Chapter 257: The Worthless Father Has Gone Mad? Reverting to Youth!

Li Qingluo stared with wide eyes, and found it somewhat funny.

The He old lady put on a façade of a benevolent, kind-hearted person, and this time couldn't help but slap Qu Shi.

"It looks like they blamed Qu Shi for all the hardships that Brother Xun endured."

Que'er: "If I may be bold and say it, that's how it is, and she deserves it!"

"However, last night the You old lady actually went back to Jiangjun Fu. She swiftly helped beat up the second and third houses, then steadied the whole Jiangjun Fu, and even mobilized many people to search wildly for the Lord's whereabouts…"

It must be said, without Li Chao Jing, the whole Jiangjun Fu would truly become headless flies, flying blindly and crashing.

Li Qingluo rolled over, propped her head up, and looked at Que'er: "Since the Qu family has made a move, it seems they'll come to our house tomorrow."

"You get up tomorrow morning and give a command, have the gatehouse prepare. If anyone dares to barge in and cause trouble, send them out by my order!"

Que'er smiled: "Yes, miss."

In a short while, Que'er fell asleep beside her.

Li Qingluo still mulled over the Jiangjun Fu matter in her mind.

The Qu family has two branches; clearly the main branch is the hand that controls the whole Qu family.

And although the He old lady wears a benevolent face, her scheming is probably far more vicious than the outwardly fierce You old lady.

Grandmother was plotted against and poisoned; her marriage, the business she runs, all were schemed by this He old lady behind the scenes.

The Qu family is cruel and greedy, turning the whole Jiangjun Fu into a murky mess.

The most detestable, of course, is our own foolish mother, Qu Shi.

If she weren't brainless, we still wouldn't see through the Qu family's schemes, and Jiangjun Fu wouldn't have come to this point.

It's also time to deal with her.

The next day.

Li Qingluo slept deeply, and when she naturally woke up, Que'er was tiptoeing in.

Seeing she was awake, Que'er hurried over: "Miss, you indeed guessed right! The people from Jiangjun Fu and the Qu family came here early this morning, making a huge ruckus, demanding that the Lord be handed over!"

Cui Er and Zi Jin came in carrying hot water; one attended to dressing and washing, the other to hair and makeup.

Li Qingluo has now gotten used to being handled by them, so she just sits obediently like a puppet.

Jiangjun Fu naturally knows that Li Chao Jing was taken away by Pei Lao Furen.

But they don't know where Pei Lao Furen and Li Qingluo have moved to now.

Hence they've been wandering the city in chaos for several days.

And they also don't know whether Li Chao Jing is still with Pei Lao Furen.

It was only after Minister Qu heard in court that Pei Lao Furen personally wrote a memorial to grant Li Chao Jing leave that they confirmed Li Chao Jing was indeed still there.

Moreover, the Qu family just verified that Pei Lao Furen not only survived, but also took Li Qingluo out of Jiangjun Fu completely.

The Qu family, seeing their bamboo basket of water fetching turn out empty, not only failed to get the person, but also let the grandmother and grandchild run away, and they also want to take another look at what's really happening here.

So they incited Qu Shi to bring people early to Xiuli Jiangjun Fu, intending to retrieve Li Chao Jing.

Li Qingluo, after the attendant arrived, asked Que'er: "Grandmother knows too? Is she being disturbed?"

Que'er: "Miss, rest assured. Since you instructed me last night, I got up at the third quarter of the Yin hour to greet everyone, telling the gatehouse to be especially vigilant; no matter how loudly they pound outside, they won't open the door before the Chen hour."

"However, if they overstep, ignore the advice, and cause a ruckus or even hurl abusive words, then send people out to deal with them."

"So as not to disturb you and the Old Lady, and ruin your sleep."

"Sure enough, they brandished knives and clubs to act recklessly; when the grandmothers left Jiangjun Fu, they had been holding their breath, and this morning they finally found an outlet."

"The grandmothers went out empty‑handed and knocked those dozen or so house servants to the ground."

"Now the Qu family and Jiangjun Fu's house servants are still sitting at the main gate, refusing to leave."

Li Qingluo: "No rush, let me eat something, then we'll go out and take a look."

Li Qingluo stepped out of the courtyard and saw Pei Lao Furen coming over.

"Luo'er, come with me first to see your father. Let's go."

Li Qingluo hurried over, took Pei Lao Furen's arm, and followed her grandmother into a secluded courtyard, where she saw Li Chao Jing locked inside.

In fact, Li Qingluo had known where Li Chao Jing was locked yesterday.

But she hadn't taken the initiative to look at him.

Regarding this biological father by blood, she harbored only hatred, not a hint of pity.

Especially when recalling his face when he tried to force Grandmother's death, Li Qingluo felt a fire burning constantly in her heart.

If not for Grandmother's sake, she wouldn't mind killing her father herself.

In the previous life, Li Chao Jing coldly observed his own death.

This life, he seems to have awakened to his own neglect, but it was merely seeing the side of himself that could be exploited.

Yet his legitimate daughter refuses to be under his control, which sparks his resentment and indifference, and when his interests clash with family affection, he would without hesitation be the first to abandon his own daughter, who has no feelings.

Such a person is unfit to be a father, to be a son, and indeed unfit to be human.

Zhang Mama pushed open the door, and Li Qingluo followed Pei Lao Furen into the courtyard.

It is said that Li Chao Jing, upon hearing that Li Kechuan had an accident that day, had already gone a bit mad.

But it's unknown whether he's just pretending.

At this moment, he is seen sitting on a slightly broken wooden horse, kicking his feet and wobbling; when he sees Pei Lao Furen arrive, a smile instantly spreads across his face.

"Mother? Mother—!"

Li Chao Jing immediately tossed the wooden horse aside and stood up, but because his body is too massive and the horse too small, he stumbled and fell.

With that fall, the wooden horse shattered on the spot.

Li Chao Jing was stunned for a moment, looked at the pile of broken wood on the ground, rubbed his eyes, sat down, and began to wail loudly.

"Wuwuwu… Mother, the wooden horse you made for me is broken, wuwuwu…"

Li Qingluo stared, mouth agape.

"Grandmother, this... He really isn't pretending, is he?"

His face still bore stubble, with several wrinkles, and his hair had turned half-white last time because Li Kechuan broke his leg; now he actually sat on the ground like a child, bawling without any decorum.

Li Qingluo found it hard to believe; if it were an act, he would be too realistic, too willing to cast aside his former dignity.

Pei Lao Furen looked at the scene before her with little expression and said: "Luo Bai showed him this, saying he had suffered too great a shock, and indeed he is no longer quite normal. His mind... has already reverted to childhood, around four or five years old."

After saying that, Pei Lao Furen walked forward.

Seeing her approach, Li Chao Jing lifted his head, looked at her pitifully, and reached out to hug her legs, crying: "Mother, I'm sorry, it's Jing'er who failed to protect the wooden horse you sent back for me."

"Mother, over these years, the things you had people send back from the frontier for Jing'er, Jing'er can't find any of them."

"Jing'er feels so terrible... there was a rattle drum, a windmill, a small carriage, little knives and swords, even a bow and arrow... they're all gone. Mother, could you make a few exact copies for Jing'er again?"

"Mother, Madame Deng said these were just things you casually bought and tossed back to pacify me, is that true?"

"So it was the son who, angry, threw them all away... now he wants to find them, but can't."

"Mother, please don't be angry, okay?"

Pei Lao Furen squatted down, looking at him, and replied word by word: "No, these were indeed made by Mother herself; you were deceived by Madame Deng."

Upon hearing this truth, Li Chao Jing looked as if struck with shock.

"Real, really? She deceived me? But, but why would she deceive me?"

Pei Lao Furen, however, did not answer his question, but instead asked: "Jing'er, do you really like these things?"

"Or are you just putting on an act because you saw me return? You don't... actually dislike Mother, do you?"

"I've heard you think Mother is a woman who only knows how to wield swords, not gentle, and hasn't accompanied you growing up, so you think I'm inferior to Madame Deng, and thus you're ashamed to have a mother like me, right?"

"Jing'er, just stop putting on an act for Mother."

"Otherwise Mother will take it seriously."

Upon hearing these words, Li Chao Jing seemed to become anxious.

He embraced Pei Lao Furen, burying his head in her chest, and cried even more sorrowfully.

"Mother, Jing'er knows he's wrong, Jing'er really is wrong... Jing'er has resented Mother, why can't Mother be like other mothers, staying by the child's side, why only Mother insists on donning armor and going to that battlefield. Is the son not as important as those military achievements?"

"But the son knows Mother went to save Father."

"Besides, the son actually also likes the things Mother sent back... he just doesn't know what's real and what's fake."

"Mother, are you still leaving? Please stay, okay..."

After soothing Li Chao Jing, Pei Lao Furen, with red eyes, left the courtyard together with Li Qingluo.

Once outside, Pei Lao Furen finally sighed.

"Let me speak frankly, Luo'er. Grandmother... originally intended to deal with your father, planning to settle things with him."

"But I never expected things to turn out like this."

"Grandmother was indeed at fault back then. If I had gone to the frontier and brought your father with me, no matter how hard or tiring, not leaving him in the care of a concubine, perhaps we mother and son would not have become like this."

"Later, due to my nature, I merely avoided this disastrous mother-son relationship."

"You've also seen what he's like now. So Grandmother can't be harsh anymore... just, return him to your mother."

"Just consider it Grandmother's debt to him."

"From now on, I will consider us severed, and we will no longer meet or interact."

"You handle this matter; Grandmother is weary, this time I won't show up."

After saying that, Pei Lao Furen dragged her weary body away slowly.

Li Qingluo watched Grandmother's back, knowing in her heart that Grandmother actually felt terrible inside.

Li Qingluo turned back and returned to the courtyard gate, looking inside at Li Chao Jing, who was painstakingly reassembling the wooden horse himself.

Seeing him, Li Chao Jing couldn't help but ask curiously: "Older sister, who are you? Why do I feel you look so familiar?"