Chapter 6: In the Back Mountain, a Noble Lives?

Her straightforwardness and free spirit truly surprised Zhang Mama.

This girl seemed as if she had become a different person.

When we first went to that mountain and saw her, perhaps because of years of labor and torment, she appeared rather wooden.

Now, does she seem to be getting more spirited?

Zhang Mama chuckled, "Perhaps there's some misunderstanding here? Let this old servant go and interrogate these troublesome slaves!"

Zhang Mama went back herself.

When she returned, those who had been beaten and were still being punished finally spoke up.

It turned out they had indeed received orders from the head of the General's Residence, sending them to Qingsong Temple to fetch the long‑absent Second Miss back to reunite with her family.

However, they also received a direct order from the Eldest Son, who said the Second Miss had kept the whole family waiting for her, which was utterly unacceptable, so they should give her a taste of discipline; there was no need for polite requests, just bind her and take her back.

Thus, they dared to act that way.

Li Qingluo, feeling aggrieved and bewildered, listened to these words and immediately burst into tears.

"Is this really my own brother, saying such things?"

She put on a look of grievance, confusion, and incomprehension.

Zhang Mama looked on, feeling heartache for her.

Inside, she was furious: the Eldest Son was truly outrageous! What a loss of decorum, how could anyone treat a younger sister like this!?

Just then, another sound came from outside.

Zhang Mama ordered someone to go see what was happening.

The servant quickly replied, "Mama, a noble from Cang Song Back Mountain came and said we were disturbing him. He wants us to resolve this quickly, otherwise he won't give us any good fruit…"

The servant wore a panicked expression, and Li Qingluo, standing nearby, wondered: a noble lives on Cang Song Back Mountain?

Who could it be?

Even Grandmother's people are so wary!

Li Qingluo had been at Qingsong Temple for several days, but she was obedient and hadn't roamed about.

Now she was eager to inquire about the situation over at Cang Song Back Mountain.

Zhang Mama slapped her leg and said, "Oh dear, this ancestor cannot be provoked. Go reply that we'll handle it at once here, and will not disturb the noble's purity and cultivation any longer."

While the others hurried to reply, Zhang Mama turned her head, lowered her voice, and, still angry, scolded the General's Residence's servants: "I see you're all full of filth, sullying the innocent! The Eldest Son would never say such things or do such deeds! Since you can't produce the waist badge today and have bound people, you're bandits!"

"Servants, take these scoundrels to the authorities immediately, don't delay!"

"Yes!"

A few servants stepped forward, seized the pleading ones on the ground, gagged them, and left at once.

The courtyard quickly returned to cleanliness.

Li Qingluo, still looking naive, asked Zhang Mama, "Mama, they… might truly be impostors from the General's Residence, perhaps?"

Zhang Mama patted Li Qingluo's shoulder with compassion: "Girl, you understand… if they are? The Eldest Son has offended you, and today you chose to report to the authorities, which also offends him. Are you afraid?"

Offend him, Li Kechuan?

Li Qingluo could only muster a cold smile.

In her previous life she never offended him; he already loathed her to the utmost, thinking of the tortures he inflicted on his own sister.

On the surface, Li Qingluo only gave a wry smile and shook her head: "Afraid? I have always been alone, with nothing."

Zhang Mama laughed: "Who says the girl is alone? Come, the Old Lady wants to see you."

Li Qingluo looked up, her face full of surprise.

"Grandmother, will you really see me?"

Zhang Mama smiled and nodded: "Could I still deceive you? Girl, please follow me."

Li Qingluo hurriedly tidied her appearance.

Her clothing fabric wasn't fine, but it was clean.

She wore no jeweled hairpins, only a single twisted braid, and her hair wasn't particularly good.

Her skin was wheat‑colored and a bit rough.

Years of wind, sun, and hard labor gave her strength, yet she could not be called a beautiful lady; only her eyes were unusually bright and spirited.

To call her the most vulgar female slave of the General's Residence would still be unbelievable.

The true legitimate daughter of the General's Residence?

Pei Lao Furen stared at the kneeling girl and gently shook her head, sighing.

Seeing this, Zhang Mama waved her hand, and she and Ying Er withdrew.

When no one else remained in the hall, Pei Lao Furen asked Li Qingluo, "Speak, why do you insist on seeing me?"

Li Qingluo looked at Pei Lao Furen, also marveling inwardly.

She didn't expect Grandmother to be so young?

She was vastly different from the image she had imagined!

Although Grandmother was already in her fifties, the wrinkles on her face were few, her hair had hardly any white strands, and even with age one could see she had once been a dashing heroine!

Her appearance still retained heroic vigor, and her temperament was extraordinary!

Grandmother turned out to be like this.

This gave Li Qingluo a faint, different affection for Grandmother.

She had once been a famed female general of the DaLiang Dynasty, right?

What a pity, she married into the Li family.

"What are you staring at me for?"

Pei Lao Furen didn't wait for Li Qingluo's reply; seeing her gaze fall on her, though not malicious, made Pei Lao Furen somewhat uneasy.

She touched her own face, wondering if she was truly too old.

But she heard Li Qingluo say, "Grandmother's temperament is extraordinary, and I truly admire you, so I was momentarily absent‑minded; please do not think me guilty."

Pei Lao Furen was startled, and after a moment burst into a "hahaha" laugh.

"You admire me? Hahaha! Hahaha…"

Pei Lao Furen laughed, and a wave of sorrow rose within her.

Her grievance with her son, what fault do the grandchildren have?

Thus, when Li Kechuan and Li Qingzhu were children and were brought up the mountain by Li Chao Jing and his wife to "pay respects to Grandmother," Pei Lao Furen had not seen her son's wife, but she did see the Li siblings.

Li Kechuan was fairly proper and courteous, but Li Qingzhu greatly displeased Pei Lao Furen.

At her tender age, the moment she entered the main hall, her eyes darted everywhere, and she stared at the elders without standing straight, twisting all over.

Her eyes were full of scheming, and her demeanor was pretentious.

In front of her, she pretended to be a delicate little white rabbit before Li Kechuan, but the servant returned saying she turned and kicked the cat she kept in the corridor a few times.

Heh, what a frail little white flower indeed.

She's quite similar in manner to that Deng family.

And the men of the Li family all fall for this kind of trick.

Therefore, Pei Lao Furen never saw Li Qingzhu again.

Since she no longer saw Li Qingzhu, Li Kechuan gradually stopped wanting to come.

He dealt with her only with perfunctory irritation, and even seemed to harbor resentment because his grandmother wouldn't see his sister.

Such forced behavior, how could the Pei family not see through it?

If you don't want to come, then just don't ever come again!

What, do you really think Pei Jinzhi cherishes it?

All of you, get out!

Otherwise, that little white flower isn't of the Li family.

No wonder I felt uneasy the first time I saw her.

On the contrary, this girl, though tormented by villains into this state, still has a few different qualities at her core.

She could persist for these few days, just to see her own sincere heart;

Facing the treacherous servants of Jiangjun Fu, she remained calm under danger, even daring to report to the officials, seemingly determined to clash with her brother to the bitter end…

Heh, whether she is foolish or scheming, she piques Pei Lao Furen's interest.

Li Qingluo had no idea how Pei Lao Furen thought.

At this moment she felt that the eagle‑sharp gaze was upon her, and all her thoughts could no longer hide.

Thus, when Pei Lao Furen asked again what she was thinking, she honestly replied, "Granddaughter wishes to invite Grandmother, descend the mountain together, go to Jinling, and return to Jiangjun Fu!"