Chapter 134: She Must Endure This Suffering

Exhausted from fighting, the two sat on the ground, panting loudly, both with disheveled hair and faces mottled blue and purple.

"Fine, you little scoundrel, daring to hit my mother‑in‑law."

"Old Qianpo, if you dare lay a finger on me again, do you think I'll immediately return to my natal home and stop dealing with you? Now your Feng family's enterprises aren't making money, all pointing at my shop."

"Your shop? Hmph, that's my mother's shop."

Lu Ruxin gave her a glance and let out a cold laugh.

"Don't think that just because the shop's deed was swindled away from me it becomes yours. My mother guarded you, gave me that red deed; it's under my name. If I don't go to the authorities to process the paperwork, that shop will forever be mine."

"You, you,"

Ruxin stood up, sat at the dressing table, had Wang Jiaru's Servant Girl style her hair, and changed into a new set of clothes.

"Pack up our things, let's go back to Tianshui Town."

Seeing Madam Feng get anxious, she hurriedly crawled to Ruxin and clasped her legs with both hands.

"Fine then, I've already told you, as long as you have a sense of it in your heart, that's enough."

Lu Sanniang immediately stood up, intending to find a carriage to the County Town.

"I want it right now."

"Anyway, whatever they say, the County Town is only a hundred li from Tianshui, and the news reached there that afternoon."

"Thank you!"

"Here, here!"

"They provide food and drink, everything is the best, they think of everything, never utter a complaint; if even the childhood exam fails, how could they still have the face to live in the Qiao Family?"

"Then don't go, I'll fetch it for you right now."

"Especially after learning his own house was robbed, his mood was irritable, but when he discovered Ruxin still had a sizable amount of silver, he finally steadied, fearing that later he wouldn't be able to go to Fenglin Shuyuan."

"The March 26 childhood exam draws nearer; Yuan Jiaqi will sit the exam at Yi County's testing hall, and Xianggong Feng Yinshi will sit the exam in Fucheng; they are both preparing."

"Niu the Shopkeeper turned and left; could the Master truly not care about that apprentice any longer?"

"Miss, you should have done this long ago."

"I'm sorry, Ruan Mama, it's all my fault; I didn't listen to you back then."

"I've heard that some examinees have been so exhausted they fainted after coming out."

"At daybreak, Lord Feng personally went to the Xian Ya to report the case; the Feng family was robbed and also suffered a fire, a major incident, and the County Magistrate himself led officials to inspect the scene."

"A theft made her see the true faces of the Feng family; sometimes they treat you well, other times they step on you when you're not there, unlike a mother who is always good to you, and the Master even treats you with heartfelt sincerity."

"What?"

"After all, Lu the Shopkeeper lives at home; if his daughter is not well, the Master here will certainly be affected."

"A child who has never been scolded will never know gratitude."

"Daughter‑in‑law, don't leave; it's mother‑in‑law's fault, mother‑in‑law has gone mad, this family can't be without you."

"Mm, got it, you go attend to your business."

"After the old woman left, Niu the Shopkeeper jogged to the back yard, didn't enter the house, stood at the doorway and said."

"Madam Feng hurried away, Lu Ruxin let out a cold snort, and the old woman beside her said."

"It's not too late to mend the pen after the sheep are lost; our dowry isn't completely gone. The silver notes you keep close still amount to several thousand taels, so this time you must not give them to the Feng family again, nor hand over the shop's profits casually."

"This is a strange case; neither the neighboring households nor the night watch on the road saw any suspicious person, and even the Feng family themselves heard no commotion."

"Don't worry, I'm not leaving, but you must return the deed to me."

"Xin'er is fine, there were no casualties at home, only some property loss; the Yamen has already opened a case."

"You really have a big heart!"

"It was because she wanted to be good to her in‑laws that this situation arose."

"Yuan Jiaqi wouldn't let anyone else escort him; he prepared all his belongings himself, went to the County Town on the afternoon of the first day, and checked into an inn."

"Old Mr. Wang wasn't worried; he knew Yuan Jiaqi would definitely pass, passing is possible, but he still hoped he could achieve a good score, after all he taught him, a poor result would tarnish his reputation and make it hard to report to Qiao Niang."

"Momo, don't worry, I won't be foolish again."

"Qian the Mayor was startled, 'Yo, you're being polite to me now?'"

"Take it slowly; this matter can't be rushed."

"Are you going to the County Town to take a look? Shall I go with you?"

"Qiao Mai was reading, and the old woman reported, 'Niu the Shopkeeper wants to see you?'"

"However, if any wind or grass stirs in the future, it must still be reported."

"Lu the Shopkeeper's head was spinning, 'Did I also lose the dowry I gave her?'"

"The first to learn the news was Qian the Mayor; upon hearing it, he hurried to Xiu Zhuang."

"It shouldn't be much."

"He's already a father; what can he give? He can't even manage this, what else can he do?"

"San Niang, did you know your daughter's in‑laws were robbed and set on fire?"

"The Feng family's affairs spread wildly in the County Town; some said they owned a Liangpi Puzi, which was too ostentatious and attracted envy, others said the Feng family is unscrupulous, their conduct indecent, and people couldn't stand it."

"Thinking about it, Miss Ruxin's actions were also excessive; it's understandable that the Master got angry and ignored her, after all she has her own natal family, and whether those people are good or bad has nothing to do with the Master."

"Days passed one by one, Lu Ruxin still didn't come home to ask Lu the Shopkeeper for help, which surprised Qiao Mai."

"No trace was found, and despite losing so much property, nobody seemed to know."

"My mother and my master were truly right; your Feng family is not good, I was blind and deaf, believing your nonsense, causing a rift between me and my natal family. There's no Regret Medicine in this world; what should I do?"

"Lu Ruxin laughed self‑deprecatingly; she isn't foolish and is quite clever, but she was momentarily swayed by the Feng family."

"Master, the subordinate heard in the shop that Miss Ruxin's in‑laws were robbed and two houses burned, suffering heavy losses!"

"She closed the book, rubbed her temples, and picked up the Spirit Medicine cultivation manual to read."

"No, don't go. Once she's married she'll have to rely on her husband's family. She never suffered hardship as a child; this hardship she must endure. If she gets through it, her days will be better; if she can't get through, we'll talk later—I'll cover for her."

He was nervous about this, always looking at Yuan Jiaqi with that kind of gaze, wanting to advise but unable to.

She had already finished the Spirit Medicine compendium; the Platform's trading seeds are not all the Spirit Medicines—there are nearly ten thousand, but customer service only trades two thousand, still far short.

After Lu the Shopkeeper learned of it, he looked at Qiao Mai with disdain, "Can't you give (her) something?"

She must master these books before she can start refining Dan.

But what has she done herself? She took a Handkerchief and wiped away her tears.

Nothing can be found; a case can be opened but not closed, so she can only keep investigating for now.

"Otherwise? If I keep worrying, doesn't he also have to take the exam? Don't worry, I said it's fine, so it's fine!"

Madam Feng naturally can't bear to let go; such a profitable business, especially now that the Feng Family is like this.

"Can't it stay with my son?"

"If it's gone, that's good, that's good; if the Feng Family is gone we won't have to keep worrying about it, won't have to keep giving my daughter the mind‑confusing soup; now she should be sober, right?"

Qiao Mai was also depressed: a child‑scholar exam, and it takes three days? What are they testing? What could take three days to test?

"Then I'll go to the Xian Ya, citing loss due to fire, and get a replacement."

One is easy, the other is exhausting.

She sat down absentmindedly, thought for a while, then gritted her teeth and said.

This matter was originally Qiao Mai's doing; how could she not know? It's just to make the Feng Family suffer, and to make Ruxin suffer.

"Let him in!"

"That's because they're physically weak; a scholar is useless in a hundred ways, just reading books without even training. When they go out, who will faint? Brother Yuan follows the children in Martial Arts every day; he's fine."

Lu San‑niang's old face flushed, "To hell with you, hurry up and leave!"

"Is it because it's fake?"

"No, it's not; I truly have confidence in him!"

"Alright, I was overthinking."

"You should still worry about your son‑in‑law; he's about to take the imperial scholar exam."

(End of chapter)