Chapter 626: Is there no poison on the knife that killed the chicken?

Que'er: "Miss, Loulan's conduct is too extravagant, isn't it? They let us in without even asking about our background, and gave us such a big house to live in—aren't you afraid we'll just stay forever and not leave?"

Li Qingluo hadn't replied yet when Zheng Mama sensed something was wrong.

"It's not that simple."

Zhui Yu: "Indeed it's not that simple. Didn't you hear? If trouble arises, Loulan won't care who's right or wrong; they'll just protect their own."

"That means, even if Loulan people provoke us, as soon as something happens, we outsiders will all be expelled from the city."

Sha wu: "On what basis?"

"Just because we're outsiders, they can bully us at will?"

"If they deliberately come to provoke us, must we just swallow our anger?"

"Let them beat and kill us at will?"

"Anyway, we have no weapons now; if we encounter a sneak attack, we can only fight bare-handed."

"Moreover, everyone feels helpless."

Li Qingluo: "Perhaps this is why those who come from afar cannot truly stay."

"This Loulan is probably not so easy to stay in."

"Everyone, be careful; don't go out tonight."

"Rest quickly; after dark we'll take turns keeping watch."

"If someone comes to our door deliberately to cause trouble, we must suppress any movement; we must not give them any excuse or handle for Loulan to expel us from the city again."

After saying that, Li Qingluo rubbed her weary head, just wanting to lie down quickly.

Zheng Mama immediately stepped forward to support her upon seeing that.

"Miss, go inside and lie down quickly."

"These days have tired you out as well. Tonight you needn't worry; I, the old servant, will watch over them and have them guard your room like an iron barrel, so no one can disturb your peace."

Li Qingluo: "Then thank you all for your hard work."

After Zheng Mama carefully settled the master lying down, she hurried back out of the room.

She wanted to go to the kitchen to see if she could make something tasty to nourish the miss, but she didn't expect Zhui Yu to keep following her.

"What are you doing, Granny?"

Zhui Yu suddenly spoke, startling Zheng Mama into jumping in place.

"Oh! Young Master Zhui Yu, you're going to scare this old servant to death. How do you walk without making a sound?"

"No, all of you lot walk without a sound, each like a cat turned human; along this road I've been frightened by you enough to lose at least ten years of life!"

"That's really not worth it!"

Zheng Mama ruefully pounded her chest, finally catching her breath.

Zhui Yu scratched his head.

"Um... I just wanted to ask you, has the miss felt any better?"

"Back when we were still in Eagle City these past few days, the miss vomited several times, and you said she just caught a cold."

"Moreover, these days her symptoms don't seem to have eased, and she's become extremely fatigued."

"Is the miss really alright?"

Zheng Mama was taken aback.

"This Zhui Yu usually seems carefree, but whenever something important comes up—or when he pays special attention to something—he turns out to be surprisingly meticulous, even a bit frightening."

"The miss certainly has no serious problem."

"Otherwise, go ask Qin Ling."

"He checks the miss's pulse every day and tends to her body; if she had any trouble, wouldn't we all have known by now?"

"Oh, hurry up and go out. I want to make something tasty to nourish the miss; she's been rushing around nonstop lately—this has been three months—how could she not be tired?"

"After all, she's just a young lady; how could she possibly have the endless energy and stamina you guys do?"

"Hurry up and get out, don't disturb me."

Zheng Mama finally managed to send Zhui Yu away, then hurriedly picked out the vegetables from the basket.

Soon after, Li Yunchu also came to the kitchen.

She was holding a chicken in her arms.

Zheng Mama asked in surprise, "Where did it come from?"

Li Yunchu: "There's someone raising poultry in the back courtyard. Don't worry, I won't touch the miss's food, but you… you stew this chicken for her to eat!"

Li Yunchu said that and then stepped aside, swinging the knife to slash the chicken's neck.

Then she dropped it and left.

Zheng Mama:?

Along the way, Li Yunchu actually didn't cause any trouble.

But would she really be so kind as to specially kill a chicken to feed the miss?

"Is there no poison on the knife used to kill the chicken?"

After much fuss, Zheng Mama finally confirmed that the chicken actually had no poison!

"Today's sun, could it have risen from the west?"

Zheng Mama felt that Li Yunchu must have been possessed by a ghost; otherwise how could her temperament suddenly change so drastically and she start caring for the miss?

"Could it be that Li Yunchu knows the miss is pregnant?"

"But even if that were true, she wouldn't suddenly start caring for someone who was once her sworn enemy, would she?"

"Still, free food is free food."

"As long as it's not poisonous, why wouldn't her miss eat it?"

During this time, Miss has been getting thinner and thinner; this makes Zheng Mama feel heartbroken, even more than if she herself had lost weight.

In that instant, Zheng Mama already had several ideas for chicken dishes pop into her mind, and she rolled up her sleeves and got to work enthusiastically.

Li Yunchu returned to the room happily, and Qin Ling, seeing her empty hands, was somewhat surprised: 'My dear, you really sent the chicken away?'

'Would Granny even dare to accept it?'

Li Yunchu blushed and nodded: 'Yes. Really, I'm just that vicious, making them not even dare to want a big live chicken?'

Besides, Luò'er has been suffering a lot lately; even pregnant, she's gotten that thin… I… I really couldn't bear to watch, otherwise I wouldn't have gone!

Qin Ling saw through but didn't expose it, merely smiling: 'My dear is certainly not vicious!'

'If it weren't for the Li family and the world treating you unfairly back then, you wouldn't have become like this today.'

'You yourself guessed that Luò'er was pregnant, yet you still have been silently looking after her?'

'Last time you even gave them the cleanest water source, and each time you gave them the biggest and best wild fruits. You even intentionally pushed the fattest fish onto Luò'er's plate.'

'My dear, you may not speak of these things, but I have seen them all.'

'Just because she once casually mentioned that you are her aunt, you have been so wholeheartedly and carefully kind to her. She doesn't know, but how could I not know?'

'You simply long for family, even though these Lis keep abandoning you… My dear, you make me, your husband, feel so heartbroken I could cry.'

Li Yunchu's eyes turned red.

'I, I am not as good as you say.'

'My husband, it's me who has implicated you.'

'These years I haven't even borne you a son or half a daughter, and I've implicated you in these predicaments from which you can't escape.'

'Furthermore, back then I indeed did some bad things to Luò'er, and even this time, while in Eagle City, I still harbored resentment toward her.'

'But, but I am not… I have always been her aunt, right?'

'Blood ties are like broken bones still connected by tendons.'

'She is now broad-minded and no longer brings up the past; if I keep harping on those old matters, wouldn't I be petty?'

'Even if she doesn't acknowledge me, I never intended to cling to her to make her acknowledge me; I just thought I owed her from before…'

'From now on, we'll live peacefully. Once Luò'er gives birth to her child and we settle our affairs, we'll retreat to the mountains.'

'I'll accompany you to gather herbs, cook and wash clothes for you, we'll make our home beautiful, and from then on we won't concern ourselves with worldly affairs, alright? We could even adopt two children—what do you think?'

Qin Ling embraced Li Yunchu, moved and satisfied.

'Alright, I'll listen to you in everything, my dear.'

Li Qingluo heard Zheng Mama say that the chicken was sent to the kitchen by Li Yunchu, who personally killed it, and she was also quite surprised.

'Her?'

This time, traveling together, Li Qingluo could not possibly be completely off guard against her.

She hardly ever speaks to Li Yunchu.

It's as if she's giving her the cold shoulder, treating her as nothing more than a transparent person.

As long as she doesn't cause trouble, I can spare her life.

I never expected that she would now even take the initiative to kill a chicken for me.

'Why is this?'

Que'er stood aside, cooling the soup for Li Qingluo; hearing that the chicken was killed by Li Yunchu, she didn't know whether she should continue giving the soup to the young lady.

'She surely wouldn't suddenly develop a conscience and think she is the young lady's aunt, would she?'

Zheng Mama: 'Who knows? Anyway, we can't be careless.'

'From now on, whatever it is—imported, personal, or otherwise—we still have to guard against it.'

'What do you think, Miss?'

Li Qingluo said nothing, merely silently taking a sip of the chicken soup.

Even if I give him the cold shoulder, Qin Ling wouldn't dare let Li Yunchu come provoke me again.

Li Qingluo also thought of some of Li Yunchu's recent inexplicable actions, and shook her head again.

'Never mind her; is there any movement around this house?'

Que'er: 'Everything is calm for now; no suspicious persons have been detected.'

Li Qingluo: 'Let everyone be more vigilant tonight; Loulan is certainly not as simple as we thought.'

'Yes!'

However, after sleeping a night, nothing happened.

Zhui Yu: 'Aside from some curious passersby peeking in, not even an ant has managed to crawl inside.'

Li Qingluo: 'So, what exactly is Loulan up to?'

Zheng Mama came over with a worried face and said: 'Miss, there's practically nothing left in the kitchen.'

'No rice, flour, oil, or vegetables, let alone meat.'

'There's only one chicken left in the yard, and we've cooked up all the remaining scraps that were left in the kitchen when we arrived yesterday.'

'We don't even have breakfast today, and you, Miss, are still hungry.'

'If we don't go eat out, we have to go out to buy supplies.'

Thirty‑four people—eating and drinking is no small matter.

All along the way, just purchasing dry provisions has required several horses to carry them.

Now the horses and weapons have been left outside the city, so we can say that we currently have neither provisions nor weapons at hand.

Li Qingluo instantly understood.

'I know now!'

'As long as we stay in this house, the people of Loulan will never take the initiative to provoke us.'

But they just want us to go out!

Even if we don't go out, they'll still force us to go out.

If we have no food, we will certainly go out to buy supplies.

Loulan differs from other Western Regions states: men and women rarely wear veils, and everyone is tall and handsome.

We look Han, so as soon as we go out on the street, we will surely be recognized.

Even if we don't provoke them, they will surely pick a fight with us on purpose, then seize the chance to drive us out of the city, never to be allowed back in.