three months to live.¡±


    Di Yelei nodded, thinking about how, despite his many faults as recounted in everyone¡¯s testimony, this man had shielded Di Ying from start to end and had never harmed her.


    After some thought, he finally gave up on the idea of executing him.


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    ¡°Jiang Xiaocai, I¡¯m going to ask you a question now. It¡¯ll be best if you tell the truth, to avoid further suffering. Of course, if you are willing to tell the truth, I will order doctors to treat you again. Got it? How many people were involved in this?¡±


    Jiang Xiaocai clung onto his head for quite a while before finally letting go.


    ¡°Your Honor, there were more than twenty people in total. The specific affairs were handled by my big brother. I¡¯m not clear about the details.¡±


    ¡°Where are the others?¡±


    ¡°As my big brother told me, one group was in North City, drawing your attention. While we took Di Ying towards South City, guaranteeing an absolute sess.¡±


    ¡°Where exactly in North City?¡±


    ¡°I am not exactly sure, but I¡¯ve heard my big brother speaking about a bay in North City. Apparently, they know your Di family very well. They hate the Di family members indeed.¡±


    ¡°Knows us inside out?¡± Di Yelei raised an eyebrow in surprise.


    Before Jiang Xiaocai could speak, Old Man Li chimed in: ¡°Ahem¡­Hehehe! Di Yelei, aren¡¯t you curious about who¡¯s acquainted with your Di family so intimately? Let me tell you! It¡¯s someone you¡¯d never even dream of! Haha¡­¡±


    Di Yelei became serious: ¡°Who exactly is it?¡±


    ¡°Who is it? Hehe¡­ How pitiful! Despite all your merits, Di Yelei, why would your sister and brother-inw despise you so much, wishing to see you dead? Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Who do you mean?¡±


    Di Yelei could not hold it in, standing up abruptly. He only had one sister!


    His rage red.


    ¡°Old Man Li, don¡¯t think you can get away with spewing nonsense. The prison and its 108 types of torture tools are still there, waiting for a live human¡¯s fresh blood!¡±


    ¡°Ha, ha, ha! If you think I¡¯m lying, then just take it as a lie! Hehehe¡­¡±


    Old Man Li¡¯s sinisterughter lingered in the courtroom.


    It also caused Di Yelei¡¯s heart to sink.


    The resuscitation continued from the afternoon until the next morning, when Old He instructed Liu Sisi to dress English.


    ¡°We have passed the first crucial stage. However, the following three days are still extremely perilous. As long as her spleen stops bleeding, we can consider having snatched her back from the King of Hell¡¯s hands. Otherwise¡­Sigh! It¡¯s tricky!¡±


    Old He walked out of the room, shaking his head in dismissal.


    Liu Sisi quickly followed him: ¡°Quickly! Bring out the food specially prepared for Old He. Old He, your guest room is ready, please.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, we¡¯re not newly acquainted, you go take care of the child. I¡¯ll go eat myself.¡±


    Old He waved away her farewell gesture.


    Not insistent at all, Liu Sisi returned to the bedside, carefully covering her with a thin quilt. Looking at Ying¡¯er, who barely had a patch of undamaged skin remaining, she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears.


    When Di Yelei came home from the office, heartbroken and disoriented, he found the side hall empty.


    He sat there for a long time, feeling too ashamed to go see Ying¡¯er. Ying¡¯er was his child. Her pitiful state was due to his own errors. She was lying there, barely showing signs of life apart from herst breath.


    After a while, he finally gathered the courage to go to Ying¡¯er¡¯s small courtyard.


    Before he entered, he saw Di Xuan standing outside the yard door, straining his neck to peek inside.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, what are you looking at? Why don¡¯t you go in?¡±


    Di Xuan was evidently startled! After stammering for a good while, he said, ¡°I¡­ I have something else to do, I¡¯lle backter.¡± Having said that, he ran away as if fleeing for his life.


    The left behind Di Yelei silently watched his back, not uttering a word.


    At dinner time, the whole family was dead silent.


    Liu Sisi was taking care of Ying¡¯er and hadn¡¯t shown up. The cooked dishes were sent directly to the room by the servants.


    Guihua hurriedly ate her meal, then went to the room to relieve Liu Sisi. There were still three days left, even an iron body wouldn¡¯t be able to endure without shifts.


    After eating, everyone left one after another, Di Yelei stood up: ¡°Dad, third child has something to say to you.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di nced at the departing Liu Sisi, nodded silently: ¡°Let¡¯s go to my courtyard.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t know what the third child wanted to say, the weight on his face instinctively made him feel that the matter was undoubtedly very serious.


    Indeed, Elderly Mr. Di had never expected it to be so serious!


    ¡°This¡­ how is this possible? You have already investigated this matter, are you absolutely sure?¡±


    Di Yelei was silent for a long while: ¡°Dad, when was I ever off the mark?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di sank into his chair, looking ten years older in an instant.


    Right! This was his third child, not Di Gaoyuan, and certainly not Di Ah-bao!


    He was silent for a long time before he sighed: ¡°I got it, I know what to do, don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Di Yelei stood up, solemnly and respectfully making a bow towards Elderly Mr. Di: ¡°On behalf of Ying¡¯er, thank you, Dad!¡±


    On the other hand, Liu Sisi was listening to Madam Thirteen¡¯s report.


    ¡°After our people caught someone, they stayed put and kept a secret watch. Sure enough, someone sneaked into the manorst night. Our people didn¡¯t hesitate and¡­


    ¡°Hmm? Keep going,¡± Liu Sisi urged.


    Madam Thirteen hesitated a bit: ¡°We caught the person¡­ it¡¯s the Prince Consort¡¯s brother-inw, Yuan Mengbai.¡±


    ¡°What? Who did you say it was?¡±


    Liu Sisi could no longer stay put.

 Chapter 670: To recognize one’s mistakes and correct them is most commendable!

    Chapter 670: Chapter 670: To recognize one¡¯s mistakes and correct them is mostmendable!


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Yuan Mengbai!¡± Madam Thirteen repeated.


    Liu Sisi was dumbfounded, and it took her quite a while to recover her lost tongue: ¡°It¡¯s actually him¡­¡±


    Suddenly, she recalled that day in the carriage when she saw a woman who looked extraordinarily simr to Di Ruoning, but she disappeared in a blink of an eye, thinking she was seeing things.


    Now thinking back, it was most likely her that she saw.


    Three days, not long but not short either.


    For the people of the Di family, every moment was heart-wrenching counting the days.


    Old He examined YingEr every day, starting with five times a day, and then gradually decreased. As time went on, Liu Sisi finally saw Old He¡¯s actions to administer the medicine clearly.


    He directly inserted three silver needles, and YingEr¡¯s mouth opened wide. Then, the liquid medicine was poured directly into her mouth, and when the silver needles were pulled out, the soup went into YingEr¡¯s stomach. Watching this made Liu Sisi¡¯s heart ache for quite a while.


    Old He seemed to know what she was thinking, and he coldly nced at her: ¡°There¡¯s a blood clot in her head, whichpresses her brain channels,bined with her serious injuries causing her unconsciousness. If the medicine isn¡¯t administered this way, would you rather wait for her to die when the medicine proves ineffective?¡±


    His words made Liu Sisi break into a cold sweat, and she hurriedly bowed in greeting.


    Fortunately, as the number of times Old He examined YingEr decreased, her condition gradually stabilized.


    Three dayster, YingEr finally woke up from hera.


    There were many matters in the barracks, and the affairs in the governmental office left Di Yelei with a headache. Di Yelei hurriedly returned home after resolving the pressing public affairs.


    ¡°Old Cheng, Old Cheng! Where¡¯s Madam?¡±


    Old Cheng emerged from somewhere: ¡°Your Honor, Eldest Miss has already woken up, and Madam is apanying her in the room. Would you like to go in and have a look?¡±


    YingEr had already woken up? After four whole days, YingEr finally woke up!


    Di Yelei was overjoyed! He immediately hurried to YingEr¡¯s small courtyard.


    At the doorway, Di Xuan was kneeling with his back bare, tied with a thorny twig by a rope, straight-backed in front of YingEr¡¯s yard door.


    He had been kneeling for two whole hours.


    When Di Yelei rushed over, he naturally saw this scene and raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, what are you doing?¡±


    Di Xuan didn¡¯t turn his head: ¡°Dad, it¡¯s my fault, so many times, I almost caused mom to miscarry, and this time YingEr suffered so much. I¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his words, tears flowed from his eyes.


    The careful Old Cheng approached from the side: ¡°Second Young Master has been kneeling here for two hours.¡±


    Kneeling for two full hours, it seemed that Sisi inside must know. But she didn¡¯te out to stop him, and the meaning behind it¡­


    ¡°Alright, you step back! And tell the servants in the courtyard to leave as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Master.¡±


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Old Cheng didn¡¯t ask why, and just quickly stepped back.


    Only then did Di Yelei approach Di Xuan¡¯s side.


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    Di Xuan didn¡¯t move: ¡°I came to beg for forgiveness! Mother was right, if a father doesn¡¯t teach his child, it¡¯s his failure. Even Mother Meng had to move three times. Please, father and mother, punish Xuan¡¯er!¡±


    After saying this, Di Xuan forcefully began to kowtow.


    ¡°Fine, very well! Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll grant your wish.¡±


    Di Yelei suddenly spoke, and before Di Xuan could react, he had violently whipped the thorny twig off of Di Xuan¡¯s back and swung it towards Di Xuan¡¯s back.


    ¡°For not learning well at such a young age! For not taking good care of your younger sister as an elder brother should! For not making progress¡­¡±


    With each hit, he listed one of Di Xuan¡¯s offenses.


    He actually knew Di Xuan¡¯s mistakes already, but since they were not too severe before, he didn¡¯t take them seriously. It was only after YingEr suffered so much this time that he could no longer tolerate it.


    He had initially thought to wait for some time, to wait until YingEr¡¯s condition stabilized before addressing it. Unexpectedly, today the other party had willingly showed up for punishment, so he naturally took action.


    As the thorny twig fell, a bloody mark appeared. Although Di Yelei avoided hitting any lethal spots, he did not show any mercy.


    After striking three times and seeing the three bloody marks on Di Xuan¡¯s back, Di Yelei could no longer bring himself to continue.


    ¡°Di Xuan, do you admit your mistakes?¡±


    ¡°Di Xuan admits his mistakes! Di Xuan is willing to ept the punishment!¡±


    Di Xuan¡¯s teeth were clenching with a creaking sound, and after those heavy three hits, his entire back was burning with pain, and he could barely keep himself from copsing.


    ¡°Where did you go wrong?¡±


    ¡°Di Xuan was wrong to be jealous of the child in Mother¡¯s womb and to act against Mother, wrong to instigate YingEr to betray Mother¡¯s trust, and Xuan¡¯er was wrong!¡±


    Di Xuan cried painfully, but enunciated his words clearly.


    ¡°Good! To recognize one¡¯s mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue! You will always be my Di Yelei¡¯s good son, and you are my pride!¡±


    He suddenly threw the thorny twig far away and bent down to help Di Xuan up.


    With a gentle face, he patted Di Xuan¡¯s back: ¡°The reason why I hit you is to make you remember your words today and not to make the same mistakes again. Some mistakes can only be made once and never again, and if there are three, it would be intolerable! Have you remembered that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Dad! Xuan¡¯er has remembered.¡±


    ¡°Go now!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Dad, for fulfilling my request.¡±


    Watching Di Xuan¡¯s staggering figure, Di Yelei sighed: ¡°Xuan¡¯er has finally grown up!¡±


    In the room, Liu Sisi seemed to have not heard themotion outside at all and was feeding YingEr the medicine little by little. YingEr used to hate the bitter taste of medicine, but this time after waking up, she epted it all without any resistance, drinking everyst drop.


    ¡°YingEr is a good girl, when you get better in a few days, Mom will make you delicious food again, alright?¡±


    With tears in her eyes, Liu Sisi smiled and refused to let them fall.


    Old He¡¯s words echoed in her ears: ¡°She has three broken ribs, which I have reset. The bleeding in her skull is not serious, and the child is young, so she can gradually recover on her own. The most severe problem is the internal bleeding in her abdomen. It is caused by her ruptured spleen. The child is too young, and although I managed to save her spleen with a needle, her immunity will be much lower than that of other children of her age¡­¡±


    She was just a six-year-old child, yet she had to suffer so much pain!


    YingEr forced down the bitter medicine, and after moving her lips several times, she softly called: ¡°Mom.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Mom is here! Don¡¯t be afraid, YingEr. Mom is with you and will always be with you, YingEr, be a good girl¡­¡±


    The rest of her words turned into tears and rolled down her face.


    YingEr closed her eyes and after a long while lifted her small hand. Liu Sisi quickly grasped it: ¡°YingEr, do you want something or want to eat something? Mom will go get it for you, Mom will find it for you¡­ YingEr!¡±


    YingEr took several deep breaths, and it seemed even this movement drained all her strength.

 Chapter 671: 671: Mom, Dont Cry...

    Chapter 671: Chapter 671: Mom, Don¡¯t Cry¡­


    She smiled, barely moving her lips, her voice barely louder than a mosquito¡¯s.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t cry¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright! Mom won¡¯t cry! Mom isn¡¯t crying, Mom is waiting for our YingEr to get better, not crying¡­¡±


    But she could no longer hold back the sorrow deep in her heart, covering her mouth with her hand and rushing out of the room to cry loudly.


    ¡°Sisi¡­¡±


    Di Yelei happened toe by: ¡°Sisi, what happened to you?¡±


    Liu Sisi could no longer hold back, directly throwing herself into Di Yelei¡¯s arms: ¡°It¡¯s YingEr, YingEr, she¡­¡±


    Di Yelei was rmed, shaking Liu Sisi¡¯s shoulders urgently: ¡°What happened to YingEr? Sisi, just say it quickly, what happened to YingEr?¡±


    ¡°YingEr, she¡­she said: ¡®Mom, don¡¯t cry¡­¡¯ wuuwuu¡­¡±


    Mom, don¡¯t cry¡­<div>


    Such a simple sentence, yet so heart-wrenching!


    That girl, covered in wounds, lying there barely breathing, couldn¡¯t even turn over, yet she stillforted her not to cry. How could this not make Liu Sisi moved, sad, and heartbroken!


    Di Xuan stood far away at the corner of the wall, his gaze gloomy as he watched the scene before him, his eyes filled with boundless remorse.


    He eventually left silently, as if he had never been there.


    Di Yelei¡¯s eyes turned red as well, and he patted Liu Sisi¡¯s shoulder: ¡°What did Old He say?¡±


    Liu Sisi forcefully held back her sorrow and repeated Old He¡¯s words: ¡°Fortunately, we got Old He this time. He is a direct descendant of a famous medical family and has served in the pce for many years. I can¡¯t imagine if it wasn¡¯t for him to save YingEr, what would have¡­happened.¡±


    Di Yelei was silent for a long time and sighed softly: ¡°I¡­I¡¯ll go in and see YingEr.¡± After that, he let go of Liu Sisi and entered the room.


    In the room, Di Ying was already asleep.


    Even in her sleep, she was frowning painfully, gasping with agony.


    Her small face was full of light scratches, covered with yellow and green herbal juice, her swollen eyes squeezed into slits, her head wrapped like a rabbit¡­not to mention the area under the thin quilt covered by clothing.


    Di Yelei gently sat down by the bedside and reached out to touch her. But as his hand extended halfway, he couldn¡¯t find a ce that wasn¡¯t injured to touch, and it froze there.


    He had personally experienced the pain of a fractured rib, whose difficulty in breathing was indescribable.


    Old Man Li, Yuan Mengbai!


    Old Man Li, as an outsider, was ruthless, but Yuan Mengbai was her uncle. Why did you harm my YingEr? She is still so young¡­ Could it be because of what happened initially?


    His stiff hand in mid-air slowly turned into a fist and was slowly retracted.


    A determined radiance shed in his eyes.


    Due to being busy with the shop, Liu Zhi¡¯er went back to the small town after YingEr¡¯s condition had stabilized.


    Zhang Peng and his family, on the other hand, stayed at Di Residence. Especially Zhang Yun, who stayed with YingEr almost all day, making her bedridden time less boring. Guihua personally cooked for YingEr; as she was recovering from a serious illness, YingEr could only eat some light food. Guihua would make various kinds of meals for her and y with her when she had free time.


    As for Zhang Peng, he was not seen for the whole day. Actually, he was mostly out chasing the suspect.<div>


    At this point, the only suspect who hadn¡¯t been caught was Yuan Mengbai.


    Not long after, Zhang Peng returned, and also brought back information about the suspects.


    ¡°When our people arrived, that mansion was already empty. I asked the neighbors around, and they didn¡¯t know where the people had gone either. But there was a neighbor who said, yesterday evening, they heard a burst of noise before it calmed down. However, the residence was often noisy every couple of days, so the neighbors didn¡¯t pay too much attention.¡±


    Di Yelei was somewhat surprised: ¡°Brother Zhang, based on your experience, what¡¯s the likelihood of them escaping?¡±<div>


    Even though he didn¡¯t want to think about it, at the moment, he had no choice but to consider it.


    Zhang Peng shook his head: ¡°I¡¯ve inspected their room. All their belongings are still there, and it doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯ve fled.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ why did they suddenly disappear?¡±


    While the two were worrying about Yuan Mengbai and the others¡¯ mysterious disappearance, Liu Sisi and others were following Zhu Caimai into the wine-house¡¯s backyard.


    Walking through the backyard and along a narrow path not too far away, they stopped in front of a small hut.


    ¡°Prefecture Princess, they are here.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Have you followed my orders?¡±


    ¡°Prefecture Princess, rest assured, everything is going ording to n.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Following the already opened door, Liu Sisi and the others entered the hut.


    In the hut, several people were tied to wooden chairs, their eyes blindfolded and mouths filled. Liu Sisi took a nce and immediately recognized Yuan Mengbai and Di Ruoning.


    Hearing someone enter, everyone struggled and tried to make noises from their mouths.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t speak and directly sat down on a chair. Then, she nodded at Zhu Caimai beside her.<div>


    Zhu Caimai took a step forward and removed the stinky sock from Yuan Mengbai¡¯s mouth.


    Yuan Mengbai coughed violently and listened carefully, ¡°What are you¡­what are you trying to do? We are just ordinarymon people. You can¡¯t just arbitrarily arrest people like this, it¡¯s against thew!¡±


    Everyone else remained still, letting Yuan Mengbai perform his act alone.


    Yuan Mengbai kept talking, ¡°¡­I¡¯m a schr, as long as you let me go, I¡¯ll have my family send you 100 taels of silver, okay? After all, we haven¡¯t seen your faces. My uncle is a lord captain, as long as you agree, they will surely give you satisfactory rewards¡­¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Yuan Mengbai was always crafty.


    In just a few words, he pointed out his identity as a schr and lord captain to deter any small-time thieves. He also mentioned that they hadn¡¯t seen the captor¡¯s faces and offered silver to further erode their resolve.


    Of course, if the captors weren¡¯t satisfied with the offered price, they would surely make further demands¡­ But at that time, he would naturally have a way to deal with it.


    Liu Sisi nodded at Zhu Caimai beside her.


    Zhu Caimai coughed heavily and spoke with a changed voice.


    ¡°So it turns out that the head of a cultured schr is worth only 100 taels of silver? How ridiculous! And this woman, her looks are quite good too! Even though she¡¯s a married woman, giving her to our brothers might interest them, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    As they spoke, they ordered someone to untie the woman and take her out of the room.

 Chapter 672: 672: Yuan Mengbai, Stubbornly Unenlightened

    Chapter 672: Chapter 672: Yuan Mengbai, Stubbornly Unenlightened


    This statement made Yuan Mengbai¡¯s heart skip a beat!


    He shouted anxiously, ¡°Wait! Wait, listen to me! Just tell me what you want, as long as I, Yuan Mengbai, can satisfy you, I will do it. We¡¯ll agree to anything! ¡­Just let us go. Please, I beg you!¡± Yuan Mengbai struggled with all his might.


    Zhu Caimai looked back at Liu Sisi, who nodded at him, signalling that it was almost time.


    ¡°Hmph! Yuan Mengbai, you enjoy the fruits of others¡¯bor while my brothers and I risk our lives in front! Now, you have caused the death of Old Man Li and the Jiang brothers. How is it that you still want to save your own life? You¡¯re really good at calcting!¡±


    Zhu Caimai expressed his hatred tenfold.


    Yuan Mengbai¡¯s face showed anxiety, and he hesitated to ask, ¡°You¡­ who are you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me who I am! Even if you ask, I won¡¯t tell you. A person like you, who can hurt his own niece without hesitation, what kind of humanity do you have?¡±


    The anxiety on Yuan Mengbai¡¯s face finally gave way to terror. He stared at the direction where Zhu Caimai stood, ¡°Who the hell are you? Who the fuck are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Now you¡¯re not iming to be a Cultivated Talent anymore? Not mentioning that your uncle is a captain? Weren¡¯t you quite arrogant just now? Killing your own niece, you must be a heartless and insane person. Talking to someone like you is a waste of time. Take this woman away, let the brothers outside have a good time!¡±


    Zhu Caimai sneered.<div>


    ¡°Mmm, mmm, mmm¡­¡±


    Di Ruoning, unable to see and with her hands tied behind her back, struggled continuously. She tried to scream loudly, but the smelly sock in her mouth muffled her noises, giving no signs of madness.


    Liu Sisi looked at her deeply for a few moments, then whispered a few words to Madam Thirteen beside her, who nodded and went to carry out the orders.


    ¡°Stop! Let her go, release her! She¡¯s innocent!¡±


    Yuan Mengbai¡¯s struggle intensified, causing the hemp rope binding him to creak.


    His opposition could not stop the steps of the crowd. Laughter and mocking voices rang out, saying, ¡°Hurry up!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the dy?¡± ¡°The brothers are waiting, hehehe¡­¡±


    Soon, Di Ruoning was forcibly dragged out of the hut. Apart from the faint muffled noises, bursts of men¡¯s lewdughter followed, one after another.


    Yuan Mengbai fell silent for a moment, his face showing bulging veins.


    Then, his face turned vicious, and he suddenly roared, ¡°Bastards! You scoundrels won¡¯t die a good death!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re cursing us not to die a good death? Hahaha! ¡­ Everyone, listen up, he¡¯s actually cursing us that we won¡¯t die a good death? Someone who¡¯s done such despicable things actually curses us that we won¡¯t die a good death? Hahaha¡­¡±


    After Zhu Caimai finished speaking, he couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. Hisughter provoked a roomful ofughter.


    As the othersughed, Yuan Mengbai¡¯s face turned ashen, and he remained silent for a long time.


    Liu Sisi no longer wanted to continue watching. She stood up from her chair and slowly left the room.


    Outside, Di Ruoning was tied to a tree, surrounded by a group of men who were making lewd sounds, but no one approached her or attempted anything inappropriate.


    Liu Sisi nced at the scene but did not say anything. She just bowed her head and entered the small alley.


    Yuan Mengbai was deeply in love with Di Ruoning, wasn¡¯t he? She¡¯d like to see how he would react after his inner defenses were broken.


    ¡°Prefecture Princess, what should we do with these people?¡±


    Zhu Caimai quickly caught up.


    ¡°Keep them locked up for now, let¡¯s see what the Old Master has to say.¡± After saying that, Liu Sisi strode away.<div>


    Zhu Caimai looked back at Di Ruoning, who was still tied to the tree, intending to ask a few more questions, but seeing two of Madam Thirteen¡¯s men standing beside the tree, one on each side, he decided to hold his tongue. It seemed that the Prefecture Princess had other ns for this young aunt.


    In the backyard of the wine-house, a small sedan was parked. Liu Sisi got into the sedan, and she didn¡¯t have to wait long for Madam Thirteen to catch up.


    ¡°Prefecture Princess, the doctor has examined her, and she doesn¡¯t seem to be mad. Or at least, she hasn¡¯t had an episode at the moment,¡± said the maid.


    ¡°Alright, I understand. Let¡¯s return to the mansion!¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi lowered the carriage curtain.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Regardless of whether Di Ruoning had been genuinely insane or only pretending, her rity in the moment rid Liu Sisi of herst shred of guilt. After all, Di Ruoning had once tried to send her to her death.


    Should she hand over Yuan Mengbai and the others to Di Yelei?


    Lost in thought, Liu Sisi decided to probe Ye Lei¡¯s intentions tonight and act ordingly.


    The sedan took her directly to the Di Residence and stopped in the front hall of the mansion.


    As soon as Liu Sisi¡¯s head appeared, a distraught maid yelled out, ¡°Madam! Madam, something¡¯s wrong! Eldest Miss has fainted!¡±


    YingEr fainted?


    Without any concern for decorum, Liu Sisi lifted her skirt hem and ran quickly through the mansion.


    YingEr¡¯s small courtyard was packed with people, and nearly all the residents in the Di Residence were squeezed inside, arguing loudly over something.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t bother to find out what they were arguing about, and hurriedly pushed her way through the crowd to the front: ¡°What happened? YingEr¡¯s condition was stable, how did she faint suddenly?¡±


    Almost everyone simultaneously pointed fingers at the person in the middle.


    ¡°Ask her!¡±


    Liu Sisi turned around to see the person everyone pointed to, and it was unexpectedly Ms. Wang!<div>


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Liu Sisi was not polite with her question.


    When their group had left the Di Family, Ms. Wang and the others had stayed behind in the main Family. Why had theye back?


    ¡°This, I¡­ but¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang couldn¡¯te up with a reasonable exnation.


    Xiao Feng, her face full of rage, reached out and pushed Ms. Wang, causing her to stumble.


    ¡°Third Aunt, you don¡¯t know who these people are! She was shouting outside, wanting toe in, iming she had a letter from the main Family. So the servants let her in, and she somehow found out that YingEr was injured and rushed directly into her room, pping her in the chest¡­¡±


    Everyone was ring at her with a murderous look.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault! I honestly didn¡¯t know she was injured. I just wanted to show her some love¡­¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s excuse hadn¡¯t even finished when she suddenly found herself under attack from all sides, being used from every angle.


    Ms. Wang covered her head and ran like a mouse, bing everyone¡¯s favorite target.


    Ms. Wang and her group originally had a good n. When they left for Upper Vige and had a fallout with Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s family, clinging onto the Di Family seemed like their only viable option.

 Chapter 673: 673: The Noisy Second Room People

    Chapter 673: Chapter 673: The Noisy Second Room People


    So, they discussed it for some time, and in the end, they almost bankrupted themselves to prepare avish gift and sent it over.


    Swayed by the generous gift, the main Family did treat them with extra courtesy.


    But who would have thought that the people of the main Family would turn their backs so heartlessly!


    After the ancestor worship ceremony was over, they stayed at the main Family¡¯s home for only a few days before the people there openly or discreetly started driving them away.


    Who was Ms. Wang? She had originally nned to stay at the main Family¡¯s home, so how could she be willing to leave so easily?


    In the chaos, some trouble eventually broke out, and the group was directly seized and thrown out of the main Family¡¯s home, rolling back to Upper Vige in disgrace¡­


    At the moment, Ms. Wang and the others were down to theirst resources, not even having enough money to return to Macheng County. Finally, Ms. Wang gritted her teeth and took some spare clothes to the pawnshop to exchange for silver, adding thest silver ring to pay the coachman, only then managing to return to Macheng County.


    And now, they were truly penniless, having not even a single copper coin¡­


    Because they had no money, Ms. Wang had no choice but to turn her attention to the third family branch.


    She had originally heard that Di Xuan had been injured, so she had brought some small items and snacks from home for him, but by mistake, she had entered Di Ying¡¯s room, resulting in the current mess¡­<div>


    ¡°Alright, such a person, hitting her is useless.¡±


    A chill shed through Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes: ¡°Ms. Wang, what did you see when you entered the manor today?¡±


    Ms. Wang struggled to break free from the crowd, her face stained and hair scattered.


    ¡°I saw¡­ what did I see? I¡­ I didn¡¯t see anything.¡±


    Ms. Wang¡¯s eyes rolled around in her eye sockets. Even if she were foolheaded, she would know by now that there were some things she shouldn¡¯t say.


    ¡°Very well! You¡¯d better remember what you said.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded; it seemed that the opposition was also quite tactful!


    A murderous look shed in her eyes: ¡°If you forget, I don¡¯t mind helping you remember. If a gossiping woman can¡¯t remember what she said herself, I wouldn¡¯t mind cutting off her tongue. What do you think? Are my words true or false?¡±


    She approached her and looked down at her condescendingly.


    Ms. Wang shivered all over. If it had been before, she would naturally not have believed it, but since learning Liu Sisi¡¯s true identity, she dared not doubt it at all.


    ¡°True, true! Your words must be true!¡±


    ¡°Good. I hope your tongue stays where it is.¡±


    After saying that, Liu Sisi turned to the old women nearby and ordered, ¡°Search her thoroughly from head to toe. She¡¯s not allowed to take even a single needle from the manor!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    As the screams of Ms. Wang came from behind, Liu Sisi had already stepped into Ying¡¯er¡¯s room.


    In the room, Old He and the medicine pageboy were busy, Di Yelei was sitting outside, waiting anxiously with a worried look on his face, and didn¡¯t speak when he saw Liu Sisi enter.


    It wasn¡¯t until it was nearly dark that Old He finally came out after finishing with the needle.


    ¡°What kind of care are you giving the patient? How long will it take for her to recover at this rate?¡±


    Old He¡¯s dissatisfaction was evident, and only softened slightly when his gaze fell on Liu Sisi.<div>


    Di Yelei didn¡¯t dare to argue: ¡°This matter is indeed our negligence. Old He, Ying¡¯er hasn¡¯t rpsed, has she? What about her injury¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no serious problem. It¡¯s just that the rib that was originally reset has been struck by external force, causing her to feel short of breath and faint temporarily. With the presence of a divine doctor like me, there will naturally be no problem. Be more careful; I may not necessarily be around next time.¡±


    After finishing, he sighed, ¡°Young Ying¡¯er has a weak constitution after her spleen was injured. You, as adults, must take care of her more diligently and attend to her recovery¡­¡±


    Old He was also tired, and after saying this, he left directly through the curtain.<div>


    After exchanging nces with Liu Sisi, Di Yelei hurriedly went after him: ¡°Old He¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi went to Ying¡¯er¡¯s bedside and watched her still sleeping form, slowly sitting down.


    Her hand gently stroked her face, and although the swelling on her little face had subsided, there was a dark bruise under her eyes. This was originally a matter of grudge between families, but this poor child had been forced to bear the consequences¡­


    It seemed that she shouldn¡¯t keep hiding it anymore!


    That night, Di Yelei returned to his room with exhaustion, and Liu Sisi had already been waiting there.


    ¡°Huh? Why haven¡¯t you slept yet?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°I have something to tell you, so I¡¯m waiting for you on purpose.¡± Liu Sisi did not hide her intentions, cutting straight to the point.


    Di Yelei also had a lot on his mind and was deliberating whether or not to tell Sisi about Ruoning¡¯s situation.


    ¡°How coincidental! I also have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go first?¡±


    ¡°You first.¡± Di Yelei suddenly hesitated again.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t hesitate anymore and told Di Yelei about Yuan Mengbai¡¯s situation, as well as what had happened today.


    ¡°So they were in your hands. No wonder my men couldn¡¯t find them no matter how hard they searched.¡± Di Yelei realized.<div>


    ¡°I knew you were looking for them; I deliberately didn¡¯t tell you! Can you guess why?¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s tone was somber, and she suddenly approached his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t tell you about Ruoning¡¯s whereabouts, right?¡±


    Di Yelei grinned sheepishly, showing his trademark honest smile: ¡°Sisi, it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t tell you, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve only found out about this situation recently and haven¡¯t had the chance to talk to you, right?¡±


    Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow: ¡°No chance? We live together every day, and you¡¯re actually telling me you had no chance?¡± Her tone was heavy.


    Di Yelei hurriedly turned her body around: ¡°No, Sisi, listen to me¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Let go! I won¡¯t listen!¡± She swung her crutch at his waist.


    ¡°Ah! Sisi¡­ ¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Sisi, Sisi¡­ I really didn¡¯t mean not to tell you. When I got the news about Ruoning, you were in confinement, and I didn¡¯t want you to worry about it, so I deliberately hid it from you. Sisi!¡± Di Yelei hurriedly wrapped his arms around Liu Sisi¡¯s waist, unable to shake her no matter how hard she struggled.


    ¡°Because you deliberately hid it from me, I had no defense and was caught off guard, if I had known earlier¡­¡±


    If she had known earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have thought to have Ying¡¯er guard against Di Ruoning.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes widened: ¡°Do you know? I¡¯ve already investigated, Di Ruoning¡¯s madness is indeed cured, but her madness is the intermittent kind, and Yuan Mengbai has been holding a grudge because of it. On one asion, he happened to meet the cripple Old Man Li, and at first, they were at odds, but not long after, the two realized that they shared the same plight and empathized with each other, eventually deciding to make a big move together.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 674: 674: Warmth

    Chapter 674: Chapter 674: Warmth


    ¡°Initially, their target was me, but as I was inbor and, was subsequently followed by a considerable number of maids and women-servants, they could not act. So it was dyed again and again. Unfortunately, when they saw Di Ying being separated from the crowd, they changed their target.¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes began to redden.


    ¡°Yuan Mengbai indeed deserves to die!¡±


    Di Yelei gritted his teeth and was very dispirited: ¡°But Ruo Ning¡­after all, is my younger sister. Once Meng Bai is brought to justice, what should we do about Ruo Ning¡¯s intermittent madness? On the one hand, she is my sister and I have to think about her future. On the other hand, she¡¯s my daughter, and I¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi naturally could understand Di Yelei¡¯s dilemma, and remained silent.


    He couldn¡¯t ignore the predicament of gaining one thing but losing another.


    ¡°Ah! Actually, I don¡¯t know how to deal with this matter either. Today, I went to see my dad and talked to him about this¡­¡±


    Then, he told Liu Sisi about his conversation with Elderly Mr. Di.


    As their eyes met, both were left speechless for a while.


    ¡°Given our rtionship, it won¡¯t be appropriate for us to intervene directly. So, I think it¡¯s best we let dad handle this matter. The final oue will depend on what he decides.¡±<div>


    Liu Sisi remained silent for a while, and then nodded: ¡°That sounds good¡­¡±


    This would save Yelei from being torn between two tough choices.


    ¡°Recently, there¡¯s been no shortage of troubles, and none of them are going smoothly.¡±


    Di Yelei rubbed his forehead. A wave of exhaustion rose up from his heart.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you suddenly so emotional?¡±


    Liu Sisi turned over from the other side, naturally reached out to his forehead, and lightly pressed on the acupuncture points there: ¡°Come on, let me help you with a massage, which can help relieve the stress.¡±


    ¡°You know how to massage?¡± Di Yelei chuckled, shaking his head.


    Liu Sisi proudly raised an eyebrow: ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve learned it before!¡±


    She had learned from her dorm roommate who was very good at massage, and soon, everyone in the dorm was learning from her. Now, she found an opportunity to showcase her talent, reminding herself of the skills she¡¯d learned.


    ¡°Really, when did you learn it?¡±


    Di Yelei was indeed surprised!


    Liu Sisi quickly changed her story: ¡°Oh! I mean, I¡¯ve seen the acupressure chart at Old He¡¯s ce and made a point of learning it. Today, I can put it into practice on you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so!¡±


    Di Yelei burst into heartyughter, discarded his doubts, and closed his eyes to enjoy the massage, unconcerned about being Sisi¡¯s guinea pig.


    Strange to say, Sisi¡¯s technique was really good. After a short while of massaging, his muscles rxed, and he was feeling sofortable that he was on the verge of falling asleep.


    He enjoyed the experience, but Liu Sisi was panting with exhaustion after performing a full set of massage moves.


    However, seeing that Di Yelei had already fallen asleep, she couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°I was going to have you massage me back, but never mind! I¡¯ll let you off today! Go to sleep!¡± She yfully pped him.


    With a dizzying rush, before she understood what was happening, she was pinned underneath Di Yelei.<div>


    Holding her gaze with his mesmerizing eyes, the suppressed me in his eyes red up for a moment before returning to rity. He looked at her intently with his clear eyes, his lips curling into a smirk.


    ¡°You want your husband to massage you? Yourmand is my wish, Madam!¡± He stretched a hand towards her¡­


    Liu Sisi¡¯s heart pounded and her cheeks flushed. She instinctively lifted her hand to resist, wanting to refuse.


    ¡°You¡­¡±<div>


    However, before she could even utter her words, Di Yelei¡¯srge palm was already cradling her small head, tenderly leaning his head down.


    He could hardly wait any longer, hisrge mouth urgently pressed against hers, a fiercely devouring kiss never giving any space.


    Liu Sisi was almost frightened by his urgency, instinctively wanting to escape, but she was not fast enough to evade his movements.


    Before she could even open her mouth, it was already sealed by his.


    Her hesitation, her refusal, her retreat, all were drowned out by his kiss.


    He eagerly and wildly devoured the sweetness in her mouth. The loneliness of his body was ignited, like an erupting volcano, recklessly invading everything he encountered, uncontroble as soon as it was lit!


    Everywhere he led her heart, as if it were a gue of locusts, and she could not even speak or move to resist!


    Stormy onught!


    He madly plundered, invoking her body¡¯s primal reactions, gasping heavily as if suffocating.


    She was already exhausted from his taking, only able to be lead into oblivion by him¡­


    He rose to his feet, heaved a deep sigh, his profound eyes fixated on her intensely displeased face due to the love-making, and heughed triumphantly!


    ¡°Sisi, you¡¯re mine!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°I want you, I want you to be mine from the inside out.¡±<div>


    ¡°I want you to be marked with my print from inside and out, my little kitten!¡±


    He domineeringly and recklessly announced his ownership.


    His eyes glittered like stars.


    The consciousness of Liu Sisi was already blurred, but she instinctively shook her head, ¡°No! I belong to myself!¡±


    ¡°Sisi, I love you¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t love you anymore, let me go! You bastard¡­¡± Liu Sisi began to struggle.


    However, before her words could finish, his masculine aura invaded her senses once more, a dazzling light exploded before her eyes. Another epic conquest began.


    She tried to escape from his body, but involuntarily, she raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck.


    Her submission sent a thrill coursing through his body, as if obtaining some kind of encouragement, he tightly sped her hands¡­ Di Yelei really was a bastard, not only did he wage war against her, but he also devoured her, leaving no crumbs behind.


    After a while, the storm receded, and the moon shone again.


    Both were drenched with sweat, he finally loosened his hold on her. Even so, he domineeringly wrapped her within his arms, gasping heavily with a satisfied smile on his face.


    Liu Sisi finally came back to her senses from her lingering arousal, she red at him angrily, raising her small fist and aiming a punch at his chest.


    Thud!<div>


    Direct hit!


    ¡°You ass! You said it yourself¡­¡± wouldn¡¯t force me!


    Liu Sisi was at a loss for words since it is said that words from a man who is dominated by lust are not reliable?


    Why was she naive enough to believe him! It¡¯s infuriating!


    Di Yelei frowned, he rubbed at his rib area grimacing, that punch was not light at all!


    He shed a satisfied smile, ¡°My little kitten, weren¡¯t you in control from beginning to end? I didn¡¯t lie!¡±

 Chapter 675: 675: The Crispy Fried Grasshopper

    Chapter 675: Chapter 675: The Crispy Fried Grasshopper


    He looked so innocent with his harmless smile.


    Liu Sisi was furious!


    What did he mean by she was in charge?


    This man was pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger! Sadly, she only realized this now.


    ¡°Di Yelei, you bastard!¡±


    She lunged at him, swearing to make him pay! She attacked him with both her hands and feet.


    ¡°Let you be mischievous, let you bully me, let you act innocent after taking advantage! Let you¡­¡±


    She vented her anger but didn¡¯t notice the man¡¯s eyes growing deeper and deeper.


    Her fragrant body was in his arms, continuously rubbing against him. No man could resist this unconscious provocation, and Di Yelei was no exception!


    Suddenly, he flipped her over, and their positions changed. He leaned down and looked at her.<div>


    ¡°It seems that your stamina is pretty good, my little kitten! Or is it because my massage made you ufortable? How about we do it again?¡±


    What did he mean by ¡®ufortable and do it again¡¯?


    At this moment, she finally realized her big mistake and angrily roared: ¡°Di Yelei, get off of me!¡±


    But what answered her was his series of crazy demands.


    She tried to escape with all her strength but was easily caught by him.


    After a while, she had no strength even to move her fingers. Her whole body was weak and powerless, allowing him to do whatever he wanted.


    She felt she couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and the slight tingling sensation, like ant bites, was bing more and more intense. It almost drowned her entire being.


    All she could do was instinctively cry out: ¡°Ye Lei! Ye Lei¡­¡±


    But he became more and more enthusiastic, as if being driven mad by that intense stranglehold feeling!


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be afraid, I know what you want.¡±


    He took a deep breath, bent his arms, and trapped her directly in a very limited, narrow space. Then he began his crazy demands.


    ¡°Ye Lei!¡± Liu Sisi screamed!


    As they reached the summit again in his deep exploration, he sent them both to the heavenly clouds.


    At the end of July, the sun was scorching hot.


    Even early in the morning, the fiery red disc was already high in the sky, baking the earth madly!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Liu Sisi felt as if she had been run over by a train, every part of her body ached!


    She moaned in pain and struggled to open her eyes several times.


    In her view, the windowsill was half-open, with a tall vase on it. Cape jasmine flowers were ced in the vase, emitting a rich fragrance.


    This was the scent Liu Sisi loved.<div>


    She closed her eyes again and after some time, she reopened them. When her memories returned, she furrowed her eyebrows and moved her legs. A strange feeling immediately spread through her.


    Remembering Di Yelei¡¯s madnessst night, she cursed with hatred. With an effort, she got up from the bed, grabbed the thin bedsheet from the straw mat, and called out.


    ¡°Nanny Hu, Nanny Hu!¡±


    Old Granny Hu entered the room with a smile on her face: ¡°Madam, you¡¯re awake? The Old Master left before dawn, saying he was going to attend to some official business. He told this servant that you were tired yesterday and let you sleep a little longer. Madam, do you want to take a bath? The hot water is ready.¡±<div>


    Granny Hu appeared very enthusiastic.


    Liu Sisi¡¯s face turned red instantly, even the tips of her toes blushed!


    She lowered her head, barely nodding imperceptibly. Damn Di Yelei, actually telling everyone about what happenedst night.


    When hees back, she would settle ounts with him properly!


    ¡°Alright, Madam, please wait a moment, I¡¯ll bring the hot water right away.¡±


    Granny Hu happily retreated.


    Left behind, Liu Sisi¡¯s face flushed as she couldn¡¯t help but recall the madness between themst night¡­


    After washing up and rxing in a hot bath, Liu Sisi finally felt much better.


    It was alreadyte, and Liu Sisi hurriedly ate her breakfast before rushing to visit YingEr. YingEr was propped up against the bedside, her face smiled, but carried an indescribable sense of dejection.


    The moment she saw Liu Sisie in, her bright eyes lit up instantly!


    ¡°Mom, have you finished your work?¡±


    ¡°Mom got upte this morning. Did YingEr sleep wellst night?¡±


    She carefully fixed the strands of hair falling on YingEr¡¯s forehead, looking at the still dark circles under her eyes and her rapidly thinning face, she felt a surge of heartache.<div>


    ¡°YingEr slept very well. Mom, how are the little brothers and sisters? YingEr wants to see them.¡± Her voice was weak.


    ¡°Do you want to see your little brothers and sisters? Let mom bring them over to you, alright?¡±


    YingEr had been lonely while recovering from her illness here, so it might be good to let the children cheer her up for a while.


    Liu Sisi hurriedly instructed the nanny to bring the children over.


    Although the three little ones were not even two months old, it was easy to see their different personalities.


    After Niuniu was ced on the head of the bed, she immediately opened her eyes and looked around curiously, as if everything around her was interesting. Chou Chou slept soundly from beginning to end, without even opening his eyes. In contrast, the youngest one tilted his head to look at YingEr as soon as he entered the room, thenughed out loud.


    It seemed as if he was mocking YingEr¡¯s face, which was covered in herbal medicine and appeared colorful.


    Liu Sisi felt as if she was going crazy, this was an infant who was not even two months old, how could he understand the concept of mocking?


    With three little ones ying with YingEr, they yed for most of the day. Liu Sisi saw that YingEr seemed a bit tired, so she instructed the nanny to take the children out.


    ¡°Mom, just go on with your work! YingEr wants to be alone for a while.¡±


    Looking at YingEr, who seemed to be half-asleep and half-awake, Liu Sisi lovingly pulled a thin quilt over her: ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be alright? Or should mom wait until you fall asleep first before going?¡±


    ¡°No, mom.¡± YingEr urged her.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be in the next room, just call for Xue Yi and Xue Lan if you need anything.¡±<div>


    Xue Lan was originally by Di Xuan¡¯s side, but after YingEr was injured and brought back, Xuan¡¯er assigned Xue Lan to help take care of her. Liu Sisi thought that that was better, as YingEr was having difficulty moving around and an extra person to help was always good ¨C so she let Xue Lan stay.


    As soon as Liu Sisi left the room, the smile on YingEr¡¯s face disappeared.


    She painfully covered her chest, biting her teeth hard to prevent herself from groaning.


    ¡°Mom, YingEr¡¯s chest hurts so much¡­¡± she murmured, but didn¡¯t dare to call out loudly.


    She had already caused too much trouble for the family. She needed to be brave, and never be naughty again.


    Liu Sisi was listening to Shopkeeper Gu¡¯s report: ¡°As for those grasshoppers that were handed in the day before, we deep-fried them and sold them directly at the wine house under our name, selling for three to five copper coins each. Even locations like the Silver Pavilion and tea houses have the deep-fried grasshoppers served as a small dish, with the general selling price of one to three copper coins.¡±


    ¡°Oh? How is the business with the deep-fried grasshoppers?¡± Liu Sisi asked curiously.


    In her previous life, deep-fried grasshoppers were a famous dish. Although some people here didn¡¯t dare to eat them, once someone tried them, others were bound to follow suit, right?

 Chapter 676: 676: People from the Main Family Arrive

    Chapter 676: Chapter 676: People from the Main Family Arrive


    Shopkeeper Gu wore a smile and immediately raised his thumb: ¡°Actually, now in the county city, all therge and small tea houses, wine-houses, and street snacks are selling deep-fried locusts. Sales are quite good, and prices vary, mostly between one and five copper coins. Even passing merchants who pass through Macheng County can¡¯t help but buy a few on the street to taste.¡±


    In those days, eggs were also one copper coin each, and it was incredible that such small and unremarkable deep-fried locusts also sold for one to five copper coins!


    However, eggs are sold one by one, while locusts are sold in portions.


    ¡°Initially, we had many people in our manor who exchanged 1000 locusts for a small bowl of coarse grains. However, as people found business opportunities outside, now there are people outside exchanging 1000 locusts for a big bowl of coarse grains, or 900 live locusts for arge bowl of coarse grains, and business is good.¡±


    ¡°Indeed it is good, as I expected.¡±


    Liu Sisi nodded.


    Shopkeeper Gu was also all smiles: ¡°Now our manor is also collecting live locusts. Like outside, 900 of them are exchanged for a small bowl of coarse grains. This matter was done privately by this subordinate without reporting it to the Prefecture Princess, please punish me.¡±


    ¡°No harm, it¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    Liu Sisi waved her hand: ¡°We will still go ording to the original n, using bamboo skewers to string 1000 locusts for a small bowl of coarse grains, or 900 live locusts for a small bowl of coarse grains.¡±


    Shopkeeper Gu was a bit slow to react: ¡°Madam, in this case, our price will be lower than outside, and we may not receive anything.¡±<div>


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if we don¡¯t receive anything. The reason why our manor is collecting is not for profit in the first ce.¡±


    Liu Sisi stood up: ¡°If people outside can consume arge amount of locusts on their own, thereby avoiding a locust gue, then we have achieved our goal. As for the ie from selling locusts, it is secondary.¡±


    ¡°But, but ¡­¡±


    Shopkeeper Gu, a businessman, found Liu Sisi¡¯s meaning even more difficult to understand because he was a businessman. Not making money, was the Prefecture Princess really just in it for the reputation?


    ¡°No need for ¡®buts¡¯. These locusts are not rare items, they can be found anywhere in the wild.¡±


    Liu Sisi waved her hand: ¡°Now people are rushing to buy and eat them, just because they are greedy for something fresh. ording to my estimate, at most one monthter, these locusts will be abandoned by people. By then, selling them for one copper coin per portion will be enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, this subordinate will do it.¡±


    Even if Shopkeeper Gu had thoughts, he did not dare to refute.


    ¡°By the way, has Brother Nan given you any information? Can he arrive in Gongzhou on time?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ I really don¡¯t know about the heir¡¯s whereabouts.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you can go.¡±


    Liu Sisi casually dismissed Shopkeeper Gu.


    Thinking about Nan Tianzong arriving in Gongzhou City soon, Liu Sisi felt an urgent desire to meet him.


    On the day when she searched for Di Ying, she identally discovered on the ground a small ornament from YingEr¡¯s head, and at the same time, she also found a faint glint on the ground.


    At that moment, she was surprised and curious, so she wrapped up some of the sand and pebbles with a handkerchief.


    Then, YingEr¡¯s condition became critical, and she didn¡¯t have time to check it out. It was not until YingEr¡¯s condition stabilized and there were fewer things happening these days that she remembered this matter.


    Upon opening the handkerchief and carefully examining the sand and gravel inside, she unexpectedly found gold particles.


    Although minute, there was no doubt it was gold!


    She thought carefully, and she remembered a mention in a book called Compendium of Materia Medica Supplement.<div>


    ¡°People usually extract gold by digging more than a meter deep into the ground, finding ¡®uso¡¯ stones. The stones are charred on one side, with gold underneath.¡±


    Another book called Shixing Records records: ¡°Digging a meter deep, they saw piled uso stones, dark brown stones, one end charred. This is gold apanying stone, and there must be golden horse hoof blocks. Next to the cinnabar, there are crystal beds, and next to the gold, there are uso stones.¡± It can be seen that uso stones are gold apanying stones.


    Other records such as: ¡°Block gold, that is, digging the mountain or a hundred feet deep, see the gold apanying stones, these stones are dark brown, one end looks charred like burned by fire. This is a sign of gold, and its color is deep reddish-yellow.¡±


    ¡°Gold mostlyes from the southwest. When digging more than ten meters deep into the mountain, you can find gold apanying stones. These stones are dark brown, and one end looks charred like burned by fire.¡±<div>


    ¡°However, in Lingnan Yi tribes¡¯ caves, the gold initially looks like ck iron. Digging several meters deep, it is found under charred ck stones.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    From various records, it is very likely that the cave contains gold. Especially when she discovered that two of the big karst caves in Qinglong Cave, which is known as Nine Connected Rings, are extremely hot, and the mountain stones are burnt ck. The reason why the cold wind is blowing in the cave is probably rted to the deep ocean currents in the waterhole.


    After pondering, are the burnt ck mountain stones an indication that there are gold apanying stones in the cave? As long as you find the gold apanying stones, can you see the gold mine?


    The answer can only be found by looking for a goldsmith craftsman!


    This matter is of great importance, and Liu Sisi deeply understands the principle that an innocent man possesses unworthy treasures.


    Even when she was with Di Yelei, she did not dare to mention this matter.


    The foundation of the Di Family is too shallow. Even if they found the gold mine in the karst cave, they might not have the ability to protect it. In that case, it would be better to hand it over directly to Nan Tianzong. With the Li Sect and Nan Tianzong¡¯s current position as heir, it should not be a big problem to protect the gold mine.


    Her eyes sparkled; she couldn¡¯t let this clue go for nothing. She had to ask for some small favors¡­


    While everyone was eagerly waiting, Nan Tianzong waste.


    While Nan Tianzong failed to appear, the people from the Di Family¡¯s main Family came in waves.


    The first time the main Family of Di Family came was during Di Ying¡¯s injury. At that time, everyone¡¯s hearts were in a mess, and naturally, they didn¡¯t pay any attention to the visitor.


    Subsequently, the main Family sent someone again. This time, a young man about Di Yelei¡¯s age came. Di Yelei went out to greet him.<div>


    Liu Sisi was not concerned about what the two talked about. Later, the main Family sent someone again, but this time, the people from the main Family went directly to the barracks to find Di Yelei without even seeing Liu Sisi.


    Di Yelei came back very happily that night, ¡°We have already negotiated with the main Family, and they agreed to Dad¡¯s request to record you and me in the family tree during our lifetime. However, the main Family proposed that we move to Gongzhou City, after all, that is the Di Family¡¯s main base¡­¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t understand any of these family tree matters, so she naturally didn¡¯tment.


    ¡°You can discuss these matters with Dad, as long as we can be a family, I don¡¯t mind going or staying.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll talk to Dad.¡±


    Di Yelei left excited that night and returned to the roomte.


    ¡°ording to Dad¡¯s meaning, he still wants to go back. After all, this is our grandfather¡¯sst wish. But Dad is a little hesitant.¡±

 Chapter 677: 677: Elderly Mr. Di Returns Home

    Chapter 677: Chapter 677: Elderly Mr. Di Returns Home


    ¡°What is Father thinking?¡±


    A mere mention of Di Ruoning made Liu Sisi¡¯s brows furrow.


    Di Yelei shook his head and cast a nce at Liu Sisi: ¡°I noticed that the old man has been going to see them these days, but I have no idea what they talked about¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi responded in a t tone: ¡°Oh!¡±


    No matter the oue, it seemed like the matter was about to reach its conclusion.


    Until the end of July ended and the golden August of autumn arrived, Nan Tianzong was not sighted. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Elderly Mr. Di suddenly made a decision!


    ¡°Dad! I absolutely cannot agree to this! How can I live in the city while you return to live in our old home! This is uneptable!¡±


    Di Yelei was the first to object.


    Liu Sisi on the side quickly chimed in: ¡°Father, why don¡¯t you just stay here in the house? The rooms are vacant anyway. Living with us, it would be more convenient if something were to happen, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di dismissed them with a wave of his hand: ¡°Third Child! It¡¯s more convenient for your father to live in the mansion, but it¡¯s notfortable for me! It would be no problem to stay for a day or two. But having to stay for too long, your father genuinely feels itchy all over. I don¡¯t feel good without handling a hoe!¡±<div>


    Di Yelei gritted his teeth, refusing to give in.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m not refraining you from gaining silver by working in the fields. If you want to farm, I will order workers to prepare a piece ofnd in the back yard. You can nt vegetables and flowers every day. That would be great too, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di had a disappointed face and let out a long sigh: ¡°It¡¯s not just aboutnd, it¡¯s about people! I miss our home, miss our fellow vigers in the Upper Vige! Third Child, if you really respect me, let me get back!¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di was practically pleading with Di Yelei in a low voice!


    ¡°Dad, You¡­.¡±


    A sorrowful expression crossed Di Yelei¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Liu Sisi looked at Ms. Zhao beside her and saw that she kept her mouth shut without a word.


    Di Yelei gathered his thoughts: ¡°Dad, If you really miss our fellow vigers, the day after tomorrow is my day off, I can take you back for a few days before we return.¡±


    Elderly Mr. Di opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, then he issued his ultimatum: ¡°Anyway, I am determined to go back! If you don¡¯t send me back, I will leave on my own tomorrow morning. Weren¡¯t we all walking when we first came to the city?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    After saying this, he didn¡¯t wait for Di Yelei to respond, and turned around to leave the front hall with the help of his crutch.


    ¡°Dad! Dad¡ª¡ª¡±


    Di Yelei hurried after him and tried to prop up Elderly Mr. Di, who shrugged off his hand and continued to walk.


    Di Yelei followed persistently: ¡°Dad! Please listen to me¡­ Father, tell me the real reason why you want to go back?¡± He finally managed to support Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s hand.


    Elderly Mr. Di finally stopped and let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Third son! I feel guilty about you and YingEr! Isn¡¯t this all because of Ruoning¡¯s affair¡­¡± Elderly Mr. Di could not continue.


    After his conversation with Liu Sisi, Di Yelei handed over the right to decide Yuan Mengbai¡¯s fate to Elderly Mr. Di.


    Elderly Mr. Di thought for a long time and finally gave Di Yelei the go-ahead.


    As such, Di Yelei, in ordance with the currentws of the Great Zhao, sentenced the suspects Old Man Li, Jiang Xiaocai, and Yuan Mengbai, the three main culprits, to be exiled to Lingnan. He then submitted the case to Gongzhou Mansion.


    Liu Sisi deliberately inquired and found out that this exile and enlistment involved tattooing the criminal¡¯s face, then sending them off to performbor in remote regions for the rest of their lives.<div>


    The Lingnan mentioned here should be Hainan Ind inter generations. However, this ancient time had no carriage transportation, so felons were led on foot by soldiers officers in chains shackles and handcuffs to Hainan. Could Old Man Li, ame man, and Yuan Mengbai, a frail schr, survive the months-long journey to reach Lingnan?


    In the end, Di Yelei couldn¡¯t bear it. Three days ago, Gongzhou Mansion sent back the final judgment: Yuan Mengbai originally had the rank of a schr but was stripped of his title and relegated tomoner status, his descendants were forever barred from holding office!


    As one of the main culprits in the kidnapping, Yuan Mengbai was released intact, only stripped of his title, and continued to live vigorously!


    Seeing Yuan Mengbai staring at her with those malicious eyes, Liu Sisi was so annoyed that she wanted to tear him apart!<div>


    Because of this, Elderly Mr. Di felt shame and refused to continue living in the Di Residence. He insisted on returning to the vige, and Ms. Zhao naturally followed.


    Left with no choice, Di Yelei finally nodded in agreement.


    On the day Elderly Mr. Di was sent home, both Liu Sisi and Di Yelei, along with Di Ah-bao, took action.


    The items on the carriage were packed full; from food, clothing, and necessities, to all sorts of spare items. As long as they thought of it, they prepared a copy, stuffing it into the carriage.


    Amid the hubbub, a lineup of carriages finally set off.


    Having not returned to the Upper Vige for a long time, the group hadn¡¯t yet reached the vige entrance when countless fellow vigers gathered around.


    Everyone¡¯s faces were full of smiles as they helped Elderly Mr. Di down from the carriage and apanied him along the path back to the small courtyard of the Di Family. Originally, from the vige entrance to the Di Residence, there was only a narrow path, which was specially dug by the vigers after hearing that Di Yelei had been appointed as a sixth-rank official.


    The broad stone path stretched from the entrance of the vige all the way to the front of the Di Residence¡¯s gate.


    ¡°There¡¯s no ce like home!¡±


    Looking at the warm-hearted vigers, Elderly Mr. Di shed tears.


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no ce like home! I say, Fude, you won¡¯t leave once you¡¯re back this time, right?¡± The Land Officer reluctantly held Elderly Mr. Di¡¯s hand tightly, unwilling to let go for quite a while.


    In just half a year, Uncle Land Officer had aged significantly; his hair was almostpletely white.


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave! I¡¯m going to retire in the Upper Vige now that I¡¯m back. Everyone says that city life is good, but what¡¯s so good about it? There¡¯s nond for me to farm, no vegetables for me to pick, and no one to chat with. Although I eat meat in my mouth¡­ I feel stifled in my heart!¡±<div>


    Elderly Mr. Di, finally reunited with his childhood friends, had a lot to say that he hadn¡¯t been able to express.


    Di Yelei could only stand by the side and smile bitterly. What else could he say?


    ¡°Yes, yes! A few years ago, my second son also took me to live in Gongzhou City for a while. I tell you, I couldn¡¯t eat or sleep properly there. I missed my hard bed at home, the few acres ofnd in my house, and the vigers of Upper Vige! Old buddy, I understand what you¡¯ve been through!¡±


    The two old men, once they got together, immediately shared a mutual understanding, their sped hands refusing to part.


    Seeing the two growing more and more animated in their conversation, Di Yelei quickly invited everyone to sit down.

 Chapter 678: 678: The Fragrance of Guihua Flowers in August

    Chapter 678: Chapter 678: The Fragrance of Guihua Flowers in August


    Liu Sisi took out the prepared melon seeds, peanuts, candy and pastries to entertain everyone, and the entire courtyard was filled with people,ughter, and continuous chatter.


    Guihua also received the news and hurried over. Zhang Family had initially taken care of YingEr at Di Residence, and upon seeing YingEr¡¯s recovery and crops in the fields were ready to be harvested, they had to bid farewell and rushed back to Upper Vige.


    It has to be said that the people of Upper Vige are enthusiastic! However, their enthusiasm seems to be mingled with a hint of alienationpared to before.


    It¡¯s understandable because the vigers abruptly became powerful officials, which would lead to thoughts in everyone¡¯s mind.


    Although Di Family¡¯s home had been empty for nearly half a year, it still maintained its original appearance from when they left. Since Elderly Mr. Di nned to live here for a long time, people had already been sent to clean it up yesterday, so it was just right to use it today.


    The crowd was making amotion, with many auspicious wordsing from their mouths.


    Taking advantage of the situation, Liu Sisi strolled around and carefully observed the changes in her old home.


    When she left, it was the early spring, and now it was the golden August of autumn. The house remained the same, and the osmanthus tree beside it was still flourishing, with the fragrance of osmanthus flowers filling the entire courtyard. New branches had grown on the fallen tree stump, and now it was even more lush and dense.


    In the ce where chives were originally nted in the courtyard, it was still full of lush chives and wild lettuce. asionally, the clumps of nail flowers that had grown between them had already passed their flowering period, and only one or two small flowers remained at the top.


    The area surrounding the stable was also cleared, and now several horses were tied up, making it particrly crowded.<div>


    The original chicken coop had been dismantled, revealing a beautiful view on the other side ¨C the small pond along the corner of the wall was full of dense lotus leaves covering the water surface, almostpletely covering the entire pond, growing in clusters, with the green color fading, exposing tall lotus pods, some still emerald green, while others had gradually turned old and ck.


    Several differently colored small dragonflies paused on them, some red, yellow or ck. As people approached, they flewzily, hovering in the air and asionallynding on other lotus leaves or pods.


    The kingfisher that had been perched on Di Family¡¯s courtyard wall flew away quickly when people arrived.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that the lotus flowers I nted casuallyst year would actually survive!¡±


    Di Yelei walked leisurely from the other side, holding arge cluster of crystal-clear green grapes in his hand.


    ¡°They did survive! It seems we are in luck today! Let someone go into the water to fetch a few sections of lotus root, and we¡¯ll have more dishes for dinner tonight!¡± Liu Sisi was genuinely happy and eagerly walked to the small pond¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll order the servants to do it right now.¡±


    As he spoke, he handed over the green grapes: ¡°Here, these are freshly picked from the grapevine in our own courtyard. I just tasted one, and the vor is not bad.¡±


    ¡°Our own?¡±


    Liu Sisi hurriedly epted them. They were still with water droplets, and she picked one to taste. Sure enough, it was sweet with a hint of sourness and a natural ripe grape vor, making it quite delicious.


    ¡°Yes, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Following the direction of Di Yelei¡¯s finger, in the corner of the courtyard where the wild grapevine was located, clusters of green grapes hung. These brightly transparent green grapes were a local variety with a particrly refreshing sour and sweet taste. Currently, there were twodders leaning against the grapevine, and Da Niu and Er Niu were happily climbing on it, picking grapes.


    Liu Sisi, with a keen interest, hurriedly walked over to see the excitement and picked a few to taste as she went.


    Now the grapes had concentrated at the top where people couldn¡¯t reach. Judging from the vines on the ground, it seemed that the local children hadn¡¯t eaten too few grapes from the grapevine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go there! There are quite a few caterpirs on the grape leaves ¨C one touch and you¡¯ll get a big swell. Didn¡¯t you see Da Niu and Er Niu wearing thick clothes?¡±


    That¡¯s right! This is ancient times without any pesticides!


    Liu Sisi quickly stepped back several times, almost falling straight into the small pond, but luckily, Di Yelei caught her in time, causing him to burst intoughter.


    This also attracted the attention of others, with even Guihua teasing them, ¡°What a lovely couple you two are.¡±


    ¡°Not at all¡­ It¡¯s just his shameless behaviour!¡±<div>


    An embarrassed Liu Sisi stared fiercely at Di Yelei, her face blushing.


    ¡°Yes, yes, Madam is right, it¡¯s all Ye Lei¡¯s fault.¡±


    Di Yelei earnestly took the me, showing a simple and honest smile: ¡°Hehe! I, Di Yelei, finally found such a good wife, of course, I must cherish her.¡±


    This statement made Liu Sisi even more embarrassed, as she couldn¡¯t even raise her head, surrounded by their rtives and friends!<div>


    Di Yelei really had thick skin!


    However, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart skip a beat because of those sweet words, just like eating honey.


    ¡°Alright, everyone, stopughing. My wife¡¯s skin is delicate, if you continue, maybe when we go back to our room tonight, we¡¯ll have to change the abacus again,¡± said Di Yelei, winking and beaming.


    ¡°Abacus? I don¡¯t think we have one at home, because I¡¯m not used to¡­.¡± Liu Sisi¡¯s words were cut short as she suddenly realized the meaning behind and immediately put her hands on her waist, ¡°Ah! So you¡¯re talking about the kneeling on the abacus punishment? Fine, Da Niu, remember to buy twenty abacuses when you go back. Your master can¡¯t enter the room until he breaks all of them. Got it?¡±


    The crowd buzzed and broke into roaringughter.


    Da Niu, who was climbing on the grape trellis, responded promptly, ¡°Madam, rest assured, I¡¯ll buy the best-quality fragrant rosewood abacuses, and I promise the Old Master will be satisfied!¡±


    His reply made theughter around them even louder, and some young people even started to whistle, clearly enjoying the fun!


    The fellow vigers joined in the discussion, dispersing any previous awkwardness. The atmosphere turned lively in an instant.


    And that was exactly the result Di Yelei wanted.


    He smiled satisfactorily, secretly giving Liu Sisi a grateful nce, before continuing to tease in a loud voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s just twenty fragrant rosewood abacuses in the end! Today, my wife said she¡¯ll add more dishes for lunch, and those dishes include the lotus roots from this small pond here! Who wants to join?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°I want to join too!¡±


    The crowdughed and rushed towards the small pond.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    Zhang Yun was quick to act and had already started taking off her shoes to get into the water.


    The small pond was a long, rectangr strip, dug deep along the courtyard wall, with a constant flow of water all year round.


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