Chapter 39: Brother compensates Luo'er with one thousand taels of silver

Li Kechuan was surely just trying to scare her.

However, Qu Shi's heart still felt an unusual, dense guilt she couldn't suppress.

She turned her head to look at her son, finally hinting at blame: "Li Kechuan, you didn't say you would just keep things in check, merely wanting her to burn some paper at Zhu'er's grave! How did it become like this?"

Pei Lao Furen heard this and gave a cold snort: "So you're saying, Qu Shi, you don't deny what you said about Luo'er?"

Qu Shi's face turned pale: "Mother, daughter-in-law... I was momentarily muddled; I indeed did some wrong things with Li Kechuan. But mother, please understand my feelings—I only did this because I miss Zhu'er too much..."

Pei Lao Furen: "Stop using this as an excuse! Do you think I'm so senile that you can just fool me?!"

"I'm not like you two fools; I'm still clear-headed!"

Facing grandmother's anger, Li Kechuan could no longer hold back: "Grandmother!"

He lifted his head, his gaze calm yet filled with icy frost as he looked at the old and young before him.

"Grandmother, this matter and the previous incident of Mother's eye medication were solely my doing; please don't blame my mother. She was only deceived by me into helping me."

"It's indeed I alone who deeply hates Li Qingluo. How can she still live well while Zhu'er has no life?!"

"How can she refuse even to go burn incense before Zhu'er, while Zhu'er even in death is making room for her?!"

"How can she become a daughter of the Li family, while Zhu'er is no longer remembered by anyone?!"

"Pei Lao Furen: 'Then how can Li Qingzhu monopolize everything that rightfully belongs to Luo'er, and even after death still cause Luo'er to be hated by her kin, suffering immensely?!'"

All three stared at Pei Lao Furen with shocked faces, as if they had never thought this way before.

Pei Lao Furen sneered: "I don't even expect you to find your conscience."

"But as for the Li family, as long as I return, as long as I live even one day, this matter will not be left unsettled!"

"Li Kechuan, you are ruthless and cruel, disregarding kinship and brotherly love, repeatedly persecuting your own legitimate younger sister, your viciousness is truly infuriating!"

"Luo'er now has twenty-three external wounds, her back injured by a blunt weapon, plus internal injuries of unknown depth—all of this you, her own brother, inflicted with your own hands!"

"Qu Shi, you are unfit to be a mother! As Luo'er's birth mother, you don't think of welcoming back your own flesh and blood to make amends, but instead blame the death of that wild spawn on her very self! What fault does she, born of you, actually have?"

"From birth she was taken by villains; a promising life of a noble daughter reduced to living worse than pigs and dogs!"

"You never imagined your blessings would turn out this way—everything you eat is bitterness!"

"Her hands are all calluses and cracks, rougher than yours when you wield knives and polish guns!"

"She has never worn decent clothes, never eaten a full meal, never slept soundly."

"All these sufferings she endures should have been Li Qingzhu's lot in life—why does no one pity her?"

"I think her greatest fault is being born from your useless womb; otherwise she wouldn't have attracted thieves!"

"Li Chao Jing, I see you are born with base bones! You favor non-blood-related mothers and daughters. You haven't even suffered enough from your mother's hardships, and you'll still have to endure your daughter's!"

"You three, each more heartless than the last, are utterly unworthy to be Luo'er's kin."

"From now on, all matters concerning Luo'er will be handled by me; in this household she need not try to please any of you anymore!"

All three were scolded until they were covered in filth; those words, like needles, slowly pierced their hearts.

Just for a moment, they hadn't yet reacted.

Li Chao Jing's complexion had never been good.

The mother's scolding words, though unpleasant, also startled him.

Back then, he also waited until after Mother left and he grew a bit older before realizing that mother and child must truly be blood-related to be utterly selfless.

That Deng Shi, unable to keep up her pretense day after day, later schemed not for her own son but to seize everything of the Jiangjun Fu.

Just thinking of this, Li Chao Jing felt a creepy sensation.

However, Zhu'er is already dead, so such things naturally won't happen again.

As for Luo'er... she was never raised, now she's older; even if she marries into the Zhongyi Hou Fu, how much could she look after her natal family?

She isn't marrying the heir, so her natal family has no need of her help.

To secure a good marriage for her—isn't that a heavenly grace from her natal family?

Blood ties, too, cannot be forced.

Qu Shi's heart, hearing this, actually felt a few strands of pain.

Her injuries are that severe?

Was this really done by Li Kechuan?

That person is also someone who came from her body; although she never raised them, they did spend ten months in her womb...

Seeing her wan appearance also made Qu Shi feel a bit of pity.

Li Kechuan this time really went too far!

Qu Shi silently lowered her head, not expecting that her days at the Liu family had been so terrible...

But at this moment, what she feels most fortunate about is that Zhu'er did not grow up in the Liu family.

After all, thanks to fate, it brought mother and daughter together!

Li Kechuan naturally felt the most resentful.

If not for Qu Shi holding him, he would have already risen and stalked off.

Pei Lao Furen didn't care what they thought.

Having calmed down, she declared their punishment: "Qu Shi, go to the Buddhist hall to reflect for a month, copy one hundred volumes of sutras. Without my permission, you may not leave!"

"Li Chao Jing, give one thousand taels of silver to Luo'er to compensate for her injuries and all losses from this incident."

Qu Shi also accepted going to the Buddhist hall; she had never suffered the hardship of kneeling before her mother-in-law, so now she would just make up for it.

But upon hearing that one thousand taels of silver were to be given to Li Qingluo, she widened her eyes, reluctant.

"Mother, this... so much? What would a young lady need all that silver for?"

Pei Lao Furen sneered: "Then what do you think is appropriate? Why not just give her one hundred taels and send her off?"

"You yourself say, since she returned home, what have you provided for her? Do you want me to scold you again, you fool?"

Li Chao Jing grabbed Qu Shi: "Don't say more! One thousand taels is one thousand taels! You yourself harmed her, you should take out this money!"

Li Chao Jing's knees were sore from kneeling; now he just wants to get this over with quickly.

Qu Shi wore a grim face, clearly very unwilling about this.

Pei Lao Furen couldn't be bothered to argue with them anymore, nor did she want to see them; she waved her hand and told them to scram quickly.

Li Kechuan stared at Pei Lao Furen, opening his mouth several times but saying nothing; in the end he said nothing, rose, helped Qu Shi up, and left without looking back.

Pei Lao Furen watched their disappearing backs, then asked Li Qingluo, who sat beside her: "Qingluo, Grandmother didn't punish your older brother, nor is Grandmother covering for him. Grandmother thinks you want to use your own methods to settle scores and take revenge on him—am I right?"