Chapter 417: Encountering an Assassination, the Family Reunites!

Li Qingluo: "What do you know?"

Zheng Mama smiled: "It's because of the bad things she did that the Qu family got implicated."

"Now her two daughters-in-law were both driven to death by her, one after another; although she survived, her two sons hate her to the bone."

"So, since she went to that nunnery, the Qu family has never sent anyone to see her again."

"She had some money on her, and for a while she lived a good life. Later the Qu family stopped sending money, she ran out of cash, and who would let her continue living in comfort?"

"She also washed clothes by the river, swept, chopped firewood, farmed, hauled manure—she could only do rough work."

"Moreover, because she has a bad temper and often spews harsh words, she even got beaten quite a bit at the nunnery."

Li Qingluo couldn't help but sneer: "She deserved it."

Zheng Mama: "Our Old Lady is just too upright and open-hearted; she would never stoop to using underhanded tactics."

"Otherwise, in my view, she should have been worn to death in that nunnery long ago."

"Anyway, I secretly looked, and the He clan no longer has that former plump, white-faced pretence of compassion."

"Her whole face is an old visage full of hatred and resentment, not to mention she's grown thin, as if she's become a different person."

"It's really karmic retribution!"

Li Qingluo couldn't help but take a sip of tea.

She felt quite relieved in her heart.

That old hag originally wanted to kill my grandmother and also covet my grandmother's shop.

She is simply a thoroughly greedy, shameless old poisonous woman.

However, the rest of the Qu family, such as that old gentleman, are certainly not innocent either.

Otherwise, how could just the He clan have schemed against the Li family for so many years?

Qu Elder could rise to the position of Minister of Revenue; he's definitely an old venomous worm.

Moreover, the Qu family now openly disregards the He clan, clearly intending to sever ties completely.

Li Qingluo knew full well that she must not let down her guard against Qu Elder just because the He clan can't turn things around.

Keep watching the Qu family.

Continue speaking, what happened when Liu Qiongzhu went to the Daoist temple?

Zheng Mama: "She saw that Qu Elder and the He clan were also there, and without waiting for that old thing to give her a glance, she just ran off."

Pfft—

Li Qingluo didn't expect it to turn out like this.

She almost choked herself from coughing.

"What did you say? She ran away?"

"Is she afraid of the He clan?"

Zheng Mama: "In my view, she seems more afraid of being implicated again by that old poisonous woman."

Li Qingluo thought: It seems Liu Qiongzhu has truly been worn down to utter fear.

Afraid of even brushing against those nobles' edges.

So she only turns and runs when she sees an old acquaintance.

She dreads being sent back to the Fourth Prince's Residence again.

Zheng Mama: "Moreover, she turned her head as if wanting to go to that female Daoist temple a hundred li beyond the nunnery."

But she hadn't walked two days before running into a gang of ruffians.

Although she swore to defend herself to the death, a young lady ultimately can't resist anything; still, I secretly intervened and saved her.

However, so she wouldn't notice me, I secretly knocked her out on the way.

I even pretended to snatch her money bag, hehe.

Li Qingluo: ……

You really are a clever little ghost.

Li Qingluo continued listening to Zheng Mama: "I think she really seems to have severed ties with the mortal world."

But when she woke up, seeing the tears in her clothes, she likely thought her purity had been violated again, and she cried bitterly.

But I heard her cursing, and it sounded more like she was wishing that the person who stole her silver would rot in hands and feet.

Speaking of which, Zheng Mama is also a bit angry.

Li Qingluo laughed and shook her head again.

Zheng Mama: "Anyway, I don't know what she's thinking, but after this ordeal she actually didn't go to the female Daoist temple."

Just one person, wandering aimlessly in the wilderness, wind-blown and dew-soaked.

You young lady don't even know, she can't even find food.

A big fat rabbit could slip right past her feet; unless she knocks herself into a tree, she simply can't catch it.

Let alone other things—she went to steal food from people's fields and got chased for five li.

The fish in the river, a big one swimming back and forth, she just stares at people like a blind person and doesn't think to catch them.

If it weren't for me occasionally throwing her some food on purpose, she would have likely starved to death in the wilderness already.

Really useless.

Li Qingluo shook her head, thinking: Zheng Mama's whereabouts have probably already been noticed by Liu Qiongzhu.

So how did you come back?

Zheng Mama: "When she fainted again by the roadside, an elderly farming couple rescued her."

They have no children, so they treated Liu Qiongzhu as their own daughter, caring for her meticulously; I observed them for a few days, and it doesn't seem like an act.

I inquired a bit and heard that their only son had gone to serve as a soldier years ago and died on the battlefield; the old couple now have no children left, so they likely want to take Liu Qiongzhu as a spiritual reliance.

Liu Qiongzhu also willingly stayed.

Moreover, she even pretended to be mute. Perhaps she was afraid her voice would scare this elderly couple, and now she seems to have grown a conscience.

The old servant even saw her carrying water and cooking rice—truly remarkable.

Miss, do you think she… could get better?

Li Qingluo: "I don't know."

Not wanting to mention him anymore, Li Qingluo said she was tired.

You've had a hard time following her these past few days. Go rest for a few days; I'll give you double your monthly allowance as a reward.

Zheng Mama was very pleased: "Serving the miss is what I should do."

In the blink of an eye, several days have passed since Li Chao Jing and the others were exiled.

That day, soldiers escorting the Li family's men passed a farmhouse, feeling extremely thirsty, so they knocked on the door asking for water.

The one who opened the door was an old woman.

Seeing they were soldiers, she dared not provoke them and had them all enter the courtyard.

Although the Li family's people were all bound in iron chains and covered in dust, the escorting soldiers had received greetings from the Heavenly Wind Trading House and also taken some money, so they treated these Li brothers fairly politely.

Thus they asked for water for them.

The heat was enough to make people feel like they'd split open.

Everyone ladled water into dippers, gulping it down in turns.

After finally sitting down in the shade of a tree and feeling a bit cooler, there was suddenly a loud 'bang' at the gate.

It was Liu Qiongzhu returning with firewood on her shoulder.

She looked at the people in the courtyard with shock, her head buzzing instantly.

Then she dropped her things and turned to run in fear.

"Flower!"

Although the old woman didn't know what had happened, she sprang after her.

"How could it be her?"

"Could we be seeing things?"

Li Chao An muttered strangely while looking at Li Chao Huai.

Li Chao Huai snorted coldly: "Who else could it be? Even if she turned to ashes I'd still recognize her!"

"'Flower, wait for Mother—oh dear, Mother can't keep up—'"

The old woman's legs were inconvenient; after chasing Liu Qiongzhu a short distance she was already panting.

Only then did Liu Qiongzhu stop, her eyes red as she looked at the people behind her.

She just wanted to live out the rest of her life in peace—why did she run into them?

Is it that no matter how she flees, she cannot escape?

She waited for the old woman to approach, then tightly grabbed her.

"Are you afraid of them?"

"Don't be afraid. Mother is here with you."

"After they leave, shall we go back home?"

"'Child, Mother knows you've suffered a lot before; those scars on your body—what woman could accept them?'"

"'Mother doesn't care about your past; from now on we just need to live our lives well.'"

Hearing the old woman's words before her, Liu Qiongzhu's tears fell one by one.

Had she finally found something truly belonging to her?

Something as precious as a gem turned out to be so simple.

She nodded.

The mother and daughter were about to sit on the ground when Liu Qiongzhu suddenly saw several black silhouettes sneaking toward the house.

Her forehead throbbed 'thump-thump' wildly.

Almost instantly, without thinking, she grabbed the old woman and rushed back toward the house.

The moment they entered the house, they indeed saw the soldiers and those black silhouettes tangled in a fight.

"Old man—"

The old woman shouted nervously.

Liu Qiongzhu clapped a hand over her mouth.

Nevertheless, the two disregarded danger, seized the opportunity to feel their way to a corner, and found the old farmer.

The family of three huddled together, trembling.

However, a black figure suddenly lunged forward to attack.

Liu Qiongzhu, without thinking, rose and spread her arms to block in front—

Although, the sword had not yet fallen.

But she was so frightened she nearly wet herself.

She also truly cried out of fear.

From somewhere else, a few more people appeared.

These people killed the black-clad individuals, leaving not a scrap.

In an instant, the courtyard was filled with corpses and blood.

Who are you?

What do you want to do?

The soldiers couldn't tell whether this group of people were good or bad, so they all nervously gripped their swords.

The Shashi sent to secretly escort them also had his face covered.

He held her in his arms and said coldly, "If we were bad people, could you still stand here and talk?"

"Cut the nonsense, let's hurry on our way!"

After saying that, Shashi thought of something, then went outside and threw a sack inside.

When the sack was opened, Qu Shi's weathered face appeared.

"How did she come too?" Li Cha'an said contemptuously.

Li Cha'huai sneered: "They're a family of four, considered reunited—what a good arrangement."

When the other soldiers saw a woman thrown in and heard she was from the Li family, they immediately refused.

Shashi held his sword against their necks.

"If you want to stay alive along the way, you'd better pretend to know nothing."

"Anyway, having one more of you isn't many, and having one fewer also wouldn't feel few."

"Do you say that?"

A light turn of that sword is enough to make a head fall to the ground.

Having just seen their skills, the few soldiers were now extremely afraid.

Thus, they could only force themselves to keep the people.

Upon seeing Li Kechuan, Qu Shi's somewhat dazed expression lit up.

"Chuan, Chuan'er!"

"Chuan'er—Mother, am I dreaming? Chuan'er?"

Qu Shi stumbled over and grabbed Li Kechuan in a hug.

Li Kechuan was also very moved upon seeing Qu Shi.

But after being excited, he instead raised his left arm, pointing to the corner where he was desperately hiding Liu Qiongzhu.

"Mother, look, who is that?"

Liu Qiongzhu trembled all over from fear.

The old farmer couple held her, not daring to speak.

Li Kechuan saw this and let out a wicked "hahaha" laugh.

"Liu Qiongzhu, do you think you can hide for a lifetime?"

"Be careful not to harm innocent lives again because of your identity."

His words made Liu Qiongzhu's face change instantly.

She raised her head to look at the old farmer couple, looking very sorrowful.

She was a concubine who fled from Prince Yun's Mansion, and also an escaped slave.

If this matter were to get out……

Would they also not be able to survive?