Chapter 36: Grandmother's Fury, Brother Plots to Murder His Younger Sister

But nothing was lost in the mansion.

Moreover, they didn't dare to bring this to the master's attention; otherwise, everyone would surely be punished.

In any case, no major disturbance happened, and the matter was thus pressed down.

Here, Li Qingluo approached the dog hole and found it had been sealed.

Thinking it must have been Grandmother's doing to prevent her from sneaking out again, Li Qingluo couldn't help but smile bitterly.

To sneak back to the Li household, she couldn't go through the front gate.

Otherwise, an unmarried young lady who hadn't returned home for days and was in disarray, if spotted by someone with ill intent, would surely bring upon herself a flood of gossip and trouble.

Furthermore, she feared that before even entering the gate, Li Kechuan's men would apprehend her.

Just then, a heavy rain suddenly poured down.

Before long, Li Qingluo was drenched to the skin.

She stood on tiptoe on a stone, planning to climb over the wall, when a familiar low call came from behind: "Miss?"

Li Qingluo turned and saw Deng Mama; her body swayed and she fell into the grandmother's arms as she rushed forward.

At that moment, Li Qingluo was soaked and burning hot all over.

Seeing her face and feeling her body, Deng Mama's heart ached and she burst into tears: "Poor miss, what suffering have you endured! I'll take you back at once!"

Li Qingluo showed a relieved smile, as if after enduring torment she could finally catch her breath, and then she fainted, losing consciousness.

In fact, she had just slept soundly.

When she woke again, the fever had subsided and she was much clearer-headed.

Moreover, Li Qingluo discovered she had actually returned to that room in Jingci Tang.

Cui Er pushed the door open and, seeing Li Qingluo awake, was overjoyed.

"Que'er, Granny, the miss is awake!"

Li Qingluo woke, and everyone in Jingci Tang was overjoyed; Granny hurried to the main house to report the good news to Pei Lao Furen.

Soon, Pei Lao Furen herself came to see her.

"Lu'er? How do you feel now? Grandmother is very worried about you, child."

Li Qingluo stared blankly.

The grannies beside her looked on with concern, while Que'er and Cui Er secretly wiped tears.

Li Qingluo puzzled: "Grandmother, I'm fine. What's going on with everyone?"

Pei Lao Furen stroked her head: "Still saying you're fine? Do you know how many wounds you have? Over twenty!"

Li Qingluo gave a light smile: "Grandmother, they're just minor injuries, nothing serious."

Seeing her so indifferent to her own body, Pei Lao Furen grew annoyed again: "You still say you're fine!? The suffering the Liu family endured, the scars they left—let's not mention those for now!"

"Grandmother may have medicine to dispel these scars, but now you should cherish your own body. How did you end up like this?"

Li Qingluo wanted to speak but couldn't, appearing unable to voice it.

Que'er knelt on the ground: "Miss, please punish this servant. This servant spoke out of turn and has already told the Old Lady about that day, when you were forced by the Eldest Young Master to give blood and cut flesh for the lady."

"Moreover, later when Hongfenguan was haunted, you were also deceived into going to Spring Presence Hall, and all of that was told."

Li Qingluo widened her eyes: "You! Que'er... ah!"

Tears immediately filled Li Qingluo's eyes.

She turned her head aside, seeming to have countless grievances, yet couldn't utter a word.

Pei Lao Furen looked at her and seemed to see her former self.

At this moment, it felt as if someone had dug out her heart……

She reached out to touch Li Qingluo's temple and let out a long sigh.

"Are you afraid Grandmother will be disappointed in you, worried that you...?"

Li Qingluo's tears streamed straight down, falling into the pillow.

Pei Lao Furen gripped her hand, heartbroken: "Grandmother has investigated; your mother indeed had an eye ailment, but it was nowhere near serious enough to require bloodletting or flesh-cutting for medicine. All this was a scheme cooked up by her and your older brother to deal with you."

"Grandmother knows you're smart; did you also guess this long ago?"

Li Qingluo slowly nodded.

Pei Lao Furen asked again: "If you were poisoned, why didn't you tell Grandmother? And you let Deng Mama this old thing keep it from me! I sent Que'er to watch over you, and yet you...!"

Li Qingluo turned her head, eyes red, looking at Pei Lao Furen and said: "Grandmother, I'm sorry. Lu'er didn't want to cause you trouble, so I felt these things didn't need to be told to you."

"You said everything must rely on Lu'er herself, so I have strived to do so, but Lu'er is useless…"

"Moreover, regarding Mother... it's that I failed to win her favor, and that's also my fault."

"Grandmother, please don't be angry; I will heed your words, you let me get close and curry favor with them, this time I've improved, so I will go again…"

Pei Lao Furen felt heartbroken and gripped Li Qingluo tightly.

"Enough! Grandmother… it's Grandmother, I was wrong before."

"Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire. Grandmother claimed to be carefree for half her life, yet she has become harsh toward you."

"What Grandmother herself could not accomplish back then, how could she demand you to perfect it?"

"Grandmother should long ago have realized that your father, mother, and brother are heartless, unrighteous fools; even if you gave everything to win their favor, their hearts would probably never warm."

"Moreover, if Grandmother doesn't care for you, who will? You may lack parents, but you still have Grandmother!"

"It was Grandmother who found you and brought you back; Grandmother will look after you for life."

"Rest now; Grandmother will certainly decide this matter for you."

Pei Lao Furen stroked Li Qingluo's face again, then rose and left.

After everyone had left, Li Qingluo then gathered up the sorrowful expression on her face.

She sat up and gently wiped away the tears on her face with her hand.

Thinking of her grandmother's words just now, her heart was indeed deeply moved.

But, she had finally thoroughly achieved some of her purposes.

This time, it was Li Qingluo's turn to strike back.

Outside.

Pei Lao Furen stood in the courtyard with a solemn expression, while Zhang Mama and Deng Mama each stood on either side of her.

Seeing Pei Lao Furen's worried look, the two could not help but advise: "Old Lady, you should also take care of your own health. As for those disobedient ones, you can deal with them slowly; how could you make yourself angry?"

Pei Lao Furen let out a long sigh: "I'm worried about Luo'er. She won't speak, but how could I not know how dangerous this time was for her? The wound on her back is the most serious!"

"You've seen it, haven't you? It wasn't a blunt weapon; you couldn't have beaten her into that state!"

"Moreover, she clearly should have suffered internal injuries, yet now she appears completely fine. I suspect someone has already given her medicine for internal injuries. Who is that person? She hasn't mentioned it."

Deng Mama and Zhang Mama also exchanged glances, the two of them not having thought so much.

Pei Lao Furen's expression suddenly hardened: "This matter absolutely cannot be left as is! Go, summon my good son, good daughter-in-law, and good grandson to Jingci Tang for me!"

"I want to question them properly to see if they still want to be human!"

The two mamas: "Yes, Old Lady."

That evening, Jingci Tang was brightly lit with candles.

Li Qingluo was brought by Pei Lao Furen to sit on the upper hall.

When Li Chao Jing, Qu Shi, and Li Kechuan were summoned together, Li Qingluo was about to rise to greet them, but Pei Lao Furen pressed her down firmly.

"Just sit beside me; no need to move."

At this moment, Pei Lao Furen's visage was solemn and stern, her whole body exuding an oppressive, awe-inspiring pressure.

Her eyes were sharp and icy, staring straight at her son, daughter-in-law, and eldest grandson before her.

Even though Li Chao Jing was a general who had been on the battlefield and slain countless enemy troops, at this moment, facing his mother who had once been a formidable female general, he couldn't help but feel a creepy sensation.

What is happening?

Mother seemed to have a belly full of anger about to erupt.

It probably isn't because of him, right?