Chapter 254

254. Chapter 254: Shen Que Leaves

Perhaps... the turning point that changes the plot is this tiger tally?

Jiang Xiaoxiao's thoughts gradually settled.

She reached out, gripped the tiger tally Shen Que handed her, and nodded solemnly: "Alright, I'll keep it for you."

Finally, she added: "I'll keep this for you forever, but you must return safely and come fetch it yourself."

Hearing this, Shen Que smiled.

His eyes slightly reddened; a thousand words condensed into one: "... Alright."

"By the way." Jiang Xiaoxiao patted her small pouch at her waist and pulled out two crystal cores, "Take these with you back to the metropolis."

Shen Que stared at the two glittering objects, momentarily stunned.

He had seen these things long ago in the Jiang Family Courtyard.

Whenever the mother and daughter slaughtered chickens or rabbits in the courtyard, they would occasionally pull out one or two of these glittering crystals from their heads.

Every time she saw such crystals, Jiang Xiaoxiao always looked delighted, as if she'd acquired a rare treasure, washed them clean, and hurriedly stowed them in her small pouch.

Though they tried to hide it, he occasionally caught glimpses of it.

He knew these crystals held extraordinary significance for the mother and daughter, so he pretended not to notice.

Now Jiang Xiaoxiao was giving him such a precious thing—of course he was astonished.

Shen Que lightly pressed his thin lips, did not ask what the crystals were, but silently clenched the two crystal cores in his palm: "Alright, I'll carry them with me always."

The autumn night arrived quickly.

Before nightfall, Shen Que finally departed.

Jiang Xiaoxiao watched him leave at the door, seeing his tall, upright figure slowly vanish into the darkness.

Eventually, she could no longer see him.

Jiang Xiaoxiao lowered her head and rubbed her slightly stinging eyes.

"There, don't be sad." Jiang Wei's warm palm gently stroked her head, "Keep it safe for him. One day, he'll come back."

Jiang Xiaoxiao hung her head, staring at the tiger tally in her arms, her throat dry and aching.

She didn't know how to tell her own mother.

No one understood the Original Plot better than she did—Shen Que's journey is likely fatal.

Even if he leaves the tiger tally to alter the Original Plot's predetermined path, what of him?

He arranged all his affairs, thinking of the border soldiers, thinking of Dayin Country's common folk—but he left himself no escape route...

Night deepened; a cold wind drifted gently.

Yuhe Village lay wrapped in silence, gradually falling asleep.

Dawn began to break.

The quiet Yuhe Village erupted in noise.

Jiang Xiaoxiao rubbed her sleepy eyes and got up to look—she saw the main village road packed with people.

Villagers clustered together, watching Li Old Matriarch rolling on the ground, screaming and wailing.

"What sin have we Lao Li Family committed to marry that Curse Star Sun Shi? My son's bones aren't even cold, and this wench runs off with her daughter—wah, wah, wah... That's my Lao Li Family's bloodline... Feng Yatou, where have you gone? What have we done to you? Why did you follow that stinking old woman Sun Shi..."

Li Old Matriarch cried louder and louder; seeing more onlookers gather, she screamed even louder about how miserable and pitiful she was.

Yet no one stepped forward to comfort her.

Everyone saw through her act of false suffering.

Jiang Xiaoxiao stood at her own door, watching the scene from afar, silently cold-smiling.

Li Old Matriarch wasn't heartbroken over Li Family's bloodline fleeing—she was heartbroken over the silver taels in that bundle running away.

The Li Family were now vermin in the village, hated by all.

Their entire family's hope rested on the fifty-plus silver taels Li Jinfeng had hidden in the dog hole; without the money, the Li Family naturally couldn't hold back their wailing.

Li Old Matriarch didn't scream on the ground long before the Village Head arrived.

"Li Family, what the hell are you trying to do?!" Liu Dalang's beard quivered with rage, "You cause trouble every single day—won't you rest until the whole village is in chaos?! Right now, all of you Li Family get out of this village! I won't tolerate your antics anymore!"

Seeing the Village Head personally come to expel them, Li Old Man, who had been feigning death, finally shuffled over, face twisted in tears, and fell to his knees before Liu Dalang.

"Liu Dalang, I'm still part of Yuhe Village—can you really drive us Li Family out?" Li Old Man wept, nose and tears streaming, bowing his head repeatedly to the Village Head, "We Li Family know we're wrong—please don't drive us out of the village..."

Li Old Matriarch, seeing this, also wailed and knelt, banging her head on the ground: "Village Head Liu, we're old, can't work anymore—drive us out, and where will we live? We'll starve on the streets—do you want to kill us old couple..."

The Village Head's head throbbed from Li Old Matriarch's shrill voice, his temple veins bulging; he snapped: "Aren't you still alive? You have a second son—Li Shoucai. Can't he support you? There are dozens of docks in Town—pick any labor job carrying sacks—how can you not survive?"

Li Old Man's wailing choked off.

He dared not say that since selling the family's farmland, his second son had harbored hatred toward them—why would he support them in old age?

He was lucky if he wasn't beaten daily...

"Don't play the victim with me," the Village Head said, suppressing his impatience, "You've done so many absurd things—now the County Magistrate has ordered your family to leave Yuhe Village. Begging me won't help."

He raised his head, glaring at Li Shoucai and Zhu Shi, who hid behind their door watching: "I won't say more—pack your bags and leave Yuhe Village today. If you defy the Magistrate's order, the whole village will suffer with you Li Family!"

Hearing this, the surrounding villagers could no longer stand idle.

If the Li Family delayed leaving, they too would be implicated—defying the County Magistrate brought no good end.

Instantly, villagers surged forward, grabbing Li Shoucai and Zhu Shi.

"Li Family, get out now—pack your things and go, don't drag our innocent Yuhe villagers down with you!"

Li Shoucai was shoved and jostled, his face dark as charcoal, glaring furiously at Li Old Man across from him.

Zhu Shi dared not resist, rushing back inside to pack their belongings.

Seeing the entire village driving them out, the Li Family's old couple, who had planned to beg for sympathy, had no options left—slumped helplessly to the ground, hollow-eyed.

Finally, the villagers no longer held back, storming into the Li Family home and throwing out all of the Elders' clothes onto the doorstep.

Even Li Xiufen, who had been locked inside the Wu and never seen the light of day, was driven out.

She bore a grotesque, terrifyingly scarred face, already wild and unhinged; at the sight of people, she panicked, frantically covering her face and pulling her headscarf over her head.

Yun Ying fared even worse—she was still lying in bed recovering from her injuries, unaware of what had happened, when several strong young women carried her out and dumped her onto the doorstep. (End of Chapter)