Chapter 17: Rising in the World

The scorching sun hung in the sky, and the weather was so hot that people were dripping with sweat.

Qiulian Niang carried a basket of vegetables on her arm, wiping the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve as she hurried toward the end of the village.

In her bosom were two warm pancakes she had just griddled, which she was about to deliver to Jiang Xiaoxiao.

Today, she had embroidered a few pouches and taken them to the embroidery workshop in town to sell. On her way back, she happened to run into Jiang Wei, who was going to the county seat to sell a wild wolf. Jiang Wei had said that Xiaoxiao was home alone and asked her to help look in on her.

Qiulian Niang naturally agreed. She hurried home, thinking that since the little girl was home alone, she probably hadn't eaten yet, so she simply griddled two pancakes to bring along.

However, only halfway there, she suddenly saw two figures in the distance coming down from the foot of the mountain. They seemed to be carrying a sack and were sneaking into a less-traveled path.

Being far away, she couldn't see clearly, but one of those two backs looked somewhat like the Li Family Old Woman...

A bad feeling vaguely surfaced in her heart.

Qiulian Niang quickly picked up her pace and chased after them. When she reached the house where the mother and daughter lived and saw the kicked-in courtyard gate and the stools scattered all over the room, that bad premonition in her heart grew even stronger!

Oh no!

Seeming to realize something, Qiulian Niang dropped the vegetable basket in her hand and hurried toward the head of the village.

Unexpectedly, just as she reached the village head, she saw Jiang Wei returning with big and small bags.

"It's bad! It's bad! Xiaoxiao is gone!!"

Qiulian Niang ran until she was out of breath. Holding her waist, she gasped and shouted, "You hurry to the Li house and take a look! I saw the Li Family Old Woman carrying a sack; it looks like she took Xiaoxiao!"

"What!"

Jiang Wei's expression changed drastically. She dropped the big and small bags in her hands and rushed toward the Li house.

"Hey, why are you running so fast!"

Qiulian Niang looked at the figure that had run far away in the blink of an eye, the wind she kicked up almost blowing up the hem of her clothes. She looked at the bundles all over the ground, shook her head helplessly, picked up the bundles, and hurried toward the Li Zheng Grandpa's house.

"You, you, how could you kidnap someone back here?!"

The Li Family Old Man looked at Jiang Xiaoxiao, who had already fallen into a near-coma inside the sack, and said incredulously, "Didn't I tell you to discuss it with Jiang Shi before bringing her back!"

"Father, how can we discuss it? If we told her, she wouldn't let us take the child!" Sun Shi pouted.

"How could you do such a thing!" The Old Man stomped his feet twice. "Hurry and send her back! We'll go find Jiang Shi tonight to talk it over properly. The Huang family is a wealthy family; she will agree to marry Er Ya off to them!"

"Father..." Upon hearing that the Old Man wanted to send her back, Sun Shi grew anxious and hurriedly winked at her mother-in-law on the side.

Seeing this, the Li Family Old Woman immediately stood up and said, "Send her back for what! This dead girl is bold as brass! Look, she bit my hand like this!"

As she spoke, as if still feeling indignant, she kicked Jiang Xiaoxiao in the sack.

In her coma, Jiang Xiaoxiao let out a faint whimper from the pain.

The Li Family Old Man had originally wanted to stop her, but upon seeing that horrifying wound, he let the Old Woman vent by kicking her a few times.

"In any case..." The Old Man was silent for a long time before saying, "What you did is somewhat unjustifiable. Our family is in the wrong. If Jiang Shi spreads this matter and it becomes known to everyone, where will we, the old Li family, put our faces..."

Hearing this, Sun Shi couldn't help but smile ironically in her heart.

Sure enough, the Old Man wasn't feeling sorry for this dead girl; he was afraid that the villagers would find out about this and he wouldn't be able to save face!

"Father, you don't need to worry about that!"

Knowing that the Old Man wasn't pitying the dead girl, Sun Shi said with a face full of smiles, "When Mother and I came back, we specifically chose the small, less-traveled paths. No one saw us along the way; no one will know Er Ya is here. When Jiang Shi comes looking, we'll just deny it to the death. Let's see what she can do to us!"

The Old Man was still hesitating. At this moment, Li Shoude, who had been silent, suddenly stood up and knelt before the Old Man with a thud: "Father, I know that doing this is unfair to Third Brother, but I have no other choice!"

"You, you said what?" The Old Man was stunned.

"Father, let me tell you the truth: that Huang Family Young Master has a hidden illness. No family's daughter dares to marry him!"

Li Shoude lowered his head, clenched his fists tightly, and said word by word, "The Huang family promised me that as long as I find a wife for his son, my participation in the upcoming examination will be a sure thing!"

"You, what you said is true!?" The Old Man widened his turbid eyes, seemingly unable to believe it. "Does the Huang family really have such great ability?"

"Father, this matter is true!" Sun Shi also knelt down. "The Huang family's ancestors served as officials in the Imperial Court; their background is huge! As long as we find a wife for his son, Shou De's future rise in the world is just around the corner!"

"Rise in the world..." The Old Man muttered these words, his turbid old eyes full of surprise and disbelief. He pinched his own palm hard to suppress the excitement in his heart.

When he looked down at Jiang Xiaoxiao on the ground again, there wasn't a shred of pity left in his eyes.

Just then, the door outside was knocked on violently.

"Open the door! Lao Li family, return my daughter to me!"

The woman's voice seemed to contain monstrous rage, traveling straight into the main room and giving everyone inside a fright.

"Quick, quick, hide her in the inner room!" The Old Man immediately calmed down and said.

Sun Shi and the Old Woman hurriedly carried the sack into the inner room.

The Old Man took Li Shoude out of the main room, but before he could close the door, Jiang Wei kicked the courtyard gate open and rushed in.

"Li Yongqiang, tell your daughter-in-law to hand over my daughter!"

"Third Branch's wife, how can you call Father by his name? That's so impolite!" Li Shoude scolded.

"Third Branch's wife, your daughter is not here with me." The Old Man walked up with an ugly expression. "Go look elsewhere."

After speaking, he was about to pull Li Shoude into the room, seemingly not wanting to waste words with her.

Who would have thought that Jiang Wei would walk straight up, push the two of them aside, and step into the main room.

"Hey! Third Branch's wife, I said, your daughter is not here with me! How can you just enter someone else's room!"

The Li Family Old Man and Li Shoude hurriedly chased after her to stop her, but Jiang Wei backhanded Li Shoude in the face with a punch, landing squarely on his nasal bone. She used her full strength, and blood appeared on his face in an instant.

Li Shoude let out an "Ouch," clutching his nose, bending over in pain as fresh blood gushed out from between his fingers.

"My son!" The Old Man was so distressed he hurriedly bent over to look, not even bothering to stop Jiang Wei.

Jiang Wei quickly entered the main room. There was no one inside, but a suppressed whimpering sound could be heard vaguely from the direction of the inner room.

"... This dead girl, why did she wake up at this time!"

Jiang Wei heard Sun Shi's exasperated voice.

Hearing this, her expression turned stern. She immediately lifted her foot and walked toward the inner room, but Sun Shi suddenly lifted the curtain and came out to stop her.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 18 =====